#everyone just .... okay you got us there Jonathan making a joke hard to tell | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

forget-you-morelike-fuck-you · 2 years

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A Favor Or Two- S.H. Pt. 4

Y/N is confused about her feelings, and doesn't believe what everyone is telling her. She goes to Eddie's for advice, and maybe some fun with plants, too.

Masterlist

1 < 2 > 3 < 5

TW- cursing, mentions of drugs, drug use, pining, insecurity, angst, slow-ish burn

Pairings- Eventual Steve x Reader, Friend!Eddie x Reader

Word Count- 3,187

(Gif not mine! Credit to owner!)

Steve drops you off at 9:48, and you start taking off his jacket to give back to him before you go inside, but he stops you.

“What are you doing? It’s freezing outside. You can just bring it to school tomorrow, no big.” He says. You smile at his kind gesture.

“You sure?” You ask, an eyebrow cocking up. He nods.

“Yeah, you’re fine. And you can keep the jersey if you want. It doesn’t really fit me anymore anyway.” He says. “Maybe you can wear it next time you come to a game.” You let out a laugh.

“You really think I’m a good luck charm?” Steve moves his hands across the steering wheel.

“I guess we’ll find out next time you come to a game.” He baits you. You roll your eyes, bringing your bottom lip between your teeth.

“Okay then.” You concede. You start moving to get out of the car, but as you crack the door open, Steve puts a hand on your shoulder.

“Hey, Y/N.” He says. You look back at him, the ajar door letting in a chill.

“Yeah?”

“I—I had a really great time tonight.” He says simply. He doesn’t hold your gaze though, looking down at his hand now resting on the center console. Your hand is just inches away…

“Me too. Thanks for inviting me.” Your heart beats faster and before you can make a fool of yourself, you get out of the car.

“Goodnight, Y/N.” Steve calls before you close the door.

“Goodnight!” You close the door and start walking to your house, but you turn and wave. You can’t see Steve from the glare of his headlights, but you know he’s waving at you too.

As you make your way inside, you’re thankful your parents didn’t wait up for you. You don’t know if you can handle the interrogation while it feels like your heart might burst.

You fall onto your bed like a starfish after you close your bedroom door, replaying the night’s events. You really did have a great time. It’s hard to not have a great time when Steve’s around, you’ve learned.

You start getting ready for bed, putting Steve’s jacket next to your backpack and stripping off Steve’s jersey. You go to throw it in your dirty laundry, but you stop. It smells like him. You feel so creepy folding it and tucking it away in a drawer, but you can’t stop yourself.

It’s Friday. Only one more day of needing to see Steve. You try not to frown at the thought as you walk to lunch, chewing on your nails. Steve beat you to the cafeteria today and waves at you from his table, Robin and Nancy both present. You plaster a fake smile to your face as you approach, sliding your backpack to the ground as you sit. “Hey guys, what’s up?” You greet them.

“Hey, Y/N. We were actually just talking about going to see a movie sometime next week. Wanna come?” Steve says. You swallow the feeling of relief, trying to act normal as you respond.

“Sure, what are you guys planning to see?”

“We’re in between Footloose and The Karate Kid,” Robin chimes in. “You have a preference?” You hum in thought.

“Probably The Karate Kid.” You say, nodding. Steve punches the air.

“Yes! I win. We’re going to see The Karate Kid!” Steve exclaims. Nancy makes an annoyed face.

“Fine. Next time I’ll just go with Jonathan!” She retorts.

“Aw, come on, Nance. Don’t be a sore loser.” Steve rolls his eyes, raising his hands defensively.

“Then don’t be a sore winner, Steve! Your asshole is showing!” She snaps back, but she’s smiling at the joke all the same.

“Damn, that one hurt, Nancy.” Steve puts a hand to his chest like he just got hit, and they both laugh. You wonder why they broke up. It looks like they have good chemistry. You’re smiling along on the outside, but you can’t help the clenching feeling around your heart. Steve turns back to you.

“Alright, we running through the list again? I think I’ve got everything memorized.” He says. You consider it, then you shake your head.

“Nah,” You concede. “I think we got it all down.” Steve smiles.

“Okay, cool. So, was there anything else you wanted to talk about then?” You shake your head, trying to come up with an answer.

“Well, no. I just wanted to sit over here. Is—is that okay?” You ask, failing to hide your dejection. Steve screws up his face a bit.

“No. I mean, yeah, of course that’s okay. That’s just not what I meant; I swear! I like hanging out with you. I just saw you sitting with Munson yesterday when I came in, and you sat with him at the game last night, so I figured you might wanna sit with him and the rest of your friends, but… Yeah, of course you can sit… over here. With me. Us.” He babbles, finishing with a gesture to himself, Robin, and Nancy. Your eyes go wide.

“Oh, okay. Well, thanks.” You glance over at the two girls, who are both staring at Steve like he’s the biggest idiot in the world. You go to get into your backpack to try to diffuse the new tension in the air. You pull out the comic Steve lent you, and his jacket. “Here’s this stuff. I finished the comic last night before bed. I like to read to wind down before I go to sleep.” You explain, and Steve flicks his eyes over to Nancy and Robin, his cheeks going pink as he takes the items from you.

“You let her borrow Spiderman? You told me that if I ever touched your comics, you’d kill me in my sleep.” Robin complains.

“I only said that cause all of yours are wrinkled and dog-eared. Y/N is a fellow literature connoisseur, so I knew I could trust her with them!” Steve exclaims. You can’t help but giggle as Robin folds her arms, looking offended. Nancy raises her brows in suspicion.

“You never let me near them either, Steve, and I have more books in my room than you’ve ever read in your life.” Nancy says pointedly. Steve goes pink again, his eyes falling closed.

“Y/N’s never read comics, Nancy, I was just helping her dip her toe in the pool.” Steve explains.

“I’ve never read comics either!” Nancy smiles. You suck your lips in between your teeth. Are Nancy and Robin trying to tell you something?

“Okay, let’s just drop it, then! I’m sorry I never let you both borrow my comics, okay?” Steve concedes, and the three of you laugh. “I’m gonna go get a water. I’ll be right back.” Steve mumbles, getting up from the table with a dramatic sigh. As he walks away, Robin slams her hands down on the table.

“What is going on with you two? I know you’re saying this is just for the thing with your parents, but Steve cannot stop talking about you!” She admits. Your eyes go wide, your feet shuffling under the table.

“No-nothing! I’m sure he’s just being nice. We have been absorbing a lot of information about each other in a short amount of time, so he’s probably just regurgitating some of the stuff he needs to know for tomorrow.” You rationalize. Robin and Nancy exchange a look.

“Um, is one of those facts that ‘Y/N’s got really nice eyes.’” You laugh at Nancy’s Steve impression, not believing what you’re hearing.

“Or, or,” Robin begins. “’Y/N’s so funny, and she’s so nice. I think I really like her!’” Robin emphasizes, giving you a look. You go quiet for a moment, and Nancy nudges Robin’s shoulder, and she looks up. “Oh, shit, he’s coming back. Just… don’t hurt him, okay? Whatever happens…” You nod, still stunned at the girls’ confession.

“I won’t.”

“Won’t what?” Steve asks, tilting his water bottle up as he drinks, sitting back down next to you.

“I—I won’t forget to bring my violin sometime so Robin and I can play together.” You let the lie leave your lips as naturally as breathing. You look over at Robin, and she nods enthusiastically.

“Yeah!” She says. “You mentioned the other day that Y/N plays, so I thought she might wanna hang out and stuff.”

“Do… trumpet and violin sound good together?” Steve asks. You shrug.

“Won’t know until we try.” You say. Soon after that, the bell rings, and you pick up your bag and bolt from the lunchroom, still so flustered at the thought of Steve actually liking you.

After school, you see Steve leaning against your car as you walk into the parking lot. Your heart speeds up, your hands go sweaty clutching the strap of your backpack. “Hey!” Steve greets you. You throw up a hand to wave.

“Hey!” You respond, your voice tight with tension. “How’s it hanging, Harrington?” You mentally facepalm yourself, who the fuck says that?

“You know, just, uh, chilling, I guess.” He says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Actually, I uh, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s up?” Your brows knit together, and you resist the urge to bite your lip.

“Well, about lunch today… Did… Did Nancy and Robin say anything to you?” You start to sweat. What do you say to that?

“Why do you ask?” You let out a light laugh, trying to play it cool. Steve shrugs, his mouth pressing into a thin line.

“It just seemed like after I got back, you were really quiet… and I just wanted to make sure they didn’t say anything mean because, well, they can be kind of protective of our group sometimes—”

“No! No, they didn’t say anything mean at all. They’re both really nice. A little, unexpectedly nice, actually. I mean, look at me…” You gesture down to your miscreant style, worn down converse, ripped jeans, scribbled over with sharpie stars and other symbols, cropped band shirt, and dark makeup. “I don’t think I really fit into their idea of ‘normal,’” You laugh, a little uncomfortably, kicking at some pebbles next to your shoe.

“You’re normal, you just like what you like. Just like everyone else,” Steve offers. You smile sheepishly.

“Yeah, I suppose. But, really, Steve, they were really nice. I promise.” You assure him. He still looks unsure, so you stick out your hand, pinky up. “Pinky swear?” You ask with a smile, brows raised. Steve rolls his eyes lightly, smiling back at you as he wrapped his finger around yours.

“Alright, alright.” He says. “I just, I don’t know, I’ve just been having a really fun time with you and if we’re gonna hang out more I want to make sure they’re not being mean.” It makes your heart happy to hear that he wants to hang out with you even after all this is over. It makes you feel a little bold, especially after hearing what Robin and Nancy had to say at lunch.

“Oh really, Harrington? You got a crush on me or something?” You playfully nudge his arm, and the look on his face is priceless, his cheeks and ears flush with red as he stammers.

“I-in your dreams, L/N!” He exclaims defensively, and you laugh.

“Okay, if you say so.” You wink at him, causing his blush to intensify. “But down to business. Dinner’s at 6 tomorrow. You don’t have to dress, like, churchy or anything. We’re pretty casual at my house,” Steve nods, his cheeks going back to their normal, lightly tanned color.

“Okay, I’ll be there.” He shuffles around in his spot.

“You should bring flowers. Nothing too fancy, just, like, a bouquet you get for 5 bucks at Kroger,” You advise. He nods again, making a mental list. “And Steve?” Steve looks up from the ground, stopping his fidgeting. “It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna do great.” You assure yourself just as much as Steve, and he smiles gratefully.

“Yeah, I know we will.” He says.

“Oh! One more thing,” You pull a crumpled bill out of your pocket. “Here is your… payment.” You hold it out to him and he takes it gingerly in his hand. His smile falters slightly. It’s a reminder that this isn’t a real friendship. It started because of a selfish lie.

“Cool. Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N.” You let out a breath as he walks away, frowning to yourself as you get into your car. You rest your head on the wheel, letting out a groan of frustration. Why did you have to lie in the first place? And then why did you have to rope Steve-fucking-Harrington into it? You try to keep yourself calm as you pull out of the parking lot, but you can’t help a stray tear falling, wiping it away roughly as you make your way home.

But Steve still wants to be your friend after this, right? He invited you to the movies, and Nancy said that he said you have nice eyes. Robin said he likes you… Right?

It’s hard to be around your family that night. The interrogation began that morning when you had to affirm that yes, it was Steve that picked you up last night. Yes, he’s your “boyfriend,” yes, dad, you’re being… safe. It made you groan in discomfort to talk about. It would be a lie to say the thought of you and Steve… it’s definitely crossed your mind, but you don’t want to talk to your parents about it.

So, when you walk into the house, you go straight to your room, shutting the door with a gentle click behind you before burying your face into your pillow and letting out a frustrated screech. You only feel slightly better then, and you get up to pace around your room, feeling restless, running your hands over and over your face, not caring at the moment about smearing your makeup. Then the idea hits you.

You grab your purse and keys and run downstairs. “Hey, I’m gonna go for a drive, I’ll be back in a bit!” You holler through the house.

“Where are you going? You going to see Steve?” Your mom asks teasingly from the living room. You clench your eyes shut at his name.

“No, he’s got uh, swim practice. I’m just going for a drive around town. I’ll be two hours, tops,” You promise.

“Okay, well, dinner will be ready around 6, so make sure you’re home,” Your mom advises.

“Got it, see you later!” You make your way out the door and down the driveway to your car, hopping in and speeding off down the road.

Eddie’s outside as you pull in, and you slam the door to your car behind you, walking briskly toward him as he stands up, his brows knitted together. “Hey, Y/N, what’s— umph,” You put your arms around him and squeeze, letting out another groan of frustration as a couple hot tears leak from your eyes. He doesn’t hesitate to hug you back, his cheek laying against the top of your head. “Hey,” He coos. “What’s wrong?”

“I messed up Eddie, I messed up bad!” You cry into his chest. He strokes your hair lightly.

“Messed what up, gorgeous?” He looks down at you sadly, and he uses one hand to guide your face to look at him. You take in a breath, your face screwed up with anxiety and guilt.

“I messed up with Steve, Eddie. I—I shouldn’t have asked him to help me. I shouldn’t have lied in the first place! I’m so confused, and I just feel like the world’s biggest idiot-asshole!” You cry. His brows knit together, lips pressing into a thin line.

“Come inside, you need to relax. Then we can talk about it.” He says, guiding you into the trailer. He ushers you into his room and goes to grab a pre-rolled joint from his personal stash, sparking it and handing it to you. You take it gratefully, taking one large drag and holding it for a few seconds before breathing out. You hand it back to Eddie.

“I can’t smoke too much; I need to be home in a couple hours.” You tell him, rubbing your hands on your face. He nods, takes a few quick hits, and puts it out for later.

“Okay, don’t worry about it.” He says, sitting next to you. It goes quiet for a second before Eddie asks. “Y/N, tell me what’s wrong.” You shake your head, trying to clear your thoughts.

“I am just… such an idiot.” You look away from him, your eyes falling on a Megadeth poster he has plastered to his wall. “I made a stupid mistake so I could come and smoke with you almost whenever I wanted. And now I am paying Steve Harrington to help me keep up with that mistake, and now…” You look down at your hands, still trying to process what you’re about to say.

“Now I really like him, Eddie. He’s so sweet and he’s funny and he’s handsome, and so caring of others…” You let out an exasperated sigh as your words fail you.

“Okay… So, what’s the problem then? He definitely likes you too.” You give a snort of a laugh, the weed beginning to make your eyes feel a tad heavy.

“Eddie, on what planet do you think the prince of high school likes someone like me?” Eddie looks serious as he answers.

“This one, Y/N. I don’t know what you guys talk about, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Even if he’s not ready to admit it, he’s got it bad for you.” You shake your head, not believing him. “Look at me, Y/N.” It takes a minute, but you do, albeit reluctantly. “Are these the eyes of a man who would lie to you?” Eddie says, pressing his face close to yours. You give a laugh, the light high making his face look funny.

“No,” You chuckle.

“’No’ is right. Listen, you’ve just gotta confront him about it. Get the facts.” He hits one of his hands with the other. You consider his advice, and you don’t know if it’s the high or what, but it almost sounds like good advice, still, you shake your head again.

“Eddie… I’m scared.” You admit. He wraps an arm around you, pulling you to him in a side hug.

“Listen, if Steve passes up a girl such a high caliber as yourself, then he’s the world’s biggest idiot.” You roll your eyes, “I’ll tell you what, if he rejects you, I’ll give you free weed for a month to help you feel better. That is how confident I am that he likes you,” Eddie assures. It makes you feel better, it’s an okay deal either way, getting to kiss Steve or getting free weed.

“Thanks, buddy.” You lean a head on Eddie’s shoulder.

“Anytime! Just call me Eddie ‘the Love Guru’ Munson from now on.” He says, and you both laugh.

“Absolutely fucking not.”

@preciousbabypeter

#steve harrington x you #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x you #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #stranger thing s4 #eddie stranger things #stranger things fic #stranger things 4 #stranger things

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ants-personal · 4 years

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Jervis: I sleep with a dagger under my pillow.

Bridgit: Weak. I sleep with a mini torch.

Oswald: The only way to sleep is with a gun.

Freeze: I have a freeze bomb in my bed

Jonathan: You’re all pathetic.

Bridgit: Oh? What do you sleep with?

Jonathan: Jerome

#everyone just .... okay you got us there Jonathan making a joke hard to tell #gotham #cranska #jonathan crane #jervis tetch #oswald cobblepot #bridgit pike #victor fries #jerome valeska #ant posts stuff

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lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks · 3 years

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Part 2 baby, I'll put these up on my ao3 soon as well so they're in one place together

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"Dad... you're dead."

Jack laughed. He probably shouldn't have, Danny seemed to be very genuine in his assessment, and Jack recognised that he should probably take this more seriously. But still, dead?? It was laughable.

"Come on Danny be serious." Danny's face remained stoic, "I'm not dead, I'm right here."

"You're a ghost, dad." Danny's lips were pressed tight, his entire body tense. "You died."

Jack was feeling a little ill at this point, was Danny okay? Was there a ghost messing with his head? He leaned toward Danny and grabbed his hand, it was cold, Danny's hands were always cold.

"Listen to me son, you're not talking sense, there's probably a ghost somewhere tha-"

Danny stood up fast, impossibly fast, his chair skidded behind him and toppled over.

"No! Dad can you just- how did you get to bed last night?" He asked.

Jack hadn't been expecting the question, he'd gone to bed... the usual way right? Like he always did, took a shower, brushed his teeth, got into his pyjamas, kissed his wife goodnight, although for some reason the details felt a little fuzzy.

But before he could answer Danny continued.

"When did we leave the party?"

Party? Jack's brow furrowed, oh the party! It was his 50th, how could he forget his own party, had he had that much to drink?

Oh, oh of course. He'd gotten drunk and done something stupid, said something upsetting. That's why everyone was mad at him, that's why last night was foggy.

Danny kept going, he sounded frustrated, angry, but his voice cracked a little. He was upset, oh boy Jack must have done something truly awful.

"What happened after the toast?"

The toast... He had just blown out the candles on the enormous cake Vlad had bought for him, ah that's right, Vlad had been there! He'd hired the venue, planned the whole party, it had been a surprise.

He had handed him a drink...

Danny asked another question, Jack knew it was the last, it felt heavy and final, it didn't even sound like a question.

"What's the date today."

Jack knew the date, of course he knew the date, it was the day after his birthday why wouldn't he know? He'd never been particularly good with dates but not even he could forget his own birthdate.

He glanced over to the calendar on the wall, just in case, he had a sneaking suspicion this was some kind of a trick question.

Jazz was the one to mark off the days, she used it to keep track of her assignments and her tutoring sessions. Each day would be marked with a tidy little line, not an X because they had 'a negative association with failure' or... something. He didn't really understand a lot of Jazz's ideas.

The days were marked off up to June the 18th... the 18th, it should have been the 10th. His birthday was yesterday, on the 9th, today should be the 10th.

How could he have missed a whole week? Maybe this was a joke, a way to get back at him for getting drunk and embarrassing everyone.

But this... didn't feel like a joke.

Maddie's sobs hadn't felt like a joke, Jazz's silence hadn't felt like a joke.

Danny's eyes gouged into him. Danny had always been an awkward kid, he took after Jack in that way, he was shy when he was young, always had difficulty maintaining eye contact. He had no such difficulty right now. They were so bright, had they always been so bright?

It was unsettling.

Why couldn't Jack remember what happened after the toast...

The drink had tasted strange, bitter. He never particularly liked champagne, he assumed that it was normal. Vlad had been smiling, his teeth were sharp... his eyes...

Danny's hands were clasped together tightly, his knuckles bumping against his lower lip as they shook. His gaze had shifted from Jack's face to the gravy-stained tablecloth.

"You're dead. I'm sorry, I know this is hard, I know you still feel like everything is the same but it isn't. You... you're a ghost, dad. Not the kind you're used to, you're just a haunting spirit right now, nobody can see you, nobody can hear you. You can't interact with anything, not yet."

Danny dropped his hands away from his face and looked at him sadly. Jack felt as though there was more to his expression, but he'd never been particularly good at reading people. Vlad had always been better at that sort of thing, it often felt like Vlad could speak a whole other language Jack simply couldn't understand.

Vlad... something was tickling the back of his mind but he couldn't quite grasp it, like a word on the tip of his tongue.

Vlad had given him a drink. Vlad had smiled. It looked like a real smile, but Jack felt like... there had been something more to it, Jack had never been good at reading people... Vlad had smiled, his teeth were sharp, his eyes... red, they were red.

The champagne was bitter. He could almost still taste it.

Jack jumped to his feet, startling Danny as he balled his hands into fists.

"Vlad." he growled, Danny breathed a sad sigh.

"Yeah, it was Vlad, he-"

"He was overshadowed by a ghost!" Jack roared, "It's still got him doesn't it? Mads is out there looking for-"

"No! Fuck, dad- SIT. DOWN."

Jack sat. Without thought or question. Danny's command was loud, not deafening but loud in a different way, like he'd heard it through not just his ears but his entire body. It reminded him a little of the concerts he and Maddie used to frequent back in their college days, where the music was so loud it vibrated through them, head to toe.

It took him a moment to realise he was shaking, Jack always considered himself fearless, and that was generally true, so true that he almost didn't recognise the feeling as it swept coldly over him.

Danny closed his eyes and rubbed at them in frustration, Jack was almost certain he caught a flash of vibrant green beneath his fingers.

"I'm sorry I... I didn't want to use that- I didn't mean," he sighed heavily. "You just never listen."

He was listening now, if not simply because he felt too shaken to do anything else. His thoughts rattled around trying to piece themselves together, something within him was screaming like he'd just touched a hot surface or a live wire. Danger danger danger danger.

"Vlad wasn't being overshadowed," said Danny, leaning against the kitchen bench, his body almost sagging with exhaustion. "It's... a lot more complicated than that."

"I can't be a ghost." Jack muttered, indignant, "They're monsters, they don't even look human. They don't wake up and hug their wives, they don't want to sit down and eat breakfast with their daughters."

"Not all ghosts are the same." Danny's voice was quiet, it had none of that fierce intensity like before. What was that? It wasn't normal, it definitely wasn't human. Jack glared up at him as a hot flush of rage washed over him.

"How do I know you aren't the ghost. That you haven't done... something to my family, to make them think I'm dead!" Jack growled.

He wanted to stand up, but under Danny's icy stare he felt locked into his seat. His expression was mostly blank, but Jack could see a twitch in his brow and tilt to his lips. He could see it, but he couldn't read it. Ghosts were easier to read than this, ghosts weren't usually very subtle.

"Not all ghosts are the same." Danny repeated, his voice was so quiet now, tentative and fragile.

He walked over to the sink, Jack wanted to get up, wanted to keep his eyes on Danny and the ghost that might be controlling him, but he couldn't seem to make his legs work. The command still rang in his ears. Sit. Down.

"We aren't going to get anywhere like this." Danny filled up a glass of water and placed it in front of Jack. "Pick it up."

It wasn't a command, Danny's expression had softened once more.

"Please."

Jack narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but he did as requested. He could feel the cold glass in his hand, the condensation on his fingers, but as he tried to lift it... the glass remained as it was. His hands simply slipping over it.

He tried again, and again, it wasn't as though it was slippery, or heavy, or even that he couldn't grip it. The glass felt normal, his hands felt normal, the glass just wouldn't... move.

