Pikelan putting the B in romance
I think Pike and Scanlan love each other deeply but are not in love. I also think Pike and Scanlan are aromantic.
Let’s start with Scanlan. We’ve never seen any evidence that Scanlan had any meaningful romantic connection with anyone besides Pike, whom he ‘falls in love with at first sight’. Scanlan spends a lot of time and effort lying to himself and those around him that he’s simpler and more palatable than he actually is. Instead of saying “I don’t care whether I live or die” he says, “Suicide mission? I was born for those!” and everyone has a good laugh about it and doesn’t think on it any further. Because to address the things that are actually wrong with him would be vulnerable, and ugly, and miserable. Easier to just lie about it and secretly take drugs and eventually become so miserable and angry that you explode at all your friends and leave for a year.
When you live in a world where romantic love is essential to a happy ending, when it is the end all be all to your trade as a bard, when the world is ending and all your friends are falling in love, it would be difficult and ugly to say that you’ve never felt that, and maybe never will. Easier to lie to everyone and yourself and say “I’ve finally found it! I’m in love!” easier to pursue a gnome who will seemingly never give you the time of day, who will never call your bluff, than to acknowledge that there is one more thing wrong with you.
Scanlan is a character who is desperately searching for a meaningful connection that can fulfill him, and I think he wants it to be Pike. He wants it to be Pike and he wants it to be romantic love, because that would be easy and comforting and safe. But it isn’t. Even if you don’t think they’re aro we all know that Pike isn’t the end all be all to fixing Scanlan’s problems; Kaylie is. Kaylie and their relationship are the things that make Scanlan feel fulfilled and meaningful. Romantic love is not the answer for Scanlan.
Onto Pike. Pike spends most of the campaign gently rebuffing Scanlan, or sidestepping his advances. She doesn’t fully accept them nor does she ever make it clear that the answer is no. This is not at all because she is incapable of telling Scanlan, or anyone else no. I think this is, because Pike doesn’t know what the answer is, because she doesn’t know what romantic love is. The only person we know Pike to have ‘had a crush on’ besides Scanlan is Percy, and in the Talks Machina where the Percy crush was revealed Ashley confirmed it was an “I can fix him” situation. That strikes me as not being genuine romantic feelings but rather a combination of Pike’s care for Percy and her savior complex.
Same as it is for Scanlan I think Scanlan was an easy out for Pike. Pike tries so hard to be perfect and live up to the pedestal her friends put her on, and part of being the loving cleric has to be being in love. Ashley says that Pike didn’t really consider Scanlan seriously until she read Scanlan’s letter. The letter is lovely and touching, but still ‘falling for Scanlan’ after reading that strikes me as ‘being the thing to do’ rather than genuine romantic love. Pike cares for Scanlan deeply and they’ve been through so much shit and by the end of it they’re both just wanting a happy ending and being that for each other is the easy answer even if it isn’t the most true one. (Also this is neither here nor there, but I don’t think it’s acknowledged enough; Pike says that she goes to brothels when she is separated from the group. She is not the romantic she is sometimes made out to be)
Additionally Pike and Scanlan’s relationship doesn’t really get anywhere until the Feywild, in my opinion. The Feywild, before which Scanlan pulled Pike aside and said “I’ve been thinking of you as something to pursue rather than a person. Starting now I’d like to get to know you as a person and as a friend,” It’s not until they put the notion of romance aside, at least for the moment, that their banter seems to become comfortable and joyful and most importantly genuine.
Pike and Scanlan confess and get married and move in together with Grog (which I adore, but strikes me as odd for a married couple who are in love rather than just three close friends (two of which who sometimes fuck) living together) They then eventually divorce, but remain close and still fuck, neither having significant/mentioned romantic relationships afterwards. I think the divorce is a product of them finally coming to terms with and understanding their feelings. They love each other and want to be in each other's lives etc. but they are not in love.
Obviously there are a shitton of other ways to interpret all the stuff I said and I don’t think Ashley or Sam intended this at all. But there it is, my (an aromantic/aromantic adjacent person’s) take on the matter.
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the snap (Matt Murdock x fem-reader )
Summary: after the blip Matt was blipped away. But what happens when he shows up after everyone comes back?
