#meaning it was miserable because they were talking so much and so fast and so much more enthusiastically than usual

[dollfacefantasy]

You Make Me Cry Every Time

pairing: leon kennedy x fem!reader

summary: leon's going through a rough patch, and he takes it out on you.

cw: nsfw (18+), smut, p in v, angst, hurt/comfort, leon is mean in the beginning, toxic behavior i guess, implied age gap

word count: 3.7k

a/n: i was going through it and feeling emo so i wrote this. hope everyone enjoys as always <3

tags: @sleepyluxe @kaitkatme @tosuckmyweenis @pupthepokemonenthusiast @bizzarethirst @death-paint @petitecolibri @iron-toxinz @wildest-dreams-at-midnight

The clock on the end table reads 2:43. Muted sounds of nightlife fill the space outside the walls of your apartment. You’re sprawled across the couch, half-asleep, with a soft blanket draped over you. You were waiting for your boyfriend to come home. Again.

Leon had been going through a rough patch. He was moody and ready to snap at any moment it seemed. He drank a lot, and he was gone all the time. You knew he had been through so much and there was no end in sight. That’s why you tried to put up with it, but all of it was weighing down on you too.

You sharply inhale as the sound of keys being jammed into the lock on the front door rouses you from your stupor. Sitting up straight, you rub your face tiredly. Your eyes are still adjusting to the darkness of the living room when the door opens. A beam of light from the hallway shoots across the floor, but it’s gone just as fast as it appears. You hear the lock click again and then see his shadow brush through the room as if you aren’t even there.

He’s in the kitchen now, and you’re not even fully sure of what he’s doing. But you pad in his direction anyways. Your soft voice breaks through the tense silence with a gentle call of his name.

“Leon?”

He turns to you. Even in the dark when you can’t fully see, you can feel the harsh nature of his stare.

“What are you doing up? Told you to stop waiting up for me,” he grumbles.

His tone stings, but you continue to approach him.

“I just worry. I can’t sleep if I don’t know you made it home safe,” you explain yourself quietly.

“Just go to bed. I’ll be there in a second,” he says and turns away again. But before he speaks, you swear you could hear him scoff. 

You didn’t understand where his sudden apparent resentment towards you came from. He had always dealt with so much, constantly feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. But until the last few months, he never took it out on you. Now though, it felt like you were dancing across a floor full of glass shards to avoid setting off an outburst of his.

“I just want to make sure you’re alright,” you say, keeping your voice quiet and cautiously laying your hand on his back.

It immediately became clear to you that touching him was the wrong choice though. He shrugs you off and pushes your hand back down to your side. Now that you were closer, you could smell the scent of booze on him. It wasn’t as heavy as previous nights, but it was still present. You retract your hand and stare at him with concern.

“Leon, what’s wrong? Have I done something to upset you? We can talk about it. I-” you try to defuse the situation before he cuts you off.

“Jesus fucking Christ, it’s enough,” he snaps. He fully pulls away from you. “Take a hint. Go to bed.”

He speaks with such disdain for you, it makes your chest ache. “I was just trying to help,” you say, looking like a kicked puppy more and more with each passing moment. He takes no sympathy on you though.

“Well, you aren’t helping. You don’t know shit about my problems, so stop trying to fix them,” he says to you, his voice ice cold.

“I’m not trying to fix anything. I’m just trying to be there for you because I love you!” you defend. His miserable disposition was starting to frustrate you. This wasn’t the first time you’d jumped through these hoops for him.

“Oh, bullshit,” he says with a roll of his eyes.

That slices through you like a knife. Your lips part slightly in shock, and your words tangle up in your throat. You fight back tears, not wanting to seem even more pathetic to him.

“I can see what you want. You want the old me back. But he’s not coming back. He doesn’t exist anymore,” he rants at you.

“I never said that. You can’t get mad at me for problems you’re creating!” you say to him angrily and cross your arms.

“Aw, you don’t want me to get mad at you? Did I hurt your feelings, baby? Am I being mean to you?” he mocks with a cruel smile before his emotionless expression returns, “Grow the fuck up.”

You try to ignore his teasing and work towards a solution, but that really hurt. And it seemed like he said it with no thought or remorse, like he had been storing that and it just came out. Tears burn in your eyes and a lump rises in your throat, but you manage to choke out your next statement. 

“All you do is push me away. I can’t help you because you won’t even tell me what’s wrong,” you say, forcing your voice to stay even.

“I push you away because you can’t handle real problems. You show me that over and over again. I mean, look, you’re almost in tears, and I haven’t said anything that bad,” he says with a gesture to your eyes.

“If I’m so fucking immature and selfish, why are you even with me?” you ask. A few tears leak from your eyes and down your cheeks but you wipe them away as quickly as you can.

“You know, I’ve been asking myself that question a lot recently, and it’s getting harder and harder for me to come up with an answer,” he says. He keeps eye contact with ease. His voice is laced with venom. There’s no trace of anything but bitter anger.

You honestly struggle to come up with a response. But that’s ok because he doesn’t wait for one before he continues speaking.

“I mean really, what do I get from this relationship? I know what you get. You get the attention you’re so fucking desperate for. But me? What do I get?” he asks, “A dumb little girl who follows me around like a lost puppy? I mean you’ve definitely got a pretty face, but it’s everything else that’s getting harder for me to stomach.”

You can’t stop yourself at this point. He knew how to break you down. Your lip juts out ever so slightly and quivers as tears slide down your cheeks. You take a step back from him and look down.

“There we go. Always with the fucking crying,” he sighs. His tone becomes mocking again as he continues. “You want me to kiss it better, sweetheart? Tell you everything’s gonna be ok. That I’m so so sorry.”

“No,” you cry, trying to defend yourself, “I don’t want any of that from you.”

“I’m sure,” he says flatly.

“Fuck you, Leon,” you weep, “I can’t win with you. You’re absolutely hellbent on being miserable. I’m done. Deal with your shit on your own. I don’t give a fuck.”

You turn on your heel and rush off to the bedroom. You fling the door shut, the thud of the slam echoing through the apartment.

At first, Leon didn’t care. His initial reaction was a shrug. He walks over to the couch, puts his feet up on the coffee table, and turns on the tv to some old movie. He was in a pissy mood, and he especially wasn’t in the mood to deal with you.

But as time goes on, and he sits there alone, a sense of shame starts to cast a shadow over his heart. He keeps seeing your face in his head. The soft look in your eyes while they were full tears he caused. Your body language as he ridiculed you, shrinking away from him, eager to get away but afraid of looking weak. He could hear a replay of his voice spitting out every callous thing he could think of. He felt like such an asshole.

It didn’t help that he was surrounded by things of yours. You’d brought out a pillow and blanket for yourself while you stayed up for him. They smelled like you. On the table, you had a book you’d been reading for a while. You’d tell him parts and explain the drama to him when he wasn’t in a bad mood. The tv remotes, spare the one he had grabbed, were organized in the particular way you always did when you watched tv. He felt the void in his heart growing as you stayed shut away in the bedroom.

You weren’t faring much better. You curled up under the comforter on the bed, crying softly into the pillows. You were missing your favorite one since you’d left it out on the couch. You felt a deep ache in your abdomen, a weight that kept you thinking about him and everything he’d said to you.

Despite how tired you’d been before he came home, you couldn’t sleep now. No position felt comfortable. Nothing made the bed feel less empty.

You felt so pathetic. You should be mad at him, furious, enraged. He acted like such a dick. He said things that gave you reasonable grounds to kick him out. But you didn’t feel that way. You didn’t want that. You were heartbroken. He was right. You yearned for him to kiss it better and tell you it was all ok and that he didn’t mean any of it.

Eventually, you couldn’t take it. You give in. It was humiliating, but that was what you chose. You pad into the living room skeptically. You stand a distance from the couch, afraid of setting off another landmine. But if he wanted to yell, you’d let him at this point. You just wanted him.

He sees you standing near the opening to the hallway that entered the living room. You looked so sad, it tore at his heart. Your face was a mess, your posture was so timid. What was wrong with him?

“Come here,” he sighs and pats his lap.

Without hesitation, you cross the room. You’re in his arms, against his chest. Your arms are wrapped around him tight while your head is buried in the crook of his neck. You start crying again, but you keep it as quiet as possible, still hearing always with the fucking crying ringing through your mind.

“I’m sorry,” you choke out as you struggle to restrain a sob. You didn’t even know what you were really apologizing for. “I don’t wanna fight anymore.”

Another deep sigh escapes him. It could have been interpreted as annoyance, but you could tell it was regret. He rubs your back and holds you close against him.

“Shhh shhh. It’s alright, baby. It’s ok,” he says softly before stroking your hair, “We’re ok. I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” you weep and cling to him.

“No, sweetheart. It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t be so quick to snap at you,” he says in a hushed tone. He kisses your head and continues rubbing your back, something he always did to calm you down.

He kept his voice quiet to keep his own emotions in check. He wanted you to be ok and to know he was sorry. But you didn’t need to know how awful this made him feel. Guilt was gnawing at him now as he watched you cry out the pain his words had inflicted on you. He gently rocks back and forth with you, wanting to calm you down even more. 

“Baby, this isn’t your fault. None of this is,” he says, “I got my own shit going on, and I take it out on you because it’s easy.”

His voice drops to a whisper towards the end of his statement. His words dripped with shame.

“You don’t deserve the shit I say to you, but I just see you standing there, looking so fucking sweet and perfect and you’re looking at me with all the love in the world and I can’t fucking take it,” he says, his voice cracking a little, “I don’t deserve it.”

“Yes, you do,” you cry, grabbing onto him tighter.

“No, I don’t. You shouldn’t have to deal with this. Staying up every night, waiting for a mean old fuck to come home and yell at you,” he says. It was now his turn for his eyes to water while  a lump grows in his throat.

You were at another loss for words. You didn’t know what would convince him not to feel so down on himself. Instead, you press a soft kiss to the side of his throat. He tilts his head back and deeply exhales at the pure gesture. 

“And when I said I didn’t know why we were still together… I hope you know what a huge lie that was,” he says, “You’re all I have in this ugly god damn world. That’s it. Without you, I’d just be going through the motions.”

You gaze up at him as he goes through this. You curl your legs up on his lap with the rest of your body and lean into his touch in an attempt to offer him some comfort.

“And when I look at you, I see the opposite,” he says, his voice fully breaking now, “I see someone who has her entire future ahead of her, and she’s wasting it hanging around a guy like me.”

“You’re not a waste,” you say, sitting up and placing your hand on his cheek.

Your thumb moves back and forth in tiny motions, dragging across the skin soothingly. You both stare into each others’ tearful eyes.

“You’re not a waste to me. I love you. You’re important to my life too,” you say seriously looking at him.

“Baby…” he sighs. You were so fucking cute. If he had any spine, he would break up with you. Force you to do better for yourself. But he couldn’t. He knew in his heart of hearts that he would never be able to let you go.

You lean in and give him a soft kiss. You rub your nose with his. You shift on his lap to be in a better position to give him your affection.

His hands fall to your hips to steady you. He returns the gesture and presses two gentle kisses of his own to your cheeks. “I’m sorry, angel,” he whispers.

You lean in for more kisses, accepting the apology with your actions. You rub the back of his neck and press your body against his. The question of whether he deserved forgiveness crossed your mind, but you didn’t dwell on it. You didn’t really care.

He groans into the kiss as he feels your breasts flush against his chest. Your tongue enters his mouth, and he returns the passion. In a few minutes, saliva coats your lips and your breathing is heavy. You gently roll your hips down.

He feels that as soon as you do it. He disconnects his lips for a moment and looks at you with dilated pupils. You rock your hips again, bringing down your clothed cunt on his jeans. The stiff fabric gives you a good amount of friction and coaxes a whine from your throat.

“Honey,” he grunts, “Are you sure? You’re not just doing this because… because you think you have to, right?”

He didn’t want you using sex because you thought that’s what would please him. But he also couldn’t ignore the feeling of his cock hardening in pants.

You shake your head, panting as you grind on him, your lips still flushed from making out. “I wanna feel your love,” you say, your voice breathless.

That didn’t make him feel much better, but you felt so fucking good. “Babe, I can make you feel loved in other ways. Afterwards, I can show-”

“Wanna feel close,” you say before kissing him some more to shut him up.

Well, this would be as close as you could get. That put him at enough ease to give in to his urges. He grabs your hips harder, kneading the flesh of your ass too, and guides your movements. Both of you let out pleasurable sounds at the sensation.

“So fucking good to me,” he grunts, “My perfect girl.”

Your hips don’t stop as you pull off your thin sleep top. Your head falls back at the muted pleasure you were receiving from rubbing yourself on him.

His hands leave your hips and cup your tits. He squeezes them and then brings his mouth to a nipple. He flicks his tongue on the peak and swirls it with dedication. You let out a breathy whine.

He scoots you closer and continues his mouth’s work on your chest. His cock was now completely stiff in his pants, offering you even better friction. You feel it pressing on your clit just how you like, and you bite your lip. He can tell it’s feeling good.

He pulls his lips away from your nipples. Then he lays a few wet kisses on your jaw before picking you up by the waist and laying you back on the couch. He tugs off your shorts and panties.

His hand slides between your legs. He drags his fingers through your folds, feeling how wet you were.

“Such a sweet girl,” he breathes and captures your lips again in a quick kiss, “You’re soaked, babydoll.”

You nod timidly. He rubs you a little more, circling your throbbing clit and gliding over your wanting hole. You bite your lip and moan softly. Your hips rock against this touch as well before you suddenly whimper at a loss of contact and look up to see him sliding your fingers in his mouth. He groans at the taste of you before pulling the fingers back out of his mouth.

Reaching down, he unbuckles belt and drops his pants to the floor. He strokes his solid, flushed cock a few times. With the faint glow of the tv casting over the two of you, you can see a bead of precum emerging from the head. He adjusts his stance and positions himself at your entrance.

“I’m so sorry, little love. Let me try to make it better,” he breathes as he pushes inside.

Moans bubble in his throat as your tight, wet heat engulfs him. His head tilts back, and a ragged breath puffs from his lips. He grips the back of your thighs and holds your legs up.

He’s slow at first, dragging himself in and out, making sure to feel every inch of you. Your eyes flutter at the feeling, and your hips squirm for more.

As he begins to really thrust and set a consistent pace, he leans down to kiss you again. It’s sloppy and rushed, but he needed to feel you like this. He needed to feel that he hadn’t broken the connection you two had.

“My precious fucking girl. Am I making you feel good? Do you feel close to me?” he grunts, his grip tightening, “Can you tell how much I love you?”

You whine in response and nod. Your body heats up as he continues to slide in and out. He stretches you out just the way you like, fills you up so perfectly. He hits every sweet spot inside of you to make you forget he was even capable of saying such mean things sometimes.

You reach your arms up and pull his head down to rest against your neck. Your eyes were still full of your tears from earlier and a few slip out because of the strong difference between the euphoria of right now compared to the despair of the last hour.

One of your thighs drops back on the couch as the hand that was holding it comes up to your hair. He laces his fingers through the strands and begins pressing messy kisses to the side of your throat.

“My pretty baby,” he whispers against your skin, “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

His hips continue their movements, his pelvis connecting with the skin of your ass over and over. He nuzzles your neck. You can hear his mix of harsh pants and soft groans right next to your ear. You cling to him as the heat inside you rises.

“Tell me how it feels, sweetheart. Wanna make sure you’re getting everything you deserve,” he says.

“Feels perfect,” you whimper after a string of moans, “I- I’m gonna cum soon.”

“Me too, doll,” he says. His hips piston into you harder. Your hands dig into the muscles of his back while your toes curl

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, Leon,” you choke out as a cry leaves you.

“Mhm, good baby. I want you to cum for me, honey. I want you to feel so fucking good. Let it all go,” he says. 