Gritting his teeth in frustration he grabbed the glass and squeezed with all his strength, it didn't break. The water didn't even ripple.

"This is a trick..." said Jack. "It's just a trick..."

Red eyes and a bitter drink, people stood around him, faces blurred. He was falling, someone screamed.

Danny started rooting around in a nearby drawer, he pulled out a ragged newspaper cutout. The ink had run in some spots, he placed it down in front of Jack.

It was an obituary. It was his obituary. Tear stained and rough around the edges, torn from the rest of the paper instead of cut, he skimmed over it, almost unable to take it in.

Jack Jonathan Fenton... age 50... survived by his wife Maddie and two children Danny and Jazz...

There was a list of his degrees, complete and incomplete, engineering, physics, mathematics, it listed the names of his high school and university, his reputation as a local ghost hunter, a blurb about his dedication to his work and his love for his family. Jazz had written it, he could tell. She was so good with words.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, please." Danny's voice cracked, his eyes were bright with tears as he righted the knocked over chair and sat back down across from Jack, gripping his hand tightly.

Vlad leaning over him, Vlad gripping his hand, he was smiling, his teeth were sharp. Glass smashed, he'd dropped the drink. It was bitter.

He could almost still taste it.

"No..."

Maddie running past him in the lab, like he wasn't even there, crying. Jazz at the breakfast table, not seeing not hearing, eyes red and puffy. They hadn't looked at him, not once had they looked at him. They couldn't see him, they really couldn't see him.

But Danny could.

"If... I'm a ghost," the words tasted foul and heavy on his tongue, "and you aren't... why can you see me?"

Danny sighed, still holding tight to Jack's hand.

"It's complicated." he said, staring down at the table.

"Vlad, he did this. I'm..." Jack whispered. "But his eyes were... he was overshadowed. It was a ghost that-."

"He wasn't overshadowed." Danny kept his gaze averted, his expression was hard and cold. "It was the accident with the proto-portal, it changed him. He-"

Danny choked up, tears were slipping from his eyes, he gasped a few unsteady breaths.

"He blamed you, he blamed you and wanted to kill you, he's been trying since the attack at the reunion. I tried to protect you dad I tried I tried I'm sorry, I didn't know about the poison until it was too late I'm sorry, I couldn't get there in time I couldn't-"

Danny's sobs shook his whole body, he buried his head in his arms, shaking hands still clasped around Jack's.

Red eyes, sharp teeth, the reunion...

"The Wisconsin Ghost," how had he not seen it? "He's the Wisconsin Ghost."

Then another thought struck him. He looked at his son like he'd never seen him before, sobbing loudly, painfully, his body wracked with spasms as he choked on every breath. He had been trying to protect him, all this time he had known and was protecting him, alone.

When Jack had been told to sit, compelled to sit, unable to move and paralysed with terror, had he imagined the glint of green in his son's eyes? He knew a ghost with green eyes, who could incapacitate someone with a single terrifying scream, who was mortal enemies with the Wisconsin Ghost, who claimed to be a protector, who looked just like a kid.

Danny had been in the lab that day, when the portal turned itself on.

Had the portal turned itself on?

Jack stood, his legs finally acting of his own accord once more, and he rounded the table to pull his son into a tight hug.

"Oh Danny, it was you, the ghost boy, it was you."

"I'm sorry dad, I'm so sorry." The words wouldn't stop pouring from his lips, tumbling over and over. Jack's chest grew tight from the pain in his voice.

He ran a hand over his son's hair and shushed him gently.

"It's okay Danny-boy, it's not your fault, you did your best. I'm so proud of you son, we should have realised, you did so much all on your own, I'm so proud of you." It was Jack's turn to start blubbering.

"I should have told you." said Danny, voice muffled against Jack's chest.

He and Maddie always talked about all of the things that they would do to Phantom if they had ever caught him, they'd talked about it during family dinners. Danny had sat there listening, the whole time he had been right there listening.

"I... understand why you didn't." said Jack.

Danny had stopped shaking, he pulled away from Jack and wiped his eyes.

"Vlad told mom that he'd been overshadowed, she's been out hunting for the Wisconsin Ghost all week." Danny sniffed, "I wanted to tell her the truth, I wanted to so badly but Vlad he... he said he'd go for Jazz next. Said if he got past me once he could do it again. I couldn't risk it."

Jack had never understood why a ghost would choose to remain tethered, why they couldn't just move on and leave the living to go about their business in peace. He always told himself that when he died he would never return, he would take what was to come with open arms.

But that wasn't what happened. He'd gotten up to start his day as usual, but he was already dead. There had been no choice, and were he given one now, he didn't think he could bring himself to take it.

His family still needed him, how could he leave them behind? It wasn't wrong if he stayed to protect his family, right?

Jack placed a heavy hand on Danny's shoulder, and gently knocked his chin with a large fist.

"Buck up kiddo, I might need to get a handle on this whole bein' a ghost thing but when I do," Jack's voice dropped into a low, dangerous growl and, for just a brief moment, his eyes flashed a vibrant green, "I'm not gonna let him hurt anyone else."

#lula's fanfics #danny phantom #Bitter #jack fenton #am I projecting my neurodivergant ass on this man absolutely not how dare you sir #I just find not being able to tell if people are lying to me super relatable #danny phantom fanfiction #thanks y'all who told me how to do the readmores

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mermaidenisaacs · 4 years

Text

isaac teaches his best friend how to kiss

after you confess to isaac that you've never really kissed anyone before, he offers to help you gain experience. his hands-on approach works a little too well, and things quickly spiral out of control.

