#luca but angry au

[withacapitalp]

Actually sobbing because I saw your ‘I want to talk a wips’ post two days late but like if you have any thoughts for the age swap au…… literally anything even if it’s as small as ‘Dustin stashes nilla wafers in his car so Steve can have a snack after swim practice’ I will gobble that up

Okay so me and @riality-check talked about this AU for HOURS last night and it's still fresh in my mind so here take some Age Swap HCs of the Party and Steve

After everything goes down, Steve's parents don't trust him to stay home alone anymore (not that he wants to) so they decide he needs a babysitter. They're doing it to punish him and don't realize that having his friends getting money for something they were already going to do is an awesome upgrade

Dustin does keep Nilla wafers in his car, but he also keeps a first aid kit bc Steve is the most accident prone kid he has ever met. How is such an athletic kid always tripping over his own feet????

Max drives a motorcycle (an upgrade from her skateboard as a kid) and Steve get his own helmet for his birthday. He used to just always take Max's.

Will and Steve aren't super close same with him and Mike but they're both grateful that he protected their siblings and chose to risk his own life to try and help them. They don't mind the kid, and he doesn't mind them, and he even will come to them for specific things he might need help with

Lucas and Steve get very close because of basketball. As Ria put in her part, Lucas is on the team. Steve, who has dreamed on playing on the team since he was 6 or 7 and started playing basketball, thinks that is the coolest thing ever. He doesn't even care that Lucas usually just benchwarms, he's always asking Lucas to play a pickup game with him or show him some new moves

Erica and Dustin are the ones with Scoops jobs in S3 and Steve hangs out in the shop after school every other day waiting for Dustin to get off of work. Erica doesn't know about the Upside Down stuff yet, she's just saving up during her senior year and over the summer for college, but she does kind of love the weird little child that likes to tail her brother and his friends. She always puts an extra scoop on Steve's ice cream

And El and Steve? Well I'm not going to spoil, but she her role goes way farther than just his babysitter

#Steve harrington #age swap au #st age swap #Breaking the Rules #Steve would def go to Mike about feeling angry or being upset #Bc Mike was a little ball of rage at Steve's age #and He's mellowed out a *little* bit now #Enough to let Steve know it's okay to get angry #Mike wheeler #Will byers #el hopper #Dustin Henderson #Max mayfield #Lucas Sinclair #Erica Sinclair #Headcanons #st #stranger things hc #asks #beereadbooks #Liam speaks up

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-down AU Part 26

Part 1 Part 25

“We can’t just make Steve wait even longer because some stupid kids–” Eddie yells.

“Keyword kids, Munson,” Chief Hopper shouts back.

“–got themselves in a little bit of trouble!”

“You mean the goddamn Feds staking out their houses? With guns?” Chief Hopper asks. “That’s the ‘little trouble’ you’re talking about?”

“Why is that my proble–”

“Eddie,” Will says. 

Eddie stops pacing the length of the living room to look down at where Will’s curled up on the couch, hunching in as the voices raise. He sighs, ragged and angry, but sits on the couch, flapping his hand dismissively toward Chief Hopper. “Just fucking go,” he says meanly. “You were always going to.”

“Boy,” Wayne says, warningly. 

Eddie groans. “Fine, just hurry, okay?” Eddie’s nails are ragged from chewing on them. He doesn’t look up as his uncle and Chief Hopper leave the house. 

Mom, Jonathan, Barbara, and Nancy are hunched over at the table drinking coffee and analyzing the maps of the areas surrounding  the lab. Will feels like his intestines are tying themselves in knots. Mike could be being held at gunpoint by now with the rest of his friends. 

Steve’s still stuck on the other side, thirsty and hungry and running for his life. And alone. 

Eddie jumps up and starts pacing again, running his hand through his greasy hair. Some of it comes out in a clump when his fingers get caught in a knot. He looks like he’s unraveling. Without Steve, there’s nothing anchoring him here. Will’s afraid he’ll float away.

“You’re not the only one worried, you know,” Nancy says curtly, not even looking up from the map in front of her.

Eddie stops in his tracks. “Excuse me?” he demands.

“Nancy,” Jonatha warns.

“My parents' house is being watched,” she says, using her level voice like a weapon. “Mike is out there, trapped and defenseless.”

“Yeah, but–”

“And I care about Steve, too,” she snaps.

Eddie’s fingers curl into fists at his sides, one of his fingers sticking out strangely, like it can’t quite curl like the rest of them. 

Eddie doesn’t say anything, but he does sit down, teeth grinding hard enough to be audible. 

They go back to waiting in silence. It doesn’t last long. 

The door bursts open, people pouring in. Mike first, standing by a girl with a shaved head that WIll doesn’t recognize, Lucas and Dustin hot on their heels.

It’s Lucaus who spots him first, yelling, “Will!” and colliding with him with enough force to send him sprawling partially on top of Eddie. More arms follow one after another. Dustin, then Will’s, until they’re all piled onto the too-small couch, sending Eddie falling off the side with an oof.

Voices overlap, demanding answers Will’s not sure how to answer, where to start. He feels his breathing hitch.

“Alright, back off kiddies, let him breathe!” Eddie says, pulling bodies away from Will until he’s got a little bubble around himself. 

Dustin still has his palm on Will’s calf, like he can’t help himself, while Lucas and Mike look at Eddie distrustfully. “Who are you?” Mike demands.

“Mike!” Nancy reprimands, making him whirl around. 

“Nancy?” he asks, incredulous, seemingly only now noticing that his sister was in the room.

She rolls her eyes, looking back down to the table. 

Knowing the signs of a Wheeler verbal smackdown when he sees it, Will says, “this is Eddie,” shrinking in on himself a bit when they all turn to him. “He saved my life.”

“Cool,” Dustin breathes, but Lucas’s eyes only narrow further.

“In the Upside Down?” Mike asks.

“That what you all are calling the parallel world?” Eddie asks, swinging his legs out from under his to sit cross cross.

Mike nods, “yeah,” he says. “Where the Demogorgon comes from.”

“Do none of you twerps know what a Demogorgon looks like?” Eddie asks, everyone ignores him.

“So everything is okay now?” Lucas asks. “We can go home?”

Chief Hopper, having made his way inside to loom over them all in the living room with his arms crossed as Wayne closes the door behind them, says, “no way kid. The Feds are swarming your houses.”

“Oh, man,” Lucas says, head in hands. “I’m so grounded.”

“And we’re not leaving Steve,” Eddie says, glaring up at Chief Hopper as Wayne rolls his eyes in the doorway.

“Steve?” Mike demands, whipping his head around to glare at Will. “Nancy’s stupid boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

Will nods. “He saved my life too."

Mike glares at him the way he always does right before he folds. He sighs, slumping down like Will had just asked him to do something abhorrent. “Ughhh, fiiiine. We’ll save stupid Steve Harrington.”

“You kids aren’t saving anyone,” Wayne says, shuffling into the kitchen and accepting the cup of coffee Joyce hands him with a smile. “We’ll get him.”

Chief Hopper asks, “any idea where he’ll be in there?” 

“I might know a way we can find out,” Mike says, turning to the unnamed girl where she’s standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, clutching at the hem of her dirty pink dress. “Can you find him?” 

She looks scared to have all the eyes on her, but nods, looking down. “I will find him.”

Part 27

#steddie upsidedown au #steddie fic #steddie #my fic #it's 4 a.m. and I'm at the airport. enjoy <3

[libraryofgage]

Steddie PJO AU Part One

One (1) person asked for this, and it was only after I told them I'd had an idea, so, like, fuck it we ball.

The parents of the various kids will be revealed as the series goes on, but I'll look forward to your guesses along the way!

Also, I haven't read the books in a hot fucking minute, but the trailer has had me in a chokehold. This is written more for fun than anything else, so just shut off your brain and enjoy the ride without thinking about accuracy. You'll love it, I promise!

As always, if you see any typos no you didn't ;)

---

With a low, frustrated growl, Eddie tears a page out of his notebook, crumples it into a ball, and throws it on the floor of his tent. All he gets for his troubles is another page of lyrics underneath the first that fail to actually do what he wants. "Fucking shit prophecy," he mutters, tearing that page out, too.

It hits the ground right as Chrissy pokes her head into the tent. She watches it bounce once before settling on the ground. "How's the songwriting?" she jokes, letting the tent's flap fall shut behind her.

"Bad," Eddie says, dropping the notebook and standing. He glares at the paper balls and kicks one away. "Just as bad as the prophecy itself."

"Aww, it's not that bad," Chrissy says, walking a little closer and playfully punching Eddie's arm. Her smile is bright enough to make Eddie feel like he needs sunglasses, and that isn't even because Chrissy's father is Apollo. That's just all her. "At least your prophecy doesn't promise, you know, horrible death."

Eddie scoffs, turning to look at Chrissy as he gestures at his Def Leppard shirt and torn jeans and chunky rings and general metalhead vibe. "Do I look like someone who should be getting that prophecy?" he asks.

He doesn't wait for her to answer before scrunching his face and reciting in a high, mocking voice, "You shall witness an unfair fight between land and sky where feathers with great reluctance fly. And as the sun is shining bright, you shall be swaying in the moon's sweet light."

By the time he's done, he's clasped his hands and held them up to his face with an exaggerated doe-eyed expression. Eddie drops it the moment he finishes, his nose scrunching in disgust as he rolls his eyes. "I have a reputation to uphold, Chrissy."

She doesn't take his complaints seriously. Instead, Chrissy rolls her eyes and sits on the edge of Eddie's cot. "Sure, sure, you're too cool for anything good to happen to you. Still, you might be better off if you didn't try turning that prophecy into something angry."

Eddie huffs, kicks another paper ball, and drops to a crouch next to the cot. After a few seconds, he begrudgingly admits, "Yeah, maybe."

Chrissy sympathetically pats his head, her touch warm and light, and smiles at him. "In other news, we've got another retrieval request for you," she says.

"Oh, boy, work."

"C'mon, you enjoy them," Chrissy says, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. "A cyclops sighted some demigod kids running around with, well, she wasn't sure if he was also a demigod or not. But they won't be safe long when they're clustered together like that, so, go bring 'em back."

She passes Eddie the piece of paper and watches as he unfolds it and frowns at the two words written there: "Athens, Tennessee."

"Are you kidding me? That's so cliche," Eddie says.

"Yeah, but at least it's not California or something."

"Thank fuck for small miracles," Eddie mutters, folding up the paper again and shoving it into his pocket.

Looks like he's got packing to do.

The sun is shining, birds are tweeting, and a cool wind is blowing across the park. Steve lets out a slow breath, his shoulders starting to relax as he leans against a tree and watches Will and Lucas lay out a few blankets, Mike and Dustin get into an argument about the scale proportions of the Parthenon, and Max, Erica, and El throw a frisbee between them.

It's been a long month, one that seemed to be filled with more running and near-death experiences than they're used to. And they're used to a lot of running and near-death experiences.

So, taking a day to just relax in the park sounded great when El suggested it, but Steve had still hesitated. Who knows what could find them if they linger in a park too long. When he voiced these concerns, the kids just banded together to convince Steve, and he relented when they compromised on him bringing the nail bat along.

"Steve, do you wanna lay down?" Lucas asks, gesturing to the blankets. Will is already there, stretched out and smiling up at a rainbow stretching across the sky.

Steve joins them, pulls a Bluetooth speaker out of one of the backpacks holding the blankets down, and connects his phone. Music starts playing, and he sprawls across a blanket, pillowing his head on his arms and taking in the sunshine. "You know, this is nice," he says.

"Yeah. We should do this more often," Will whispers, nearly drowned out by the grass rustling in the breeze.

Between the breeze and the music, Steve starts to drift off, his breathing evening out as his mind wanders. He's half asleep when he hears Dustin shout, "It's a fucking one-to-one asshole!"

His words are quickly followed by Mike shouting back, "Who gives a shit?!"

Steve sighs and adds his own voice to the mix. "Stop fighting!"

"Yeah, guys, stop fighting," Max says, and Steve can imagine her tongue sticking out at them as he hears Erica snort.

"Oh, fuck you," Dustin shoots back.

"That's it!" Steve announces, sitting up and glaring at the kids. "Get over here."

His voice leaves no room for argument, and he'd feel bad at how the kids deflate if he didn't already know they're all menaces. Once he's got all seven kids on the blankets, he sighs and says, "Look, guys, let's not fight. How about we all just sit here for a bit, enjoy the breeze, and then we'll go get lunch."

The kids glance at each other, a silent conversation that Steve barely follows passing between them before Mike nods. "Yeah, sure, I guess."

"Great, now, just re--"

"Oh, how cute!"

The sudden, saccharine voice sets Steve's entire body on edge. He slowly looks over his shoulder, staring at the middle-aged woman smiling down at them. Something about her is familiarly off, but he tries to give her the benefit of the doubt. So, Steve flashes a charming smile and asks, "Hi, can I help you with something?"

The woman's smile turns a little sharp, and she shakes her head. "Oh, no, I just had to commend you on your ability to round up these kids like that," she explains.

Steve hums and pushes himself up, keeping a hold on his bat so he can rest the end on the ground and lean on it. He feels more than sees the kids start to shift until they're behind him. "Well, thanks. Did you want advice or something on caring for your own kids?" he asks.

She laughs, short and grating on Steve's ears, and then tilts her head not unlike a bird. "No, no. It's just impressive that you've managed to keep them alive for so long," she says, her voice distorting and becoming shriller as she speaks.

Yep. There it is.

"Wow, that's even faster than usual," Lucas says.

He's right, which just makes Steve even more upset. Can he not get more than fifteen minutes of peace? Can he not just lay back and enjoy the sunshine without worrying about some monster coming after his kids? Can he not fucking relax for once?

Steve feels the frustration build and build in his chest, crackling through him until he's ready to burst, and he stands up straighter. "I'll give you one warning," he says, his voice low as he watches feathers sprout from the woman's skin. "You walk away right now, and I won't beat the shit out of you."

The woman, who seems to be mostly bird by now and is probably a harpy, just laughs again, like Steve's told her the funniest joke she's ever heard. "You? Defeat me?" she asks, her eyes roaming over Steve before she laughs again. "I am worse than your nightmares. I have eaten more demigods than you can count. I have feasted on their screams and crunched their bones between my teeth, and I look forward to doing the same with these children. What could a lone son of some lesser god possibly do to stop me?"

From behind him, Steve hears a few of the kids inhale sharply, an almost sympathetic sound. "Well, she's done it now," Erica says.

"Yes. Steve is going to kill her," El agrees, her voice soft and brushing against Steve's ears like a tiny snake.

And yeah, they're right. Maybe Steve would have just beaten her unconscious and then gotten the hell out of dodge, but now she's threatened his kids. She's lost any chance at mercy from him.

With a twirl of his bat and a vicious grin, Steve rolls his shoulders back and says, "Wanna find out, overgrown chicken?" he asks.

