#her friends were talking about it earlier apparently and they were all just assuming she had no idea what they were talking about

[greg-montgomery]

any other world - part 1

Aaron Hotchner x Fem!Reader - soulmate au

series masterlist

prologue

once again a huge thanks to this angel @criminalskies 🥹🫂🩷

(38)

“Haley, I said no.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so opposed to that name.” She smiled; Aaron assumed it wasn’t a genuine reaction, but more of an attempt to lighten up the mood.

This happened a lot. She’d say something that made him think of you, he’d have a reaction, and she’d pretend she didn’t notice. It broke his heart, but there was nothing he could do about it.

“If you have a different name in mind I’m open to suggestions,” she added, taking his hands in hers.

He leaned in to kiss her. “Just any other name besides Jack. Please.”

“Okay.”

--

(20)

“Aaron…” you whined, kicking one of the pillows that decorated your bed on the floor. “Be done with it already.”

“My exam is at 8 am. I won’t have any time to revise in the morning. Just give me thirty more minutes.”

“I can’t sleep without you.”

“I know. But if I come to your bed to study, I will not be studying,” he argued, since there was no need of you to say anything for him to get what you were insinuating.

“I’ll just lay my head on your chest. I promise I won’t even talk to you.”

“Fine,” he said, always unable to say no to you; even though your weight on him and your sweet scent would definitely make the letters on his papers start dancing.

But you kept your promise. You carefully laid on him, letting him wrap one of his arms around you. The only thing you did before closing your eyes was kissing the inside of his wrist, just like you did every night.

“Good night.”

“Good night, tulip,” he whispered and turned his attention back to his notes. He’d ace the test and then he’d get to hear the words ‘I’m so proud of you, baby!’ from your sweet lips. Then all the sleepless nights of studying would be worth it.

--

(21)

That couldn’t be right. There was no way that was right.

H.B.

Aaron would never forget the heartbroken look on your face when you saw those letters. The way your excited smile faded into an expression that went straight through his heart and made it bleed.

He was desperate to comfort you, but how could he find the right words to say when his whole world was crumbling in front of his eyes too? Every single dream, every single plan for the future, every single promise had vanished into thin air.

“These are not my initials,” you said quietly. You were still holding his hand in yours, staring at the new mark on his skin.

“Baby…” he whispered, cupping your cheek.

“No, Aaron,” you said, your eyes slowly filling with tears, “These are not my initials.”

Aaron pulled you into his arms as you broke down crying. You were holding onto him with a strength he didn’t know you had. He rubbed your back, trying to clear up his own thoughts.

How could the girl in his arms not be his soulmate? His best friend, his lover, his partner in everything? You were his family.

“I don’t care,” he whispered in your ear. “I don’t care what the mark says. You’re my soulmate.”

“I’m not,” you sobbed, pulling back so you could sit face to face again.

“You are. You’re the love of my life.”

“Apparently I’m not though,” you raised your voice. He knew you weren’t angry at him, you were angry at life. “God, Aaron, what the fuck? How could we have been so wrong?”

“We haven’t been wrong. I’m not gonna let an unknown fucking force decide who I’m spending my life with. You’re the one I want and I’m staying with you.”

“That’s not how it goes.”

“That’s exactly how it goes.”

You closed your eyes and breathed deeply, the way you always did to calm yourself down.

“Maybe we’re just meant to be friends.”

Aaron grabbed your jaw with his hand and pulled your face close to his, “Tell me when I was inside you earlier making you cry about how good you felt, did it feel like we were meant to be just friends?”

You wrapped your hand around his wrist and removed his hand from your face. “It doesn’t matter how I feel.”

“That’s actually all that matters to me.”

A deep sigh escaped your lips. “What are we going to do, Aaron?”

“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out, as long as we’re together.”

“This isn’t how tonight was supposed to go.”

“I know, my tulip.”

“It’s unfair,” you added, like a kid whose toy was stolen by their sibling.

“I know. But I love you, okay?”

“Okay.”

Aaron was grateful you let him hold you when he pulled you into a warm embrace. But it was impossible to keep the thoughts from running into dark places. Like the clear skin on your own wrist which would be soon stained with initials that weren’t going to be his either.

--

(21)

It felt like the mark on Haley’s wrist was mocking you.

A.H.

The two letters you had been craving all your life to have them written on your skin, were decorating her wrist instead.

Haley was beautiful, smart, popular. The perfect girl next door.

You and Aaron had met her in high school. She was staring in a school play he was forced to participate in because of a bet he’d lost. You got along with her pretty well, and so did Aaron.

Back then you weren’t worried over the way they both used to geek over Star Wars – which you simply couldn’t get into, no matter how hard Aaron had tried to make you love – during rehearsals. You weren’t worried when he’d invited her to his birthday party that year and you had noticed her eyes sparkle when he had played his favorite Beatles’ song.

Back then none of that mattered. Because back then, Aaron was your soulmate.

Yet you still couldn't hate Haley, because she was in pain too.

Her birthday only a month after Aaron’s had confirmed your suspicions that his soulmate was her. And you could relate to her heartbreak, when Aaron had to break the news to her. When he informed her that no matter what their wrists said, he was choosing you instead.

Neither of you truly had him, and in that way you understood her.

--

(21)

“Here.” You placed the hot cup of coffee you’d made for Aaron, next to his book.

“Thank you, honey,” he said, reaching out his hand to touch your waist under your shirt. With that motion he pulled you close to him, so you were standing right in front of his chair.

He wrapped his arms around you and your own hands got lost between his hair. Aaron left a tiny kiss on your stomach and looked up at you. “I’m anxious.”

“You’re going to do great. You’ve been studying non-stop for days now.”

“I don’t feel like I’m doing enough,” he admitted.

“You’re always so hard on yourself.” Your thumb rubbed the short hair on his temples as you kissed the tip of his nose. The nose kiss was followed by a soft one on his lips, before you pulled away again. “You’re doing more than enough. And I’m so proud of you.”

His dimples made an appearance and your heart smiled at your success. “There’s my boy.”

“Shut up,” he laughed, rolling his eyes. You could just pinch his cheeks every time you made him shy.

“Do you want me to help? We can go through some questions together. I’ll ask, you’ll answer.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking through his notes. “Haley gave me-”

At the realization of saying her name, he paused.

“It’s okay, you can mention her around me, I’m not gonna break,” you said, hoping you successfully hid the fact that you were annoyed.

He cleared his throat and continued. “Her cousin took the same exams last year, so she gave me his notes. He has written down all the questions that were on the test.”

“Good then. Let’s get to work.”

--

(45)

“Good night, buddy,” he whispered, leaving a sweet kiss on his son’s forehead. Jack usually replied with a ‘Good night, daddy,’ but he was already fast asleep.

As Aaron made his way to the living room in order to clear up the floor from his son’s toys, he heard a knock on his door.

He walked towards it as silently as he could, and looked through the peep hole; the fear of a possible intruder still poisoning his blood.

But the face he saw on the other side of the door took his breath away.

A face he hadn’t seen in years. A face he saw every night in his sleep.

He didn’t let a second more to pass before opening his door.

“Y/N?” he said in a breath.

Your eyes were red, and full of tears. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

tag list: @magical-spit @lilsunshine1092 @hiraethrhapsody @cult-of-enji-todoroki @emo-markie

#aaron hotchner #hotch #aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #hotch 🪐 #any other world

[benedictscanvas]

gentle hands, ankle clasps - roy kent x reader

pairing: roy kent x fem!actress!reader

word count: 2k

warnings: mindless fluff, language, allusions to smut but nothing remotely explicit (that should be blanket warning for every fic i write, it's never smut but the characters are almost always slightly horny maybe i'm projecting)

request: hey can i request a roy fic with the reader being an actress of some sort and being like bubbly compared to him - anon

a/n: back with roy again, being a comforting little shit. another chapter of be still, my foolish heart coming tomorrow, but thought i'd treat myself to a request in between! if you have sent a request, thank you!! they're all fucking incredible and please rest assured, i will be getting to them over the next week or so <3

---

Roy’s arm, firm around your waist, is practically the only thing keeping you upright. Why your stylist had insisted on these heels, and the height of them, you had no idea. Yes, you were a strong capable woman who could handle whatever life threw at you - apparently not counting these shoes.

“Think they’ll find it cute or nauseating if I carry you inside?” he whispers in your ear, temple pressed firm against yours. You tip your nose into his cheek affectionately.

“I’d find it nauseatingly sweet if you did,” you murmur, blocking out the shouts and flashes from ahead of you, “But the headlines would all be about my inability to walk in heels. I can’t give them the satisfaction.”

Roy nods, and pulls you in even tighter to him by the waist, glowering at the cameras again. You rest your hand on his chest in a tried and tested pose, one leg in front of the other, hip jutting out. Your bright smile was a much talked about contrast to Roy’s own expression, but the pictures were still ones you treasured.

You caught Keeley out of the corner of your eye, her and Jamie posing for photos of their own. Normally, you might have ran over to greet them but since you currently couldn't run, you just waved, mouthing a 'thank you!' to them for coming. Keeley offered you a shocked look at how good your outfit was, while Jamie just saluted. You could feel Roy’s arm moving and knew what he was about to do, so you grasped it lightly in your own.

“No middle fingers at my premiere,” you hiss at him, under the guise of the same bright smile. You feel his chuckle in his chest under your palm and you relent, bringing his hand up to your lips to press a kiss to each knuckle before you let it go, “Thank you.”

He grunts and you nod your appreciation to the camera people before moving on, allowing Roy to propel you forward as you fight to keep your balance. However uncomfortable you were, at least you knew you looked damn good. When you’d done a twirl for Roy before the two of you left earlier, he’d just stood there silently. He stared at you for fucking ages. You think he’s still frustrated that you stopped him when he started toying with the zipper because you weren’t willing to be fashionably late.

“Think you can cope?” Roy asks, pulling you out of your thoughts as he gestures to the next lot of paparazzi who are this time clamouring for some solo shots of you. You kiss Roy’s cheek and nod at him, pushing him gently out of the way with a laugh as you assume your previous pose but with a hand on your hip instead.

There’s a woman waving a microphone at you and you squint at her, then eagerly hike up your dress as realisation dawns.

“Hannah! How are you?” you greet warmly, kissing both cheeks and taking hold of her hand, “It’s so good to see a friendly face.” “These things are quite overwhelming,” she agrees, holding up her microphone in a way that you’re used to. No, you and Hannah weren’t friends, but you were friendly and that counted just as much in this world, “But you’re going to have to get them used to them, honey! Your third big movie this year, how do you find the time?”

“Oh, I made a deal with the devil long ago, Hannah,” you laugh, annoyed with yourself that its not your real laugh. Maybe tonight really was a little overwhelming, “No, in all seriousness, I’m just honoured to have gotten the chance to work on not one but three incredible projects in such a short period of time. I’ve been lucky.”

Your eyes find Roy’s. He’s stood just a few metres away, ready to dart in and take you away if you give him the signal. He’s a godsend and he’s perfected his routine of saving you and he gets away with it because he’s Roy Kent. It works wonders for you.

“Speaking of being lucky,” Hannah attempts a segue that you’re not sure even she’s sold on, “What’s up next for you? Another Hollywood blockbuster or some quiet time with that fella of yours?”

Hannah speaks in a very friendly way, so why do you have the sudden urge to go all Kent on her and tell her to kindly fuck off. You do a shaky exhale with your mouth far enough away from the microphone as you scratch your temple with one finger. The signal.

“Ah, you know, I think it’s time that I-”

“Right, that’s enough,” Roy steps up, signature couldn’t give a fuck walk on display as his arm winds around your waist again and it feels like you can breathe once more, “Fuck off now, please. Thank you.”

And he gets you out of there. Steers you past the next batch of photographers entirely with a few middle fingers despite your earlier insistence. You’re too grateful to care, smiling at those you pass with ease since Roy is making it clear that you’re not stopping to talk. You see a few more Richmond faces as he opens the door to the cinema they’re screening the film in, some of which you actually wouldn’t mind speaking to, but you figure you’ll see them inside.

Once you’re in the door and Roy has shut it behind you, the first thing you do is let out a huge huff of breath, a release. He tilts his head at you knowingly.

“I love it when you’re simultaneously rude and polite, you know?” you say, trying to break a bit of tension, “Fucking hot.”

“Yeah, I know,” he says, and you wonder if that’s why he’s started add pleases and thank yous to his insults. He takes your hand in his and leads you slowly over to a sofa in the entrance hall, “You good?”

“Am now,” you answer honestly as you flop into a seat, watching Roy crouch down in front of you, hands on your knees through your dress, “I don’t know why it’s difficult tonight. Hannah’s a delight, normally.”

“Hannah’s a fucking nosy delight,” Roy barks out, “Your feet hurt, you’ve been rushing around all week, all those interviews. Talking to people. You’re exhausted. It’s fucking allowed.”

“I like talking to people,” you say, voice small.

“No, you’re good at it. There’s a difference. If you describe your perfect night to me, does it involve any of these people prying into your fucking business? Does it involve people at all?”

He’s very good at suddenly coming out with something that allows for a slight shift in your worldview. And he’s right. You know how to talk to people, you’re good at it, making connections and finding common ground. But your happiest is at home. Maybe a Richmond match, if they win. A day at the zoo, even.

“You’re so secretly insightful, god,” you groan, plastering a hand to your forehead as you sink further into your seat, “You’re right. Shit. I’ve just been doing so much of it.”

“Yeah. Just need a break. I’ve been telling you that shit.”

He has. Incessantly. You’d almost argued with him about it the day before, but you stopped yourself when you remembered he was trying to be kind, even if you were struggling with the constant reminders to take care of yourself. You’d promised, after the premiere, you’d recharge. If you’d listened to him, you would have recharged before, and maybe you could’ve handled a longer conversation with Hannah that the film’s promoters would have liked.

“Can we just agree from now on that you’re always right? It’s like living with a wizard. You’re my Gandalf.”

He chuckles, rubbing his hands up your thighs and back down again, strong, soothing motions. You’re not sure he even knows he’s doing it, providing steady comfort without even thinking about it.

“Fuck no. I’m wrong all the fucking time,” he says, “Let’s agree that we’re both always wrong.”

You giggle, shaking your head as you take his hands in yours, stopping his movements. You lean forward to press your forehead against your clasped hands.

“Love you. Thank you for tonight,” you say into his hands, feeling him kiss the crown of your head, then look up at him to add, “And for every other night. You know my perfect evening does involve one person, right?”

He looks suitably pleased. Sometimes he gets this look on his face that’s almost a smile, eyebrows lifted and sparkling eyes, lips slightly parted. It always makes you want to kiss him, so you do, keeping both your hands over both of his until one of his ends up holding your face closer to him. He breaks away first, keeps it light and sweet, like he knows exactly what you need at all times.

“I know you’re about to make a joke about-”

“Jamie, yeah, I was going to say Jamie,” you admit, flicking your gaze between both his eyes, “But I meant you, idiot. Always mean you, even if I don’t say it.”

“Fucking sap,” he mutters, leaning in to steal another kiss, even slower than the last. Even deeper. You want to pull him on top of you and lean back into this couch and spend the evening like this but there’s definitely other people walking around here. It’s like you’d forgotten.

“Love you too,” he breathes when he pulls away, “And I’m fucking proud of you. For this film, for tonight, for all of it. But if you don’t let me and Phoebe fucking pamper you tomorrow, we’re going to have a fucking problem.”

You gasp, eyes wide.

“She wants to do a spa day?”

“As soon as I told her how stressed you’d been, of course she did. Says her mum got her a new face mask she thinks you’ll like,” he shakes his head, then stops you as you’re about to say something, “And before you ask - no, she doesn’t want to be fucking pampered herself. Keeps going on about ‘providing a service’ the weird little shit.”

You feel a teary laugh bubbling up in your throat. Phoebe made you feel so loved. Roy made you feel so loved. You hoped you could ‘provide the same service’ for them.

“I will be the most relaxed woman on the planet tomorrow,” you promise, running a hand down the side of his face, thumb lingering on the scruff, “Can feel myself floating towards that title right now.”

‘Good. One more thing,” he leans away from you, head ducking down and a terrified part of thinks he’s about to stick his head underneath your dress, but instead you feel the clasps of your shoes coming undone around your ankles. You peer your head to watch him gently free you of your heels, one by one, thumb pressing into the soles of your feet and rubbing all the way down once. You shivered.

“Now let’s go and watch a fucking good film, yeah?”

God, you don’t know how you’re going to keep your hands off this man when you’re about to be sat in a dark room for the next two hours. Your dress pools on the floor when you stand up now that you don’t have your heels, but Roy quickly picks up the fabric so you don’t walk on it. You turn your head to sneak another quick kiss as the two of you begin walking towards the theatre, your heels dangling from Roy’s other hand.

“If you don’t end up marrying me, Roy Kent, I’m going to be really fucking angry with you.”

You watch the grin light up his face as he holds the door open for you to go and find your seats.

“Noted.”

#roy kent x reader #roy kent #ted lasso #ted lasso x reader #roy kent fanfiction #roy kent imagine #roy kent x you #roy kent fluff

[effeminate-wastrel]

Something fucking weird happened to me yesterday. A few fucking weird somethings in fact.

I was at a premiere party for a local comedian's special, maybe like 25-30 people in a little art commune backyard space, kinda place with a bunch of art sculptures and free ranging cats and a fun vibey vibe.

This comedian is one of those kinda 'i'm not a terf i just think maybe trans people could tone it down a little' lesbians who i first met through a trans comic friend (who no longer speaks with this comedian over some apparently terfy views) so i'm kinda already on red alert. But there's a few other trans girls there and generally I don't think this comedian is like hateful or even terfy i think she's just kinda catring to a certain demographic of queer people that aren't as progressive or whatever.

not my particular FAVORITE crowd of people or ideology but I'm interested in hearing and hanging out with reasonable people whose views are different than mine, assuming they are pleasant and not disrespectful, yknow, so i went into the party with an open mind.

i was being a social lil butterfly as i'm wont to do and i met this big burly beardy kinda guy, he seems chill, nice enough. Later in the party after a bit of weed and drinks have been slung, he comes up to me and asks if I can help him get some drugs. He asks if I have any Clomid. I haven't ever heard of it, I look it up and he explains it's a fertility drug for cis or trans women, he described it as an estrogen blocker and i guess it makes ovaries OR testicles more fertile if a trans woman has undergone HRT, I guess.

I'm a little dumbfounded and trying to figure out what the hell is going on, why this random dude is asking me for meds i know nothing about, and i'm desperately trying to figure out the context of this request. I'm making him a little uncomfortable with my questions, trying to figure out if this is a trans man, closeted trans woman, detransitioned trans woman, or i dont even know what, and i ask for a little bit of clarity.

he offers up, "well... i was a boy who got raped and spent some time where i thought i was a woman but now i'm on testosterone again and trying to have a baby" and i'm like... okay detransitioned trans woman i guess, and i'm like yeah sorry i have no idea if i can find anyone who could get these meds for you. I asked him why he was asking me and he said "[comedian's name but ALSO his partner's name, so i don't know which person he's referring to] said you were a safe person to talk to about this. Conversation basically ended there and i walked away from it thinking it was extremely strange, not knowing how to process any of what just happened.

