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munsonfamilyband · 1 year

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Part 5 of Different Meeting AU

This part is going to be very sappy, enjoy! The boys do imply a little bit more about their sex life so TW for this part: implied sexual content, discussion of torture, mentions of character death

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After Steve left the trailer park, he strapped the new bag of Eddie's things to his bike with the food, grabbed his backpack and started biking toward the lake. To stay out of sight he followed the train tracks, then split off from the woods when he reached Holland road. He pulled up to the house and hid his bike around the back, hurrying over to the boat house.

Steve carefully opened the door, peeking his head inside. "Eddie? I'm back, where are you?" At that, Eddie threw the tarp off and nearly ran to pull Steve into a hug. Steve could feel the anxiety thrumming off of Eddie like a physical thing and just held him tighter for a moment before finally pulling back to look him in the eyes. Eddie gave him a small smile, eyes still tight.

"Hey, did you get snacks?"

"Yeah, I grabbed you some clothes too. Went to see the guys, let them know what happened. I saw Wayne too, he was smart enough to hide anything illegal or incriminating before he called the cops this morning, so I have all of your drugs and my clothes from your place. He did leave the handcuffs and condoms though, probably figured they didn’t scream Homosexual too much." Steve quickly spoke up when he saw the almost feral grin on Eddie's face, "and I am glad he did, we do not need to be getting carried away while hiding from the cops." Eddie's grin dropped, practically pouting.

"Not even a little carried away? It’s not like we ever really use the condoms anymore."

"Eddie, we had sex like two days ago. And we don’t exactly have the ability to clean up around here.”

"Tell me about it, that's two whole days." Steve just rolled his eyes, ignoring the warmth he always feels in his chest whenever Eddie shows how much he wants him.

"C'mon, horndog, let's go into the house. We never cleaned up our picnic last weekend so all the blankets and pillows are still out. I brought our book too, so you can read to me tonight." Steve held out his hand, Eddie grabbing it quickly and pressing a kiss to the back of it as the head toward Steve's bike. They grab the bags and head into the house, setting them down on the kitchen table. "The food is in the duffle bag, can you put it away while I talk to Robin and let her know I'm back? I promised I would walkie to tell her." Eddie nodded, pressing a kiss to Steve's shoulder as he passed him to go put the food away.

Steve dug his walkie out of his backpack and tuned into the right channel. "Robin, are you there?"

"Steve! Did you get back to the lake okay?"

"Yeah, I just got back. I stopped by the trailer on the way here and saw Wayne, he had all my stuff packed up from the trailer, along with any incriminating items." Robin snorted through the walkie talkie.

"So he found all of Eddie's drugs and sex toys?"

"No!" Steve paused as he blushed. “We don’t leave that stuff at the trailer.” He only blushed more when Robin’s laugh came through the walkie.

“But he found all the drugs?”

"Shut up, Robs. Yes, Wayne found all of Eddie’s drugs. I just wanted to let you know I got back safe. Now can I get back to my boyfriend?”

"Good. Also, you're welcome, by the way. I managed to keep Dustin from outing you, I figured you would want to tell Nancy yourself." Steve sighed softly, so unbelievably grateful for his best friend.

"Thank you, Robbie. I'll have to find a time to tell he when we all meet up to plan, hopefully soon."

"Yeah, Nance actually was at the trailer park earlier. She said she had gone to investigate and ran into Eddie's uncle, he said something about Victor Creel? She said he was like a crazy murder from the 50s so I think we're planning on going to the library tomorrow to do some research."

"Alright, keep me posted on whatever you learn. I'm starving and I know Eddie must be too, so I'm going to go make us some food. Stay safe, Rob, over and out." Steve listened to her quick goodbye and pushed down the antenna of the walkie, setting it on the table before heading into the kitchen. "You hungry? I know I am." Eddie was sitting on the counter, flipping a butter knife in an attempt to look cool.

"I'm always hungry, and I have definitely missed your food this week." Steve smiled at him and got out the ingredients for quick goulash, knowing it was one of Eddie's favorites.

"I meant to tell you, Wayne wanted me to let you know that he never thought you were guilty." Glancing over at Eddie, Steve could see his shoulders visibly relax. Clearly, that had been weighing heavily on his mind.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he knew you would be worried about him thinking you were like your dad, and he wanted you to know that he never did."

"I love that old man." Steve laughed, leaning his hip against Eddie's knee where he was still sitting on the counter.

"He loves you too." Steve cooked quickly, getting their food together so they could move into the living room to eat. Once their food was in bowl, he and Eddie went into the living room, sitting down on the blankets they left there.

After a few minutes of eating quietly, with only the sounds of the silverware and Eddie’s knee bouncing to fill the silence, Eddie finally spoke up. “So…. Tortured by Russians?” Steve sighed, setting his mostly empty bowl down on the floor. Without commenting first, Steve turned and grabbed the bag with his items in it, pulling it closer. He dig through the front zipper pouch and pulled out a small square box, opened it and pulled out a small blue piece of plastic that he carefully wrapped around his left ear. Steve saw the realization on Eddie’s face when he looked up, Eddie reaching a hand out to gently touch his left ear. “Sugar, why didn’t you say something?”