friends to lovers; isaac knows a thing or two about a thing or two

warnings: cheating, graphic sexual language, unprotected sex, attempted r*pe

author’s note: the section that contains the attempted r*pe scene will be marked with !!!!!! at the start and finish. please skip over it if that’s a trigger for you.

~~~

playlist:

electric love - BØRNS sleeping with a friend - neon trees i would do anything for you - foster the people

I’d never thought of myself as someone who could cheat on their boyfriend. But then again, I used to think lots of things were impossible before I met Isaac Lahey, like werewolves and monsters and love.

Maybe if I’d been less naive, I wouldn’t have ended up at Lydia’s party with Isaac’s fingers sliding into my underwear, right after he’d beaten my boyfriend to a bloody pulp, but things don’t always work out the way you expect.

It would’ve been easy to blame Isaac for everything--he was the one who suggested the plan in the first place, but it’s not like I put up much of a fight. Even though things ended in tears and broken hearts, I didn’t regret anything. It felt good to be bad, and I stopped feeling guilty a long time ago.

The whole thing started when a boy named Jonathan asked me out, and I had to figure out a way to leave for my date without rousing any suspicion from the pack. We’d just finished a pack meeting and everyone wanted to watch a movie at Derek’s loft. The plan was to sneak out early before the movie started, a plan that was foiled when Isaac caught me in the kitchen as I was leaving.

“Where are you going?” Isaac asked. He was leaning against the kitchen counter and chucking popcorn pieces into his mouth, staring at me. I debated whether I should answer his question. I wanted to keep my date a secret from everyone, especially Isaac. “Well?”

“I uh, have plans,” I finally said. Isaac frowned.

“You made plans? But Stiles is gonna make us watch Star Wars again,” he whined. “You were just gonna leave me here by myself to sit through that boring ass movie?”

I snorted. “Sorry, but I do have other social commitments to honor.”

“Fine, fine, whatever. You still haven’t told me where you’re going.” He eyed me suspiciously.

I ducked my head and pretended to pick lint off my sleeve. “I’m just going out.”

“Out where?”

“Just out.”

“Why won’t you tell me where you’re going?”

“Because it’s none of your business.”

“None of my business,” he repeated flatly. Isaac smirked. “Wait, is it something secret? Something scandalous?” he whispered conspiratorially.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the grin that cracked my indifferent expression. “It’s nothing. I just don’t want to tell you. I don’t have to tell you everything.”

“Why not? I’m your best friend. You’re supposed to tell me everything. Come on, tell me, you know you want to.”

I tapped my foot impatiently, then sighed. There was no point in resisting Isaac. I couldn’t say no to him. He would probably find out eventually anyway. “Alright, if you must know… I’m going out on a date.”

Isaac blinked. “Oh. That’s it? That’s what you were so reluctant to tell me?”

“Kinda,” I replied lamely.

“It’s good that you’re going out and gettin’ some,” Isaac teased, pointing finger guns at me. “Why were you afraid to tell me that?”

I told him, quiet and rushed, “BecauseI’veneverbeenonadatebefore?”

A few beats of silence passed. “Did... you just say what I think you just said?”

I groaned. The cat was finally out of the bag and I wanted to shove it back inside, but I couldn’t. It would’ve been easier to tell him I was basically a huge loser if his werewolf transformation hadn’t turned him into the total opposite of that. Before, he’d been so shy and reserved. We could’ve been considered equals. Now, he visibly embodied the confidence of someone who was hot and he knew it. He was an overnight sensation, and I was still a dateless virgin.

“Yes,” I affirmed sadly, ”you heard me right. And it’s really lame and stupid and embarrassing, so please don’t make me feel worse about this than I already do, okay?”

He put his hand on my shoulder, which he probably meant to be a comforting gesture, but only made me feel more pathetic. “It’s not lame and stupid. I would never judge you for that. It’s really not a big deal.”

“...it’s not?”

“Of course not,” he said. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. And I’m sorry, I guess I could’ve reacted better, but I’m just really surprised. How have you, of all people, never been on a date? I see the way guys look at you. What, did you just turn them all down?” he asked incredulously.

“Well…”

“No way.”

“Yep.”

“Why?” he asked, baffled.

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “I just didn’t really like them. I think I might be picky or something,” I joked.

Isaac snorted. “Yeah, no shit. So then, why are you going out tonight? And who are you even going out with?”

“Just this guy. His name is Jonathan. You might know him, actually. He’s in our Chemistry class.”

“Jonathan… Jonathan… oh, wait. Is this the guy that waits for you by your locker all the time? The guy with the man bun?” Isaac’s eyes twinkled in mirth and his mouth twitched. I could tell he was holding back his laughter.

“Yes, it’s him,” I hesitantly replied. Isaac snorted and broke into laughter. I swatted his arm disapprovingly. “Hey, stop that. He’s cute and nice. And I happen to like his hair,” I said with an air of confidence, trying to convince him as much as myself that I really did like Jonathan.

I wanted to like him. Jonathan was sweet and funny and held doors open for me and called me pretty. He waited for me most days by my locker and offered to carry my books for me. There was no rational reason not to give him a chance, and I was tired of being the only one in the pack with no romantic experience. The time for being picky was over.

“Sorry, sorry.” Isaac put his hands up defensively. “Well, I’m sure he’s a nice guy if you think he’s good enough to be your... your first date,” Isaac said. He squinted his eyes at me thoughtfully and pressed his mouth into a hard line. I couldn’t fully read his expression but he looked a little sad.

“Yeah, it should be fine, totally,” I said, trying to sound self-assured, an attitude that quickly tapered off. “I mean… I hope it’ll be fine? Actually, I’m really nervous. Jonathan’s been asking me out for months and he seems to like me for some reason? What if I end up disappointing him? Oh god, what if it’s a horrible first date? Isaaaac, I’m gonna screw this up,” I whined.

“Hey, hey, none of that,” Isaac said. ��Everything’s gonna be fine. He’s a teenage boy that gets to go out with a hot girl. He should be fucking thrilled. I know I would be.”

My cheeks turned red at his words. I looked away and scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious,” he said somberly. He gently grabbed both sides of my face and he forced me to look at him. “You’re hot. And I’m not just saying this because you’re my friend and I’m trying to make you feel better. You’re also smart and funny and amazing. Everything’s gonna be fine. I mean, I personally think the guy’s ridiculous. He’s a ginger for fuck’s sake-” I smacked his arm and giggled. “Kidding, kidding! Look, I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and you’ve got him wrapped around your finger.”

I exhaled in relief. It was moments like this that made me remember why Isaac was my best friend in the pack. Even though he made fun of me sometimes, he never judged me or made me feel like less. He hooked up with girls left and right, but he was there for me when I needed him.

“Thanks,” I murmured shyly.

He grinned. “Just stating facts.”

“Yeah whatever, quit being so corny.” I ruffled his hair and let him pull me into a hug. I rested my cheek against his chest and breathed in his cinnamon cologne.

I reluctantly pulled back. “I have to go.” The words came out sadder than I intended them to, which did not go unnoticed by Isaac. His forehead scrunched with concern.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked. His thumb rubbed my shoulder.

I shrugged. “I dunno. It’s just weird that this is my first date, and you’re coaching me through it like I’m a clueless baby.”

Isaac laughed loudly. “I’m always here to help. And hey, better late than never.”

“Yeah...” I looked down at my wrist to check the time. “Shit! I was supposed to leave five minutes ago. Okay, I gotta go. Thanks for your help. You’re the best!” I smiled and quickly hugged him one last time before I skirted away.

“Don’t stay out too late! And use protection!” Isaac yelled. Without turning back, I gave him the finger.

~*~*~

It had been two months since Jonathan and I started dating, and things were… awkward.

That first night, I willed myself to let him kiss me in his car. I kept telling myself that everything was fine, that I was desirable and sexy and in control of the situation, but it felt too rushed and misaligned and it was so dark, I missed his mouth. I had my first kiss with Jonathan’s chin stubble.

From then on, things got better. We went on more dates and Jonathan lead our kisses. He had far better aim than I did, so no more chin incidents. I was starting to feel like I finally had the whole dating thing down.

Or so I thought.

One night after he took me out to a movie, I invited him up to my room for the first time, and things were getting a little heated.

We were in my bed. His hand was sliding up my ribcage and his fingers were skimming the edge of my bra and his tongue was swirling around the shell of my ear, and that’s when I suddenly lurched backwards and without thinking, accidentally pushed him completely off my bed. He landed with a dull thud. I sat up in horror as I realized what I’d done.

“Um, ow?” he called out. His face peeked up from the edge of my mattress. He rubbed the back of his head and gingerly sat near my feet. “What’s wrong? Did I do something…?”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” I immediately rushed out a million apologies and reluctantly gave him the same explanation that I’d given Isaac, that I didn’t have much experience and I was clueless and awkward. “I think… I need to take things slow. Is that okay?”

“Oh. Yeah, of course, that’s totally fine. I have no problem waiting.”

“Really?” I said. I was surprised, not expecting a teenage boy to be so understanding of the notion of putting off sex. “You’d be fine with waiting? After I just pushed you off my bed? Are you sure you haven’t suffered cranial damage?”

Jonathan laughed. “No, no, it’s fine, baby. We can take as much time as you need.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. It looked a bit forced.

His assurances did little to ease my guilt. “I’m so sorry for pushing you off my bed. One day, I’ll be ready. I just… can’t right now.”

He gave me a hug and told me not to worry, that he’d never pressure me into anything. I didn’t find total comfort in the aftermath because something kept tugging at me, this nagging suspicion that the real reason I couldn’t move forward with him wasn’t because I wasn’t ready, but because I didn’t want him at all.

~*~*~

Later that night after Jonathan left, I went to see Isaac at Derek’s loft. I told him what happened, and he folded over laughing.

“I can’t believe,” he wheezed between breaths of laughter. “You pushed him off your bed? Like, all the way off? The poor guy was just trying to get some action. You know he’s not a werewolf, right? He can’t take the physical injuries you inflict on him like we can." Isaac wiped away a tear from his eyes. “You cockblocked your own boyfriend,” he declared simply, then dissolved into giggles.

“Oh great, laugh it up, glad you’re enjoying this,” I said sarcastically. I chucked a pillow at his head, hitting him square in the face. When he finally calmed down, he apologized, crawled over the stretch of Derek’s couch, and placed the pillow in my lap, resting his head on it as he laid down.

“So.” He stared up at me with curious eyes. “What are you going to do about this?”

I shrugged and absentmindedly ran my fingers through his soft curls, scratching his scalp lightly. “I dunno. I told him I wanted to, you know, move forward. But it’s like every time we start to do something, an alarm goes off in my brain and I have to stop. Has that ever happened to you?”

“Has my brain ever stopped me from making out with someone? No. Has my brain ever worked when I was making out with someone? Also no.”

"Isaac,” I groaned, “what do I do?”

“Just do what I said. Flip the switch in your brain and turn off all the thoughts in that pretty little head of yours. Just do what feels right,” he explained casually, like anything he just said had made sense. He tapped my forehead with two fingers, and I slapped his hand away.

“What are you talking about?” I exclaimed incredulously. “I can’t just, just turn off all my thoughts! Overthinking is my full time job. And I’m new to all of this, dating and stuff. It’s not like I know what I’m doing. I’m afraid to screw up again. I’ve already embarrassed myself enough, with the whole kissing him on the chin incident, and now this.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about the chin incident. The chincident. Chingate-”

“Isaaaac,” I whined.

Isaac chuckled and booped my nose. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop. But hey, I think I might know what’ll solve all your problems.”

“Oh, perfect.” I said sarcastically. “Let’s hear this magical solution.”

Isaac grin resembled a cheshire cat. “You’re afraid to go all the way with this guy because you’re scared you’ll screw up, right?”

“Yup,” I said, popping the ‘p’ at the end.

“So what if you had more experience? With someone who wouldn’t judge you if you messed up.”

I stared blankly at him. “Are you suggesting I rent a makeout partner?” I quipped. “Just go on Tinder and put it in my bio? Or should I do Craigslist?”

Isaac chuckled. “All great ideas. I was just thinking you could ask your super thoughtful and generous best friend to do it.”

I blinked, and then blinked again, because what? “I hope you don’t mean yourself,” I said jokingly, to which he arched his brow. “Wait, wait, wait. Ask you to do what, exactly?”

“To practice.”

“...practice what? Kissing?” I laughed nervously.

“Yeah, if you want.” He shrugged. “We can practice kissing, and whatever else you need to feel more comfortable with everything.”

I mulled over his words, then laughed, and continued to laugh. When Isaac didn’t join in, my stomach sank. “Wait, are you serious?” I squeaked.

Isaac smirked. “Yeah, of course. It’s just one friend helping out another friend. You know me, I’m very gracious, always helping out those in need,” he said jokingly. Isaac stretched his arms and folded his hands behind his head cockily, like he had nothing to be embarrassed about.

I, on the other hand, had turned into a bright red tomato.

“One friend helping out another friend?” I screeched. “Friends don’t make out!”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s weird,” I declared indignantly.

“It doesn’t have to be,” he said calmly. “You say ‘weird’ like we haven’t encountered actual supernatural monsters. We’ve been through some actual weird shit and we’re fine. So what’s the problem? Don’t you trust me?”

“Yeah?? B-but-” I sputtered.

“Don’t you find me attractive?”

I paused. I couldn’t deny the truth to a human lie detector. Isaac was objectively bangable, but I wasn’t about to stroke his ego.

“I mean, I guess you look okay.”

“Gee, thanks,” he said sarcastically. “So, let me help you.”

I inhaled sharply and frowned. “How can you be so chill about this? I have a boyfriend. It would be cheating, Isaac.”

“Sure, if you look at everything so black and white. It would be… educational. We both know you’re a huge nerd, so just think of it like a crash course on how to make out. Just two friends, hangin’ out, occasionally kissing and stuff. It doesn’t have to be a big deal, nothing complicated.”

He refuted every single one of my qualms like this was all so easy for him. He sounded so assured in his ideology that he swayed me from mine. My sudden lack of morals could have also been attributed to the raging teenage hormones coursing through me at high speed.

I had one more concern. “I know what I’m getting out of this,” I said slowly. “What are you getting out of this?”

Isaac sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “I don’t like seeing you upset and stressed out, doubting yourself and all that. Also, I’m really good at making out. I really should be doling out my services. If you don’t believe me, I can refer you to multiple satisfied sources.”

I snorted. “No need. I believe you.” I laughed in disbelief because I already knew what my answer was. The perfectionist in me needed to master this skill, and Isaac had me convinced that he was the only way to do it. I told myself that was the only reason.

Thinking about Jonathan and what I was about to agree to, I should've felt more guilty, but I just didn’t. That should’ve been my first clue, the initial foreshadowing of how things would unfold for all three of us in the future.

“Okay… okay. I’m in.” I exhaled slowly. “So how do we do this?”

Isaac grinned victoriously. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together with gleeful authority. “Alright! Welcome to Makeout 101.”

I grimaced and rolled my eyes. “Can you not?”

“No talking back to the teacher,” he said in a game show host voice. “Okay, first things first: kissing.”

At the mention of kissing, my palms suddenly went cold and clammy. “Oh, we’re diving right in?” I asked uneasily.

Isaac took in my discomfort. “Oh, no, we don’t have to. We’ll start out slow, yeah?”

I nodded gratefully. He smiled and leaned back against the couch. “Here, sit back with me.” Isaac gently nudged me closer and wrapped his arm around my shoulders as I leaned stiffly into his side. “You good? You’re looking a little... rigid. And your heart’s racing.”

I wiped my palms. “Just nervous, that’s all.”

“Don’t be nervous,” he said gently. He drew small circles into my forearm, soothing my contracted muscles. “It’s just me here, right? I’m gonna take care of you,” he said, with so much sincerity that I believed every word, like I was safe and sound as long as I was in his arms.

Something else was happening, something stirring inside me. It was inexplicable, but three seconds into his little experiment, knowing what we were about to do, felt more intimate than all the days I spent with Jonathan. I’d never looked at Isaac like this before. I was seeing things I’d never noticed, like the fact that he had a splash of six freckles along his nose. He also had flecks of green in his eyes.

“Is this what you do with all the girls?” I joked nervously in an attempt to quell the tension in the air. “Stare into their eyes and make them fall in love with you?”

Isaac laughed softly. “Nah, just you.”

A trail of goosebumps rose along my spine. He’d never spoken to me like this. No one had. He was flirting with me.

He carefully traced the outline of my cheekbone, then my lip. I shivered at his touch; I was freezing and burning up simultaneously and my body wasn’t designed to cope with this chaos of emotions. He lifted one finger and pressed it to my lips. He lightly tapped my bottom lip twice.

“Okay?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” I said quietly, afraid that if I spoke any louder or let out a single breath, I would disturb the magic suspended in the air between us.

“Good. I’m gonna kiss you now, okay?”

He angled his head to the right and slowly leaned in. His eyelids fluttered shut and he was so close now that I could count each individual eyelash along his almond-shaped eyes.

When his lips finally brushed against mine, my mind went blank, just like Isaac said was supposed to happen. Unlike with Jonathan, there was nothing rushed or misaligned about it. It was the most natural thing I’d ever done.

My hand instinctively reached up to tangle in Isaac’s curls. I pulled him closer and moved my mouth with his, teasing and tasting the pillowy softness of his lips.

I finally understood what he meant when he had said to just do what feels right. So, I did.

With newfound bravery, I snaked out my tongue to trace his bottom lip. The deep growl Isaac emitted afterwards was a sound I would never forget. He parted his mouth and I slipped in my tongue, shyly tasting him.

His hand skimmed down my side until it reached my hip, and in one swift motion, he pulled me into his lap. My tugged on his hair, clinging to him as his tongue invaded my mouth and explored.

Isaac’s lips started to trail away from mine. He pressed them to the corner of my mouth, then brushed them along my jawline. His hand ran up my thigh and when he squeezed my ass, I moaned, a sound that sounded so scratchy and sultry and foreign to my own ears. Isaac took the wistful sighs tumbling out of my mouth as encouragement, and continued to nip and lick at the exposed flesh of my neck.

He pulled away for a moment. As the fog cleared from my brain, I sat in his lap and took in his appearance. He was all tousled hair and bruised lips and hooded eyelids, and somehow I had caused that.

“Woah,” he breathed.

“Yeah.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I was a mess, just a pile of hormones sitting in a werewolf’s lap.

Isaac smiled and reached forward and delicately tucked my hair behind my ear. “To think, all this time we’ve been friends, and we could’ve been doing that.”

In that moment, something shifted.

Isaac was my friend, but suddenly he was something else too, something more. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I didn’t need to, because Isaac’s mouth had already recaptured mine. He cradled the back of my head, held me close, and gently maneuvered us so that I was laying back on the couch with him on top.

His nose was pushing down the strap of my dress over my shoulder when suddenly a door slammed shut.

We simultaneously shot apart and froze.

“Shit, it’s Derek,” Isaac whispered. He quickly scrambled off me. I sat up and pulled down my dress with urgency. We split apart and moved to opposite ends of the couch. I got out my phone and pretended to text while Isaac arranged his shirt over his lap and pretended he didn’t have a boner.

Derek entered his living room with a scowl.

“What happened in here?” he asked, unamused. “You know you both smell like sex, right?”

I opened my mouth to ramble out some half-assed explanation, but Derek cut me off.

“Actually, I don’t wanna know. Just... keep it out of my loft,” he said, sounding mildly annoyed, but not altogether surprised.

Isaac and I looked at each other briefly before leaping off the couch and bolting in opposite directions.

“I have to go meet Malia-” I started.

At the same time, Isaac said, “Scott wanted me to help with a thing-”

“Oh, okay-”

“Yeah, I’ll cya later-”

Before I walked out the door, Isaac called out my name. “Hey, wait!”

I turned around and looked at him expectantly.

“Are we… are we good?” he asked nervously.

I didn’t know the answer to his question, but something new settled into my skin and somehow I knew that things would never be the same.

“Of course we’re good. We’ll always be good,” I replied, with as much conviction as I could muster.

He smiled knowingly, like he could see right through my act. “Great. Then I’ll um, I’ll call you?”

I curtly nodded and left Derek’s loft. When I got to my car, it was all I could do not to bang my head against the steering wheel. My brain was swirling with questions, most of which involved Jonathan and Isaac and why I was more attracted to my best friend than my boyfriend and why I had let myself get so carried away.

I turned the key in the ignition and drove to my house with a sheen of sweat over my brow.

I still had a phone call to look forward to.

~*~*~

Later that night, I was laying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, replaying the kiss with Isaac, the way his hand stroked my thigh and his lips touched mine and the fire he ignited inside me that I still hadn’t been able to snuff out.

I wondered how I could have handled things differently. If I were a more perfect person, maybe I wouldn’t have agreed to Isaac’s makeout class idea. Or I wouldn’t have let it go that far. I would’ve pushed Isaac away when he pulled me into his lap, or when he laid me down.

Mulling through all the other realities I could’ve created, I knew it was useless. I was human, and I was powerless against my base desires and if a certain curly-haired werewolf wanted to climb over me and press their lips to my skin, I would let him every time.

My phone suddenly buzzed loudly, interrupting my thoughts. It was Isaac calling, just like he said he would.

“Hey,” I heard from the end of the line. He sounded nervous. I heard movement, like he was pacing around his room.

“Hi,” I said. The sound came out smaller than I wanted it to.

“So, um, about earlier-” He cut himself off. “Fuck. Can I just come over?”

Without even thinking about it, I said yes.

~*~*~

Five minutes later, I heard a knock on my door.

I bolted out of bed. I didn’t expect him to get here so quickly. Normally it took him at least fifteen minutes. Why did he have to rush over? I was still in my pyjamas, totally unprepared, but for what, I didn’t even know.

I hastily combed my fingers through my hair and pulled my sweatshirt over my head, standing in a plain white cropped t-shirt and gray cotton shorts.

I opened my door to see Isaac leaning casually against my doorway in a gray shirt and dark jeans. He trailed his eyes over my body slowly from head to toe, and I felt his gaze linger on my exposed legs. He finally met my eyes. His vision looked hazy, his pupils blown out.

“Hey,” he said, his tone as heavy as the air around us.

“Hi. Um, come inside.” I ushered him in with my hand. He took a seat on the edge of my mattress and I gingerly perched beside him.

“How are you-” “So, about earlier-” We both began at the same time.

I chuckled nervously. “You go,” I said.

Isaac cleared his throat. “About earlier. Um, that kiss… that was, that was something, right?”

“Was it?” I asked, unsure of what he was hinting at.

“Yeah, um I don’t know why you needed help with that. You’re very good at that,” he said quietly.

“You think so? That’s surprising. I mean, it was never like that before, with Jonathan. Maybe it’s something about-” I stopped myself before I said something I would regret, and I would really regret telling Isaac that kissing him was way better than kissing my boyfriend, and the reason I suspected I liked kissing him more. I could never say those things to him. This, our friendship, and whatever else had developed over the past few hours, all of it was too important to ruin. Isaac was too important.

“Maybe it’s something about what?” he asked.

You, I thought. Maybe it’s something about you. “Um, nothing,” I lied. “I don’t know what I was saying.”

“Liar.” I froze. “Tell me what you were gonna say.”

My mouth went dry. “I-” I began, scrambling for an explanation. “I was just, um, I just meant-”

Suddenly, my phone rang and saved me from my rambling. I sighed in relief and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” I said.

“Hey babe,” I heard from the other end. I froze. It was Jonathan.

I mentally groaned. “Hey Jonathan.” I peered over at Isaac, who rolled his eyes. “One second.” I muted the call. “I’m sorry, I have to take this,” I told Isaac. He shrugged like he didn’t care and took out a pack of mints from his pocket. He didn’t look too happy, but I’d be annoyed too if my conversation had been interrupted by a phone call.

“Hey, sorry about that,” I spoke into the receiver. “What’s up?” I wanted to get off the line as soon as possible to preserve the moment I was having with Isaac, but I suspected the damage had already been done.

“Oh, nothing,” Jonathan replied. “I just wanted to check in, see what you were up to. I missed hearing your voice.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet. I’m just hanging out with Isaac.”

“Isaac?” Jonathan said, with a bite to his words. He got this way sometimes when I brought up Isaac. Before we got together, he had asked me what was the deal with me and Isaac. I told him we were just friends, but the look on his face indicated that he didn’t completely believe me. “Where are you?” Jonathan asked.

“Just in my room,” I said. “Why?”

“In your room? With Isaac? Babe, it’s nearly midnight.”

“...yeah? So?”

“What are you two doing?”

“Just talking.”

“Just talking?”

“Babe, calm down,” I said and laughed. “It’s not what you think. I’ve told you before, we’re just friends.”

“Yeah… alright. Sorry, like I said, I just missed you.” I was relieved that he dropped the awkward subject. I had a sneaking suspicion Isaac was using his enhanced werewolf hearing to eavesdrop on the call.

“No worries. Listen, we’re kinda in the middle of a conversation. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” I said. I didn’t want to rush Jonathan, but I could tell Isaac was getting a little impatient from the way he was tapping his foot.

“Alright, night babe,” Jonathan said.

I hung up. “Sorry about that,” I said to Isaac. “So, where were we?”

Isaac met my eyes. There was a shift in his demeanor. As imperceptible as it was, I could still see he was upset about something.

“Just friends,” he stated simply.

I blinked. “Hm?”

“Just friends. That’s what we are. That’s what you told your boyfriend,” he said, with measured restraint.

“Yeah… That’s what we are, right? Did I say something wrong?”

Isaac looked calm, but not pleasantly so. His still demeanor reminded me of the calm before a brewing storm. The light had left his eyes.

He chuckled emotionlessly. “Nope. Never mind. Anyway, the reason I came over was to tell you that we should have our next teachable moment.”

I flushed in embarrassment. “Oh, you wanted to come over so we could... practice some more?”

He shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt. You wanna impress your boyfriend, right?” Every time Isaac said ‘boyfriend,’ he spit out the word with venom.

“I guess so… are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. I just wanted to come over and help you. Just being a good friend,” he said tersely.

Isaac was lying. He wasn’t okay. That much was obvious, but I didn’t know what to do. I knew I shouldn’t have let this continue, but I didn’t want to reject him. There was also the fact that every cell in my body was drawn to him, and I couldn’t think past my own desire. “Yeah we can, um, we can do that. If you think it’ll help-”

“I do.” Isaac removed his jacket with a flourish and draped it neatly over my desk chair. “So, if I were Jonathan, and I was in your bedroom, what would we be doing?” he asked. It took me three seconds to realize he actually wanted me to answer.

“Oh, um, I guess we’d be on my bed...?”

Isaac smiled. “Exactly.” He looked like he wanted to devour me. “Lay back,” he said softly. His voice dripped with authority.