His hand slides from his hair to your face and brushes away some of your tears. He kisses your cheek softly as you fall over the edge into bliss. Your body convulses underneath him as you release. You moan and writhe and the whole time he strokes your hair, cooing at you “my pretty girl” and “so so good for me.”

You were so tight around him. The sight of your eyes squeezing shut and your lips parting in ecstasy was too much for him. He thrusts into you a few more times before a moan rumbles through his chest and out of his mouth. He slams deep inside of you to spill himself. Hot, thick ropes of cum flood your insides.

You were shaky and trembling as he pulled out and planted a kiss on your forehead. He sits back on the couch, pushing the hair out of his face before pulling you up and close to him. He positions you on his lap and holds you to his chest.

He starts rubbing your back again and kissing your hairline. “Love you, babydoll. So so fucking much,” he whispers.

Your eyes close as you return the embrace and melt into his lap. You nuzzle and kiss his chest, relaxing into the affection.

“There’s my girl. All mine,” he coos.

You nod, enjoying the nice moment and letting yourself pretend that this whole cycle wouldn’t repeat in a few days time.

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy x y/n #leon kennedy x you #resident evil imagines #resident evil x reader #leon kennedy imagine #resident evil smut #smut

[kittykattropicanna]

would you please be able to go into more detail about your prison penpal!simon? why is reader doing it, how did they choose simon (if they had a choice at all), the sorts of letters they exchange? and if they’re any sort of smutty bits for them too? your mechanic au has me absolutely feral beyond words so seeing this made me so excited.

Omg you’re my first asked AHHHHHH I want to scream thank you so much!!!!! 

Absolutely I can go into detail about PrisonPenPal!Simon :3  I can't get out of my mind how deprived he is argh!!! >:( all this time alone, and now that you're here writing him pretty little letters, he can't imagine life without you :3

TW: mentions of murder, jail, corruption kink, breading kink, masterbation (Reader & Simon), public masterbation (kinda), smut, not sub!simon but he does cum in his pants, ahhh you're both just so obsessed with each other :3

PrisonPenPal!Simon masterlist

Regular masterlist

I’ll give you a little back story to why Si actually ended up in jail…

I feel like he retied, left SAS and tried to integrate back into civilian life but failed miserably. He started going out to bars and drinking pretty heavily. The alcohol made him angry, he never was outwardly violent, but everyone could tell he was just a very dark, tortured guy that sat in the back of the bar every night and drank himself stupid. It was like an unwritten rule that nobody bothered him. His a massive guy who’s ex military, if you had half a brain you would leave him alone. 

One night he was leaving the pub and this stupid, stupid 18 year old kid thought it would be funny to try square up to him and impress his friends. 

It didn’t matter how many times they told him to quit it and leave Simon alone, he still trudged up to him with his head held high and chest puffed.  

This kid came up behind Si and punched him in that back of the head. It wasn’t a good punch by any means but it was more then enough to drive Simons drunk brain into utter rage. 

He turned around and punched this kid straight in the head. He went down like a stack of bricks, head making direct impact with the concrete floor, killing him instantly. 

The kid was only 18, he had so much life left to live…..

Of course Si felt absolutely disgusted in himself, he couldn’t believe what he had done. Killed a poor kid who made a stupid decision and ultimately ended his life as well. 

He handed himself over the the police without hesitation. He went quietly and respectfully, cooperated with the police throughout the whole trial, never redirecting blame onto the kid or made it harder then it needed to be. 

He pled guilty for involuntary manslaughter and assault. Gaz, Johnny and Price all pitched in to get him the best defence lawyer humanly possible……ultimately, it worked. Even though the general public was outraged at his light sentence. 

Simons lawyer claimed the punch was in self defence. Someone attacking him from behind also trigged his PTSD resulting in Simon not being able to control his actions in that moment. 

These defences along with him serving in the military for 15+ years and cooperating with the authorities got him 8 years in prison, his sentence was quickly reduced to 4 because of his good behaviour. 

It wasn’t an ideal situation by any means, but it was the best case scenario with the cards he was dealt. 

But lets fast forward to the present….. How did you decide to actually start writing to an inmate? How did you even find out about it?

I have this really cute idea that maybe you were walking through the shopping centre and there was one of those pop up markets that sit in the middle of everything, you know, with the really annoying people that flag you down and you have to awkwardly not make eye contact and walk past them while they’re try and sell you stuff?

Yeah, one of them. This specific stand kinda caught your eye though, It was called “Write An Inmate”

You talked to the guy at the stand about what exactly “Write An Inmate” was and he explained that he was part of the program when he was locked up, how much it helps inmates get through their sentence, helps connect them to the outside world and genuinely just keeps them hopeful. 

First off you were a little hesitant…..speaking to someone who’s in jail because they broke the law sounded a little scary…. 

But hell, its a start of a new year and taking some time out of your day every once in a while to write a short letter to help keep someones hopes up is the least you can do. 

Besides! One of your childhood best friends big brothers went to jail and he wasn’t a bad guy! One of your new years resolutions was to spread more kindness and this is just a perfect way to do so!

Once you got home, you look up the website on the brochure that was given to you and quickly start scrolling through inmates.

They all had profiles with information about them. You couldn’t see what they were in for, but you could see other information like their name, age, date they signed up for the program, time served/time until they get out, amount of letters they have received, a short description of who they are/what they like and a few photos showcasing what they look like. 

You scrolled through a few but they all seemed to have gotten hundreds of letters, you wanted to write someone who wasn’t getting flooded every week with letters, maybe send a letter to someone who could use a pick me up. 

Clicking on the last page you scrolled to the very bottom and click on the last inmate before it even had time to load. 

Once the page opened the name “Simon Riley” appeared on your screen

After looking through his profile a wave of sadness rolled over you 

Name: Simon Riley, most people call me Ghost  Age: 36 Joined: December 26th, 2021 Letters Received: 0 Time served: 3 and a half years  Sentence ends: Year and a half  Description: ex military. I like dogs, big ones not small ones, the outdoors, playing cards and motorcycles. The first thing I want to do when I get out is to eat a steak. 

Attached was three photos. I won’t even lie, they’re definitely dad selfies from different angles HAHAHA they’re such grainy photos too, like they’ve been taken on a 10 year old android. 

Two of the selfies are him with a black balaclava on and the last one was of his face without anything covering it, but again it so grainy you can’t really make his facial features out. 

Simon had joined the program two years ago and hadn't received one letter. You felt horrible, he joined the day after Christmas probably hoping to receive something, anything, but not one person took the time to write him….. 

So obviously Simon was going to be your prisoner pen pal, how could he not be…..

I think the letters start off pretty innocently tbh, you don’t start writing to Simon with the intention of starting any sort of sexual or romantic relationship, it truly is out of the goodness of you’re heart, you sweet girl :(

Simon had totally forgotten about the program honestly, imagine his shock when the prison guard threw him a letter. 

When he frowned and asked who its from the guard just shrugged and said “write an inmate program” and walked off completely unfazed. 

But again, starts out super innocent, things like “I saw that you like big dogs, what’s your favourite breed?” and “what’s your favourite card game? I know how to play blackjack but I’m not very good haha”

I’d like to think you don’t even disclose your gender or name at the start. Keeping everything under lock and key. 

Simon also answers back with pure intentions at first, he has an inkling you may be a women because the hand writing is wayyy to pretty and delicate to come from a man. 

But again! He doesn’t get his hopes up, it could be an old granny for all he knows, but he can’t shake the idea that maybeeeee it could be someone a little more his type, ya know ;)

After a couple weeks of writing letters back and forth you feel like you’re getting to know him a little better. He asks you to call him Simon, not Ghost and he starts writing the cheesiest dad jokes at the bottom of every letter. 

“Two fish are in a tank, one turns to the other and asks “do you know how to drive this thing?” a little army humour for ya’ :)”

His so charming in such a rough and rugged sort of way you know? It sounds silly to say, I mean, you’ve never met him! But the way his handwriting is complete chicken scratch and how he adds little “:)” “:(“ and “>:)” makes you giggle! 

You end up telling him your name and how old you are, I mean, its only fair! You know his name! You definitely didn’t tell him because you wanted to get his mind racing, get him thinking about all the different possibilities, make him fantasize…

Its fair to say you have a little crush on him :( ahhhh its so humiliating! A city girl like you, good job, successful family and a bright future laying in bed every night fucking your pussy with a brand new dildo you bought just so you could imagine Simon, a felon, fucking your little cunt :( 

When Simon sent his letter that week asking for a photo of you, your little crush just got bigger :(

“Its only fair don’t ya’ think? You know what I look like, why don’t ya’ return the favour sweetpea ;)” 

And of course you did!! He asked so politely! 

Putting on your pushup bra, doing your makeup and styling your hair all for him:(((

You get so frustrated because you don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard for him, argh! Its all so embarrassing!! Your such a needy girl >:(

You make sure to push up your tits, your bra helping them spill out over your cute little shirt and giving him a good view of your gorgeous body. 

After an hour of taking photos you finally get the shot you were looking for 

Eyes sparkling, cute little smile on your lips, light hitting your face just right, lacy bra slightly peaking out the top of your shirt just enough that it looks like an accident, beautiful tits sitting right in frame so he can get a good look and the slight curve of your waist visible. 

Its perfect, it look so effortless…..in your eyes at least

When Si received your letter, his cock got hard the second he saw your picture :((((

Since his been locked up he hasn’t been able to jerk off properly >:( 

His balls are so heavy as is, and now he has a photo of you 

He could basically cum in his pants at the thought of holding your waist as you ride him. Using his big callused hands to fuck your pretty pussy onto his aching cock >>:((((((

You’re so put together! nice clothes, from the look of the background, nice apartment, clean bedroom. Just the thought of him corrupting you, fucking his baby into you, making you move into a shitty little apartment while he works and you look after his chubby baby makes his dick start to twitch :3

Before he can stop himself, he cums all in his pants :(

He hasn’t cum properly in years! yet a simple photo of you did it for him in seconds!!! You’re such a nasty minx, you know exactly what you’re doing you dirty girl >>:(

That night he lays under the covers, his cell mate fast asleep on the other side of the room as he slowly pumps his cock to the photo of you.

Eyes closed and head thrown back against the thin pillow, he bites his lip so he doesn’t make any noise. 

You see, playboy magazines get passed around all the time, they’re not hard to find if you know the right people, but it just doesn’t do it for Si!!

Of course they’re beautiful women, there’s no doubt about it, but everything so photoshopped :(

Si likes his women natural. No skin smoothing filters or enhancements from photoshop, he likes his women real 

His so deprived that he cums in record time, his hot load shooting all over your face, the once clean photo now sticky and stained….

He wished he had it in him to be embarrassed, but he just can’t! God, he needs to hear your voice, your picture just isn’t enough anymore….

In his next letter he asks if he could use his monthly call to speak to you……Johnnys just gonna have to wait, they can talk football another time >:(

Aghhhh, PrisonPenPal!Simon is so fucking cocky it hurtssss, PrisonPenPal!Simon is open for requests so feel free to send them throughhhhh, add to the AU, ask me expand on certain topics, whatever floats your boat >:)

!Disclaimer! - Above is NSFW content - MDNI - If you follow my blog without your age in your bio, you will be blocked - If you are under the age of 18, you are not welcome here, otherwise, enjoy :)

Cat divider sourced by @positively-mine from Pinterest - Pink line divider by @eloquentreverie - MDNI divider by @cafekitsune

Basic blog housekeeping -  fic requests guidelines, boundaries and my rules for minors

#PrisonPenPal!Simon #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley fanfiction #simon ghost riley #simon riley #call of duty #ghost cod #simon ghost riley imagines #simon ghost riley smut #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost riley imagine #call of duty modern warfare #cod modern warfare #cod #cod mw2 #ghost x reader #ghost mw2 #simon riley x you #simon ghost x reader #simon ghost x you #simon ghost smut #simon riley smut #simon riley imagine #simon riley x y/n #ghost call of duty #cod headcanons #fanfiction #fanfic #cod au

[itsjusthockey]

Flyers - Jamie Drysdale

I love him so much and I wish him all the success in the world

I’m also trying not to hate cutter gauthier

I hope you enjoy, I like this one

Request and talk to me, pls and thx

It’s late in the evening when the shrill ring of your phone cuts through the silence of your bedroom. You glance at the screen and see your boyfriend calling. It’s not a FaceTime, and it’s always a FaceTime, so you’re confused, and your heart skips a beat as you answer him.

“Hello?”

It’s silent on the other end, but you can hear him lightly breathing and shuffling around.

“Jame?”

Before he even utters a word, you feel a subtle shift in the atmosphere. There is a reason he didn’t FaceTime, and there is a reason his usual warmth and cheer is replaced by a heavy silence. As the seconds tick by, you can sense his hesitation, and an unsettling sense unfolds in your stomach.

You hear him take a shaky inhale, hold it for a second, and then he breathes out.

“They traded me.”

His voice is raw, and it trembles with unusual vulnerability. In a single second, your heart shatters into a million pieces. Before you can even fully comprehend what he said, tears are pooling in your eyes, and your hand is clasping at your mouth.

“They what?” You ask.

“They just told me. I’m going to the flyers. They want me there tomorrow.”

Finally, the news settles in. Your boyfriend was traded. Jamie was fucking traded.

A million thoughts rush through your head. Jamie has to move. He has to leave Trevor. He has to pack up his entire life in a single night and fly across the country.

Silent tears are streaming down your face, and you realize you’ve stayed quiet for way too long. You also know you need to get a fucking grip. This isn’t about you, and you need to get your shit together because he needs you right now.

So, you take a deep breath and calm the fuck down.

“Are you okay?”

You hear him shuffling around again, probably packing up all his things. He doesn’t say anything for a minute, and you patiently wait until he’s ready.

“I don’t know. It hasn’t really set in yet. Doesn’t feel real.”

A sharp pain thumps through your chest at his words. He continues.

“I’m trying not to feel anything, honestly. I’m trying not to think about everything I have here.” His voice breaks. “But it’s been my home, and I don’t want to leave.”

You finally hear him break, and you would pay any sum of money to be able to teleport to him now. It wrecks you that you can’t be there to hold him during this time. You can’t begin to imagine what he’s feeling. You know he’s thinking about everything that Anaheim has given him. You know he’s

recounting the countless memories made on and off the ice, the shared victories and losses, and the deep bonds formed with teammates.

“Jamie.” You start, then stop.

“Yeah?” He asks softly.

“This absolutely sucks, and I’m so so sorry.” You pause. “The ducks are the biggest idiots in the world, and they don’t deserve you.“

Jamie's breath catches on the other end; it’s a mixture of a chuckle and a sob escaping him. You smile a bit because your words seem to reach through the distance, a small lifeline in the whirlwind of emotions he’s currently facing. He takes a moment before responding.

“Thanks, babe. It means a lot to hear that right now.” He sighs again. “I just never expected this, you know? Everything’s changing so fast. I love it here, and it kills me that I won't be part of it anymore.”

You nod, even though he can't see it. It’s as if the very fabric of his life is unraveling, and you wish you could weave it back together. But all you can do is sit here and listen to him and try your best to be his anchor in the storm of uncertainty.

“I wish I were there with you, help you pack, give you a hug,” you say miserably.

“Me too. he admits, another sad sigh escaping him.

You sit there again for a couple of minutes, listening to him pack and offering your presence. You finally hear him close to the phone again, and he breaks the silence.

“I'm scared (Y/N). It’s a whole new team. I don't want to let anyone down, especially you,” he confesses.

You want to punch him. He knows better. Not once, ever, has Jamie let you down, and you sure as hell know that he never will.

“That's enough of that, Jame, you could never let me down. Nerves are normal, but I also know the player you are. You’ve got this, and I’ve got your back. Always.”