“I was scared, mostly. With the kids... I'm the one who keeps them safe, I didn't want to give them a reason to think I couldn't do that anymore." Steve looked at his hands as he spoke but was forced to look up when Eddie cupped both of his cheeks in his hands.

"Stevie, they are always going to need you around, it is okay to need help sometimes. So, from now on, you are going to promise that you will wear that hearing aid, understand?" Steve stared at Eddie for a moment before he nodded, placing his hands over Eddie's and just keeping him there. The moment was broken when a sharp pain radiated from behind Steve's left eye and he gasped, dropping Eddie's hands to push his palm into the eye socket in an attempt to stop the pain. "Migraine?"

"Fuck, yeah. Of course I didn't bring my good meds with me, shit it's bad." Steve squeezed his eyes shut to keep out the lights and he heard Eddie stand and walk away. Distantly Steve heard the stairs creak then footsteps on the second floor, before the stairs creaked again and Eddie was sitting in front of him once more.

"These aren't your good ones but I figured some motrin is as good as we can get right now. Here, give me your hand and I'll give you the pills." Keeping his eyes shut, Steve put out one of his hands and felt three pills be placed into it. After he popped them into his mouth, Eddie grabbed his hand and placed a glass of water in it so he could swallow the pills. "Good. Did something set it off? Normally you have a trigger."

"Well I would say I'm pretty stressed today so that would explain it." Eddie huffed a quiet laugh.

"Alright, that's fair. Let's lay down for a bit and once you're feeling a bit better we can keep talking." Steve let himself be guided to laying down and he curled himself against Eddie, using his chest to block out the light. Once the medicine kicked in Steve was able to shift backwards enough to look up at Eddie who was looking right back at him. "Meds doing their job, honey?"

"Yeah, you still want to hear about last summer?" Eddie nodded and Steve sighed, closing a fist around Eddie's shirt and gripping it tight. "Alright, well we told you about how we found out that the Russian's had a base under the mall but we didn't explain how we got into it. We had to drag Erica in, which I still feel so guilty for because she was only 10, and she went through the vents to get into this storage room they had on the loading dock. She opened the doors for us and we all went inside to investigate but the doors shut behind us and locked. Next thing I know the room is dropping because it was actually an elevator. We got stuck in that elevator for hours before some guards came to collect stuff from the room and we got out of there only to have to walk for miles. I think Erica actually knows how far we traveled but I wasn't there when she did the math so I don't know how far it was."

"Wait, Erica just did the math for how long you guys traveled?"

"Yeah, Dustin said she did at least. That's why he calls her a nerd apparently. Anyway, we got to the center of the base and Erica spotted the comms room, I won a fight against a Russian guard and then we found the gate they were opening to the Upside Down. At that point, Dustin and I knew this was really really bad. Then the alarms went off and we all had to run. We got cornered in a supply closet and Rob and I held the door shut so the kids could get into the vents and escape."

"You didn't..."

"I did. I couldn't let them get ahold of Dustin and Erica and Rob wouldn't leave me behind so we got captured. I knew Robin would start talking if she had the chance because she was nervous so I decided... I decided I would just be louder and more annoying so she wouldn't be their main focus. It worked and we got taken to separate rooms where I-" Steve cut off, his throat closing up from the memories of what he experienced in that bunker. "I would rather not go into detail, but, uh, they kept asking who I worked for and I had nothing to say other than the truth which they didn't like. I got knocked out eventually and when I came to I was tied back to back with Robin in a different room. She was yelling about needing a doctor and she said that she thought I might have been dead because she couldn't see me breathing. I'm pretty sure that was the broken ribs though."

"Jesus H Christ, Stevie. They nearly beat you to death."

"After I came to they asked us more questions before deciding that the best thing to do next was to give us some truth serum or something. They grabbed these syringes full of blue stuff and stuck it right in our necks. That's why I'm so spooked by needles now."

"Shit, that- well, that explains so much. sweetheart. I cannot believe you went through that and are still willing to put yourself in more danger."

"Yeah, well, the kids would get involved no matter what, and you're involved now. There was no way I would leave you to deal with this alone. There, um. There is something else. I think now that you know everything, it’s probably a good time to mention it.” Steve tilted his head up so his chin was resting against Eddie’s sternum and felt Eddie push a hand under his shirt to rest against the small of his back, radiating heat and comfort.

“What’s up? I thought I knew everything at this point, do you have another head injury to tell me about?” Steve huffed out a laugh, he could tell Eddie was trying to lighten the mood for both of them. He was so glad that he didn’t have to hide things anymore, even if he was terrified about Eddie being involved in the Upside Down.

“So, uh, I’m pretty sure we mentioned how after Billy beat me up in ‘84 Hopper took me to the hospital, right?”

“Yeah, someone mentioned it.”