Then later i meet another person who's detransitioned, she was 'being a guy' for a while then kinda ended up not resonating with it and is presenting femme again.

the party just kinda started closing in on me at that point, just started feeling like more people there might be detrans, is this the audience of people, is this the vibe of the party, did the comedian mean something else when i made a joke earlier to her along the lines of "yeah looking bad is so hot right now" (just lightly roasting gen z type style and all that stuff which isn't my vibe obvi) and she said "yeahhh you couldn't be more right" in a kind of way that i could have interpreted as being in reference to ME if she was saying something along the lines of 'you ugly man in a dress' if she IS a closeted terf orrrrrrrr

idk. so much of this is spiraling based on a weird experience and also RSD that goes haywire in situations where my transness has even a 10% chance of being related. but also like. maybe my intuition should be trusted and it really was a bad situation? i just wish i had some neutral way to find out what the hell was going on but it feels so fraught

[loraliewritesthings]

Nameless Danny au: Parenthood

Concept: Danny is both damians twin and the ghost king. Not much actual danny and damian in this. We'll see their pov in the next post in the au. I wanted to focus on Danny's parents.

(Also thank you to @bluerosefox for talking to me as I write. Their work is really good. Go give them some attention)

Both Bruce and Talia noticed her standing slightly to the side. Holding the soon to be young kings hand was a slightly taller women. Her hair was red and her kind but calculating eyes reminded Bruce of Barbara. For a moment she. had stared at them, four very living people standing among ghosts and spirits. Then she squeezed the boy beside hers hand.

Talia didn't know why she did it. It felt almost like instinct, but she rolled her eyes like a irritated teenager. She was sure if it was that the girl was coddling the boy about to take the throne. (Though a small part of her knew it was that she was mad that that strange very living girl was in that place. It didn't feel right. She tried to bat away the thought.)

Looking towards were her father had been standing she almost sighed in frustration. He was wading threw the crowd towards the very shut castle doors. As nimbly as he could. She wasn't surprised. Ras had done the dirty work of killing the unnamed child himself. Furthermore if anyone knew what a ghost king was capable of it was him.

But still to run like a coward. She couldn't lie to herself that it didn't anger her. If it wasn't for her father they wouldn't be out of the ghost kings favor to begin with.

The thought stopped her for a minute. Would this boy have become the ghost king say she didn't abandon him. Say ras didn't kill him.

Yes the boy should be thankful of the opportunity given to him. She watched the white haired boy recite a promise to his people. In English then Latin then a language she didn't understand. She was sure with a little work she could get into his good graces. They were blood after all.

Bruce could see the gears working in Talias head. He repressed a sigh. Someway somehow he would have to get his son on his side first. It's not that he wanted to turn him against his mother perse. But Talia with the power of a queen mother would be a disaster. He already saw that smirk of hers.. the same smirk Damian throws on when he had the upper hand in an argument. He glanced at ras who was now trying to play cool. Bruce briefly wondered if he would have to stop a possible murder. Obviously with how ras was acting he had been the one to initially murder the young ghost king.

The ghost king had just finished his oath to his people. The red headed young woman standing carefully beside him. Bruce couldn't help but hope that she inherited the queen mother status. She would be easy to get close to if she was like Barbara. Of course he would have to figure out what exactly made her tic.

He hated to do this, to be so cold when he was seeing his son for the first ever time... but he couldn't be without a contingency plan. He didn't know how much the league had damaged him. He didn't know if the boy, apparently crowned king Danny Phantom, would take his frustrations with his family (Which was clear as day by the way he looked at them. There must have been a mixup with invitations) out on the living.

The crown was dusted and held above Danny's head. Just then the knight from earlier gestured for them to cover their ears.

Just as the crown was placed on his head, Danny screamed out in pain. In agony. The hero in Bruce wanted to charge threw the crowd. To soothe the seething pain in him, but he was paralized. Threw the blood curdling screams a young girl (a living breathing human girl) put her hand on his shoulder. She clearly had ear plugs in. Slowly she mouthed the words

"It'll be ok"

She was in almost all black. The boy behind her (also living) looked uncomfortable in general. With his suit, with his ear plugs, and Bruce had to assume with what was happening his friend, as they were around damians age as well, and the two were the only living beings there besides the people he arrived with and the woman next to the new king.

As the screams faded and the crown seemed to bind with Danny the women next to him popped her earplugs out and wiped her tears, next to him he could feel Talia smirk again at her weakness.

Yes Bruce needed to work fast...

At least Ras hadn't immediately covered his ears.

Tags: @bluerosefox @fisticuffsatapplebees @skulld3mort-1fan @samgirl98 @itshype @thegatorsgoose @ladythugs @stargirl1331 @betinaplayingwriter

#ghost king danny dc #ghost king au #ghost king danny #talia al ghul #bruce wayne #jazz fenton #sam and tucker #i dont remember their last names #ill google it next time #Nameless danny au #dp x dc #danny phantom coronation #danny phantom #danny fenton #coronation #ghost crown #bruce being bruce #and talia being bitchy #and jazz being perfect #omg i forgot to add something #and that something is #as always #loralie is annoying #fanfiction #headcanon #dc fanfic #dc headcanon

[perfectsunlight]

(𝟗) - 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞?

𝗮𝗲𝗿𝗶 𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗮 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗵𝘂𝗵 𝘆𝘂𝗻𝗷𝗶𝗻 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

part of the series: best friends

warnings: none

word count: 2,339

“holy shit, jen.” the beauty blender you were using was doing its best to blend the concealer on your collarbone. however, it could only do so much considering your skin was now several tones darker than it was before. the american only shot you a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck as she sat up from the couch. “sorry, i got a little carried away.”

“how am i supposed to hide these?” you whispered, glaring in her direction before you just gave up. “jen, you’ve never left marks like this before,” yunjin only shrugged at your accusation, only flashing you another feigned innocent smile. your eyes rolled before you continued. “and you decide to leave them while we’re here of all places.”

“it’s a good thing we performed already.” she pointed out, her gaze remaining on the patterns of crimson that decorated your entire chest and neck. there were definitely more on you than there were on her, mostly because yunjin can only restrain herself for so long. and if you were being quite honest, yunjin didn’t hold anything back this time.

“y/n!” 

your head spun in the direction of the door, causing yunjin to immediately panic at the recognition of whos voice it was. 

a string of hushed curses fell from your mouth while you just grabbed yunjin’s suit jacket from the performance earlier to cover yourself. you were already dressed, but your collarbone and chest were very exposed without the jacket, making the marks anything but hidden.

the door handle rattled, but fortunately for you and yunjin, you remembered to lock it before anything had gone down. your fingertips unlocked the door, and there you stood face to face with your best friend. 

the rapper’s eyes narrowed, eyeing both you and yunjin suspiciously before she spoke. “what took you two so long?” she playfully teased, but you saw a glint of something flashing in her eyes. except, you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. 

yunjin would have made her way over from the couch, but she realized she would rather not be burned alive by the aespa member who definitely had her suspicions about something if she came all the way backstage.

“we were just relaxing and talking about the performance,” you answered as naturally as you could, and you assumed you had gotten out of the woods since aeri didn’t ask any further questions.

 “anyway,” you smiled up at your best friend. “what are you doing all the way back here?” if you weren’t lying, she looked a little hesitant, which was an odd look for someone of her confidence. the aespa member never looked hesitant. it wasn’t like her to be timid or to shy away from her words and feelings. however, somehow the sight of yunjin in the previously locked room with you made something snap in her.

aeri took one last glance into the room at yunjin before looking back at you with a smirk. “i’m here to take you out on a date, y/n.” your eyes widened, and your jaw dropped. internally, you were exploding with numerous different emotions while simultaneously screaming into the void.

although your back was facing her, yunjin had to stop herself from sitting up the moment giselle spoke. she didn’t want to look suspicious at all, the last thing she needed was a fight with the japanese girl. and the last thing you needed was a ruined date apparently.

“a date?” you managed to squeak out, earning a chuckle from your best friend. aeri leaned against the doorframe, looking down at you with a simple smile. “yes, a date. i made us dinner reservations for,” she lifted her wrist to look at her pretend watch. “an hour from now, so we should go now.” 

how you didn’t go into cardiac arrest was beyond your understanding, but somehow you managed to nod in acknowledgement. “let me grab my phone,” you quickly said before turning back into the room. “jen-jen, have you seen my phone?” you asked, pacing around the room as quickly as possible, scanning every countertop as you went.

yunjin sat up at the call of her name before reaching under one of the pillows and handing you your phone. you walked over and gave her a grateful smile, but just before you grabbed it, she pulled it out of your reach. the american laughed at your visible frustration before actually handing it to you.

“good luck,” she mouthed before making a kissy face. your eyes rolled for what seemed like the tenth time that hour before you made your way back over to the rapper who was waiting in the doorway.

“what was that?” giselle inquired, scoffing lightly at the faint blush on your face. “just yunjin being yunjin,” you muttered before closing the door behind you. once the door was shut, the rapper pulled you in by your waist before pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. you were very confused as to why she was being so affectionate all of a sudden, and was even asking you on a date. maybe things were looking up finally for you two?

you instinctively relaxed once the rapper’s lips kissed your forehead. her familiar scent of wood sage filling your senses. “you did really, really well up there.” she whispered, rocking you gently against her body. “thanks, gigi.” you mumbled into the crook of her neck.

“come on,” she pulled away and led you by your hand down the hall. “we can’t be late for our first date, can we?”

aeri managed to borrow somi’s mercedes for the occasion, and during the entire drive she insisted on keeping her hand on your thigh. it wasn’t in any suggestive way (which was another rare occurrence considering the nature of your relationship) and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t enjoying yourself so far. 

the two of you arrived at the restaurant, and you were thoroughly impressed at how aeri managed to get a reservation this late. then again, you two were idols, so it wasn’t too unbelievable. 

she actually blindfolded you once you got out of the car, and insisted on leading you to the designated area because she didn’t want to ruin your “surprise.” 

“okay okay are you sure you can’t see?” she asked, adjusting the blindfold for what seemed like the 10th time. “aeri,” you chuckled, admiring at how determined she seemed for this to go right. “sorry,” she apologized sheepishly before finally leading you up what seemed like some stairs. you walked a little further before she eventually stopped you.

your ears picked up on her moving behind you, and then you felt her hands gently undoing the blindfold. once your vision was restored, your breath hitched in your throat at the sight before you.

she had brought you onto the balcony of the restaurant where a table was set and decorated beautifully. there were fairy lights strung across the rafters, and flower petals adorning the white tablecloth. candles were lit across the floor, painting the otherwise dark night with soft hues of yellow. 

the best part was the view. it somehow managed to take the rest of the air from out of your lungs at the sight of the ocean that your table overlooked. even though it was late at night, you could still clearly see the waves crashing against the shoreline.

“aeri,” you whispered as she hugged you from behind. the rapper’s smile could be felt against the back of your head. due to the close proximity, you could feel her heartbeat hammering against her chest. she was nervous, but also filled with excitement. she had been planning this for a little while, and she clearly put lots of effort into this date.

she wanted to make sure the occasion was perfect, because that’s what you were in her eyes: perfect.

“do you like it?” she whispered softly, her signature smile never leaving her face, even when you turned around in her arms. “i love it, aeri.” you grinned at her, wrapping your arms around her shoulders while her hands rested on your waist. 

she had actually the owners of the restaurant set this up right before they closed, which was why no one was there. which was also a huge part of the other surprise that she had. 

“come on,” she led you by the hand once more. “let me make you dinner.”

your eyes widened comically at her statement. “you? cooking?” you gave her a teasing smile, “are you sure it would be edible?”

giselle’s mouth fell open as she turned around to playfully scowl at you. “i can cook very well, excuse you. besides, its your favorite alfredo, how could i mess that up?”

a faint blush painted your cheeks while butterflies fluttered in your stomach. “you remembered that?” 

aeri’s eyes softened as you two entered the restaurant’s kitchen, “of course i remembered, y/n.”

she let go of your hand and rolled her sleeves up. she had changed out of her stage outfit before you two left, and she had on a pair of black cargos paired with a hoodie that were now covered by an apron she found.

“let me help,” you whined, earning a quick shake of her head. “no,” giselle grinned and began pulling out a few bowls and ingredients. “i’m treating you for our first date, you can treat me for our next one.”

heat rushed to your face as you stumbled over your words, trying to find a way to respond to that. a first date with aeri was already a dream come true, but a second date? it was too much to think about right then and there.

“i’ll help you grab ingredients at least,” you smiled before moving towards the fridge. the rapper groaned in protest, but she couldn’t stop you now that her hands were busy. “fine, but that’s all.” 

“sing something for me, y/n/n.” 

the request caught you off guard, and you almost dropped the can of sauce on your foot. “sing? like a song?” 

aeri let out a laugh, “obviously, what else would you sing? the declaration of independence?” 

the comment made you laugh along with her. her wittiness was unmatchable sometimes, but it was always something you adored about her. “aeri, you’re japanese, not american.” 

“i still learned about the declaration of independence in school, honey.” she replied with a slight scoff, “and before you say anything, yes i did do well in history, because i already know you’re going to bring up my math grades.”

the memory of you two bickering over how to solve a 3rd grader’s math problem sent you into a fit of laughter. “hey, maybe i should really help you now since your counting is questionable.”

you teased while you took yunjin’s jacket off and threw it onto a nearby counter. your back turned to the rapper while you struggled to tie the apron. a pair of hands snaked around your waist, and a soft voice in your ear.

“let me help you,” she whispered as she pulled you closer to tie the apron for you. “thank you,” you mumbled, a soft blush forming on your face once more at the tender action. her chin rested on your shoulder while she breathed in your scent. 

“you smell different,” she muttered, seeming annoyed that you didn’t smell like you usually did. “its probably because of yunjin’s jacket,” you replied, motioning over to it on the counter. aeri hummed in response. 

“i don't like it.” 

your eyebrows raised, head turning in her direction to look at her better. “i can’t control someone else’s scents, gigi.” you snickered, which made her groan. “well, i don’t like her either.”

oh? this was different

“who? yunjin?” you snickered and caressed her cheek softly. “she’s just a good friend. besides,” aeri looked up to meet your eyes finally. “i’m on a date with you, not her.”

the notion brought a smile to her face and she pulled you in for a sincere kiss. she wanted to wait to kiss you properly later, but she couldn’t help herself anymore. you had to pull away before things got too heated. 

“now,” you smiled brightly and moved back towards the counter. “let’s make dinner, im starving.”

-

dinner was ready in roughly 40 minutes, which you found astonishing considering the fact that aeri kept almost dropping half of the ingredients. “finally, we can eat!” she shouted as she took her apron off and set it on the hook. “allow me,” she teased while she gently undid the knot she made on yours earlier. “thank you, aeri.” you giggled before turning to place it back where you found it.

the silence made you assume that aeri had gone to put the plates of food outside, and you hummed quietly to yourself while you walked back to the fridge to find something to drink for the both of you. 

“hey, where do they keep the,” you called over your shoulder, but stopped midway when you saw the rapper standing beside you. “oh, i thought you were still outside. do you know where the soju is?”

your brows furrowed at her tense state, not understanding why she suddenly went quiiet. “aeri?” you waved your hand in front of her face as you tried to get her attention.

“y/n,” she whispered, and you looked up at her in confusion. “yes?” 

the rapper swallowed loud enough for you to hear, and you couldn’t help but feel like a sudden tension had filled the room. did she forget something in the pasta? or maybe she realized she locked the keys in the car again. somi would definitely kill her, and you as well, for that. 

after what seemed like an eternity, your best friend finally broke the silence that loomed for quite sometime. she motioned with her chin towards you, eyes darkened with an emotion you had never seen on her before. it scared you, honestly.

“what’s on your neck?’

-

a/n: MWAH

#aespa #lesserafim #aeri uchinaga #giselle #giselle x reader #yunjin x reader #huh yunjin #kpop #fiction #best friends #perfectsunlight

[every-aj-needs-an-angel]

Part 5 of the Steddie Vegas AU!! So sorry it's a week late

Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4

Steve had just finished packing up the backpack with everything they'd need for a trip to the desert when the phone rang. At first, he assumed it'd be Robin getting antsy about how late it was getting (not that it was late at all) so he just answers with a snarky "What?"

It isn't until he hears his mother's haughty huff that all the colour drains out of his face. 

"Steven, that is no way to answer the telephone! We raised you better than that," he can hear the disappointment dripping from her tone, but all he can think is, you didn't raise me at all!

"Mother. My apologies, I assumed you were Bobbie," he responds flatly.

"Oh, so that's his name," she snarked. Huh? Oh, for fuck's sake!

"No," Steve's quick to respond, trying to keep a hold of his temper, "I meant Robin, you know, my best friend!" His mother really should know that, but unsurprisingly Steve's life isn't important to her unless it's affecting her social standing, "Eddie is my husband, was that not clarified in the announcement?" he sniped, trying and failing to keep the bite out of it.

His mother sighed heavily, "You know I don't touch newspapers, darling," she drawled, "The ink stains my nails," she adds disdainfully. He can practically see her dusting the imaginary particles from her fingertips; she never was one to touch anything dirty. "We only heard because Sam mentioned it. Apparently our son doesn't bother to update us on his poor life choices any more," she bemoaned, with a quick succession of tuts for good measure. Sam was their lawyer, best friend, golf buddy, fuck buddy, probably, Steve didn't know, and he didn't want to.

The only poor choice I've made was answering this call!

Steve bit his tongue, holding in the lecture he wanted to unleash, like he always did, "Okay, well I have to go, I'm running late," he lied, "I'll come and see you both when I get home," he assured, even though they both knew he wouldn't.

"Okay, darling, call Sam, he'll finish the paperwork," she insisted, hanging up on him without waiting for a response.

Call Sam! Fuck you!

Resisting the urge to throw the phone at the wall, he kicked the bed with the side of his foot instead, growling in frustration. Part of him wanted them to leave him alone for good, part of him just wanted them to care, and the rest of him wanted him to stop caring what they thought. He sighed heavily, closing his eyes and counting to ten in his mind, this was Robin’s day, he could deal with his parental complications later. He flung the backpack over his shoulder, hooking the dressing gown over his arm and checked his hair in the mirror as he left the room, trying to leave the conversation and the frustration behind him. 

But it didn’t work, he could still feel the anger deep in his bones that meant he couldn't help stomping up the staircase. He hated how she always managed to rile him up, but what he hated most was how he let her. Normally, one of her phone calls would come with a two-day sulk, hiding in his room and moping in bed like a sullen teenager. Normally he could call for Robin through the wall, and she’d come and lay with him, rest her head on his chest while he ranted, but he couldn't do that right now, but that didn’t stop him needing her. And honestly, he felt like he kinda needed Eddie too. He wanted his arms around his waist and his hair tickling his face, and he wanted to go back to the contented peace he'd felt earlier watching Eddie and Robin talk.

Finally making it back upstairs, he knocked on the suite door, Chrissy let him in with a welcoming smile before wandering off into her bedroom. A quick glance was all it took for him to realise that the girls were waiting for him alone, he wandered further into the room putting the dressing gown down on the back of the sofa as Robin came out of Chrissy's room, handing him his wallet that he'd left in his jeans on Eddie's floor.

"What's up?" she asked, barely even glancing at him before wrapping her arms tightly around him, pressing her cheek firmly against his chest.

"She called back," Steve muttered, tucking his chin over the top of her head, pulling her closer.

"Must've got around the club," Robin reasoned, tightening her grip, rubbing his back soothingly. 