If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have complied with their commands so readily. Isaac was physically stronger and had more experience, but the imbalance of power wasn’t unsettling. It was exciting. I wanted him to tell me what to do and guide me and take care of me. I trusted him completely.

Gingerly, I scooted backwards and laid down flat, and leaned up on my elbows so I could see him. His eyes scanned my body from head to toe. I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious under his gaze, like I was under a microscope for his inspection. It was like he was undressing me with his eyes.

“Good girl,” he praised. He came forward and got on his knees on the edge of my mattress, swinging one leg over my thighs. He towered over me, all broad shoulders and condescending smirk. “I wonder if Jonathan knows how lucky he is that he gets to do this with you whenever he wants,” he said. “I wonder what Jonathan would do if he knew what was happening right now...”

I gulped, feeling a slight twinge of guilt, but reached up anyway and touched his cheek, pulling him closer. A small whining noise escaped from my mouth.

He chuckled. “Eager, are we?” He clasped my fingers and held my wrist exposed to him. He nuzzled into it. “You smell incredible, you know that?” His voice had lowered considerably and his pupils were dilated again. He suddenly jerked my arm back and pinned it over my head, swallowing my surprised yelp with his mouth as he dipped down and kissed me, hard and deep.

I cupped his cheek with my free hand to hold him in place while our tongues snaked out and we tasted each other again. The last time I had a guy in my bed, it was my boyfriend, and I had accidentally tossed him over the side before he could get to second base. With Isaac, someone who was very much not my boyfriend, all I wanted to do was pull him closer.

Isaac pulled away. “Wh-what are you doing?” I asked, confused and dazed. His chest heaved in unison with mine as we panted for breath.

“Moving on to the second lesson, conveniently called second base.” He smiled with a glint of mischief and humor behind his eyes. “You ready for that? We know what happened to poor little Jonathan when he tried to feel you up in your bed.” He was playing with me, challenging me. He sounded cocky, like he didn’t think I had it in me to continue.

With the element of surprise on my side, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him down flush against me and pressed my mouth to his. I took one of his hands and placed it on my hip, slowly guided it up my stomach and over my ribcage, and finally set it over my breast.

Isaac let out a satisfied groan against my mouth. I smirked and moved his hand in slow circles, letting him rub me over my t-shirt. Then I let go, let him touch me how he wanted. He pulled away briefly and looked at me with hooded eyelids. I flashed him a victorious smirk, that quickly turned into a gasp when he pinched my nipple over my clothes.

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “No bra, huh?”

“Mhmm,” I sighed softly, too turned on to respond with words. Isaac’s mouth moved under my ear and he sucked harshly on an area I didn’t realize was sensitive until now. He continued to touch me, rubbing small circles around my nipple. A rush of arousal flooded through my body. It felt good, but it wasn’t enough anymore. I needed something more.

I was moving on autopilot now, just doing what felt right. I rolled my hips forward and grinded against Isaac’s crotch. He groaned into my ear when I repeated the movement. Together, we created a slow rhythm gyrating our hips together. The ridge of folded fabric over his crotch kept rubbing against my clit.

“Isaac, that feels good,” I sighed wistfully. I spread my legs wider to give him more room.

“Yeah?” he grunted. “Like this?” He rolled his hips into mine and I moaned into his shoulder to keep from squealing too loudly. My parents were down the hall and would probably alert the mosque elders if they knew what Isaac was doing to their daughter.

There was a building pressure under my stomach and I didn’t know what to do with it. I felt like I would explode, and I’d never wanted anything so badly.

“Isaac, I-” I didn’t have the words to describe how badly I wanted him. “Please, I can’t, I think I’m, fuck, uhn…”

Isaac moved his hand to the side of my face and brushed my hair back gently. “Are you gonna come, baby?” I nodded. Isaac sped up his movements. “Good, that’s good. You’re doing good. Just keep going, just like that, I got you. Almost there, you’re so close, fuck, I’m coming too-”

Isaac locked an arm around my waist and buried his face into my neck and held me close and tight. He came with a muffled grunt and I followed shortly after. I let out a high-pitched mewl and clawed at his back as my body spasmed. Afterwards, a wave of euphoric happiness clouded over my senses.

I relaxed back onto my mattress. Isaac laid on top of me and rested his head on my chest. I combed my fingers through his hair, smiling at my ceiling. Isaac finally stirred and leaned up on one elbow, and looked down at me silently. I was afraid of what he would say in the aftermath, or maybe he would just leave without saying anything at all.

I took the opportunity to whisper mock seductively in his ear, “So, when’s the last time a girl made you come in your pants?”

He snorted and face planted into my shoulder. “Seriously? After all that, that’s what you choose to say? Shouldn’t we be having a moment? Didn’t I just deflower you or something?”

“Deflower me? Please, we weren’t even naked. And we didn’t touch each other, you know, like that.”

Isaac let out a little laugh and kissed my shoulder. “Next time.”

I sighed and lifted my finger to trace a line down his forehead, over the bridge of his nose, down to his chin. He slightly pursed his lips and kissed the tip of my finger when it brushed his mouth.

“There’s gonna be a next time, isn’t there?” I stated, less as an actual question, but to confirm what I already suspected.

“Of course there’s gonna be a next time.” Isaac lip twitched and he smiled a sad smile. With the way he was looking at me, I was beginning to think that maybe there was an unspoken truth beginning to form that we were too afraid to say out loud. Was he hiding his feelings behind jokes like I was? Was he scared like I was?

“Uh,” he said, “I should go. It’s late.” With that, he slid out his arm from underneath me. I watched him as he stood and adjusted his disheveled clothes. “A plus.”

“What?” I asked.

“You get an A plus. You know, for mastering a new skill.” Isaac winked. “But then again, I should take some credit. Behind every good student is an amazing teacher.”

“Do amazing teachers come over to their students’ houses at midnight and make them come in their shorts?” I quipped.

Isaac narrowed his eyes at me and made his way over. I clutched my sheets in anticipation and excitement, but all he did was pull up the folded covers at the foot of my bed over my body. It was an unexpectedly sweet gesture.

He dipped down and placed his mouth a hair’s breadth away from mine. “I only make house calls for my favorite student.” My cheeks burned at the praise and adoration in his voice. I leaned forward and closed the distance between our lips and kissed him, lingering a second or two longer than I probably should have.

This time, Isaac was the one who blushed. He kissed my forehead, then climbed out my window and quickly left, leaving me to bask in the afterglow of endorphins and giddy infatuation.

~*~*~

The next day at school, Isaac and I couldn’t stop sneaking glances at each other. During chemistry class, while Jonathan held my hand, I felt Isaac’s gaze burn into the back of my head. When I finally looked back at him, he winked. I whipped back around, my face flushed red.

“What’s wrong?” Jonathan whispered at me.

“Hm? Oh nothing, thought I saw a bee.”

A snort erupted from the back of the room, and I didn’t have to turn around to know who it came from.

It felt like Isaac was everywhere. He was there when I was eating lunch with the pack, staring at me intently while I chewed my food, playfully knocking his knee against mine under the cafeteria table. He was there while I ran around the track during gym class, catcalling me every time I passed by him sitting on the bleachers.

All the little moments and the paranoia about getting caught was taking its toll on me. I was constantly distracted. So distracted in fact, that I didn’t notice the arm that shot out in front of me as I was walking to class and pulled me into a dark storage closet.

I stopped squirming and panicking when I realized it was Isaac who had stolen me away. His hand was covering my mouth, and he was grinning mischievously.

“You’re not going to scream, are you?” he teased. He slowly moved his hand away.

“Only if you make me,” I quipped without missing a beat. Isaac’s expression hardened. He attached his lips to mine, slow and deep. He walked us backwards until we collided with the wall, his hand protecting the back of my head from impact.

“Fuck, I’ve wanted to kiss you all day,” Isaac said. “Do you know how hard it is to see you walking around and know that I can’t touch you...” He brushed his lips against my neck. “...kiss you…” His fingers found the hem of my dress and he lifted it halfway up my thigh. “I want you so bad. Wanna taste you, can I taste you baby?”

I nodded fervently, and Isaac began his descent. He kissed bruises onto my neck and kissed the valleys of my breasts at the neckline of my dress, and pressed his lips over my clothed ribcage and abdomen. Finally, he knelt before me. He stared up with a look of dazed wonderment.

He gathered the skirt of my dress and bunched it in his fist, using his other hand to slide my panties down to my knees. I clamped my thighs shut immediately, shy at the notion of him seeing me like this, naked and exposed and vulnerable. He peered at me curiously before leaning forward and placing a lingering kiss on my hip bone, then another one on the smattering of hair above my core.

I felt goosebumps rise at his intimate gesture. He made me feel so safe. I tentatively opened my legs for him.

He placed one more kiss on my inner thigh. “Ready for lesson three?” he asked. Before I could answer, he lightly kissed my pussy, then licked around my clit before finally sucking the bundle of nerves. My knees buckled, but he steadied me with a hand over my stomach and another on my thigh.

He alternated between licking and sucking my sensitive flesh. I took my dress from his grip and clutched onto the fabric as tightly as I could, bit down on my lip, clung onto his hair, did anything to keep from moaning loudly. Isaac continued to lap at my pussy. Suddenly, his tongue moved downwards, prodding my entrance and tasting the evidence of my arousal.

“Fuck, you taste so good baby,” Isaac grunted. “Wanna feel you, wanna feel what it’s like inside.”

I froze. Did Isaac want to go all the way right now? It’s not like I expected my first time to be in some expensive hotel room that was covered in rose petals and candles, but I didn’t want it to be inside of a storage closet beside a dirty mop.

But that was not Isaac’s intention. He reached up his hand and showed me two fingers. I peered down at him curiously.

“Suck,” was all he said. So, I did. I swallowed the length of his fingers to the knuckle, and swirled my tongue around the calloused pads. Then I bobbed my head and took him in and out, and imagined I had my mouth around his cock. I shivered at the imagery of him inside me. The fantasy intensified when Isaac began pumping his appendages in and out of my mouth. He was nearly at the back of my throat and I almost gagged.

He took his fingers out, and wasted no time putting them back in; this time, into my pussy, slowly, one by one, inch by inch, until both his fingers were fully sheathed in my warmth. I’d only experimented with my own fingers before, but his were comparatively larger and longer, and he could move swiftly with the slickness he’d induced in a way that I’d never been able to achieve.

He fucked me with his fingers and his mouth played with my clit, and I was finding it very hard not to collapse to the floor. I tugged at his hair and pushed his face closer, and his tongue found that perfect spot on my clit, and combined with the movements of his fingers, he sent me over the edge. He continued to lick and suck my overstimulated nerves through the climax.

He held me and kissed me as my breathing normalized and I came down from the high.

~*~*~*~

Things continued on that way for the next few weeks. Either I would text Isaac at midnight and tell him I needed him, or he would catch me off guard and pull me into more empty rooms. Or we would find each other’s eyes in the middle of a crowded room and make up some lame excuse to leave and go fool around in my car.

We never went all the way. Maybe we were both afraid of the consequences, since I was still with Jonathan, and Isaac still hadn’t told me how he felt about everything. I certainly wasn’t going to ask him what he wanted. I couldn’t risk ruining our friendship. So, we both pretended everything was fine, that we were just “having fun” and “practicing” for my benefit.

Except, none of the things I did with Isaac ever transferred into my relationship, the reason this whole thing started. I couldn’t bring myself to move past kissing Jonathan, and I could tell he was getting frustrated.

On the other side, whenever Isaac asked me how my relationship was going, I told him that our little sessions were helpful and things were progressing with Jonathan. But the words came out awkward and rushed, and even I didn’t believe my lies. Judging from the playful eye rolls and knowing smirks, Isaac didn’t either.

Still, he never denied me. Because why would he? What guy wouldn’t want the convenience of having a girl to mess around with who didn’t ask for a real relationship?

That was the only reason he kept coming back. I wouldn’t let myself hold false hope for anything else.

~*~*~

It all came to a head at Lydia’s party.

I couldn’t decline her invitation, mainly because it was her birthday, but also because Jonathan insisted we go. He kept saying that I was “neglecting” him, that I wasn’t spending enough time with him. He wasn’t wrong, considering every spare moment I had, I snuck away to be with Isaac.

Jonathan wouldn’t let me out of his sight the whole night. He held my hand and kept asking me to dance and play drinking games with him. His separation anxiety only elevated when Isaac finally arrived, looking effortlessly handsome. He spotted me immediately in the crowded house and sent me the same knowing grin I’d seen so many times before.

Even before we started hooking up, Isaac had told me that he always listened for my heartbeat in any room, always tried to locate my scent apart from the others. He brushed off this habit as a “safety measure” in case I was ever in danger, since I was a human in the pack and that came with occupational hazards.

Jonathan and I were sitting on the couch, and I was very aware of his hand on my knee when Isaac started to walk towards us. As he was approaching, someone stopped him in his tracks. It was a tall blond girl with knee high boots and a miniskirt. She whispered something in his ear, took his hand, and led him away.

All I could do was sit and stare blankly as Isaac was whisked away by another girl. I was crestfallen and blindsided and heartbroken. In all the time that Isaac and I had been fooling around, I’d totally forgotten that he was still the same boy he’d always been, the boy who hooked up with different girls and didn’t get attached, not even to me. I was naive to think anything different.

So I started drinking. The real stuff, not the jello shots Jonathan kept passing me. Four drinks later, I was wasted. The room was spinning and my head was pounding. I needed to be alone. I squirmed my hand out of Jonathan’s grip and stumbled my way up Lydia’s stairs.

On my way, I passed by Isaac and the blond girl who’d stolen him from me. They were chatting and leaning against the railing, standing too close for my comfort. Isaac noticed my presence. He looked at me questioningly, but I ignored him and stumbled the rest of the way up the stairs.

I searched the hall until I found an empty bedroom to go into. I sat inside on the bed with my head in my hands, massaging my scalp, trying to drown out the pounding bass of the music downstairs, trying to forget that Isaac was probably making out with another girl right now, trying to forget that I almost threw away my relationship for a boy who considered me nothing more than a casual hookup.

My moment of peace was suddenly interrupted. The bedroom door creaked open, and entered Jonathan, looking haggard, blurry-eyed, and angry.

“What’s wrong with you?” was the first thing he roared at me.

“Nothing,” I mumbled tiredly. “I just have a headache.” I hid my face in my hands, but Jonathan gripped my arm and whipped it away.

“No,” he gritted out. “You’re lying. Just like you lie every time I wanna do something, and you make up some excuse to get out of it. Just like you lie when I text you, and you respond hours later because apparently you’re too busy to press some fucking buttons on a phone. You don’t talk to me anymore and we barely see each other. I’m tired of it. I wanna know what’s going on.”

His grip on my arm was digging into my skin, his voice booming in my face. I was fully alert now, and completely aware that he reeked of alcohol and danger. “Jonathan, you’re hurting me. Please stop,” I pleaded and tried to tug my arm away.

“No. Tell me why you keep pushing me away,” Jonathan said gently, but his voice took on a dark edge. It bordered on threatening. “Is it Isaac? It’s Isaac isn’t it. He’s the reason you don’t like me anymore. Are you cheating on me? I see the way you look at him. Are you sleeping with him? Did you spread your legs for him already? God, and I thought you were a prude.”

!!!!!!

“Jonathan, I mean it, let go.” I could hear my own voice, shaky and on the verge of tears. I was certain that any werewolves within the vicinity were too drunk or preoccupied to hear me if I screamed. I was trapped and I was alone, and I prayed that by some miracle, someone would save me, but I knew it was hopeless when Jonathan pushed me backwards onto the bed and climbed on top of me.

“Shhh, baby, it’s okay, don’t fight it. You’ve been fighting it for months, but I know you want it. Just let it happen,” he whispered. He pressed his mouth to mine, and when I tried to push him away, he bit down hard and I tasted blood. “I’ll give it to you much better than Isaac, you’ll see. I’m gonna make you feel so good, baby…”

He held me down, and sucked the sensitive flesh of my neck, painfully and unforgivingly. I tried to thrash and squirm, but he didn’t relent. Eventually, I felt fingers twiddling with the button of my jeans, and it popped open. I stopped fighting what I thought was inevitable, and I closed my eyes and silently cried.

!!!!!!

It was then that all the weight of Jonathan’s body was suddenly lifted off me. I heard a loud crash.

I opened my eyes to see Isaac standing there, towering over Jonathan, who was laying face first on the floor in front of a broken bookshelf. Isaac’s eyes were flashing golden and his teeth were sharp and bared, and I knew I had to intervene before Jonathan saw his wolfish features and found out his secret.

“Isaac,” I whimpered. At the sound of my voice, his head whipped around. He ran over, bending down to inspect my features with his glowing orbs, and tenderly brushed my hair away from my face. He rubbed his fingers together; he’d felt the evidence of my tears.

He growled, deep and dangerous, and slowly turned around to Jonathan, who was still curled up on the floor. “Isaac, please,” I whispered pleadingly. “Calm down.” I reached out to touch his hand in an effort to anchor him back to reality.

It seemed to be working. Isaac took deep, steadying breaths and he was finally back to normal. But that didn’t stop him from walking over to Jonathan and kicking him in the stomach.

I should’ve protested the violence unfolding before me, but I found it thrilling, watching Isaac beat the shit out of Jonathan, knowing that just moments before, he had tried to force himself on me. After a few more punches, Isaac lifted Jonathan up by the collar and shoved him into the wall.

“If you ever come near her again, I’ll kill you,” Isaac said softly. He could’ve shouted it in Jonathan’s face and it wouldn’t have sounded half as threatening as the intensity in his quiet tone. “Get out.”

Jonathan didn’t need to be told twice. He stumbled out of the room. Isaac shut the door. I sat still and silent, processing everything that had unfolded within the last few minutes. Isaac was standing by the door with his arms crossed over his chest. Neither of us moved.

“Are you okay?” he finally asked, breaking the tense silence.

“I am n-now,” I answered shakily, trying to calm my erratic breathing. Isaac was beside me in an instant. “I’m so sorry, Isaac.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I am though. I’m sorry for ruining your night,” I mumbled. “You can go back to your date. I’ll be okay.”

“My date?” Isaac repeated, audibly offended. “That’s what you’re worried about? First of all, she’s not my date. She’s some random girl I just met. I’m not going anywhere, especially after what just happened. Do you really think I’d just leave you like this? God, I was so terrified. I knew something was wrong when I saw that asshole marching up here all drunk and angry. I was listening and I heard everything he said to you. He was trying to, he was gonna--God, what the fuck,” Isaac growled. He kicked a nearby shelf, and I flinched when the wood cracked.

“I know,” I whispered in horror. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you and... and that girl were off somewhere… I thought I was alone,” I whimpered. Isaac hugged me, holding me close. He moved us into a laying position, cradling my face into his chest. I cried into his shirt. “Please don’t leave me, Isaac.”

“I’m not going anywhere, I promise. You’re safe now,” he said softly. “I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you.”

I looked up at the same time he looked down. We locked eyes. Something came over me, and it was wildly inappropriate and wrong for a million different reasons, but I leaned up and brushed my lips against his. I tasted tears. He’d been crying too.

Any remaining guilt I’d been harboring for what I did to Jonathan eroded in that moment. It was clear now who I was supposed to be with. Jonathan had revealed what kind of person he truly was. And so did Isaac. It was time for me to do the same.

I whispered, “I’m sorry Isaac, but I think I’m falling in love with you.”

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. I felt so much lighter as the words slipped from my lips. I nearly floated to the ceiling when Isaac whispered back, “I think I’m falling in love with you too.”

He was shivering. His hands were shaking when he touched my cheek, gently and carefully, and traced my cheekbone and my lips, just like he’d done the first time we kissed. And then his lips were on mine, soft and tender. I pulled him closer and kissed him back. He locked his arm around my waist and held me against him.

I didn’t know whether it was the thrill of seeing Isaac beat up someone to protect me, or the fact that he’d just told me he loved me. It was probably both of those things that sent a rush of arousal through my body. I couldn’t get enough of him and I wanted him now.

I grabbed his hand from around my waist and shoved his fingers inside the waistband of my jeans. He pulled away from my lips.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “After everything that just happened--”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” I interrupted resolutely. “I’m ready. I want this.”

He nodded and kissed me once more. He looked me in the eyes when he slid his fingers into my panties. My back arched at the jolts of pleasure and I sighed his name. My nails dug into his arm as he rubbed my clit in slow circles, then quicker.

He pulled his hand out of my pants and I nearly came at the sight of him licking his fingers clean of my juices. He sat up, moving one of my knees over so he could settle in between my spread legs.

Isaac dipped down so he was laying on top of me. “I love you,” he said, punctuating his words with kisses on my forehead, my nose, and finally, my lips. He pulled down the hem of my jeans and peeled them off my legs. I tugged at his shirt and pulled it over his head, and used my toes to wriggle his pants and boxers down his legs.

He kissed me one more time. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. “We can’t ever go back to the way things were if we do this. I don’t want to go back to being friends. Also, we’re in Lydia’s house, and I kinda wanted our first time to be special.”

“You’re adorable.” I leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. “I don’t want to go back to being friends either. And I don’t care about where I lose my virginity. I just care that it’s with you.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. He entered me slowly and steadily, and I hissed at his size. Despite his slow pace, I had to halt him with a hand on his chest halfway in. He was stretching me open and tears brimmed at the corner of my eyes, and Isaac was all too aware. His eyes never left my face. His concern turned me on even more.

I dug my nails into his shoulders and he buried his face into my neck, placing kisses onto my skin and whispering I’m sorry and I love you over and over. After what felt like forever, he was fully sheathed inside me.

“God, you feel incredible,” he groaned. “You’re so fucking wet.”

I couldn’t form any words. His praise sent waves of arousal to my core. I asked him to move faster. He pulled out and then rutted back in, forming a steady rhythm. I clawed at his back; it was finally starting to feel good, and a building pressure was festering in my lower belly. He was slick and fast now, snapping his hips into my pussy.

“Fuck, Isaac, I’m close,” I moaned. “Right there, don’t stop, please.”

At last, my toes curled and my back arched off the bed as he brought me to my climax. He followed shortly after a few sloppy thrusts. We fell asleep shortly after, cuddled and warm and safe in each other’s arms. I couldn’t wait to tell Stiles that Isaac liked to be little spoon.

Lydia found us in the morning when she was doing a round of tidying up before her parents came home. She pretended to be upset that we had used her guest room, but it was obvious she wasn’t really mad. The rest of the park could sense the shift in our dynamic and they were mostly just happy that we had finally figured out we were supposed to be together.

~*~*~

At school the following Monday, Isaac and I spent all our time together holding hands and being disgustingly cute. Jonathan had told people what had happened at the party, or his distorted, self-serving version of it. The rumors spread fast. I was slut-shamed with dirty looks and snide remarks, but it didn’t bother me. It helped that Isaac Lahey was my boyfriend now and no one did anything too awful in fear of getting on his bad side.

It was still hard to believe sometimes, the way everything unfolded. It’s not that I was proud of myself for what I did, but I didn’t exactly feel bad either. Maybe that meant I was a shitty person. Maybe Isaac was too. It’s not like Jonathan was innocent in all of this. All of us were wrong, but that’s just the way life is sometimes. People are shitty. Feelings are complicated. Life is messy.

At the end of it all, I ended up with Isaac. The end doesn’t justify the means, but if I had to do it all over again, I would. I’d do anything if it was for him.

fin.

isaac as a fratboy

#isaac lahey smut #isaac lahey imagine #daniel sharman imagine #daniel sharman #daniel sharman smut

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erectionsandtea · 3 years

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Poly party summer fun headcanons, part 2 ! 😀 (this got way too long so I’m posting it as it is, and if I get more ideas, or if you guys want to send me anything 😉, I’ll either reblog this post or make a new one.) Enjoy!

(part 1 can be found here)

Amusement park: (these are based on amusement parks I have been to since they're all I know, lol)

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

- they go early so they can do everything (twice) but they also stay until it gets dark bc El wants to see all the lights

- one of her favorite rides is the big ship that swings back and forth because it feels like flying

- Max, Lucas, and Dustin take El on her first roller coaster ride, and it's super scary but she also loves it (Robin and Nancy go, too)

Lucas and Dustin scream like little girls on the roller coaster and become the butt of many jokes about it (most of them from Max)

Max and Lucas would totally try to kiss for the roller coaster camera (idk why okay, stop me) but the photo would look absolutely ridiculous and Max’s hair is fuckin EvERYWHERE

El uses some of her money to buy a copy of the photo (she buys a copy of their photo from every ride, it's a lot of money, but the others help her out with it), and when she gets home, Will helps her make a collage of all the photos that she puts up in her room

- El also wants caricatures, but they don't have enough money for everyone (so she just gets one of herself). Will watches the artist, who gives him tips on how to do it so he can draw some for El later (and he totes does bc good brother vibes)

- they do the ferris wheel last bc it is super romantic (even more so at night), and everyone wants to go with everyone else. Max wants to go up every time someone else does bc she wants to try to spy on them, lol

Groups, in order from side to other side (sitting, not riding order):

for her very first time: Max/El/Mike (her two bffs, aka her bf and gf)

Mike/Will

Max/Lucas

Dustin/Suzie

El/Max/Lucas

El/Mike/Will

El/Mike

El/Max

the guy running the ferris wheel is just like “you kids again???” bc they keep just getting off the ride and going straight to the back of the line to go up again, but eventually they have to stop bc the park is literally about to close and they’ll be kicked out

- there's also a haunted house ride and El absolutely has to ride with Mike bc when she is scared or feels like she's in danger, he's always been the best at making her feel okay again. She clings to him throughout the ride, but ends up laughing at how cheesy not-scary most of the effects are.

- as exhilarating as the drop rides are, El doesn’t like going on them too much but she can do it like, once. maybe twice.

- Lucas and Max, and Dustin and Will, like that ride that’s like the ferris wheel except you’re in a cage and you can manipulate the cage (by spinning it and stuff) to take you upside down. Dustin and Max do it too much, like to an extreme, and Will and Lucas are like “stop, the world is literally spinning” and they’re very disoriented when they get off