“Cool, um, the thing is that wasn’t just it. After-after the hospital figured out my parents weren’t coming, Hop stepped in as uh, he said in loco parentis, but basically he was acting as my parent since I was still 17. He ended up bringing me back to his cabin after they discharged me, the hospital didn’t want me to be alone since it was a grade 3 concussion and I had the cuts on my head from the plate.” He felt Eddie’s hand curl a little tighter around his waist at the mention of the head injury again and Steve pressed a kiss to Eddie’s chest. “I’m glad he stepped up, I didn’t have anyone else. But, after that, I don’t know how it happened, somehow I sort of got absorbed into their little family. El and I got really close and that’s why I’m close with Max, and Hop-“ Steve paused as his throat closed up, it had been so long since he had even talked about Hopper’s death and it still hurt. “He became the first real father figure I had ever had. But then, Starcourt happened and he-“ This time Eddie cut him off, pulling him close so Steve didn’t have to push himself to say it.

“I know, I saw the news. I’m so sorry, princess. I had no idea you were close to him.”

“It wasn’t a long time, just around 8 months but it was enough for me to get attached to both of them. And now-now he’s gone and El’s in California, which is the best place for her but it still hurts. It’s why I was so emotional about Wayne just… accepting me the way he did. Hop had just… it had only been a few weeks and Wayne was so much like him. He’s- Wayne has helped a lot with that healing, he and Hop would have gotten along really well, I think.”

Eddie paused, just holding Steve close and rubbing his back gently. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He hummed gently before shifting them around so he was pressed up against Steve’s back. “Wayne really loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than me.” Steve just laughed, holding Eddie’s hands in his own.

“No way, you’re his son, Eds. He does care though which I appreciate.”

They lapse into silence, just holding each other before Steve suddenly snorts a laugh.

“I don’t think Hop would have liked you very much.” Eddie pauses for a moment and then starts laughing.

“Absolutely not, you’re totally right. I don’t think he would want a drug dealer hanging out with his kid. Much less dating that kid.”

“I saw how he was with Mike, and that was just because he thought Mike was annoying. I think you dodged a bullet, possibly literally.” Eddie just laughed and held Steve closer to him. "Eds?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you doing? With all of this stuff." He can hear and feel Eddie sigh against the back of his neck and Eddie squeezes Steve's hand.

"Honestly?... Shit, Stevie, I'm scared out of my mind. For me, for you, for Robbie, for those god damn kids. I was prepared to have a spring break full of alone time where we got laughably high and fucked on just about every surface in this house. Now? I'm potentially on the run for murder and there's an evil wizard from another dimension that can possess people and kill them without leaving any evidence. If you hadn't shown up in that boat house, I think I would have gone insane."

"Eddie, it's okay to be terrified, you know? The first time, hell, the second time too, that I did this I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't stand having the lights off and any time I saw a bulb flicker I jumped. Even last time, you know what I did to just be able to sleep. You're allowed to be scared. So you and I are just going to lean on each other and we can make it through this." Steve felt wetness on his neck and knew Eddie had been crying at some point, so he turned around to face him and he pressed a kiss to Eddie's nose. He was smiling but when they were able to see each other's faces Steve saw Eddie frown.

"Is your nose bleeding?" Eddie asked before Steve reached a hand up and wiped under his nose, finding blood on his fingers when he pulled them away.

"That hasn't happened in a while. Don't worry though, sometimes it happens with the headaches."

"Alright, if you're sure." Steve just curled back up against Eddie without further comment as Eddie's hand carded through his hair. "You want me to read a bit before we go to bed."

"Yes please." He felt Eddie twist to grab their book before a kiss was pressed to the top of his head and Eddie started to read.

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And that's it for this part. I had the part about Hopper written days ago but I wasn't sure how to work it in until today. I'm obsessed with Accidental Parent Hopper who stumbles into being a father for two kids.

Also, there is a good bit of foreshadowing in this chapter, both from the show and some of my own

Taglist

@messrs-weasley @y0urnewstepp4r3nt @eddie-munsons-lunchbox @live-the-fangirl-life @nburkhardt @inmoonywetrust @henderdads @vlada-elya @grtwdsmwhr @spectrum-sceptre @madamonsieur-silvrene @abookisproofofmagic @knitsforthetrail @imzadidragonfly @blackholegladiator @maya-custodios-dionach @phantypurple @booksandsience @formacoon @gregre369 @beeing-stuupid @imsociallyanxiousgetoverit

#steddie #steve harrington #stranger things #eddie munson #different meeting au #Jim Hopper accidentally adopts people and he complains about it constantly but refuses to stop being a parent #Eddie is obsessed with Steve and he witnessed the “tell me about it” moment between Steve and Nancy #he regularly shows Steve how much he loves him by using that line #i don't know if I said it but they're reading through LotR together -> adding to my dyslexic Steve agenda

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syaraan · 5 months

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Dyslexia moment from today

So I was reading a physics thing, an electricity physics thing, an electrical current in circuits complete with diagrams physics thing. And when I was reading this physics thing I came across the word "squirrel"... except, i did not. I read half way through the paragraph before i realized that - even in physics textbooks - squirrels carrying rods are not typical.

So I looked back at the start of the paragraph, and there it said... "current"

Now I may constantly switch up numbers and letters, and I may have only learnt that apples and applies were different words at age 13, but I have never in my memory miss read "current" as "squirrel". I can't even remember the last time I thought about squirrels. It has been at least 4 years since I have seen one.

Why did it take me half a paragraph to notice???