Steve adored her so much. He didn’t know how she had the patience with him because she never said anything. No matter how many times he let them do this to him, she was always just there for him, and the thing was he knew if the roles were reversed he wouldn’t be able to hold his tongue. He knew he’d be telling her to stop speaking to them, to stop letting them get to her because they both believed in cutting toxic people out, but she’d been the same way about Billy. She had obviously hated him, but she’d never said a bad word against him, never told Steve to leave him, she had always just sat and listened. She had always been his rock.

He just hummed in response, he didn't really want to think about it any more, they'd ruined enough of his holiday already. He kissed her on the top of her head, squeezing her once before releasing her.

Robin placed her hands on his cheeks, smiling affectionately as she squished his face, making him chuckle, before letting go with a gentle pat; circling him to rummage around in the backpack for her sunglasses that she'd left behind on the desk in their room. 

Steve glanced around, watching as the girls pottered, "Where's Eddie?"

Robin shrugged, "Downstairs," she muttered, zipping the backpack back up, "He said something about a surprise," she added, aiming for nonchalance and missing by miles, turning on her heel and striding out the front door without another word. 

Chrissy gathered her handbag and sunglasses, following her out and holding the door open, waiting for Steve to join them. He pulled the backpack tighter over his shoulder and pushed off the sofa with an amused huff, following them out and letting the door swing shut behind him. 

He gave Chrissy a warm smile when she linked her arm through his as they wandered down the hall together side-by-side. Robin was already at the end of the corridor waiting for the lift, still pressing the down button when they caught her up. 

A reaction like that from anyone else he would think was weird, but Steve knew Robin too well, he knew that her lack of elaboration just meant that she was in on whatever the surprise was and had been sworn to secrecy. Claudia had organised a surprise birthday party for him once, and Robin's head had nearly exploded. 

When she'd been told about the surprise baby shower for Jenny in the office, she'd told him that she just found it easier to not speak around someone she was keeping something from, just to make sure she didn't blurt out the secret by accident. Except sometimes in life you can't avoid speaking to people, so then she'd have to do that, carefully regulated wording, precise and to the point.

Except what she never seemed to realise was just how stark the contrast was between her ability to witter endlessly and her careful wording and requisite silence. Jenny had been convinced Robin had fallen out with her, the added hormones didn't help, but she'd ended up wailing in the bathroom and Robin had had to spill the secret, so Jenny would stop crying and begging to know what she'd done wrong.

The first time he'd called her out for her silence and one word answers, she’d been her convinced he was a mind reader. They hadn't known each other long, they'd been neighbours for a few months but had only started to become friends when he and Billy were on a slow path to breaking up. She used to check in on him after one of their epic screaming matches, when Billy would throw whatever was closest, punch walls and slam the front door with a "fuck you!" She'd come over with Kleenex, chocolate and ice cream and sit with him on the couch, make him laugh and help him clean up and fix whatever Billy had broken. 

But then about three days after his final breakup with Billy, her great aunt died. Obviously, he'd noticed her unexpected silence when she'd spent the previous two days talking his ear off to keep him distracted. She was shocked when he'd asked what was wrong and wouldn't take “nothing” for an answer. It wasn't that she was upset about the death, she just hadn't wanted Steve fussing over her when he was still feeling “emotionally fragile”.

Normally if she was quiet he'd try to wheedle it out of her, it was easier than dealing with how anxious it made her to keep something to herself, but she didn't seem too agitated and if it lasted more than ten minutes, he'd figured it out, but for now she seemed to be fine. 

Although if he and Eddie decided to continue to see each other in Indy, he decided to just give him a heads-up to not involve her in future secret keeping, lest her head implode.

The elevator was taking a while to arrive, leaving the three of them standing in unnerving silence. Robin continuously anxiously pressing the down button. Even Chrissy was abnormally quiet, she seemed jittery, she'd let go of his arm and was switching between picking her nails and swishing side to side, her skirt swooshing around her legs.

Steve was about to ask what was wrong when the ding of the lift arriving interrupted him, Chrissy letting out a relieved sigh and stomping inside as soon as the doors opened. He gave Robin a what's up with her look, but Robin just shrugged with a look of her own that said, beats me. Robin followed her in, smoothing her outfit and hair in the mirror, pulling lip balm out of her pocket and putting on copious amounts as an excuse to look busy.

The doors slid shut behind Steve. He gave Chris his most reassuring smile, and she smiled back, but he could tell it was false. Her smile always reached her eyes, even when she was exhauster, but this time it just didn't. He was about to ask if everything was alright, he was worried something was really wrong, when she inadvertently interrupted him, bursting out, "Hey Steve!"

Her loudness seemed to surprise them both equally, Steve's eyebrows flying into his hairline. Chrissy just seeming to regret speaking at all, like she wished she could swallow the word back down. He tried his hardest to stay calm, hummed a questioning "hmm?" afraid actual words might spook her. He didn't even care if this was a shovel talk, he just wanted her to know she was in a safe space, that she could talk to him no matter what.

She spent a few seconds looking at him, really looking, like she was trying to see into his soul. He tried his hardest to be patient, tried not to squirm under her scrutiny, tried to stop his heart from beating out of his chest, but he kinda wished she’d just get it over with. She hesitated, let out another deep breath and ploughed ahead, "You do know your hair looks the same?" she murmured tenderly.

What?

That wasn't at all what he'd expected to come out of her mouth at all. Somehow it felt worse than if she'd said "If you hurt my best friend, I'll bury you so deep, not even the worms in the earth would be able to find you!" because it'd hurt like a motherfucker when Max had said that to him (as though he'd been the town heartbreaker) but a jab about his hair wasn't what he'd prepared for.

And okay, it wasn't a jab per se. In fact, it wasn't a jab at all, but it didn't stop it feeling that way. It felt like she'd just slapped him across the face, and he's no idea why it feels that way whenever anyone even mentions his hair. Because he knows that's all it is, it's just hair and in the grand scheme of things it isn't important, but he was The Hair!

It's who he was long before he was a king, long before he was a captain. He was defined by it, it was how his peers showed him respect, and his father had never been so proud of him as when that was who he was. When he was awake two hours before he should’ve been to make sure it looked perfect, that he looked perfect, even though he was secretly wearing his mother's concealer to hide the bags under his eyes.

Robin huffed and rolled her eyes hard, "Oh my god, don't get him started!" she grouched, still not looking at either of them.

The look of hurt on his face must have told Chrissy all she needed to know. Just like the way she huffed and flapped her hands frantically, in the same way El did when she was struggling to express herself, told Steve she wasn't trying to upset him. Not that it stopped him from instinctively combing his fingers protectively through his hair.

Chrissy visibly composed herself, taking a deep breath, putting her hands gently on his shoulders and looking up at him with kind eyes. "I didn't mean anything bad by it. It's just, your hair looked nice this morning, and it still looks nice now," she clarified, except he wasn't any clearer on what she was trying to say.

He knew his hair never looked nice in the morning, that was why he'd spent so many years of his life sleep-deprived, but she seemed insistent and there was no malice or devilry in her eyes, she was imploring him to understand like she could push the thoughts from her mind into his if only she stared hard enough and it might've worked this morning, but his mother calling had scrambled his head, it was like he reverted back to his old self whenever they wormed their way into his life.

She flicked her gaze over to Robin over his shoulder, not that she was paying either of them any attention, but when Chrissy looked back at him, she looked so sad it damn near broke his heart. She sighed heavily, and when her lip wobbled slightly he was worried she was about to cry, "My mom… she used to have me obsess over my appearance, too. So I get it. I'm just saying, y'know?" she muttered.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh, Chrissy!

Suddenly what she'd been trying to say made a lot more sense.

My parents cared more about how I looked than about me, too.

Steve sighed deeply, holding her gaze as a shared upbringing, a shared pain, passed between them. When she leaned up wrapping her arms around his neck, he automatically wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, tucking his chin over her shoulder, trying to offer her some comfort, trying to let her know he heard her, that he appreciated what she'd just told him.

He didn't know her well, but she deserved so much more than that, as he squeezed her tighter he felt the overwhelming need to protect her, to put himself between her and the world, to go back in time and put himself between her and her mother, to give her the found family who loved her unconditionally that his teenage self had been lucky enough to find.

"Thanks, Sugar," he mumbled in her ear, kissing the top of her head before letting her go.

Robin, of course, had no idea what they were talking about or the emotional moment they'd just shared. She had great parents, and he was so glad for it, he wouldn't wish his kind of parents on anyone, especially not his best friend. She just stomped off as soon as the doors swung open, disappearing into the lobby and expecting that they'd follow, ranting, "He's always been this way! Guy's looked like a Greek God since I met him. Could be dragged through a hedge backwards and still never need to change a damn thing. Doesn't stop him primping, making us late for everything-"

Steve glanced at the clock above the reception desk as he followed the girls outside, "It's barely 10," he interrupted sullenly, rolling his eyes.

"Irrelevant, my point is- holy fuck!"

Holy fuck, indeed! 

Eddie, hair in a bun, in aviators and shorts! Resting on the bonnet of the most gorgeous car Steve had ever laid his eyes on. Oh my god! He wanted to take a picture to make it into a calendar, just twelve months of casual Eddie and a Cadillac! "Jesus Christ, is that a Cadillac?" Steve asked, needing confirmation of the facts his brain had only just caught up with.

Eddie grinned dazzlingly, whipping his sunglasses off his face, "A yellow-beige, 1984 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, to be precise," he apprised smugly.

Circling the car, Steve couldn't quite believe his eyes. This was his dream car, he'd had a picture of this exact car on his bedroom wall since forever, he'd removed it from an old calendar he'd been given in his teens. He'd fallen in love with it immediately and kept the picture with him, just in the hope that maybe one day… 

Knowing now why Robin was trying so hard to keep quiet, just endeared him all the more, he pulled her into his side, kissing her on the head. She'd clearly told Eddie all about it, but somehow Eddie had made it materialize. "No way!" Steve muttered in disbelief.

"Yes way!" Eddie exclaimed, pulling the keys from his pocket and letting them dangle in the air, his eyes were so soft even though his smile was slightly smug, like a magician who'd pulled the rabbit out of the hat.

Chrissy groaned, swishing her skirt again anxiously, "Eds, you know I love you, but I don't think I'm comfortable with you being behind the wheel of a convertible," she sounded genuinely concerned, but Eddie was quick to ease her.

He finally got up off the car circling around Chris and Robin, "Don't worry, My Little Dove, I'm like Santa I just used my sources to bring unadulterated joy to our very own Motorhead," he said exuberantly, kissing his best friend loudly on the cheek.

And Steve was listening to Eddie, but he didn't really hear him, so when he suddenly appeared in front of Steve with the keys held aloft between them and said "Stevie's got her! Doncha, Big Boy!" simultaneously dropping the keys into Steve's hand and waggling his eyebrows alluringly, it still didn't really sink in.

Steve looked down at the keys in his hands, "I get to..." he uttered disbelievingly because the thought that he'd get to drive this car was short-circuiting his brain. 

That was before the thought hit him that Eddie had done this for him, for no other reason than to make him happy. People had done things for Steve before, but other than his found family, it'd always been to make up for something. His parents bought him extravagant gifts to make up for missing birthdays and Christmases, Nancy brought him homemade cakes when they fought (that it turned out Holly and Karen had made, and she took credit for) and Billy would bring him flowers whenever he "worked away" (also known as cheating on Steve).

But this beautiful creation, this angel, this miracle of a human being, had teamed up with his best friend to make one of his dreams come true. To make him smile for no other reason than because he wanted to make him happy, and Steve just couldn't quite believe his luck.

And then Eddie, eyes unbelievably soft, said, "All yours, my love," his cheeks pinkening and his eyes immediately going wide as his words had sunk in. And Steve couldn't have that because he would be so lucky to be Eddie's love.

He wasn't sure how sober-Eddie felt about public displays of affection, so he beamed sweetly at him, trying to convey all he was feeling, tenderly cupping his jaw and kissing him firmly on the cheek, letting his affection shine through when he leaned away to smile at him. 

It was Chrissy squealing and jumping up and down, clapping excitedly and Robin's fake gagging that broke them out of their moment, Eddie hiding adorably behind his hand, as he headed around to the passenger side clambering into the car, trying and failing to hide the blush on his cheeks. Steve folded the front seat forward, holding out a hand to help the girls to climb in the back, Chrissy using his outstretched hand for support, squeezing Eddie on the shoulder and asking "Whose car is this anyway?"

"Char's buddy, Todd," Eddie replied, as Robin clambered into the back using Steve's head for balance, ruffling his hair as she landed in the backseat with an impish grin.

Resisting the childish urge to vault over the car door, Steve handed Robin the backpack and readjusted the seat, clambering in after them. A feeling of awe sweeping over him as he saw all the mechanisms up close that he was going to get to touch and use to power the car he spent years dreaming about. "Forget Todd, Steve's her daddy now!" he muttered as he turned the key in the ignition, hearing the car purr to life and the roar of their laughter and feeling like he could explode with happiness. 

He was all but caressing the steering wheel when a car honking behind them reminded him that they needed to get going, not just sit outside the hotel all day. Adjusting the seat and the mirrors, he found he couldn't look directly at Eddie as he adjusted the mirror on his side, he knew if he did that they’d never get anywhere because between the outfit, the bun, the gorgeous smile on his face and the Herculean effort to make his dream come true Steve just couldn't keep his thoughts straight.

He wanted to grab Eddie by the hand and take him back upstairs to show him just how grateful he was for this, he also wanted to take Eddie to the nearest studio to get him started on making his own dreams come true, and he wanted to take Eddie home and move him in and carpool with him and go on road trips just like this one. But this was Robin's day, no matter how much Eddie had managed to make it feel like his day too.

He caught a glimpse of the girls in the backseat, Chrissy now had a scarf wrapped around her hair and her sunglasses perched on her nose, she looked like a movie star. And Robin looked adorable with her hair pulled into a tiny ponytail sticking out of the back of his high school baseball cap. They were both back to their normal selves now, their anxiety seemed to have dissipated completely, both grinning widely, chatting and laughing together as though the last twenty minutes hadn't happened.

Sneaking a cheeky glance at Eddie, he caught him watching the two of them in the wing mirror with such a fond expression, Steve felt like his heart might beat right through his chest; the horn honking again was the only thing that stopped him from leaning across the seat to kiss him senseless.

----------------------------

Grinning mischievously, Steve revved the engine playfully, the growl of the engine sounding just how he'd always imagined it would, getting to fully appreciate the way Eddie's attention snapped back to him, as he laughed brightly and rolled his eyes fondly. Steve couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so joyous as he shifted into gear and set off into the mid-morning traffic.

Part 6

Tag list @estrellami-1 @gregre369 @adhdsummer @nerdfighteratheart @anaibis @hbyrde36 @dolphincliffs @marinarasarah @deadflowercollector @lunabookworm @a-couchpotato feel free to lmk if you want removing 💖

#apologies again for my terrible grammar and all the tense changes. i have proof read it so many times i can't even see them anymore #steddie vegas au #steddie au #steddie #background buckingham #platonic stobin #platonic hellcheer #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #chrissy cunningham #steve's pov #aj writes

[daquila]

Satoru’s Birthday Surprise! || Gojo Satoru x Reader

synopsis: in which you and your students surprise Satoru with a painting!

part 1: https://www.tumblr.com/daquila/717999046671925248/happy-birthday-toru-gojo-x-reader

Satoru is not the person that you really know.

He is independent, cocky, and loud around anyone— especially the higher-ups! But with you? He completely melts as he steps into your shared home.

But he’s also unpredictable.

The smell of freshly-cooked pasta lures him into the kitchen, only to be greeted by an eager Y/N that’s ready to knead some dough. You were attempting to bake a loaf of garlic bread since it would go well with your tomato-basil pasta. It was a recipe from the cookbook that Nanami gave you on your 25th birthday.

Normally, you wouldn’t really cook pasta so early in the morning; however, Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji are visiting later that afternoon. It was because of your husband’s birthday.

“ The kids are about to come inside— they’re just picking up some extra ice cream at the grocery store nearby, “ Satoru said as he hugs you from behind, pressing soft kisses on your shoulders and neck.

“ ‘Toru, please change out of those pajamas, “ you scolded, staring at his spider-man suit. The sorcerer proceeded to pout as he quickly took it off and replaced it with a button up shirt and pants.

“ Why! Did you want to gatekeep spidertoru! It’s MY birthday, “ he proceeded to complain as you scoffed and placed the dough in a pan.

The sorcerer heard giggles coming from the front door, assuming it were the three, he quickly ran to greet them.

Nobara and Yuji were carrying heaps of snacks, because they didn’t want Megumi holding anything. Apparently, they lost a silly bet while training with Inumaki and Panda. Megumi sure is receiving top-tier princess treatment!

“ Ah— ‘Toru, please hand them some drinks! I made some orange juice earlier, “ quickly shoving the dough in the oven, you started to clean the messy kitchen.

The students began greeting their teacher a happy birthday, and your husband delightfully greeted the treats into his mouth. They all gathered in the living room to play board games.

Megumi, who clearly just woke up from the car ride, helped you clean up. His head was still in the clouds, clinging onto that thread of sleepiness.

“ Shoo! Shoo! I don’t need your help, Megumi. Go have fun with your friends— I’ll be right here if you need me, “ breaking the silence, he just looks at you and nods. You just smile in reply— it’s his habit of staying silent when he’s still sleepy.

You proceeded to walk into the living room, carrying assortments of different types of pastas, croissants, and treats. The oven suddenly chimes as you settle the last tray of food.

“ Y/N’s bread tastes amazing while it’s still piping hot— my wife is such a chef, “ Satoru smirks, stuffing his mouth with a croissant.

“ Stop talking while eating, Gojo-sensei, “ Nobara scoffed, disgusted as she watched her teacher choke on his food. Megumi stands up and walks to your bedroom, finding the still-life that you and the students painted last time.

Satoru’s eyes melt into a softer expression once his student (and son) hands him the painting.

“ Is this for me? “ he says, hands clutching his chest.

Nobara then proudly boasts about her contribution to the painting as Yuji urges their teacher to open it.

But then something unexpected happens…

Your husband breaks out in an uncontrollable wail.

Chest heavy, nose running with yellow snot, he dramatically says, “ T-t-th-tha-thank….. y-yew…. “

He is the literal embodiment of a tall child.

You grab a box of tissues and wipe off the drama on his face. Nobara quickly takes out her phone and steals a picture of the sobbing sorcerer. I mean— who wouldn't! Megumi takes a mental note to remind himself to post that photo of Gojo crying.

For the next few hours, you and your students spend the time by absolutely destroying their teacher in a game of Monopoly. Satoru, however, would spend these next few hours thinking about how grateful he is to have you by his side.

didnt proof read bc i never do … this is probably my longest fic yet

i have had this in my drafts for so long… i just decided to post this now bc ive got two requests for the part 2 already hehehehe

#gojo sensei #gojo x reader #jjk gojo #jjk x you #gojo satoru #gojo x y/n #jjk megumi #jjk nobara #jjk yuuji #jjk fic #jjk drabbles #fushiguro megumi #itadori yuuji #nobara fluff #gojo #gojo fluff #jjk fluff #gojo satoru fluff

[soccerwag]

If your taking requests could you write something with Luka Modric and fem reader

Luka in an interview talking about reader

Him and reader knowing eachother since they were kids and always teaming up when playing football against others. Maybe they started dating as teens and getting married young.