- there’s a rapids ride, and since the rafts are big enough to hold 8 people, the whole party is able to go together in one, and then the teens can go together in another one. they totally get sprayed by bystanders.

- there's a shooting game (like where you go through a tunnel on a track, and targets pop up and you shoot them)

Lucas is the best and El rides with him bc the best should introduce the newbie, and she has so much fun, it's nothing like the guns she's experienced in her previous (lab) life.

Max and Dustin fight really hard to be second best.

Mike and Will go together and compared to the others, they suck, but that's okay they have fun anyway, and they joke about their own terribleness.

- Dustin buys those deep-fried snacks (you know the ones I mean) and he is literally the only person in the group that likes them (okay, not true, Robin can handle them, too)

El, against the advice of the others, wants to try those snacks bc she’s never heard of anything like that before, and the first time she takes a bite, her face goes through a range of like 10 emotions bc she’s being assaulted by flavors-

but after she manages to swallow it, she’s like “wow, that was amazing” and the others are like “...you serious??”

Mike is just like “that is disgusting and I’m not kissing you after that lol” and El is just like “but...why?” (he totes does tho, he doesn’t give a f, he’s kissing his gf bc he just can’t resist the cuteness)

Nancy, even though she doesn’t necessarily like it, can totally handle taking a bite and finishing it (like that beer from season 1) and Robin is like “that’s impressive, band geek” and Nancy’s just like “I’m not in band” (idk lol)

- El wanting to try EVERY food but the others have to cut her off bc it’s so expensive and she will get so sick

- Mike being a good bf and holding souvenirs bought by his bf and gf (Will totally buying a sweet little something for his awesome mom) (El totally doing the same thing to remind herself of Hopper, but she keeps it in her room instead)

- Lucas also being a good bf for the same reason but complaining about it, lol

- everyone goes on the log ride (you might know it as the flume) bc there isn’t a person on earth who doesn’t like that ride, and even tho she knows about the impending splash, El is still super surprised when it happens

Groups, in order (front to back):

El, Mike, Max, and Lucas (Max is explaining to El over Mike’s shoulder that “you absolutely HAVE TO be in the front, it’s the best way”)

Suzie, Dustin, Steve, and Robin (irrelevant but don’t tell me Robin sits in front of Steve, there’s no fuckin way, she’s not his gf, also Steve and Dustin just have to sit together bruh)

Will, Dustin (bc obvsly he goes on again), Nancy, and Jonathan

Mike has his arms around El like he thinks he’s going to protect her from the huge spray of water (but his skinny arms won’t protect shit lol) and he somehow manages to make a decent photo come out of him kissing her cheek while she is simultaneously screaming (good screaming)

- everyone loves the bumper cars (Jonathan and Suzie hang back tho, to hold everyone’s stuff and cheer from the side)

Max, as the only one (sans teens) who has actually driven a car before, rides with El so she can teach her how to do it

her and Lucas (with his passenger Will) are automatically in competition with one another (”you’re going down!” “no, YOU’RE going down!”)

Robin, riding by herself, goes after Steve and driver Nancy (who’s surprisingly good at this)

and Dustin (passenger Mike) gangs up with Robin to take on Steve and Nancy, which makes Nancy even more determined now to destroy both of them

Steve’s a little afraid of Nancy when she’s like this, lol

eventually Dustin and Robin are like “okay okay, we’ll stop! jesuschrist, how did you get so good at this??” (but also they are just in total awe of Nancy) and they just go after each other instead

- El doesn’t like spinning rides (too dizzy and they totally make her tummy “feel weird, like there’s a storm in it” “uh oh, you’re nauseous, El” “naw-shus?” “yeah, like sick, here, sit down for a minute”), but Will loves them and he’s there for her

- the sky ride (the one that takes you from end of the park to the other), groups:

Mike and Will on one side, Max and El on the other (the seats are basically little cabins, seats for 4 people)

Lucas and Dustin on one side, Jonathan and Steve on the other

Robin on one side (she totally takes up the whole double space, putting her leg up), Nancy and Suzie on the other

- carousel ride! (during the day)

El wants the prettiest horse

Max gets the most badass thing which is like...a wolf??

Lucas and Dustin ride only bc there’s a game where you can try to throw rings into a hole while going around (they each get one in by pure luck but otherwise suck). they don’t really care what animals they get, they just need ones that move up and down. Dustin gets a cat with a fish in his mouth, and Lucas ends up just picking a rabbit before everything is taken and he doesn’t have a choice anymore. The others fuckin laugh at the image of Lucas riding a rabbit

Suzie gets another horse

Will gets a lion which doesn’t move up and down but he’s okay with that, he’s kinda just going bc everyone else is

Mike gets stuck with a horse bc he was at the back of the group and by the time he gets there, every other non-horse animal is taken (but they joke about how he should have gotten the non-moving giraffe, taken by Steve, bc it’s so tall and gangly like him lol)

Nancy gets a horse

Robin takes the wild boar bc “dude that is the most badass animal on a carousel I have ever seen!”

Jonathan stays behind, no matter how much the others beg, but he takes lots of really good pictures (including the one time Dustin gets the ring in the hole and then cheering, then also him and Lucas high-fiving, and the various couples exchanging really cute looks, and El having the best time ever bc she’s never been on one of these before)

they go on the carousel one more time near the end of the night and this time Jonathan gives in and rides with them, but he sits in one of the benches that’s just there for the parents), and he still takes pictures as best he can without getting up and moving

- photo booth photos! (I’ll leave the silly face ones up to your imagination)

El and Max (one super close hug with faces pressed together, one kiss, one silly faces, and one smiles)

Will and Mike, but Max and El totally burst in for like, the last 1.5 pictures, it doesn’t ruin them tho, Mike and Will just ignore them (one nice smiles bc they’re like “what do we do??”, one hug, one kiss being interrupted by the girls in the background, one candid laughing while the girls wave at the camera)

Will and Mike again (one candid of Mike holding the curtain shut to make sure no interruptions and Will laughing, one kiss (non-interrupted), one silly faces, one just being super cute and close together and leaning on each other)

Max and Lucas (one smiles, one kiss, one of her pretending to look tough by putting him in a headlock or putting a fist next to his face like a punch, one that was supposed to be funny faces but instead is her looking off to the side where Mike has opened the curtain and stuck his head (with his tongue out) in as revenge and Lucas with that look of “dude, really??” on his face)

Dustin and Suzie (one kiss, one smiles, one nose-to-nose, one super close together leaning on each other cute)

Mike and El (one smiles, one kiss, one of him like surprise-trying to pull her into his lap kind of thing idk and her just looking super surprised but happy but also Max is in the background ruining YET ANOTHER picture, and one candid of them giggling about the previous picture with their foreheads pressed together almost nose-to-nose)

Mike and El again bc she wants non-interrupted photos (one with her actually sitting in his lap this time (she did this beforehand so he wouldn’t scare her again with the surprise-pulling thing), one of them pretending to look all hoity-toity like super models, one with her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist and they’re all close and cute sort of candid, and one just like the last one except they’re looking at the camera and smiling)

Will and Mike and El (one with Mike in the middle while his gf and bf give him a kiss on each cheek, one with El hanging over Mike’s shoulders in sort of a half-piggyback and he and Will are laughing, one with Mike and Will kissing while El makes a funny face at the camera, one of them all making funny faces at the camera)

Max and El and Mike (one with El in the middle, Max’s arms are around her waist almost dipping her backwards, her legs are up in the air (as far up as they can go in the tiny booth) and her head is tilting back onto Mike’s shoulder with his arms around her shoulders and he’s pressing a kiss to her hair, one with El kissing Mike’s cheek while he and Max make funny faces, one with Max behind them and her arms over both of their shoulders pulling them all close and their faces squished together with this super big cheesy grin while Mike is laughing at El’s funny face, one with Mike and El kissing and Max sitting next to them making the 👌🏻 symbol and winking at the camera, bc she just has to get sassy)

Bonus, more teens:

- Robin takes Steve on all the crazy rides (aka drags him, makes him go, etc.) They both get a little sick, but for her it's totally worth it (for him...not so much)

- Dustin and Robin get along hella bc he joins them on the crazy rides and is just @steve like “what are you, a pussy?”

- Nancy has to remind Jonathan that the kids will be FINE, and they don't need to hover around them all evening, "let's go enjoy ourselves"

- Nancy likes roller coasters, CHAnGE mY MInD

- Steve and Robin totally scream when they go on the drop ride together, except Robin’s scream is more “holy shit, exhilarating and so exciting! whooooo!” while Steve’s is more “this is fun but also I’m totally gonna die!!”

- Steve is a boss at those games where you have to throw something at/into/onto a target and he wins a stuffed animal

- Robin is p decent at those games too, but she’s not a match for the king (she comes close though, they actually turn it into a competition to see who can win more stuff)

- Nancy kicks butt at that game where you shoot a spray of water and make the target thing rise to the top or race or whatever (any shooting game, really), you know what I mean (Jonathan fucking fails, sorry Jonathan)

- Steve totally wins that game where you swing a mallet and try to ring the bell. Robin doesn’t win but she gets way closer than they thought she would and Steve’s “wtf”. Dustin is also stronger than he looks, and even tho he doesn't win, he can at least lift the (smaller) mallet, which is more than any of the others can do.

- Robin HAS to do that game where you try to climb the flat, almost horizontal rope ladder to the end and she doesn’t even make it halfway before she falls, but it’s hilarious

- Nancy also tries that game after some goading from the others, and she makes it farther than Robin (about halfway) but still fails fantastically. And then she takes a bow.

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pappydaddy · 3 years

Text

Mashed Potatoes and Joel Hoekstra (b.h.)

A/N: This is for the lovely anon who wanted a Billy x Byers!Reader. I was so excited to write this one, I loved this request (I am loving ALL requests, but I’ve been loving these Billy ones lately!). Definitely very fun to write this one so thank you so much for requesting doll! Hope you love it lovely anon💛!

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Fem!Byers!Reader

Show/Movie: Stranger Things

Requested

Warnings: Mean people, bullying, prejudice, the shits of the teenage years, but fluff in the end!

Remember guys! Your family name does not define you or someone else! It’s who they are that defines them, it’s who you are that defines you. It’s how you act, how you treat people, etc. Just like you don’t judge a book by it’s cover, you don’t judge a person by their name. If anyone tries to put you in a box simply because of a prejudice with your name, ignore them. I know it’s hard, I know - trust me, but they really don’t deserve your time. And if you feel trapped in a box because of your name, just know that you can break free from that box. My DMs are ALWAYS open if you lovelies need to talk💛!

masterlist | taglist | wips | navigation - not my gif -

“Billy,” Y/N’s soft voice broke the tranquil silence that had settled over the room. Her finger that had been tracing random shapes on his chest stopped moving, her eyes flicking around the darkroom as she waited for him to respond in some way. She knew he wasn’t asleep by the lack of snores lowly rumbling in his chest (which she also laid her head upon) and his breathing pattern. He hummed, the sound reverberating in his chest, his hand still stroking up and down along the dip in her back where her spine was. “We’ve been dating for a few months now-”

“Six months.” He interjected, pressing a warm kiss to the top of her head.

“Right, yeah, we’ve been dating for six months,” She nodded, her already tangled hair tangling a bit more. Her voice was nervous, not knowing how he would react to her bringing this up. “And I was just thinking that maybe it would be time for you to meet my family,” She asked, her voice pitching up towards the end. “Maybe. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but it’s just everyone else I’ve dated has met them by now, but then again, everyone else I’ve ever dated left a few weeks after meeting them so-”

“You’re rambling again, Bug.” Billy cut her off gently, knowing that she rambled and rants when she’s nervous and scared. Her cheeks heated up, burning as she settled back down to cuddle into Billy’s bare chest.

“Sorry.” She whispered.

Billy pressed another kiss to her hair, knowing that her ex’s all harped on her about her nervous rambles, making her snap her mouth shut and sink into herself. “Nothing to be sorry for, Bug, you’re nervous.” He reassured her.

She took a deep breath, calming herself as Billy gave her the silent support she needed. “Back on track,” She nodded her tone calm once again. “I still think you should meet my family because they are really important to me and you’re really important to me and I just really would like it if you guys got along,” She expressed nervously. The room was silent as she waited impatiently for his response, her breath was hitched, her mind automatically assuming that he was going to leave her right here, right now because he didn’t want to meet her family or worse, not feel the same about her. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to; if you’re not there in the relationship, that’s fine, we can take a few steps back if you’d like-” She started to shrink away from him, her mind panicking as it continued to imagine him leaving her like the rest - like her father.

“No-” Billy interjected softly, gently pulling her back to be flush against him. “I’ll meet your family only if you get some sleep, it’s late and you’re exhausted. He bargained, suddenly feeling nervous and wanting her to go to sleep for her sake and his.

“Okay, deal.” She yawned, closing her eyes, snuggling her cheek farther into his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. Billy squeezed his eyes closed as he tried to control his heartbeat so he didn’t alert her to his sudden nervousness.

____

The next day was relaxed other than Billy’s increasing nervousness. He loved Y/N, he was at that place in the relationship where the only logical step would be to meet each other’s family, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of doom. For one, meeting her family meant she would have to meet his family and he wanted to keep her as far away from Neil as possible. Secondly, the Byers family had a certain reputation around Hawkins High and Middle and Billy had heard all about it from his friends. Of course, he was stand-off-ish of Y/N before they started dating because of this reputation, but everything turned out fine with her so why wouldn’t her family be the same?

“What’s got you so quiet, Hargrove?” Tommy asked aggressively as they mulled around the locker room, changing after gym class. Billy jolted out of his thoughts as he just stood, staring into his locker. Looking back at Tommy, he blinked at him for a second before comprehending what his question was.

“Uh, nothing,” Billy shook his head, grabbing his shirt from his locker, slipping it on. “It’s just that Y/N invited me over to meet her family.” He had no idea why he was confessing this to Tommy and his other friends of all people, knowing how they feel about Y/N and the rest of her family. The words had tumbled out before he could even think about stopping them.

“Woah,” Tommy exclaimed, laughing as he pretended to back away from Billy as if he were carrying some sort of contagious disease. “Boys! Say good-bye to the Billy we all know because soon, he’s gonna be infected by the Weird-os.” His statement earned a chorus of laughs from the boys huddled around.

“Buzz off Tommy, they can’t be that bad. I mean, Y/N is great!” Billy said mostly to himself, closing his locker.

“Sure, she’s the most normal one,” Tommy shrugged. “But the rest of them man,” He shook his head as if telling some old wise tale. “They are complete basket cases. Completely messed in the head. Look at Jonathan for an example,” Tommy paused, walking over to Billy and slinging his arm over his shoulder. “Nobody talks to him, he sits in the back of the classes or in that stupid dark room, playing with his stupid little camera.”

“Y/N says that he’s quiet and works most of the time so he doesn’t have much time to hang out and the time he does have, he chooses to practice photography.” Billy pointed out, pushing Tommy’s arm off him. Tommy remained unfazed, leaning against the lockers as he continued.

“Alright, if not Jonathan, then the younger one,” He paused, using his hands to set the scene. “He died, okay? Died and came back to life like in one of his freaky little movies he and his dork friends watch,” Billy glared at him, knowing full well that Max was one of his friends. “Much like his brother, he just sits there and colours and colours and colours. He’s in middle school and still colours like a pre-schooler.”

“He’s pretty talented, I’ve seen some of his pictures in the car when Y/N has it.”

“Now, let’s talk about the mother. She works at a general store, she dated that geek from Radio Shack, her husband left her, she had a meltdown in the middle of the street, she bought all the fucking lights in Hawkins because she thought her dead son was talking to her through them,” He paused. Billy opened his mouth to defend Joyce, but Tommy cut him off. “They are weird, Hargrove. They are completely nuts and you better prepare to be just as nuts because I am pretty sure it’s contagious.”

“Just look at Harrington and Wheeler,” Another guy piped up, making Billy look towards him. “They started to hang around with the Byers and look at them, they turned just as crazy. Constantly looking over their shoulders, Harrington only hangs around kids now, always having hushed conversations with them and Wheeler only talks to Jonathan now.”

“That’s not-”

‘That’s not the same,” Tommy cut Billy off with a question. “It is exactly the same. Meeting the Byers is like the kiss of death. Kills your social life and makes you crazy-”

“Billy,” Y/N’s voice called into the locker room from the door she held slightly open. “Are you in here, we should really be getting to lunch, I’m starving!”

“Yeah, be out in a second!” He called to her, the door softly closing in response. He nervously looked at the door as Tommy clicked his tongue.

“It’s your choice, Hargrove, it’s your grave you’re digging.” Billy glared at him, shrugging on his jean jacket and leaving the locker room. His eyes met Y/N easily, seeing her talking to Steve excitedly. Though Billy still didn’t like Steve, he didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity at that given time to deal with his fluffy-haired nemesis, too busy fretting about what to do about meeting Y/N’s family.

“There you are, I was worried that you accidentally slammed your head in the locker or something,” She joked, not realizing that Billy was actually considering it. He didn’t want to make her think that he wasn’t ready to take the next step in the relationship, but I also was scared now. As much as he wanted to admit that he didn’t trust Tommy H and all the other guys, he really did want to say that he let their warnings roll off his back, but he couldn’t. “Come on, I want to eat, see you, Steve!” She grabbed Billy’s hand, pulling him out of the gym and into the halls.

“What were you talking to Harrington about?” He asked, hoping that it was completely unrelated to her having him over for dinner.

“About you meeting my family,” She chirped happily. Billy wanted to deflate right there. Of course it had to be about that. It couldn’t have been about anything else. Anything to take his mind off something so anxiety inducing. “He thinks it’s a great idea! He said that you would love my family and I really hope he’s right.”

“I really hope so too-” He muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” She asked, her brows furrowing as she leaned in closer.

“Nothing, Bug.” He told her, hoping she would buy it. She pulled a face, shrugging before regaining her giddy mood.

“Must have just been hearing things,” She chalked it up. “Anyway, I was thinking that you should come round to my place at seven? My mom is off today so she’s been prepping for this since nine this morning!”

“Yeah, about that,” Billy spoke slowly, dreading what he was about to do. He really didn’t want to do it, but he needed to buy himself sometime so he could figure out his next move. Find a way to keep Y/N while not having to meet her family. “I’m feeling a little sick to my stomach, Bug. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to go tonight.”

“Oh no,” She gasped, her hand squeezing his affectionately as she stopped in the hallway. “You might have overdone it in gym today, especially when I accidentally kicked that soccer ball right into your stomach, sorry about that by the way.”

“No, it wasn’t that, but you do have one hell of a kick on you,” He shook his head, not wanting her to blame herself. “I just think I’m coming down with something and I really don’t want to infect your family.” He lied through his teeth.

She awed, her hand coming up to cup his cheek sweetly. “That’s so sweet,” She cooed. Her hand slid from his face as disappointment flashed across her face, but it was gone as soon as it came, or at least she tried to fake it. Billy could see the disappointment she tried to bury, his heart pulling at the sight of it, knowing that he was the one who caused it. “It’s alright, I want you to worry about your health first. I’ll just go call my mom and tell her that there was a change of plans-” She paused, looking for a quarter as she tried to ignore the worry bubbling up once again. “Could I borrow a quarter? I think I spent mine calling her earlier to check up.” She asked, extending her flat palm, waiting for him to drop a quarter in it.

Billy tucked his bottom lip between his teeth. He could tell she was thinking that he was trying to avoid meeting her family because he just didn’t want to. While there was some truth to that, he couldn’t let her feel like he was pulling away from her. “You know what,” He pushed her hand back down to her side. “I’m going to go to the nurse and see if she can help me. I’ll see you before next period and update you, Bug.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before running off down the hall.

“Okay-” She breathed out, shocked. She watched him run past Tommy and his gaggle of idiots, the group watching him run - laughing.

“Oh, the crazy is already starting to rub off on you, Hargrove!” Tommy yelled, but Billy either ignored it or didn’t hear it. Y/N eyed Tommy oddly before eyeing Billy’s retreating form.

____

The fact that Billy stood at the front door of the Byers’ house was a miracle in itself, considering how many times Billy considered swerving hard right into a tree in order to escape this night, but he pushed forward, knowing that Y/N was worth it. He tightened his grip on the bouquet of flowers, the thorns digging into his hand making him wince. Groaning, he switched holds, shaking his stinging hand out. He felt constricted in his clean cut clothes, his button-up buttoned more than usual, only the first two buttons being undone. The slacks itched his legs and made him feel like he was heading to a Sunday service.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his close fist, hitting his knuckles against the door twice in rapid succession. He could hear a scuffle from behind the door and Y/N’s distinctive voice pleading with her mother to let her answer it. The door was jerked open, revealing a breathless woman and a blushing Y/N standing in the back looking defeated. “You must be Y/N’s sister.” Billy used his normal line that worked wonders on mothers, but he was so off his game that he sounded a bit nervous, spitting the line out a few moments too late. The woman didn’t seem to mind, taking the compliment easily.

“Oh, stop it,” She flicked her hand, a wide smile nearly breaking her face as she laughed. “You must be Billy,” She continued to giggle, the laughter making her look youthful. If Billy hadn’t known that she had two teenagers and a pre-teen, then Billy would have thought she was much younger. “I’m Joyce, come on in, you must be cold,” She ushered him in hurriedly, her hand guiding him into the warm, cozy house as it rested on his upper back. “Standing out there in only a shirt in this fall weather.” She shook her head, closing the door behind him.

“Mom-” Y/N whined, embarrassed by her mother’s fussing. Joyce gave her a look, silencing the whine.

“You stop that and get this poor boy a drink,” Joyce insisted, leading Billy over to one of the couches. With a small groan in protest, Y/N ducked into the kitchen and out of Billy’s sight, sending him right on edge again. He sat on the couch, his clammy hands running over his slacks as his eyes watched Joyce. She was fairly gentle and normal looking for someone everyone called insane. “Will, go grab Jonathan from the shed, supper is going to be in a few minutes.” Joyce told the small looking boy who worked at setting the table for five, a mismatched chair added to the four that looked like they normally surround the table.

“You have a lovely home Ms. Byers, thank you for having me.” He extended the pleasantry, seeing Y/N coming into the room with a glass of water.

“Please, call me Joyce,” She told him, waving him off once again. “And it’s no problem, Hunny. We’re glad to have you. You’re welcome anytime!” She reassured him, thinking that his nerves were from the donating task of meeting the family for the first time.

“Will do.” Billy nodded, gulping down his water. Y/N sat next to him on the couch, her hand naturally falling to his knee. Though his nerves lifted with each passing second he spends with them, he couldn’t seem to get Tommy’s warnings out of his head.

“You know, my mom was so excited for you to get here, she side-checked me out of the way to get the door,” Y/N told him, giggling. That seemed normal enough, they all seemed to have a good relationship with each other. It was more functional than his family and they were deemed normal. “And I definitely think you made her entire night with your comment.”

“Kids, dinner is ready,” Joyce called from the kitchen. Y/N patted Billy’s leg, standing up. Billy swallowed thickly, feeling like he was walking to his death as he neared the table filled with loads of dishes full of a beautiful home-cooked meal. “Billy, dear, you’re the guest so you can sit here,” Joyce patted the chair at the head of the table, before pointing to the chair next to it that sat between the wall and the table. “Y/N, you sit there.” She instructed her daughter.

“So, Billy,” Will spoke up, taking his place beside Y/N, looking directly at the blonde as he scooted his chair in. “Max tells me you like rock music. What’s your favourite band?” He posed the question, grabbing the pitcher of water and filling his glass up.

“Uh- I’ve been listening to a lot of Whitesnake lately, but I would say the Scorpions are my favourite band I guess.” Billy answered him, his hands nervously hovering over his plate, not sure what he should be doing.

“That’s cool, I like The Clash the most personally, but I like watching the Whitesnake videos, their hair is really cool-” Will nodded, accepting Billy’s answer.

“And where have you been watching Whitesnake videos, young man?“ Joyce perked in eyebrow at the youngest, making him shrink back slightly, but Billy could tell it was all playful banter.

“At Dustin’s.” He admitted, making Y/N laugh and nod as if it were to suspected.

“That was probably Steve’s doing, no doubt.” Y/N pointed out, filling up her own water before filling Billy’s glass automatically.

“Yeah, it was Steve, he turned MTV on while he was watching us play D&D,” Will perked up at the mention of Steve. Looking right at Billy, he excitedly spoke. “I drew Joel Hoekstra a few months ago, but I made fire shoot out the end of the neck of his guitar. It’s insanely cool.”

“Billy, you haven’t gotten any food yet! Go on, you get some first.” Joyce noticed, holding a bowl of mashed potatoes to him. He looked at the bowl of potatoes, perfectly whipped. To anyone else at the table, it was just a bowl of starch and butter, but to Billy, it was the sign that they weren’t crazy. They were just not fitting into the box that everyone says you have to fit in. Looking at the bowl, he felt every bit of nervousness and apprehensiveness leave his body. Smiling, he gently took the bowl, scooping some out onto his plate, causing everyone to start putting food on their plates.

“Hey, Will,” Billy spoke up, causing everyone to look at him nervously. Jonathan eyed him, not trusting him yet. “Maybe after dinner, you could show me that drawing? Joel Hoekstra is my favourite member of Whitesnake.” He suggested, causing the boy to light up. Y/N smiled gently, her hand laying over Billy’s gratefully. Who knew that some mashed potatoes and Joel Hoekstra was all it took to see the Byers for who they were.

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wordsintimeandspace · 3 years

Text

All That Haunts Us (1/14)

Jon and Tim have seen their fair share of strange things while working in Research at the Magnus Institute. They still didn’t quite expect to rescue Martin, who has been missing for a year, from a supernatural encounter during one of their investigations. Together, the three of them hunt for answers and try to find a way forward, but they all have things that haunt them.

Meanwhile, Elias sees the perfect opportunity to set his devious plan into motion...

Jon/Martin/Tim, rated T, ~2500 words for this chapter. Read on AO3!