#dyslexia #dyslexia moment #study #study productivity #the reason for that last tag is that it is what I should be doing right now #physics student #dyslexic #rant #syaraan

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minecraftbookshelf · 7 months

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For the record I scored higher on the Life Series quiz than both Mr. SolidarityGaming and Mr. InTheLittleWood so I’m happy

#(and I would have scored even higher #but had a dyslexic moment and misread two questions #rip me)#rain rambles #I got 76 #for the record

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darcyolsson · 4 months

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being dyslexic but good at drawing is such a torturous experience bc whenever i try to write something neatly it's literally like i'm being taunted by my own brain. i draw so much so i KNOW i have excellent fine motor skills but the moment the thing i am trying to draw is a letter there's an error message popping up and the letters are in random places and different sizes and so very misshapen. why is it that when i try to draw a circle i can do it easily but when i call that circle the letter o it's ugly and lopsided. i know why but WHY

#i'm not that dyslexic but sometimes it pops up at random moments and im like ohhhh right i forgot about that #family trivia night where i somehow got elected to read the cards...... a nightmare. i was fighting for my life #i do think my good hand eye coordination is whats keeping my handwriting from being entirely illegible though #personal

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his-strange-eyes · 11 months

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Just a little Steddie thought, let me know if you want more. quick disclaimer, this has a dyslexic mc who has some internalized bullying for it. I am dyslexic and this was based off of my personal experience with dyslexia, though it’s different for everyone, by no means is this a universal truth or accurate description for the entire population of people who are dyslexic.

Steve wandered through the empty isles of Family Video, scanning the titles to make sure they were all in their correct places. He absently read the titles aloud under his breath as he went along.

“The G-od Fa-th-er.” He unscrambled the letters of the name in his mind, he barely noticed it anymore, though when he heard his own voice saying the titles aloud he stopped. A memory came to the front of his mind.

Nancy scanned the library shelves, the top of her head tucked under Steve’s chin. She gave a little sigh. “Steve? Don’t read the titles aloud, remember? It’s really distracting. It’ll go faster anyway if it’s in your head.” She turned her chin up at him to give a little smile.

“Sure, sorry Nance.” He knew that it would be harder to figure the words out without sounding them out, but it was fine. He was really just here for Nancy anyway.

Steve closed his mouth, chewing on his bottom lip as he continued to scan the titles, saying the words in his head like if he was speaking out loud.

“The Godfather.” Someone said beside him.

Steve nearly jumped out of his skin.

Eddie stood next to him, hands folded behind his back as he leaned on the balls of his feet toward the shelf. “That’s a good movie.” He continued down the line, reading the titles aloud. “The Goonies,” he kept up reading the titles out, making the odd comment about them. Eventually he came across one that was misshelved and Steve plucked it off.

Putting on his “King Steve” face, Steve turned toward Eddie. “Are you mocking me?” Could people just not leave him alone? He knew he wasn’t that bright, but did everyone have to keep reminding him? His face was heating up as he stood there.

Eddie’s head snapped up, looking at Steve with wide eyes. “What? No! Nope, no, no. I was just… I also read titles aloud and… well-“

“I looked like I needed help? Well, I don’t, thanks.” Steve shouldered past the other guy, making a b-line for the correct shelf. What an asshole.

“That’s not it. Wow, this is all going the wrong way.” He rocked his head up and down and absently brought his hands around his ears. “It’s stupid, but I thought it was cute- not in a condescending way! Just in a… normal way…” Eddie looked at Steve through his lashes.

“So you are making fun of me.” He slammed the VHS in its correct space, looking at Eddie with a face that screamed “I’m tired of your bullshit.”

“No! No, Steve. You’re taking this all wrong. I was reading the movie titles out loud because I was listening to you and following along to see which movie I wanted to watch, then you stopped and I just kind of… picked up where you left off. I wasn’t thinking about it, it was just kinda automatic. Sorry.” Eddie scratched the back of his neck and held one hand out toward Steve, it’s intention unclear.

“Oh. Okay.” Was all Steve could come up with as a response. “As far as movies go, have you seen Back the the Future?”

Eddie shook his head. “I have not.” He grinned at Steve.

“No way! You have to see it, it’s a great movie. I watch it, like, once a week.”

“It really must be good.” He dug the toe of his boot into the tile floor, looking down for a moment before putting on a devilish grin. “Wanna watch it with me? If you haven’t already seen it this week, that is.”

Steve tilted his face up, looking at Eddie down his nose in a considering manner. He rocked his head side to side. “Yeah, okay. My place tonight?”

“Yeah! Wait, I don’t know where you live.” Eddie pulled his hair in front of his mouth.

“You could hang around till the end of my shift if you want. You can follow me home.” Steve found the movie and walked up to the counter, sliding it over to Robin.

She groaned. “Not this movie again, Steve. How could you enjoy watching a movie so many times. Especially considering what happened the first time-“ Robin’s eye shot toward Eddie and she cut herself off.

“We’ll, Eddie hasn’t seen it.” Steve shot back. “I’m just going to educate him.” He snatched the movie away from his friend after she processed it.

Robin just rolled her eyes.

Eddie bounced on the balls of his feet behind Steve’s back. This was going to be the longest shift ever.