-🍷🍷

Sorry it’s so late! I had began writing it earlier then accidentally swiped out of the tab and it deleted everything. Anyways I hope you like it!

————————————————————————

Summary: Modric was asked at an interview what his relationship status with you was leading him to call you and have you answer the question for him.

Warnings: none

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“So modric, the fans have noticed you’ve been hanging around a female a lot recently, could we possibly know who the lucky woman is? Or what your relationship status with her might be?” The interview asked. It slightly caught modric off guard only because he thought he had hid his outings with you quite well but apparently there is always at least one person watching. Nevertheless he smiled. He loved the thought of you. He loved you.

“Well she’s a special girl to me, we’ve been friends forever.” Modric said trying to move on from this question. He tried really hard to keep you and his relationship private. He didn’t want you to go through what he does with all the paparazzi and fans crowding him at every moment. He also didn’t want your life to be solely based on being with him. He wanted you to live as normal of a life as you could.

You and modric have hid it pretty well. You guys got married at 19 and had your first kid at 20. You both currently have 3 kids but nobody knows about them due to the fact modric avoids posting anything about them. You do of course because nobody knew who you were.

“Is she just a friend? Fans seem to think you guys were very close and touchy when they’ve seen you.” The interviewer poked more.

“Hold on one moment.” Modric said before pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

I was at home cooking for the two older kids while holding the baby in my free arm. She was nursing at the moment. Our three kids range from 17years and 2 weeks old, our middle child is 7. We have two boys and one girl. The youngest being the girl. While I was stirring the pasta I heard my phone buzzing.

“Hello?” I said, answering the phone without looking who it was.

“Hello gorgeous, what are you up to.” A familiar voice asked.

“Well currently trying to feed our ravenous boys while breastfeeding our little chica.” I told him.

“Well I’m in an interview right now and they’re curious about our relationship status and I thought you’d be a great candidate to tell the world.” He said slightly chuckling.

“You’re on speaker.” He told me and then went silent so I could respond.

Right when I was about to respond my 7 year old came running through the kitchen with a pair of his fathers boxers on his head and a blanket wrapped around his neck like a cape.

“WOOOHOOO CAPTAIN MODRIC TO THE RESCUE.” My seven year old son yelled. I would like to assume that everyone on the other end had heard that since I heard laughter coming from the other line.

“KARLITO TAKE YOUR FATHERS UNDERWEAR OFF YOUR HEAD AND STOP RUNNING AROUND THE KITCHEN!” I scolded him.

The second I heard my sons voice through the phone I burst out laughing. I knew there was no way of hiding them now. I laughed even harder when my beautiful wife yelled at him to take my underwear off his head.

“Sorry love, I’d love to answer the question for you but I have to go, my pasta is boiling over and out seven year old has a death wish.” Y/n explained before telling me goodbye and hanging up.

“Well then, that basically sums it all up.” I said looking straight at the interviewer.

“So you have a kid?” He asked, kinda shocked.

“Three in fact, two boys and one baby girl.” I said proudly. I was proud of the family I created.

“The so called mysterious woman all my fans see is in fact my wife, we’ve been married since we were 19.” I said, smiling at the memory of the day we got married. One of the best days of my life, besides the birth of my children.

“Well this is all very new but very great information.” The interviewer responded.

“I hope all my fans will support me as well as respect my relationship, I love my wife and kids and I’d never want anything to happen to them.”

“They’re my world.”

#luka modric #modric x reader #real madrid #modric #imagine #blurbs

[laundrybiscuits]

(grace coming out of the void tag)

Robin and Eddie take him to the zoo on the 24th. They wander around all bundled up, looking at the animals in their enclosures, all organized by habitat. Ronnie’s here too; she and Robin are walking arm in arm, and nobody’s giving them a second look. Steve knows it’s probably because folks assume they’re just friends, but it still warms him a little.

In Hawkins, the whole town would’ve lit on how close they are immediately, chewing over every little thing. Everyone knew Robin Buckley, Richard and Melissa’s kid, crashed her parents’ car when she was 15, never really dated much; everyone’d want to know who her friend was and what they were up to. It’s not even in a bad way, just people being neighborly. They don’t mean any harm by it.

Hopper had said: It’s nice knowing people care, ain’t it? 

Here, people don’t care, and Robin can walk around with her girlfriend and look at the otters. 

“So, what do you think about the Lady Veronica?” Eddie elbows him gently, hands stuffed in a jacket that’s probably too thin for the cold. They’ve fallen a few paces behind Robin and Ronnie, wandering aimlessly between the enclosures, and Steve’s been wondering if there’s a way he can lend Eddie a hat or something without it being weird. 

“She seems okay,” says Steve. “Robin seems happy. I don’t know.”

Eddie nods. “Yeah, Robin’s been a lot more—settled, lately. Calmer.” He’s quiet for a moment, and Steve knows they’re both thinking about the last girl Robin dated, an aspiring actress who’d run hot and cold a lot. Robin had called Steve a lot, those three or four months they’d been seeing each other; he’d had to talk her down from spiraling into panicky paranoia practically every day. When it turned out Greta had been cheating on her pretty much the whole time, Steve had had the guilty, shameful thought that at least his phone bill would finally catch a break. 

It had taken a long time for Robin to start dating again. Ronnie doesn’t seem anything like Greta: she’s a round-faced, sensible physician’s assistant with a cheerful, straightforward way about her. Jeff introduced them, apparently. Steve’s not completely sure what the connection is, all he knows is that Robin spilled her drink on Ronnie when they first met, and apparently that had sealed the deal for both of them, somehow. Robin had called him that week to sigh dreamily about what honestly sounded like a pretty awkward first date, and Steve had never been so glad to start running up his phone bill again. 

“It’s early days yet,” says Eddie. “But I think this one’s going to stick around for a while.” 

Steve nods slowly, not so much agreeing as just thinking. 

“Hey.” Eddie nudges him, sounding a little awkward. “Maybe I shoulda said this earlier, but—sorry to hear about Laura, man.”

“Oh,” says Steve, surprised. “Robin told you, huh? Yeah, I—it’s fine. Just wasn’t meant to be.” 

He grimaces at himself. “Sorry, I mean…don’t know if Robin told you this part too, but it really should’ve ended a lot earlier.”

“Why didn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” says Steve. 

“Hm,” says Eddie, like he wants to say something else.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Eddie sighs, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets, rolling his shoulders a little. “Nothing. It’s not supposed to mean anything. Just surprised, I guess; from what Robin said, she seemed pretty perfect for you.”

Steve snorts. “Robin’s been at me to break up with Laura since, like, two seconds after we started dating. There’s no way she told you we were perfect together.”

“Yeah, well…Robin also thinks you should leave Hawkins, and it’s not like you’re gonna be doing that any time soon.”

Steve has to choke down his automatic response, which is who says I’m not. Because he’s not, he can’t. 

It’s not like he’s never thought about it. Joyce asks sometimes, in a roundabout way. Robin’s brought it up once or twice. The last time had been last year, when they’d been hanging out on Boxing Day, and she’d said, “I don’t get what you see in this place.”

He’d been about to say I have to be here in case—

He stopped himself just in time, because he’d known the look Robin would've given him. Pitying, because he’s a dumbass who hasn’t learned after six years that nothing’s going to come after him out of the dark again. 

She doesn’t know that, though. Not for sure. 

And he’s making good enough money at the print shop to pay his mortgage, and he knows Hawkins like the back of his hand. So that’s all there is to it. 

Eddie doesn’t seem phased by Steve’s silence, just says, “Oh hey, the lion house. We should go in there, you’ll like it. C’mon, I’ll buy you some hot chocolate afterwards.”

There are other people in the world, Steve knows. Other guys, even, if Steve were actually thinking about leaving Hawkins for real. 

It just doesn’t seem to matter. Steve’s dumb heart makes its choices without any input from his brain, apparently. Every time he looks directly at Eddie, it’s like something tightens in his ribcage a little more. It’s not even anything special, just—the way Eddie’s throat looks when he tilts his head. The way his hands move, the square shape of his fingers and wrists. The sudden way he smiles sometimes. All of it is like a vise, pressing in until Steve can’t breathe normally anymore. 

He’d thought that maybe some time away from Eddie would’ve helped some. It hasn’t. At the end of the day, despite everything, Steve still just likes who he is around Eddie more than any other version of Steve Harrington.

#fic: grace coming out of the void #I've partly been away because I'm busy but also partly because I've been writing what I think is the final chapter of POMW #it's >5k words of Steve's POV which is about as long as everything I've ever posted for THIS fic #but I need to write one more scene in the preceding segment before I can post it. which has been deeply annoying to me. #anyway here's...something idk

[roses-for-rosalyn]

ok i have an idea that’s both weirdly detailed and vague at the same time, but i thought i’d ask you anyway haha- i was thinking like a college/roommate ellie fic where she and the reader somehow get off on a bad start and don’t get along, but they secretly (even though they wouldn’t admit it) turn each other on, and eventually ellie gets very possessive over the reader and then that leads to however much other plot you’d want to add (with smut sprinkled in). hopefully i’m making sense and that’s not too much for one fic! (side note: i’m obsessed with all your fics so far, you’re an AMAZING writer)

Ok so this is going to be a two maybe three parter. I love this idea and I'm gonna run with it for as long as I can. This chapter starts out with some angst/fluff nothing spicy yet but I promise I will deliver in future parts. (P.S. I cannot believe how kind and supportive y'all are. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Y'all keep me motivated and have amazing ideas, so please keep them coming.)

Content Warning: Mildly mean Ellie, but not really, mentions of SA!, mentions of alcohol, cuddling, protective Ellie, Ellie threatening to beat people up 💕, No use of y/n (not 'round here partner), mentions of sex (hehe)

word count: 1.7k

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First semester freshman year of college. People tell you it’s gonna be the time of your life. “You’ll meet lifelong friends in college.”, “You could meet the love of your life in college.” “You’ll have so much fun and gain a sense of independence!” Yeah so that ended up being a load of bullshit, at least for you. 

At the beginning of the year you were meant to be housed with your best friend. You had known her through high school and you were looking forward to not having to room with a stranger for a year. Suddenly she dropped out a quarter of the way through the year. You couldn’t blame her, she had some serious shit going on and she needed to focus on herself. But her leaving meant you were now indeed housed with a stranger. Coincidentally her roommate also dropped out, so you had hoped that maybe it would give you both something to talk about. It did not.

Ellie showed up at your dorm and you both immediately didn’t get along. She was messy as hell which you couldn’t stand. She smoked constantly and came back to the dorm reeking of weed and cigarettes. Worst of all she was stubborn. So. Stubborn. When you would politely point out anything she did that you didn’t like she would get incredibly defensive. 

One time you decided to confront her about her messiness. She was just sitting on her bed doing something on her computer when you decided to bring it up.

“Ellie, could you please try and keep your mess on your side of the room, or I don’t know? clean up after yourself?” Ellie looked at you, looked down at the clothes, empty bottles and wrappers on the floor. Then she got up and took every piece of clothing and trash that was hers and put it on her half of the room, creating a perfect divide. After she finished you looked at her in absolute disbelief.

“Jesus Christ, wait to be as obnoxious as possible about it.” 

Ellie just smiled sarcastically and said “Just doin’ whatever you say princess.” 

You decided to let that issue go because to be fair she did what you asked. It would be ideal if she didn’t make a mess at all in the first place, but that was asking for a lot. 

Another time you had told Ellie you would be out all night. She had just nodded blindly in response while looking at her computer. You came back to the dorm a little earlier than the time you had told Ellie, but you assumed it wouldn’t be a problem. Well, you were about to open the door when you heard..moaning? Loud fucking moaning. You had to sit outside the room in the hallway for half an hour. Your phone died after 20 minutes so you just had to listen to this girl getting the soul fucked out of her apparently. When the door finally opened a brunette girl emerged from the dorm with Ellie opening the door for her. The girl didn’t even glance at you before she walked away.

Ellie was relaxed against the doorframe with her arms across her chest and a smirk on her face. And after all of that what did she say? “sorry ‘bout that princess.”

You were so angry you thought it would be best not to speak. You huffed and rushed inside.

Now you’re getting ready for a party. You’re sitting at your desk and putting makeup on when Ellie storms in. She’s mad about god knows what, but you weren’t going to let her bring you down tonight. Your plan was to get drunk off your face and just see where the night takes you. 

Ellie sees you putting makeup on and she immediately knows what that means. She doesn’t like you at all, but that doesn’t mean that she would ignore basic girl code. She didn’t want you dead in a ditch. 

“Where are you going tonight?” Ellie asks. 

“I’m not sure honestly I was just gonna walk towards where the frats are until I find a group of people.” It sounds dumb, but you’ve done it before. Sometimes it’s the best strategy for finding someplace to go. You know Ellie is gonna call you stupid so before she can you add “Maybe I’ll ask around for an exact address I don’t know.” 

“Maybe do the second one because I don’t want to have to come get you if you get lost or end up incapacitated.” 

“Aww you’d come save me if I asked? Really?” You say sarcastically looking up from the mirror and at Ellie to bat your lashes. Ellie is visibly annoyed.

“I don’t want you to die, so yes.” Ellie replies bluntly.

“Wow I had no idea you had a soft side, Ellie Williams.” You shoot back keeping your sarcastic tone. Ellie is quiet after that. You finish up your makeup and down a Whiteclaw while you check people’s snapchat locations. You take a shot of vodka for good luck and you're headed out the door. You don’t really bother with formalities with Ellie “Hi” and “Bye” are a why bother with your kind of relationship. You head towards the address you found with the most people at it and find a line of people out the door. Perfect. 

As the evening progresses you have had a little more to drink than you probably should have, ok a lot more. You had an amazing time though, when you go to these things your activity of choice is bullying men and flirting with women. Surprisingly you get more men trying to hit on you with this strategy, not complaining but definitely surprising. One of the airheads that was hitting on you offered to walk you home. You weren’t gonna refuse because otherwise you would have to walk home alone, in the dark, drunk. Terrible idea. Having a man at your side made you practically invincible. On the walk home the boy, Brad, Chad something or other, tried to get closer to you and you would step away hoping he got the message. He did it a few more times then stopped. The conversation you were having was not interesting at all. You ended up asking all the questions. He literally never asked you a single thing. You finally get to your building thank god.

You turn to the boy who looks like every boy you’ve ever seen and say “Thanks for walking me back. I’ve got it from here.”

“You sure? I can walk you up to your room no problem.” He replies.What is his goal? You obviously have a roommate and your RA would probably not be too cool with him coming up to your floor. 

“No really, I'm good.” You say putting on your best fake smile. God this was exhausting.

“Just let me walk you up so I can sleep with a good conscience.” He says with a smile. It’s not charming though, it’s hollow, a little scary.

“Fine, sure, yeah walk me up.” You give in. Hopefully he’ll leave you alone if you just let him walk you up. You swipe your key card to get in and start up the stairs. Chad Brad Boy is following you close behind. Too close. You finally make it to your floor and you make your way to your room. That was literally the longest three minutes of your life. You turn to say goodbye to Chad Brad boy when he cages you against the wall next to the door, your body thudding against it in surprise. 

“Uhhhh what’re you doing buddy?” you ask hoping to dissuade him with the boy-ish pet name. 

“Can I get your number or something?” He asks. You can smell the beer on his breath and have to resist the urge to gag. 

“Um sorry I’m more into women, but I appreciate you walking me home.” You say in the nicest way possible.

“I think I could change your mind on that.” He says. Oh lord he’s one of those. He starts to get closer to you and you have to put a hand on his chest to stop him. 

“No, I don't think so. I should Really I should get inside it’s late and my roommate is probably worried.” Brad Chad doesn’t move. You’re starting to run out of options. Right when your about to start panicking you hear the door open. Ellie steps out of the room and assesses the situation. Her face immediately hardens. It’s a little scary.

“Hey babe, I was starting to get worried about you.” She looks at Chad Brad “What are you doing with my girlfriend?” She asks calmly. 

“Girlfriend?” Chad Brad says dumbly.

“Yea that’s right bud, girlfriend, and if you don’t get away from her and leave this dorm in thirty seconds I will break every bone in your pretty little face.” Ellie looks at him with a disturbingly calm expression. Brad Chad is visibly terrified and it only takes a moment for him to process Ellie’s threat before he pulls back from you and walks away briskly. 

You look at Ellie and manage a small “Thank you.” 

She nods and holds the door open for you to walk inside. You walk in slowly, suddenly very sober. 

“You okay?” She asks genuinely. Ellie was ready to chase him down and break every bone in his body, but she was more worried about you. She wasn’t sure where this sudden urge to protect you came from. She chalked it down to basic empathy and left it at that. There’s literally no other reason she could all of the sudden care about you like this. 

All you can manage is a nod. Ellie goes to lay back down in bed while you change into your pajamas and take off your makeup. Tears start streaming down you face and you’re not sure why. You feel like you should be used to this by now. You’ve had this happen a few times and you didn’t have Ellie to save the day for you before. Those times were worse. Memories come flooding back as you crawl into bed and the tears start flowing faster. 

“You sure you’re ok?” Ellie asks quietly. 

You have no idea what comes over you when you reply “No.” 

Upon hearing your small voice reply Ellie decides tonight she will forget about everything that has happened between you two. Everything you did that annoyed her doesn’t matter just for tonight. 

She makes her way over to your bed, you’re facing the wall but you can sense her presence. 

“Scooch over princess.” She says gently. You oblige by moving your body closer to the wall and Ellie crawls in bed behind you. She’s perfectly curled up behind you, the warmth of her body comforting you a surprising amount. Ellie could feel your small sobs racking your body and she feels helpless. She hushes you and whispers reassurances into your ear. She takes her hand and starts smoothing it up and down your arm, occasionally lightly scratching it. You both eventually fall asleep curled up against one another. For just one night you could forget about your differences and trade them for a peaceful sleep. 

#ellie tlou #ellie williams #ellie x reader #college au #fluff #cuddling and touching #angst #posessive #ellie x you #no y/n #i should be sleeping

[marzipanandminutiae]

Cabinet of Curiosities Opinions

Roland (Lot 36) is not a neo-Nazi and the hair wreath is not made from the hair of concentration camp victims.

I didn't think this needed to be stated, since he called the Wolmar family evil, which he definitely wouldn't have done if he agreed with them. But apparently some people see "German guy talking about Nazis" and assume he's one himself. Weird.

As for the hair wreath, such things were popular in the 19th century, not the 1930s-40s. I went looking and couldn't find any extant examples from that era. Given the presence of other antiques from that period in the storage unit, like the summoning table, it makes far more sense for the wreath to be an earlier family heirloom. At the very least, even if it WERE some perverse latter-day craft project made by Dottie or her mother or something, there would be no reason for Roland and Agatha to assume that. So they'd probably believe it was innocent even if it wasn't.

2. Emilia is an avenging angel sent to test people like Nick.

This is a bit more of a stretch, but bear with me. When he gives her the lock, she says (in Spanish) "What kind of man are you?" An understandable response to him being a racist asshole, but to me it sounds like she's saying it in a measuring way, as if she's really wondering. Later, in her final appearance, the light behind her umbrella gives her a halo effect. And condemning him to be devoured by a demon he set loose seems like a pretty fitting thing for an angel to do if she's seen that he's past helping.