Part 2
Warnings: angst, I mean it this time ok? I teared up writing this. But with fluff it has a happy ending trust me. Im dyslexic so there are probably/definitely going to be spelling errors. (I’m trying yall. Let me know how I did my first fic for Matt I think I’m going to make a part 2. Please comment if you can and reblog are appreciated if you want ❤️) mentions of pregnancy and childbirth and children
My eyes take in the childrens bedroom. It was small and quant but cozy. The nightlights lit up the room and my five year old daughter was layed down on the soft pastel blankets. I sit down on the side of her bed. She was so beautiful, her sweet brown eyes and brown hair. Her name was angel Murdock, She resembled Matt so much, sometimes it even hurt to look at her. It showed his best attributes on her. Even though she was only five years old she was already fearless, the teachers at the preschool always say she’s already getting in fights with the bullies in the class, no fist fights yet thankfully. It was her bedtime so you were finishing up reading a story to her about a princess and prince who fought a dragon.
“And they lived happily ever after the end” I kiss her forehead. And get up from her sleepy form.
“mommy, why do all the other kids have dads?”
Her question struck me in the heart. Leaving a wound size I couldn’t even patch up after patching up so many of Matt’s wounds. But I remain calm and collected like her words were just a simple question. Which they were, she’s just a curious child, there is no way that she knows how deeply I am affected by them. I twist my diamond ring on my finger and bite my lip trying to figure out how to answer this question without terrifying her. I can’t lie to her, I promised I would never lie to her.
“Angel, your father….went away. Hes gone he went with another half of the universe”
“will he be comeback?”
“no, no he won’t” I answered quietly trying to keep myself from sobbing. God I feel so weak, it’s been five years! Fiver years and I still can’t get over his death
“did he leave because of me?”
“no! No, he never knew about you sweetie. He was taken before he knew”
I take a shaky breath and kiss her on the forehead “goodnight” I leave her now asleep form and creep to the kitchen. I look down and the sink and I can’t take it anymore. Grief racks my body as sobs come out in waves. Why? Why did you have to leave I know you didn’t do it on purpose but why? It’s so unfair. Mathew I miss you. I know The city needed but mainly I needed you. I bring my knees up to hug my chest. I feel so weak, so fucking weak it’s been 5 years and I still haven’t recovered. I tpull myself together and wipe my tears mainly because I hear noises outside. A lot of noises. Screams, cries, laughter, sobs. I run to the window and open the curtain. Hundreds and hundreds of people are flooding the streets. Some are hugging, kissing, others are just staring in disbelief. Poeple are running in all directions and so so many of them are confused. Who are these people? Where did they come from? Could they he the ones who were snappe—
Knock! knock! knock!
the noise of someone at my door shattered my trail of thoughts like a broken mirror, breaking me of my trance. Who on earth. Or any planet for that matter would be calling to me at this hour? I tentatively get up. Cross the room and open the door, I was not prepared.
there. Right there stood my husband dead for 5 years after the blip. He stood in his lawyer suit in the doorframe. Just as he was before he left. He’s exactly the same. To him no time has passed at all. But I’m sure he’s heard it’s been 5 years on the streets. My body is rigid from shock utter shock. He takes off his red glasses so I can see his face again. A small gasp escapes my mouth as my eyes lay upon him again. Hes so gorgeous it actually hurts. Makes my heart ache. To say I felt conflicted would be an understatement I was downright a wreck inside. He so damn pretty. Was all I could really think. my shaky hand reaches up and caresses his face as if feeling he’s actually there and this isn’t some hallucination.
“sweetheart, I’m real” he smiles
“I-i Matt you were dead—you-you—oh!” I choke out in sobs
I seizes his head and he walks closer to me closing the door. I kiss him desperately like a woman starved. The kiss is searing and leaves us gasping for air. As soon as we break the seal we dive into it again and I let out a small whimper that allows him to slip his rougue into my mouth. I immediately submit to him and let him take the dominance. After sometime in a log swaying kiss. We stumble towards the couch where he tries to explain to me what happened but with me kissing his neck desperately it’s hard for him. In the five years he was gone I never took a lover. I couldn’t bring myself to. I was always thinking about Mathew even if he was just in the back of my mind. Especially as I walked down the more dangerous streets of Hells kitchen without him.
“sweetheart—sweetheart— “ he lets out a small groan that is music to my ears “are you going to let me know what happened or let me explain” he laughs.
I pull back and bip my lip “sorry”
”I know five years have passed someone on the street told me that after they did I ran to find you I’m sorry—“ his head tilts to the side as if he’s picking up something “there’s another heartbeat in the apartment”
I take his hands “Matt this is a lot to take in I know but….”