#steddie #steddie oneshot #just a random thought #we don’t hate nanacy wheeler in this house #dyslexic steve harrington #dyslexic #eddie munson is a sweetheart #steddie moments

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halsdaisy · 5 months

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sorry for spelling "no" as "know"

#daisy.txt #really big dyslexic moment

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morgansplace · 1 year

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I'd like to expose someone today

#tw suggestive #i said grip instead of drip #my dyslexic ass had a moment #AND SHE HAD THE AUDACITY

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undead-plague · 1 month

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Hey, I finished two chapters of my Arms Dealer x Demigod!Guide fic!

Here's the cover I made for it:

and the links to read it if you're interested!

Fanfiction.net

Wattpad

Content/Trigger Warning for Body Horror, Gore, Mentions of Suicide, Burns, and Strong Language!

EDIT: Fixed a shit ton of grammar issues! My bad about that :3

#terraria #fanfiction #terraria fanfiction #arms dealer x guide #guide x arms dealer #the guide #arms dealer #the arms dealer #terraria guide #terraria arms dealer #also the guide is trans and the arms dealer is dyslexic #but there's only brief moments that show it

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signs-of-the-moon · 11 days

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Moon High: Chapter 21

Warriors came rushing to aid as they heard the cry of the ginger she-cat ring clear across the forest. Leafheart hunched over the mutilated body of her son, Flamepaw, and Moonpaw watched on helplessly. There was so much happening all at once that it was hard to concentrate.

Moonpaw blinked, seeing Thornberry and some of the other mentors gather to console the grieving she-cat. Then, in the next moment, when Moonpaw blinked again, Smokepaw was beside her. He appeared to be speaking, judging by the movement of his mouth, but no words could be heard. The only thing Moonpaw could hear was the rapid thumping of her heart and a ringing in her ears. She tried to force herself to pay attention. But it was difficult. She didn't feel like she was present at the moment. Her body didn't feel like her own.

Moonpaw stared with wide unfocused eyes at the smokey gray tom. He continued to try and communicate. Then Smokepaw's brows furrowed as he realized Moonpaw couldn't understand him. He turned, and Moonpaw blinked again.

The next thing she knew, she was being led through the woods. Beepaw walked on one side of her, just behind Smokepaw. She was saying something, but again, nothing seemed legible to Moonpaw.

Time flew away from her like a bird on a strong gale, because the next thing she knew, the group was entering Treeclan's camp. Mothsong and Berrypaw ran over to them, checking every cat over. They seemed so distant to Moonpaw, like they were walking just at the edge of her vision. Smokepaw gestured towards his littermate, and for the first time in a while, Moonpaw could partially make out what was being said.

"She's... ...shock," Mothsong noted, her words cutting in and out of Moonpaw's consciousness. Moonpaw could barely feel the brush of the medicine cat's tail against her shoulder as she was prompted to follow towards the healer's den. An orange blob lay near her feet as she passed. Yet her mind wouldn't allow her to focus well enough to see exactly what the shape was.

Moonpaw then found herself settling into a nest as the calico she-cat brought over some herbs. I'm not sick, Moonpaw protested internally, confusion clouding her mind. She wasn't the one who should be tended to right now. But Mothsong didn't seem to think so, judging by the look of concern on her face.

"...eat...." Moonpaw barely heard her say. And though she felt like taking the medicine was pointless, Moonpaw followed directions anyways. She swallowed bitter plants first--thyme and goatweed, Moonpaw remembered their names being. Next, a tiny seed rolled onto her tongue and slithered down her throat, just as a soothing scent entered into her nostrils. Chamomile? Moonpaw guessed as her head grew heavy. She saw Mothsong in front of her. The beautiful medicine cat signed the word "sleep" in the Silent Language. Then, as if on command, Moonpaw found herself being pulled into a deep, restless slumber.

An uncountable amount of time passed before Moonpaw stirred awake. Her head felt heavy and body felt numb as all of her consciousness returned to her at last. She could finally think and see clearly. The medicine Mothsong had given her worked wonders on her foggy mind. But now Moonpaw felt stiff as a log. Stretching, the silver and white she-cat moved to stand from her nest. But before she could, a rustling sounded from the entrance of the medicine den. Moonpaw curled back up into her sleeping spot, not wanting to be reprimanded for leaving it before she was given permission. Two cat-scents made their way to her nose, before she could see who was coming.

"I'm glad I could catch you," Moonpaw recognized the smell and mew of Mothsong.

The second scent belonged to Wolfheart. "I was already on my way here. I wanted to check on Moonpaw."

"You must be Starclan sent, then."

"What do you mean?"

The medicine cat ushered the gray and white tom deep into the den, past Moonpaw and closer to the medicine stores. She didn't speak a word, but motioned for the tom to make himself comfortable.

Wolfheart wrapped his tail around himself as he sat, his back facing Moonpaw.

"Has something happened?" Wolfheart spoke aloud the question his daughter had in mind. His voice was pleading, begging to know what knowledge Mothsong withheld. Moonpaw peered through half-squinted eyes, trying to gauge what was going on without being caught.

Mothsong sat next to the wall of her den, too distant to notice her patient had woken up. Her focus was rested on Wolfheart. A turbulent expression took over her features as she paused a moment or two to find the right things to say.

"Starclan sent me a dream early this morning. A prophecy they wish to be shared."