(This take brought to you by: whiny pissbabies on Reddit going on about "well he's not THAT bad and even if she couldn't see the demon, she KNEW the loan shark was after him so she should have REALIZED he was in real danger and let him out!!! the clearly symbolic racial-, gender-, and class-disadvantaged person in this 45-minute fictional story is the TRUE bad guy here, not the man who was listening to a white nationalist radio show and agreeing with it!")

3. Stacy's coworkers (The Outside) weren't actually that bad.

She feels isolated from them because they have nothing in common to talk about. We never see them actively being mean to her; just not being her best friend- and nobody is obligated to befriend coworkers if they don't want to. They invite her to the party, so clearly they do think of her. Sure, the one lady reacts badly to being given a taxidermy duck for Christmas, but...taxidermy IS a pretty contentious gift. Not something I would spring on someone at all. Stacy was just doing her best, so I don't blame her either. It's just an awkward situation all around, that's nobody's fault.

I feel like the point is not "this woman's bitchy coworkers drove her to change herself." It's that marketing and the media cause women to be internally critical on a deeply harmful level, even if nobody else is actually being critical of us.

4. The Outside has themes of sublimated homosexual desire.

Stacy has a tense relationship with her hsband, idolizes the women at work who are constantly touching and stroking each other, and literally makes out with the feminine-looking Allo Glo creature in the basement. I mean. Come on. This one seems like a no-brainer to me. I don't think that's the PRIMARY theme, but it's definitely there.

6. Nancy (The Murmuring) had something to do with Ava's death.

One theory I saw online was that she'd rolled over on her while co-sleeping, since the ghost she mistakes for baby Ava appears in the bed next to her. I'd believe it, and it definitely adds another layer to her sympathy with the mother ghost- who I just learned is named Claudette in the credits. Even though I very much doubt she did anything that purposeful.

7. Alternatively, Ava was not a baby when she died.

Edgar and Nancy are both on the older side to be new parents (Essie Davis was 52 during filming, though the character is probably somewhat younger), and Nancy has clear experience talking to older children when she addresses the little boy ghost. Ava's death was recent, so while I suspect the intention is that she was a surprise baby to a couple who assumed they'd never have any, she could have been any age within childhood.

8. Ava was named after birds.

"Avis" means bird in Latin and her parents are ornithologists. It just makes sense.

#cabinet of curiosities #long post #lot 36 #the outside #the murmuring #nazi mention #child death

[eruden-writes]

Based on that reblog I'm assuming you're taking requests....if you are may ask for "oh. OH."

If you're not taking them just ignore. Hope your day is really nice

Haha, there's an Arcana flash fic I wrote a looong time ago that this prompt reminds me of.

I asked for a monster and another anon suggested werewolf, so we're going with that.

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The second day of the convention had proved to be less lucrative than Amber had hoped. At this rate, she would likely break a little over even with the stall and overhead. Not terrible, but she had higher hopes for her first convention as a vendor. Especially since she debuted her webcomic earlier in the year. 

It didn’t help that most other vendors near her seemed ten years her junior. Somewhere in their early- to mid-twenties, already popular in their art or writing. It made that sense of imposter syndrome - or the thought she should have done something with her life by now - dig in deep.

Little attention on her stall, plus some rather big name speakers drawing her potential customers away every hour, had left her feeling even more morose. It didn’t help that her best friend, Addie, kept taking off, eager to take in all the sights and programs. Of the two of them, extroverted Addie was more equipped to handle customers. 

And had been the one to convince Amber to risk money on this venture. 

Losing her tenth customer for the morning, Amber had resorted to idly sketching in her sketchbook, letting the sounds of the event wash over her. Her introverted batteries were at risk of exploding if she plastered her customer service smile on for yet-another easily-distracted congoer.

A constant flow of talk, of bodies constantly moving, of noisy little doodads or televisions played. Overhead, a screen indicated upcoming events and, occasionally, played ads concerning prices at the convention hall’s food court. Farther away, near the doors of the main hall, cosplayers posed and cameras flashed.

Someone’s hand leaned at the edge of her table, the plastic creaking under their weight as they leaned to peer at her art. Amber tensed, braced for questions or maybe even a request for a free drawing. Her mechanical pencil continued to sketch, pretending to be too focused to pay the interloper any mind. 

“So, I take it you don’t like Montos?” 

Apparently, someone couldn’t take a hint. Then again, Amber was supposed to be hawking her wares. Namely her art and webcomic. Still, she was bitter over her circumstance and her MIA co-worker. 

Shrugging, Amber didn’t bother looking up as she continued to work on the not-so-flattering caricature of Montos, fan favorite villain of hit streaming show Of Wolf and Blood. “The character is okay - as far as a bad guy, y’know - but the actor is just overhyped.” 

The interloper chuckled, deep enough that the resonance made a tingle shoot down Amber’s spine. There was a smile in their voice as they replied, “I hear that. I’ve been on his sets.” 

“Is that so-” Unimpressed and ready for some harebrained lie, Amber shot the visitor a skeptical look. Her disbelief faded as her eyes landed on Augustine Prime. A pompous name for an even more arrogant actor, if tabloids were to be believed. “Oh.” 

For a beat, all she could do was stare at him. From the back of her mind, she could hear Addie’s gushing voice relaying details about this very man. He/him, seven foot, a lycan with alleged hellhound blood in him, and built like a strongman competitor. 

Amber could see why he was a fan favorite from his size alone, but those dark gold eyes and chestnut brown waves - worn in a way that made Amber think of a surfer dude - certainly didn’t hurt. The fact he was half-shifted didn’t hurt, either. Walking around like a damn anime character with wolf ears and tail on full display. Faintly, she tried to recall if his clothes - a suit with some obnoxiously bright tie - was from a anything she recognized.

“Oh.” It was curiosity and realization that made her glance down at her sketch, part of her trying to gauge how accurately she was. It took her a half-second to realize that perhaps drawing a less-than-flattering picture of an actor would result in retaliation. Her eyes swung back up to Augustine’s face, that infuriating smirk still tilting at his lips. “Oh no.” 

“So, how much?” He nodded to her hands, to her sketchbook.

Amber’s brain grappled for understanding. “H-how much?” 

Augustine’s smile spread a little further, showing off unnervingly perfect - slightly sharp - white teeth. “For the drawing.” 

Instinctively, she snapped her sketchbook shut, slamming it down on the table and folding her hands atop it. “Wh-what?” 

Amusement quirked further through his features as he raised an eyebrow. “The drawing you were just working on.” 

She clutched her sketchbook to her chest, barely keeping a whine down at the back of her throat. From the way the man’s infuriating grin broadened yet again, she was willing to bet he could hear it regardless. Something broke in her mind. Agitation over his smarminess cleaved through her shock and surprise. 

When she answered, her knuckles hurt from clutching to her sketch pad so hard. “I charge $200 for commissions.” 

Augustine’s other eyebrow rose to join its counterpart. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but commissions would mean I’d ask you to draw.” 

“I-It’s not finished.” Amber wanted to bite her own tongue for stuttering, but she sat straighter and tried to sound firm, “So you’d be asking me to complete it.” 

It was only then that she realized people were staring. Hell, they were amassing around her table. There were obvious fans, hoping to catch Augustine’s attention, and nosy busybodies who were undoubtedly wondering what exactly this star was doing at her table. Heat clawed up Amber’s back, threatening to spill a blush across her cheeks. 

Gods, why couldn’t he have dropped by when Addie was here? 

“Can’t argue there. Here you go.” Finally, Augustine shrugged and pulled his wallet out. Amber numbly stared as he slapped down two $100 bills. Her eyes swung to his face, mouth open to protest, but he silenced her with a wink and a grin. “Deliver it to the VIP section when you’re done.” 

Augustine swept away from her table, taking most of the accumulated crowd with him. If he noticed his silent entourage, he didn’t take any notice. As her hand smacked over the cash, sliding it closer to her, she watched the actor swagger off. 

Though most of the crowd had left, quite a few people had remained. She realized they were asking about her art, her webcomic, her relation to Mr. Prime and she fielded the question while still trying to process her own shock. 

There was one thing, however, that lit up in her mind. 

She really should have charged him more.

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[fics-by-em]

Amorous Facades - Chapter Five

A wild night out leaves the lives of Jamie Tartt and Ophelia Adams more intertwined than they ever would have imagined.

Will their decision to try and use the situation to their advantage work out in their favour or will they realize that they should have cut their losses when they had the chance?

———-

previous chapter

———-

I miss you. Are you going to be mad at me forever or can we go for a drink soon and talk about this?

Lia read the message from Katie so many times that it was burned into her brain. At first, she’d been relieved that Katie had reached out, but after reading over her words a few times, she found herself growing annoyed. There was no apology for her behaviour. There was no admission that she should have handled things differently or assurance that she believed what Lia had said about Daniel. She just seemed to expect Lia to magically get over it without putting in any effort to fix things and that wasn’t going to happen.

But Lia missed her too.

Katie was her best friend and had been for years. They told each other everything and spent almost all their free time together. Mike used to joke that he was more like a third wheel when the three of them hung out than she was because Katie and Lia were like two peas in a pod. She didn’t want their friendship to be over so suddenly and she was willing to give Katie a chance to make things right. So, she answered her politely and they made plans to meet up that evening for drinks, with their boyfriends in tow so Mike and Katie could get to know Jamie after they smoothed things over.

Luckily, Jamie had agreed to accompany her. 

After their big performance the other night, things had settled back to normal. Lia woke up the morning after with a clear head - almost as if she’d snapped out of whatever spell Jamie had cast over her the night before - and she felt silly for letting herself get swept up in the moment. It was clear to her that she’d been single for far too long and obviously she missed the comfort and romance of being in a relationship. That’s what she was falling for during the celebrations after the match, not Jamie in particular. At least, that’s what she was telling herself and repeating in her head like some kind of mantra.

She was a little nervous about how she would feel after spending another night pretending to be madly in love with him, but she was ready to learn from her mistakes and keep her guard a little higher. Her determination did little to ease her apprehension about the situation though and her nervous energy had her showing up at Nelson Road Stadium a little earlier than planned. The pitch was empty so she assumed that training was over and a quick text to Jamie confirmed her suspicions, but he informed her that he was just going to shower and change with an assurance that he wouldn’t take long.

Feeling a little out of place, she wandered down the hallway and looked at all the posters and display cases in an attempt to look busy. She was just about to settle on one of the couches by the door to mindlessly scroll through her phone until Jamie appeared when a voice behind her had her jumping with a startle and spinning around.

“Hiya,” Keeley smiled, giggling as Lia put a hand on her chest as if to calm her now racing heart. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just surprised to see you here, are you meeting Jamie?”

“Yeah, I am,” Lia nodded, relieved to have some company while she waited. “I’m a little bit early, but we’re going to meet my friend when he’s done training.”

“Your friend? Would that be the one who wasn’t so pleased about your relationship with Jamie?”

The way her eyes narrowed into a look that could only be described as suspicious told Lia that she already knew the answer to that question, but she confirmed it anyway.

“That’s the one,” she sighed. “Apparently she misses me and wants to talk things over. I’m dragging Jamie along to show them he’s not so bad so hopefully he’s on his best behaviour.”

“He can be very charming when he wants to be,” she assured her before a smirk slid onto her face. “And you two make a very convincing couple. Like, can we talk about that kiss the other night? It was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen!”

Lia felt a blush rise up in her cheeks as she thought back to their rather intense public display of affection, but she fought through the embarrassment to roll her eyes.

“Oh, please, it was just a kiss.”

“That was not just a kiss,” she insisted. “It was sexy as fuck!”

“Maybe,” Lia shrugged. “But it was all just pretend, right? Anyone can make a kiss look real if they want to, actors do it all the time.”

“But you and Jamie aren’t actors,” Keeley pointed out. “Jamie’s definitely not, he can’t lie for shit.”

“He must be better than you think because I promise you that it was all just an act.”

“There must have been a spark between you both though, right?” Keeley pushed. “Because that night when you met and decided to get married a few hours later wasn’t just an act, was it?”

“I was far too drunk to remember anything about what that was,” Lia smiled, hoping to soften the interrogation. “But Jamie Tartt isn’t interested in me as anything more than a ticket to redeeming his reputation or maybe - if I’m lucky - as a friend.”

As soon as Lia saw the flicker of mischief in Keeley’s eye, she realized how her phrasing could be interpreted even before her next question was out of her mouth.

“Well, are you interested in him?”

Lia hesitated. After the night they’d spent pretending to be madly in love, it was a complicated question to answer and while she was hopeful that a friendship was blossoming with Keeley, she didn’t know her all that well and knew that realistically her loyalty still probably lay with Jamie.

“I don’t even really know him,” she answered as honestly as she could. “And he’s Jamie Tartt. I think he’s a little bit out of my league.”

“He chose to marry you, didn’t he?” Keeley reminded her. “Clearly he doesn’t think so. You might as well have a little fun while you’re keeping up appearances, doesn’t have to mean anything.”

The suggestion had another smile sliding onto Lia’s face and an amused giggle slipping from her lips because if Keeley really knew her at all, she would know how ridiculous that suggestion really was.

“Meaningless isn’t something I do very well,” she admitted. “I know it’s probably old-fashioned and lame, but I’m more into relationships than anything casual.”

“It’s not lame! It’s sweet and romantic and probably a very wise choice!”

The sincerity in Keeley’s voice and the lack of condescension was refreshing. She’d been called a prude far more often than she’d care to admit by women who had different approaches to dating than she did and it was always something that got under her skin. It wasn’t like she was waiting until marriage - she’d lost her virginity years ago - and she never judged anyone who chose to embrace a more casual dating life, but she just preferred to wait until she’d found a connection with someone before taking that step.

“Something tells me that Jamie would disagree,” Lia mused. “So I think it’s safer if we just keep things friendly. It would be too hard for me to get through this arrangement if I made a move and Jamie turned me down and it would be even worse if something happened between us and Jamie tossed me aside after.”

“I think you might need to give Jamie a little more credit,” Keeley advised her, her voice soft and reassuring. “He has a bigger heart than he wants people to think and he might surprise you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lia nodded, mulling over her words before a smile slid onto her face and she changed the subject. “You’re really good at this whole advice thing. I think you might be in the wrong career.”

“Thanks, babe! I always thought I'd be a good therapist.” Keeley grinned proudly. “So, how are you feeling about seeing this friend of yours again?”

The question made Lia cringe as she thought about the night ahead of her and she sighed as she filled Keeley in a bit more about the situation and her apprehensions for her little reunion. Again, Keeley provided the perfect mix of a sympathetic ear and excellent advice and while Lia’s nerves weren’t entirely quelled by the time the players started trickling out of the locker room, she was comforted by the fact that with Keeley around she might not be left entirely friendless no matter how the evening panned out.

The conversation moved on to Keeley’s plans for the evening as they greeted the players who were heading out the door they were standing beside until Jamie strutted down the hallway with his trademark swagger.

“Hiya, you alright?” He greeted them, nodding at Keeley as he glanced around to see how many people were nearby before sliding his arm around Lia’s waist and pressing a kiss against the side of her head. “You look nice.”

“Thanks,” Lia smiled, leaning into his touch as if they were a real loved up couple. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, whenever you are.”

They said a quick goodbye to Keeley with Lia promising to fill her in on how the evening went at a lunch date in the near future before heading out the door.

——

Jamie knew that something was wrong as soon as they left Nelson Road.

He was aware that he didn’t know Lia well enough to be an expert on her behaviour, but he was fairly certain that it would have been obvious to anyone that she was anxious. The tension in her body and the fact that she barely commented on anything he said as he told her about his day and grumbled about Roy Kent was more than enough to rouse his suspicions. 

At first, he thought that it might have been his behaviour the other night that was making her apprehensive and he felt a flash of annoyance. He’d just been doing what they’d agreed to do. He was willing to admit that he might have gone a bit above and beyond when he realized that it stroked his ego everytime a simple gesture like pulling out her chair or keeping her drink topped up earned him a flash of her admittedly beautiful smile and he did enjoy the jealous glances from his single teammates every time he stole a kiss. But he hadn’t done anything that didn’t fall under the umbrella of pretending to be in a relationship which was exactly what she’d agreed to and what she’d asked him to do again that night.

However, as he let his frustration about what he presumed to be the problem simmer and grow until he tried to pull his hand away from hers in a huff, he was surprised when he felt her tighten her grip to keep their fingers intertwined. He softened - his irritation almost immediately washing away - as he realized that perhaps he was letting his imagination get him unnecessarily worked up and in a stroke of rare maturity, he decided to stop making assumptions.

“You alright?” He asked when they were just a few short blocks away from their destination. “You haven’t said much.”

“I’m okay.” She glanced up at him as she spoke and the worried look on her face didn’t do much to reassure him. “I’m just a little nervous, I’m not sure how this is all going to go. But I really appreciate you coming with me.”

“It’s what any good husband would do,” he joked, relieved when it earned him a hint of a smile. “And you did it for me the other day.”

“But your teammates were all lovely and so welcoming, I’m not sure I’ll be able to say the same about Mike and Katie after how our last conversation went.”

She nervously chewed on her lip and Jamie felt a flash of annoyance on her behalf that these people who were supposedly her closest friends were making her feel such anxiety.

“I’m a big boy,” he assured her. “I can handle a little attitude from your friends.”

“But you shouldn’t have to,” Lia insisted before clarifying. “You won’t have to. If they’re being awful, we’re leaving right away.”

Her words were said with conviction despite the shake in her voice and Jamie had to admit that her protectiveness was quite cute, but there was an ache of something that felt like guilt in his chest as he thought about their fake relationship - that was mostly for his benefit - potentially ruining her friendship.

“What did she say anyway?” He asked. “When she messaged you earlier, did she apologize?”

“No, she just said that she missed me and she wanted to talk about it and get to know you,” Lia admitted. “I doubt I’ll ever get a real apology, she tends to infer things like that more than actually say it.”

“Oh,” Jamie scoffed. “So she doesn’t believe in accountability?”

He knew it was hypocritical coming from him, but he’d taken Keeley’s words to heart all those months ago and it was something he was growing to be very aware of. Now that he truly saw the importance of it, he didn’t like the idea of Lia letting her friend get away with anything less.

“I guess not,” Lia shrugged. “But we all have things to work on, you know that.”

As offensive as her words could have been, there was no malice in her tone. She was simply stating a fact and reminding Jamie that people making assumptions about him was precisely what he was trying to change and he nodded as they reached the door of the pub. He watched as she took a deep breath to steady herself before leading him inside. It was busy - packed with the after work crowd - but after a brief scan of the room, Lia led him towards a table at the back. He was grateful for their discretion - whether it was deliberate or not - because he had a feeling that getting attention from any Richmond fans wouldn’t do him many favours when it came to impressing Lia’s friends and he pasted on the most charming smile he could muster as they reached the booth they were sitting in.

In a move that seemed to surprise Lia as much as it surprised him, Katie leapt up from her seat as soon as she saw them and threw her arms around her.

“I missed you so much,” Katie said as she squeezed her tight. “This last week has been so rough.”

Jamie resisted the urge to scoff at that claim considering any suffering the last week had been due to her own actions, but luckily before he had the chance to say anything that might cause any trouble, Katie’s boyfriend stood up as well and held out his hand for Jamie to shake.

“Well, if it isn’t Jamie Tartt,” he grinned. “I saw the pictures, but it was so hard to imagine Lia with a footballer that I didn’t believe it.”

“Yeah, well, it’s true,” Jamie chuckled. “I’m lucky to have her.”