He lets out a quiet okay and quickly hangs up the phone. You’re confused for a brief moment before his FaceTime pops up. You answer in a heartbeat, and a wide smile takes over your features as you finally get to look at your boyfriend.

He looks tired, and his eyes are a bit red, but he has a soft smile, and you know that everything is going to be okay.

For the next couple of minutes, you talk it out. You discuss the logistics, the challenges that lie ahead, and the uncertainty of the future. You do your best to hype him up, and as the logistics conversation draws to a close, a somber calm settles over the two of you. You can finally sense a shift in his tone, a quiet acceptance mingled with some determination.

“We are gonna figure this out, won't we?” Jamie asks a trace of hope in his voice.

“Yes. Besides, I like the flyers. Way better than those losers in Anaheim,” you assure him.

Jamie chuckles a bit, and then a hilarious thought crosses your mind.

“Oh my god.” Panic laces your voice, and Jamie furrows his eyebrows.

“What?”

You start laughing, suddenly very happy.

“You’re gonna be with Gritty!”

You can’t help but roll over with laughter, knowing your shy-as-hell boyfriend is going to be on the team with the most infamous and chaotic mascot ever. You can’t even begin to explain how giddy this makes you, and Jamie lets out a small groan but begins laughing with you anyway.

After you settle down, wiping the new happy tears away, you smile a wide smile at him again.

“You know, I’m still on break. Maybe I should come down and be there for your first game?”

Just like that, your boyfriend is back, and the smile you’re so in love with takes over his features.

“Really?”

“Absolutely. I can think of no better way to end my break than being with you.“ You beam at him. “Besides, I have to scope out the team. Let em know that they have a new hotshot player who has the hottest girlfriend ever.

He barks out another laugh at you, but you know he agrees one hundred percent with your statement.

“God, I love you,” he says, the words carrying the weight of the world.

“I love you too,” you respond, “This is honestly exciting, Jame. You have great things coming. I can feel it.”

#hockey #hockey boys #imagine #nhl hockey #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine #hockey x reader #nhl x reader #jamie drysdale imagine #jamie drysdale x reader #jamie drysdale #trevor zegras #flyers hockey #philadelphia flyers #anaheim ducks #nhl blurb #nhl24 #nhl fic #nhl fanfiction #nhl players #nhl

[theemissuniverse]

“YOU HAVE CHOSEN WAR WITH A GOD” LIU KANG X FEM!READER

SUMMARY : To say Liu Kang is in love with you is an understatement. You’re a princess and Kitana and Mileena’s younger sister. You start dating a guy but he doesn’t respect you at all. Liu Kang won’t stand for it. (The lowest of keys inspired by that one “that 70s show” episode. If y’all know know then you know)

WARNINGS : none I think lmao

Liu Kang was absolutely miserable. The Royal family of Outworld once again was throwing a party but this time in celebration for their father’s return. Of course, Liu Kang would show up to pay his respects but there was one small problem: you were with another man.

Now, it took Liu Kang a lot and I mean, a lot to get jealous. Liu Kang was usually always secure in himself but not when it came to you.

Instead you had your hand over this man’s arm. Your lips on him. Laughing at his jokes. It made him feel physically ill.

Johnny had noticed Liu Kang’s behavior and he knew why too. It was because of you. “Come on, dude. You’re the God of literal fire. You totally beat a guard of a palace.”

“Johnny is right…surprisingly.” Kung Lao said. “I have never seen you so nervous around someone before, Lord Liu Kang.”

“If you created this timeline then why didn’t you get her to fall in love with you?” Johnny asked. All his Earthrealm friends looked at him as if he was stupid. “What?”

“Do you not hear yourself right now?” Kenshi questioned him.

Liu Kang sighed. “I created the timeline to allow people free will. If she doesn’t want to be with me then so be it.”

Johnny let out an irritated moan. “You don’t even know. Why don’t you ask her?”

Raiden shook his head. “And jeopardized their friendship?”

Johnny flicked Raiden’s head and Raiden let out an ‘Ow.’ “We’re not talking about you and Kitana. We’re talking about Liu Kang and (Y/N).” He turned his attention back on you feeding your date with some grapes. “There’s gotta be something up with this guy. I don’t trust him.”

“I agree…again surprisingly.” Kung Lao said.

“Looks like we’re about to find out.” Kenshi said as you started to walk towards the champions.

Johnny gave him a confused look. “Look? You’re blind.” Kenshi flicked Johnny’s head and Johnny let out an ‘Ow.’ Kung Lao and Raiden snickered.

“Hey you guys.” You yelled out happy. They all bowed to you and you rolled your eyes playfully. Compared to your sisters, you were laid back. “I told you to stop that.” You then pulled Liu Kang into a hug. “Hey, Liu.”

Liu Kang was always happy with your guy’s relationship. Considering you were a princess and he was a God, the two of you did not act like there was a power imbalance. He hugged you back. “Hello, (Y/N).” He had stuck it in his head to call you just by your name every time he addressed you because you told him to.

The two of you pull away. You motioned over to your date. “This is my boyfriend, Brady.”

Kenshi felt his head and then turned his attention to Brady. “You’re not from Outworld. I can read your thoughts.”

“Strange…” Brady said with a laugh. “Yeah no, I’m from Earthrealm but my business is in Outworld.”

“Pretty interesting move…Brady.” Johnny Cage said, eyeing him up and down.

“Yeah…it is..” Brady said a little uncomfortable.

You listened to the music. The music had slowed up. “I swear they always do this. I’ll be back.” You kissed Brady’s cheek and walked away. “Hey! I said I wanted fast paced!”

It was just the Earthrealmers and Brady. There was a bit of an awkward silence. Liu Kang, as much as he hated it, did not want to be rude and now felt inclined to keep the conversation going. “So, you and Princess (Y/N)?”

Brady nodded. “Yeah isn’t she something?”

Liu Kang didn’t like how he spoke but decided to push it aside. “She’s a wonderful person.”

“Yeah, but sometimes I kinda hate it when she talks.”

The group was shocked at what he said. They all turn to Liu Kang to see his reaction.

Liu Kang looked pissed as ever. Why was he with you if he couldn’t stand you? Liu Kang was madly in love with you. He could listen to you talk for hours. Even if it was literally about paint drying. How could he not? He still tried to keep his composure and offered a fake smile. “Why are you with her then?”

Brady let off a chuckle. “I mean, I figure it’s worth it if I can nail her.”

Raiden was the only one confused by the statement. “Nail her? Like with a hammer?” Kenshi bent over towards his direction and whispered in his ear, explaining to him what Brady had meant. “Oh…”

He wanted to use you for sex? This was crossing a very big line. Though, Liu Kang still tried to use reason. “You should think about that. (Y/N), doesn’t really get into relationships so-“

“That’s not a surprised.” Brady said. When the Earthrealmers waited for his response, he gave them a look as if they should know why. “I mean, she’s an annoying bitch.”

Again, the Earthrealm champions turned back to see Liu Kang’s reaction. This time Liu Kang looked even more angry. They took one step back, knowing what was going to happen.

Liu Kang was a simple man. He did not evoke violence or promote it. Did not believe that fighting was the first resort to anything.

That didn’t matter when it came down to you.

Liu Kang grabbed a hold of Brady’s shirt and made him look directly in his eyes. “Take it back.”

Brady tried to hide his fear. He scoffed at Liu Kang and tried to get him to release his grip on him. “What are you in love with her or something? Relax. You can have her when I’m done.”

That was the final straw. Liu Kang started to feel himself lose control. In one swift motion, Liu Kang used his power to fling him across the party. Brady hit the brick wall and fell onto a table where he then broke it.

“Yeah! Kick his ass!” Johnny said, pulling out a phone and recording. The others gave him a look. “What?”

Liu Kang was not finished. He walked over to Brady and picked him up by his neck. His free hand started to build up fire and he was ready to use it on him until you came along. “Liu Kang?”

The sound of your voice snapped him out of his rage. Liu Kang looked over towards you and immediately dropped Brady. “(Y/N).”

“What happened?” You asked concerned. You then realized that obviously it had to be Brady’s doing because Liu Kang would not attack anyone for no reason. You turned your attention to your boyfriend. “Did you start the fight?”

Brady looked at you like he couldn’t believe you. He stood up from the ground and pointed in the direction of Liu Kang. “Me? He attacked me! I didn’t lay a hand on him.”

You were stunned by the accusation. You turned your attention to Liu Kang, who looked ashamed by his actions. “Is that true? Did you attack him first?”

Liu Kang kept his head down, not daring to look at you. “Yes, Princess (Y/N).”

You couldn’t believe that Liu Kang would start a fight. No. Something was missing. You turned back to Brady. “Okay, well what did you do or say because Liu Kang doesn’t just go out attacking people.”

“Are you serious?” Brady questioned you in disbelief. “You’re picking his side-a psycho, over your own boyfriend.”

By this statement, Raiden decided to speak up. “Brady told us that he was only using you for intimacy and then called you…” He tried to find the right words.

“An annoying bitch.” Johnny helped him out.

“Yes. That. Lord Liu Kang was just defending your honor, Princess.”

Of course you believed your Earthrealm friends. You were beyond angry. You looked at Brady. “I’m an annoying what now?”

Brady looked scared out his mind. If he feared Liu Kang, he didn’t know you at all. “No, no. Baby, I would never. They’re lying.”

Two of your guards had walked up to you. “Is everything alright, Princess (Y/N)?”

You looked between the guards and him. You didn’t even want to deal with him anymore. “Escort him out of here. Make sure he never enters the palace again.”

The guards grabbed onto Brady. Brady tried to break out. “Baby, wait. We can talk about this-“

“No, we cannot.” You leaned in, making sure your eyes met his. “Be incredibly grateful I offer you mercy.”

The guards escorted Brady out of the party. Not without him screaming after you. You rolled your eyes at his dramatics. Then you turned over to Liu Kang. “Thank you for standing up for me. I didn’t know you could get so angry.”

Liu Kang smiled at you. “Only for you.” You smiled a little, feeling the butterflies you always felt for him erupt. Liu Kang gently took your hand. “May I have a moment with you?”

“Sure.” You took Liu Kang inside the palace and all the way to your room. When you made it to your room, you closed the door and looked at him. “What did you need to talk about?”

Liu Kang bit his lip. It shouldn’t be this hard to confess his feelings for you but it was. He didn’t want to ruin any friendship he had with you. “I didn’t just do that because of his disrespect for you…I did it because I love you. I have had feelings for you for the longest but I didn’t want you to feel incline to have them for me or push me away. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you. Every time I look at you, it’s as if time itself stops. I have never felt so strongly for anyone the way I have with you before.” He took your hands in his. “Please, if you do not feel the same, don’t shut me out. I still would like to remain as friends.”

You were shocked by his confession but not at all surprised. You’ve waited forever for him to say that. You pulled Liu Kang close to you and kissed him.

Liu Kang happily kissed you back, deepening the kiss. He kissed you as if you were the only woman in the world.

The two of you pull away. You smiled up at him. “It’s about time.”

Liu Kang smiled at you and pulled you into another kiss. Everything felt right within the world now.

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #liu kang #mortal kombat 1 #kitana #kung lao #mileena #raiden #johnny cage #mk #mk 1 #kenshi takahashi #mk sindel #liu kang x reader

[sheisjoeschateau]

"Oh, so we DO love Steve..." | Part IX (FULL)

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ SERIES MASTERLIST ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Steve Harrington x Bauman!fem!reader enemies to lovers, heavy angst, hurt/comfort, upside down mayhem, S2-S4, post S4 universe hot-take, end-of-the-world / dystopian setting, ugly fights turned smut (...but with hella plot). 18+

CHAPTER IX WARNINGS/NOTES: t.w.'s - language, innuendo / sexual undertones, mention of dr*gs and abuse and childhood trauma, Max in a coma, talks about death, difficult confrontations. 18+

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the 9th chapter, written in full. Not action packed, but vital to the plot. Lots of beautiful moments in here that I really took my time with writing because at this point, I am just so in love with this concept. We learn more about Bauman's past. Steve and Jonathan finally have that talk. Murray is a proud uncle. The kids are adorable. Steve's dream isn't only his. And everyone prepares for doomsday.

Bonus: If you love the song "This Little Life," well then you are in for a treat. It heavily inspired this chapter, and it will be back...

PROOFREAD UNTIL MY EYES BLED. IF THERE ARE STILL TYPOS, SORRY BOUT IT. 18+

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Steve Harrington was no stranger to nightmares.

He’d learned how to endure them.  Over the years, he made friends with his demons.  So much so, it got to a point where he got too used to having them around.  He just nodded at them as they lurked in the darkest corners of his sunshine mind, letting them exist as lonely, miserable wallflowers who were never noticed in the daylight when he was awake…waiting for their fleeting moment of popularity after dark, when his eyes were shut.  He didn’t address them when he was awake. Because if he addressed them, that would mean they were real. But if he let them have their way at night, forgetting them the next day and acting like they did not exist, that meant they had no power over him. They didn’t mean anything. They were nothing. 

They meant nothing.

At least, that’s what Steve told himself. 

Every night before shutting his eyes, he steels himself for whatever hell he was going to face. From the ripe age of four, he learned to simply expect the unexpected when it came to sleeping. Sleep was never going to be his friend — whether he was sleeping alone, or with a friend, or holding naked girl in his arms. Steve was made to suffer in his sleep. His subconscious was a world that was built upon a foundation ruled by the reality of absent parents, being an only child, high school flings that left him longing and the endless search for love. It consisted of repeated dialogues — sometimes the incessant arguing between his parents, or the jabbering of Tommy H. and Carol, or hearing Nancy chanting bullshit, along with all the other voices of people who filtered in and out of his life.  Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.  

Sometimes, Steve was running away from his own voice in his head. There were nights when, within his own nightmares, he himself was the nightmare. That really came into effect during his last year of high school and the summer after he lost Nancy. Adding the entire element of the upside down into his life only fed his nightmares. They were bad before, they were bad then, and they were worse now. 

Trauma after trauma, loss after loss, fight after fight, bloodshed upon bloodshed. 

Every punch to his eye. Every word slapped across his face. Every other worldly creature he was made to battle. Every moment he was paralyzed with fear of losing one of his kids. 

Nightmares loved Steve. And they knew exactly where to find him, every single night.

But right now, sleeping next to you, it wasn’t nighttime. It was still day. Daylight shown through the windows of your assigned guest room in the Harrington house — curtains drawn, and the gloomy afternoon sky filtering the space around you both.

And here he was, fast asleep with his cheek resting on top of your chest, as your heartbeat thumped against his ear. One of his toned arms was looped around your waist, having closed his eyes and letting the steady rise and fall of your chest lull him to sleep. Steve had been fighting sleep for the last two nights. Especially the night after you died in his arms. He had just barely brought you back to life, and he knew that as bad as his nightmares had been before…all of them amounted to nothing compared to the nightmares that would undoubtedly follow him after that. Steve wanted nothing to do with sleep. He was damned for all eternity when it came to sleep, and it was sure to bring him a life of insomnia after the real life nightmare that he was made to face when wide awake. 

That’s the beauty of being asleep: you have to wake up.

Steve told himself that every night before he went to bed. He told himself that no matter how bad it got, he would still wake up. And once he woke up, it would be over.

He learned to do that after he went to the county fair one year with his friends, back in middle school. He’d gotten on a ride, peer pressured by Tommy H. and not wanting to look like a chicken. 

Every second of the ride, Steve was petrified. 

He wanted off, he wanted off, goddammit let me off he shouted.  

Then he remembered having been told by the county fair worker that the ride lasted four minutes.  Steve took a deep breath, realizing he’d likely been on it for already half that time. So he counted to himself. Counting down the last half of the ride, he told himself over and over: eventually, this ride has an end.  