"A...prophecy?" Wolfheart sounded to be in disbelief. Moonpaw shared his sentiment. Prophecies were rare. It was even rarer for them to be shared with an ordinary cat. But if Mothsong was so insistent with telling Wolfheart about it, then he must be involved somehow.

Excitement began to bloom in Moonpaw's chest. Was Wolfheart a prophecy cat? That would mean he would be a hero, just like in the stories of the ancients Badgerface spoke of!

Mothsong lifted her chin, her eyes growing dim. When she parted her jaws to recite Starclan's words, she spoke in a voice that did not sound like her own. "A great threat lurks, brought forth by darkness and forged by wolf's strength. Only when the moon can face its fate will the night rise. Do whatever possible to keep its light alive."

The air grew thick with tension as silence settled in. A few heavy moments passed. Mothsong appeared to return to normal. Still, there was unease between both the adult cats.

Wolfheart swayed his tail thoughfully. "...What does it mean?"

Mothsong shook her head. "I do not know. But this is the message Starclan has asked me to share."

"And they wanted you to share it with me...? Why? Do you think...it has something to do with my daughter?" Her father's fur was bristling, as if he were afraid. The faint scent of fear creeped its way to Moonpaw's nose, confirming her suspicion. Was he scared that Starclan had wanted to share a message with him? Or was he more fretful of what the prophecy meant? Moonpaw, too, found herself wondering what their words foretold. It wasn't the prediction of grandeur and heroism she had hoped for her father. Instead it sounded to be a more illfated warning.

"It's a possibility. But there's a chance the message could be more metaphorical as well. All I know for certain, is that things will reveal themselves in their due time."

"That's true." Wolfheart sighed. "I just...hope this doesn't mean Moonpaw's in danger." Moonpaw saw Wolfheart's head shift. He must have been glancing at her over his shoulder. But she couldn't exactly see his eyes from the direction his body faced. There was a sag of guilt in the gray and white tom's posture, as if whatever was prophesied was his fault. Love and sympathy squeezed Moonpaw's heart. She wanted so badly to sit up and comfort her father, but she would be caught easedropping if she were to do so.

Mothsong rested her tail upon Wolfheart's shoulder reassuringly. "Whatever happens is in the paws of Starclan. But they have never steered us wrong before. So please, have faith in them, and whatever their plans may be."

I will keep faith in them, Moonpaw swore, peering over at her dad as she hoped he'd do the same.

The gray and white tom fell silent for a moment. "...I trust your wisdom, Mothsong. But please, if you learn anything new, let me know first."

"Of course." Mothsong blinked slowly.

As if summoned by the thought of him, Wolfheart turned around to face his kit. Moonpaw quickly shut her eyes, hoping her father didn't see her awake. Heartbeats later she felt his fur pressing to hers, and the rumble of a purr in his chest.

"Are you waking up already, chipmunk?" He checked. Moonpaw resisted the urge to flinch. Instead, she slowly fluttered open her eyes, looking up at the loving face of her kin.

"Papa...?" She feigned fatigue in her voice as she spoke. Wolfheart smiled down at her, running his tongue over her ears and cheeks.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

Tired, miserable, confused, were some of the words that came to mind. Instead of speaking Moonpaw shrugged, resting her head against her paws.

"I understand," Wolfheart hummed, nuzzling her. "You should rest more. Hopefully you'll feel like yourself after."

That sounds like a good idea, Moonpaw agreed and gave a yawn. Wolfheart rose from her side and walked out of the medicine den. Mothsong followed him out not long afterwards with flowers in her jaws.

Moonpaw rested for a while more, ruminating in thoughts of the present and the future. Most of all she thought about the prophecy and what it could mean. Eventually, her body grew tired of laying in its resting position. Her paws itched to move and go into the camp where the rest of the clan would be gathered. With a swish of her tail, Moonpaw stood and padded out of the medicine den.

In the center of camp, Flamepaw's body laid. Berrypaw had just finished rubbing herbs into his pelt. But he wasn't able to cover up the death scent in time. Due to the long journey home, and the state of Flamepaw's body, birds of prey managed to catch on to the passing of the young apprentice. When Moonpaw looked up she could see a hawk soaring by the dusk kissed clearing every now and then. But the threatening hoot of an owl kept the other predator away. Tonight's vigil would be extra guarded, Moonpaw bet. A shiver ran down her spine as she made her approach towards her deceased clanmate. Several cats were ahead of her, each taking a few moments to sit close to Flamepaw and share tongues with him one last time. Then they'd move aside, allowing other cats to come forward and do the same. Most cats remained in the open to sit vigil for the remainder of the night. While those too young, old, or not close enough to Flamepaw took their leave and headed to their dens to sleep.

As Moonpaw took her turn to sit vigil, she noticed Den Keepers scaling the trees in camp. With precision and care, they wrapped greenbrier vines around branches, high above where any cat would normally climb. They used moss and broad leaves to grip the thorny appendages tying them tightly before descending to the ground. The vines were a cautionary measure, to deter feathered fiends from landing within striking range of the camp. Good, Moonpaw sighed with a bit of relief, tucking her legs beneath her as she bowed her head near Flamepaw's and prayed.