“I won’t argue with that,” Mike smirked and while it was clearly a dig at Jamie and he felt a flash of annoyance, Mike continued before Jamie could shoot off any comebacks. “I’m Mike, it’s great to finally meet you.”

“Yeah, you too.”

It was clear that neither of them really meant it, but Jamie was relieved that so far Lia’s friends had been civil.

“C’mon,” Mike nodded towards the bar. “Let’s get the first round, give those two a little time to catch up. I think they have a few things to discuss.”

Jamie agreed and after quickly asking Katie and Lia what they wanted to drink, they headed to the bar. He paid - even though he had a sneaking suspicion that it was expected and one of the reasons Mike had asked him to go with him to order - but even after their drinks came, they stayed leaning against the bar. Mike peppered Jamie with questions about football and Jamie happily answered, but he kept his eyes focused on the table that they walked away from.

Lia was tense - it was obvious even from across the room that her guard was up - but it took a surprisingly short amount of time for the frown on her face to shift into a smile and it wasn’t long after that for her to start laughing and giggling with her old friend. He felt a flicker of disappointment that she hadn’t put up more of a fuss - demanded a little more grovelling - but he knew that he didn’t know all of the details or much about their friendship other than the fact that Katie didn’t seem like a particularly good best friend. Things were never black and white and Lia seemed like a smart girl so he trusted that she would handle the situation appropriately.

Once it seemed like a peace treaty had been drawn, they headed back over to the table and Lia flashed him a reassuring smile as he sat down next to her.

“I was just telling Katie about the day we met, when you came into the bookstore to buy a present for your mom.” He remembered the story that they’d agreed on, but only vaguely since he hadn’t had to think about it since the first discussion about their situation and he forced out what he hoped would look like a fond smile as he tried to hide his panic. As if she could see right through him, Lia continued and bought him a little more time. “He was so stubborn and insisted he didn’t need any help every time I asked, but he looked so cute with his eyebrows all furrowed in confusion as he kept checking the title of the book on his phone so I kept pestering him until he let me help him find it.”

There were a lot of things that Lia’s friends probably knew about her that he didn’t. He was sure that it would have been very easy for them to ask him a question that caught him off guard and proved that they weren’t really a couple. But Jamie was well trained at succeeding in high pressure situations and just hoped that he’d been paying enough attention to the details she’d dropped during their conversations over the last week for him to be convincing.

“I would have found it eventually,” he insisted before flashing her a smirk before he added, “But it’s hard to resist when a pretty girl begs to help you.”

He noticed a faint blush rising in her cheeks as she playfully rolled her eyes.

“I think saying that I begged is a slight exaggeration.”

“You pretty much just said it yourself,” he teased with a shrug. “And then because I’m such a gentleman, I offered to stay and help stock the shelves with some big order that she was putting away as a thank you. We got talking and the rest is history.”

“That’s actually quite sweet,” Katie admitted. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t have told anyone if you didn’t want me to.”

Lia opened her mouth to explain, but Jamie cut in.

“That’s on me,” he insisted. “After all the drama of leaving Man City and that stupid television show I went on, I was worried about the press. I didn’t want Lia getting harassed or attacked, I didn’t want any chaos that might scare her away.”

“But now you think it’s fine to throw her to the wolves by forcing her to pretend to be married to you?”

There was something very passive aggressive about the sweetness of her tone in combination with the harshness of her words, but it was Lia’s turn to jump in before Jamie could defend himself.

“He’s not forcing me to do anything, Katie. I told you, I’m doing it because I want to.”

“And to be honest, I’ve realized that no one really cares about me as much as I thought,” Jamie admitted, forcing down his temper as he chose to believe that her friend’s words were coming from a place of protectiveness more than judgement. “People like that I’m married, but we’re not being chased down by paparazzi and I don’t think anyone’s bothered Lia at all since we made the announcement.”

Lia nodded in agreement and reached out to squeeze his hand where it rested on the table by his pint glass in a show of solidarity and after watching them carefully for a moment, Katie let out a sigh of defeat as she sipped her drink.

“Well, I still think the whole arrangement is a little suspect,” she warned them. “But you do seem quite happy together so I can try to be more supportive.”

The smile that slid onto Lia’s face was more genuine than any that Jamie had seen since the start of their little arrangement and the relief she felt was visible as the tension in her body seemed to disappear in an instant. Jamie still felt like he had to be on guard considering their clear scrutiny of him, but knowing Lia felt more at ease did help him relax and he was hopeful that the evening might be slightly less painful than he’d anticipated.

However, he was very wrong.

At first, everything was going well. Lia seemed happy and laid back as she laughed and joked with Katie and they regaled Jamie with tales of their adventures over the years. She was tactile and affectionate - leaning against his arm or intertwining her fingers with his and lifting his hand up to press a kiss against his skin - and Jamie found himself quite happy to indulge. Even if it was just an act, it was nice to feel wanted and he found himself once again struggling not to get carried away despite how much he enjoyed the way her cheeks grew pink every time he stole a cheeky little kiss.

But when they were about halfway through their second round, he felt Lia tense up beside him. Every ounce of anxiety that had been radiating from her on their walk to the pub was back in full force and the look of horror on her face when he glanced over to see if she was okay was enough to have a panic rising in him as well. He flicked his eyes towards Katie to see if her reaction provided any more information, but the sheepish way she was suddenly avoiding eye contact as she sipped her drink didn’t offer much explanation so he followed Lia’s gaze until he saw a man walking towards their table.

“Katie,” Lia practically growled. “Why is Daniel here?”

The name alone sent a flash of annoyance through Jamie as he instantly sat up a little straighter and wrapped his arm around Lia to pull her closer to his side. He felt a flicker of pride as she leaned into the embrace as she stared expectantly at her friend, waiting for an answer.

“Don’t be mad, okay?” Katie uselessly pleaded. “He felt bad about the other night. He said it was just a misunderstanding and he wanted to make things right.”

“It’s not just the other night,” Lia hissed. “It’s a consistent pattern of behaviour that’s been going on for too long for an apology to mean anything!”

The pride that Jamie felt at the way Lia defended herself surprised him. She’d shown him during their first meeting about their faux relationship that she had no problem standing up for herself when she felt like she was backed into a corner, but she also struck him as someone who had a hard time standing up to the people she cared about. Calling her a pushover seemed a tad harsh, but it didn’t seem to be hard to pull on her heartstrings and coerce her into cooperation. Katie’s reaction only solidified his assumptions.

“I know, but he insisted and it would help Mike if you two made peace.”

Mike seemed oblivious to the conversation as he stood up to greet his friend, but Lia was clearly still seething.

“What did you tell him?” She questioned. “What does he know about me and Jamie?”

“Nothing,” Katie shrugged. “Just whatever was reported in the news. You told me not to tell anyone the truth and Mike and I kept our promise.”

“Oh, thanks, your loyalty is astounding.”

Her sarcasm was clear and despite the hurt that flooded Katie’s face, Mike returned to his seat with Daniel squeezing into the booth beside him before she could challenge Lia’s remark.

“Jamie,” Mike started. “This is my best friend, Daniel. Daniel, this is Jamie Tartt.”

“We met the other night.” The words were casual, but there was a snark in Daniel’s voice that Jamie found unsettling, especially as he added. “But it’s nice to formally meet you.”

“Yeah, you too.”

He tried to sound nonchalant, but he could hear the scoff in his own voice and knew that he was definitely coming off more as a disgruntled partner. He didn’t particularly care though, especially when Daniel tried to explain away his actions.

“I’m sorry about what happened, I had no idea that you were together or I wouldn’t have tried anything.”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” Jamie insisted, genuinely taken aback by the way the man across from him spoke to him instead of Lia. “I’m not the one you have an issue with.” 

“Well, I’m sorry to both of you,” Daniel clarified, earning a scoff from Lia. “I didn’t mean to step on any toes.”

Jamie slowly nodded, knowing it wasn’t his place to accept or deny any apology that was being made, but an awkwardness crept over the table as Lia simply sipped her drink and refused to comment. Mike quickly jumped in to steer the conversation to other things, but there was a lingering tension as Katie’s eyes were practically pleading for Lia to forgive her and Lia kept her head down and nuzzled closer into Jamie’s arm as if she was trying to make herself as small as possible. Jamie leaned down to press a kiss against the top of her head and while it was for show - an act of solidarity to prove their relationship to the group sitting across from them - he hoped that she could take some comfort from it as well. 

When another twenty minutes passed with complete silence from Lia, Jamie was just about to suggest they head home when Lia’s lack of engagement apparently caught Daniel’s attention as well.

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled as he shook his head. “But I don’t buy it.”

His words caught Lia’s attention as they were clearly directed at her, but when she seemed too surprised to comment, Jamie jumped in to help.

“Don’t buy what, mate?”

“You two,” Daniel clarified. “Your whole relationship. All the times that Lia turned me down, she never once mentioned that it was because she was seeing someone else.”

“Because I didn’t think it was relevant,” Lia informed him, finally finding her voice. “I didn’t reject you because I had a boyfriend or because I was married, I rejected you because I didn’t and never will want to go out with you and that should be enough for you to respect my answer without needing to know there’s another man involved.”

It was a valid argument and Jamie was proud of the confidence in Lia’s voice, but it only seemed to aggravate Daniel even more.

“I don’t buy that either,” he insisted before turning his attention towards Jamie. “I hate to tell you this, mate, but the only reason I was so persistent is because of the signals she was giving me.”

“Oh my god,” Lia said through a laugh of disbelief. “What are you on about? What signals?”

“There were loads.”

Daniel’s comeback was weak and lacking in evidence, but Jamie felt Lia freeze as Mike spoke up in his friend’s defense.

“He’s not wrong,” he admitted. ��I’ve seen the way you look at him, Lia.”

“Like I’m repulsed by him and praying he won’t try to touch me again?” Again, there was no doubt in her voice, but her insistence earned nothing more than an eye roll from the men across from them. So, Lia tried a different tactic. “C’mon, Katie. You know that what they’re saying isn’t true. I’ve been complaining about Daniel since the day I met him. Have you ever thought that I wanted to be with him?”

“I dunno,” Katie shrugged, playing with the straw in her drink as she was suddenly unable to look Lia in the eye. “I always kinda thought your protests were, like, playful and flirty. Like maybe you just wanted him to chase you a little bit.”

The look on Lia’s face as she tried to process her friend’s words could only be described as one of shock and devastation, but her stunned silence just gave Daniel time to chime in again as he smirked at Jamie.

“See? I’m sorry, mate. I wouldn’t have been trying to get with your girl if I knew she was taken, but she didn’t do much to deter me,” he shrugged. “You might wanna keep an eye on her, especially around your teammates.”

Jamie felt a flash of anger at what he was insinuating and he was grateful that the weight of Lia clinging to his arm stopped him from doing something he’d regret - like punching the asshole across from him in the face.

“Shut the fuck up,” he growled. “If what I saw the other night is anything to go by then Lia’s done plenty to deter you. It’s not her fault you’re too fucking thick to understand when a woman tells you she’s not interested.”

Daniel rolled his eyes again as a murmured ‘whatever’ slipped from his lips, but Jamie was distracted as Lia grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it to get his attention.

“Can we please leave?”

“Of course, babe,” Jamie nodded, tossing back the rest of his pint before sliding out of the booth. “Let’s go.”

Lia quickly scurried out after him and they headed for the door without even bothering to say goodbye.

——

The taxi ride back to Jamie’s house was silent. 

He could feel the sadness washing off of Lia in waves, but she kept her head turned as she looked out the window and Jamie wasn’t sure what he could say to offer her any comfort. When it came to relationships, he was good at all the fun stuff - like attending parties or events and, of course, the sex - but the emotional side of things had always been harder for him to master. The fact that they weren’t really in a relationship and he actually knew very little about Lia made it even harder for him to know how to handle the situation.

He spent most of the drive agonizing over what to do, but in the end he figured the risk of saying something that would make her feel worse was too high and decided to just let her come to him if she wanted to.

But the silence continued when they got home.

Lia headed straight upstairs and he heard the sound of the shower as he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He waited to see if she would eventually appear as he scrolled through the social media on his phone, but when almost an hour had passed with no sign of her, he went up to their room as well. He saw her already curled up under the blankets and assumed she was asleep, but when he crawled into bed next to her, he was surprised when she rolled over to face him.

“Jamie?”

Her voice was quiet, but it echoed around the quiet room.

“Yeah?”

“I never gave Daniel any signals,” she insisted. “I promise, I didn’t.”

The desperate pleading tone to her voice caught him off guard, but he simply shrugged.

“You don’t need to promise me anything,” he reminded her. “We’re not really married, it’s none of my business.”

“I know,” Lia choked out, her voice breaking. “I just really need someone to believe me.”

Even through the darkness, Jamie knew she was crying. He could feel the bed shift as her shoulders shook with the quiet sobs that fell from her lips, but again, he found himself at a loss for what to do. After a moment of awkwardly laying there, racking his brain for a solution, Jamie let out a sigh as he reached out towards her.

“C’mere.”

It came out as more of a demand than a request, but Lia hesitated as she sniffled out a quiet, “What?”

“C’mere, let me give you a cuddle.”

“Oh,” Lia sniffled again. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Sounds like you need it,” he argued. “And let’s not pretend that I don’t feel you peeling yourself off of me every morning when you think I’m asleep.”

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Lia was a very snuggly sleeper. Almost every night she ended up wrapped around Jamie, but he hadn’t mentioned it after her embarrassment that first morning and was relieved when the wink that accompanied his words in that moment earned a teary giggle as she did as he asked and scooched closer until he could wrap his arms around her.

“Thank you,” she murmured against his chest. “For this and for everything else you did for me tonight, standing up to Daniel and putting up with my friends.”

“They shouldn't be your friends after tonight,” Jamie huffed. “That Daniel is a knob and your friends are shit for not listening to you.”

“I know,” Lia sighed. “I don’t want anything to do with them, at least until I get some kind of apology. What they did tonight was humiliating.”

“Don’t worry about it, they’re just a bunch of pricks. And Lia?” He paused until she hummed questioningly in response before he continued. “I do believe you.”

He felt her drape her arm around his waist to squeeze him affectionately and he leaned down to press a kiss against the top of her head. It was a gesture he made almost more out of habit than anything romantic, but as a silence settled around them and he held her close until he felt her breathing shift and he knew she was asleep, he had to admit that the line between pretend and the reality of his slowly growing feelings was starting to seem a bit blurred.

----

chapter six

#jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt fanfic #jamie tartt fic #jamie tartt #jamie tartt x ofc #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso #amorous facades

[burgundybmw]

Munson's Mixtape

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Cunningham!Reader

Word Count: 3,155

Warnings: None.

Summary: Chrissy has been acting weird, and like a good big sister Y/N drives to Hawkins from Notre Dame to check in on her. Only to find out she has plans to meet up with Eddie Munson. Things take a turn for the worse and now Y/N gets wrapped in to the horrors of Hawkins. Hey, at least she has the company of the guitarist she was sweet on back in high school for comfort.

Author’s Note: I really struggled to write this chapter for some reason. This is from Eddie's point of view, the following chapter will show the reader's at the same time this chapter takes place. Hope you guys enjoy!

Track Fourteen

Eddie never thought he'd regret his tattoos. He always thought that they were a reminder of who he was, or what he liked, at the time he got them. He loved the ink on his skin, but now he was regretting one tattoo in particular. Just a bit. When he first got the bats on his arm, he thought about Ozzy Osbourne. Now, every time he would look down at his arm, he would be reminded about how Steve Harrington was almost torn to shreds by these pyscho demobats. At the very least, Steve got his Ozzy moment. He bit the bat before beating it to death, the guy might look like a walking Calvin Klein ad, but that was some of the most metal shit Eddie had ever seen.

A massive colony of demobats was guarding the entrance to the gate back to regular old Hawkins, so that left Eddie, Nancy, Robin, and Steve stuck in the Upside Down. They had run for cover under a this version of Skull Rock, shielding them from the bats above. Eddie could hear their bone chilling squeals all around him, the sickening sound of wings flapping as the bats searched for them. As much as he hated his current situation, he was happy about one thing. Y/N was safe above ground. Eddie just hoped she wouldn't do something stupid like follow him down here, the idea of her getting attacked by the demobats made him sick to his stomach.

After what felt like an eternity, the sound of wings flapping became quieter. It looked like the colony had flown away. They all decided it was time for them to move, apparently Nancy Wheeler of all people had guns in her bedroom. Nothing should really surprise Eddie anymore, but that certainly did. So now they were off trekking through the woods, cold, wet, and dirty from the fight earlier. Nancy and Robin were up ahead, and that left Steve and Eddie trailing behind them. Eddie didn't know Harrington very well back when they were still in school together. He always assumed the guy was a dick, especially after he heard about his friends spray painting Nancy 'The Slut' Wheeler on the Hawkins movie theater. But that opinion has changed now.

"Eddie. Eddie. Hey man, uh... Listen, I just uh... I just want to say thanks. For saving my ass back there." Steve said as he jogged up to stand beside him.

"Shit, you saved your own ass man. I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there." Eddie could admit he was impressed.

"Ozzy?" Steve asked. Eddie had to control himself from rolling his eyes.

"When you took a bite out of that bat." Eddie said, Steve still looked confused.

"Ozzy Osbourne? Black Sabbath? He bit a bat's head off on stage." Steve looked disgusted as he said it.

"It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying." That was a high compliment, coming from Eddie.

"Thanks." Steve replied.

"Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact." Eddie said begrudgingly.

"Wait, Henderson said that?" Steve asked.

"Oh yeah. Shit. Kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest. And Y/N, after you guys showed up, we talked a bit. She said you were a nice guy, compared to some of the other dudes on the team that is." That part gutted Eddie a bit, how Y/N talked about him. Right before they went to sleep one night, she told a story about how Steve had given her a ride home when Matthew Grayson left early from the game without her. They didn't know each other well, but he offered her the ride anyway. She told Eddie that he said it wouldn’t be right for her to walk home alone in the dark, and he didn't put any moves on her. Eddie thought the bar must have been incredibly low for that to be considered something to praise, but he didn't say anything.

"And, I don't know why I really care, what they think, but uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve. I guess I couldn't accept the fact that that Steve Harrington was actually... a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche? No way, man. No way. That, like, flies in the face of all laws in the universe and my personal Munson doctrine." There was a brief moment of silence after Eddie's speech, and normally he wasn't prone to word vomit, but he couldn't stop himself from talking anyway.

"Still super jealous, by the way. Which is why I would have never jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any, uh... normal circumstances." A growl waved through the distance, they both stopped for a moment, fear rippled through Eddie's body. He saw Steve continue on, so he followed.

"Nope. Outside of DnD, I am no hero. I see danger, I turn heel and run..." Eddie started before Steve interrupted.

"That's not true." Steve replied.

"Yeah man, it totally is." Eddie scoffed, he didn't want his sympathy.

"You didn't run after Chrissy died, not right after that is. Max saw you leave with Y/N, hours after it happened. You could have run then, but you stayed with her." Steve sounded so sure of himself, like what he said was an absolute truth. Eddie wished he had that confidence in himself.

"I almost did. I almost ran. Shit, everything in me wanted to jump in my van and get right out of Dodge, but Y/N wouldn't budge. I couldn't... I couldn't leave her like that, man." That night would haunt Eddie forever. The image of Y/N holding her sister's corpse, singing songs from the Wizard of Oz. She was the only reason he stayed, she was the only reason he had any ounce of courage throughout this whole endeavor.