He doesn't even bother waiting for an answer before swinging his bat, the nails dragging across the harpy's chest and ripping a shriek from her. Now that Steve is thinking about it, violence is also a great way to relieve stress, and he's certainly not going to look a gift harpy in the mouth.

----

If you'd like to be tagged in future parts, just let me know!

#steddie #percy jackson au #semi-divine steddie #that's the tag for this series btw #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #the party #stranger things #stranger things fic #my writing

[dmercer91]

i love opposites attract au so much 🥹 what would happen if someone (maybe a new teammate or someone who does really know black cat) said something rude about her like maybe about her personality or her shyness? i feel like luca would be ready to sock someone in the nose LOL

he is always so ready to punch someone when they talk shit about her for no reason and after he walks away from the situation he just feels so sad

he wishes people saw her the way he did and that they’d at least try and give her the benefit of the doubt

through my eyes | opposites attract au, lf63

luca had been paired up with seamus and another guy from their class for an assignment, and they’d been sitting in the guys living room talking away for the last hour, assignment be damned

“you guys must get like a fuck ton of girls at parties, right? i mean like, hot girls, too,” the guy had commented, tilting his head so his words served as a question

“eh. sometimes, sure. lucas got a girl though, he’s head up his ass in love with her,” seamus smiled, looking over at luca who gave a small smile, the reminder of you making his heart flutter

“yeah? you got a picture?” the guy chuckled, watching as luca turned his phone screen and showed him the picture of you two he had as his lock screen

you were laughing together, you pretending to open up to bite his shoulder and him just beaming at the camera. it was one of his favourites of the both of you.

“oh. yeah, i think i’ve seen her around. shes pretty weird,” the guy shrugged, going back to seamus and staring to ask about some of his hookups.

seamus shook his head “dude. what the fuck,” he raised an eyebrow, coming to your defence while luca soaked in the comment, already angry.

“what? i’m just saying, man, you can do better,” the guy scrunched his face, confused as to lucas and seamus’ reactions

“she’s beautiful. and she’s quiet, yeah. but she’s not weird. she probably just didn’t fucking like you,” luca but in, eyes cold and pissed towards the guy.

“no, fantilli. she’s weird. she doesn’t talk to anyone and she’s about to fucking bite you in that. weirdo shit,” he vaguely gestured to lucas phone, rolling his eyes.

“you don’t know a thing about her, man. don’t fucking talk about her like that,” luca replied, fist gripping his phone roughly

“whatever. keep fucking your weirdo girlfriend. the rest of the team can have the hot, normal ones,” the guy smirked, clearly just trying to rile up luca and see how far he could take it

“jesus christ- let’s go, luca. grow a fucking sack, asshole,” shea eyed the guy, shoving his and lucas things in their bags and pushing him out the door, trying to get the both of them out of the situation as fast as possible

luca was quiet for a good while, a somber look plastered on his face while they walked back to his and your apartment.

“she’s such a sweet girl. nobody tries to see through her when she’s quiet,” he mumbled, looking over at seamus who was visibly uncomfortable because of everything that was said at their partners place

“don’t pay any mind to him, fants. the team loves her, shy or not,” luca looked down, a small smile forming on his lips

you were still pretty brash with a lot of the team, but they all included you in the group and loved lucas love for you regardless.

the people he actually cared about were all that mattered, no matter how bad he wanted everyone to see you how he did.

#opposites attract au ! #e’s 500 celly! #e’s blurbs! #luca fantilli #luca fantilli x reader #hockey imagine #nhl imagine #umich hockey

[space-invading-pigeon]

Roommates au but better ✨✨✨

Steve and Eddie have a nice routine. They go to their separate rooms, Eddie to work on his latest game (Vecna's Curse; he doesn't know why Steve freaked out the first time he heard about it) and Steve to try to sleep. On a good night, that's it; on a bad night, Steve will wake up screaming and it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour for Eddie to calm him down.

They'll wake up sometime later, Steve will prepare for work, and Eddie to get some coffee before he starts working on his game again. Steve leaves, Eddie works and then babysits their neighbor's daughter until Steve gets home. Then, they'll play with her for a few hours, and once her dad picks her up, they'll eat dinner together. Sometimes they watch a movie, sometimes they play a game, and sometimes (if it's been stressful for either of them), they'll lay on the couch cuddling.

***

Their routine is disrupted one night by a pounding at their door. It had been a good night, one where Steve had been so relaxed that he had fallen asleep on the couch and had to be carried to bed. Eddie was angry at first: the last time they had a late night visitor, it was Mrs. Ryans trying to "catch him in the act" of vampirism.

So Eddie goes to the front door, holding Steve's favorite carving knife, and swings it open, fully prepared to tell an old lady where to shove it, but instead comes face-to-face with a teenage girl. Her hair is pulled into a tight bun, out of her face, which is set in an unimpressed glare. "Get out of my way," she snarls, shoving her way inside. Eddie is so surprised by this turn of events, he doesn't quite react until she's already storming through the apartment.

"Steve!" She shouts, and that really spurs Eddie to act.

"Shhh! He's sleeping right now, little girl, don't wake him up!" But the teen whirls on him, pointing one perfectly manicured finger at him.

"I'm not here for you, I'm here for your boyfriend. You're just a supporting character, and I will see him. Now." She says, her voice harder than before and trembling slightly.

"Erica?" Steve's voice called from the hall. "What are you doing here?"

At the sight of Steve, the teen- Erica, presumably- loses some of the tension in her posture and breezes across their living room to throw herself into a hug. Eddie feels like his face is just one big question mark.

"They said I can't go back," she huffs from where her face is buried in his shoulder. Steve seems to soften at that, and wraps her up in a hug.

"What happened, little rogue?" Eddie hears Steve ask, and with that, Erica melts, tearfully recounting the fight she'd gotten into with her parents and visiting grandparents, how she'd been all alone because it was during the semester and Lucas was in the city, and how she couldn't go to Lucas because she didn't want him in the middle of it.

After a long crying session, Steve and Erica settle on the couch while Eddie makes them hot cocoa. Steve manages to cheer her up considerably by reminding her about something that happened in their past (he says something about Starcourt, how nothing could be worse than that), and when Erica excuses herself to use the bathroom, Steve explains the situation to Eddie.

"She's one of mine," he says. "Some... Really bad stuff happened in my hometown, and her brother was a part of it. She ended up being dragged into it when she was eleven. I- I have to take care of them, they're my kids. I promise she won't be any trouble, she can take my room and I'll sleep on the couch-"

"Sweetheart, please. She can sleep in my room, I'll just share with you," Eddie decided promptly. "I like your bed better, anyway. If she's yours, she's welcome here."

Somehow, Eddie wakes up in Steve's bed with Erica cuddled up between him and Steve; she's changed out of her own clothes and into his pajama pants and one of Steve's high school shirts. He's convinced he should be annoyed, but the girl looks almost innocent when she's asleep and clinging to Steve like he's a teddy bear.

#eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington #stranger things headcanons #eddie and steve #roommates au #erica sinclair

[nunalastor]

Accidental Baby Acquisition AU

Part 2

Lucas decided to cut ties with heaven and just chill on Earth to learn about the good and bad of humanity. Learning magic and the laws of Earth were keeping him happily occupied. Heaven did not forget his angry outburst though and started a manhunt for Lucas cause they did not want a repeat of Lucifer's rebellion. They find him but elect to keep an eye on him for now

Meanwhile in hell, Alastor and Lucifer were having their daily verbal sparring with the rest of the hotel watching on when heaven all but demands a video call with them. They comply and heaven wastes no time in telling Lucifer to control his son and reminding him of the treaty. Everyone at the hotel is confused especially Lucifer.

Lucifer: .....I don't have a son?

Angels: Who is this then???!!!!

They proceed to show a video of Lucas.

Alastor is in disbelief and his thoughts are a jumbled mess of how dare his rival have another child.

Charlie is torn between happiness cause she always wanted a younger sibling and hurt cause her dad didn't tell her.

Lucifer: I think I'd know if I had another baby. Besides even I need help in making another child. Who would be the other parent anyway????!!!

*camera pans to Lucas using some very familiar green smoky magic*

Everybody with the exception of Lucifer proceeds to side-eye a speechless Alastor suspiciously.

👀

#hazbin hotel #alastor #nunalastor asks #radioapple #lucifer #lucifer morningstar #fanart #appleradio #Accidental Baby Acquisition #radioapple kid

[bakerrat99]

@cheaplord-p3 NEGATIVE AU Ideas - Plot and Ex's.

- NEG Ramona Flowers, Every time she gets a new partner, they must battle her previous ex's "Trail of The Ex's" (NEG) Scott is finally someone to match her Awfullness.

- NEG Matthew Patel, the first Evil Ex, the whimpiest by Ramona's standards if she hasn't already forgotten him- How someone can fail without even having someone to battle is beyond her. Insecurity : Weak

- NEG Lucas Lee, Second Evil Ex, he is constantly seeking the approval of others in a despite attempt to seem "cool" specifically too Ramona- but his desperateness made Ramona realise just how Pathetic he was. Weakness : People Pleaser

- NEG Todd Ingram, Third Evil Ex, He suffers from an ever increasing case of frequent "Puppy Love" He is fragile because he is constantly hoping to find some sort of magical form of love. Weakness : Hopeless Romantic

- NEG Roxie Richter, Fourth Evil Ex, Ramona never even made her battle the other ex's- it almost felt like a sign of disrespect to her she has a deeper anger toward her, but also longs to be acknowledged. Weakness : Longing

- The NEG Katayanagi Twins, Ex Five and Six, Orginally defeating every task that Ramona put them up to together - eventually, the both thought they could win the heart of Ramona together without having to fight eachother. They were wrong and now are both still angry at each other, consistently fighting, trying to be the one to still get with Ramona rather than together. Weakness : Eachother

- NEG Gideon Graves, Final Ex, She thought he was just as evil and manipulative as her. But, it was all an act and a front so he could impress her, but his wits still manage to impress her and make her question if he could be made into something evilier. Weakness : Arrogance

#scott pilgram fanart #negative #nega scott #scott #scott pilgram takes off #scott pilgrim #scott pilgram vs the world #scott pilgrim au

[epicsteddieficrecs]

Epic Steddie Fic Rec | May 8th-May28th 2023

So just like I got infected by the Steddie brainrot last fall, I've now fallen deep into the gay firefighters show and the last 10 pages of my ao3 is full of Buddie fics 😆 so most of these fics were read in the first two weeks of this rec...

Complete

one of the good things by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Nobody Dies AU | < 1K | General): Eddie is staring at him. He sets the guitar aside, leaning forward and peering at Steve like he’s doing something particularly fascinating. “You’re angry.” Steve shakes his head reflexively, feels a prickle of defensiveness. He keeps his voice as even as he can when he says, “No, I’m not.” “Oh, you are,” Eddie says softly. Something must show on Steve’s face because he amends, “Like, not… Don’t worry. Not a loud anger.”

proof we’re here by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (<1K | General): “I used to wonder about this place,” Robin tells Eddie as they lounge on the couch, looking up at Steve’s pristine ceiling, not a cobweb in sight. “Huh?” Robin smirks knowingly. “Come on, you must have wondered, too.” She puts on a hushed voice of mock reverence. “The King of Hawkins High roaming these hallowed halls… if walls could speak…”

you're so fine, you blow my mind by griesly (PWP, Crossdressing | 4K | Explicit): Eddie walks in on a very private moment, with unexpected (and thoroughly enjoyable) consequences.

buzzer-beater history by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 Missing Scene | 1,7K | General): When Lucas Sinclair starts to apologise for missing The Cult of Vecna, Eddie initially thinks that he’s hearing things. “Jesus, Sinclair. I’ve got an ongoing list of folks who owe me an apology since, like, sixth grade, and trust me, your name’s not on there. Can pretty confidently say it never will, okay?” Eddie sees Steve tilt his head ever so slightly from where he’s walking just ahead of them, like he’s listening in. Spots his faint nod of approval. Eddie can’t decide if he resents it or finds it endearing—kind of gets the ridiculous feeling that Steve’s vetting him on behalf of the kids.

halving the compass by griesly (No Upside Down AU, Fake Relationship | 8K | Explicit): Forced to attend his father's elitist black tie gala, Steve Harrington asks along the one person sure to throw a wrench in the works - Eddie Munson. It's only for show, of course. It's not a real date. ...or is it?

Say Xanathar by pinkcash (PWP | 8K | Explicit): Eddie comes to sell Steve weed and leaves with a lot more information about him than he had originally. Like, for instance, he’s not nearly as straight as he thinks he is

Steve the Reluctant by rachtay13/ @rachtay13 (Post-S4 | 46K | Explicit): Robin raised her brows.  “You know what, Harrington?” She nodded her head. “Yeah, you know what? I dare you to make a friend. I dare you.”

Dream Boy by indelicate/ @steddielations (Post-S4 | 8K | Teen): Or, Steve goes to see Eddie’s band play and finally finds what he’s been looking for.

Melt Me On Your Tongue by indelicate/ @steddielations (PWP, BDSM | 6K | Explicit): “This okay?” “Yeah it’s— shit, it’s more than okay, Steve.” “… you’re crying, Eds.” Eddie can’t hold back a choked off noise then, somewhere between an overwhelmed laugh and a sob. “No one’s ever done this to me before.” He doesn’t know if he means no one’s ever given him a bath, or braided his hair, or just any of the things Steve does for him, really. Eddie's never had a Steve before.

I Wish I Knew You Wanted Me by indelicate/ @steddielations (Getting Together | 1,9K | Teen): Or, Steve finds out why Eddie likes wearing his clothes so much.

three whistles in the dark by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (S4 | < 1K | General): “Why are you whistling?” Eddie asks after he’s heard Steve do it for the fourth time. “Huh?” Eddie imitates him; it’s not like Steve is just casually following a tune in his head—it sounds deliberate. Encouraging whistles, one right after the other, in groups of three. Like a… like a call to something.

i’m down on my knees (i wanna take you there) by twelvexclara (Pre-S4 | 4K | Explicit): Steve really needs to pass his English class. So who better than to visit the resident genius/freak, Eddie Munson?

The Intuition of Claudia Henderson by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Post-S4, Claudia POV | 1,8K | General): Claudia opens the door quietly. It’s not Max who’s in the bed. And there, lying so peacefully against Eddie Munson’s shoulder, is Dustin. He’s fast asleep. Eddie’s got an arm around him, and he’s slowly running his fingers through Dustin’s hair the way she used to when he was little, to help him drift off. He looks up from his book at the sound of her entering the room, and his face goes as white as the bedsheets.

🖤 i've been having a horrible time pulling myself together by deadratz (Post-S4 Fix-it | Friends With Benefits | 74K | Explicit): The last thing Eddie thinks as he draws his final breath is that Henderson is gonna need a shit ton of therapy. But then, Eddie wakes up, gasping for air, and miraculously, he's being rescued. Now he has to figure out how to live.