“y/n you can tell me anything” the way my name rolls of his toung sounds like honey. He runs his finger over my silk nightgown, his favorite fabric. He takes his time training my figure and them cup up to claps both my hands again “anything”
Reassured now I start my tale “the day of the blip was also the day I found out I was pregnant. Turns out half the universe was blipped away. You’ve been gone for five years now. The pregnancy was hard, half the doctors were gone, you were gone. Without many people to support it was hard but, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who looks so much like you. I named her angel Murdock.”
he’s silent for a bit. I feel sorry I know how much it is to take in “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you sweetheart. I left you and everyone behind. God I feel so guilty.”
“Mathew there is nothing to apologize for! You couldn’t control it!”
We’re silent for a bit and I wonder if he’s listening to angel’s heartbeat. He beams “I can’t believe I’m a father.” He laughs “ironic isn’t it?”
“what is?”
“the devil is the father of an angel” he muses. His face is bright and happy
“I never thought of it that way” I ponder “she’s already fearless like you”
“Hm, maybe not a good thing. But she sure has the Murdock fighter genes. I’m just sorry I missed the pregnancy and everything”
“well we could always try again?”
“I’d love that” he purrs into my ear in his deep voice. And his head rests in the crook of my neck as he leans into my body. And I’m so so starved for touched after all these years I hold onto him like he’s the last thing in the world. I practically melt into his touch as I haven’t been intimate like this in so long.
“don’t leave me” i whisper
“no sweetheart” his strokes my hair “im never leaving you again”
it feels so comfy with his bodyweight on mine on the couch we don’t even bother to move to the bed as we fall asleep there that night not wanting for a second to leave each other’s arms. It would be hard to explain to to angel who this man she never met was will figure that out in the morning. Things are always better in the morning. No things are always better now that’s he’s back. Everything seems fixed, my whole world.
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Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]
"So," Robin says after they clink their molotov cocktails together, "do we also get to talk about the whole cousin situation now?"
Steve looks across the field, where Eddie and Dustin are defending themselves from invisible enemies. Gareth and Lucas are swinging the finished spears at each other while Erica shakes her head at them, working on a third. It looks like Nancy is showing Max the proper way to hold a shotgun, which isn't nearly as bizarre as it probably should be.
"What's there to talk about?"
"Are you doing okay?" Robin asks.
Steve doesn't mean to making a scoffing noise. It just leaves his body involuntarily. "No. But I'm not the only one not doing okay. Now that we know Vecna doesn't have to do the whole weeklong build up to murder town, that he could get any of us, as any time and he's just being a sadistic bastard-"
"Steve. He'll take the bait. If nothing else, we have to believe that."
Steve looks from Max to Gareth, then back to Robin. "Yeah. Right."
Robin is quiet for a moment, before her eyes flick away and back to him again. "Do you want to talk to Gareth? He was... God, Steve, it was awful, hearing him scream for you. While Vecna was... Anyway, I know you two are like avoiding each other for whatever reason, but I think you can let go of whatever it was."
"I just wanted to keep them safe, Robbie," Steve swallows down the sob that wants to break free. "I never wanted them involved in this. I was so scared that I'd somehow infect them with the Upside Down that I just kept them away and it took Chrissy anyway. It-it-"
"It hasn't taken Gareth, though," Robin says softly, cutting Steve's spiral off. "It hasn't taken him. But he needs you. I think you need him, too. You should talk. Before we drop him at the Creel house. Because."
She doesn't finish, but that's fine. Steve knows what she's saying. They could die today. Any one of them. Chrissy died without Steve making it right. He'd started to work on hanging out with Chrissy again, but it was all surface level. He didn't even apologize. With Gareth he could justify, however shitty that was to do, that he was staying away because Gareth asked him to.
Chrissy hadn't asked for Steve to step out of her life. He'd done that himself in '83.
He can't do right by Chrissy anymore, but he can try with Gareth.
He stands and Robin gives his knee two solid pats before he walks away.
"Dustin, you piss off Steve somehow?" Eddie asks.
Gareth, in the middle of facing off with Lucas, pauses to look around, which gains him a light tap to his side by Lucas' spear. Sure enough, Steve is stalking their direction with a grim determination on his face.
"What, why am I the one getting the blame?" Dustin says, offended.
"It is usually you," Lucas adds, which earns him a squawk of indignation from Dustin, who shoots back, "he could be coming to lecture you for making Erica do all the spear making!"
Steve doesn't approach either boy, though.
"Hey, can we talk?" Steve asks once he comes to a stop in front of him.
"Got some end of the world regrets, Harrington?" Gareth says, trying to keep his voice lighter than he feels. He wants to tease Steve, not bully him.