"That proves my point. You didn't run then, and you didn't run when I was pulled under. You jumped right in. Give yourself a break, man." Steve said as he lightly tapped Eddie's chest.

"See? The only reason I came in here was 'cause of the ladies in our party. Those two, came in straight after you. And Y/N, I know she was looking at me from the shore line. Now, I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind. I didn't want to row that boat back to her and show her how much of a coward I really am. But Wheeler right there, she didn't waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right in. Now, I don't know what happened between you two, but if I were you, I would get her back. 'Cause that was unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen." Eddie said, it more for himself than for Steve. It wasn't that he didn't believe what he said, he did, 100%. It was just that if Steve Harrington couldn't get the girl, what shot in hell did Eddie have?

"Well what about you and Y/N?" Steve asked defensively.

"What about us, man?" Us. There wasn't an us, not between Eddie and Y/N.

"You say that what Nance did was an unambiguous sign of true love, but you can't see what's standing in right front of you, dude." Steve replied. Eddie rolled his eyes and started to walk away, he didn't want to have this conversation with Steve at the moment. But Harrington grabbed his arm, holding him still.

"I'm serious. It's so obvious Y/N loves you, but you still haven't made a move." Steve said has he let go of Eddie's arm.

"Listen man, I know she cares about me. I'm not that blind, but... Y/N doesn't love me the way I love her. I've loved her, silently, for years. Less than a week of close proximity true love does not make." It was Steve's turn to roll his eyes at Eddie.

"Y/N's liked you long before this week Eddie. She used to get shit for it from the guys on the team back when she was in school. Even when she was with Grayson, she only had eyes for you. We could all see it. She'd stare at you from her seat at the cafeteria, I noticed it back when I still sat with the team. Grayson always used to bitch about it, said he wasn't going to lose his girl to Eddie 'The Freak' Munson. But she was never his girl, she was yours. Even though neither of you admitted it, it was always there." Eddie couldn't breathe for a moment. He felt as if his heart stopped beating, right there in the Upside Down, right before it starting pumping again. It was loud, beating so loud in his chest. There was no way, no possible way Y/N had liked him for that long. Steve had to be wrong, but... the more he thought about it. The more he allowed himself to think about it, Eddie had hope it was true. Maybe, just maybe, she loved him just like he loved her.

Eddie didn't have much time to ponder the complexities of possibly requited love before he felt the ground beneath him start to shake. Robin was yelling something in the distance, and then Nancy took off in a sprint through the woods. Steve and Eddie looked at each other once more before following her through the trees. Once they made it to the clearing, Eddie and Steve sighed in relief. They could see the Wheeler house in the distance from where they stood, and the group took off running to get their destination.

Eddie slowly walked through the door of the Wheeler house, nearly every inch of the walls was covered by the same creepy vines that infested the Upside Down. Nancy and Robin went upstairs to go find her stash of guns, while Steve and Eddie remained downstairs.

"Mom, it was Jason. I know it was him." That was Y/N's voice, Eddie could recognize it anywhere. Was she here? With her mother of all people? Eddie followed the sound to the living room, but no one was there.

"Shut your mouth young lady. Jason is a good, sweet, God fearing young man. He loved your sister! He wouldn't make a pact with the Devil, stop spreading these lies." That must be Mrs. Cunningham's voice. As faint as it was, her voice sounded like nails scratching on a chalkboard.

"I'm not lying! She told me they fought a lot, and Jason was paranoid she was going to leave him! See here, I have Chrissy's diary..." Y/N's voice was cutting out. Eddie walked further into the living room, trying to get her voice back.

"That's the only explanation! Jason signed his name in the Devil's black book!" Eddie's mind was reeling with questions. Why was she pinning this on Jason? She knew he had nothing to do with Vecna, and as much as Eddie didn't like the guy, he was innocent. And what was this talk about the Devil? What the hell was going on up there?

"Are you sure about this young lady?" That was Chief Powell. That's when it clicked in his mind, she was covering for him. She was giving Eddie an out if they couldn't prove his innocence, and Jason was her scapegoat.

"Yes. Something is wrong with Hawkins, so horribly wrong. We all know it, but are too afraid to admit it. I don't know how Jason made his evil pact, but it's the only thing that makes sense..." Her voice cut out again for a moment, before resuming again.

"Jason is trying to pin this on Eddie, he knows what people in town think of him. It would be so easy... but he didn't fool me. He won't get away with this." Eddie knew he should feel guilty, but he didn't. If it was him versus Jason in a legal battle over Vecna's crimes, Jason's family at least had money, and he didn't. They could afford a good lawyer. They wouldn't try to cover it up like they would with Eddie.

"Alright then. If you wouldn't mind going into the kitchen with the others Miss. Cunningham, I'd like a word with your mother." Chief Powell said with a calm voice. Eddie didn't understand how he could sound so collected after hearing a story like that, but he wouldn't question it. All of the sudden he heard Steve shouting from the other room.

"Dustin! Dustin! Dustin! Can you hear me? Dustin! Du- Hello? Hel... Hello?" Steve was in the kitchen, screaming at nothing. Robin and Nancy came running from upstairs to see what was going on.

"Maybe he really does have rabies." said Robin as she stared at Steve's manic display.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Nancy asked.

"He's here. Henderson. That little shit, he's here. He's like... He's in the walls or something. Just listen." Steve replied.

"Yea, I just heard Y/N's voice too. She was in the other room. Shit, her mom and Chief Powell are all there too." Eddie replied. Steve shushed him, and they all stayed quiet. That's when he heard Dustin's distorted voice, just like how Y/N's was.

"That brings us to the question you first raised. How and why is there a gate at Lover's Lake? Let's analyze. What do Eleven and Vecna have in common?" Yea, that was definitely Dustin's voice.

They all started screaming his name, walking around trying to see if they could get them to hear their calls.

"Alright, either this kid can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag." Steve said, clearly annoyed with his plan to get Dustin's attention failing.

"Will found a way." They all turned to look at Nancy when she said it.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Will. He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights." Nancy ran off to try and turn some of the house lights on, and Eddie had no clue what she was talking about. How could you talk to someone through the lights? It sounded like something straight out of Poltergeist. Eddie didn't question her thought process, she had experience with this shit before, so he kept his mouth shut. Nancy kept turning the light switch on and off, but nothing was happening. That was until Steve flashed his light on to the chandelier above them.

"Guys? You seeing this?" There was an orange glow surrounding the light fixture, it looked as if there was glitter bouncing around the air. Nancy lifted her hand to touch it, and the glow began to sparkle around her fingers, it reminded Eddie of that Disney movie his parents took him to see as a kid. It was Peter Pan, and this glow looked like Tinkerbell's fairy dust.

"Woah..." They all stood around Nancy and her fairy dust, Dustin's faint voice in the background. They all lifted their hands up to touch the light, and Eddie could feel a warm vibration throughout his fingertips.

"It tickles..." Steve remarked, one hand in the orange glow and the other holding the flashlight.

"It feels, kind of good." Robin replied. Eddie agreed, it did feel good. Everything was cold and half dead in the Upside Down, this was the first thing that felt alive since he got down here.

"Does anyone know Morse Code?" Nancy asked. The others shrugged their shoulders, but Eddie remembered something his uncle taught him once. Uncle Wayne had an old telegraph in his trailer, and Eddie used to mess around with it as a kid. He asked his Uncle if he knew how to use it. He told him that he had forgotten most of it, but he remembered one thing, and he taught it to Eddie.

"Wait, does SOS count? Is that... is that good?" Eddie replied.

"Yea Eddie, that's perfect." Nancy replied. Eddie nodded and started tapping his fingers into the light, three short taps, followed by three longs taps, and then three shorts taps again. Eddie could hear the faint voice of a girl as he was tapping.

"You said you followed Vecna through lights, right?" The girls voice asked.

"Yea why?" Dustin replied, his voice as distinct as Y/N's was in the living room.

"Because I think he's here." Eddie didn't stop his tapping, hoping Henderson would figure out it was them.

"It's working." Robin said, her eyes fixated on the flicking light.

"Hey, uh, remember when I said they wouldn't be stupid enough to go through Watergate?" The group scoffed as they heard Dustin's distorted voice throughout the room. As if they had much of a choice.

"Yeah?" Lucas replied.

"I overestimated them." Dustin said in a disappointed tone. Eddie rolled his eyes, Henderson could be such a little punk.

"How do you know it's them? What if it's Vecna or something else? What if they're trying to trick us?" That was Y/N's voice, and as much as Eddie loved how protective she was, he really needed her to stop questioning Dustin.

"It's Eddie. I know Steve, Robin, and Nancy don't know Morse Code, but he knows S.O.S. Nancy knows about Will communicating through the lights when he went to the Upside Down, it has to be them." Dustin replied.

"Eddie? Eddie if that's you can you show me a sign? If it's Vecna you can kindly go fuck yourself, I'm not in the mood for this." Eddie could imagine Y/N standing there in the kitchen, hands on her hips and a serious look on her face. Eddie chuckled to himself, and thought of a way to show her it was him. That's when an idea popped in his head, it was a long shot but it was the only thing he'd think would work.

He began tapping the beat to For Whom The Bell Tolls with each light fixture. If this wouldn't work as a sign, he didn't think anything else could.

"What are you doing, man?" Steve asked.

"It's Y/N's favorite song." Eddie replied, tapping away. He didn't know if she'd recognize it from the drums alone, but he prayed she did. He couldn't figure out a way to tap the lyrics, but he didn't have to.

"Make his fight on the hill in the early day... constant chill deep inside... Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey. On they fight, for they're right, yes, but who's to say... Oh God Eddie baby you're a genius!" He could hear Y/N cheer. Steve gave Eddie a knowing look, but he ignored it.

"Hey! Meet us in Nancy's room, I've got an idea!" Dustin yelled.

Eddie stopped his tapping and followed Nancy and the rest of the group to the stairs, hoping that whatever plan Dustin cooked up with would work. Any minute longer in the Upside Down was a minute too much in his opinion.

Taglist:

@imchangkyunned , @creativedogs , @nightless , @kik51199 , @thecraziestcrayon , @dabzzallday420 , @science--hoes , @efvyqrs , @justanotherkpopstanlol , @kikis-writing-world , @secretsicanthideanymore , @heartandhead2018 , @piperd06 ,

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x cunningham!reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #stranger things s4 #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanficton #stranger things #stranger things fluff #stranger things angst #stranger things x reader

[findmeabowlofundertale]

IT’S HERE, PART 5

MMMM the pacing and tone shifts are even worse but yknow what too diddly darn bad. As usual, this wasn’t meant to be so long, it got away from me, yada yada. But actually I’ve mentally worked out several plot things for… the distant future, and stuck some of them in here oh so cleverly. Like a sneaky snail. Ohohoho

…I am. So tired.

So I’ll probably edit this in the morning.

Edit: I did edit it.

Part 4 (prev), Part 6 (next)

- - - -

Alphys helped Asteri get Dr. Gaster to the couch. Despite Asteri being quite tall herself and therefore having furniture to match, he was even taller, and so his feet stuck off the one end. It didn't matter though, because he passed out almost immediately. (Despite his protests on the way to the living room.) That left the two women.

"I hope it's alright that you're away this long," Asteri worried aloud as they returned to the kitchen table. "I mean you don't have to stay, of course, but I assumed it might be a little strange to return to work sans your boss?" 

"Eheh, yeah... O-Oh! But if you, um, want me to go, I can! If you wanted it to be, uh, y-you know... Just you guys? When he wakes up?"

Asteri gave a dry smile and quirked an eyebrow. "What reason, exactly, would I have for wanting it to be just the two of us?"

Alphys' face went red, and she looked anywhere but at the shapeshifter. "W-W-Well!! Y-You know! If you... wanted to… talk…. a-about anything...?" She glanced back to Asteri, who looked tired but amused. "I-I-I don't know!!"

"Alphys, I'm not going to bo-- oh my god I can't believe I almost said that. I'm not going to sleep with your boss. I barely even know him."

The lizard monster sputtered in embarrassment at her apparent transparency for a few seconds before managing words. "W-Well I don't know! Y-You guys were all- all blushy and stuff earlier!"

"Because there was an embarrassing misunderstanding!" Asteri objected. As if to illustrate, it seemed the heat in her cheeks was returning again. "Other than that, there were a couple moments of emotional vulnerability that were necessary but still uncomfortable given the low level of familiarity between us." 

"...S-So you don't, um, h-have a... crush on--"

"I met him ONE other time, Alphys! Have you been reading romance novels or something?"

The way Alphys froze and the ensuing silence spoke volumes. 

"...I mean, no judgement." A beat passed. "He's not into ME though, is he?”

“I-! I don't... think so? I think he’s, um, I think he’s just happy to have a friend.”

Asteri smiled to herself. “A friend, huh? I can’t say I ever expected the Royal Scientist to think of me as a friend.”

A few thoughtful seconds passed before Alphys spoke. “M-Maybe that’s— um. A-Actually, n-never mind!”

“What?”

“N-No, it was kind of, um, r-rude, I’m sorry.”

“Well now you have to tell me.” Alphys looked uneasy, so Asteri smiled. “I won’t be offended, promise.”

Alphys sighed in defeat and fidgeted with her hands. “W-Well maybe, um. M-Maybe y-you keep- keep feeling like that, because, um... Do I have to say this??”

“Yes. Now I’m really curious.”

Another huff of resignation, followed by an awkward groan. “M-Maybe it’s b-because you… only, um. Only think of him like- like that? A-As “the Royal Scientist.””

Asteri made a thoughtful noise and leaned her chin on her wing.

“W-WHICH IS LIKE TOTALLY U-UNDERSTANDABLE!” Alphys hurried to add. “I-I-It’s really in-intimidating! I totally freaked out when I first met him! H-He’s this big, important figure who-who’s been around forever, s-so of course you wanna be, um, r-respectful, and stuff. But… I’ve worked with him f-for the last year, um, a-a little more actually, a-and he’s… really nice. H-He doesn’t treat anyone like- like they’re below him. Actually, he kind of? Does the opposite? He’s always in-incredibly careful with e-experiments that involve anyone else, but if he’s doing it by himself, half the time he won’t even wear safety gear unless someone reminds him. H-He listens whenever anyone has any concerns, he brings in snacks, he never yells at anyone— a-actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seem him mad, e-except maybe at himself? Everything he does is f-for the good of everyone else, to take care of us all down here. B-But… He doesn’t, um. H-He doesn’t really… have anyone to… take care of him? N-Not that he needs t-to be taken care of! He’s a g-grown monster! Obv-Obviously…”

“No, I know what you mean,” Asteri murmured. “Being alive so long must be… lonely. If all you have is taking care of others...”

She thought back to how he had mentioned that nobody asked him about skeleton history, or culture. How excited he was to share. If she stopped looking at it all through the lens of academia…

“He just doesn’t have anyone to talk to about his life, does he?”

“W-Well! Th-There’s us at the lab. B-But, um… no. He doesn’t… really talk, um, very much, about his life outside work.” She was quiet a moment. “I guess, m-maybe that’s why he… makes it his life.”

Asteri exhaled and slowly lowered her forehead to the table. “God, that’s so sad.”

She wasn’t pitying him. She wasn’t. But that was sad, that a person who had lived so long could give so much and receive so little. But it weren’t as if their… friendship (it really felt far too soon to call it that) so far were based on pity, or because she felt bad for him. No, the core of all of this was that he was extremely enjoyable to talk with. He was funny, too. Kind. Patient above all, answering her questions and explaining things thoroughly without ever being condescending. Their conversation at the donut shop was what she imagined it felt like when two gears fit together just so. A meeting of the minds, so to speak. Because, if she thought about it, if she took everything he had said as completely genuine, then it had been just as enjoyable to him. Come to think of it, it hadn’t felt like a superior trying to teach her something, even though he had taught her a number of things. It had felt like how she remembered college being, when she and her classmates would piece things together as they learned. It felt bright like that, warm like that. Their excitement built off each other’s. For as much as she had learned, with the way he spoke to her, the way he treated her, she felt like she had contributed just as much. She never felt stupid. Silly, maybe, but never lesser.

It was such a pleasant conversation that had she reflected on it this much before, she likely wouldn’t have been able to resist trying to call him, or at least emailing him. Which was why it was better, easier, to tell herself that it wasn’t genuine, just like all her colleagues. What a mistake that had been. If she set aside the fact that both of them were academics, and imagined that conversation between two people regular people, it was unquestionably the beginning of a potential friendship.

“Alright,” Asteri decided, lifting her head from the table. “That’s it.”

Alphys startled, voice fluttering as she shifted nervously in her seat. “W-What’s- What’s it?”

Asteri sat up straight. “I’m getting this man some friends. And I’m going to be one of them!”

The two seconds of silence were too long, and her face flushed blue-green.

“Not… sure where the sudden resolution came from,” she mumbled, hunching inward slightly. “That was weird. Ignore that.”

“N-No, it was cool!!” Alphys insisted. “Y-You’re like an anime character….”

That got a questioning (though not judgmental) eyebrow raise from the shapeshifter. This time Alphys blushed.

“W-Well, um! A r-really common, um, th-theme! Is! The- The power of, um, friendship. P-Plus! Y-You’ve got the colorful, spiky hair! Well, um, sort of. A-And, um… Uh. A-Actually that’s… mostly it. S-Sorry.”

Asteri smiled. Alphys seemed like a very earnest person. She liked that. “Don’t apologize. I said at the dump that I’d like to hear more about anime once we weren’t busy. We’ve certainly got time now, if you’d like to tell me more.” She gestured with the tip of her wing to the DVD cases and manga on still on the table. “Do you know these ones?”

Alphys looked like someone had just given her the key to breaking the Barrier. Those were the sparkliest eyes Asteri had ever seen on any monster, ever. And the biggest grin she’d ever seen on anybody with skin. “O-Oh my god, really?” she breathed with audible disbelief. “You really want to- to hear about it?”

“Sure! You’ve certainly listened to me enough today.”

“OMG, okay! S-So first you have to know a little about um, J-Japanese culture! I don’t actually know too much, because I haven’t found a lot of intact DVDs, or manga that hasn’t been totally waterlogged, b-but here’s what I do know…”

⁂

For the second time in two months, Asteri had a conversation that lasted until nighttime. Unlike in New Home, where sunlight from the surface did come through the Barrier in some places and indicated night and day, here in Waterfall it was always dark, save for the perpetual glow of the water, crystals, and mushrooms. The clock, however, was indicator enough. In the last several hours, Asteri leaned about: Samurai and ninja, magical girls, the Japanese system of honorifics (which had derailed into an intense linguistic interrogation for a while before returning to the original topic), cherry blossoms and their symbolism, why the eyes in the art were so big (windows to the soul, apparently, and more expressive than the mouth; having met a skeleton, Asteri felt inclined to agree), and a handful of popular Japanese foods.

She had also indulged Alphys by shifting into her best approximation of a few of the characters the younger woman had shown her pictures of. Alphys had squealed so loudly the first time that Asteri was surprised it didn’t wake Dr. Gaster. She decided to pass on the opportunity to make a joke about sleeping like the dead, given that she wasn’t actually sure on the origin of skeletons monsters, but had heard enough rumors to realize it probably wasn’t in good taste.

“So, on the surface, there’s enough water in one place to completely separate an entire society from another?”