WIP

🖤 better by you, better than me by palmviolet/ @palmviolet (Canon Divergent, Season 1-2 | 32/? | 167K | Mature | Warning: Violence): November 1983. Between unpaid bills, the supposedly straight jock he’s seeing, and letters from his convict dad, seventeen year old Eddie Munson’s got enough to worry about. But when Will Byers goes missing, it sparks a chain of events that will show there are more depths to Hawkins — and to certain people in it, like infamous Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington — than he realizes. / or, the excessively long slow-burn in which Eddie is involved in the Upside Down from the very beginning.

Bandaids for the Heart by LexiRoseWrites/ @lexirosewrites (Modern AU, A/B/O, Nurse Steve | 1/16 | 5K | Explicit): Steve has been a pediatric nurse for long enough to know that Eddie and his daughter shouldn’t be seeing him in the emergency room this often. Ellie Munson can only shove so many marbles up her nose and eat so many crayons before he starts to think the five year old might have an ulterior motive.

🖤 Trouble Looks Good On You by indelicate/ @steddielations (Post S4 | 3/5 | 35K | Explicit): It happens like a fever dream. The first time Steve gives Eddie a swift smack on the ass, it’s obviously just an old jock habit that’s stuck with him. It wasn’t meant to have Eddie’s knees going weak, or turn his blood hot under his skin, or give him a brand in the shape of Steve Harrington’s hand, or— Nope, because Eddie’s not even into that. But then, it happens again. Or, Steve keeps accidentally awakening Eddie’s new kinks.

Until We Fall by indelicate/ @steddielations (Fake Relationship | 3/6 | 19K | Teen): “Hate to break it to you, Buckley, but you can’t set Steve up on a date ‘cause he’s already got plans… with me.” Or, it starts with a drunken night and a plan that Steve can’t remember making, but Eddie sure does.

🖤 Reboot by plutosrose/ @plutosrose (Modern AU, Actor Steve & Eddie | 8/10 | 30K | Explicit): In 2012, Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson film a scene in the teen drama Normal Stuff that launches a popular ship on ao3. By early 2013, they aren’t speaking anymore. In 2024, Robin calls Steve with an offer to reprise his role as Andy Hartley in a reboot of their old show, with one important update–his character gets together with Eddie’s.

🖤 Steve Harrington’s Radical Fun Time Babysitting Service by Humanities_Handbag / @humanityinahandbag, Invader_Sam (No Upside Down AU, 90’s | 26/? | 100K | Mature): Alternatively: Steve accidentally starts a babysitting service, falls in love, panics [in bisexual], and gets himself a boyfriend. (Part 1 of 90’s Music Store AU)

the weight of us by loveinhawkins/ @loveinhawkins (Dustin-centric, Post-S4 | 2/3 | 8K | Teen): It’s only once everything is okay that Dustin starts thinking there’s something deeply wrong with him.

#steddie #stranger things #steddie fic #steddie fanfiction #steddie fic rec #epic steddie fic rec

[fanficimagery]

Mending the Heartbreak

When your boyfriend cheats on you, you find yourself hanging out with Max more and more. In doing so, Billy Hargrove proves he's a changed guy. Could this be the start of something new?

Words: 8.7K Author's Note: I love Eddie and Chrissy, but sometimes you need a bad guy and sacrifices must be made. Just a few words said out of frustration are mentioned- no cat fight because Chrissy really is too kind for that. AU because Vecna doesn't happen. I actually don’t remember writing this. It sucks, but you guys voted so here you go lmao.

With tears in your eyes, you walk across the street and then down the sidewalk until you're two houses down. The house you're approaching has a blue Camaro parked in the driveway, which nearly makes you turn back around until its owner is gone, but you need to speak with Max and you need to speak with her now.

Knocking on the front door, you step back and cross your arms over your chest. You scuff the toe of your shoe on the front stoop, waiting patiently, and are rewarded when the front door is yanked open. Billy Hargrove looks disgruntled at being interrupted, but his demeanor softens just a bit and an eyebrow arches at your appearance.

You sniffle and attempt to gulp down the lump in your throat. "Hi, Billy. Is, uh, is Max home?"

"She's sick."

"I just- I need to speak with her real quick and then I'll leave. Promise."

"Whatever." With his gaze still on you, Billy barely turns his head to call over his shoulder, "Maxine! The door's for you!"

It takes a few seconds for the familiar redhead to stomp through the living room, but when she catches sight of you on the other side of the door with red puffy eyes as you attempt to hold yourself together, her expression immediately softens as she asks, "YN? What happened?" She steps in front of Billy, but Billy is apparently interested to know what's going on with you now and doesn't attempt to give you any privacy.

"Did you know?" You ask.

"Know what?"

"That Eddie fucked Chrissy." Her eyes widen as Billy snorts something that suspiciously sounds like fuckin' idiot behind her back. "Did you know?"

"What?" Her tone is eerily calm and then she explodes. For someone who's sick, her anger is still something to behold. "When did this happen?!"

"Last month." Your shoulders sag since it seems she didn't know either. "Jason taunted me with the information like the asshole he is and then confronted both Chrissy and Eddie in the cafeteria in front of everyone. Apparently all of Hellfire knew, so now I'm just trying to figure out who my friends really are since the boys quickly banded together in support of their dungeon master. He can do no wrong in their eyes."

"All of Hell.." she trails off, glassy eyes hardening. "Lucas knew?"

"Yep. All the youngsters looked apologetic, but Eddie needed them more than me, I guess."

"That stupid son of a-" Her fist smacks into the door jamb in her anger. "I'm going to murder him!" You wince when you see how angry she truly is, most likely more at her boyfriend for not telling her, but still. "And Eddie too! I mean, what the hell was he thinking?!"

"I don't know, but- please don't do anything rash. I didn't tell you to make you upset with them. I just- I needed to know that at least one friend wasn't a liar."

"What about El? Or Robin?"

You shrug. "I adore El, but you're my favorite freshman. Plus, she and Mike are sickeningly dependent on one another. And Robin? I don't have lunch with her so I don't know if she knows what's happened yet. I left school after Eddie didn't deny the accusation."

Max takes a few breaths before calming herself and she sags against the doorway, her exhaustion catching up to her. "If I had known, I'd have told you. I can't believe he would- and that the others would-" She stops, sighing in aggravation.

"I guess this is what I get for getting too comfortable with a guy I assumed wouldn't cheat on me because everyone thought he was a freak." You shrug, offering her a faint smile. Max doesn't say anything in return and you take a moment to look her up and down. Most teenagers fake sick to get out of school, but Max doesn't look like she's faking it now. "Go back to bed, Max. I, uh, I didn't think you were actually sick."

She looks at you, gaze momentarily unfocused. "Yeah. Yeah, I should. We'll talk more later and plot your revenge."

As Max tiredly turns and walks back to her room, your romantic issues take a backseat while your concern for your young friend blossoms. "Has her mom been giving her anything to help her get better?" You ask since Billy is still by the door.

"Hell if I know. There's a bunch of medicine bottles on the counter, but she keeps barfing everything up."

You frown and then meet his gaze. "I'm skipping school tomorrow. Do you mind if I come over after your dad and her mom leave? I know a recipe that'll help with the nausea."

"It's your deathbed if you catch whatever she has." You huff and his lips faintly twitch in amusement. "That'll be fine. Maybe then you can keep an eye on her while I head to the garage and clock in for a few hours."

You nod. "Sounds like a plan."

"My dad leaves at seven, but Susan's not out of here until nine thirty."

"Susan's not an issue, Neil is," you tell him. He tenses for the briefest of moments and you're quick to assure him that while you know just what Neil gets up to behind closed doors, you don't plan to stick your nose in his business. "I know a shitty parent when I see one, Hargrove. You just get home before he does. That's all I ask."

Billy mumbles an agreement and then he's shutting the door on you.

Since you had a private phone line in your room, you had no problem disconnecting it when you were suddenly bombarded with phone calls after school had let out. You locked up the house, pulled all the curtains closed, and then told your mother about your breakup when she got home so she'd know to send anyone who came looking for you away.

And since you were heartbroken, your mother had no problem letting you skip the day since it was Friday and it'd give you an extra day to pull yourself together. Though after she left, you quickly gathered all the ingredients you'd need for soup, and a pot, and waited patiently until Susan left the Hargrove house.

When you finally get to the Hargrove house, Billy is already dressed and lets you in before taking his leave and promising to be back by three.

Max is relieved that she doesn't have to listen to Billy's music blaring and that she actually has someone to talk to. You make soup for lunch and give her some ginger ale that she's immediately grateful for, and you spend the day crying in her room as she promises to give the boys a piece of mind when she's feeling better.

The weekend goes about the same, the only difference is that you take to hiding out at Max's when Eddie shows up to your house and then continuously stops by after your mother repeatedly sends him away. And then Lucas makes the mistake of showing up at Max's window one day (luckily you were sprawled on the opposite side of her room, so he didn't see you), and Max ripped into him about knowing about Eddie's deceit and the fact that he kept it from you- you, of all people, who never treated them like they were kids when everyone else did. Lucas was ashamed, but still held fast that he didn't want to get in the middle of it. Max had huffed and told him he put himself in the middle of it when he took Eddie's side rather than making sure you were okay.

It's now Monday morning and you're still not ready to face the masses, but you know you have to. And since your usual ride to school is with your boyf- ex-boyfriend, you take off walking a lot earlier than usual so you can hopefully make it to the school on time.

You've been walking for fifteen minutes when you hear a vehicle approach from behind and you hunch your shoulders when you hear the telltale sound of metal music being lowered. As the van pulls up beside you, you offer Eddie a brief look before looking forward and continuing on your way.

"Can we talk?" He asks, hanging out the driver's side window.

"Nope. I'm good."

"Sweetheart, please." You shake your head, scoffing. As you cried yourself out over the weekend, anger started to mingle with your sadness and you can feel that anger bubbling to the surface right now. Instead of lashing out, however, you grip the straps of your backpack and squeeze to focus on something else. "Just get in the van. I'll take you to school. We won't talk if you really don't want to."

"No, thanks.."

"YN."

"Don't!" You suddenly whirl on him, eyes blazing. Eddie brakes, eyes wide as he takes you in. "You don't get to plead or be sad or demand my time. You fucked up! You."

"I know. I fucked up and I'm sorry," he tells you, eyes getting glossy. "I'm sitting here telling you I'm sorry. Chrissy doesn't- she doesn't mean anything. I don't need her, sweetheart. I need you."

"Yeah? Well that would have been nice if you felt that way last month."

You shake your head at him, jaw clenching. Then just as you move to continue walking, a blue Camaro screeches to a stop just on the other side of the road. The driver's side window is rolled down and Billy's head lolls to the side, sunglasses shielding his eyes. He slowly smirks just as Max exits the passenger door so she can look at you over the roof of the car.

"Get in loser, Billy's chauffeuring."

Your anger immediately melts as you laugh. Before you can cross the road, though, you glance back at Eddie to find him frowning at the stepsiblings. "Hey, Munson?" He quickly looks back at you, expression turning hopeful. "In case it wasn't clear, we're done. I don't want to talk and I definitely don't want to hear any excuses or apologies. Just.. just stop."

"YN!" Eddie calls out one last time, but you pay him no mind.

Looking both ways to make sure no one is coming, you jog across the road to a grinning Max. She readily climbs into the backseat and you take off your backpack to rest at your feet as you settle into the passenger seat. You can still see Eddie's van from the corner of your eye, but you only look at Billy. "Thanks for the ride."

"Max's idea," he drawls. Billy takes his car out of park and peels out, picking up speed as he heads towards Hawkins High. But you're used to chaotic driving, so you merely sit back and exhale softly in contentment. From the corner of your eye, you see Billy glance in your direction before saying, "That conversation didn't look fun."

You huff. "Not one bit."

"Eddie seemed like a decent dude, even if I thought you were out of his league," Max says and that surprises a laugh out of you, "but you deserve better than that. Don't let him sweet talk himself out of this colossal fuck up."

"Hey!" Billy barks, glaring at her in the rearview mirror to which she rolls her eyes. "Language."

You grin as Max rolls her eyes. "I told him we were done," you say. "Now it's just a matter if he'll listen and actually leave me alone. I don't have any classes with him, but I do have lunch with both Eddie and Chrissy, and then my last class is with Chrissy."

"Chrissy won't dare to confront you," Max tells you. "And as for lunch, we'll form our own table. Screw Hellfire."

. . . .

Heads always turned when Billy's Camaro careened into the student parking lot, no matter that he had already graduated, and today was no different. Especially when people realized just who exactly was getting out of his car.

You grimaced at all the staring and whispering, Billy soaked up all the attention, and Max glared at anyone who stared a little too long. Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will stood by the bike rack and Lucas tried to eagerly wave down Max, but she merely sneered at him before hooking her arm through yours and dragging you into the school building. You tried to tell her to not let your issues with the boys interfere with her relationship, but she merely brushed your words off and told you to shut up.

You had to endure pitying stares and snickering behind your back throughout the first half of the day, but by now you'd learned to tune them out.

At lunch, poor El looked torn between choosing to sit with you and Max or sitting with her boyfriend at the Hellfire table. You assured her you wouldn't hold it against her if she sat with Mike, but after giving it some thought she sat with you and Max. She mentioned something about girl power and you chuckled as you tried to eat under the heavy stare of your ex.

Then the much-dreaded class with Chrissy Cunningham is finally upon you and you take your seat without even looking in the direction of where she usually sits. You take out your notebook, textbook, and a pen, and wait a little too anxiously for class to start.

But the seconds seem to drag on, giving Chrissy an opening to approach you. "YN?"

Her timid voice makes you grip your pen a little harder than necessary and your ears start to burn in embarrassment when you hear the students sitting around the room stop talking in hopes of a confrontation. But you're not going to give them one. "Stay on your side of the room, Cunningham. I'm not in the mood to hear your excuse."

"I'm really sorry." Her cracking voice makes your jaw clench, but you still refuse to meet her gaze. She sniffles. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Jason is just really mean, and Eddie was so nice as he listened to me vent, and then one thing led to another and-"

You slam your hands on your desk, startling Chrissy, and glare up at the crying girl who's seen better days. "Then you talk to a goddamn counselor about your issues," you seethe. "You don't fuck another girl's boyfriend because he's better than what you have." Chrissy hiccups on a sob, but you're done with the conversation. "Now get the hell out of my face."

Uncapping your pen, you open your notebook to a clean page and start doodling. Chrissy hurries back to her seat, gathers her belongings and then runs out of class. Shoulders slumping, you inhale and then exhale deeply to center yourself. You just have this last class and then you're free to go.

You occupy yourself by taking notes during the class, ignoring the looks you can see being thrown your way from the corner of your eye. People whisper and pass notes the entire time, and you're relieved when the final bell rings.

You make a quick stop by your locker to leave your backpack since you have no homework and then make your way outside. You reluctantly intend to walk home, but you spot Billy leaning against the hood of his car as he smokes a cigarette. No doubt he's waiting for Max and, not in the mood to spend half an hour walking home, you walk towards him in hopes for yet another ride.

"Hey, Hargrove."