After her prayer, Moonpaw lifted her muzzle and began to groom his cheek. His fur smelled strongly of lavender and death, but beneath--if one pressed their nose close--Flamepaw's natural scent could be caught. Moonpaw did her best to commit it to memory. Then she rose to her paws, and after one last press of their foreheads together, the silver molly moved away. As she did, Leafheart looked to her apprentice and nodded at her thankfully. Moonpaw returned the warrior's gesture with a respectful head dip. Then she moved to flank her mother and father, who watched on from the edge of camp. Moonpaw saw yerning crackling in Wolfheart's pale green eyes as she settled with him. His focus was fixed on Blazestar who sat solemnly beside his mate.

Brightsky nudged Wolfheart encouragly with her muzzle, prompting the gray and white warrior to go sit beside his old friend. Wolfheart seemed cautious as he moved to take the chance and padded over to Blazestar. He dipped his head deeply to the clan's leader before taking a seat beside him. Wolfheart looked between his clanmates as if waiting to be judged. But no one spoke out. Instead, Blazestar rested his tail on the younger tom's shoulders and blinked at him with gratitude. He seemed to be reassuring Wolfheart of something. Whatever that may be breathed a small puff of confidence into the gray and white tom. Moonpaw was happy that her father could be there to support Blazestar.

Beside her, Brightsky sniffled a little, her cheek fur dampened with tears. At the other side of her, Magpiepaw laid. Her muzzle was buried in their mother's fur for comfort. Moonpaw wanted to say some soothing words to them both, but for once she had nothing to mew about. Grief tightened in her chest. All Moonpaw wanted to do right now was enjoy the comfort of her living loved ones. Speaking of loved ones, Moonpaw's thoughts suddenly landed on Hazepaw. Would he be waiting for her tonight? Something had held him up from joining the Gathering yesterday. Surely he'd be wanting to see Moonpaw tonight instead. Should I really sneak away to go see Hazepaw, though? Moonpaw wondered as her gaze flitted between her clanmates. Seeing their miserable faces made Moonpaw feel even worse. No one would be of great comfort here. So, Moonpaw set her mind on going off into the woods alone. Backing away, Moonpaw turned tail and headed for the Entrance Tree. Smokepaw called out to her as she climbed, asking where she was going.

"I need some space..." Moonpaw confessed before taking off into the trees. Wind flowed through her long fur as she ran across the forest towards the familiar rocks of Rubble Path. The trees thinned the closer she drew to the territory's edge, until finally only grass and sand remained. Moonpaw parted her jaws to taste the air. She needed to know Hazepaw was waiting for her. But any scent of hin was stale. Maybe he's disguising it, Moonpaw hoped.

"Hazepaw?" She called out, stalking to the top of Rubble Path. She peered down, looking between the jagged stones for a familiar white pelt. Then her eyes began to comb the sand and brush nearby. "Hazepaaaaw!" She called again, her voice echoing with the rise in volume. But no reply ever came. Nor did anyone emerge from the dark surrounding her. Great disappointment weighed heavily upon Moonpaw, even worse than what she'd felt the night before.

"Hazepaw..." tears began to well in the silver and white molly's eyes. She sniffed, then hung her head. I need you... the words remained inside her mind as she sobbed softly to herself. Moonpaw let herself cry alone for a while, until the worse of her grief was finally released. Then after calming down, she turned, retreating back home to curl up in the paws of her family.

As the first rays of sunlight began to crawl across the forest, Treeclan gathered together as one within the clearing of camp. They huddled in a large circle around the deceased apprentice they mourned. Some cats parted to allow Badgerface, Daisypetal, and Elmfoot through. Mothsong and Berrypaw had just finished wrapping Flamepaw's torso with vines--to keep him in one piece during the move. The medicine cats dipped their heads in respect to the elders as they got out of their way. Guards came to surround the old warriors as they took their place around Flamepaw.

Then, Daisypetal lifted her muzzle and began to release a keening cry into the morning air. Blazestar joined her, with Leafheart and their kits joining two heartbeats after. Moonpaw heart ached as she listened to their cries. Then she brought up her nose and joined the rest of her clanmates in a mourning song. Flamepaw's spirit was being commended to Starclan; his soul likely accepted by this time after facing judgment in the Twilight Passage. Flamepaw was a good cat. Silverpelt will welcome him with open paws, Moonpaw assured herself as the clan finally finished singing. Then, the elders lifted Flamepaw's body. Flanked by the Guards, the old warriors marched the deceased tom towards the thorn barrier and out of Treeclan's camp one last time. The clan watched after them for a few extra moments before finally breaking apart. Some cats went about their duties for the day. Others headed to their dens for a nap. Moonpaw contemplated doing the same, the weight of all that happened still heavy upon her. But Moonpaw knew she'd have no luck sleeping. So, instead, she took herself to the nursery.

Brightsky trilled in surprise as she noticed her daughter following her tail. "Moonpaw? Do you need something?"

"I want to have a talk with the queens," Moonpaw explained earning a nod of understanding from her mother. Brightsky ushered the silver and white molly into the nursery with a whisk of her tail. Moonpaw ducked beneath the large tree roots as she padded down the slope into the den. Since light had barely managed to greet the world, there was no need to adjust to the darkness within.