“Y-Yeah! I can’t even- I can’t even imagine. I wonder if the ocean is like the lakes down here…”

Asteri made a face. “Which lakes, the glowing ones? Because if it glows and it’s that big, it would be so bright at night.”

Alphys hummed pensively, trying to recall whether the ocean had ever glowed in any anime she’d seen. “I don’t… think it does? The water that glows here does that because, uh, b-because of microorganisms, partly, b-but mainly all the leftover magic from us monsters. The same with a lot of- of the crystal formations. Th-That’s why the water in the dump doesn’t glow much; it’s coming right from the surface. I don’t think, um, very much stuff on the surface glows at all, actually. E-Except like lights a-and stuff.”

“Hmm, so no glowing oceans then… Wait, hold on. Are you saying that the water and stuff here glows because of dead people?”

“WHA-?! N-NO! I-It’s j-just ambient leftover magic, l-like from when bullets d-dissipate, or f-fire magic! Monsters t-turn to dust when they die, e-everybody knows that!”

“Right, but what’s the dust, if we’re made of magic, and magic dissipates over time?”

Alphys blinked. “W-Well, we’re actually just mostly made of magic, there’s a little bit of ph-physical matter, so— Oh my god.”

Asteri raised her eyebrows.

“Maybe the water does glow because of dead people.”

The horrified look on Alphys’ face made Asteri snort. “Well, if that’s the case, if the dust is the physical stuff, but our magic just kinda evaporates into the atmosphere and that’s the majority of the ambient magic, then dead people are also why the crystals in the ceiling and mushrooms glow, right?”

“W-Well the mushrooms… have some natural bioluminescence, I think, but… y-yeah,” Alphys answered weakly.

“Then…” Asteri smiled, lopsided but sincere. “Then isn’t it kind of nice that everyone we’ve ever lost is still around us, still with us? Even in the “stars”?”

Alphys stared, mulling that over. Then, she slowly broke into a smile. “Y… Yeah. Yeah, that is kind of a nice thought.”

Asteri shrugged her wings. “I mean, I’m not a biologist. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s kind of what I like to believe.” She looked up at the ceiling of her house, as if seeing past it to the ceiling of the cave beyond it, and all the crystals embedded within.

“I-I’m going to ask about that, now. Th-There’s a few biology majors I share c-classes with.”

“Let me know if I’m right,” Asteri hummed. “But if I’m not, don’t say anything. Unless the truth is even nicer, somehow.”

“O-Okay! Will, um! Will do!”

The conversation returned to lighter things for a short while, until they heard a groan from the other room, followed by what might have been some sort of confused mumbling, then a soft thud. Both women rushed into the living room.

“D-Dr. Gaster! Are you okay??”

“Mmmmnnnghh…”

Alphys cringed slightly. “U-Um, we’re at Asteri’s house, remember?”

“Yeah, I should have left a lamp on in here,” Asteri apologized, wincing. “My bad.”

A couple seconds of almost tangible disorientation went by, then blue, slightly glowing hands appeared. “Since when are you on a first-name basis with Ms. Asteri? …And what day is it?”

Asteri chuckled as she found the light switch and flipped it on with her tail. “It’s the same—“

“You’ve been asleep for TH-THREE DAYS, sir!” Alphys flat out lied, doing a remarkably good job at sounding equally panicked and frustrated. “This is w-why you’ve GOT to take better care of yourself! W-We’ve all been so worried!”

Dr. Gaster immediately scrambled to his feet, eyelights flaring with yellow and purple as he gasped in abject horror. “It’s been WHAT?!”

“It has not been three days, it’s been a few hours,” Asteri corrected, sounding somehow both chiding and amused.

Alphys giggled behind her hands. She looked only a little remorseful.

His eyes faded back to normal. “Alphys…”

“T-To be fair, sir, I wouldn’t have been able to do that if you just slept every night.”

His cheekbones practically glowed red. Even so, he didn’t seem about to back down. “Every night?! That hardly gives me any time to work!”

“How about every other night, then?” Asteri offered. Both scientists looked to her like they had forgotten she was there.

“That does seem m-much more reasonable than what you do now,” agreed Alphys.

The skeleton crossed his arms, like he was sulking, and used the blue hands to sign instead. “I will consider it…”

“By the way, you’re welcome to call me by name as well, Doctor,” Asteri commented, recalling his waking question. “Just Asteri is fine.”

Though a bit taken aback at first, he soon broke into a smile, attempt at sulking already forgotten. “Just Asteri… In that case, please feel free to forego the honorifics on my part as well.”

She tilted her head. “Just call you… Gaster?”

He nodded. “I have told Alphys that she is free to do the same, but she insists. Some of the others at the laboratory do as well, but there is really no need for such formality. They know who I am.”

“I-It’s a respect thing, Doctor,” insisted Alphys.

He frowned slightly and blew air through his nasal cavity. “I don’t need my colleagues to call me “Doctor” to know that they respect me. Actions are far more important than words.”

Asteri smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Bold words coming from a man standing in a linguist’s living room.”

Gaster’s eyelights disappeared. If an exclamation point could be a facial expression, he would have had it right then. Alphys laughed into her hands. “She’s got you there, sir.”

“I meant—” He tried to backpedal. “Ms. Asteri, I meant no disrespect to your work! In the context—”

“Hey. Hey, relax. I’m teasing you,” Asteri cut in gently. “I’m not offended. I know what you meant.” His eyelights flickered back into existence. She smiled softly. “Sorry, I should probably go easy on that until we know each other better. I’ve been caught up talking to Alphys, so my tongue is a little sharp from the banter.”

“Oh.” He blinked, then slowly returned her smile. It was more grounded. The way he had smiled earlier today was excitable, like unraveling string, pulled taut and fraying. (Likely because earlier, he hadn’t slept yet.) But now it was softer. “I am relieved. I don’t mind the teasing, sometimes it just takes me a while to get the sense of it.”

“Having just woken up probably doesn’t help. But uh, about what you were saying before, I get it. About not wanting the people you work with to use titles. Words have power. So sometimes, it’s better to forego certain ones. They can be a shield, and if you want familiarity with someone, you can’t have a shield between you.”

“Yes.” Gaster straightened. “Yes! Exactly! That is exactly what I meant! How can we be fa— friends if they feel the need to restate their distance in every other sentence?”

Asteri didn’t miss the way he almost signed “family” instead of “friends,” and she doubted the younger scientist missed it either.

Alphys’ eyes widened at what he said. Evidently, she hadn’t realized he felt that way. “D-Dr. Gaster…” He looked to her, and she must have realized that she just called him “Doctor” again despite everything, because she flushed slightly. “Uh! I-If it’s— I mean, um, f-for me…” She shuffled closer and took a deep breath. “Y-You’re so nice to me! And! E-Ever since m-my dad… f-fell down, I-I’ve really missed talking with him. He always… always supported me. I used to, um, tell him about- about this kind of stuff. E-Engineering, and programming and…” She trailed off and shook her head, ignoring the way her eyes stung with the threat of tears. “H-He, um, he didn’t really get a lot of the m-more technical stuff, but he always l-listened. M-My mom was always busy, but-but he was s-so patient, and kind, a-and fun, and w-we were…”

She had kept trying to ignore the threatening tears, until it was too difficult and the emotion thickened her voice.

“We were really close,” was all she managed before her voice hitched, and she covered her mouth to swallow the feeling. “I-I’m sorry, th-this wasn’t supposed to turn into this!” She tried to hide it all with a laugh, and it did help her regain her composure some. “I-I-I didn’t mean to get a-all emotional, I just- I just wanted you to know that, u-um, I don’t k-keep calling you D-Doctor, and sir, b-because of… I-I’m not trying to, um…! It-It’s not that I…!” She swallowed the words she kept tripping over and screwed her eyes shut.

She took a deep breath.

“I-I can’t just call you Gaster b-because it’d be like calling my dad by his name!”

Alphys had her whole face covered with her hands. Gaster looked absolutely blown away. Asteri felt like she had just witnessed something extremely personal, but sensed that if she moved at all it would only draw attention to herself and make her presence more awkward.

Gaster stepped closer to the younger woman and gently set a hand on her shoulder. She peeked through her fingers, and he smiled at her, eyes full of hesitant warmth. “Alphys… You truly think of me like that?”

She nodded and glanced away, embarrassed.

But he beamed so brightly, so warmly, he looked like he might cry himself. His eyes burned green. “I have not had any family for a very, very long time. I have never wanted to overstep. But you are… like a daughter to me.”

They shared a meaningful look and then each made slight, unsure arm movements until they both managed to telegraph that the intention and desire for a hug was mutual. Alphys yelped slightly as she was pulled into it, evidently not expecting however it felt to hug a skeleton, but settled into it. Asteri smiled at the exchange. She had tried not to just stand there and watch, but it was difficult not to given the size of the room. It made sense why Alphys had had nothing but good to say about Gaster. Asteri didn’t doubt that it was all true, of course, but a young monster who was still grieving her father’s death, and subsequently found another father figure in her boss was bound to be a little biased. Not that this wasn’t absolutely tooth-rottingly sweet.

She glanced at the nearest clock. It was almost 8:00PM. Surely they were hungry; she certainly was. She and Alphys had only had a handful of snacks, they had been so busy talking. So while the two scientists hugged it out, Asteri slipped back into the kitchen and rummaged through her pantry and refrigerator to assess what she could make quickly. Gah, she really should have realized the time sooner. A box in her freezer caught her attention. Oh, that would work.

As she busied herself with dinner, she thought about her conversation with Alphys earlier about whether or not “the water glows because of dead people” and winced. Whoops. But… Alphys had seemed to appreciate her take on their loved ones who had died still being with them in the crystals and ceiling stars, and, yes, the glowing lakes.

She wondered how many people Gaster had lost.

A few minutes later, Alphys and Gaster stepped through the doorway into the kitchen, smiling. Asteri turned to greet them, but Alphys spoke first.

“Asteri I’m, um, I-I’m sorry… f-for almost crying in your living room. I didn’t- I-I didn’t mean to… do that.”

The shapeshifter turned and offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t sweat it, Alphys. It seems like you guys had a… good talk?”

They both nodded.

“You have been more than accommodating, Mi—” Gaster stopped halfway through signing “miss” and corrected himself. “Asteri. You tolerated me making a fool of myself multiple times, invited us to your home, made us tea, let me sleep on your sofa for—“ He checked the time— “almost six hours, and led me to having a touching conversation with Alphys. …Also in your living room. I cannot overstate my gratitude for your hospitality.”

Asteri smiled, a little shyly, and shrugged one wing, trying to be casual as she moved about the kitchen. Here went nothing. “Well, hey… what are friends for?”

His eyes widened, flashing pink. He went from surprised to touched instantly. “You would consider me a friend after everything?”

Her face warmed, just a bit, tail flicking slowly back and forth against the floor. “If you’d like to be.”

There was no misinterpreting a smile like that. “I’d be honored.”

She laughed, turning to rinse something off in the sink. “I don’t know if I can live up to being an “honor” to be friends with, but I’ll do my best.”

“Y-You’ll have to get better about sleeping if you’re going to start spending time with other people, you know,” Alphys murmured as she elbowed him. He chuckled guiltily.

“It seems so… Speaking of which, I am sure we have more than worn out our welcome. We should be on our way.”

Asteri turned all the way to face them and gestured behind her. “At least eat first. Please. I’ve got dinner in the oven, it’ll be done soon. I’m not going to make you two walk all the way back to the capital on empty stomachs.”

“Well, technically speaking,” Gaster began with a grin. Alphys groaned. “…My stomach is always empty.”

Asteri snorted a laugh. “You know what I meant. Sit, I’ll get the rest of that sea tea. It will be plenty cold by now.”

They did as asked, and made small talk as she finished cleaning up a few things.

“So, um, what are you making?” Alphys inquired.

“Just pizza. I had a frozen one. It’s just vegetables, I hope that’s alright.”

“Th-That’s fine with me!”

“Same here.”

As she pulled it out of the oven and set about cutting it, she started to wonder how, exactly, Gaster ate. Obviously with magic— monsters with less solid forms absorbed the food right after swallowing rather than have it go down their throat and into their stomach— not unlike herself. Sometimes her neck wasn’t even attached to her head or body. And her torso was in at least two separate pieces most of the time, more often it was in three. But how did Gaster even get to the swallowing step? She had never seen him open his mouth, even at the donut shop. It was like she happened to be looking away every time he took a bite. This time she was going to pay attention.

She dished up the pizza onto plates and handed it out, passing each plate to the table one at a time as her tail spanned the distance between there and where she stood at the counter. Once that was set, she finally sat down. Unlike when cooking with fire magic, the oven made food too hot to eat right away, so they had to wait. The anticipation was killing her. But they made conversation in the meantime.

“Now that everything has gotten sorted out,” Asteri began, looking to Gaster, “do you want to plan to get together again sometime? That way there’s no, uh… misunderstanding phone calls or the lack thereof?” She rubbed the back of her head guiltily with her wing.

“I would like that.”

“Maybe somewhere between here and New Home? That way neither of us have to travel the entire way.”

“I do most of my work at the CORE, or the laboratory in Hotland, so visiting Waterfall is no issue. I only ever go to the capital to meet with the king, or buy donuts,” Gaster explained.

Asteri and Alphys both gave him a look.

He looked back and forth between them and tugged at his collar. “And other… meals.”

“And to go home?” Alphys prompted.

Gaster’s cheekbones flushed with magic. “Yes, yes of course! Obviously that!”

“I am more than happy to meet wherever if it means not repeating whatever sleep deprivation led to you almost passing out at my kitchen table,” Asteri intoned.

He got even redder. “I… will endeavor to get more sleep. For the sake of friendship.”

She smiled contentedly. “Good. That’s all I ask.”

Alphys had started eating, so the pizza must have cooled off enough. Asteri took a tentative bite. Yes, perfect. In her peripheral, she saw Gaster move to pick his pizza up. Immediately, her eyes flicked up to watch whatever happened next.

…And then Alphys started coughing, which involuntary drew her gaze away. The other woman was fine, her sea tea just went “down the wrong tube,” fortunately. But when Asteri looked back to Gaster, his slice of pizza was all but gone.

Oh go figure.

She gave up after that. It didn’t really matter, and she was sure she would see him eat eventually. Just not tonight, apparently.

They set up a day and time to meet again. Alphys had her classes, but they hoped to include her another time. They also established that texting was likely the way to go for future communication, in order to eliminate Gaster needing someone to talk for him. With everything worked out, they finished dinner and Asteri bid the two of them farewell. She wished Alphys the best in her classes, and told Gaster to get some sleep, with the promise of meeting again in Hotland the following week. And then they were off, and that was that.

Now, after a pleasant but still long, emotionally draining day, Asteri could just rest. She was exhausted. Under the covers, she let the events of the day replay. The misunderstandings, especially, stood out, and she mentally patted herself on the back for getting through it all. Things like miscommunications were difficult, and required a lot of mental presence and fortitude to endure setting straight. If it weren’t for her parents, she would never have made it to this point in life. She missed them, but she thought of the comforting feeling of their magic around her and how she swore she felt it reflected in the stars that surrounded her here. She was grateful to her parents for many things, but today, she was especially grateful that they had inspired her to have so much

PERSEVERANCE

- - - -

NOTES:

HAHA YEEEEAAAAH, PERSEVERANCE! BET YOU DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING! Bet you thought it was gonna be kindness, with all the green. HEEHEEHEE

Anyway, yeah, several things here will come back later. ALSO I’M SO GLAD THE NAME THING IS OUT OF THE WAY, it was killing me to keep writing “Dr. Gaster” in the narration.

The part with Alphys’, uh, thing with Gaster and her dad just sort of. Happened. Also I copped out on the pizza scene because I realized a way better point in the story for Asteri to see how he eats. Heheh. But yeah, no, I know the end is rushed, but I am SO TIRED, and I wanted to get this finished tonight, so… yeah. I’m getting a bowl of ice cream and then going to bed, it’s 12:30.

Oh also Asteri almost said “bone” at the beginning, that’s why she cut herself off and said “sleep with” instead, lol

#⁂ fic #Asteri backstory #gaster #⁂ gaster #seeker oc #asteri #seeker writes #*screams* #im so excited for where this story is going you guys don’t even know #long post #⁂

[disasterbijamietartt]

It hurts my heart how excited and happy Jamie was to go for a beer with Roy and whennRoy said how proud he was of him. I'm preferring to ignore the following part, but it did make me happy them realising they were being stupid and going for a kebab so Im hoping that was just a stupid lapse of sense. Although it is making me side eye Roy especially for behaving that way knowing Jamie's past.

Ugh, yes, the latter half of the bar talk really didn't sit right with me.

It started out so great, but then it made a u-turn …

You know, I understand why they brought up the love triangle with Roy and Jamie, since their feelings for Keeley was something that was still standing between the and that they needed to talk about, but I didn’t like the execution of them getting needlessly sexist about it (bringing up the sex tape, really? And Roy’s whole “stay away from her, we are talking again so she is clearly mine — although, women, who understands them?”).

I could even accept the fist fight as some sort of necessary catharsis for them, if it wouldn’t be for Jamie’s history with abuse and him just two minutes earlier saying how Roy gave him something positive he didn’t get from the other older men in his life. (I’ll assume Simon wasn’t that much into football, so he wasn’t as motivational and didn’t train with him etc., otherwise just … ouch.) And the thing is also, all of Roy’s jealousy aside … they never actually fought over Keeley, which was the part I found so refreshing about the way the love triangle was handled. But, yeah, I can see how there was some lingering animosity that had to get settled before they truly could be best friends. But they could done that without actually fist fighting …

The whole asking Keeley to choose thing was … quite arrogant of them and icky, but good for them to realise they were being idiots and that it apparently didn't mess with their friendship.

Still, I would have preferred if they hadn't come to the conclusion, that Keeley should chose (with her choice being neither for good reason), but that they had used this opportunity to talk with her about their feelings for her and that they needed to know where they were standing with her to find closure. And then them having an actual conversation adressing their conundrum and how it would be best for all of them to stay friends, yadda yadda.

Like, the thing that annoys me most is, that we didn’t get a follow up, no apology to Keeley for acting so stupid. She kicked them out, which was the right thing to do, but I'd wished they had actually talked things out.

It is nice to have it so open that you can interpret it whichever way you want, but after seeing the trio's blooming friendship last episode this felt like such a step back in their relationship. I just would have loved to get a little bit more resolution, to have them properly established as friends.

Especially if you read the montage as something only happening in Ted’s dream—like, that is the only way I can excuse Beard’s and Jane’s wedding (with Ted not being present on top?) and Jamie visiting James and laughing with him. (I saw so many people on reddit being moved to tears by Jamie reconciling with his “dad”, like, yeah, applause for years of abuse and trauma being ignored in order to get a sappy ending. Like, if the show had at least acknowledged the abuse and shown James taking accountability, BEFORE Jamie decides to reconnect, but yeah, no one has to ever be accountable to Jamie, soo … And it is especially upsetting considering they added sexual abuse to the long list of James’ crimes just to … completely drop this, as if it didn’t matter. They could have made Jamie’s first trip to Amsterdam traumatic in other ways, if the contrast between bad trip with dad and good trip with mum was all they wanted to accomplish …)

On a side note: Jamie enjoying and missing drinking beer threw me off, since he never seemed to be too fond of alcohol, but they probably wanted to get the Darsteiner callback in. Way more important than consistent characterisation.

#ted lasso spoilers #jamie tartt #roy kent #keeley jones #my answers