Sure enough, when it did finally come to an end — and when everyone was let off the hellish escapade — Steve realized that he had found the glitch in the matrix. The warp in time. The secret superpower to conquering fear. Suddenly, he wasn’t so afraid anymore. Which is why now, whatever nightmare he was made to face, he would endure it — knowing that the sweet relief of waking up was just right around the corner. 

And after all: stranger things had been proven real in Steve’s real life, far more than in his wildest dreams. 

Loving you had turned out to be the strangest thing of all.  

Even more so, the lack of nightmares that came with that was also strange…

Because right now, as Steve finally succumbed to sleep instead of fighting it, lying next to you…he was not trapped in a nightmare. His subconscious did not have him roaming the unpredictable pathways that led to the darkest corners of his mind. His demons had ceased their dance. Vecna, and all his other worldly monsters, were not the stars of this particular show. Steve was not trapped in the midst of jabbering chants coming from the voices of all the people that he loved, all the people who had betrayed him, or even the voice belonging to himself. 

For the first time in years, Steve Harrington was dreaming.

It wasn’t anything drastic. Nothing that could exhaust him, to where any hours of sleep hadn’t felt like any sort of sleep at all. In fact, his subconscious state was…serene. Quiet, peaceful. It was almost unsettling in a way. 

Little bursts of yellow — pastel and sunshine and lemon — colored the dark walls inside his mind. A light breeze gently wooshed in the distance, coming seemingly from nowhere but still fanning his face and the flop of his perfect hair. Somewhere, someone was humming. Almost like a bird, or the sound of a foghorn super far off in the distance. Maybe even the distant drums of a far away land. The rhythm came and went, but it kept him company. As if it were some little song made up in his head as he went along, saying, “Hey, I’m right here. We are in this together.”

On the other side of Steve’s closed eyelids, you laid beneath him in his yellow crewneck. The air you breathed softly, in and out of your nose, fanned across his forehead and his perfect hair. And while your heartbeat was not even, it was there — beneath his ear, drumming in a makeshift pattern, inventing its own rhythm as it went. 

In the real world, your uneven heartbeat reminded you both that you yourself were not in the clear. Not yet. 

But currently, in this new world that Steve’s subconscious had just discovered, it reminded him that he was no longer alone. Not with you.

In the real world, Hawkins is in trouble. Cursed. 

And while none of you had figured out how to break that curse just yet, along with Vecna’s…one curse had been broken.  

You’d broken the curse to Steve’s endless nightmares.

But would this world even allow for you both to explore a future together, in which you had broken this dark spell cast over Steve Harrington’s life…?

***

Seeing Nancy shuffling out of Argyle’s room is the last thing Jonathan ever could have expected. And he’d seen a lot of shit that prepared him for the unexpected.

The perplexed look in her eyes. The determination in her step to get the hell out of there, despite clearly having been given some sort of useful information after sharing God-knows-what conversation with his Cali best friend. 

The two lovers at war made eye contact. It was quick, fleeting. But tense.  

Eddie and Robin watched as Jonathan turned to stare at Nancy over his shoulder, and how she froze for a moment to stare back at him through her glassy, wide blue eyes. Her gaze, fixed on him, went from longing to hardened. Nancy walked away, and Jonathan letting her without a word only motivated her to keep walking.

And now, Jonathan had been in Argyle’s room for a good long while. Eddie and Robin had left behind their own little comforting conference of sorts to join the adults downstairs, while the kids had set off in other directions of the Harrington house. 

But before that, during all the upstairs drama, Joyce and Murray had been having some drama of their own in the basement.

“You did what?!”

By now, Murray had recounted every single part of his story and how he’d played a huge role — along with you — in how her son had ended up with Nancy Wheeler. Murray’s once upon a time had rendered her speechless. 

Even Hopper — who’d heard them go downstairs and immediately followed when he heard Joyce start rocking the boat as she pressed Murray for information — now stood there beside Joyce, having just listened to everything – stunned.

Because when in the world did you all have time to fall in love, fall out of love then fall back in love / new love like this? How the fuck were you all managing that on top of the upside down mayhem?

“May I remind you both how you two lovebirds have spent the last few years developing your own slowburn of a story arc?” 

Murray’s question was dripping in condescension. But it was valid. It also came from the heart. He loved these two humans to death. And they loved him back.

While Joyce felt an enormous amount of joy that her son had ended up with the girl he loved…her heart ached for Steve. She’d grown to love him like her own over the years, especially these last several months as she lived under his roof. She had no idea just how broken up he’d been about Nancy. Joyce couldn’t help but feel…almost guilty.

But Hopper was shaking his head with a sort of proud grin, noting how as much as Murray had been the one to rock the boat — you had been its captain at the wheel. He pointed out how you had steered that wheel without even trying. 

“Were they even friends in high school?” Hopper asked curiously. “Harrington and Bauman — I can’t see your niece even having time for him back then when he was a punk.”

Murray went on to proudly confirm that assessment, along with explaining how you’d simply participated in your Uncle Murray’s meddling because you happened to be there that night and it’s just a sort of family tradition that you both had formed over the years. And when Joyce asked him how someone like you had not been swept up already by some guy, Murray had scoffed. He looked bitter — in the way that a protective parent is on behalf of their own kid.

“My niece deserves the world. Not one stupid guy at that high school could give her a mere city, let alone a globe’s worth. Doesn’t mean she didn’t…try. I know she was into one guy for a good while at one point. Some friend she’d made with one of the athletes who shared A.P. classes with her. She helped him study. Something she never did, unless it was with the girls and guys from her class that had weekly study group nights. But this kid she liked…he was smart, and he liked her back. She more than liked him…and he let her. Then, as all the petty high school boys do, he ditched her and all her efforts and hours spent studying and helping him pass his classes with flying colors…for a bimbo. A blonde, hip shaking, Pom-pom waving babydoll who’s all body, no brains.”

Joyce frowned. “Bauman is beautiful. She’s body, beauty and brains.”

“Yeah well,” Hopper mumbled, shaking his head disdainfully. “In high school, if you’ve got a dick, we’re letting it do the talking for us.”

“Point is,” Murray continued. “It hurt her. Big time.  But that’s the thing about my niece. Given our Bauman blood, we don’t easily succumb to our sentimental feelings. We just let it broaden our dark comedic chops and cynical worldview. My niece doesn’t have mommy or daddy to run home to and cry. She’s an only child, so no siblings to help care for and bond with. Yeah, she’s got friends. But mainly at school. She’s got herself…and she’s got me.” Murray smiled at that. “Between me and her grandmother, we’ve been the ones that raise her. But to be perfectly honest, my niece pretty much raised herself.”

Hopper’s heart clenched. For both you and your uncle. 

“She’s great, Mur,” Hopper murmured. “You’ve been there for her and it shows.”

Murray was quiet at that. He hated compliments. But he didn’t flinch or get snippy. He actually looked humbled, silently appreciating this observation. 

Joyce sighed. “Murray…you really have been an incredible uncle to her. I know that I’ve…given you a hard time about things, but…really. You’ve never missed with her.”

Murray was still quiet. He looked everywhere but at his two best friends for several beats. Finally, he gave a curt nod. But it was grateful, and full of love. Mainly for you.

“That’s my kid.”

Murray’s voice cracked a bit. It was the most unusual sound in the barren basement of the Harrington house, bouncing off the walls despite its soft decimal in volume. The tight lipped grin on his face as he finally made eye contact with Joyce and Hopper said it all. He loved the shit outta you, like any good parent loves their kid.

“I didn’t get the white picket fence life. Or a lifelong love story with some gal. I got dealt a crazy family of addicts and narcissists and loons. Had a brother who married a gal from rehab, got her pregnant while they relapsed and went forward with having a kid that didn’t stand a damn chance at surviving it.” 

Murray pursed his lips before he continued. “That’s the first goddamn miracle I’ve ever witnessed. That little fetus somehow made it, all of 5 pounds at 9 ounces. Ready to get the fuck out of the womb and live. It made for an early arrival and the risk of being premature, on top of being a crack baby.”

Murray’s eyes shone with a certain kind of fondness. It held both sadness and joy. And his voice was the gentlest it had ever been as he spoke about you.

“She didn’t have one thing wrong with her. Not one thing. Perfect lungs. Perfect heart. Perfect brain activity. Not cursed from the drugs that coursed through her mother’s veins and doomed her life from the start. That kid’s been outsmarting everyone in her life since she was a seed.” 

Joyce and Hopper couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Their eyes shone with Murray’s, having been parents themselves and unable to fathom being so reckless when bringing life into this world.

“I didn’t get my own kid,” Murray continued. He looked at Hopper. “I didn’t get a Sarah.” Then to Joyce, “Or a Jonathan, or Will. A kid who’s my own flesh and blood that I’d fight for to the bitter end.”

Murray stood there, resolute in what he was getting at. “But I got her. I got a niece who loves me. After she was born, I got my dad’s mom to take her in while I traveled and worked. She’s the only family member I’ve bothered keeping in touch with.  She’s an odd one.  But she had a home and money and willingness to take in a stray.  She never thought she’d ever get a granddaughter.  Don’t even think she really wanted one much till she was handed one to take in. Between the two of us, we raised her. She got thrown at whoever would take her and that was fine with me. Meant she still had a damn shot at a life. That’s what we gave her. The rest? She’s done herself.”

Murray sniffed. Then, smirking at himself — 

“I’d like to think my being an unorthodox parental figure of sorts is why she’s built for the war.”

Hopper grinned at that, swallowing back tears of his own. He squeezed Murray’s shoulder. “Yeah, she is. Kid could survive the damn streets of New York on her own.”

Murray laughed at that, and so did Joyce — she finally shook her head and wiped away a couple motherly tears. She took a deep breath, looking up and shifting gears with the topic.

“You know,” she started. “Call me a hopeless romantic… But I’m pretty sure that Steve Harrington has hopelessly fallen for your niece.”

Hopper snorted. “God, I haven’t ever liked the idea of two youngins together the way I like them.”

Murray grinned big. “Yeah that’s a plot twist even I wasn’t expecting.”  

The cynical gent’s expression suddenly went from warm to grave.  “…don’t ever repeat that.”

The adults all shared a heart laugh at that, making their own comments on how the two mortal enemies turned out to be lovers. Hopper cringed at the word, along with Murray — and Joyce gave your uncle hell for that, given he’s the self-acclaimed mastermind at love. 

“My witch doctor hours are limited when it comes to my niece’s love life,” he argued, but it was all with humor and fondness. “I already orchestrated the basics.”

“Which were…?”

“Calling her out.”

Joyce smiled. “What do you think of them?”

Murray’s expression softened. He contemplated that for several sincere moments. 

“Surprises me to say it…but I think she’s got someone who loves her fully. Will love her fully. There’s actual years there, backing them up. Years of real life shit. Abnormal shit. Valid tension, deeply rooted hatred that turned out to be love. She saw Harrington for who he was, and sees him for who he is. I mean — Jesus, she was there for all of it. Steve Harrington’s redemption arc was witnessed by her just as much as those kids that he’s taken on as a babysitter. Well, and the Robin girl. But that’s…not the same thing as what he’s got with my niece.  No threat there.”

Hopper’s eyes narrowed at that, curious. But Joyce gave Murray an all-knowing grin, knowing what he was getting at.

“I don’t think she’s on the same field,” she winked.

Murray winked back. “Exactly.”

Hopper blinked. “…alright, you guys lost me.”

Joyce waved him off, continuing. “So you like him with her. Maybe even…approve?”

Murray slowly nodded. “Didn’t think there’d be a guy who stood a chance at that. But given the whole…letting us all stay here and saving her life thing…yeah. I’d say I’m very good with those two being together.”

Joyce nudged him with her elbow. “Maybe you should tell him that. Y’know…given you’re at fault for ‘ruining his life,’ too.”

Murray rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, those two never stood a chance with your broody son standing in the way of that.”

“Yeah well…that broody son of mine isn’t making much sense right now,” Joyce shook her head. She sighed, worried. Hopper stroked her back. “I need to talk to him.”

“Lover’s quarrel,” Murray pointed out. “Best let that be up to him and Wheeler.”

“Yeahhh, well,” Hopper sighed. “Emotions are high right now. Maybe a little adult intervention would be good for them.”

Murray patted them both on the shoulders, back to his usual self. “WELP! You two have a large time with that. Meanwhile, I’ve got a date with a second drink calling my name.”

***

You watched Steve sleep on top of your chest, thinking about the words he’d spoken to you before dozing off. 

“What about France? Or Switzerland, somewhere with a bunch of acres and nature and a lake nearby or something?”

You’d smiled at Steve’s question. “How would we get the Winnebago over there?”

He’d stared at you for a moment, eyes sparkling as your words landed. A deep grin formed on his face. 

“You really liked my little dream on wheels, huh?”

You grinned back. “Yeah. It’s not little. It’s big.”

He shrugged sweetly. “I mean, it’s not a mansion. Or a house. It’s a home on wheels. Honestly, a really small home on wheels, but…I dunno, I just — wanna travel. With my family. Not leave them behind at some big house while I go off and explore god knows where without ‘em.”

You played with his fingers, listening to his every word. He wasn’t used to this. Having someone who was happy to just…listen to him ramble. Was he even one to ramble at all? Or is that something you just brought out in him?

“I just dream of this…this little life of sorts,” he continued, speaking to you and also to himself. 

You smiled at his words. “I think I like this little life.”

Steve could sing at your response. Something about that one sentence after he’d just further divulged into what a bright future looked like in his mind made him feel on top of the world. The lovesick joy in his eyes, and in his heart, made you melt.

 “I only want that little life with you,” he whispered to you, cupping your neck as he bent down to press his forehead to yours. You loved when he did that. Too much, way too much.

You nuzzled your nose to his. Steve loved when you did that. Too much, way too much.

“And the nuggets,” you whispered back with the cutest grin. Then, daring to say it — “Our nuggets…”

Steve’s heart soared at that.  Ours…

The happy little laugh Steve breathed against you was the prettiest sound in the entire fucking universe. He caught your lips in a kiss, sweet and soft and firm.

“Your heart needs to get its shit together,” he breathed before kissing you again.

“I know, I know,” you breathed back with that playful attitude he had come to love, gliding your lips against his. “Such a pain in the ass. I know you wanna rail me, Harrington.”

He deepened the kissing, his fingers sliding up from your neck into your hair. “Yeah, god forbid I actually just want you to be okay. I only wanna fuck you senseless.”

You sighed into his mouth, clutching his hips with one of your hands and a fistful of his shirt with the other. “Yeah, you dirty, filthy asshole…”

He sucked on your tongue, cutting you off. “Be nice, princess.”

The two of you had eventually pulled back, knowing that you needed to wait on Dr. Owen’s to bring you whatever goddamn medicine was supposed to help even out your heart arrhythmia. Steve had moved in your arms to rest his head over your heart, cheek pressed to your chest with your heartbeat in his eardrum. You could feel him shaking. So, you made up a little tune as you felt fatigue taking over you.

“I think I like this little life…

This little life…

I think I like this little life…

This silly little life.”

You could tell it made Steve smile as he held you closer. He murmured something sweet to you about liking the improvised melody, to which you murmured something back about it becoming a hit one day. Steve let your soft spoken singing play in his mind, giving him the sweetest of dreams as your voice trailed off.

And now, you were awake — humming it again. Steve was still fast asleep on your chest, which brought you tremendous relief. You dared to think it might be the only medicine your heart really needed. 

There was a soft knock at the door. You craned your neck towards the source of the sound, curious. Steve didn’t move a bit. He was out. It made you grin. You sighed lightly, planting a soft kiss on top of Steve’s perfect hair. Slowly, gently — you found a way of standing up without waking him. Little did you know, the sleep he found in your arms couldn’t be bothered easily. He slept harder with you than he ever had in his life.

You padded over quietly to the door, opening it slowly and only enough to show you. Your uneven heart was flooded with warmth as you stared back at 5 familiar faces.

Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will and Eleven all stood there. They held random things. Board games, snacks, and pillows with blankets.

“We are inviting ourselves for a sleepover,” El said.

“A very unexciting one,” Lucas clarified.

“Yes, no excitement,” Dustin agreed.

“Just some good ole fashioned card games that don’t hit pique anxiety,” Mike added.

“Annnnd drawing,” Will threw in, lifting his bag. “Art is always therapeutic.  Good for the soul.  And the heart.”

You felt yourself getting teared up, looking at their faces with pure love and joy. You chuckled wetly, your chest clenching as you so sorely wished that the sixth nugget was awake to add her sarcasm and unwavering love to the mix.

“Plus it really sucks about the mandate coming soon,” Lucas added sadly.

“Yeah,” Mike nodded. “Before we know it, we’ll all be cramped downstairs in the basement or out there in the middle of nowhere.”

You gave them a sad smile.

“A not-exciting sleepover sounds like a grand plan,” you nodded with a wink. Then, cocking an eyebrow, “So I’m hosting then, huh?”

“Yeah, your room’s bigger than ours,” Dustin said.

“True,” you winked. “Orrrr, we could go over to Max’s room and have her join us?”

All of them nodded excitedly. You smiled, turning back to look at Steve sleeping peacefully in the bed. 

“Gimme a few minutes to wake up mom and tell him that Max needs some attending to first, so that we can successfully host a sleepover in her room.”

They all quietly cheered, carefully moving to set down their array of stuff inside of your room. They caught sight of Steve sleeping, snickering to themselves like they were all 8 years old again. You shook your head at them with the biggest grin on your face, adoring how Lucas and Dustin were just so tickled with Steve being in your room. Will and El were giggling into their palms, with Mike shushing them but snorting himself. That made everyone fight back even worse laughter, and you ushered them out quickly before closing the door behind you. Man, you loved these kids so much.

You went into the bathroom, freshening up a bit and turning on the shower to let some hot steam hit your aching shoulder for a bit.

he sound of Steve murmuring your name made you hold off on that. 

You walked out, beaming at him as he stared in your direction while sitting up. You were back in his arms in seconds, mumbling into his neck.

“Hey, sleepyhead.”

“Jesus, how long was I out?”

“A good chunk of hours.”

Steve groaned, pulling you impossibly closer to him — still mindful of your bad shoulder. You giggled in his grasp. His ears perked up, craning his head up towards the bathroom door as he heard the stream of water running.

“How dare you think of showering without me?” he scoffs incredulously in your arms.

You continued giggling harder as Steve nuzzled his face into your neck, pretending to attack you as he smothered you with groggy affection. 

“Just needed to relieve my handicap a bit,” you sighed contentedly.

With that, Steve rose to stand. He was scooping you up into his arms before you could blink, carrying you into the bathroom. He lifted your shirt off, then his. As you stripped your pants, be took the hair tie from your wrist and ran his fingers through your locks, tying it up with ease. With a kiss pressed to your neck, he took your hand and escorted you into the hot stream of water. You watched Steve wistfully as he shed his pants and joined you.

As Steve gingerly massaged the soap into your shoulder blade, you remembered you needed to tell him about the plans that had been made for you both that evening.

“Baby?”

He hummed in response, loving when you called him that.

“The kids have the evening cut out for us tonight,” you started.

Even with your back to him, you knew his eyebrows were raised. “Oh yeah? What, am I making some crazy dinner feast out of canned goods now?”

You sniffed a laugh, turning to kiss his jaw. “No, we’re on for a sleepover in Max’s room.”

“S’that so?” he mulled, a grin in his voice.

“‘Tis so. That, or in here. But I don’t know if we can move her. Plus, I really want her to hear us all talking as much as possible.”

He exhaled, a kiss pressed to your shoulder. “Alright well, I’ll need to go ahead and get her taken care of before we all take over the room.”

“Sounds good,” you sighed contentedly.

You both finished up, and as you got changed into fresh comfy clothes Steve was eyeing the pile of stuff that the kids had unloaded into your bedroom.

“Damn, they just decided to dump the haul here?” he asked.

You snorted. “Yeahhh, they like to make themselves at home here.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but the fondness behind them said it all. He loved it.  

Noticing you struggle with your shirt, he quickly moved to help you pull it over your bad shoulder carefully. 

“Need to get better at asking for help, angel,” he winked at you, pulling your arm carefully through the sleeve. 

You blushed at that, playfully rolling your eyes. “Noted.”

Steve shook his head as he made sure that your shirt was straight, lost in thought for a moment. “Guess we all won’t be able to hang out up here soon,” he murmured.  “Outside of the basement.”

Your heart sank, knowing he was referring to the impending doom that loomed around the corner with the whole mandate going into effect next week. “Yeah,” you mused. “Might as well make the most of tonight with them before we have to go back to doomsday mode.”

He nodded sadly, planting a kiss to your hair before grabbing your discarded clothes along with his to start a fresh load of laundry. 

“I’m gonna go start a load,” he said. “Check with Hopper on when Dr. Owen’s is getting back here with your meds.”

You sighed. “Yeah, those…”

Steve looked at you solemnly. “Hey.”

You gnawed at your lip, looking up at him.

“You will be okay,” he told you. His tone was firm yet soft. Confident, despite the worried undertone laced around his voice.

You gave him a light smile and nod. 

“I’m serious, Bauman,” Steve continued, his brown eyes boring into yours. “We’re getting you on these meds and if they don’t work, then we…do the next thing that does.”

You knew he was stressed. Too stressed. You hated seeing just how fearful he’d been when he lost you before, and how much the fear of losing you again was eating away at him. Of course, Steve being Steve, he now insisted it would be fine. He’d broken down in front of you when it all happened, unable to stop it. Normally, he’d never let that happen. But given the dark reality of things, and just how much everything else had caught up to him, he wasn’t able to be his usual positive, nonchalant self with you over the last 24 hours.

With a mischievous look in your eye, you patted your chest. You gave it a little knocking rhythm, beatboxing under your breath so that he’d laugh. After a moment of Steve glaring at you, the corner of his lips finally twitched up into a grin. He tried to hide it, but you’d already seen it before he could turn away.

“Don’t worry, Harrington,” you told him. “I’m not even close to being done bothering you.”

He turned to look back at you longingly, a smile ghosting behind the way he bit his lip. He nodded. 

“Don’t think that ever really had an expiration date, did it?” he asks, teasing you in his husky voice that you loved whenever he was getting coy with you.

You smirked. “Never.”

He took a moment to soak you in with his eyes. “Good,” he said.  “I’m keeping it that way.”

You knew what he meant. Don’t you dare fucking leave me again. 

And you had every intention of keeping your word. I’m here as long as you’ll have me.

Steve intended to keep you forever.

“Now,” you said, moving towards him. “Let’s go have a big ole sleepover with these six nuggets so that we can stop the end of the world and have another six later on down the road, yeah?”

Steve glowed. He stuttered a bit, unable to breathe. “Y-you really want that? S-six of ‘em…?”

You shook your head, smiling up at him as you stood toe to toe. “Hell yeah, I want that.”

You kissed his jaw. Then, moving to scoop up a bag of the kids snacks — “That’s more buckets of Halloween candy for us down the line.”

Steve smiled and blushed unabashedly, shaking his head with the happiest eye roll you’d ever seen. 

“So we’re gonna be that family, huh?” he asked, moving to grab a sour gummy from the bag you’d just opened.

“We will win every costume contest, Harrington,” you said seriously, that signature dry humor of yours coursing through your Bauman blood at full speed. “I’m very competitive. Don't worry, the kids will be too busy having a great time to know that their mom is secretly a little psycho.”

Steve tugged at the gummy worm between his teeth with the most mischievous, flirty glint in his eye. You could smell his perfect skin mixed with the scent of the raspberry candy.  “Ahh, so you are mom. Thought I was mom.”

You leaned up on your toes, inching your lips towards his where he still dangled the gummy worm. “In this era? You’re mom. I’m dad. Next one, I’ll be Mommy.”

You bit at the end of the gummy worm, going full lady and the tramp with it like a loose spaghetti noodle. Steve’s lips and teeth stretched into a wide grin, eyes swimming in sex and lust as they looked down at you. You both bit and sucked the gummy worm till your teeth and tongues met. In the lowest, sexiest of husky tones, Steve told you…

“Well in this one? I’m daddy.” 

His tongue lapped your mouth, tasting like sugar sweet candy. “Your daddy.”

Before you could completely dissolve into a hot mess of a puddle, familiar voices from the other side of the door sounded off.

“EEEEWWWWWWW!!!!!!”

“STEEEEEEVE!”

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god —”

The sound of all your kids gagging and losing their shit were making for an orchestra of triggered teens, and you both jumped at the noise. After gasping, Steve threw his head back and huffed incredulously.

“Seriously??” he snapped. 

You buried your face in your hands, unable to keep yourself from laughing in pure humiliation — but also in adoration.

“You shitheads are listening in, seriously — Jesus.” 

Steve huffed and puffed, but it was clear as day he loved it. You did, too. He moved to open it while you stood back, snickering into your palms with flaming hot flushed cheeks.

“Hello,” he said, voice flat.

“You’re disgusting,” Dustin scoffed.

“And you’re an eavesdropping ass hat.”

“Why do you smell like gummy worms?” Mike asked suspiciously.

“Because you left them in my room, Wheeler,” Steve said wryly.

“Yeah, for tonight!!! For all of us!” Lucas scolded.

“Well Sinclair? Maybe don’t leave your candy unattended in my room.”

“It’s Bauman’s room!” Mike said.

Steve opened his mouth, then shut it. “Right yeah, well. My house, but yeah.”

“Lord, I can’t unhear this,” Will grimaced, but even he was grinning.

“You weren’t supposed to hear it at all,” Steve pointed out defensively.

“If you’re gonna fuck around, you’re gonna find out.”

Eddie’s sing-songy voice was new to the mix as he walked past them all, carrying a bunch of things as he made his way downstairs. “Howdy folks, don’t mind me.”

Steve snapped his fingers, pointing at him as he looked back at his kids. “That. What he said.”

El looked at everyone curiously.  “What does being daddy mean if Steve is that for Bauman —”

Everyone cut her off with sounds of disdain.

“Noooope! Nope, nope nope nope.”

“Nothing, absolutely nothing.”

“La la la la la la la la not talking about this la la la la.”

“Alright, enough,” Mama Steve silenced the kiddos. “Move along.”

“No, we’ve been waiting for 30 minutes,” Mike griped.

“It’s okay,” came your voice as you emerged from the room, standing next to Steve. “Why don’t you kids come on inside while Steve gets Max’s room ready?”

They all took you up on that offer, shuffling past you both and making their way inside. Steve shook his head as you grinned, pinching his side.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be grown up and outta the house before you know it.”

You winked at him before making your way into the room with them. Steve watched you fondly, hands on his hips in true Mom Steve Harrington fashion. He had that signature sexy-sassy look on his face that everyone had come to love over the years — you especially. Despite being annoyed, Steve felt his heart fill to the brim as he watched the kids scatter the bags of candy and show you the card game selections. You were hugging El closely while Dustin pointed out that he had plenty more candy hidden in his backpack. Will was telling you about his newest art collection ideas, and you excitedly listened to him while Mike and Lucas bickered about which games were better for everyone.

“Steve, you’re joining us, right?” Dustin asked.

Steve scrunched his face in confusion, doubling back with his shoulders. “Yeah, wasn’t that already happening?”

Dustin shrugged. “Just making sure you’re not gonna be lame.”

Steve shook his head. You looked over at him as you smiled.

“F’course he’s joining,” you winked. “It’s not a party without mom.”

Steve narrowed his eyes at you playfully, making your shoulders shake with a chuckle. 

He felt more at home in his own house than he ever had in 19 years. 

__________________________

Jonathan watched Steve make his way into Max’s room, knee bouncing.

He was seated in the living room, next to Joyce. She’d cornered him earlier, after watching Nancy move to sit on the porch alone and stare at nothing as she sat on the steps. Robin had moved to join her eventually, giving her company and offering to lend an ear.

That sprang Joyce into action, and she found Jonathan standing outside of Argyle’s room with Will. She’d found them both talking, happy to see her boys were in deep conversation and bonding. She could tell they’d been doing that for a little while now, and when they both looked up at her the three Byers all shared warm, solemn smiles. The boys looked a bit sheepish. Mostly the oldest.

Jonathan knew his mom wasn’t gonna let him off the hook. And if he was being honest, a good honest talk with his mother about something not having to do with the upside down was something he’d needed for a long time.

So they talked. Joyce listened while Jonathan spoke, and he listened while she responded. It was the perfect blend of expressed empathy, disappointment and motherly advice shared on her end. He admitted to the fight with Steve in the alleyway, back when Will was missing. And he admitted to making a move on Nancy while she was still in a relationship with Steve. She brought up Murray telling her about him getting drunk at the Henderson’s house, 2 years back…and he shamefully ducked his head as he wrung his hands. But Joyce just rubbed his back, reminding him she wasn’t here to berate him and only to talk through things the way they always have: as mother and son.

“You know, Jonathan…” Joyce spoke softly, her heart heavy. “I don’t think I ever really thanked you for everything that you did in helping me find Will.”

Jonathan did a double take, brow furrowed. “What’re you talking about, of course you did —”

“No,” Joyce shook her head. “No, we talked about it, sure. I verbally thanked you.”

“Many times, mom,” Jonathan assured her.

“Just listen,” she cut him off gently, clutching his hand. “I lost a son…but you’d lost a brother. We both lost him. Twice. God, twice… and each time was a brand new hell. We didn’t even have time to process the first round.”

Jonathan chuckled darkly. “Would we ever have processed that? I mean really…”

Joyce grinned at that. “Psh, yeah. Doubt it.” Looking back at him with a softened expression, she continued. “Point is…in the midst of all that stress, and searching, and worrying…you were still going through so much. Not just with Will missing…but everything else, too.”

Jonathan listened to his mother as she looked deeply into his eyes, clutching both his hands. She went on to tell her eldest son every validating thing a mother could tell her child. She recounted every single thing that Jonathan had been dealing with outside of Will going missing, and it hurt her to relive it all just as much as it hurt Jonathan to hear it all over again. When Joyce got to the part where she’d had to make them all move, Jonathan’s eyes watered up. 

“You and Nancy were just beginning to dive into things deeply,” she was saying. “Really, you’d both gone through so much together and finally you both got to just…start being a couple, and then it all went wrong again, so that — that forced you both back into the upside down bullshit…”

“Mom,” Jonathan said, a bit shocked.

“I’m serious,” Joyce said back, eyes fierce and full of love. “Jonathan, you’ve had to be an adult since you were just a kid. Since you were Will’s age. And then you finally get into a relationship with a beautiful girl, and immediately you’re thrown into war. Not even able to enjoy your teens going into adulthood. Even Nancy, she…she’s been through so much with you. And now…”

Joyce’s voice trailed off. She sighed, exasperated with herself. She re-centered, turning back to her son.

“I love you,” she told him, eyes full of love. “So much, you just don’t know. You are just…a good person. And the fact you feel overcome with guilt as though you’re not —“

“I haven’t been a good person, mom,” Jonathan murmured, voice wobbly.

“Jonathan,” Joyce whispered, squeezing his hands. “Just because you’ve not acted right in certain ways…that does not make you a bad person. Do you understand that? Because if not — then whoever’s telling you that…whether it’s someone you love, or a stranger, or yourself…stop listening. Seek within. Listen to your heart, because it’s never going to steer you wrong. And no, that’s not just some dumb cliche saying, it’s true. Your mind will confuse you, and your soul will get shaken. But your heart? It will always lead you back.”

Jonathan’s lip trembled, and Joyce held him tight as he shook him her arms. He clung to his mother, overwhelmed.