"YN." You come to a stop a few feet before him, thumbs hooking into the pocket of your jeans. "So, uh, I know the ride this morning wasn't your idea, but could you possibly help a girl out and give me a ride home? I'm so over today and don't want to get caught off guard again."

His lips twitch. "Munson still groveling?"

You shrug. "He stared, but Chrissy tried her luck during my last class. I'm over it."

"Did she have better luck?"

"What do you think?" You deadpan and Billy chuckles as he flicks the butt of his cigarette away. He seems a lot more mellow than he used to be, then again a near death experience inside a burning mall would probably do that to a person. "She tried to pass off their hook-up as one thing leading to another and it took everything in me to not scream at her. But I still made her cry even more than she already was, so I'm pretty sure those still loyal to her think I'm a bitch."

"Screw them." He lights another cigarette and takes a long drag from it. Exhaling the smoke, he nods to the spot beside him. "Get comfy. Max usually takes a bit longer."

You sag in relief. "Thank you."

Being single after spending nearly an entire year in a relationship takes some getting used to. You still have your moments where you mourn everything you lost when you broke up with Eddie, but Max, Robin, and Steve are there to make sure you don't spiral. Even Billy gives you support, which is weird, but you figure he just takes great joy in being seen with you in front of Eddie or his friends and rubbing it in their faces that you speak to him of all people.

Eddie's taken to staring at you from across the school parking lot or cafeteria, and Jason surprised everyone by taking Chrissy back and keeping her tucked under his arm at all times when walking the hallways.

For weeks, a new routine makes itself known- Billy driving both you and Max to school, and then picking you up afterwards. His only condition is that you stay with Max when their parents are out so he can do whatever he wants without them jumping down his throat for not knowing where Max was. You easily agreed.

But sooner or later you knew Max's ire with Lucas would dwindle and you'd be stuck on your lonesome.

Or so you thought.

Walking over to the Hargrove house, the only vehicle out front is the Camaro. It's lifted on some jack stands and you can see a pair of oil splattered jean-clad legs peeking out from beneath the car. Rock music plays on a stereo not far from where Billy lays and you walk up to it, crouching to lower the volume.

"What the-"

"Just me, Hargrove," you tell him before he can get too pissed. "Is Max home?"

Billy slides out from underneath his car and you arch an eyebrow at how messy he looks. He rolls his eyes when he sees you holding back a laugh. "She took off to the arcade to see those other friends of hers."

"Oh." Your shoulders slump. "Well damn."

He snorts. "Got a little dependent there, huh?"

"A little." You wince when you realize you had attached yourself to Max and had possibly taken up too much of her time. Then again, if she didn't want to hang out, she was the type to speak up. "Well there goes my day," you mumble. "I'll let you get back to work."

But before you can turn his music back up, Billy stops you. "I'm almost done here. If you want to hang out, we'll hit up a diner afterwards. You're buying."

"Do you think I'm made out of cash or what?" At his deadpan stare, you huff and roll your eyes. "Fine. Whatever. I'll buy."

He smirks. "Thanks, sweetheart."

"Bite me."

Billy laughs as your nose wrinkles at the affectionate nickname and pulls himself back under his car. "Be a good girl and hand me a wrench. It's the-"

"I know what a wrench is, jackass." You reach into his tool box and grab the tool he's requested. "I might be a girl, but I'm pretty sure I'm one of the only girls at Hawkins High who knows her way around a set of tools."

As Billy works, you sit there on the pavement of his driveway, handing him tools and rags when requested as you fill him in about how nothing's really changed at school. People are still gossiping dicks and you lost quite a handful of friends who were more loyal to Eddie.

Billy huffs and scoffs at certain points of your rambling, and then shares a bit about his past in California. You're surprised to find out that one of his first relationships ended with his ego being wounded when he found out the older girl he was seeing was also seeing someone else on the side. He isn't a fan of cheating either, which is why he prefers hookups over a relationship.

Or at least he did.

Apparently, he hasn't given dating a second thought after what had happened over summer. He'd been more worried about getting his car in working order after he'd crashed it and working to save up some cash so he could get out of Hawkins.

From that day forward, after you've treated Billy to a late lunch, you find yourself seeking out his company to give Max a break every now and then. She notices you hanging out with her stepbrother more and more, but she doesn't seem to mind so you take that as a win. She does, however, tell you to not get too attached. While Billy has seemed to have changed, she doesn't think he's changed too much and doesn't want you to have your heart broken yet again.

You assure her it's not like that between you and Billy, but the more time you spend with him, the more you find yourself at ease with him.

And knowing yourself, the more at ease you are with someone, the easier it is to catch feelings.

New Year's Eve is upon you and you're comfortably snuggled up on your sofa, watching the events before the ball drops on TV. Your mother is at a work party, ringing in the new year with her coworkers a few towns over and is staying overnight in a fancy hotel all thanks to her boss. She had felt bad leaving you, but you assured her you would be more than fine on your own.

Steve and Robin had invited you out, but you declined in favor of comfort.

At eleven o'clock, however, there's a pounding on your front door. Grumbling, you get up to answer it and groan when you find Billy standing there on your porch. It's freezing outside and this idiot has the audacity to wear a red dress shirt that has several buttons left unbuttoned to show off his toned chest and a gold chain hanging around his neck.

"No."

Billy smirks as you turn to walk back to the comfort of your sofa, following you in and shutting the door behind him. "Come on. It's the new year, YN! You should be out partying."

"I've already showered and am ready for bed as soon as I see everyone ring in the new year on TV."

"What are you, seventy?"

"I'm not leaving, Billy." You settle down onto the sofa, pulling the blanket over your lap.

"Show up with me and stay at least until one in the morning, and I'll stop making you buy me food in exchange for rides to and from school."

The offer makes you freeze because feeding a bottomless pit is not fun whatsoever, and you take a moment to mull it over. The longer you stay quiet, Billy starts to smirk, and you know you're going to be going out. When you groan, he laughs in victory.

"Fine, you asshole."

You stand up, grumbling all the while, and as your back turns, he says, "Wear a dress."

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?!" You whirl back around. "It's cold!"

"Not inside the house."

"But my jeans are comfy."

"I don't care. You're my pseudo-date for the night. Wear a dress. Or a skirt. I'm not picky."

"Ugh. You're the worst."

"You have fifteen minutes. Make them count!" He calls out when you turn around to head towards your room.

Hidden away in your room, you head straight for your closet. It's been a long while since you've dressed up, so donning a dress is the last thing you want to do.

But towards the back of your closet, there's a leather dress you had bought a little while ago to surprise your then boyfriend at one of his shows. It was sleeveless and the neckline practically choked you, but it was well worth it since from the tops of your breasts to your neck was all mesh. Even the rectangular cutouts down your thighs were made of mesh and it was the most jaw dropping outfit you owned.

So throwing caution to the wind, you pull out the dress. It's a little bit more snug than when you first bought it, but it fits like a second skin and hits you mid-thigh, and you just know you're gonna catch someone's eye. You forgo tights and slip your feet into a pair of black booties that have a chunky heel to them. Then your hair, which had been secured in a loose bun, is released so you can run your fingers through your tresses. You loosely plait your hair over your shoulder, leaving a few strands free to frame your face. You keep your makeup light and smoky, but don a red lipstick to give you a bit of a striking look.

As you're checking yourself out in the mirror, you allow yourself a moment to smile and feel pretty.

It's been a while since you felt this pretty.

"Hurry it up, YN! At this rate we're gonna miss the midnight hour!"

"Shut up, Hargrove!" None of your jackets compliment your outfit, so with a sigh you turn off the lights to your bedroom and bathroom, and then join Billy in the living room. "Hey, do you have a jacket I can borrow? None of mine go with my outfit." You're busy slipping earrings into your ear that you don't see Billy staring, slack jawed. And when he's quiet a little too long, you glance over at him. His eyes are on your thighs. "Billy?"

"Munson is a moron."

You roll your eyes, huffing a short laugh. Then snapping your fingers, you garner his attention. "Eyes up!" He quickly meets your gaze and smirks, unashamed. "So jacket?"

"It's in the car."

"Good. Now let's go."

Billy refuses to walk out in front of you and your eyes roll yet again. You know exactly where his gaze is going to land the second you step foot in front of him.

In the Camaro, his leather jacket is laying across the passenger seat. You pick it up and place it in your lap as you situate yourself, then slip your arms through the sleeves of the jacket. As Billy situates himself behind the wheel of his car, he takes another moment to look at you.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Billy starts his Camaro and starts to drive towards whatever party he's dragging you to. You quietly mumble the lyrics to whatever song's playing on the radio, feeling content in the passenger seat. A few minutes in and Billy's fingers are tapping along the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song before he glances at you and chuckles.

"What?" You groan.

"Nothing." His smile is infectious, and it makes you smile, squirming in your seat. "I just can't believe you've been hiding yourself beneath flannels and band tees and loose jeans all this time."

"As if I'd waste a look such as this on the boys of Hawkins High," you say while gesturing to your body.

"Well aren't I lucky I'm no longer a boy from Hawkins High."

His leering look makes you laugh out loud, shaking your head in amusement at him. "I actually don't normally dress like this. The outfit was bought on a whim a while back and then just never worn. But I wanted to feel pretty tonight, so..."

"Well mission accomplished. You look very pretty."

When you glance at him to gauge his expression, you find the leering look is gone. He's.. he's actually being serious at the moment. "Oh. Well, uh, thank you."

The rest of the drive is quiet and you sit there twiddling your thumbs until you arrive at a house where people are spilling in and out of the doorway. Snow covers everything, multi-colored Christmas lights twinkling along the house's roof and hanging from the trees. As you get out of the car and walk around to Billy's side, he readily tucks you under his arm.

"If you hook up with anyone, it better happen in one of the upstairs bedrooms. I am not walking home in this outfit."

"Relax. I'm not looking for a quick hook up," Billy says. "I'm just here to have a few drinks and not be a total loser locked in my room."

"Yeah, yeah. You say that now."

Tucked under Billy's arm, you wrap your own arm around his waist so as to not get separated from him. People call out, excited to have him gracing them with his company, and you try not to shrink when you see numerous people give you a double take.

Billy makes a beeline for the kitchen and you breathe a little easier there. It's not as packed and you readily accept the first drink he passes you.

Turning towards you, Billy raises his cup in a toast. "To a new year, a new you," he muses.

You raise your cup with a roll of your eyes. "To getting out of Hawkins."

His eyebrow arches. "I like that." Tapping his cup to yours, he repeats your toast. "To getting out of Hawkins."

The two of you down your drinks and Billy waste no time in getting you another.

Side by side, you and Billy remain under the archway to the kitchen. The TV is blaring, playing the exact same thing you had been watching, and everyone's energy is amping up the closer the clock ticks to midnight.

You're people watching as Billy talks up a few people, smirking behind the rim of your cup when female after female approaches Billy in hopes of walking off with him. But he surprises them, and you included, by brushing them off and curling his arm around your shoulders as to tell them that he's there with you.

You get a few lingering stares, especially stares that stay a little too long on your legs, and you're glad you've kept Billy's jacket on.

One female, however, apparently doesn't like the attention you're getting.

She approaches, a small crowd of her friends trailing after her. "Hi." Her tone is sickly sweet and directed at your friend.

Billy tenses at your side. "Courtney." He gives her a nod of acknowledgment, shifting uneasily and you start to chuckle under your breath.

Oh boy. Was this someone he hooked up with? Ex- hook ups are never fun.

You're ready for her to rip into Billy, but then her eyes slide to you, gaze going steely. It's your turn to tense.

"YN, right?" She asks a little too nicely. "Aren't you like dating that freak?"

Your back straightens a little at her tone and your jaw clenches in anger. Because while you and Eddie ended terribly, you're not one to bad mouth him, and you'll be damned if other people bad mouth him in front of you (Billy's the only exception because you know he does it jokingly to rile you up). "His name is Eddie," you tell her, keeping your tone as unaffected as possible. "Which you know since you clearly know who I am. No need to be a cunt just to gain the attention of a past fuck that wants nothing to do with you anymore."

"Oh shit." Billy barks out a laugh and you arch an eyebrow as the girl gapes in front of you.

"Now run along, Courtland. You're kind of killing the mood."

"I-It's Courtney!"

You shrug. "We don't care."

She splutters just as the countdown starts and her friends reach for her arms to drag her away seeing as Billy is not interested. You're glowering at the girl, making sure her friends drag her far enough away that you're not paying any attention to your friend. The countdown hits one and fingers suddenly find your chin to tilt your face upward. Lips descend upon yours, and for a second you lose yourself in the kiss, but the moment you feel a tongue seeking entrance, you break away with a gasp.

Eyes wide, you stare up at a smirking Billy. "What..?"

"You didn't think you'd ring in the new year without a kiss, did you?"

"Uh, yes?"

"Did you think that I would?"

"I actually thought you'd walk off to find someone else," you say, eyes darting to his lips before giving your head a subtle shake to clear it. Subconsciously, you lick your bottom lip and lean a little further back from him. "I lost track of time."

Clearly," he muses. He takes a sip of his drink, gaze solely on you. "We good?"

"Mhm. Yeah." Your squeaking voice says otherwise and you roll your eyes at yourself. Taking a moment to down the rest of your drink, you nod. "We're good. I was just caught off guard."

"Mhm." He hums. He placed his arm back around your shoulders and you can't help but lean against them. He lowers his mouth so it’s right next to ear and says, "Don't look now, but Courtney is fuming."

You laugh and refuse to look at the girl who is probably mentally plotting your demise. "Let her. I don't like pettiness."

Billy lets the conversation drop for a few seconds before he's saying, "You sure did jump a little too quickly to Munson's defense. You got something you wanna own up to, YN?"

You sigh. "Eddie was my friend long before he was my boyfriend. Just because we aren't together doesn't mean I'm gonna let people talk shit about him."

"Is that all?"

"Yep. Now drop it, Hargrove. Enjoy what time you have left before we have to go."

Billy huffs but does exactly as he's told, only he makes sure to drag you along tucked safely under his arm.

The days following New Year's Eve, you spend them holed up in your room. You don't seek out Max and you definitely don't seek out Billy, and you spend two days ignoring anyone and everyone. Then on the third day, your mother confronts you just as you're exiting the kitchen.

"YN?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you come here please?" With a bottle of orange juice in hand, you walk into the living room. Your mom smiles and pats the spot next to her on the sofa. As you sit, she asks, "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Really? Then do you care to explain to me why your friends are approaching me in the store and asking about your whereabouts?" You wince and sink further into your seat, leaning into your mother's side. She wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close and kissing the top of your head. "I understood when you needed some time after Eddie, but what happened now? You were doing so good."

You sigh and start picking at the label on the bottle in your lap. "Billy kissed me."

"Excuse me?"

"It was just a kiss to ring in the new year, but-"

"But?" She wonders, urging you to go on.

"It messed with my mind," you finally admit aloud. "I'm well aware Billy is an attractive individual, but I had him dead center in the friend zone. And then that stupid kiss went and ruined everything, and now I can't face him or anyone until I get my head all sorted out."