Mapleshine and Silverhawk sat up in their nests, their attention focused on Moonpaw. Surely they knew she was here for a session with them. And the pair seemed ready to listen to all that needed to be said. Moonpaw sat in a spot between all the queen's nests. But she sat closest of all to her mom.

"Speak, child," Silverhawk prompted with a nod. Her gesture was welcoming and wise. "Get whatever you need off your chest."

Moonpaw took a deep breath, then spilled her guts about everything. About watching Flamepaw's hunt, and how he pushed himself to chase the squirrel to the Thunder Path. She described how she felt witnessing his death, and confessed just how close she'd been to being struck as well. And she spoke about her experience with shock. The only things Moonpaw omitted were the prophecy she'd overhead in Mothsong's den, and any talk of Hazepaw. Though Moonpaw desperately wanted to speak of how Hazepaw had failed her last night. But that would take admitting to sneaking off to see him. Moonpaw wasn't willing to divulge that secret.

After listening to the last of her vent, the queens finally took their turn to speak.

"Oh, love," Brightsky crooned, nuzzling her daughter's cheek. She moved forward, wrapping herself around her kit."You know what happened to Flamepaw wasn't your fault."

"I know...." Moonpaw sighed, leaning into her mother. "But I was there! I feel like I could have saved him...."

"From what it sounds like, you were barely off from becoming crowfood yourself," Silverhawk chimed in, rather crassly. She lifted a back paw to lick between her toes. "Another heartbeat more and you'd be right alongside him in the burial grounds. There was no saving Flamepaw."

"But maybe if he'd heard me calling out for him, he would have stopped?" Moonpaw rationalized.

"There's no use dwelling on the 'what if's,' and 'maybe's,' hon," the Den Mother countered softly. "What's done is done. No cat blames you for not being able to do more."

Mapleshine twitched her whiskers agreeingly. "Besides, you did do something. You went to get help! No cat would have found Flamepaw for quite some time if you hadn't been there to alert the clan of his accident."

But there was another cat around, Moonpaw remembered suddenly. Darkfire had been nearby the Thunder Path. Yet she'd done nothing to stop or save the young apprentice. But why? Moonpaw wondered. Had Darkfire not seen Flamepaw get hit? Moonpaw was unsure. But she didn't want to incriminate Darkfire by mentioning her presence. Even if sessions were meant to be kept confidential. It doesn't matter anyways, Moonpaw told herself. Maybe I'm just looking for someone else to blame.

"Thank you all for listening," Moonpaw mewed with a head dip. "I'm feeling a bit better now. I think...I think I'll go find something to do to keep my mind off of things."

"That sounds like a good idea," Mapleshine agreed. "When you leave, would you mind sending my kits into nursery? It's time they got some rest."

"Sure," Moonpaw agreed with a stretch as she got up. Once more she dipped her head in respect to the queens before making her way out of their den.

By the elder's tree, Moonpaw spotted Mapleshine's kits playing. They were with Sunpaw, who batted at Honeykit and Sleekkit, while Peonykit tried to nab his tail. He laughed, looking so care free. It was as if he hadn't just lost one of his brothers. Maybe Sunpaw was distracting himself with the joy of the kits. Maybe it was his way of coping. Moonpaw hated to ruin his fun. But Mapleshine had requested her kits to come home to her. So, Moonpaw made her way over to the group slowly, only speaking when she became noticed.

"It's Moonpaw!" Honeykit squealed with joy. They rushed over to the apprentice, stretching up to touch noses with her. "Hi!!"

"Hello." Moonpaw purred in greetings. Her gaze moved from the golden kit in front of her to the others. "Its time for you all to go to the nursery. Your mother is waiting."

"But I don't wanna sleep yet!" Sleekkit griped. "Nightpaw said when we're apprentices, we have to be ready early in the morning for the dawn patrol!"

"That's when you're apprentices though," Sunpaw chimed. "You have a few more moons until then. For now, you have to do what your mom tells you. Besides, you've been awake all night. You've gotta be tired by now, right?"

"No!" Sleekkit squeaked, just as a yawn bubbled from his chest. The black and white kit's pelt fluffed with embarrassment. Moonpaw and Sunpaw both chuckled with small mrrows.

"C'mon, let's walk them home," Moonpaw suggested, sweeping her tail around the kits. Sunpaw followed them, matching pace with Moonpaw.

"How are you feeling?" He checked. "I saw you go into the medicine den yesterday."

"I'm alright now. I was in shock, after being so close to the monster and seeing Flamepaw..." she trailed off.

Sunpaw nodded, sadness glowing in his eyes. "I'm relieved that you're ok, at least."

Moonpaw made a small noise, pressing her body against his. Sunpaw purred in response, leaning into her embrace.

"Why don't we go out hunting once the kits are in their den?" She suggested suddenly. "I think we could both benefit from time away from the clan. And it would take our minds off of things for a while."

Sunpaw thought for a few moments as they walked. "That sounds nice. I'd like to spend some time with you," he admitted. The ginger tom seemed to cheer up a little at the prospect of going out together. Moonpaw had to admit she felt excited, too. After saying farewell to Mapleshine's kits, the pair of apprentices took off for the Entrance Tree and out into the forest, where they spent the rest of the morning forgetting their sadness together.

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