Tim plumps down onto the corner of Jon’s desk without much warning. After months of being friends with Tim Jon supposes he should be used to it by now, but he still startles a little, eyes shooting up from the book he’s been engrossed in for who knows how long. Tim sits there with his arms crossed over his chest, smiling down at him like he’s exactly where he belongs.

“Can I help you?” Jon finally asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, I hope so,” Tim says lightly. “But first, I brought lunch.”

He sets a sandwich down in front of Jon. Jon blinks in surprise, and only now notices the rumbling of his stomach and the empty desks around him as everyone else in his shared office has gone out for lunch. “Oh. Sorry, we had planned to meet up, hadn’t we?”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind eating here.” Tim takes a bite of his own sandwich, as if to demonstrate. Jon wrinkles his nose as he continues talking, mouth half full. “Reading anything interesting?”

For a second Jon hesitates - out of all the people in the Research Department, Tim might be the only one to agree with him that ‘The Architecture of Cathedrals in the 15th Century’ is actually interesting. But based on the look in his eyes, Jon suspects he has something more pressing to talk about. “Nothing too important,” he finally says, carefully prying the wrapper away from his food. “What did you need help with?”

“I’ve been working on a case.”

Jon looks up from his sandwich - spicy chicken and cucumber, just what he prefers - and frowns. “The one with the cat, right?”

Tim heaves a melodramatic sigh. “Yes, the one with the lady who claims her cat got eaten by, let me quote, ‘a six foot tall monster with too many legs and teeth’. As if that’s the only logical explanation for an outdoor cat to go missing in London. Never mind, oh, I don’t know, cars and foxes and all that.”

Even as he tries to suppress it, Jon can’t quite help the grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “You sound like you had a bit of a week.”

“Oh, you have no idea. I called every vet and the animal shelter if they’ve seen any unusual injuries. And then I’ve knocked on every door in the area that has a cat flap and asked them if their cat has gone missing in the last year, and I scoured every possible missing pet portal on the entire internet.”

“... and? Did you find anything?” Jon asks when Tim doesn’t continue.

Tim throws his hands up, exasperated. “Of course I found something. Do you have any idea how many cats go missing every year in a city like this, entirely due to natural causes?”

Jon nods. “Okay, I get your point. This still doesn’t answer the question of what you need help with though.”

“Look, I just thought... if there is a monster like that - and I’m not saying there is - it’s big enough to harm more than cats, right? So I looked for missing dogs as well. And then, while I was on a roll and because I was terribly bored, I looked for missing persons.”

At that, Jon raises an eyebrow. He knows Tim is an excellent researcher, thorough in everything he does, but that seems to go even beyond his usual rigour. “You can’t possibly tell me you found an account of a person being eaten by a monster like that. Surely we would have heard of it by now.”

“No, ‘course not.” Tim rolls his eyes, taking another bite of his sandwich before he continues. “This has nothing to do with that. But what I did find was a missing person’s report from about a year ago, and several accounts from the last few months that the building where he used to live is haunted.”

Jon stills, looking at Tim with a frown. “That rather sounds like someone is making a crude joke.”

“At first I thought so too,” Tim says. “But the reports on the hauntings didn’t mention that a person went missing there. And the guy’s address isn’t even public. They couldn’t have known. I had Sasha dig that up for me, along with other details on the case. You know Sasha, right?”

Jon nods - he doesn’t think he’s ever talked to her, but even he can’t escape the Institute gossip when someone transfers from Artifact Storage to another department. And he’s seen her around Research by now, in the last few weeks. “I- yes. But… what kind of ‘haunting’ are we talking about here?”

Tim shrugs. “There seems to be a bunch of evidence. Recordings of hushed voices and weird noises, something like rustling? Blurry figures in the shadows. Cold spots.”

“I’m not sure I would count that as evidence.”

Tim lets out a long sigh. “Don’t be such a sceptic.”

Jon frowns. “It is our job to be sceptical.”

“Yeah, sure, but you have to admit it’s a weird coincidence, right? That this building where one person disappeared is supposedly haunted since then?”

Jon bites his lip. He trusts Tim’s instincts. And he can’t deny that there’s something off about this whole thing, even if he can’t put his finger on it. It happens sometimes, that a case just feels… wrong, he supposes. That it comes with a prickle of unease and a shiver down his spine, in a way that is too familiar to ignore. He wonders if Tim feels it as well, or if he just - for some unfathomable reason - wants to get out of interviewing even more cat owners.

“What do you want to do about this, then?” he finally asks, and Tim’s face immediately brightens.

“I want to go view the flat. There’s a rent advertisement online. Perfect opportunity for a bit of snooping.”

“Okay. And you need me for… what, exactly?”

At this Tim smiles - a bit mischievous, which is his usual expression, but also a bit bashful, which is a rare sight for someone as self-assured as Tim. Jon can’t help but feel a bit nervous about that, and reaches for his long cold mug of tea.

“I need you to pose as my boyfriend,” Tim says calmly, and Jon promptly chokes as he takes a sip.

“What?” he finally manages to get out as soon as he can breathe again. His cheeks are burning, but Tim just gives him a sympathetic smile and a pat on the back.

“You heard me. Come on, help me out there buddy.”

“But… why?”

Tim lets out a long sigh. “Look, I first tried to be honest, but when I called the landlord and mentioned the Magnus Institute he swore at me and hung up. The rent advertisement is just the backup plan. I need you to be with me and take over the speaking to make sure he doesn’t recognize me.”

For a moment, Jon can only stare at him. “I still don’t understand why I’d have to be your boyfriend. Can’t I be your flatmate?”

“It’s a one bedroom apartment. He’s not going to believe we’re flatmates.”

“What about Sasha? Can’t you ask her?” Jon asks, a bit helplessly.

Tim gives him a long look. “Jon, I’m trying very hard not to be offended that you really don’t want to fake date me, but you’re not making it easy.”

“I- I’m not-” Jon splutters before heaving a sigh. “I- fine. Fine. I’ll do it.”

Tim cheers, even as Jon glowers at him. “Oh, this is fantastic,” he says, rubbing his hands together. “I’ve always wanted to do something like this. Can I call you a pet name?”

Heat rises in Jon’s cheeks. He tries his best to glare even as his stomach swoops at the idea, for reasons he resolutely does not want to examine. “Absolutely not.”

“Hold your hand?”

“No.”

Tim lets out a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re no fun.”

“This is supposed to be work, not fun.”

“I can multitask and do both at once, Jon.”

Suppressing a groan, Jon rolls his eyes at him, and decides to just move on. “When do you want to do this?”

“Okay, so, I need you to call to set up an appointment. We can-”

Abruptly, Tim stops. He goes still, the excited grin slipping off his lips. He’s not looking at Jon anymore, his eyes instead fixed on something behind him.

Jon whirls around in his chair, and startles when his gaze falls on Elias Bouchard, head of the Magnus Institute, standing in the doorway to his office. As usual, he is wearing an impeccable grey suit and a smile that never quite matches the piercing look in his eyes. Somehow, there’s always something unnerving about him, although Jon can’t put his finger on it.

“Um. Hello, Mr. Bouchard,” he starts slowly.

Elias’ smile widens just a little bit. “Jonathan. I’ve told you before, call me Elias,” he says smoothly. “And Timothy. Just the man I wanted to speak to.”

Tim winces and sits up a little straighter. “Of course. What can I help you with?”

Elias fixes Tim with a long stare that makes Jon squirm in his seat. “I had a rather unpleasant call with one Mr. Abbott earlier,” Elias finally says, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “He complained that someone from the Magnus Institute asked to see one of his rental properties to investigate a case.”

“I’m just doing some regular follow-up, Sir,” Tim says, a bit defensively. Jon finally looks away from Elias towards Tim, and watches the crease between his brows deepen as Elias continues.

“Of course. I’m sure you were perfectly polite, Timothy. Mr. Abbott, however, was quite clear that he believes an investigation like this will hurt his carefully crafted image. And I just couldn’t help but wonder why you were contacting him when you were supposed to work on the… what was it, the case of Mrs. Mitchell, I believe? Regarding the disappearance of her cat?”

“Err. Yes, I-”

“Are the cases connected?” Elias asks, a sudden sharpness in his voice that makes Jon flinch. Tim’s mouth twists, as if he’s trying hard to suppress a grimace.

“I don’t believe so, no,” Tim says hesitantly. “I just thought-”

“In that case, I would advise you to focus on the work you were assigned, Mr. Stoker.” The tone in Elias’ voice makes it very clear that he won’t accept any objections. Nevertheless, the smile on his lips doesn’t falter. “We wouldn’t want to get any more complaints, would we?”

“I-” Tim stops himself, letting out a sigh. “Of course, Sir.”

“Since it seems you might have gotten bored with the Mitchell case, I’m sure you have already conducted all necessary research and can deliver the report to my desk by this evening. Or am I mistaken?”

Tim’s frown deepens, but he doesn’t protest. “Sure,” he grumbles.

“Excellent,” Elias says, the sudden sharpness in his voice gone as quickly as it came. He gives them both a short nod. “Have a good day, gentlemen.”

With that, Elias turns on his heels and walks away. He’s out of sight as soon as he turns a corner down the corridor, but still, Jon can’t help but stare after him. Beside him, Tim lets out a pitiful groan.

“This evening?” Tim buries his face in his hands. “I had until next week to do the report. I haven’t even started it.”

“I’m sorry,” Jon says with a wince. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nah. Don’t think so. But thank you.” Tim looks up with a small smile and stands, wrapping up the remains of his sandwich. “I’ll best get back to work if I want to have this done by five.”

Jon lets out a small hum, but he’s still distracted by what just happened. Again, he stares down the corridor, as if Elias might reappear any second. He can’t shake the feeling of his eyes on him.

“Are you alright?” Tim asks. Jon startles a little and looks back at him. Tim is watching him with a quizzical expression on his face.

“Yes,” Jon says hesitantly, chewing on his bottom lip. “It’s just… that was strange, wasn’t it?”

Tim shrugs. “Yeah. But everything about Bouchard is strange.”

“I suppose. But this was...” Jon hesitates. This was more than strange, he wants to say. This feels like Elias doesn’t want us to investigate whatever is going on in that haunted flat. But that’s a silly thought, isn’t it? Jon shakes his head. “Nevermind. Good luck with the report.”

Tim gives him a pained smile. “Thanks,” he says miserably, and finally shuffles back towards his office.

That afternoon, as much as Jon tries to go back to his book, he can’t quite stop thinking. He can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong, in a way that makes him jittery and anxious and makes it impossible to focus on the words in front of him. He stays late to make up for it, and when he finally calls it a day, the other researchers that share his office have already left. Jon puts on his coat and grabs his bag, and goes to check on Tim.

The door to Tim’s office is still open, although all the desks are currently unoccupied. Tim’s desk is a bit of a mess, filled with piled up papers and books and too many empty cups of tea. With their earlier conversation about the case still on the forefront of his mind, Jon gives in to the temptation to step closer and skim through the texts scattered on the desk.

It doesn’t take long until his gaze falls onto what looks like the copy of a police report. Carefully, he pulls the paper out from underneath a book. It’s undoubtedly the missing person’s report Tim has mentioned. The address fits to the area of the case he was working on. Jon starts reading, and immediately stills.

It hits him suddenly that Tim had never mentioned the name of the missing person. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that there are actual people behind the cases they’re researching. But there’s the name, right next to a photograph.

In the photo, Martin Blackwood is looking directly at the camera, a small smile on his lips. Jon takes a moment to take him in - the pudgy cheeks covered in freckles, the sad eyes, the light brown hair falling in soft curls around his face. An actual person, with a life and friends and family who must wonder what has happened to him after he disappeared a year ago. Who maybe still have hope that one day, he will come back.

So far, Jon was only a little irritated that Elias intervened in their investigation. Now, he’s suddenly furious.

Before he knows what he’s doing, Jon pulls out his phone and takes a photograph of the report. He places it back on Tim’s desk and leaves.

As he walks to the tube station, he pulls up the address on his phone. He takes the train that goes in the opposite direction of where he lives, changes trains twice, and finally, half an hour later, steps out into the chill September air. By now, it’s already getting dark. Jon pulls up the collar of his coat to protect himself against the cold, and begins to walk towards the haunted flat where Martin Blackwood disappeared.

#the magnus archives #tma #tma fic #jonmartim #jontim #my fic #my fic: all that haunts us #it's heeere #my very first tma multichapter #and actually my longest ever fic #that I actually edit and upload #I have an entire rough draft done so I think regular updates will be fine?

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tibby · 3 years

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If you have the time can you please please please recap season 4 of riverdale. I was going to binge it on Netflix but things happen and then I saw your post about the graduation episode and HAD to watch that happen and now I’m recommitted to the cause and need to know what happened while I was gone

sure. okay so the season sadly starts with the death of fred andrews in a very sentimental and moving episode that’s kind of seperate from the rest of the show so it’s not really until episode two that things kick off. the riverteens are kind of thriving in a parentless world because milf alice was kidnapped by a cult, dilf hiram and milf hermione are in prison, milf penelope is in hiding after killing a bunch of people, milf mary is kind of just There, milf gladys went back to toledo after her drug empire failed, god knows what milf sierra and gay kevin’s straight former cop dad are off doing, and dilf fp is the sheriff but because it’s fp he’s kind of bad at it. so the riverteens are horrified when their new principal mr honey expects them to be at school on time and disapproves of them throwing school dances because students keep getting murdered at them. cheryl, who an episode prior never wanted anyone in riverdale to celebrate the 4th of july ever again because of her brother’s death, considers this an act of oppression and throws a party at her house. however, as she is keeping her brother’s mummified corpse in the basement, she gets angry when reggie tries to sneak down there. meanwhile gay kevin is trying to make amends with betty for the time he tried to have her lobotomised because of the cult led by chad michael murray. betty uses this to her advantage to find out where the cult is, teaming up with her half brother, charles (not to be confused with chic, who was only PRETENDING to be charles back in season two). archie gets munroe, his prison buddy, to attend riverdale high, and reggie is weirdly jealous about it. archie discovers that this is because reggie is being abused by his father, so they smash in his car and apparently this solves everything. jughead starts attending stonewall prep, where he meets bret weston wallis, donna sweett, joan berkeley, and jonathan. he also reunites with moose, who disappeared in mid s3 after cheryl outed him to the whole school including his homophobic dad, and then his homophobic dad dressed up as the gargoyle to try and stop moose and gay kevin hooking up in the sex bunker they stole from dilton doiley after he killed himself, but it turns out that his homophobic dad was just angry HE never got to fuck gay kevin’s straight cop dad back in the day. it was this whole thing. anyway, moose is like “i’m going by my real name, marmaduke now, so people don’t find out about my dad” but everyone does anyway and so moose mysteriously disappears again. betty finds out where the cult is (after disarming a bomb attached to her sister polly using a bobby pin) and goes to rescue her mother. milf alice reveals that chad michael murray is using the cult money to build a rocket, and his wife/fake daughter evelyn is going to drive a bus full of cultists off a cliff. the day is saved! veronica finds out that her father’s real surname is luna and decides to start going by that as an act of rebellion because he keeps leaving the prison that he owns to fuck with her after she had him arrested. archie decides to turn his gym into a community centre with munroe’s help. cheryl, who, for unknown reasons, obtained custody of polly’s twins, immediately fires the nanny that toni hired because he said there were probably rats in the walls and went into the basement. cheryl goes to make sure that the nanny didn’t interfere with her brother’s mummified corpse, and toni walks in on her stitching him up. videotapes start arriving at the homes of the riverdale residents of said homes being filmed for hours. onto halloween! toni tells cheryl they can’t have a dead body in the horse and makes her rebury jason, at which point cheryl claims she is being haunted by a doll named julian, who is supposedly possessed by the spirit of her other brother that she ate in utero, but the haunting will stop if they unbury jason. toni agrees, but the doll continues to appear in weird places, and cheryl is forced to confess that while she WAS gaslighting her before, she isn’t right now. betty bonds with charles while receiving prank phone calls from polly, who is now in a mental institution. archie and munroe try to throw a halloween party at their community centre for the troubled youths but it’s interrupted by a drug dealing gang trying to start shit in the parking lot, thus giving archie a new enemy. reggie destroys mr honey’s office for the joke but mr honey catches him and is like “you do this because your dad hits you.” jughead uncovers mysteries surrounding strange disappearances of prep students known as “the stonewall four,” and donna drugs him so she and bretjoanjonathan can lock him in a coffin overnight as a bit. meanwhile, veronica burns a man alive in her basement. archie becomes a teen vigilante for the millionth time in the series, jughead and the other stonewall stags go into the running to be the ghostwriter for the baxter brothers franchise, veronica gets her mother out of prison but then finds out that her half sister, hermosa the PI, got their father out of prison, and he is now mayor again. betty and gay kevin start an fbi training course in which betty realises the serial killer gene is a real thing and she does have it, and remembers when she killed her childhood cat. jughead finds out that his grandfather who drunk himself to death but also abandoned fp but is also just some guy ACTUALLY wrote the baxter brothers franchise and is like “i have to reveal this!” so he takes it to his english teacher mr chipping but then mr chipping jumps out of a window before anything can come of it, and jughead is horrified when the stonewall stags have no reaction. cheryl is still convinced she is being haunted by a doll and things are further complicated when her extended family shows up. her uncle discovers jason’s body in the basement, threatens to send cheryl away, and is killed by toni. speaking of death, archie is still on his vigilante shit and asks hiram for help, at which point the near dead body of the gang leader, dodger shows up wrapped in carpet outside of the community centre. betty visits chic in prison to find out more about charles, and when chic threatens to reveal where milf alice buried the man she killed back in season two, charles and fp go to dig it up again and move it somewhere else. to get her family away from her and also in the spirit of thanksgiving, cheryl makes them think that they ate her uncle. dodger’s family show up at the community centre thanksgiving for revenge and there’s almost a shoot out, but thankfully the deep fryer explodes and chaos is avoided! milf mary later suggests the deep fryer exploding was archie’s dead dad’s ghost. betty and jughead spend the weekend at stonewall prep, where they play a homoerotic game of never have i ever with bret and donna. donna says that she and mr chipping were having an affair. now it’s time for the gang to go to therapy: archie gets diagnosed with gay but is also just suffering from an insane guilt complex, betty has mommy issues, veronica has daddy issues, cheryl is being gaslit but did NOT eat her brother in utero, jughead is just some guy. jughead finds out where his abusive alcoholic grandfather has been hiding out, and meanwhile his dad gets shot. veronica decides to fight back against her father by starting a rival rum business. polly rips off a nurse’s face and betty finds out that everyone in her family has a trigger word instilled in them by the cult, so she imagines herself going back in time to STOP her child self killing her cat to learn how to control it. cheryl uncovers her gaslighter by literally gassing her house, and it’s revealed that milf penelope was living in the walls and mad that cheryl had jason’s body. cheryl reburies jason and imprisons her mother in the sex bunker. archie’s uncle shows up, just in time for football season! the riverteens are playing stonewall prep, and reggie reveals that the preppies fight dirty, just in time for them to tonya harding munroe’s knees as he is their star player. archie’s uncle gives munroe steroids so he can play anyway, and riverdale loses but munroe gets a scholarship. cheryl feuds with her new cheerleading coach and locks her in her office so she has a panic attack. hiram threatens to sue veronica for stealing his rum recipe, so she teams up with cheryl (maple syrup queen) to create a new type. jughead joins the stonewall prep secret society, the quill and skull, and reveals that he watched a homeless man die. also, the cheerleading team performs cherry bomb. betty starts feuding with bret and decides to stand off against him in a quiz show, and although she wins, she is accused of cheating and is forced to give it up. she also wanted to use this to try and get into yale because apparently “cooper” is an uncommon name and people associate it with her serial killer father. veronica and cheryl enlist milf penelope and her former brothel in a hotel to run their underground rum dealership after hiram kept fucking shit up at veronica’s speakeasy. jughead is forced to come up with new stories for his baxter brother books, and so he writes about betty’s serial killer father (uh oh!) archie tries to restart his father’s construction company but his uncle’s shenanigans make it hard and gay kevin’s straight former cop dad has HAD IT. fangs is back from cult recovery, but gay kevin has gotten into non sexual tickle porn. toni and fangs get in on this they use this to blackmail nick st clair after he returns and understandably upsets cheryl, his would be rape victim. archie is attacked in the bathrooms at school because his uncle can’t mind his own business, but this plot was fucking boring so i don’t remember most of it. jughead and bret decided to duel, because of course, and betty uses this as a chance to investigate the preppies further. she finds out that bret films sex tapes and blackmailed moose with one, and also has one of her and jughead. she also finds a video suggesting donna lied about her affair with mr chipping. veronica goes to new york to visit katy keene, played by lucy hale of fantasy island fame, who tells her that her mother is dying. veronica returns home just in time to hear that hiram has a mysterious disease and decides to make amends. jughead is accused of plagiarism, meanwhile veronica realises her father thrives off war, and continues their rum battle. archie is now drinking at school and veronica accuses mr honey of being a fascist for having a problem with it. BUT. MOST IMPORTANTLY. ALL SEASON WE HAVE BEEN TEASED WITH DEADHEAD. AND IT IS FINALLY HAPPENING. IDES OF MARCH PARTY AT STONEWALL PREP. AND BETTY BASHES JUGHEAD’S HEAD IN WITH A ROCK. betty tries to prove that the stonewall stags did it instead but donna is an insane lesbian and thrives off gaslighting and fucking with her. because jughead died, betty gets his spot at yale. the core four are accused of murder but cleared of everything. jughead has a funeral, and bret’s attempt of proving jughead isn’t in the casket are thwarted by the sweet pea, the sweetest pea in the room. hiram shows up just to fire fp as sheriff. betty kisses archie to help with her grief, and veronica ends things with them both. but donna is not convinced, and goes around stalking betty, saying she watched her sex tape and knows that betty couldn’t last so long without sex with jughead. and she is right! because lo and behold, jughead is alive and hiding in the sex bunker, despite donna’s best attempts to catch them out. donna knows they’re up to something and implies she killed jonathan when bret doubts her. betty and archie are like “yeah we only dated for the bit :/” but their texting implies it was...more. betty and jughead return to stonewall and expose the preppies, but they decide not to interview jonathan because he “has food poisoning.” or he’s dead. their other teacher kills himself, and fp reunites with his abusive father. betty discovers that donna’s grandmother was one of the people killed for the rights to the baxter brothers/tracy true franchise, and the entire scheme was a complicated revenge plot by donna to get back at their teacher for killing her grandmother. betty blackmails her with this information so donna can’t have the tracy true contract, and everything is “wrapped up” just in time for gay kevin to announce he’s doing a variety show. gay kevin’s intentions of performing hedwig are destroyed when mr honey is like “no, this is inappropriate for high schoolers,” and so the riverteens decide to band together and have everyone perform hedwig songs as an act of protest. meanwhile, betty and jughead fight because jughead didn’t do his homework because he was too busy watching the stalker vhs tapes, and veronica and archie fight because he lied about her father working out at his gym, given that hiram has tried to kill him multiple times and doesn’t really care about his health. betty and archie use this as an opportunity to kiss during origin of love. the variety show is cancelled, but the core four and gay kevin perform midnight radio on the roof, and jughead watches a stalker vhs tape of someone in a betty mask killing someone in a jughead mask. tickle porn shenanigans continue, and gay kevin is threatened over cheating his original tickle porn handler out of money. mr honey then forces them to shut the website down. cheryl leaves the rum business after her mother is threatened because of goons that were mad at hiram. hiram decides to deal with this by going after said goons. archie writes a song for betty, they explore their relationship further, but she picks jughead over him even when he says he’ll dump veronica for her. jughead discovers that ethel watched his and betty’s sex tape, and he and charles uncover blue velvet video, which houses sexy films and snuff films, and jughead is like “oh this is connected to the whole vhs stalker thing.” cheryl is sent a video of someone dressed up as her father killing someone dressed up as her brother. the riverteens turn their focus to the fact that all of them except archie and jughead have been banned from prom for various reasons, and betty suggests they kill mr honey as punishment. jughead writes an elaborate murder fantasy about them doing so, and also kills off reggie and drives cheryl insane for the bit i guess. the riverteens conclude that mr honey was behind the vhs stalker tapes and have him fired, and he tells them they’re all deranged before going to teach at stonewall prep. the school secretary tells them all the wonderful things mr honey did for the school and hands jughead a recommendation letter he wrote him for college. jughead realises they fucked up and rewrites his story so mr honey lives, but uh oh! he and betty uncover a vhs tape of their fictional murder of mr honey, much like the others.

and that’s what you missed on riverdale!

#this is missing. a lot. but so much happens in this show.#ask #Anonymous

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jotaros-left-nut · 3 years

Text

How the guys would apologise for doing/saying something to upset you

Jonathan: Jonathan had invited you out to walk Danny, you agree to go with him but he noticed that you are not responding to anything that he has said , he looked at you like a lost puppy, there’s a lot of things that Jonathan is good at boxing is the main one, he spends hours upon hours on training,

After promising to spend time with you and then blowing you off to train, it was getting exhausting to you, of course you knew how important it was to train, but things didn’t feel the same

He would ask you what is wrong and you will tell him nothing, but he knows that something is wrong, you will finally tell him how you feel with tears In your eyes, he’ll pull you in his arms and tell you that he will do better because there’s nothing he enjoys than spending time with you

Joseph: He’s sitting in a hospital bed all bandaged up from the big battle with Kars, you got a call from the hospital, you hear the voice of Suzi Q telling you that your boyfriend has been asking or you, so you stop what you are doing and rush to the hospital because you haven’t seen him since he kissed you in front of his loved ones and took off running with Smokey to get away from Kars