A scoff behind you makes you tense briefly before leaning forward so you can turn in your seat and your eyes widen when you see Billy leaning against the wall as if he'd been hiding just around the corner. "Seriously? That's why you haven't called or came by?"

Your mouth drops open in shock and then you look at your mom, eyes narrowing. "You're such a traitor."

She grins. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I don't like to see you moping. Billy told me what was going on and he figured it was the kiss that set you off."

"The two of you are no longer my favorite."

"I'm your mother. I'll always be your favorite." She then pats your knee before pushing up off the sofa, turning to grin at Billy. "You, however, are on your own. I'm going for a drive. Good luck!"

Billy huffs as your mom takes her leave and then he walks around the sofa, taking the spot your mom vacated. He's too close and you attempt to scoot over, but his hand on your knee stalls you. "Is the kiss really the reason why you pulled away?"

You exhale softly. "Yeah." Billy doesn't say anything and your gaze stays on his hand that's still on your knee. "I'm sorry. I made it weird and I'm trying not to be, but you're apparently too impatient to let me-"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I like you too?" His words are quiet, almost too quiet, and they make your heart speed up. "I've never kept a female around that I didn't attempt to hook up with, but you? You were different. You are different which is why I tested the waters with that kiss." You finally meet his gaze and you're awed by his genuine expression.

"But you- you don't do relationships," you tell him. "I, unfortunately, do like you, but I won't risk what we have now for a quick hookup." Billy huffs, lips twitching, and you set aside your drink in order to grab Billy's hand on your knee. "I didn't enter this friendship with the intent to catch feelings. I mean, I'm well aware of your reputation, but then you just had to go and show me a different side to you and-"

"I don't want a hookup." His words make you fall quiet and you gulp at his admission. Billy angles himself more towards you and you do the same. Then with his free hand, he tucks a few pieces of hair behind your ear. "You are the only girl to look past my car and the rumors other girls spread around the school. You spend time with me because you want to and not because you wanted to see whether or not those rumors were true. I never thought I'd ever entertain the idea of another relationship after I left California, but then here you are making me go absolutely insane trying to determine whether or not you're over your ex. I like you, but I don't want to be a rebound."

You gape at his honesty and your heart starts to beat faster when Billy starts to slowly smile. "I, uh, I don't want to be with Eddie. I actually want to be with you."

"Good. Then you're telling Max."

"Hey!"

Billy laughs at your betrayed expression, quickly leaning in to smooth things over with a kiss. You mentally berate yourself for melting into him so easily, following his lead as he slowly moves back and then squeaking when he pulls you into his lap.

With your knees on either side of his hips, you sit back on his thighs and attempt to catch your breath. His hands hold onto the curve of your hips and yours find purchase on his shoulders. "So we're really doing this, huh?"

"Yep."

"And you're not going to fuck me over?"

"I mean we're gonna have our disagreements; every relationship has them, but I can promise you that I won't cheat on you."

Sliding your hands from his shoulders to the sides of his neck, you lean forward so your forehead is resting against his. "If this thing between us ever fizzles out, you need to tell me. I rather you break my heart by actually breaking up with me rather than having to find out from someone else that you were seen with another girl."

"That ain't gonna happen, but okay."

"Billy.."

"Nuh uh. Not happening." He captures your lips with his, briefly stealing your words and breath away. "I won't be making that mistake."

"Okay. Whatever. Just shut up and kiss me."

Billy laughs and this time it's your turn to steal his breath away. You bite his bottom lip as your hands slide back into his hair, gripping the strands there at the base of his skull and pulling his head back. Billy groans and you smile as you let the tip of your tongue flick his bottom lip.

"Have I mentioned that Munson is really, really stupid?"

"Mhm. Couple of times." You seal your mouth over his once more, tongues sliding against one another as you intimately familiarize yourselves with one another.

You lose track of time and only remember you're out in the open when you hear the front door open. You're laid out along the sofa now, Billy on top of you with one of your knees hitched along his hip and one of his hands beneath your shirt. "Well at least you're not naked." The words make you and Billy instantly pull apart, both panting and heaving as you turn to see your mom looking far too amused. "Glad to see you worked whatever this is out, but Billy? Please stop defiling my daughter on the sofa I nap on."

Billy gapes as you break into a fit of embarrassed giggles, hands instantly covering your face. He's quick to get off of you and you hurriedly sit up to pass him a pillow for his lap. "Don't look so pale, Cali. She's not gonna murder you."

Billy watches your mom disappear into the kitchen. "You sure about that?"

"Yep. Mom knows I'm far too smart to give her grandbabies. If anything, she'll mercilessly tease me about our predicament after you leave."

Turning to look at you, he cracks a grin. "She's gonna love me, isn't she?"

"Unfortunately."

Billy barks out a laugh, shifting in his seat. "I've never had a girl's parent approve of me." His grin eases into a leering smirk. "This is going to be fun."

After your mom, Max is the next to know about the change in yours and Billy's relationship. She had looked at you like you were dumb, mentioned she knew it was only a matter of time, and then told you not to cry to her when Billy messed up. You thought she was mad about you dating him, but she proved you wrong when she treated you no differently afterward.

Your mom and Max had no problem about the shift between you and Billy, but you were nervous about what everyone else would say. You didn't care whether they liked it or not, but you did care whether or not they'd bring up his past or come to the conclusion that he was a rebound when he wasn't. You didn't feel like arguing with anyone.

The two of you have days to yourselves while you finish off your Christmas break, hanging out and going on dates after Billy gets out of work. You didn't run into anyone you knew during these nights out, so you know it's going to be a shock when the PDA moments make an appearance whether it be when he drops you off for school or picks you up.

The morning you return to school, you leave the car but not before chastely kissing your boyfriend. Max made a noise of disgust and dragged you away by the back of your shirt, and no one uttered a word throughout the entire school day. But the moment you walked up to Billy after the last bell had rung and he pulled you into his arms to kiss? Yeah, everyone lingering in the parking lot stared and you knew it was only a matter of time this new piece of information spread like wildfire.

Dustin, Lucas, and Mike were the only three to give you shit for dating Billy, but you merely let them say their peace before politely telling them to fuck off. You were unsure of where you stood with anyone associated with Hellfire, so you weren't going to let them talk shit about your new relationship after weeks of silence on their end.

The news of you and Billy dating lasts for weeks, and you surprise everyone with how happy you seem to be with him. In fact, you're able to finally acknowledge Eddie with a nod when you happen to catch each other's gaze in the cafeteria or hallways, you don't outright sneer at Chrissy when she tells you hello in class, and you outright laugh at Jason's attempts to get into your good graces all because you're dating Billy Hargrove.

You're content and more focused than ever to graduate.

And when you do finally walk the stage to collect your diploma, Billy is there with a bouquet of flowers standing with your mom and Max afterwards.

You take a few minutes to take pictures with your friends, even going as far as taking a picture with Eddie when his uncle Wayne spots you and asks for one. Eddie was nervous, hell you were too because you were unsure of what Billy would think, but your arm went around the back of his waist with ease and his around your shoulders. Wayne snapped the picture and you quietly congratulated Eddie on finally getting his diploma before making your way back towards Billy. Thankfully, he understood and merely pulled you under his arm so you could finally leave.

Days after graduation, you're boredly filling out job applications, unsure of what you want to do now. College was out of the question, you having agonized over assignments for years to want to put yourself through four or more years of it.

The front door opens and you glance at the archway to see who it is since Billy and Max had taken to just walking into your home unannounced.

It's your mom, however, who walks in. "Hey, hon."

"Hey, mom." You set your pen down and stretch in your seat. "What are you doing home early?"

"I decided to take a half day," she tells you. "I had some business at the bank I needed to take care of."

"Yeah? And what was that?"

"Your college funds." You look up at her, prepared for a lecture about your plans now that you're out of high school, but she surprises you by smiling and handing over an envelope. "Relax. I started it when I found out I was pregnant with you. I know you're not interested in more schooling, so I figure you could use the money to help you get started with the next stage of your life."

Opening the envelope, there's a bank card and a post-it note with the amount of money you apparently now own. Your eyes bulge at the number. "Holy shit. Are you just- you're really giving this to me?"

"Yes. It's yours. I'm trusting you to use it responsibly."

"Y-Yeah. Of course!"

You set the envelope aside and start filling out the rest of the job application you had been working on. Your mom gives you a moment before she asks, "You know you don't have to stay in Hawkins, right? I have a well paying job and I'm happy here. But you.. this is time for you to go out on your own and find your own thing."

You subtly gulp and slowly lower your pen once more, allowing your uneasiness to momentarily shine through. "But what if I fail?"

"Then you come back home and we'll take it from there."

You smile at your mom then, huffing a laugh as you get out of your seat and rush to hug her. "Love you."

"Love you too. Now get out of here and go find that boy of yours. I saw his car in the driveway and he seems like he's anxious to get out of Hawkins too. I wouldn't be surprised if he decides to follow you out of here."

Grabbing up your envelope, you put it inside a drawer for safekeeping before rushing to find some shoes. Though the second you exit your house, Billy is pulling up to the curb right outside. You laugh and chuckle as you jog up to the passenger door, opening it up and practically throwing yourself inside.

"Excited much?" Billy muses.

"Always." You lean across the seat, pecking his lips. Then settling back down, you ask, "Where are we going?"

"Everywhere."

You grin as Billy peels out, stretching your arm out the window and letting the air rush through your fingers. You love moments like this, the music playing at a decent level while Billy just drives. You don't feel the urge to make conversation and neither does he.

Billy eventually picks up speed on the backroads and you laugh as the wind whips your hair back and forth. He drives for what feels like hours, but really it's only minutes and he eventually pulls off near a park.

"So are you going to tell me why you're really excited?" He asks as he parks.

Turning in your seat, you grin and shrug. "Mom gave me what should have been my college tuition money."

"Oh yeah? Making plans to spend it already?"

"Kind of." You always knew Billy wanted to leave, but as of late he seemed content. And now that you think about it, he hasn't really mentioned leaving in quite a while. So with you wanting to leave, you're not sure how he's going to take it. "She, uh, she wants me to get out of Hawkins. She basically told me now is the time to do my own thing and have fun."

"And do you? Want to get out of Hawkins?" Billy clarifies.

"I do, but only if you come with me."

You chew on the corner of your bottom lip nervously, waiting for his reaction. Time crawls by slowly and then Billy is smirking at you. "As if I'd seriously let you go anywhere without me."

"Really?" You ask, hopefully.

"Yeah. You know I've been saving up for myself. I was just waiting for you to bring it up."

"Thank god." You laugh as you lean over the seat, kissing Billy once more and keeping it chaste since there are people out and about. "If we do this, all bills are fifty-fifty."

"Obviously."

"And both of us have to get jobs. We're not going to sit on our asses."

"I do love a working woman," he grins and you bark out a laugh.

"Is that why you flirted with all the housewives?"

"House wife," he corrects and you roll your eyes. "I only ever flirted with one. It's not my fault all the other housewives took me greeting them as flirting. I was just being a polite boy."

"Oh I'm sure you were." One more kiss and then you're settling back into your seat. "So where do you want to go?"

"Somewhere with a beach."

"I can work with the beach," you say. "Did you want to go back to California?"

"Yeah. I still have some connections over there, so I can make a few calls and see if there are any places available before we make the drive out there."

"I like the sound of that." You reach for his hand, intertwining your fingers. "You find the house and make sure it's actually affordable, and I'll start making a list of shit we're going to need. I'm sure my mom and a friend of hers can rent a moving truck to help us out."

Billy lifts your joined hands and kisses the back of yours. "We really doing this?"

"Hell yes we are."

The dimpled smile he flashes you is one of the most genuine smiles you've ever seen and it makes you mentally swoon just a little. Last year you had dreams of leaving with Eddie, but now you're making plans to leave with Billy Hargrove.

Not in a million years did you ever see anything happening between you and Hargrove, yet here you are happily plotting out the next step of your lives together.

Life truly is funny that way.

#billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfiction #max mayfield #eddie munson #stranger things

[cross-my-heartt]

Modern AU Cat Batch

Hcs for a modern AU where each batcher has their own kitty that looks remarkably like their very own cat avatar.

(TW for mentions of euthanasia and past animal neglect and abuse)

- Starting with Hunter, his cat companion is a long haired tortoiseshell they adopted off the streets. He's their first cat and ironically Hunter becomes the most attached to him despite being the most opposed to getting a pet. Because cats are a big responsibility and not to mention costly, but also he definitely doesn't get up at 6 am to feed the cat before anyone else and that's definitely not lap space he's making for it and of course it was Omega who picked out the red collar with the skull pendant. Trust me.

- Tech's furry friend is a Modern Siamese who was given to him for his birthday by shelter owner and part time antique dealer Phee. Tech jr was abandoned at the shelter for being 'too chatty' and 'having eye problems' and Phee - a long time friend of the group they met at the vet's and rightfully angry that someone would abandon a pet for traits common to the breed - decides he would feel right at home with the batchers who already have one cat. And of course, the sweet curious Siamese reminded her of someone.

- Echo's Cornish Rex was part of a cattery and was meant to be used as a 'stud'. But because he wasn't neutered he wandered off outside one day and got hit by a car. His owners paid for his surgery and prosthetics but decided they would no longer use him for breeding. And Phee being Phee instantly recognized who the poor little fellow belonged with. Echo didn't hesitate a second before accepting the little guy (who had grown thin and shy from all the stress) and helped him learn how to use his prosthetics while nursing him back to full health.

- Lulu (originally named Lucas) was a chubby British Shorthair who was injured in a fireworks accident and whose owners bailed on him once they saw his surgery bills. The batch helped Phee organize a charity campaign to cover the costs in which Wrecker was very active - talking to people, posting photos with Lulu and spreading the word. Once the sum was raised and Lulu had recovered it was time to put him up for adoption. Wrecker parted with him reluctantly - they already had three cats and a fourth one would be too much - but seeing how attached he was to Lulu the batch decided to surprise him by adopting Lulu secretly. Wrecker may or may not have cried when he saw the adoption certificate.

- One day Phee's employees bring in a tom who's been captured in the street after reports of an aggressive cat. It's a gray haired Oriental Shorthair who shows signs of having been abused by his previous owners and is extremely distrustful of humans. Normally the procedure is to contact the owners but Phee is so angry at the state of him that she quietly dechips him and throws away his collar (she's seen too many abusive owners get away with it to risk letting them know they found him). They try to rehabilitate him but with little success. There's talk of putting him down because several employees have already been badly clawed and as a last desperate resort she asks Hunter to try and socialize him in a home environment (seeing as the batch already had ample experience with abandoned/injured cats). Hunter agrees and they start by giving him a separate room, spending a little time with him each day and giving him treats to create a positive experience but despite all their efforts he remains hostile and just keeps hissing and swiping at everyone. By the end Hunter's reached the end of his rope and despite hating the thought of having to hand him over to be put down, he doesn't see how the tom could improve. That is until one day when Crosshair comes back from a prolonged business trip. He listens to Hunter's exhausted retelling of events, stays quiet for a bit and then goes into the cat's room and just... sits there for a bit. Keeping his distance, minding his own business and not paying attention to the cat at all. At first the tom treats him the same as everyone else but then the hissing becomes less frequent and he slowly starts coming out of his hiding spot. It's a slow process but one day Hunter finally enters the room to find the tom sprawled over a reading Crosshair's lap, purring contentedly while stretching out belly up. Needless to say they don't return him to the shelter and he slowly becomes part of the family. Even though he has a clear favorite.