“I’m afraid I’ll never say enough, mom,” he wept into her shoulder. “To Steve, or to Nancy… I’m actually more sure about what I need to say to him instead of her.”

Joyce chuckled early, squeezing him tighter. “Aw, baby… Don’t overthink. Say whatever is going to give your heart peace. You’ll regret anything you never said far more than anything that you did.”

***

“Trust me kid, I’m in the doghouse now for the hell I raised on the phone with him.”

Hopper stood in front of Steve, along with Murray. They’d just spoken with Dr. Owens on the phone, who’d told Murray that he wouldn’t be able to bring them the medication until tomorrow morning. Murray had managed to remain calmer than Hopper, to both their surprise.  Now, they stood in the kitchen with Steve – filling him in.

Steve took a deep breath through his nose, exhaling just as deeply out his mouth like a puff of air he’d been holding while running a hand through his hair. Murray looked at him with a somber, empathic expression. 

“Doesn’t mean I’m not just as furious about it,” Murray pointed out. “But given the whole…having a target on his back thing…I’m trying to have some sort of grace about it, mostly for her sake. And yours.”

That made Steve look over at him gratefully. He couldn’t imagine the stress your uncle was experiencing, knowing your heart — literally — was on the line.

“Says he’ll be here with it as early as he can be,” Murray added. “Just keep doing what you’re already doing. Which is the most.” His lips turned upwards at one of the corners. “The most, and then some.”

Steve allowed himself to give your uncle a sad smile back, appreciating being seen by him. He’s all that you had as far as family goes. With a nod, Steve let that news settle into his brain. He reached out to shake Murray’s hand, who shook it back firmly and dared to pat his shoulder. Physical affection was so not his thing. But he’d make an effort for the guy his niece was in love with, and who not only saved her life — but was still doing everything he could to keep it intact. 

“Kids sleepover, huh?”

Hopper changed the subject, grinning at Harrington — who chuckled lightly.

“You guys know about this?”

Hopper shrugged. “We might’ve told them to allow themselves some fun for one night, before we all go into lockdown…” His expression turned grim, a thought pushing its way to the forefront of his brain. “And whatever plan needs to go into action.”

Steve knew what he meant. Getting back out there. He swallowed hard, giving him a quick nod. No one was ready for this. But were they ever really “ready” for any of this?

Murray and Hopper told Steve to not give any thought whatsoever to anything relating to doomsday until the next morning. They insisted that they just take the focus on laughing and soaking up the night with you and the kids. Steve was surprised at how certain they both were about it, but despite it being out of character for them in an endearing way…it scared him. It meant that they knew just how much everyone here was at risk. It made a sharp chill run up Steve’s spine.

Eventually, Steve had made his way up to Max’s room. He was sorting through it, making room for you all to camp out there. El had already turned her little cot bed into a floor couch of sorts, which made Steve grin. 

He talked to Max out loud as he checked her vitals. Lucas already had, along with Joyce and Hopper. Still, he always wanted to make sure. 

“Not sure if this is gonna be one of those nights where I’ve gotta make Dustin cut the attitude during games,” Steve was telling her with a smirk as he straightened her pillows. “Honestly, it’s probably an excuse for Mike and El to be able to cuddle at night. So I’ll likely be chaperoning the entire night. Good thing I got mad good sleep with Bauman today.”

Steve moved to close the curtains, watching the sun begin to set behind the trees in the distance. It looked dull, given all the debris and toxic air.

“You know what’s crazy?” he asked her.  “Ever since I started sleeping with her — like actually sleeping, head outta the gutter Max — it’s…I haven’t had a single nightmare. I always have those.”

He moved to discard some of the kids’ loose candy wrapped and one of Dustin’s empty pudding containers, glancing over at her sleeping form.

“Seriously, it’s weird. It’s like she just…makes them all disappear.” Steve scoffed a laugh at that. “Who’d have thought… She’s been a nightmare to me, and now I can’t…can’t even stand to think back on the times I never saw her like I do now.”

Steve looked around the room, seeing it was good for the night. It would be a tight squeeze — but having shuffled Max’s bed over enough so that they all had room to play games and draw on the floor with snacks, it would do. He sighed, taking a second to sit on the edge of the bed near her feet.

“Maybe this is a good thing,” he murmured. “Tonight.  Hearing all our voices at once. Arguing and bickering and laughing the way you all do together.” 

Steve poked her knee. “Think that’ll kick start you again, red? Wake you back up so that you can give us all shit?”

Her silence isn’t as long as he expects it to be whenever he hears a knock. Steve looks over to the open doorway, finding Jonathan standing there. He looks…wary. Rough, and timid. Standing awkwardly with his hands buried deeply in his pockets, he shoots Steve a very quick, uncomfortable right-lipped grin.

“Hey.”

Steve blinks. “Hey.”

Jonathan rocks on his feet for a moment. Finally, he clears his throat. “Can I come in?”

Steve blinks again, but eventually nods. “Yeah. Yeah, sure, yeah.”

Jonathan moves to lean against the wall, next to the doorway. Steve would laugh at the fact that this is Byers’ way of “coming in,” if it weren’t for the fact that he was so clearly nervous about something. Steve had a few guesses as to why he was here. He knew this had been coming, and he wishes he’d been the one to initiate it. Because they really needed to talk.

They’d needed to talk for 3 years.

“Look, Byers,” Steve started after waiting for what felt like a century for Jonathan to say something. “I owe you an apology…”

“No,” Jonathan cut him off. 

It made Steve look at him in surprise. But Jonathan continued before he could say anything else.

“No, it’s me who owes you an apology.”

Steve stared. “…what?”

Jonathan sighed, scratching his neck and praying the words could find him as he finally dove into what he needed to let off his chest.

“Look I’m not good at this,” Jonathan said. “Talking, I mean. You know I’m weird.” 

He gnawed at his lip, pensive and twitchy. He looked down at his feet a lot, feeling tense under Harrington’s gaze. But he sucked in a deep breath, going for it. 

“Back in 1982, you had every right to break my camera.”

Steve froze. “No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah. Yeah you did. I shouldn’t have been spying on you guys like that. ‘Cause even though I was looking for my brother, it…it turned into me just…following the sound of you all partying and watching from afar. So I mean, technically…”  Jonathan chuckled under his breath darkly. “Technically, I was being a stalker.”

He looked up at Steve finally, finding him looking at him in pure shock. 

“You were dating Nancy,” Jonathan continued. “And I took…really inappropriate pictures of her. In a moment when you both were having…or well, thought you were having a private moment together. That wasn’t alright. And if…if someone had done that to me and my girlfriend, I would’ve…probably done the same thing. And honestly, you getting mad at me in the alleyway that morning —”

“Dude, no,” Steve shook his head. “Don’t take the blame for that. That was all me. It was shitty, what I did to Nancy. And what I said to you.”

“Yeah it was, but you found me in your girlfriend’s room, Steve,” Jonathan told him. “I was in there with her, in her bed, sleeping next to her when she told you that she was with her family. It looked…fucked up.”

Steve was just staring again. How in the hell was this happening right now? And why had he himself never made it happen sooner?

“So you chewed me out,” Jonathan shrugged. “And no, you shouldn’t have publicly humiliated Nancy like that at all…”

“I kick myself for it every day,” Steve murmured. “Trust me…”

“I know,” Jonathan told him, voice softer. “I know that now. I’ve…known you have for a long time. Nancy told me. I know you apologized over and over.” He took a moment, going back. “But what you said to me was just…your way of saying fuck you. You felt used, tricked and stupid. After you’d protected Nancy from a guy who’d proven himself to be a creepy stalker, and it looked like she slept with him. So you lashed out. Like any teen guy would.”

“I called you a queer,” Steve says incredulously, cringing at the memory. “I even went as far as saying you were the reason for Will going missing, along with your mom. It was low, Jonathan. What I said and did was just — flat out low. No excuses. None. I’m the one in the wrong.”

“Steve, we both were.”

Jonathan’s voice finally finds confidence. It makes Steve look at him in another light, as if he’s truly seeing Byers for the strong-willed young man that he is. It occurs to him now that maybe Jonathan has been going through some soul searching of his own, just as he had over the last few years. Clearly, he still was.  Both of them were.

“We were barely 17 years old, and stupid,” Jonathan kept going. “We — we didn’t know how the hell to deal with anything. Much less a missing kid, or a guy related to that kid who’d taken creepy photos. We both were idiots.”

Steve let that land. And it actually made him laugh, sheepishly. 

“Yeah,” he nodded slowly, scratching his neck. “Yeah, I guess we were.”

Jonathan laughed too. It was still tense, a bit awkward. But it was becoming lighter. For both of them.

“Shit, Byers,” Steve shook his head. “Have we both been feeling awful about this for years and just… not saying something about it until now?”

Jonathan sighed. “Sounds like it.”

They were both quiet for a moment, letting this newfound revelation settle into existence.

“Thanks for the new camera, by the way,” Jonathan added. “I know that was you.”

Steve looked back up at him, finding kindness and sincere gratitude in Jonathan’s eyes. It made him feel shy. Worse, yet better at the same time.

“Least I could do,” Steve shrugged.

Jonathan sniffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, well… You didn’t take the credit for it. You let Nancy do that.”

Jonathan pursed his lips, brow pinching as he shifted against the wall and stared down at his feet again. Steve waited as he watched him curiously.

“You extended way more kindness to me than I did you,” Jonathan said softly. So softly, it made Steve wonder if it was actually what he said.

“I shouldn’t have pined after Nancy,” Jonathan said. “I should’ve asked her out. Like actually asked her out, while she was single again. Before you two got back together.”

Steve felt his stomach jump. This was…a lot. So much was being covered right now in this conversation.

“But instead, I just sulked and pretended I still wasn’t in her thoughts at all. Even though I knew that…that she liked me. But I also knew that she liked you. So I just… I convinced myself it wasn’t ever gonna happen. Because that was safer. And hating you made it easier to do that.”

Jonathan looked ashamed of everything that he was saying now, but certain about it. Steve just listened, not daring to interrupt him.

“I might not have cheated with Nancy the first time you both dated…but I did the second time. And that’s not… that’s not right.” Jonathan sighed, taking a breath. “But I was a coward. Maybe not when it came to the upside down and finding Will, but up here? In regular real life? I am. I’m a coward. I don’t say whatever it is that I’m actually feeling or thinking, or wanna say. I just…wait for circumstances to make it happen for me. You don’t do that. You just…go for it.”

Steve scoffed. “Trust me, I’m…I’ve been a coward for years. In many ways, many times, for many reasons.”

“Yeah, well…you still didn’t steal someone else’s girlfriend instead of actually making a move. And I’m really…really sorry about that, Steve. I’m sorry I swooped in like that, and then…drunkenly bragged about it to Bauman Squared while you were in earshot. It made you take it out on her, when she didn’t deserve that. I did. All she did was call me out on it with Murray. They both had no idea it would turn into this.”

That made Steve squirm. He thought about how he’d been pining after Nancy still, even when she was with Jonathan. He took a deep breath, knowing he needed to let that off his chest too.

“Look,” Steve started warily. “Honestly, I really appreciate everything you’re saying. And really — apology accepted. Completely.”

Jonathan could tell that Steve meant it, and he visibly relaxed some once he let that settle into his bones. He released a breath of air that he hadn’t even realized he had been holding.

Meanwhile, Steve was holding his own.

“And you’re right,” Steve continued. “What I did to Bauman? Taking it out on her like that was…well it was projection. Cowardly projection. Instead of taking it out on you and Nancy, I took it out on someone else. Because that was easier. Because it meant that I still got to be the unsung hero in Nancy’s life, and a bigger person than you.”

Jonathan stared at him now, surprised to hear this. He wasn’t expecting his confessed guilt to lead to Steve admitting guilt of his own.

“I’ll probably be telling Bauman I’m sorry for as long as I live,” Steve continued, voice solemn. Honestly I feel…shitty beyond belief, knowing that I could’ve been kinder to her all this time…maybe even spared myself way more heartbreak...if I’d just gotten mad at you guys instead of her. Because then, I might’ve gotten close with her and discovered feelings for her before this all went down.”

“Maybe,” Jonathan pondered, nodding. “Then again… I don’t think you’d have fallen for her nearly as hard if it hadn’t been for you giving her shit for it.”

They both awkwardly chuckle at that. But it makes them both sad to think about it. How you’d taken the brunt of it all.

“Fuck, she didn’t deserve that,” Jonathan huffs. “And I’m — I’m the one who caused it.”

“No,” Steve shook his head, eyes sad and dark as they swam in regret. “No, that was all me. I was an asshole. And truthfully, I was still so hung up on Nance that I didn’t know how to even remotely look at another girl. Let alone one I convinced myself was responsible for taking that away from me, knowing damn well that it wasn’t. Nance wanted you, and you wanted her. Plain and simple.”

Jonathan looked ashamed all over again, but Steve held up a hand. 

“Trust me,” Steve assured him. “She wasn’t mine to keep. I get that now.”

Jonathan slowly smiled at that. “You love her, don’t you?”

Steve knew who he meant. You. 

“Yeah,” Steve whispered. “Yeah, I…don’t even know what to do with it.”

Steve stared into thin air, lost in thought. Jonathan didn’t push him, just watching him and waiting for him to go on.

“I just…look back on it all and wonder how. How did I not see her in high school, or…see during the summer of ‘84 that she was clearly perfect?”

“It takes time,” Jonathan said softly. “Shit doesn’t always hit you right away. I know that better than you’d think.”

Steve pursed his lips. “Yeah. Yeah no, you’re not wrong. I just… I dunno. I guess I’m just…”

He took a deep breath, knowing he needed to get this over with.

“I was still hung up on Nance while you were in California,” he continued, making eye contact with Jonathan again. “So much so that…I told her I was. And I’d…hoped to get her back. I wanted to steal her back from you.”

Jonathan sighed, giving him a small smile.

“I know,” he said. “She told me.”

Steve stared. Oh.

“Believe it or not,” Jonathan continued. “I’m not…mad about that at all.”

Steve blinked.  “…why…?”

Jonathan chuckled. “Steve, I actually stole your girlfriend. I had it coming.”

After several more blinks, Steve coughed out a laugh. Was he serious? As Jonathan laughed with him, he realized that he truly meant it. He wasn’t mad.

“Sorry man, but I won that round,” Jonathan chuckled.

“Fair,” Steve chuckled back. “Good game, man.”

Jonathan nodded awkwardly, shuffling his feet. “Yeahhh, good game…”

They took a few moments of silence, letting the tension wear off some more. It was…nice. This weird sort of talk was nice.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is,” Steve continued. “I’m sorry, too. For going after Nance again, and not just… facing you both sooner.”

“S'alright,” Jonathan told him. “I’ve honestly been a really shitty boyfriend these last several months.”

Steve’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Long story,” Jonathan waved a hand. “That’s my own wrong that I gotta make right with Nancy.”

Steve contemplated that. Had whatever was going south between Jonathan and Nancy, unbeknownst to him, been the reason she’d seemed to be interested in him again? Or was that just the tipping point for her, and her buried lingering feelings for Steve?

Regardless, it didn’t matter now. Steve was so in love with you, he couldn’t see straight. But it did make him wonder.

“And honestly, I don’t blame you,” Jonathan said, smiling. “Nancy, she’s…perfect.”

Steve smiled at him. “She’s pretty wonderful,” Steve agreed. “I’ll always adore her. But…”

“…but you found your person,” Jonathan finished for him. “Your ‘perfect’ person.”

Steve grinned. “Yeah. She makes everything make sense for me, and I just…god, I love her.”

Jonathan nodded, still smiling. “I know how you feel.”

Steve fiddled his thumbs in his lap, staring down at them and feeling his stomach knot up. There was another thing he needed to own up to…

“Jonathan, what I said to you…” Steve murmured, eyes still downcast. “Yesterday, back at the fence…when Bauman…” Steve winced, skipping that part.  “...it wasn’t at all —”

“I deserved it.”