There he was laying there in bandages, and now one of his hands missing, you rushed beside him, hesitant to wrap your arms around his large frame, but he didn’t seem to care, about his predicament, he wrapped his arm around you so fast

Months passed you were now feeding him, staying overnight sometimes laying next to him on his bed, you would give him sponge baths because he preferred you to do it, You were exhausted and needed a couple of hours and a shower, you were starting to get sick and tired of the hospital, but you kept your discomfort to yourself, that was until your boyfriend snapped at you, for choosing to sleep a little longer and not feeding him the exact time he was used to

You broke down and told him that you were trying your best and if he wanted help from now on he can get it from a nurse because your done, you ignored your boyfriend who was pleading with you to not leave him, but you’ve had enough and began to make your way to the entrance of the hospital, that was until you heard his voice behind you, You turned around shocked that he would leave his hospital bed just to talk to you “Y/n please don’t leave me alone here, I was wrong to get upset with you when you were using your free time to take care of me, I don’t deserve a woman like you”, you knew this man was crazy but this, he had got to be in so much pain right now, you, of course, you couldn’t just walk away, “I love you joseph“ , you said to him wrapping your arms around his torso, “I love you more and can prove it, put your hand in my left pocket” you put your hand in his pocket and pulled out a small box, “Open it” he said, you opened it with a smile on your face, “Would you do me the honor of being my-” you interrupted him “Yes” tears began to brim in your eyes, “Can you let me finish my sentence women?” he joked “Ofcourse i will marry you”

Jotaro: As a professor he has to deal with people on a daily basis some days he comes home completely worn out

This time was like no other he was completely stressed out, hours and hours of marking test, meetings which feel like they go on forever, and to top it off new professors who think that they can do his job better than him, he has had enough, the came through the door, and walked straight into you twos shared bedroom, taking off his jacket and hat before joining you in the kitchen

He kissed you on the cheek, you asked how had his day been and of course he tells you, he looks around for the dinner he thought you cooked but you tell him you’ve been busy with chores and didn’t have time to cook that's where your husband gives you a mouthful about him having a more important job than you and a man who works as hard as he does deserves to come home everyday to a home cooked meal before charging out the house

He comes home an hour later with take out for everyone, he puts it on the table and calls his daughter down to help him set the dinner table, he hugs you from behind and apologises to you, you turn around to meet his gaze, you lean up to kiss him on the lips he meets your kiss, you whisper that it’s okay

Josuke: it’s not a secret that josuke is hot-headed, he’s always raising his fist over anything but he’s also a total sweetheart

Your cousin who transferred to the same school as you, so it was your job to show him around You saw Josuke and okuyasu in the near empty classroom, you went to introduce your cousin to them, it just happened that your cousin made a comment about your boyfriends hair, which sent him off, you tried to stop josuke by standing in front of him, trying to stop him from beating your family member down but when he’s like this the only colour he sees is red, he flung you away from him making you fall into the floor, okuyasu picked you up, he asked you “If your okay?”And tried to explain to you that “When he’s like this you should try to get involved” you walked about the classroom and refused to talk to josuke for the rest of the school day

You got a call from your mom telling you go to tomoko’s after school because she invited you for dinner, you sighed you didn’t want to see him, after what he did but you had no choice

Whilst waiting for dinner to cook you, sat on one of the sofas, whilst your boyfriend sat on the other one, Josuke rarely gets on your bad side, but he always manages to make you forgive him, he asks you if you want to play his PlayStation with him, you say nothing, he picks you up from the chair and places you so you are in his lap now,, he begins littering your face with kisses telling you how sorry he is and that he loves you so much, you try to keep a straight face, but You just can’t you love this man with all of your being, and cannot physically be mad at him for more than a day, your lips finally betray you and they start to curve upwards, You try to shield your face with your hands but he pulls your hands away and continue, “I forgive you”

Giorno: Whilst getting the gang organised he had forgotten that he made a promise to you, that he was gonna take a couple hours off to spend the night out with you but instead he had stood you up

You felt like a fool, getting all dressed up and waited patiently for hours just to get stood up how embarrassing you thought to yourself, you wipes off your make up and got undressed and put your bed clothes on

The next day you had woken up to the smell of, freshly baked food, you sat with your back against the headboard and saw your boyfriend Giorno walking into the room holding a large tray of baked goods, you could see crepes, eggs and sausages and so much more, he placed the tray on top of you, you were amazed at the effort he put into this, I’m sorry for not doing more, this is the first of many things I have put together to make up for my absence

#jojo no kimyou na bouken #jojos bizarre adventure #jojo meme #joseph joestar #jotaro kujo #giorno giovanna #josuke higashikata #jonathan joestar #okuyasu nijimura #jjba #joseph joestar fanfiction

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shuttymcshutfuck · 3 years

Text

So deeply hurt

Fandom: The Magnus Archives

Relationships: Jonathan Sims/Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker/Sasha James (polycule)

Type: Hurt/comfort

Word count: 2,039

TW: crying, hiding pain, fever, internalised ableism

A03 link

Now that he was closer Jon could tell it was a bad day. He could see the tension in Tim’s jaw, the way he swayed ever so slightly when he stood before righting himself, the fake smile he’s plastered on.

or: Tim's having flare up so they have a movie night.

Set vaguely in S1 or S2 but Sasha doesn't get not!them-ed.

As much as Tim joked around and slacked off, he was very rarely late. Especially not almost two hours late. Jon tried to relax as much as possible but with the concerned glances from Martin and Sasha every few minutes through the window in his door and the constant ticking of the clock in his office it was getting harder by the minute. But he had to stay professional, Elias couldn’t know about their relationship. Jon wasn’t ashamed in the slightest, he just didn’t want to get them all fired. Although, that didnt mean he hadn't sent off quite a few messages to him. All of which were unanswered. He was typing another when he heard a voice curse at the top of the stairs. Trying to look as casual as possible but presumably failing miserably, Jon grabbed his cane and rushed to the bottom of the stairs.

“Tim?” Through the fluorescent lights he could barely make out Tim sitting at the top of the stairs, crutches lying next to him. “Do you need a hand?” He tried to keep the worry out of his voice. They’d all agreed that none of them would make a big deal if Jon or Tim were using their aids. He wanted to respect that as best he could since he knew how bad it felt when people would keep pointing it out.

“Ah, no need. I got this!” Jon watched as Tim slowly slid himself and his crutches down each step before using them to stand. Now that he was closer Jon could tell it was a bad day. He could see the tension in Tim’s jaw, the way he swayed ever so slightly when he stood before righting himself, the fake smile he’s plastered on.

“Well, that was one way to do that. I’m sure Martin or Sasha would’ve been able to help.”

“Na, it’s alright. This building’s just inaccessible as shit. I doubt we would’ve been able to all fit together on those weird ass stairs anyway.”

“Well since you’re here now, there’s a statement on your desk I’d like you to look into after you’ve finished compiling the research from yesterday.” Putting his professionalism on as much as he could, Jon went back to his office leaving Tim to get settled at his desk. He shot Martin a quick text to keep an eye on him and tried his best to continue with his work.

Recording a few statements helped distract him for a bit even if he knew that they were all fake. Floating lights, a ‘disappearing’ man and walkie talkie feedback that sounded like words. It wasn’t long until a knock at his door brought him back to the present. “Come in.”

“Hey,” Martin, of course. “I’m going to the breakroom to make myself a cuppa, do you want one?” Jon never understood why Martin always lowered himself when he entered a room. It was like he was trying to take up the least amount of space possible.

“Yes, thank you. I’ll come along, I need to stretch my legs anyway.” Perfect, a completely professional reason to talk to him in relative privacy. “How has he been?” Jon set his cane beside him as he sat at the breakroom table, watching Martin go through the practiced motions of making tea.

“I’m not sure, he looks a bit peaky but he seems alright.” It was days like these that Jon struggled with boundaries the four of them had set. He knows that if Tim needs help, he’ll ask for it. But he also knows how stubborn you can become when you’re in pain, how frustrating it can be, how hard it is to ask for help. “In other news, I was thinking of having a movie night at mine tonight? Tim and Sasha are down, fancy it?” Jon brought himself back, this is something he could do. Something that would help.

“That sounds lovely but why don’t we have it at mine?” Jon took the cup Martin handed him and sipped, perfect as always.

“Uh, sure.” Martin looked a bit hesitant, probably because Jon usually doesn’t offer up his flat if Martin’s already offered. They all know Jon prefers their flats to his because then he can kidnap a jumper or cardigan to feel safer once he has to leave.

“It’s just, my flat’s closer and I think it’s best for Tim and I since there’s a lift.” He wasn’t lying persay, the lift would be better for the two of them but that wasn’t the only reason. He had supplies for bad days at his house. Heat pads, painkillers, ice packs, you name it. And he knew Tim was going to need it. He’d crash soon enough, most likely when they were all finally settled at Jon’s, so he needed to be able to help once Tim let them.

“Oh right, of course. Sounds great, I’ll let them know.”

-----

It wasn’t long until Tim popped into Jon’s office, struggling with the door slightly. “I’ve got that research for you, Boss.” Jon gestured to one of the seats in front of his desk which Tim took quickly. He pulled the file from his bag once he sat down and had his hands free again.

“Tim, I- um. Is there anything i can do?” Jon tried to be as gentle as possible, not wanting to sound patronising.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” So he was still in the stubborn stage, great. “I’m all set for the last hour work wise if that’s what you’re asking.” He stood and Jon could see him hide a wince.

“Okay, I’ll let you get on then. Thank you again for the research.” All Jon got in return was a nod before Tim was out the door as fast as he could be.

-----

The journey to Jon’s flat was nice for once, mostly due to Sasha driving them all instead of having to take the tube. But even just sitting mostly in silence it was comfortable. As soon as they were in his flat he wandered off to get changed into comfier clothes, urging them all to do the same. Once they were all back in the living room he spotted Tim in a familiar jumper, specifically the one Jon was looking for as it was nice and cosy but he left it with Tim. He looked like he needed it more than he did.

Stocked up with snacks and tea, bundled up in Jon’s duvet that he’d asked Martin to bring through, movie night began. After finishing La La Land per Sasha’s request and Howl’s Moving Castle per Martin’s request they decided to order some takeout.

“Tim, do you just want your usual?” Sasha was over at the table, notepad in hand with everyone's orders but his. The only answer she got however was a groan. Jon gently moved him off of his shoulder where he had been resting his head and it was only then he felt the heat coming off Tim’s skin.

“Hey, sleepyhead. Can you wake up for a minute for me please?” Jon watched him blink slowly and he swore he had fallen in love with him all over again.

“Is he alright?” Martin moved the duvet off of their laps and knelt at the feet of Jon and Tim. “Love, you’ve got a bit, uh-” Martin's gaze fell to Jon’s shoulder and when he followed he saw what Martin was clearly holding back a laugh at. Tim had drooled over his shirt.

“Martin, can you go into the cabinet in the kitchen, grab some painkillers, water and the thermometer for me please?” Martin’s face dropped so Jon rushed to calm him. “He’s okay, I think it's just a flare up. Take a breath, Love.” Jon watched him do as asked and head over to the kitchen. “Sasha, just order him his usual as long as it’s not too spicy.”

“Gotcha, I’ll be back in a minute.” She placed a kiss on Jon’s cheek then Tim’s, frowning slightly at the heat before heading to the bedroom to order.

“So, how are you really feeling? All of it, okay?” Jon kept his voice low and soft, channeling all the times Martin had calmed him down from a nightmare, all the times Sasha had comforted when the knock on his office door sounded too familiar, all the times Tim had helped him home once everyone had left because the pain was so bad.

"I'm alright, just being a drama queen as usual." Jon watched as Tim’s eyes filled with tears.

" Tim ." It seemed that Jon had finally chipped at his stubborn exterior just enough to let Tim breathe.

“I…Awful, it just hurts and I’m so tired, I don’t-” Jon pulled him into a hug as he finally let the tears fall, running a hand up and down Tim’s back while the other cradled his head.

“It’s okay, it's okay.” They sat there, Jon whispered sweet nothings until Tim’s sobs had calmed enough that he could speak “What hurts, Love?”

“Everything but my hips hurt the worst. It’s like they’re shooting pain down the rest of my legs.” Tim pulled back slightly and Jon let him, wiping away Tim’s tears with his thumb.

“Got them Jon, but if it’s a flare up then why do we need the thermometer?” Martin’s eyes flickered over Tim’s face and Jon could tell he was holding back his mother-hen instincts. He trusted Jon and it made his chest warm to think that he trusted Jon enough to let him lead.

“I’m just hot stuff, what can I say?” The joke made them both smile, breaking some of the tension.

“Sometimes during flare ups you can get low grade fevers, I just want to make sure it’s not too high.” Jon explained as Martin kneeled back at their feet.

“Alright, okay.”

“Martin, it’s okay.” Jon reached out and took his hand, the worry practically radiating off of him.

“I know, I’ve just never been around either of you when you’ve had a flare up before and-” Jon’s eyes fell to his lap, guilt slowly seeping into his bones. He could tell Tim felt the same, squeezing his hand slightly before interrupting Martin. “You have actually, as much as I don’t want to admit it, we are relatively good at hiding them. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Martin looked to Jon and he nodded. “Right. Well, we can talk about that later.”

“Okay.” He turned to Tim. “Is it alright if i take your temperature, love?” Jon was pretty sure that he would say yes but it was still good to ask, to make sure Tim was comfortable.

“Yeah, alright.” Martin handed him the thermometer and Jon put it in his ear, waiting for the beep before taking it out again and doing it to the other ear.

“Hmm, 38.1 and 38.3. Not bad but still could be better. Let’s get some painkillers and water into you. Sasha’s ordering food just now so you’ll have that soon too.” Tim took them without issues but seemed uncomfortable when Jon mentioned dinner.

“I’m really not hungry just now.”

“Nausea or just no appetite?” Jon didn’t want to force him to eat if he felt nauseous but he needed some form of food in him if he was going to take more painkillers.

“Appetite.” Good, that’s something at least. Something he can work with.

“Why don’t you try some food and if you don’t want what we’ve ordered I’ll make you some toast?” As much as he hated that Tim was in so much pain it felt nice knowing what to do for once. Pain was something he was familiar with, something he knew so much about that it was instinct to him now.

“Alright.” Jon stood up and motioned for him to move along the couch slightly and he complied. He got them situated so Tim was lying down with his head on Jon’s chest and legs over Martin’s lap. He felt Tim curl into him and sigh contentedly. “Jon?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.” Jon ran his fingers through Tim’s hair, watching as his eyes started to shut again.

“Of course, love. You know I’m always here.”

#tma #the magnus archives #tma fic #jonathan sims #cane user jon #tim stoker #tim stoker uses crutches #martin blackwood #sasha james #s1 polycule #jonmartimsasha #my writing

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gayestnerdsinfiction · 3 years

Text

Rivalry

requested by @micapearls (ed hearing jon full body laugh for the first time)

Ever since he first met Jonathan Crane, Edward has had an unshakable fixation on eliciting any type of emotional expression from the other man. To the untrained eye it would appear Jonathan was unable to experience any human emotions beyond displeasure and annoyance. Jonathan doesn’t cry, he doesn’t shout when they argue, he doesn’t allow any facial expression to inadvertently cross his stoic features. Over time, Edward has been able to get a better feel for the subtle cues that indicate his partner’s emotional state, but Jonathan still makes an effort to hold his feelings and opinions close to his chest. Edward wants so badly to break him of this habit. He’s lost count of the amount of meaningless arguments he’d blown out of proportion in the hopes of making Jonathan visibly angry. But perhaps that’s just trauma reenactment.

It was after one such failed attempt to goad Jonathan into an argument that Edward finally got what he was looking for. He had unsuccessfully tried to get a rise out of the other man, throwing out the cruelest, most spiteful things he could think of. Things he didn’t mean, things he doesn’t want Jonathan to think he meant. Unfortunately, this only resulted in Jonathan disappearing off into the lab, leaving Edward to sulk alone in the living room. He’s sitting on the couch, staring absently at the television when Jonathan finally reappears from the basement, his expression as austere and unreadable as ever.

“I’m having a drink,” the older man announces, breezing past Edward and into the kitchen. He removes a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and holds it up for Edward to see. “Do you want one?”

Edward doesn’t particularly care for whiskey but he can recognize a peace offering when he sees one. He nods wordlessly, sliding to one end of the sofa to make room for Jonathan to sit if he wanted to.

Jonathan pours the two drinks, bringing them into the living room and handing one to Edward. He accepts. Takes a small sip, trying to ignore the unpleasant taste.

“What are you watching?” Jonathan asks as he sits down a respectful distance away from Edward.

“News,” he says. “I’m looking at it more than I’m really watching it.”

Jonathan studies the screen for a few moments, sipping his own drink steadily. “Turn up the volume,” he says abruptly.

Edward obliges, directing his own attention to the TV as well. The reporter onscreen is standing in front of the Gotham University campus. There are cop cars and officers crowded around the building, many of them with heavy tactical gear and weapons.

“Shit, I hope whatever this is doesn’t screw up the heist I had planned for next weekend,” Edward mutters as he puts his drink down on the table.

“…As you can see the police are behind me attempting to negotiate the release of the thirteen hostages currently being held on the University grounds.” The camera cuts away from the reporter to show a closer shot of the police officers at the scene. Edward can make out commissioner Gordon speaking into a walkie-talkie at the front of the group. Bullock stands beside him, looking generally burly and gruff but otherwise not contributing much. “The location and condition of the hostages is unclear; all we know is that those thirteen students and faculty members are trapped somewhere in the Joker’s sadistic maze. More updates on the way as we continue to document the most recent criminal exploits of Gotham’s most fearsome criminal.”

“Ouch,” Jonathan says dryly. “Seems unfair that I’m not the most fearsome criminal in this city but I suppose there’s no accounting for taste.”

Edward, in the meantime, is too busy trying to navigate the mixture of anger, surprise, and jealousy that has begun burning in his chest to even register Jonathan’s comment. “He—I feel like I’m having a stroke, I mean, did that reporter say what I think she said?” he splutters, standing up from the couch to gesticulate wildly at the screen.

“What’s your problem?” Jonathan asks. “Joker does something like this every week, you can’t be surprised at this point.”

“You don’t understand,” he snaps, ignoring the heat he can feel rising into his face and ears. “I was going to do a sadistic maze at the university. Me! That fucking clown stole my idea! I mean, am I the only person with any goddamn integrity in this vile city?” He collapses back onto the couch, throwing his arms up. “I had the whole thing planned out, all the pieces built and ready to be set up and he just swoops in with his dollar store makeup and awful dye job and ruins everything like he always does. I mean, do you know how hard it is to build a maze from scratch and make it appear with fully functional traps and people in it before the cops show up? It’s not easy, I’ll say that. And it’s not cheap either!”

Jonathan watches Edward’s hysterical monologue in silence, takes a few moments to digest the entirety of the rant, and then bursts out laughing.

Edward’s jaw drops. Usually when Jonathan laughs it’s little more than a sharp exhale or the hint of a smile. But this laugh is a loud, unrestrained cackle, so raspy in places it almost sounds like a wheeze. It’s the first time he’s ever seen his partner seem genuinely tickled by something and he can’t even enjoy it because it’s at his own expense. He can’t tell if he’s more shocked to see his partner’s entire body wracked with laughter, or more indignant that he’s being laughed at in the first place. He snaps his mouth shut, his face screwing up into a scowl. “It’s not funny.”

“It absolutely is. Your whole thing with the Joker is hilarious.”

“It is not! He’s completely destroying my reputation, my career in this town. I mean, now I can never do that heist I had planned because the Joker already did it and everyone’s already accusing me of ripping off his costume and gimmick. If I even mention that I had the same idea, then people are going to try and accuse me of stealing his fucking intellectual property too.” He gets up again, pacing almost frantically around the room. “It doesn’t even make sense for him to do something with a school, I mean, I’m the one whose whole aesthetic and MO has to do with knowledge and learning. He should go terrorize a fucking comedy club or something, leave the higher education to those of us whose brain cells haven’t been fried by a vat of acid.” He glares at Jonathan who is still doubled over with laughter. “Stop laughing at me, I’m serious.”

He raises a hand to cover his mouth, though it does nothing to soothe his amusement. “I’m sorry. But you have to admit, you sound ridiculous right now.”

“I fail to see how this is ridiculous.”

“You’re demanding artistic integrity from a man who dresses like a clown and kills people for fun.” Jonathan manages to stifle his laughter a bit, but Edward knows he’s never going to let him live this down. “Besides, neither of you went to college so I don’t see how you have more of a right to a university based maze heist than him.”

He rolls his eyes. Jonathan loves to point out that Edward never went to college because it’s the only real accomplishment he has that Edward couldn’t easily replicate. Just because Jonathan suffered through nine years of higher education that would have driven Edward into a murderous rage doesn’t mean he’s better than him. “A maze is a type of puzzle is it not? Last time I checked I was the prince of puzzles which, in my eyes, makes me more entitled to use mazes in my traps. I also think it makes me sound cooler. I mean, ‘clown prince of crime’? How pathetic is that.”

“They’re both pathetic,” Jonathan says. “I don’t know why people keep trying to call us princes like we’re not all broke psychopaths.”

“I’m not broke.”

“But you don’t deny being a psychopath?”

Edward continues to glower at the other man who is still fighting against a smile. “I can’t believe you’re not on my side right now.”

Jonathan shrugs. “I mean, you have to admit your costume color schemes are remarkably similar.”

“They are not! My preferred color scheme is green and purple, his is purple and green, okay, they’re distinctly different!”

“Edward,” he says, using that tone he always takes when Edward is acting irrational, “Don’t you think you’re taking this a bit too seriously?”

“Not in the slightest,” he insists, knowing that this is arguably a stupid thing to care about. “You’ll never know what it’s like to always play second fiddle to everyone’s favorite costumed criminal. At least people are scared of you. Everyone just thinks I’m some kind of joke thief.”

“Well, maybe you need to give them something to be scared of. Show them you mean business.”

“Oh yeah? And how do you propose I do that in a way that is both on brand and not derivative of the Joker’s own crime sprees?”

Jonathan’s smile changes, becoming less humorous and more devious. Edward can see the familiar gleam in his eye that indicates the Scarecrow’s mind is hard at work. There’s the Jonathan he’s used to. “I bet I could give you a few ideas,” he says slyly, finishing the rest of his drink in a single swallow. “If you don’t have any qualms about torturing people.”

Despite the fact that he’s still annoyed with Jonathan for making fun of him, Edward can’t help but flash a smile back at the other man. There’s just something about those clever, sinister eyes that always draw him right back in. “What did you have in mind?”

#i know this was a long road to walk to fulfill the prompt but I hope u enjoy #scriddler #scarecrow #riddler #jonathan crane #edward nygma #batman #dc #my writing #joker #just a reference tho bc he's stinky

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mrvdocks · 3 years

Text

Plus One Finale

Summary: You and Steve make up. Steve plans for the future ahead.

A/N: We finally made it to the end, thanks to everyone who read it and liked it and reblogged it. :))

@mochminnie, @80strashbag, @artsymaddie, @har-rison-s, @theblueslytherin, @prettysbliss, @deliberatequeen, @fl0ating, @crystalyn-aurelia, @itsbabybat, @bellasymph, @hawishima, @hvtelcalifornia, @stevexharringtonx, @fisherbrookphotos, @revangeline

He paced back and forth in the hallway of the animal clinic, somehow both muttering to himself and racking his head for some way to reply other than the incredulous reaction he just gave you.

You squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head. You knew it, you knew it was too soon to say.

You cross your legs in an attempt to stop the distracting bouncing of your leg and ease your nerves.

Sure he just confessed he loved you and apologized, but now that you could possibly be pregnant? What if that was the dealbreaker?

“Steve.” You call, attempting to break him from his trance.

He mutters more, going much too fast for you to understand.

“Steve!” You exclaim, unable to take the suspense.

He stops and turns to face you, visibly shaken. You exhale shakily, trying to keep yourself steady emotionally.

“Listen, if what you said earlier is true, then this is nothing.”

“This is nothing? (Y/N) we’re bringing someone else into our messed up lives. What if we’re terrible parents?”

You stand and take his worrisome hand in yours, “So we don’t have the best model. That’s fine! They’re not the ones raising this kid, it’s us. It’s you and me.”

He bites his lip in thought, eyes falling to his feet. You felt your heart race as you tried to decipher his emotions. You loved Steve, kid or no kid. But this was something you two needed to face.

“I don’t know. I - ” he shrugs.

You try not to remember the last time he shrugged and what followed.

“You and I don’t need to make a decision so quickly. We can sleep on it. Alright?” You try to be comforting, smoothing out the lines on his disheveled shirt.

He seems to relax at this and nods. You nod in conclusion.

“I’ll be back.” He says, letting go of your hands and walking down the dimly lit corridor.

“Where are you going?”

He won’t leave you, right?

“I have to do something. I’ll see you back home.”

He leaves in a rush. It hit you then. Home. You were dreading returning to the apartment all this time because you were afraid of the confrontation.

You had planned on coming back sure, maybe yell at him or take Mickey as you’d promised, but the thought of having to confront his issues and your own made your stomach do somersaults. And not in the good way.

But it seemed to turn out fine. You sighed.

You and Steve barely got by as it is. Robin’s leave put more strain on both of you to come up with rent money. Neither you nor Steve were too content in your career choices, and God knows the place would get cramped with a kid.

It was hard to be an optimist in these trying times but you tried to hold out hope. Maybe things would get better. After all, you had new friends, you’d made new connections. Who knows where that would take you.

You wondered what your sister would say. For once, you valued her input in this.

Honestly, the thought of the future from this point on made your heart race.

Steve was capable of growth…..right?

Once Mickey was cleared to go home, you let out a breath of relief you didn’t realize you were holding. Things felt a lot lighter, it was a weight off of your shoulders. Though a tiny pebble by the name of Steve remained.

You carried your dozed pet out in your arms in the early hours of the morning, choosing to walk it home and avoid another Danny encounter.

It was a chilly week in November. The crunch of the leaves under your feet wasn’t enough to rouse Mickey awake but you kept count of how many you stepped on.