- And finally, after weeks of Omega complaining about not having a cat copy of her own, their stray brings in an orphaned ginger kitten. For a while Hunter vehemently denies any suggestion that his cat is acting 'motherly' towards the kitten. Nobody buys it. Eventually he stops trying altogether.

(If y'all thought I wouldn't make Crosshair's part the longest, you clearly don't know me. Also I will draw all of them one day... one day.)

#tbb #the bad batch #tbb hunter #tbb tech #tbb echo #tbb wrecker #tbb crosshair #tbb omega #tbb headcanons #here have some fluff before I go to bed

[epinebleue]

for him (m) | 02

after a year abroad, you think summer back home can’t get any better. then, a charming ginger boy catches your eye.

pairing: nakamoto yuta x reader (female)

genre: rich kids!au, fluff, angst, mature.

warnings: mention of low self-esteem and racism.

chapter index | previous chapter | next chapter

Every summer, Jennifer’s parents spend two weeks in France to celebrate what they call their “annual honeymoon”.

Every summer, Jennifer throws a pool party while they’re away.

You’re supposed to be at her place at 10 AM to help her prep the space, but having stayed up late the night before, the annoying sound of the alarm does little to wake you up in the morning, Oliver doing so, instead.

You step into Jen’s patio exactly two hours later. She clicks her tongue at you, as if saying: “Finally!”.

Through the dark lenses of your sunglasses, you glance at her body as she approaches. The beautiful baby blue bikini she’s wearing fits her like a glove, as if it had been tailored with her in mind.

You’re used to feeling insecure whenever you’re around Jen. You know you shouldn’t, but you do.

It’s been this way since middle school, when one day the boys in your class rated the girls’ bodies from 1 to 10 on a piece of paper. You came second to last, while Jen’s name sat comfortably in first place.

“I know, I know.” You let out a sigh, allowing Jen to give you a tight hug. “I’m sorry.”

Johnny and Sooyoung wave at you from inside the pool and you wave back, walking to where the rest of your friends are. Wendy, who was sunbathing, sits beside you under the parasol. Victoria gets out of the pool and joins the group soon after.

Once settled on the lounger, you scan the space. Ten and Lucas are sitting on the edge of the pool with sunglasses on, swinging their legs in the water, immersed in what seems an intense conversation. Sooyoung and Johnny splash around as they try to drown each other, much to Yuta’s annoyance, who finds their game an obstacle to what he really wants: swim in peace.

Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but then, the switch in your mind flips: someone’s missing.

“Hey, where’s Chris?”

There’s a moment of silence where Wendy takes a sip of her lemonade, eye-siding Jen. “They argued yesterday.”

Your brunette friend looks away, missing your surprised expression. “Again?”

Chris’ parents are family friends, so you’ve known him for as far as you can remember. However, you had never interacted much until he became Jennifer’s first serious boyfriend.

Being an only child, Chris is expected to inherit his family’s wealth and business. If he’s famous for something, though, that’s his looks. You must admit he’s drop dead gorgeous. Of course, Jen wouldn’t settle for less.

Soon after they started dating, you realized that having a handsome partner had its drawbacks. Jennifer would whine in your group chat every week about how hard it was to stand girls checking him out, how some would go as far as to sneak papers with their phone numbers when she wasn’t looking.

Even if Chris politely rejected their approaches every time, Jennifer started to gradually get sick of the whole situation until, one day, it exploded.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“He’s a Greek statue come to life, Jen, of course he will be hit on!” Wendy says. “You’ve got to learn to cope.”

Jen rolls her eyes at Wendy’s words, a sign she’s getting angry.

“On what side are you on, exactly?”

“We aren’t picking sides.” You try to mediate, making a gesture to your blonde friend, asking for her sun cream. Having prepared your bag in a rush, you must’ve left yours at home. “I know it’s hard to watch people flirt with him all the time. But Wendy has a point, too. Being good-looking isn’t his fault, you know?”

You end your statement with a glance in Victoria’s direction, but the girl doesn’t say a word. She’s the type to not participate in debates like this.

“Exactly!” Wendy agrees, pointing at you. “Besides, he always rejects those advances. He would never hurt your feelings on purpose, Jen. He’s literally the sweetest boy I’ve ever met.”

“Talking about me, I see.”

You turn around to find Yuta standing behind you, soaked from head to toe. A water drop on the tip of his hair falls on his shoulder and you follow it as it slides down his chest and reaches his happy trail.

You fan yourself. Good thing it’s hot today. Otherwise, what would you blame the fire in your belly on? 

Jen chuckles as Yuta sits next to her, seeking protection from the aggressive sun. “Humble as always.”

“I thought I was the nicest boy you’ve ever met.” He shoves her with his shoulder, smiling. You’ve got the urge to look away. The fire in your belly is quickly replaced by an unsettling feeling you’re familiar with.

“After Chris.” Victoria finally speaks. “If that makes you feel better.”

“Not really, but I’ll get over it.” Yuta shrugs. “How come you’re still dry? It’s a pool party, ladies, come on!”

All your friends stand up, encouraged by his words and the terrible heat, and start walking to the pool. Except you. When Yuta notices, he gestures to you to join them.

“I’m not done.” You say, shaking the suncream bottle in the air.

“I’ll wait for you, then.”

“It’s fine.” He sits exactly where he was a few seconds ago. “Just go with the others.”

“Some more time in the shade never hurts.”

“So that’s why you’re here.” You find it hard to hide the disappointment in your tone. “You’ve fooled me. I thought you were a gentleman.”

Yuta leans back, his abs flexing as he speaks. He’s got such a tiny waist, adorned by a tattoo of a butterfly. You wonder if it carries any meaning.

“Oh, but I am.”

“I don’t believe it.” You finish extending the cream on your left arm. “You’ve hung around Ten for too long.”

“Other people’s personalities don’t change mine. I’m not Lucas.”

“Hey, don’t be mean to him.” You’re aware of the bad reputation that precedes Lucas. A drunk heart-to-heart conversation that happened before you went abroad helped you realize Lucas uses his behavior as a mask to hide his numerous insecurities. In a way, you can relate to that. Besides, being the youngest of five successful siblings makes him subject to his parents’ expectations, which tend to be unrealistic. And his brothers, far from supportive, are entitled assholes, straight-up bullies. No wonder he feels he has to act all tough to be taken seriously. “He’s a good kid.”

“Sorry, are we talking about the same person?” You’re about to defend Lucas again, but upon watching you struggle to apply the cream on your back, Yuta interrupts you before you can talk. “Do you need a hand?”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t think I’ll get sunburnt there, anyway.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Yuta grabs the bottle and sits right behind you, deaf to your words. At his insistence, you reach for your hair with trembling hands. Before you can even move it aside, he does so, his fingers brushing your back in the process.

You hold your breath at the sound of the cream coming out of the bottle. And then, his hands are on you.

You think your heart will jump out of your mouth and start running around the patio.

His warm palms delicately rub the cream into your skin, and you hope he doesn’t notice the goosebumps that bloom when he reaches the small of your back.

God, you’re so touch-starved it’s embarrassing.

You wonder if you’re tripping when Yuta takes a little longer to massage your shoulders. Trying to focus on anything else, your eyes land on Jen, who has joined Lucas and Ten by the edge of the pool. The bikini lets her flat stomach on display. Unconsciously, you suck in yours. She places her hair behind her shoulders as she laughs at something that Ten says.

Even her laugh sounds beautiful, everything about her is!

That must be why Yuta likes her so much.

You stand up, getting as far away from his hands as possible.

“I think that will do.” You say, eyes fixed on the floor, aware of how much you’ve just embarrassed yourself. “Thank you.”

“Sure thing.” His tone remains normal, but if you had looked at him, you would’ve seen him frown at the sudden mood change. Yuta leaves the bottle on the chair and follows you to the pool.

“About time you stopped playing handsies back there.”

You simply lift your middle finger at Ten, quickly making your way towards the staircase, hoping the water will hide your body from the rest.

It’s close to midnight and you’re on the verge of begging your parents to leave.

You’re celebrating the promotion of someone you don’t even know; drinking alcohol-free champagne, which you don’t even like that much; and bored Robinson Crusoe level.

Oliver and Noa left the moment they found their friends. Oli had invited you to join them, but you kindly refused, knowing that you would feel like a babysitter around his friends.

So, here you are, glued to your parents’ side, forced to listen to important conversations with important people, interested in neither.

Why have you been forced to come if your presence isn’t even going to be acknowledged? Your dad said it would be rude not to attend after a year abroad. What you understood was that they wanted to show you off, and the party seemed to be the perfect occasion.

You gulp the remains of your drink and leave the empty glass on the nearer table. You open your mouth, about to ask when you will be heading out when your dad’s name comes from the crowd.

“Jonathan!” He exclaims in surprise, shaking the hand of the man that appears in front of him. “Natalie! I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Well, we didn’t know you were coming!” Natalie, or what you call her out of respect, Mrs. Fulger, kisses your mother’s cheeks before addressing you. “You’re back from your trip! How was it, darling?”

You deliver a polite smile to the Fulgers, saying how the trip was “absolutely fantastic” and “a truly enriching experience.”

“You must be proud of her.” Mr. Fulger tells your parents, placing his big hand on his son’s shoulder. “Chris will take a gap year after graduating. One last taste of freedom before joining the company.”

The Fulger marriage laughs and your parents join them, and in less than a minute you’re back to being ignored, business taking over the conversation. You awkwardly stand beside your mom until you decide it’s enough.

“I’ll get something to drink.” You excuse yourself. “I’ll be back.”

“Chris will be enchanted to go with you.”

His father pushes him forward slightly. Chris gives you his signature charming smile before saying: “Of course.”

You make your way towards the bar immersed in an awkward silence. Of all people, you had to bump into him.

“Are you liking this party so far?” 

“I’m bored to death.”

“Me too.” You tap the bar counter with your long nails, laughing at his honest answer. “How’s life going?”

“Good, it’s good.” He looks around, playing with the glass he’s holding. “I’m in the training process to start working in my father’s company. He wants me to get familiar with the business and its processes before stepping in.”

There’s nothing worse than inheriting a position in a family business, but that’s just your opinion.

“You must be excited.”

“I am, yeah.” Chris nods, taking a sip of his drink. Even if you’re both trying hard to ignore the elephant in the room, Chris gives in first. “Have you talked to Jennifer, by the way?”

“She’s my best friend, Chris.”

He gives you a half-smile, only realizing now how stupid his question must’ve sounded.

“She won’t return my calls or my texts. She has blocked me on every social media, she doesn’t even want to see me! I don’t know where we stand right now.”

You’re not sure of what to answer, afraid you may say the wrong thing. One thing you know, though, is that even if you’ll always be loyal to Jen, you must admit she’s handling this whole thing terribly wrong.

“I’m sure it sucks.”

Chris genuinely laughs for the first time tonight.

“Yeah, a little.” You laugh at his irony-filled tone, too, and the atmosphere feels much lighter now. “Relationships are so fucking complicated. Don’t ever get into one.”

“I’ll be fine.” You say, taking a sip of the drink the waiter has just served you. “It’s not like there’s a long line of men dying to date me.”

“Now, that’s surprising.” 

Much to your delight, he’s too invested in his problem to notice how the blood has rushed to your cheeks.

A certain someone comes to your mind and with him a question you’re dying to ask.

“Please, don’t take this the wrong way.” Chris straightens his back, shoving a hand into the pocket of his suit pants, nodding. “Have you and Jen argued due to a… third person?”

It’s just like when people yell at a character to not go into the room where the killer awaits. But it’s just you in the cinema, screaming at yourself to stop talking.

“Of course not! What the fuck?” Chris’ blue eyes open wide in shock as he reaches for his phone. “Did she tell you that? Does she think I’m cheating?”

“No, Chris.” You place a hand on his arm in an attempt to stop him from texting Jen, who will murder you if she finds out you have planted a new suspicion in Chris’ mind. “God, I’m so stupid, I’m sorry. It was just a question! I swear-”

“Hey.”

You aren’t sure if you should celebrate or bury a hole in the floor and hide when Yuta appears out of thin air, his eyes falling on Chris’ arm, where your hand is. You quickly move it away, which is exactly what is needed to make everything look suspicious.

“Hi.” Chris greets, not interested in Yuta’s presence at all. His head is elsewhere now that you’ve completely fucked up. “I’m leaving, I need to call her.”

Chris disappears in the crowd before you have the chance to say goodbye, leaving you behind with Yuta, who raises an eyebrow at you.

“Um, what was that?”

Whatever he’s insinuating offends you terribly. Do you look like the type to steal your best friends’ guys?

“That was nothing.” You snap. “He’s Jen’s boyfriend.”

“Ex-boyfriend.”

“It’s a rough patch, they’ll end up getting back together.”

“Hopefully, they won't.” Your heart drops at his remark, but Yuta’s too busy looking in the direction Chris has disappeared, resting an elbow on the bar. “I hate that guy.”

Chris has always seemed kind and very down to earth. You wonder what could he have possibly done to gain Yuta’s resentment. To that question, you’ve got a theory. And you’d hate being right.

“I think he’s nice.”

“Oh, you think he’s nice?” Yuta snorts at your words. “You don’t know him that well at all, then.”

Yuta glances around the room, which allows you to scan him for a while. He looks really handsome in a suit. He reminds you of those vintage Hollywood stars.

“Why do you hate Chris? Is it because you like Jennifer?”

The question shocks you both. Again, you’re alone in the cinema begging yourself to just shut the fuck up.

“What?” He lets out a laugh of disbelief. “What does Jen have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know...”

“Oh, you do know. What have you seen that made you think that?”

Congratulations! You’ve just dug your own grave.

“Nothing in particular.” You answer, shrugging. “You seem to get along really well, now you hate her boyfriend...”

“First of all, I don’t like Chris because he’s a racist piece of shit. And I get along really well with Johnny, too. Do you think I want to fuck him, too?”

You can feel the color draining from your face.

“I don’t know what you like.”

If there’s something you’ve learned about Yuta, it’s that he’s the straightforward type. He’s unbothered and an expert when it comes to turning around the conversation to make it beneficial for him. He’s something like a mastermind, you’d say.

“Do you like me?”

“What?!” You shriek, trying to hide your shaky voice with a laugh. “Absolutely not.”

“Why then would you ask me about Jen?” Yuta presses, tilting his head to the side. “Are you jealous?”

“I’m not! I was just curious!”