“Okay, you’ve got to stop doing that, will you let me feel bad for at least one thing I’m saying?”

“No, and especially not this one.”

Steve sighed, perplexed. “…and why is that?”

“Because I deserved it.”

Jonathan watched as Steve just gaped at him, biting back amusement. He let the sincerity of the serious topic ground him again.

“You all searched and fought relentlessly for me and my mom when this all started,” Jonathan went on to say.

“...I so did not do anything from the start.”

“Maybe you don’t think you did? But you did.”

“…I so did not.”

“You got there. And besides…like we both said earlier…lots of misdirected projection. And lots of long overdue confrontation. On both our parts.”

Steve couldn’t argue that. Byers was right, at least in this case.

“You were still mad at me,” Jonathan continued, “and I was just mad at myself but convinced that everything and everyone else — you included — were the problem. Not me.”

Jonathan gnawed at his lip for several moments, clearing his throat.  “You basically unleashed years of deeply buried resentment onto me in one foul swoop.  I gotta say, your words…shit hit me hard.”

Steve frowned, ducking his head a bit.  “I honestly don’t even remember some of it.  I just…saw red.”

Jonathan snorted.  “Blind rage will do that.  Shit, I don’t even remember swinging on you back in ‘82.  Apparently, I did a pretty nasty job.”

“I was positive you’d done permanent damage to my nose.”

“Yeah, and then you took an even worse beating from that Hargrove kid and the Russians,” Jonathan said, nose scrunched with a laugh.  Steve laughed, too.  They had to laugh about it all at this point.

“Christ, man,” Steve groaned.  “It’s a wonder my face isn’t the prime subject for plastic surgery…”

Jonathan shrugged. “And you wonder why we all hate you so much.  You’ve gotten your ass beat so many times, and still look good.”

Steve smirked.  “Thanks.”

Jonathan winked.  “I’m sure Bauman Squared digs it.  All the battle wounds.”

That actually made Steve blush.  “Psh.  Compared to the fall she took?  My experiences look like a walk in the park.”

“So Dr. Owens is bringing her meds tomorrow, yeah?” Jonathan asked, brow pinched with worry.

Steve sighed, raking a hand through his hair before crouching over his knees, elbows pressing into them.  “Yeah.  Yeah, that can’t come soon enough.”

Jonathan looked at Steve with a somber expression.  He hated that he was going through this.  Seriously, when was Harrington going to catch a damn break?

“She’ll be alright, man,” Jonathan told him kindly.  “She’s got you.  Got all of us.”

Steve nodded.  “Yeah, she’s gonna have to be.  I’ll lose my goddamn mind if she — yeah, she has to be.”

“She will,” Jonathan nodded, speaking firmly.  Assuringly.  “She’s not going anywhere.”

Steve bit his lip, staring at his hands.  

Jonathan shuffled his feet, feeling shy again before asking… “So hey…are we cool?  Like actually really, finally cool?”

Steve looked up at that, eyes shining with relief and kindness.  He stood up, extending a hand out for a firm handshake.  “Yeah man.  We’re cool.  For good.”

Jonathan felt relief wash over him entirely as he shook Steve’s hand, pulling him in for a tight hug.  And Steve felt like he had just made so much peace with his old self in a multitude of ways, over one honest conversation with Byers.  While he wished it had happened sooner, he realized…maybe if it had, it wouldn’t have led to this.  This true sense of peace that came with newfound mature understanding that both of them had grown into individually.

Byers and Harrington could be friends now.  They both had peace to find with Nancy Wheeler, but if they were being brutally honest with themselves — that wasn’t going to be possible until the two of them had hashed it out, once and for all.  And now that they had, Steve could let Nancy know that he had finally moved on…once and for all...and so could she.

And Jonathan could go make things right with her — whether that led to them deciding to take time apart, or getting his girl back.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

TAGLIST (ILYSM) If I forgot you or you wanna be added, lmk :)

@aloneinthehellfire @xprloki @erastourvip @get0ut0fmyr00m @Eddiemuns0nl0ver @marrowfrog00 @poppet05 @wiltedflowersundertowers Originalthingparadise Pleuviors pumpkinonice Ihaveproblemsihaveproblems Brinleighsstuff Definitelynotherr sucker-4-angst bookkeeperlove notlilyyyy @goosy-goose

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington angst #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x you #mishas masterlists #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington smut #steve harrington stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #oh so we do love steve #Steve and bauman #steve harrington fluff #stranger things au #SoundCloud

[ohimsummer]

✎ . . .❝ WRONG CHOCOLATE, DUMBASS! ❞

— poly! stsgverse, sfw biting, explicit language, sassy man suguru, jealous! gojo if you squint, geto + reader banter

⭑ ࣪ ˖ sum’z notes.ᐟ there’s one line (at the end) that implies reader is black, other than that it’s fair game :3

“i knew it was too quiet in here.”

two heads tilt to rest on the back of the couch, four eyes watching geto lean against the living room doorway. you giggle in his direction, breaking off another piece of the candy bar to nibble on.

“yeah, he offered me his silence in exchange for some of my chocolate.” you gesture towards the large, half-eaten symphony bar. “staying true to his word, too. i thought he was bein’ a big, fat liar.”

you’d know those blues were glaring even without turning around, or suguru’s lighthearted snickers. the dragon is appeased with another square of almond and toffee-riddled chocolate, and gojo makes sure to nip at your fingers as he takes the candy into his mouth; your pointed look goes ignored before you give his pale nose a flick and gojo yelps like a hurt dog; it’s a scene straight out of a sitcom, suguru thinks.

“he’s lucky he’s cute,” you huff towards geto, “can’t eat shit around here for somebody always begging.”

geto laughs aloud at that. “you’re an enabler. just look what you’re doing now, you’ve trained him to be that way.”

“what i’m doing now? and what’s that supposed to mean?”

you glance between him and gojo, whose long arms are wrapped snug around your waist, cheek resting on your chest and white bangs tickling your skin as he’s practically trapped you beneath him. pouting his toffee-tasting lips at you because you’re not hand-feeding him sweets fast enough.

maybe you get what suguru’s saying. but that doesn’t mean pride will allow you to admit it. “i don’t see the issue.”

geto just shakes his head and he disappears into the kitchen. “and that’s your problem, right there.”

you take another bite of the chocolate, gojo’s attention-seeking groan falling on deaf ears. “i’m so sick of you and that attitude, suguru.”

“oh, are you?” his taunt is shortly followed by the fridge door closing shut. “you gonna fight me about it or what?”

“and will.”

the broad man reappears in the doorway, cracking open a bottle of water. he doesn’t say a word, though the arch of his brows and the way his eyes narrow as he looks you up and down does all the talking for him.

“oh shut up.” you feel soft lips brush against your arm. the tingling sensation causes you to fidget, inadvertently moving the chocolate bar just as gojo moves in for a bite—a shark losing its prey. he gives out a loud sigh in another effort to be noticed, though it’s a noise that is overlooked.

“why, i haven’t said a word, darling.” geto snorts before taking a few sips of water. “i just…find that threat…a bit interesting coming from you.”

“see, now what is that supposed to mean?”

restlessness shoots throughout gojo’s limbs as his eyes follow the candy bar back and forward. you’re too busy returning sassy gestures to suguru, and he can’t find a good opportunity to take another bite with you moving so much. this was not a part of the deal he made with you.

“you just wait til I get up, i’m gonna beat that a–ow!”

water spurts from geto’s lips as he fails miserably at holding in his laughter; he slaps the back of a hand over his mouth before scurrying away into the kitchen for a paper towel. meanwhile, gojo meets your wide-eyed gaze with an unimpressed frown, blinking as you rub over the fresh teeth indentations on your forearm.

“you—!” satoru scrunches his face, drawling out an ‘owww!’ as you shove two fingers into his forehead. “that’s the wrong chocolate, dumbass!”

tagz: @staryukis @anthoosies @hellkaiserinphoenix @astral-hydromancy @flvffybunny @exinqiu @luvr-exe @reallifepearl @purplegemadventures @roseqzpd @sataraxia @trafalgarrattata @snackeyalleyjuice @apatauaia @leilalilox @getouolgy @elleflying07

[unnoticed-poison]

Dark! Yandere! Hazbin Hotel X Reader 【 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝟑 】

So I forgot I explained the situation in my other yandere fic but not this one so I'll do it now so everyone will know.

The reason some girls are genderbend is because I can't exactly write yaoi or yuri cause of my religion, the most I could do for them is turn them into males so they can be romantic yanderes, hope you guys understand.

Also because I like to write genderbend as well.

The treatment Valentino gives Angel Dust will be mentioned of course, and not all the girls will be genderbend, it depends on how the story will go.

So anyways enjoy the chapter ❣️

˖๑‧˚꒷꒦₊꒷꒦︶︶₊꒷꒦˚‧๑˖𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 ˖๑‧˚꒷꒦︶︶₊꒷꒦₊꒷꒦˚‧๑˖

Things were not going so well for Charles at the meeting.

"And then I went ahead and invited her to my place-"

This 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 won't stop babbling about useless stuff and avoiding the topic at hand.

"- I failed to seduce her since she's so oblivious, but I can always try again next time," Adam said nonchalantly, taking a bite out of the rib as he glanced at him. "So what did you do this weekend?"

"Sir." The exterminator standing behind Adam looked less than thrilled while listening to his boss's chattering as well. " There's only a few minutes left for the meeting."

"Really? Oh well, you can start talking then."

Fucking finally.

Charles stood up after clearing his throat, holding up his papers as he started explaining the situation at hand.

"So I'm sure you're well aware of the overpopulation issue we're currently facing, I would like to suggest-"

Adam interrupted him. "OH that's not a problem at all! we're taking care of that just fine, Lute!" He called out as Lute stepped closer to him. "How many demons did you kill this year?"

The exterminator's voice was blunt as he answered. "Got a good 275 sir."

"275!? Badass! Awesome job danger dick." They fist-bumped as he said this, making the demon frown.

They're proud of that..?

"You know those are my people, right..?"

Adam laughed. "Of course! And that's what makes it even better!"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Charles continued. "As I was saying, all our problems will be solved if we rehab those sinners and cleanse all their souls so they can join you guys in heaven and the extermination won't be needed anymore!"

He explained as fast as he could while holding up each paper. " The redeeming process will take place in my hote-"

"That's enough."

Huh?

"But I haven't finished yet-"

"I've heard more than enough, if what you're suggesting is letting those miserable fuckers climb up the ladder then you can forget about it, that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard in my long, loooong life."

"Everyone makes mistakes! They can redeem themselves-"

"They had the chance to do that when they were 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, now that they've earned damnation, it's no one's fault but their own," Lute spoke in a scornful tone, his eyes narrowed in disgust. "And for your information, angels 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 make mistakes."

Charles narrowed his eyes at him in return. " You really think so."

The man smirked. "I 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 so."

Adam, visibly annoyed, slammed his hands on the table, making them both stop. "Alright that's enough!"

He rose to his feet and made his way over to Charles until they were standing face to face. " Look here pal, hell is forever and there's nothing, and I mean absolutely 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 you can do about it, so I suggest you give up now, and I'll pretend I never heard any of that bullshit."

A sneer of contempt crept over his face as he towered over the boy, he looked too much like his father, just looking at him made him 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬.

"You should consider yourself lucky that damned snake gave you a pardon from the extermination or else you and your hellborn kind would've been dead a long time ago."

Charles could feel his blood boil, his face flushed in rage as he scowled at him.

This damned bastard-

Before he had a chance to respond, the angel suddenly stepped back.

"And now that I've got your and the audience's attention, I would like to announce that we've made a determination!" With a triumphant smirk, Adam turned his head to stare directly at where the camera was.

...?

Confused, Charles turned his head to where Adam was looking.

....

Shit!

There was a camera?!!

How come he didn't notice it!

"-To move up the next extermination."

What?!

"Wait a second that's not-!"

"I can't wait a whole year to slaughter those little cunts, I know the day just finished, but we'll be back in six months!" Taking hold of both the drone and Charles's hand, he sent a menacing smile to the camera. " Enjoy those next few months dear sinners! Cause they might be your last."

Once he said that, he roughly threw them out of the room and returned to his seat while bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Wait!" The demon exclaimed, papers scattered around him as he tried to enter the room again. "Hold on a moment!"

"Now where is my favorite angel-" was the last thing he heard Adam say before the door slammed shut in his face.

......

Frustrated beyond words, his face scrunched up in anger as he slammed his fist into the door.

"Fuck!"

This was not how this was supposed to go!

He made things WORSE.

He then heard a voice come from the small drone.

"Looks like Lucifer's brat fucked things up for us all! What a shocker, I'm sure your father will be 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥."

....

He squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a deep sigh as he dropped his head, feeling defeated.

"Excuse me, are those yours?"

Huh?

Charles lifted his head and looked over his shoulder.

Despite the woman being out of uniform and wearing a simple dress, he was certain that she was one of the angels with the wings and halo.

Moreover, the giant hammer in her hand, still dripping with blood, served as a stark reminder of her rank.

Her other hand was holding the papers he drew at the hotel, with a basket hanging from her wrist.

Was that an egg?

Despite being a little disturbed by the sight, he couldn't help but be drawn by her looks.

She's pretty...

"Sir?"

Charles snapped out of it, a flush spread across his cheeks when he realized he'd been staring too long.

With a sheepish nod, he stood up and brushed off his clothes as he went over to you.

"Oh yeah they're mine!"

With a nod, you extended the papers. "Here you go then." You said, handing him the papers, some were stained with blood.

He looked at the stained papers for a moment before taking them off your hand. "Am.. thanks."

"No problem, have a nice day."

With that being said, you walked past him and towards the room he just got kicked out of.

His eyes followed your back for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh and turning around to leave when he suddenly paused in his tracks.

Wait..

𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦

𝘐 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭?

Perhaps you're the one that arrogant prick was talking about?

𝘍𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦..𝘴𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦...

Maybe it wasn't too late yet!

If he could convince you of his project then maybe...

Perhaps you could help change Adam's mind as well!

Or at the very least move the extermination back to once a year like usual.

"Miss! Please wait!"

Turning back, he quickly headed over to you.

Upon hearing that, you paused and turned back to him with a raised brow. "Do you need anything?"

"I'd like to speak with you about something urgent."

You silently glanced back at the door and then back at the blonde, you had arrived just in time to witness him get thrown out by your boss.

So you had a pretty good guess on why he wanted to discuss with you.

"I'm sorry but my boss's words are final, I have no say in them, so whatever you spoke with him about I can't do anything."

That was mostly a lie, but the blonde didn't need to know that.

"Please! I beg you, it will only take a minute."

Gazing at the sheer desperation on the man's face, you couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.

..........

.....

Damnit.

You finally let out a sigh. "Go ahead, I can't promise anything though."

?!

Charles's face lit up with happiness as he gave you a beaming smile.

"Thank you!"

Despite your visible disinterest, the man excitedly explained his entire project to you in detail.

There might be hope to clean up the mess he made after all.

˖๑‧˚꒷꒦₊꒷꒦︶︶₊꒷꒦˚‧๑˖𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪 ˖๑‧˚꒷꒦︶︶₊꒷꒦₊꒷꒦˚‧๑˖

Hope you guys liked the chapter!

I really need to focus back on my Yandere Animation Studios fic, that thing only has the trailer chap posted 😭

Anyways until next time ❣️

#yandere hazbin hotel x reader #yandere hazbin hotel

[luveline]

can i pls request a hurt/comfort eddie drabble with hugs and reassurance? maybe someone did something that’s been on their mind and upsetting them. thank you!

i love comforting eddie so much and after make up i cant help remebering how good josephs hugs look so we know eddie gives the best ones ever <3

Eddie climbs through your open bedroom window and your heart rockets, startled at his sudden intrusion.