You don’t recall how long it took you to get home. It was most likely the autopilot in you flipping on, your head just too worried about other things at the moment.

You just know you’d made it home without a scratch. You kick away the pile of mail at the foot of your doorstep and take the extra key under the mat. Once you’re inside, the warmth of the radiator kicks in, letting your body relax after the tensing up of your muscles to keep warm outside.

You lay Mickey down in his makeshift bed, the foot tub with a mix of yours and Steve’s old shirts. He grumbles in his sleep, his tiny tongue peaking out in lazy and unconscious movement.

You shake off Jonathan’s coat and drape it over your body like a blanket and collapse onto the couch, too lazy to curl up into your own bed.

You shiver as you run your hands over your arms and cup your hands together to blow air into them. The tiredness from walking and overall excitement of the day weighed over you from the way you felt your eyelids start to fall.

You blink once, twice, and then fall asleep just in time to see Mickey kick and stretch his paws in his sleep.

Steve pants as he reaches the door of the room at the hotel his father’s staying at. He’d been too hasty to berate his future stepbrothers once he saw what they’d done to Mickey.

He knocks rapidly on the door, seeming like a madman to the couple who’s just leaving their own room and staring at him. He composes himself, zips his jacket up, and gives a faint nod as they pass him.

His dad opens the door a second later. “Hey kiddo, what’s with the commotion?”

“She’s pregnant.” Steve regurgitates your confession to his father. Don’s mouth falls open slightly.

He closes it and stammers. He turns to check on the kids in the room, seeing them preoccupied with the tv. When the coast is clear, he closes the door behind him and stays with Steve outside in the hallway.

“I - that was fast.” Don chuckles, feeling flustered for his son. “What did you tell her?”

“I ran here to tell you!”

Don’s hand comes up to pinch the bridge of his nose in disappointment.

“So you’re telling me, the girl of your dreams, the one you’ve been miserable over breaking her heart, just told you she’s pregnant and the first thing you do is leave her and run to me??”

Steve understands the gravity of the situation but he is stuck on the thought that he needed all the advice he could squeeze out of his father.

“Basically.” He says simply.

Don sighs. “What’s the problem, then?”

Steve’s shoulders slump. “I don’t know how to be a dad. In case you haven’t noticed I didn’t have the best model.”

Don nearly rolls his eyes.

“Is that really the reason, or is there another?”

Steve stays silent, contemplating while his eyes scan every inch of the hallway from the detail on the carpeting to the colors.

“I guess….I’m not happy with where I am right now. I’m pushing thirty in two years, I’m a bartender, everyone I know got married and I just feel like I’m out of time. But Dad, this girl. She - she’s everything I’m not. She’s spontaneous and funny and sarcastic and - I don’t know, sometimes I just feel like she could be doing so much better than me.”

Don places a hand on Steve’s shoulder and gently shakes him. “Hey, don’t say that. You’re a Harrington, you’re a catch!”

Steve half smiles at the encouragement.

“Steve, everyone progresses through milestones differently. No one knows what they’re doing. And if we’re being honest, I think you just have to find what you like and hold onto it. Something that makes you want to get out of bed every day and just take all of the bull that life throws at you because, at the end of the day, that something is always going to be there. Have you found something to do that for you?”

Steve nearly dissociates altogether as he falls deep in thought as his father speaks. His mind reeling the montage of memories his brain concocts like film.

He sees you the day you walked into the apartment and into his life, covered in dirty water from being sprayed by a taxi on the curb and taking it in stride and making jokes about it. He sees you dancing in the kitchen to god awful music he’d grown to love in a big shirt and long socks. He sees the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh hysterically at the prospect of trying to help him find dates. The image of you sitting near the radiator with a book in hand and your thinking face.

He thinks these past few months might’ve just been the best ones he’s ever had. Before he went and ruined it.

He didn’t think he would experience something like this after Nancy. He thought he could just run away from Hawkins and leave the bad memories there, but they crept up on him when he least expected it. His fear was not your fault.

He was done running and he was ready to grow.

“Yeah,” he nods. “I think I do.”

The phone ringing off the hook startled you awake. You sit upright, finding Jonathan’s coat at your feet and Mickey pawing at the phone cord. He wriggles his head side to side when he finally gets the cord in between his teeth.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” You mutter to yourself. You pick Mickey up with swift ease and pull the cord out of his mouth to pick up the phone.

“I’m up.” You announce somewhat sleepily into the phone.

“Good! I have news!” Nancy’s rapid-fire voice comes through and alerts you awake.

“Wait! I did it, Nance! I told him!”

“Oh, what did he say?”

“He….kind of took off.”

“He what?!”

“Okay to be fair, a lot has happened in the past,” you glance at your wrist to see you’ve been asleep for a while. “Five hours? Geez.”

“Okay, okay. Well, we don’t have to worry about this anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“The tests! They’re faulty! They’re recalling them for false positives or something. I don’t know but Kali just called to tell me.”

“Oh….” You trail off.

In a way, you're very relieved. And yet also a little disappointed. But very relieved.

“What’s wrong?” Nancy senses something’s off. “I figured you’d breathe a little better if you knew the truth.”

“No I am,” you say, cradling Mickey in your arm like a mom with a baby on her hip. “I don’t know, I guess I kind of made my peace with it.”

“Oh, well hey, maybe it’s a good conversation starter for both of you.”

You lean against the wall where the phone hangs, letting your furry son sit on the counter. “Yeah maybe. I mean, it was all too fast anyways.”

“Yeah! You have lots of time. Just take baby steps. I think slow and steady would put yours and his mind at ease.”

You had to agree. Time had to heal all wounds. You two had to start again, without interruptions.

You finish talking to Nancy, reassuring her that you’d need to get over the first wave of shock and tell him when he turned up. She offered to go over but you’d declined. When everything’s over, you collapse onto the couch again, slumping as far as your back would let you. Your stomach protruding a little from under your tee. You roll up the lower half of your shirt and let it sit above your belly button.

You prod your fingers at nothing, feeling odd and a little bit silly at the thought that there would be a little person in there.

Mickey whimpers.

“Looks like you’re the baby still.” You chuckle, scratching behind his ears.

The peace and silence are broken by the door swinging open to reveal an out of breath Steve. You straighten up immediately and pull your shirt down.

“Are you okay?” You ask, making a pass to reach for him but he sticks a hand out for you to wait as he regains his composure.

“I’m….fine…..just have to….talk...holdonaminute.”

He’s visibly sweating, beads of sweat on his forehead. He looks like he just ran track. His pants come to a slow until he’s back to normal. He puts his hands on his knees and it takes everything in you to not make an old joke for the sake of the seriousness of the situation.

He stands up straight, keeping his eyes trained on you, and with a softness in them, you feel at ease.

“I quit my job.” He says finally.

Your eyes widen. “You what?”

The confession hung in the air, settling in like the warmth of the radiator. He rushes to you and kneels before you can leap up off the couch and takes your hands in his.

“Hear me out. Before you get mad, just hear me out.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve done a lot and I mean a lot of reassessment about you, me, everything. If we’re going to do this, I want them to be proud of me. I want to be there for them as much as I can be. I’m starting over. At 28.”

You stifle a laugh but release it when Steve takes the initiative to laugh at himself.

“So….what are you going to be doing now?” You give his hands a squeeze, utterly terrified at the plunge he’s taking.

He looks as if he hasn’t planned that far ahead besides quitting. “I….don't know. But it’s, um, kind of cool. I get to see a bunch of different jobs. Find out what I really like.”

“And, what’s that?”

“You.” He smiles, the sight of it sending butterflies free in your stomach. “I like you. So, so much. You’re not hard to get at all, you’re hard to earn. I’d take that over any messy, drunk bridesmaid.”

You tilt your head, feeling the corners of your lips lifting and before you know it, you’re grinning like an idiot.

“And that’s why,” he says, his right hand leaving yours and digging into his pocket to bring out a plastic ring from the bubble gum machines in the laundromat downstairs, “I’m jumping in, all the way.”

“Steve…” You’re nearly speechless. “Oh my god, what are you doing?”

“I know it’s not perfect or big or shiny. But this is just a placeholder for now. I’m all in if you are.” He holds the ring with the pink gem in his fingers, waiting for you.

Maybe it’s the fact that ever since you started to see him in a different light since the start of the year, you’d determined that you’d follow him anywhere. Whether he’d have you or not. Even with his moods and awkwardness and clumsiness. He’d been scored on your heart. You’d marry him with paper rings.

“I’m not pregnant.” You reveal.

His face softens. “What?”

“Nancy called earlier before you came. The tests were faulty. I just wanted you to know that so that wasn’t the only reason you decided to do this.”

It was and wasn’t the reason. But in all honesty, he didn’t think he could bear to stomach the idea of not being with you or the image of you with someone else. He also doesn’t think starting over with someone else was the best idea, you two had been through so much in two years. You shared a particular connection. One that he now realizes he had been looking through seas of beige and silvers and golds.

“It’s not,” he titters, “I don’t care that we don’t have the meet-cutes or the chance run-ins. That’s not what love really is. I thought it was more complex but it’s so - simple. It’s about being comfortable with someone and wanting to hang out with them as long as it’s humanly possible….and just not trying to mess it up the way I did.”

Your heart swells. This is love for him. This is him planting his foot in the sand and not running away when the sea rushes for him. Anyone else would’ve ditched him the moment things got ugly. But you were nothing if devoted.

“Yes, Dingus. I’m in too.” You nod, overjoyed as you feel your eyes get watery.

Don & Mary’s Wedding

December 25, 1994

Hawkins, Indiana

“Okay, okay, how does this look?” Steve asks, fixing his tux for the fifth time that day.

You roll your eyes. “You look fine babe, honestly. We’ve ironed the jacket out twice. Any more and I think you’re going to set it on fire and then you’ll upstage the bride.”

Steve snorts, fixing the knot on his tie. “I’m sorry. I’m just so nervous. I can’t mess up the speech.”

You fix the starchy collar of his shirt. “I’ve heard it many times and I think you’ll do great. Just don’t think too much about it.”

“You don’t think it’s too late to back out?”

“I think,” You pull him by his tie close to your face to tease him. “If you can get through this, you can either have the best after-party experience or you can get the new fridge.”

Steve purses his lips, conflicted. “We do need a new fridge.”

You playfully smack his arm as you feign offense.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” He repeats, enveloping you in a hug.

“Whoa, whoa, easy on the goods.” You say, smoothing out the easily crinkled fabric of your dress.

“I’m always easy on them.” He jests, slipping in innuendo that you still find yourself blushing to.

“Alright, alright. Let’s go before they start guessing why we’re late.”

You climb onto his back and ride him piggyback all the way to the elevator. He goes over his speech one more time as you descend and tries to tell a joke at the end that doesn’t stick the landing.

You arrive just in time, settling at the table next to the newlyweds. You pat Steve on the shoulder, give him a glass, and wish him good luck. “Go get ‘em.”

He kisses you tenderly before he goes up on stage, feeling like a teen again the way his senses go crazy when he kisses you. He fumbles his way up the stairs to the microphone making you hold back a laugh. He composes himself a second later.

“Hey everyone! Thanks for coming. I’m Steve. Most of you know me as Don’s son. And if you’re wondering why I’m up here giving his best man speech, so am I.”

The crowd of family and friends laugh in unison.

Steve fixes his footing and his grip on the champagne glass tightens.

“The truth is, I put up a pretty big stink about all of this. I didn’t want to do it. To me, a second marriage was ill-advised. I mean, my parents’ divorce was pretty hard to swallow. But also, I just didn’t get it. I believed in things like fate and love at first sight, that once you found the one, that was the ballgame.”

He scans the crowd, passing familiar faces like Jonathan and Nancy, Dustin and Suzie, Robin and Kali, each one helping take the pressure off just a bit. He stops when he lands on you, your warm smile and thumbs up making him feel better.

“But the truth is, if you spend your whole life looking for something perfect, you wind up with nothing. See, there are many innings in this ball game and I don’t think it's about good timing or fate. It’s about trying not to mess up.”

He locks eyes with you for the last part.

“But you will mess up. No matter how hard you try, you’ll get in your own head. But if you can learn from your mistakes, you might just end up with something...even better.”

“I’d like to raise a glass,” He says, raising his cup along with everyone else. “Dad, Mary, congratulations.”

The guests applaud as Don is overcome with emotion and wipes at his happy tears and takes his son in a bear hug. Steve is taken aback by the sudden strength of his father and nearly drops his glass.

The party goes off without a hitch. Steve actually partakes in the festivities with pride and even makes an attempt to get to know his stepbrothers. He laughs at their awful attempts at jokes and bestows some girl advice when they ask him about you. Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, Kali, Dustin and Suzie all congratulate Steve when they find out what the pink stone on your finger means. You meet Steve’s mom for the first time, a charming and lovely woman who is eager to show you loose baby pictures in her clutch and embarrassing stories.

You wait on the sidelines watching as the new Harrington family take their family photos. Mary and Steve talk in what seems to be a sincere and sweet conversation. Don is trying to bribe the rambunctious kids with sweets if they can sit still for the photo. Jonathan glances from them to you.

“Hey,” He asks from behind the camera. “Why aren’t you in there?”

You open your mouth to justify it until Don speaks up.

“He’s right. What are you doing there? Come in! Come in!” He waves you over with encouragement until the entire Harrington gang begins to beg for you to jump in.

“Come in sweetie!” Mary cheers.

You’re about to make your way until Steve leaves the group and carries you over his shoulder. Jonathan smirks as he takes multiple photos, taking advantage of the candid moment. Steve’s stepbrothers singsong about you two kissing in a tree. The Harrington party make a mixture of sounds and cheers as Steve puts you down and wraps his arms around you in a prom pose. You go with it, feeling like you belonged in this crazy puzzle with other people. The little kids make a disgusted sound when you peck Steve on the cheek.

He kisses the top of your head in return and gives you a squeeze.

For the first time in his life, Steve’s not afraid of the future.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #stranger things imagine #joe keery x reader #joe keery imagine #aaaaannndd fin

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khaleesiofalicante · 3 years

Note

in holt's voice: Pain. That's it.

Today hasn't been the best but HEY I HAD THESE PRECIOUS BABIES TO KEEP MY COMPANY

He looked exhausted like he hadn’t slept at all.

alec...

I'm already sad and ready to murder

the baby...

David had never lost someone he loved.

this is fucking foreshadowing isn't it

But real strength was not in surviving the presence of pain. Real strength was in suviving the absence of love.

despite the chaos I'm glad to see these two interacting

The Consul leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his beard. David had to admit, he looked damn good with it. Even if it made him seem even more intimidating than before.

yes boy YES

it's really hard not to smile right now but my camera is on and im supposed to be finding meanings of foreign words based on my own knowledge so-

JACKSON

“Max is too old for me to tell him what he is and isn’t allowed to do,” the Consul said – although he didn’t sound very happy about it.

MY TEACHER ASKED ME THE FIRST QUESTION IM LOSING MY SHIT

It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.

let's hope so

Facts and figures, babe, Max had kissed his cheek last night. Dad likes facts and figures.

deep breathes

it'll be ok

“You’ve done your research,” the Consul nodded. There was a hint of approval in his voice that made David want to do a cartwheel.

AWWWW

“I’d like to take care of the New York institute,” David said now. “Because Jace Herondale and Clary Fairchild took care of me.”

And for the first time that evening, the Consul smiled. David wanted to burst into song.

AHHHH

this is beautiful

David couldn’t help but find that endearing. He wondered what it felt like to be loved like that. He wondered what it felt like to have a father like that – a father who couldn't stop loving his child even for a moment.

A love that was endless and tireless.

Every time he was in the presence of the Lightwood-Bane family he was reminded of what he had lost and what every child deserved.

It made him sad.

But then he would remember. He would remember that Max had grown up knowing nothing but this. Max had grown up with nothing but love.

It made him happy.

alright come here let me hug you

UHUHSCUICDUH "Why do you not like me"

“I know I worry too much about Max,” the Consul said, his smile sad now. “But I can only worry now. I won’t always be there to worry over him.”

it's 9 am boy

THESE TWO REALLY BE ASKING THE TRUE QUESTIONS

"Why are you scared of me" HSUHYUKDUMKDS WELL YOU SEE-

all we can really do is replace the bad memories with happier ones...

“No,” the Consul said, and David’s heart almost stopped. “I mean, of course I care. But I don’t have to be hard on you to show you that I do. There are many ways to show people we care about them without hurting them.”

David thought of his father then. He remembered the way his father had drawn the agony rune on his wrist and promised him it was because he loved David and wanted him to be strong. The memory hurt.

Jace and Clary bestest

“I’m sorry for whatever I did to intimidate you,” the Consul apologized.

that is so alec oh my god 😭

David looked him in the eye. “You’re Alec Lightwood.”

The man looked confused. “Is that supposed to mean something?

I'm smiling so much right now because yeah

yeah I get what he's saying

David hadn’t known that boys were allowed to kiss other boys – not until he heard about Alec Lightwood’s Accords Hall kiss.

David hadn’t known fairy tales existed outside of books - not until he heard about Alec Lightwood adopting a warlock baby with Magnus Bane.

David hadn’t known love can literally change the world – not until he heard about Alec Lightwood changing the world for the man he loved.

don't make me cry during linguistics

“Well,” the Consul chuckled. “To be entirely honest, I did all of that for Magnus.”

as he should

“Everything I have ever done has always been for Magnus,” the Consul said, his voice oddly soft.

we're talking about some wall in class and im here trying not to cry

my teacher just asked why some of us have our cameras off WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY

“I don’t want to be a hero,” David confessed honestly. “I just thought if I ran away to a city full of heroes, they would protect me if someone tried to hurt me again.”

“What’s that?” the Consul frowned, pointing at his neck.

By the angel! David was going to have words with Max when he saw him again.

“Uh,” David said. “Mosquito bite.”

AHHHHHHHH MOSQUITO BITE

“Do you remember when Izzy got attacked by a demon in Edom?”

“And you drank my blood,” the Consul rolled his eyes.

“Aw,” the Dean of the Academy chuckled. “You do remember.”

poor David is stuck between them talking like this IM SCREAMING

He remembered the way Consul had blamed himself when Max had found the spoils room at the York Institute. The way he had believed he should have done better when his eldest son had been traumatized by foul rumours of the Clave.

oh honey no

There were people who got mad at themselves when things went wrong.

There were people who got mad at everyone around them when things went wrong.

While Alec Lightwood was the former, his son and David’s boyfriend, was definitely the latter.

I'm definitely both

“It wasn’t your fault,” David spoke up then. “When bad things happen to people, it’s because of the people who did those bad things. We shouldn’t atone for someone else’s sins.”

“Yeah. Stop atoning, dude,” the Dean said chuckled. “Listen to the boy.”

YES EVERYONE LISTEN TO DAVID

“And be careful,” the Consul said, his tone a little different now.

“I will keep an eye on-”

“No,” the Consul said and pointed at the hickey on David’s neck. “With Max. Be careful.”

David was pretty sure his face on fire.

OH MY GOD

IM SHAKING

“Um, we have the internet,” David pointed out.

The Consul blinked. “Right. Of course. The internet.”

yes

ao3 and Wattpad

KIDS DON'T GO ON THESE WEBSITES AT 11 JUST DO NOT

“If he gives you a hard time, don’t give up,” the man whispered like it was a secret. “You just need to weasel your way into his life.”

David chuckled. “Is that what you did?”

yup

“Yeah, and then he had the audacity to get accidentally get drunk and confess his love in the middle of the night.”

AWW SHE'S TELLING GIGI ABOUT THEIR PAST

“I did have a latte,” her mother said with a straight face.

Georgia didn’t find that funny.

I almost said "BECAUSE IT'S NOT FUNNY" before I realized that is exactly what I would've said

She knew her mother, like so many other people in her life, preferred to use humour to cope with the pain. They preferred to hide their pain away from other people.

Georgia never understood why people did that. Did they think others didn’t know what pain felt like? Everyone was in pain all the time – some kind of it at least. Everyone knew how to cope with it. So, it made more sense to share it than to carry it all by yourself.

i...I never look at it that way

Apparently, hand holding had special healing abilities at times like this.

yeah it really does

Georgia had hoped to find out herself. She had wondered so much about the baby.

tears. literal tears

It didn’t matter that Georgia had wanted to name the baby Abigail after the first iron sister. It didn’t matter that her father wanted to name the baby Jonathan to piss off Uncle Jace.

Abigail Jonathan Lightwood-Lovelace

FUCK OFF AND LET ME CRY IN PEACE

People said that poison was a coward’s weapon. But Georgia didn’t think so. It wasn’t easy to make poison. It wasn’t easy sneak it into the right place at the right time.

Whoever did this, they were not cowards. They were smart and they should be feared.

yeah, what did happen during the trial?

uh is Selena ok?

like genuinely

is she just a very heavy sleeper or...

MARYSE

Because sometimes the only comfort you needed was your mom.

yeah...

Except for random parts of the house that were incredibly organized – a sign Uncle Jace had been there

Yup.

“I’m staying in New York, mom. I’m going to help Selena and the centurions find out who did this to me,” her mother said, her words a promise. “And once I do, I’m going to strangle them with my whip.”

Yes you will

Anjali and Rafe

please be ok. please

HOW ABOUT WE DO A TRADE

ZARA'S LIFE FOR ANJALI'S 😄

ok I know that's not how it works but IM DESPERATE

her bedroom seems amazing though

Rafael gave so much shit to his dad because the other man had the habit of watching his husband sleep.

But now he sort of understood the fascination.

AWWWWW

“You do ballet?” he asked, holding up the ballet shoes.

slightly reminds me of rosa

OK WHO AM I KIDDING SHE TOTALLY DOES

the red binder

it's fucking genius

David can keep his flowers and cookies and scarves.

This, what he held in his hands right now, was the best thing anyone could ever give him. A file full of reforms to make the clave better.

IM SCREAMING

“You think I want to die and leave the Council in your cishet hands?”

YES BESTIE

“I don’t care what the Clave needs,” Rafael snapped, and Anjali momentarily looked taken aback. “I need you.”

he needs her

FUCK IT TIME TO CRY

“Bulgaria is known as the land of roses,” Rafael told her. “The Sofia Institute is built in the middle of a rose garden.”

“Oh,” Anjali’s eyes momentarily softened. “I like roses.”

you know that tiktok trend? the one which goes "listen it's a good joke it's a great joke even but i need you to stop" or smth like that?

yeah

His hand was itching to reach out and hold hers. So, he did just that. He reached out – very carefully – and took her hand in his own.

“I need you to get better, Anjali,” he whispered. “Cause I would very much like to take you there.”

HAND HOLDING

no she's not becoming a vampire

The part that was the shadowhunter – which told him she didn’t deserve to die over some angelic mishap.

The part that was the future Consul – which told him he needed Anjali on his side.

The part that was a Lightwood-Bane – which told him he should never give up fighting.

And then there was the part that was Rafael – just Rafael.

It told him he had to save his heart – no matter the consequences.

we're talking about some powerplant in geography and I'm crying over this

Anjali please please don't die

“Not everything,” Rafael told her. “I know someone who can help.”

WHO

GIVE ME A NAME

“Well, now we don’t know that for sure!” Max grinned. “Who knows what they get up to? Maybe there is someone occasional boning in the bone city.”

“How does manage to get more insufferable every time I meet him?” Jackson demanded.

i...never looked at it that way

OH JACKSON IS BECOMING A SILENT BROTHER

Max grinned widely at the other boy. “You wanna be my immortal buddy, Jack-Jack?”

OOP-

“The boys are back” he yelled, hugging David and Jackson. “Ty, our boys are back! Yas! The London Boys are back!”

THE LONDON BOYS

“Okay it’s a little disrespectful when you call her by the same name you call me,” Max pointed out.

“True,” Jackson nodded. “Irene shouldn’t be disrespected like that.”

YUYZXYSCGYZCGYUCUIZCVUH SCREAMING

"It’s hard being a celeb,” Max sighed dramatically.

“He is referring to the chaos you unleashed the last time you went there,” Jackson rolled his eyes. “People still remember you.”

“I’m memorable. It’s not my fault,” Max shrugged.

Max no more gambling bestie

“If the assassination attempt on Magnus had been successful, we wouldn’t be sitting and talking like this,” Kit pointed out. “The nephilim and downworlders would be at war.”

As they should. No one hurts Magnus

“So the target isn’t just Magnus Bane?” Jackson asked.

“Possibly,” Ty nodded. “The Consul and his husband…They are the ones who united the shadow world – with the Alliance. With their marriage. So, it’s not surprising that someone – seelie or not – wants to break it all down.”

with every line, I get closer to a breakdown

“There are people all around me to protect me from demons and crazy assassins,” Max smiled. “But you…You protect me from myself. So, don’t give me that I’m not good at protecting bullshit.”

so precious...

“Now let’s go find out which dumbass thought it would be a good idea to try and kill Magnus Fucking Bane.”

i have a few torture methods in mind

If shadowhunters couldn’t fight demons, it would put both downworlders and mundanes in danger. His father’s Clave – small as it was – did their best to keep the demons at bay. They were the only thing keeping the shadow world safe from demons.

Ikr?? Like David said earlier Alec's clave is literally the one doing the actual shadowhunting.

“Jackson is incredibly smart and perceptive. He knows what is good for him, David. He chose you to be his best friend. He has accepted that his family is gone for good and is finally focusing on his future. If this is what he wants to do and if this is who he wants to be, then you should trust that he has thought this through. He wouldn’t have chosen this life if he thought he wouldn’t be happy with it.”

TRUE

ALRIGHT WHO TF IS BEHIND ALL THIS

i just want to talk 🙂

“Great,” Max said, feeling frustrated. “So, someone created a fancy new poison just to kill my parents.”

“They did say something else,” Kit said, his tone worried. “The poison…It’s not entirely made of demonic properties.”

“Oh?” David said.

“It’s a mixture of angelic and demon properties,” Ty Blackthorn said. “And we know that-”

“Seelies,” Max whispered. “They have both angel and demon blood.”

Is anyone else scared?

GASP

WHAT IF

It's an angel and prince of hell working together?

ok that seems highly unlikely

“I don’t think you have a choice, bud,” Kit giggled. “Mina will have your head if you don’t get married. She has been working on a Pinterest board for years now.”

KIT

WHAT THE FUCK

OH MY GOD KIT

NO NO NO

HE CAN'T BE DEAD

NO FUCK NO

I'm absolutely loving all this angst so much. You said chapter 9 was the most angsty and frankly I can't wait :p

now...IF KIT AND ANJALI DIE I WILL BE VERY VERY SAD but the angst potential with Anjali though...NOPE NOPE NOPE. MY GIRL'S GONNA BE INQUISITOR I KNOW SHE WILL.

AHHHHHH THIS CHAPTER WAS A LOT LMAO.

I love how you are complaining but also thirsting for angst yall crazy.

I hope you are taking care of yourself and working on your entry for the competition!!!!!

Also the "we're talking about some wall in class" killed me lmao I laughed so hard fdhvjd.

#lbaf

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