He must succeed because Steve gives a chuckle and says, "I don't think we have time for all the end of the world regrets, so, uhh, just the one for now."
"We're cool, dude," Gareth says, eyes flicking from Steve to Eddie. The kids know, Gareth told them himself, but Eddie doesn't. "I started it."
"Yeah, but I graduated and still pretended you didn't exist. Which isn't what you asked for."
Gareth shrugs, because he doesn't know everything but he knows enough. Learned this isn't anyone else's (besides Eddie and his) first rodeo or whatever. That there have been other times, dating back to the year Will Byers was lost for a week. "Dude. Seriously. We're cool. You've been dealing with... whatever the fuck this is. So, just, like promise to be around more once we all survive this."
Steve looks pained but before he can reply, Eddie cuts in, "I'm sorry. How do you know each other?"
Gareth looks to Steve, who just shrugs as if to say your friend, you responsibility and honestly? Fuck Steve Harrington. Keeps traumatizing secrets and pushes Gareth away and also throws him to the wolves. Except, this is the secret Gareth has been keeping from Eddie. He sighs and turns to Eddie. "Well, uh, Steve's my cousin. We used to be super close before I started high school. Actually, Steve here is the reason I joined Hellfire!"
Eddie seems to go through all 7 stages of grief before settling into a confused. "I'm sorry. Steve talked you into joining Hellfire?"
"That is not what I did!" Steve defends himself.
"God no. He just went into great detail about how loud and obnoxious and attention-grabbing the current president was, as if that would make me want to not meet you for some reason."
"It was a warning!" Steve yelps at the same time Eddie sing-songs, "You think I'm attention-grabbing, Harrington?"
Dustin, Lucas, and Erica are all laughing at Steve has he tries to sputter through what he meant by attention-grabbing ("It's hard to not pay attention when he's shouting from the top of a lunch table!"), and Gareth just watches on, amused.
After they fight an... evil wizard? Vecna or whatever his name is. Once this is over, Gareth is going to sit Steve down and make him tell him everything, but that can wait.
He wants to watch Steve flounder trying to defend himself from the accusations of watching Eddie just a bit too much back in high school.
Later, as they all pack up and load up in the RV, Nancy stops Steve from entering the RV, ushering everyone past until Gareth and Steve are the only ones left outside.
"Are we acknowledging that you're cousins, now?" she asks.
"You knew!?" Steve sounds surprised. Gareth's surprised, too.
Nancy just rolls her eyes. "Steve, I've been to your house." When that just makes Steve look confused, she rolls her eyes and says, "there are family pictures covering almost every inch of your living room."
"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Robin pipes in, appearing in the doorway with an angry expression.
"It wasn't really my thing to talk about, was it?"
"Yeah, but did you even check in with Steve? If you knew, and knew what happened to Chrissy- you didn't even ask if he wanted to go to the funeral!"
"Robin!" Steve hisses.
Nancy doesn't look upset by whatever accusation Robin seems to be trying to make. "If Steve wanted to go, he could have said something. We aren't his keepers. But, also," her gaze goes from Robin to Steve, "I didn't want to pry or seem pushy. I figured you'd tell us when you were ready."
Robin frowns but doesn't say anything else, disappearing back into the RV. Gareth gestures for Steve and Nancy to go first, and then he's closing and locking the door behind him before heading to sit by Eddie along the back bench seat. A bunch of shit has been piled there, so Gareth shoves it off the seat and to the floor. The pile of things ends up being a hazard and he almost brains himself while turning to sit down; something under his foot slides and Eddie saves him, yanking him to fall onto Eddie. After some fussing and laughter from those around, Gareth gets seated and looks down to see what almost killed him.
It's a phone book.
Eddie leans in close once they're back on the road to town to whisper, "so, you just let me go on all those rants about King Steve and never once thought to tell me you were related?"
Gareth just gives him his best impression of a King Steve smirk and says, "I would have hate to have deterred you from talking about your favorite school subject."
It's worth seeing the scandalized look on Eddie's face, even as the man socks him in the leg for the comment. "I hate you, man."
Gareth rubs his leg and says, "you don't mean that."
There's a long silence from Eddie after that before he says, "you're right. I don't mean that. And. Uh. In case I don't- in case it goes south down there but ends up fine up here, I just-"
"No," Gareth growls. "Fuck you, Eddie. We're going to be fine. All you gotta do is shred on your guitar and get the hell out. You're going to be fine."
"You didn't see the bats."
"Eddie."
"Fine. It's gonna be fine," Eddie agrees and falls silent.