“You’re full of shit.” You’d be lying if you said you don’t find his smirk insanely attractive. “Just so you know, I wouldn’t mind. I would be very glad, actually.”

It’s at this point that your head starts spinning.

You see, you have never been confident. Out of the friend group, you’ve always been the shiest one. You don’t smile in pictures because you think your smile is ugly, and you don’t wear tight clothes because you hate your body.

You have had a single relationship in your life, at sixteen, and it crushed your self-esteem even further. A promise to yourself was made after that: no one would put you through that hell again.

Is that what Yuta is playing at? Making you believe he likes you just to laugh in your face once you take the bait?

He had seemed genuine when he defended you the night you met. Had it just been to give a good first impression?

You hold your purse tight, hold your head high.

“I hope the rest of your night goes well, Yuta.”

And you walk away with your dignity intact.

No reposting or translations allowed.

© epinebleue 2023

#yuta smut #nct smut #nct fic #nct yuta #nct yuta smut #yuta angst #yuta fluff #nct yuta angst #nct yuta fluff #nct angst #nct fluff #nakamoto yuta #yuta imagine

[hotmessmaxpress]

More rosquez a/b/o au but this time it’s a short snippet of how Vale is obsessed with Marc now that they’re back together!!! Because no matter how down bad marc is for vale, vale will always be just a little bit more insane about marc.

Now that they’re fully mated and Vale isn’t focused on wheel-to-wheel battling him every weekend, Vale comes to the realization that he is insanely tuned in to Marc.

It’s scary, honestly, just how much Marc dominates his thoughts. No matter what he’s thinking about, his thoughts always periodically return to Marc.

Is Marc safe?

Is Marc happy?

Has Marc eaten yet today?

I should make sure Marc has eaten today.

Not only does he think about Marc, his senses are dominated by Marc. Now that he’s paying attention, he can detect small changes in Marc’s scent. He can tell based on the tone of a whine or purr or rumble how he’s feeling.

He feels like he can read Marc’s mind, and while it’s terrifying and confusing he loves it.

He loves leaning down to smell Marc’s sweet affection when he’s curled up with any of their pack or when he’s on the phone with Alex. He loves the sharp smell of Marc’s arousal when they climb in bed together.

He loves being able to smell the harsh scent of Marc’s distress, not because he ever wants his omega to be upset but because it means he can fix it. He and Marc have famously never been great communicators and his newfound understanding of Marc through their mating bond has done wonders.

Marc is great at PR. He’s great at smiling for the cameras and delivering perfectly composed lines. He internalizes his feelings and shoves them aside easily in favor of focusing on racing or whatever else he has decided is more important than his own emotional wellbeing at the time. It makes him a social media manager’s dream but it also makes it difficult to tell when he’s reaching a breaking point.

Vale is learning how to tell, now.

They’re at the ranch for some gathering or another and Marc has been dutifully shaking hands and chatting and being sociable.

Vale can tell the exact moment Marc starts to get overwhelmed. Someone starts asking too many questions about Luca’s move to Honda, and Vale can tell by the set of Marc’s shoulders that he’s trying to politely defend Luca. Marc may have chosen to leave, but it makes him angry when people expect him to speak badly of his former team and his packmate’s choice to race for them.

Vale cuts off his current conversation short and steps toward where Marc has a pasted-on smile and is attempting to politely check the person he’s speaking to.

Vale has no need or desire to be polite, and he tells the other person as much. The other person scuttles off, and Vale wraps an arm around Marc’s shoulder and tugs him close so he can scent his mate.

He’s calm now, and there’s a sharp hint of arousal. Vale smiles against his neck and nips him beneath his ear. Of course Marc would be turned on by Vale defending his honor.

Marc giggles and jerks away, but Vale doesn’t let him squirm out of reach. He wraps his arms tighter around his mate, kissing him on the face.

“I love you,” he insists, “my perfect, perfect mate.”

Marc is pretending to be inconvenienced by Vale’s affections, but he can’t fool his alpha. Vale can smell how happy his mate is.

“I love you,” Marc grumbles, finally relenting and tucking his face against Vale’s neck.

At one point Vale might have thought Marc was embarrassed by their little display, but he knows better. His mate loves to be shown off.

Vale knows rationally that many of the “alpha traits” people assign to alphas are taught, not inherent just because of someone’s designation, but he swears there must be something physiological about the obsession he has with his omega. He would do anything to keep Marc this happy.

#rosquez a/b/o au #rosquez #marc marquez #valentino rossi #mm93 #vr46 #motogp rpf

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 64

Part 1 Part 63

“If someone doesn’t tell me what the hell is going on, I’m going to slap you again,” Carol says. Eddie sees her raise her hand threateningly in his periphery. No one pays her any mind. 

Eddie’s ass is going numb from where Steve’s still sitting on him, but he’d rather die than make him move. Steve’s hands still have a tremor running through them. He can feel them trembling against his back.

Will comes back over, dropping down beside him on his knees. He reaches out, hand hovering over Steve’s arm before dropping it without touching. Jonathan sits down beside him, furrowing his brow at the three of them.

“What did happen?” Jonathan asks, meeting Eddie’s eyes.

Eddie doesn’t respond, can’t when he doesn’t get it either. Will takes up the reins. “It was like we were back there again.” By the way Jonathan sucks in a ragged breath, no one needs to clarify where ‘there’ is. 

Silence descends again, the sounds of bodies shuffling around behind Eddie the only thing to break it up. 

“It happened when we all touched,” Will says. He meets Eddie’s eyes over Steve’s head, looking devastated. “Should we avoid each other?”

Something sharp and angry pulls at his sternum. He hugs Steve to himself tighter. Steve squeezes back once, hard and quick before pulling back, sliding awkwardly out of Eddie’s lap and sitting down close enough that their knees overlap. 

His eyes are dry, face devoid of anything at all as he says, “it happens to me all the time.”

Eddie reaches out, clasping Steve’s hand, unwilling to break contact with him at all. Will hesitates, hand reaching out and hovering over Steve’s arm again. He breathes in sharply, just once before putting his hand on Steve’s wrist. When nothing happens, he lets out a sharp breath, shoulders slumping as he closes his eyes with relief. 

“Steve was already wigging out when we got here,” Jonathan says. “Maybe he’s already got to be there for it to work?”

Steve shakes off both of their holds, shuffling back away from them. “Let’s not test that out.”

Eddie, unwilling to let this stand, reaches back and graspsgrasp Steve’s ankle. Skin against skin. Steve kicks out, gently tapping his toe against Eddie’s knee, but otherwise doesn’t try to pull away. 

“You’re not supposed to keep secrets from the Party!” Mike shouts.

Eddie turns, startled, having forgotten the other kids’’s presences entirely. “Does this seem like the time, mini-Wheeler?” Eddie demands, making significant eyes toward where Perkins is still glowering. 

“Like you’re one to talk,” he mutters, which, fair. They had all been blabbing right in front of her literally thirty seconds ago.

“Hello?” Carol demands. “What the fuck are you guys talking about?

Eddie groans, looking over at Perkins to see her standing, hands on hips, glaring down at them. Wheeler beats him to any retort.

“You’re not involved,” she says, over-enunciating the way only someone who is very drunk and pretending not to be does. Eddie’s extremely glad, suddenly, that he’d toked instead of imbibing. The smokes already trickled out of him almost entirely. 

While Perkins scoffs, a small girl Eddie hadn’t noticed dawdling by the door speaks up, “involved in what?” she asks, glaring around the room before focusing her laser-sharp gaze on Eddie. “What the hell are you people on?”

Eddie thinks it’s pretty obvious that Wheeler’s on a liquid depressant, and the rest of them are unfortunately stone-cold sober, even as the smell of weed still clings to a few of their clothes. 

Lucas slings an arm around her laughing awkwardly. She shrugs him off immediately, crossing her arms to scowl over at him instead. Eddie lets his breath out. God, that girl’s scary. Eddie’s just waiting for her to bite Lucas’s arm off, like a wolf stuck in a trap. 

“It’s like I said!” Lucas says, smiling with all of his teeth. It looks awkward as hell. “They’re just bonded over being, uh, lost in the woods together?”

Somehow, the girl’s scowl gets even deeper. “And that’s why they’re all acting like when they touched they went somewhere else?” she asks incredulously, before pointing at Steve’s face. “And why that one was, like, catatonic?”

“It’s a metaphor?” Lucas tries, still smiling even as the edges strain. “For trauma?”

“Who’s the random girl?” Steve asks, squinting at her like he’s trying to remember something Eddie’s pretty sure none of them knew in the first place.

As the girl flips him off, Dustin says, “this is Max!” smiling dopily over at him. Well, shit – baby’s first crush, and all that. 

“We need to call Mom,” Jonathan says, standing and pushing his way past dawdling bodies to leave the bedroom.

“But, I thought the lab–” Will starts.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jonathan says, not turning around. He walks through the open door and out into the dark hallway, calling out. “This is too big”

Eddie looks over to Steve, sees him already looking back. “Uncle Wayne’s going to freak out,” Eddie says, smiling sadly and squeezing his ankle. “Because this really doesn’t seem like shellshock to me.”

Steve rolls his eyes, looking wan and tired in the fluorescence of his bedroom light. “Fucking Upside-Down.” He doesn’t say it like it’s news because, yeah, they’ve suspected the whole time. But the confirmation still stings. “We should call him, too.”

Eddie sighs, squeezes ankle once before letting go and standing. The momentary separation stings. He reaches out his hand, waiting for Steve to clasp it before pulling him upright and refusing to let go. 

The next few minutes pass in a buzz of phone calls and arguing. Once Jonathan’s done with the Harrington phone, Eddie takes his turn calling Wayne at the plant, tiptoeing around any explanations. Who knows who’s tapped into the phone lines? Guilt curdles at the lost money when Wayne says he’ll be by soon. Steve sits in the middle of the raised voices, staring at Eddie like if he takes his eyes off him, he’ll disappear into nothing. Eddie gets the sentiment. 

He settles beside Steve on the couch, linking their pinkies atop Steve’s jiggling knee. Jonathan hands over a couple glasses of water without a word before joining the shouting match at Wheeler’s side. For a girl that had gone three sheets to the wind hours ago, she’s pretty articulate, even if Barb’s hold on her elbow might be the only thing holding her up. 

Carol, on the other hand, is just mean. Slinging names around like she never got out of that phase in kindergarten. Before it can get anywhere real, the door bursts open without even a knock. It’s not Mama Byers or Uncle Wayne who come through first, though. It’s Hopper.

He looks ready to fight, gun palmed in his hand, finger on the trigger. Mama Byers shuffles in behind him, peeking over his shoulder. It makes Eddie wonder what Jonathan said in his own phone call.

Hopper looks around, his usual resting cop face on full display as he glares from face to face to face before holstering his gun with a sigh. “Someone want to tell me what the hell’s going on?”

When Steve makes to get up, Eddie pulls him back down, but the damage is already done. Hopper’s glare turns toward the movement, settling on Steve’s fidgeting form. 

“Harrington?” Hopper demands.

In Steve’s defense, he holds up admirably under the pressure of a stand-off epic enough to belong in one of Wayne’s favorite Westerns. But, Eddie knows it’s over when his eyes start darting around, looking for an escape. 

“It’s uh, you-know-what related, Chief,” Eddie says, drawing away from Steve, who immediately slumps into the couch, like he’s trying to disappear between the cushions. 

“So?” Hopper demands, crossing his arms menacingly. Fucking cops, man.

“Read the room, dude,” Eddie says, gesturing around all the warm bodies enjoying the show. “Not everyone here’s been read in.”

Hopper looks around, frown deepening. Not that Eddie gives a shit now that it’s not directed at himself. “You,” he says, pointing at Perkins, “And you,” this time singling out that Max girl, before pointing at the door. “Get out.”

Perkins scoffs, crossing her arms petulantly. “How about no, and someone tells me what the fuck is going on?”

Never one to back down, Hopper replies, “either you get out or I bring you down to the station and charge you with obstruction of justice” When she doesn’t immediately back down, he continues, “how would your mother feel about that, kid?”

Max scoffs, storming past all of them with hunched shoulders. “Whatever,” she says, “my stepbrother will kill me if I’m not home soon, anyway.” She storms out the door, slamming it behind her.

Perkins lasts a few seconds more before shrieking in wordless rage, walking over to Barb and digging her hand in the pocket of the other girl’s jeans. Barb cries, “hey!” clearly startled, but before she can do anything, Perkins fishes out Eddie’s keys and storms out the door behind Max, calling, “wait up! I’ll give you a ride.”

Eddie stares at the open doorway for a minute, shocked. “Did she just steal my van?” 

In the usual perfect timing of Munson men everywhere, Uncle Wayne choses that moment to walk through the open front door, asking, “is that Perkins girl stealing your van, Eddie?” just as the sound of his engine rattling to life and screeching out of the driveway fills the room. 

Eddie stands, outraged, pointing at the still-open front door, glaring at Hopper. “What are you waiting for, Chief?” he asks, still pointing emphatically as Steve snickers behind him. “Do your job. Arrest her!”

Hopper rolls his eyes. Wayne shuts the front door on that opportunity, cutting off the sound of tires screeching down the street. Damn. Rich people insulation rocks. 

“Shut up, Munson.”

“How about someone tell us what’s going on?” Mama Byers demands, crossing her arms and looking around the room like she’s taking a head count. 

It comes spilling out between them. First, the events of the night; the ways Steve slipped into that place, and the way when they all touched skin-to-skin, they’d all been back there. Mama Byers grabs Will’s shoulders, taking two big steps back from the couch where Steve and Eddie sit. Eddie can’t blame her.

Then, further back: the way Steve’s been slipping back there on his own more and more. Uncle Wayne looks especially grim at that, probably thinking back to that first time they’d seen it. The way he’d called it shellshock and moved along. 

Then, further back still to the fishhook connecting them all together. The children as a unit look especially irked by this. Mike even stamps his foot with his ire, reiterating over and over that, “the Party doesn’t keep secrets from each other,” while Will looks more and more cowed. 

That’s when Jonathan’s involvement gets dragged into the light of day. It goes over like a lead balloon for the uninformed of the Byers faction. 

“How could you not tell me, Jonathan?” Mama Byers demands, hands on her hips. Jonathan shrinks into himself, turtling his neck like that’ll save her from the ruthless berating of a Mom scorned. “I thought we went over this last time!” She smacks him once on the arm with the back of her hand. Not hard, just to emphasize her point. Jonathan still jerks. 

Mama Byers sighs, bringing her arms around Jonathan, suddenly looking small with her arms around her son’s shoulders. “We’re in this together,” she says, squeezing him around the waist before pulling back to look back up at him. “Okay?”

Jonathan nods, jaw clenched.

“What do we do now?” Will asks, looking up at her like she has all the answers in the universe.

She swipes the fringe out of his eyes, lips pursed. It’s not her that answers. 

“Sleep on it,” Uncle Wayne says, sitting down beside Steve close enough that their shoulder’s brush.

“I’m not leaving,” Will says, taking a few steps away from his Mom toward the couch before she snags him and pulls him back. He sighs. “Mom.”