Gareth frowns at that. Eddie must really be worried, to not argue back like he usually does. Gareth's worried, too, but what can he do?
He thinks about his mom. When did he last tell her he loves her? If they don't succeed tonight, will he get a chance to say it again? Will anyone get a chance to say it again?
Gareth looks down at the phone book at his feet.
"Wait, does anyone have change for a payphone?" Gareth asks from somewhere behind him. Steve turns in his seat to look into the back of the RV.
"Uh, yeah," Robin digs into her pockets, but then narrows her eyes at Gareth and asks, "wait. Who are you calling?"
"I have to let my mom know I'm alive. Just... hear my voice," Gareth says. "She needs to know I'm okay. It's already been too long since last we talked and... after Chrissy she was..."
Robin's face drops into the guiltiest look Steve's ever seen on her face and she produces her wallet, dropping the whole thing into Gareth's open hand. "Yeah, no. Sorry. There's still plenty of time for a phone call before the end of the world. You better return my wallet, Cunningham."
"I'm not going to rob you, Buckley," Gareth says before ducking out the RV with Max, Lucas, and Erica.
Steve tries not to let the guilt well up in him as they drive away. Gareth had wanted to come with Team Kill Vecna but Steve had quickly argued against that. He wasn't going to let Gareth anywhere near the Upside Down.
So it was decided. Max, Lucas, Erica, and Gareth at the Creel house, Dustin and Eddie on distraction, and Nancy, Robin, and Steve were going to face down Vecna.
There was still hours to go before they'd try, with a time set for 9:20ish, since that's the time Vecna's been enacting his curse according to Eddie's broken watch. Plenty of time to fortify Eddie's house in the Upside Down, plus the almost 40 minute walk to the Creel house from Forest Hills.
This was going to work. It had to.
Max and Lucas opt for hiding around the back of the house, waiting for time to pass until it's closer to dark, and Erica said she was going to snoop around the abandoned playground, so Gareth decided to head to the payphone a couple of blocks down the street.
He makes it halfway there before Erica scares the shit out of him by saying, "why do you need a phone book?"
Gareth yelps and spins, stupidly trying to hid the book behind his back even though he knows she already saw it. "I- uh, no. No reason."
Erica eyes him and he's suddenly very aware of whatever Eddie saw in her that night at Hellfire, that let her join the club. She's pretty scary for a middle schooler. "Do I look stupid? Who are you calling." It's not a question. It's a demand.
"I'm going to try and get a hold of Eddie's uncle," Gareth answers, trying to sound like an authority figure. "Tell him he'll find Eddie at his home at eight tonight. I know you all are so used to not telling people but this is- we need a real adult and Wayne's an army vet. He'll know how to help. He'll want to help."
She purses her lips, stays quiet for a moment before she nods. "I'm usually surrounded by stupid people, but you're kind of not one. I've got more change if you need it."
Gareth calls the plant and asks to speak to Wayne Munson. It's a bit of back and forth before the secretary agrees, but only if Wayne agrees to speak to a Gareth Cunningham. The plant must be getting calls from angry locals.
"Are ya really Gareth, or are ya just wantin' ta yell at me for helpin' raise the devil incarnate?" Wayne sounds tired and Gareth feels bad for him.
"Eddie would love for you to call him that to his face when you see him again."
"Thank God, son," Wayne sounds relieved. He must recognize Gareth's voice. "Ya okay? No one's harrassin' ya, are they?"
"No. Listen Wayne, I'm going to say something crazy but please just listen and do your best to be casual. I know where Eddie is. Or, where he will be at eight tonight. He's.... not physically hurt but he's going to need you. He might hate me for telling you this but I had to."
There is a pause where all he hears through the phone is a long inhale followed by a slow exhale. "Mmm hmm. I appreciate yer concern and glad ta hear no one's botherin' ya just for knowin' Eddie."
Gareth is only confused for a moment before he realizes Wayne is trying to make this conversation sound routine from his end. "Just. He's going home. But please don't show up until after eight. If you... if you beat him home he might run. Try to keep you out of this, y'know?" Gareth is just lying now, but he's a teenage boy in a garage band that plays in a dingy bar at the edge of town. That is to say, he knows how to lie off the cuff.
"I read ya loud and clear. I'll let ya know as soon as Eddie's been found safe so ya can quit worryin'. I gotta get back to it, but thanks for reachin' out."
Gareth hangs up and looks to Erica. "Well. Let's hope I haven't ruined everything."
"Let's hope that you know Wayne as well as you think you do."
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