Jonathan grabs her hand, peeling it gently off Will. “They already touched again and nothing happened, Mom.” She clutches him tighter, before finally loosening her hold.

Will squeezes between him and Steve on the couch like he’s proving a point. In solidarity, Eddie wraps his arm around his shoulders, settling his hand along Steve’s neck and squeezing the tight muscles he finds there. 

Mama Byers sighs. 

“If he’s staying, so am I,” Dustin demands, already marching out of the room and into the kitchen without asking anyone else’s opinion. Mike and Lucas follow. 

Hopper squeezes his nose like he’s staving off a headache as they all listen to the procession of children call their parents about a sleepover that’s only partially fabricated. He looks up, meeting Mama Byers’ eyes. “I’ve got to get home,” he says, quietly, not looking at anyone else in the room. “Call me in the morning?”

Eddie looks away. It feels intimate, the way they look at each other; the way their words seem like they’re only for each other. Mama Byers walks him to the door, murmuring too quietly to be audible before shutting it and locking it for good measure. As if all the monsters aren’t locked in here with them.

The older teens lead the procession up to Steve’s abandoned room, loudly digging through his closet for enough pajamas for everyone to sleep comfortably.  Eddie looks over to where Steve still sits by his side to see his opinion on this breach of privacy to find Steve smiling fondly up the stairs like the freak he is. 

They don’t get up until everyone comes tromping down the stairs, all the kids and Nancy dwarfed in Steve’s old gym wear. Barb, wearing a much more traditional looking pair of plaid pajama pants that seem disturbingly similar to Steve’s bedroom wallpaper, tosses more clothes at Steve and Eddie before conscientiously dropping more piles into Wayne and Mama Byers laps as well.

“Come on, big boy,” he says, patting Steve’s thigh before standing. “Let’s go change.”

They move around each other familiarly – too used to each other’s bodies with a year in close proximity to care much about changing in the close quarters of the downstairs bathroom.

When they return, Wayne’s lounging back in the fancy Lay-Z Boy in the Harriirngton’s living room, clearly deciding his own jeans and work shirt will work perfectly fine for the night. Similarly, Mama Byers is seated on the couch in her street clothes, watching the kids fight about blanket and pillow placements in the veritable nest they’re creating on the living room floor. There’s a spot at the center, carved out by Will’s side.

Eddie pulls Steve by the wrist, pushing him down into the very middle of the musty blanket pile before climbing in beside him as the rest of them climb in around them, grumbling at accidental elbows and stolen blankets.

Steve’s sitting up and smiling around, eyes glistening just a little in the low light of the only lamp Mama Byers hasn’t clicked off.

Had this house ever been filled with people Steve actually loved? Eddie pushes Steve down to lie flat, curling around him to keep him in place. It doesn’t matter, there’s almost a dozen warm bodies swadling him now. Eddie only hopes it’ll be enough to keep the monsters out. 

Eddie squeezes tight, hoping against hope that it’ll be enough to keep Steve tethered to the right world. Here, in Eddie’s arms. Where he belongs. 

Part 65

Taglist: @deany-baby @estrellami-1 @altocumulustranslucidus @evillittleguy @carlprocastinator1000 @1-8oo-wtfbro @hallucinatedjosten @goodolefashionedloverboi @newtstabber @lunabyrd @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @manda-panda-monium @disrespectedgoatman @finntheehumaneater @ive-been-bamboozled @harringrieve @grimmfitzz @is-emily-real @dontstealmycake @angeldreamsoffanfic @a-couchpotato @5ammi90 @mac-attack19 @genderless-spoon @kas-eddie-munson @louismeds @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @pansexuality-activated @ellietheasexylibrarian @nebulainajar @mightbeasleep @neonfruitbowl @beth--b @silenzioperso @best-selling-show @v3lv3tf0x @bookworm0690 @paintsplatteredandimperfect

#steve harrington #steddie #eddie munson #my fic #steddie upsidedown au

[afewproblems]

Part Three of my Kas!Eddie AU!

Part One, Part Two

***

Steve hits the dirt hard as Eddie tackles him to the ground with his full body weight.

He tries to crawl away but Eddie's faster, flipping him around and dragging him through the rough brambles until he is directly underneath Eddie's snarling face.

"Did you really expect that to work?" Eddie growls, leaning down until Steve can feel his hot breath hit his lips, "did you really expect to escape me?"

"Thought it was worth a try," Steve groans, as Eddie presses him further into the ground, squeezing the air from him lungs, "you're a lot faster than the last time we were running".

By some miracle, he manages to keep his voice steady as he tips his head towards Eddie, "guess you didn't have wings, last time".

Eddie pauses, that same strange expression from before takes over before he shakes his head, his wild matted hair whips around them.

Huh.

"Stop saying those things," he hisses, raising one clawed hand to cup his forehead, releasing Steve's shoulder from his grasp.

Steve's not exactly sure what he's done, he wishes Dustin or Robin were here -granted if anyone should be held down by a God Damn vampire in the middle of the woods, he's glad it's him- but they others were always better at putting the puzzel pieces together in these situations.

Steve sees the way Eddie's shoulders quiver, the way he doesn't move his wild hair away from his face, how he cluches his head as though it's about to crack.

His heart breaks a little at the sight.

"Eds," Steve says softly and Eddie stiffens at the word, "why are you doing this?"

"Shut up!" Eddie shrieks, the words pierce the quiet woods as he shrinks away, the grip on Steve's other shoulder loosens even further.

"This isn't you," Steve tries again as Eddie howls, bringing his other hand up to hold his head.

He takes his chance, wriggling out from under the vampire, scrambling to his feet which slip and slide around the leaves and rotten mulch of the forrest floor.

Steve keeps the howling man in front of him until Eddie stops and crumples into the ground.

Steve stumbles away, throwing a hand out to catch a nearby tree to steady himself as he catches his breath. He hesitates, just long enough for Eddie to raise his head and whisper in a small, broken voice, "Steve?"

Steve shakes his head, breathing quickly, his heart in his throat.

"I don't know what's going on," Eddie whispers, as Steve takes yet another step back, his voice wavers and cracks into an inhuman whine.

"Steve I need, I need h-help".

Steve feels like he's about to vomit at any moment as he takes another step.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, the words come out wet as he takes off again, leaving Eddie behind him, crying out into the dark.

***

"Tell us again," Nancy says as she paces the floor of Hoppers cabin.

Its finally morning.

They've all gathered around the small cabin, Hopper had decided it would be best to call everyone over after daybreak -once Steve had finished desperately explaining himself after throwing his whole body weight against the wooden front door and screaming to be let in.

Jonathan, El, and Will sit next to one another on the threadbare couch across from Steve, they look tired but not from the early hour.

Dustin sits on the floor beside Mike and Lucas who leans against Max's wheelchair. She moves her leg, still in its bright white cast and pokes Lucas in the shoulder -hard by the way he yelps and shifts away from her with a laugh.

Dustin alternates between shooting Steve hopeful and dirty looks -he's still angry then, perfect.

Joyce makes her way from the kitchen, ruffling Wills hair as she goes, before handing Steve a steaming coffee mug and hiking the blanket around his shoulders even further. He leans into her warmth, a stark contrast to his own mother's touch before remembering where he is.

Robin curls into Steve's side and yawns loudly in his ear as Nancy continues to pace and clears her throat impatiently.

She doesnt look at him, her eyes trace the windows at a point in the distance. It's the same expression she used to get in class when analyzing an English passage for Mrs.Click.

Steve sighs and scrubs a hand over his face, ignoring the sting of the cuts and scrapes from his time on the ground. They've been over this so many times now, he's so sure he's told them absolutely everything.

Well, maybe everything but the way some of Eddie's words made his chest tight in a way he wasn’t quite ready to deal with…

"I don't think it's going to be any different from the last two times Nance--"

"Kid," Hopper interjects in an uncharacteristically weary voice that sets Steve's teeth on edge, "just, explain it again and don't leave anything out".

A soft hand grabs his own, he flinches at the sudden contact before realizing that El has made her way from the couch to sit infront of him.

Her hair has started to grow back, the buzzcut has been slowly taken over by a mop of brown curls that frame her small face. Steve manages a tight smile as she squeezes his hand again.

"We will help him," El says with quiet conviction, as though she said nothing more than an objective truth.

The sky is blue, my hair is brown.

"We will bring your Eddie back".

#stranger things #kas!eddie #vampire!eddie #getting into some more story now #the plot jumpscared me #eddie munson #steve harrington #some angst in this one #and all of the characters are here! #i cant not write ensemble pieces apparently #the party to the rescue!

[hestiviea]

swap au but i can't draw

I hate when they de-age Matthew just so he can be in knives role, I hate when swapaus just change the characters and their names instead of making an actual AU of what happens when the other character's events

to me, I don't want Scott to be the one skating around Ramona's headspace

I don't want Envy to be in gideons role or add two other characters to fill in the katayanagi twin's roles

I want AUS to be its own, not some kind of copy-and-paste from the source material

My swap AU is closer to the actual source

In my swap AU,

Ramona is still skating around Scott's head space but she is the one who gets obsessed instead of Scott, Scott works as a pizza delivery man

Scott in this AU is still an autistic nerd but is clueless about everything around him, he's just keeping a cool head in comparison to the source materials, he's still the bassist of Sex Bob-Omb but doesn't reveal that to Ramona yet cause he temporarily quit after Gideon became their producer

the seven evil exes are not Ramona's version of Scott's friends cause fuck that, instead the 'seven evil exes' are more just exes that are not evil and overly obsessed with Ramona cause Gideon ain't there to join forces with them

(In my head, Gideon is the reason why most of the league even took revenge on Ramona, since he was the one that said it, katayanagi twins just followed with it cause damn do they have it rough, despite not being evil, Lucas also went with it, todd is just angry that ramona has the audacity to leave after he punched the moon for her, Matthew and Roxy are the only ones that genuinely are sad and angry)

The League of Evil Exes are just the same 5 with Lynette for support, they are not in any of the OG league's roles, they're on their own

their name will be, Vv cause V is the Roman number 5, and v as in victims

knives are the first V but she's still 17, she keeps coming back to fight Ramona until finally realising it isn't worth it

Kim is the second, they met after a Sex Bob-Omb concert, they're not Clash of the Demon Heads in a sense by the way, they're much more different, Kim explains the whole thing to Ramona, and they fight for a bit while also talking as they fight, then they stop and just decided to go out for a drink

wallace is the third and doesn't actually fight with Ramona physically, rather using psychic powers thanks to his current boyfriend, but after the fight, they're still hesitant cause it turns out that Wallace was the one that made the Vv and Ramona is genuinely jealous of Wallace but they later just become buddies

next is Lisa, at first Ramona doesn't even know what to do with Lisa, originally Ramona thinks Lisa is just a friend who is getting too close for comfort with Scott, then boom, big reveal that Lisa is actually one of the exes, they start to fight, but it ended up alright

last is envy and Lynette, the reason for this is that I like to believe that Envy was the one that wanted to take revenge on Scott, but nobody truly wanted to fight other than knives, Lynette is there to help cause they have a much healthier relationship compared to the comics, also envy's reason is cause she's jealous over Scott and ramona after hearing the fact that todd is now living with ramona and Scott is dating her

but what happened to the seven evil exes you may ask

well

Matthew and the twins would probably be the only people that Ramona talks to daily, i like to think Matthew lives nearby and that the twins are not as rich as Gideon but still have enough to have a house up in Toronto

Lucas after another flop movie (blame it on the writers, Lucas did nothing wrong) gets broke and starts to live with Ramona at first, Lucas is kinda like Kim in terms of his relationship with Scott, hot take that maybe Scott and Lucas have a better bromance than Gideon and Lucas

todd would be Ramona's roommate, but unlike Wallace, he's this self-destructive asshole that made himself sympathetic after Envy dumped him and he had nowhere else to go other than to Ramona, which just causes Ramona to feel like she's once again with a prick like Gideon

Roxy comes by every week or so to talk with Ramona and clearly is still hang-up over ramona. also has the best wlw/mlm solidarity friendship with wallace

Gideon would still be a billionaire and he's Sex Bob-Omb producer, and at one point forces them to fight against Ramona by using the glow but they manage to break free and turn against Gideon

basically yes the same thing with the comics and the anime, but Ramona is the one being paranoid and self-conscious about things but trying to act like she's not affected by this, and Ramona is the one who has to fight with Scott exes plus confront herself

and everything is not in the same chronological order as the comics

this swap au focuses on ramona and her ex, while Ramona and Scott realise why Vv was even made in the first place

young Neil, Julie, and Stacey would be Ramona's friends before Ramona gets to know the others

#scott pilgrim #scott pilgrim takes off #gideon graves #scott pilgrim vs the world #ken katayanagi #scott pilgram takes off #kyle katayanagi #matthew patel #scott pilgrim comic #scott pilgram #wallace wells #todd ingram #ramona flowers #knives chau #kim pine #julie powers #lucas lee #roxie richter #roxy richter #stephen stills #young neil #neil nordegraf #stacey pilgrim #envy adams #lynette #lisa miller

[strangerwheelerthings]

Stranger Things Percy Jackson AU: Who are the Parents

Nancy Wheeler: Daughter of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy. No explanation needed.

Mike Wheeler: Son of Ares, God of War and Courage. This angry little child is one of the bravest in his acts of loyalty. Still Nancy's brother.

Will Byers: Son of Apollo, God of Art, Music, and Light.

Jonathan Byers: Son of Apollo, God of Music, Truth, and Healing.

Robin Buckley: Daughter of Hermes, God of Travel, Luck, and Languages.

Steve Harrington: Son of Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty and Love.

El Hopper: Daughter of Hades, God of the Underworld, Death, and Hidden Wealth. A powerful demigod who others tend to ostracize because of the stigma around her Father.

Dustin Henderson: Son of Hephaestus, God of Forge, Craft, and Creation.

Lucas Sinclair: Son of Hermes, Messenger God of Athletes, Luck, and Trade.

Erica Sinclair: Daughter of Hermes, God of Thieves, Trade, and Cunning.

Max Mayfield: Daughter of Ares, God of War and Courage. Not because she likes war, but because she was raised in it.

Eddie Munson: Son of Apollo, God of Music and Poetry.

Joyce Byers is not a demigod, but she caught Apollo's eye with her incredible ability to discern truth and bring light to dark situations.

Jim Hopper is a mortal as well, but he (alongside Joyce) is clear-sighted and is determined to help keep these kids alive.

Karen Wheeler originally caught Athena's eye with her intelligence, so Athena gifted her a child. She caught Ares' eye with her desperate anger at the messed up world and situation she lived in.

#stranger things #percy jackson #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #max mayfield #ronance #el hopper #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #jonathan byers #wheeler siblings #elmax #lumax #eddie munson #steve harrington #dustin henderson #will byers #joyce byers #jim hopper #jopper #byler #erica sinclair #pjo au #pjo #greek gods #stranger things pjo au #byers brothers #stranger things au