"You really need to start closing it if you're gonna react this bad every time," he says, dropping his beat up jansport by the sill and kicking off his shoes. "Move over." 

His appearance makes you feel much less miserable than you had, though it still lingers as you push your back to the wall. You and Eddie don't fit comfortably on your twin bed but that's never stopped him from trying, crushing in by your side, his arm pressed to yours. 

"Hey, sweetheart," he says finally, lolling his head toward you. 

"Hey, Eddie." 

"What were you doing? Sleeping?" he asks. 

You nod though it's not true, turning on your side to steal back a fraction of space. Eddie has this way of drawing the truth from you and you're not sure you wanna talk about it tonight. 

"You look sad. You wanna hug?" he asks. 

And that's your plan for space gone. It would be more suspicious to say you don't, because you always want a hug from Eddie. He gives the most amazing hugs, all strong armed and caring, his hands rubbing over the plane of your back slowly like he has nowhere else he'd rather be. His hugs are so good that you could believe it; that he loves them just as much as you do. 

You nod and he sits up, arms open and reaching for you. You sit up the same, enough to wrap your arms around his ribs and back. 

"You weren't really sleeping," he says. 

"No." 

"Mm," he hums, working his face into the side of yours, his lips skipping over the shell of your ear. "What's wrong, huh? Tell me." 

"Nothing serious," you confess slowly. 

"But it is something?" And there, his hand rubbing over your back, working away the tense ache. His rings are missing. Usually you can feel their weight, their ridges as they push over your spine. 

"Not really, Eddie." 

He groans quietly, almost good-humoured. Very much, I don't believe you. He's so nice and he smells beautiful, soft and warm, his arms strong as a cage but never that cruel, and his asking, all of it makes you want to cry. 

"Not really. I'm feeling a small chance that it's something. I mean, you don't have to tell me. But I wanna know, so…" 

You're limp to his solid, mild to his fierce. He pats your back a few good times and then holds you at arm's length. 

"Do you have, like, a stomach ache?" 

"No, I'm alright. Just…" 

"Artist block?" he asks. 

Not quite. You shake your head and then change your mind, deciding that artist's block sounds less pathetic than, 'someone saw my sketchbook and rolled their eyes and I've been sad for two days'. And not normal sad. Can't eat, don't want to move, sad. 

"Yeah," you agree, smiling weakly. "Yeah." 

"I noticed…" Eddie says, standing from the bed to retrieve his backpack before returning so fast he half sits on you. "That you haven't been doing your portraits lately." He unzips his bag and pulls out a smaller bag, made from a white paper with blue writing over the sides. "And I remembered how your nice inks all ran out. So, I went out to Indianapolis," his tone shifts, like he's listing something totally boring, "all the way down to that place behind Freeman's Ice Cream with the glass storefront, and the lady was totally pissed with me for getting all this Hawkins dirt," he grins deviously, "on their nice rug." 

He passes you the bag. "Anyway. That's for you, sweetheart." 

"Eddie…" 

"Don't sound too mushy yet. I don't know if they're the right ones." 

His shift from cocky to nervous is endearing. 

You shake the bag's contents into your lap. An assortment of things fall out. A big inky pen for portraits, a refill. Two pencils with blue wood. An eraser. Four markers, four colours. 

You slide your finger over the barrel of a marker. It's a dark red.

"I know you don't use much colour," he starts. "I thought it might help. Well, I asked one of the assistants. About, like, art block. And they said to try something new.

I liked the colours. I don't know if they're useful. But. I don't know. They suit you." 

A dark red, blue, green. A buttery yellow orange. 

"Eddie, you didn't have to." 

"I kind of did. If you think about it." 

You get what he means. The same way you get him a pack of cherry twizzlers everytime you see them, or always have a hair tie on your wrist. 

You cover your face with your hands, wanting to hide how embarrassed you feel. How overcome with affection for him. 

He yanks your wrists. "What?" 

"Nothing." 

"Don't cry. Hey." He scowls at your watery eyes. "Hey, don't. What's wrong? It's only a couple of pens." 

"You don't think I'm awful?" you ask quietly. "At drawing?" 

"No. Of course I don't. I love your art." His scowl softens. "Did someone say something? I can get violent." 

"It's stupid," you say. 

He's quiet. You take the red marker in your hand, turning it over and over and over. He's kept a hold of one of your wrist, his thumb pushing into your pulse then upward, into the meat of your palm. 

"The piece you did for my last campaign? You know how fucking amazing that shit was? All in black and white but everyone could tell how emotional it was. You made it something so dimensional and gory and crazy without any colour at all." He sews your fingers together. You meet his eyes. Brown, edged in a burst of dark, long lashes. "If you can do that shit in graphite I'm genuinely scared of the stuff you could make with colour. And when I say scared I mean I'm salivating. Like a dog." 

You scrunch up your nose and squeeze his fingers. He squeezes back. 

"Not that I'm expecting a thank you, but I am." 

"Yeah?" you ask, sniffing, grinning wide enough to hurt your cheeks. 

"Yep. It involves your hands." Your eyes jump to his and his laugh is golden. "A hug, sweetheart. Why, what were you thinking?" 

"Shut up, jerk." You crawl over the art supplies, paper crinkling under your knees as you hug him tenaciously. 

He rubs your back and says, "That's better." 

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson #stranger things x reader #stranger things fic #eddie munson imagine

[msookyspooky]

i would love to hear your thoughts on mickey alterti as a yandere cause he definitely would be one 🫶

OMFG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE 😩😭😏

♡ Mickey Being Obsessed With You ♡

Yandere Mickey x GN!Reader • Problematic af

- He saw you on campus and flirted with you regularly. You just laughed it off and soon he started mingling within your friend group.

- You didn't think much about it at first...But it was odd that everytime something 'bad' happened; he was there to offer you comfort and support

- When the Ghostface kills happened, he was the first one to tell you everything was okay and he wouldn't let anything happen to you

- When you found a body for the first time, he hugged you close to him and sshhed you that everything would be alright...How weird he didn't seem too distraught over seeing someone mangled...

- Soon people that slighted you were coming up missing and later found dead. Mutilated beyond recognition, actually. You always saw the way Mickey would glare at them. Absolute hatred towards anyone mean or rude to you...You just thought he was a good friend!

- But when your friends came up dead, this time, you started to freak out. Mickey talked to you in private after a good friend was attacked with a superficial wound. He told you, "...Why would the killer not kill them? Just be careful with them, YN."

- The police were suspecting you or someone in your inner circle. Mickey panicked when the police made you a suspect. You thought he was just THAT loyal that he believed you could never be the killer.

- Soon, your friend was found with evidence in their bag that they screamed wasn't there's. They were arrested and all you could do was accept your friend was the killer all along. You were devastated!

- You felt suspicious of Mickey just because his behavior was odd but with your friend being caught red handed; he was just a good guy! A bit cynical, dark humor, overbearing and overprotective but he wasn't a killer.

- Mickey was the only person you had left and he wanted you to have a movie night with him just to make sure you were okay.

- While at his place, he went to get snacks and you saw his camrecorder just sitting there...You smiled to yourself and snuck a peak. Thinking you'd see movie shots or his friends....Your face fell when you saw the footage.

- Every video was you. From far away a long time ago before you even talked to him clear up to present day. It was endless reel of you. You. You....You.

- You snuck out and ran as fast as you could. Terrified.

- You hid, trying to get to the police when a Ghostface appeared. Trying to grab you as you fought back. You fought with everything you had. Then you heard the voice. Confirming who the killer really was.

- "Don't make me hurt you, YN!" He peeled off the mask and looked at you like you were the only person in the world. "We're okay now. Especially with all those annoying people out of the way. Don't you see it!? We can be together now! It's okay...You can be with me now."

- He holds you captive from that point forward. Whispering sweet words to you in a soft voice while he held his knife dangerously close to your throat. He took you back to his place, letting you know that if you told; he'd kill you or someone you care about. Be a shame if you told police and he wasn't caught. What if your entire family or friends off campus came up dead?...He knew where you lived, where they lived, when they were home....He knew everything about you.

- The killings stopped. Your friend was going to trial. Mickey and you were 'dating' now. It was A-Okay and only because you let him love you.

- He constantly recorded you no matter how miserable you looked. Claiming you were his muse with an adoring smile.

- He was extremely loving towards you. So soft, playful, loyal. He was arguably the best boyfriend you had when he was in a good mood.

- However, that dark look would enter his eyes whenever anyone but him held your attention for too long. Especially another guy. His grip on you would get painful, his mood would sour and he'd start making threats again. Swearing that if you left him; people would die. Maybe even you...If he couldn't have you, no one could.

- He'd hunt you down if you tried to leave him. Knife in hand and a feral look in his eyes. "Don't fight me, YN. You know I love you. You know I only want what's best for you...Just accept it!"

- You were his only. You didn't need friends when you had him. As long as you were good; the mask and knife stayed hidden. But if you acted up and someone got killed? That wasn't Mickey's doing, that was yours. If you ran away and he hurt you? That was your fault too. He can't control himself, you know this. Just be so good for him and let him be a good boyfriend.

- Once you accepted it; he was an amazing guy. He did anything for you. Had no eyes for anyone else. Laughed at every joke. Listened intently to what you had to say with a grin on his face. Would hold you close if anyone dared come near you especially in a flirty way. Loved you like you were the only love he ever knew. Desperate for you every time you were together.

- HOWEVER...Friends were only permitted as long as they didn't take time away from him. People joked that you and Mickey were attached at the hip and you forced a smile to play along no matter how much you wanted to tell them. He had to come to every family get together. He would become distraught, close to tears and rage if you just simply wanted time away with a family member or alone time. It took hours of him trying to emotionally manipulate you and you trying to argue it was fine...He usually won.

- You were his. Only his. You just had to accept this was your life now. That your boyfriend was an obsessed serial killer that made you the object of his obsession.

#tw noncon #tw dubcon #tw abuse #tw obsessive love #tw yandere #scream #mickey altieri #mickey altieri x reader #scream 2 #scream imagine #scream imagines

[orion4ever]

qiu and tamarack with an mc that seemingly NEVER gets sick and then one day they are just in bed an entire day with the worst fever, they're loopy and dazed and more prone to crying just because they accidentally stubbed their toe or sneezed one to many times.

Author’s Note: I hope you enjoy this, I am sort of like this. One day id feel fine and then the next day my stuffy nose basically suffocates me lol

I wrote this for Step 2 but if you wanted Step 1 then please do request again!

Pairing(s): Qiu Lin x MC and Tamarack Baumann x MC

🍂🗒️

QIU LIN🗒️

They always wondered how you never got sick.

I headcanon that Qiu gets colds often so they’re curious about what witchcraft or tricks your pulling that make you immune.

So when you do get sick, they are surprised, to say the least.

If you were feeling loopy and saying random gibberish then they can’t help but tease you a little.

“Do you think, If you road your bike..fast enough *sneeze* you could…*sniff* rewind time.”

“…Probably.”

When you do end up emotional maybe after leaving your chicken noddle soup to cool down for a bit and then eating it to realize it was cold

Or

Coughing hard enough that it hurts your throat and start crying. Then Qiu would be so doting and sad that you have to go through this.

They’re an angsty teenager but have the biggest soft spot for you and hates seeing you so miserable and ill.

They don’t try and invade your space when you’re sick since as I said, they are somewhat sick prone.

When your mom has to eventually ask Qiu to leave so that you can rest, Qiu will write notes and slide them under your door and talk to you from the other side.

Or maybe even, cup phones. They see them as childish but it’s just you and them anyway so who even cares?

Once you feel better or at least better enough to rejoin society, Qiu is definitely making sure you get some fresh air.

You owe them the time the two of you missed from being sick and they missed you!

You were sick.

You got caught in the rain yesterday and thought it was the best idea to tough it out after forgetting your umbrella.

Your dear mother had banished you to your bedroom, leaving a bowl of hot soup and some water on your bedside table.

You were miserable, today was such a nice day. The days after a rainy day were always the best so it sucked that you were stuck in your room. You had nothing to do and were spacing out while constantly readjusting your pillow.

You heard noise from downstairs and slumped out of bed and cracked your door open to see who it was.

“I am sorry, Qiu. MC is sick today. I don’t think it's best to have a hangout.” You heard your mother say, sympathetically to your crush.

“Really? They never get sick..” Qiu replied, a confused tone making an obvious appearance in their voice.

“MC got wet while it was raining yesterday-“ your mother explained, her voice becoming more muffled; like she was moving around.

“Aw, man. Ms. L/N, Could the two of us hang out, I promise to “ They’re voice also begun to be muffled up, like the walls were swallowing their words.

You had already assumed that your mother would be true to her word and keep you quarantined until you were feeling better and you hated how much she cared about you at that moment.

You were so drowsy from the medicine, the lights were too bright and you accidentally knocked your hand on the bedpost and everything just SUCKED.

You slowly closed the door and slid down it. Becoming too lazy to bother. You wanted to cry a little, You didn’t cry that often; I mean you were 14. What 14-year-olds cries because they’re sick? Like, please.

You brought a hand to your eye to wipe a stray tear from your eye, I guess you were the rare instance of crying teenagers. Contemplating crawling back to your bed, you suddenly felt the door open a little before something was thrown into your room like a grenade.

The door closing was barely noticed by you as you quickly turned to see what was thrown into your room.

A paper cup, with a string attached to it and leading out the door.

A small smile appeared on your face, your eyes glossing over at the gesture; You already knew who was the culprit behind it.

You picked the cup up from the floor and put it up to your ear.

“Hey. Sorry, you’re sick..” they apologized sincerely.

“It’s fine, really *sniff*” you replied, getting comfortable against the door and talking into the cup.

“I am not used to being sick.”

“I can tell. In the four years I've known you, You have NEVER gotten sick.” Qiu said, a little surprise in their voice.

“I know right, I hate it!”

And the conversation went from there, You two talked for what seemed like hours.

Debated about if you churned premade butter, would you get more butter or if it would turn to milk?

Played hangman with a shared paper that was pushed under the door multiple times.

They hated hearing you cough and suffer and hoped that you got better.

Qiu stayed with you until it was late, promising a fun day at the diner tomorrow.

TAMARACK BAUMANN🍂

She unintentionally babies you so hard when you get sick.

I have a headcanon that Tamarack barely gets sick, mostly due to her just being able to run around in just a scarf and no hats or jackets.

She believes that no one is immune to sickness but when you finally do get sick, she’s a little surprised but is ready to bring you her Omi’s soup and her company.

If you were feeling especially loopy or dazed then she would giggle A LITTLE, but then stop because she felt bad.

“pfft hehe- Oh no, that's not right. I am sorry!”

“…Do you think when you are born, that you’re the youngest person in the entire world?”

When you do get sad and emotional over small things and start bawling over it then Tamarack is so quick to try and help.

Accidentally slam your hand on a table? The table is now moved away for now. The water scratches your throat when you drink it? She’s getting you some tea, you like honey with yours; right?

When you are stuck in bed and have nothing to do, then count on Tamarack to give you some company. She doesn’t even really care if she’s potentially getting herself sick by being around.

She’s bringing stuff from outside and putting it on your table as a gift and chatting with you.

She understands not having someone around your age to talk to and she doesn’t want you feeling abandoned when you’re stuck in your room until you feel better.

And when she eventually has to be asked to leave from your mother, she will be writing you letters, drawing, and collecting forest finds to either wait to give you or give to your mother to send up to you.

She even gets a ‘Get well soon’ card and tries and get everyone to sign it for you.

Which admittedly isn’t all that hard.

You have lots of lovely people around in your life, Tamarack being a special one.

“MC, You are burning up..” Your mother said worriedly, laying the back of her hand on your forehead.

“*sneeze* this is the worst.” You groaned, regretting your past choices up to this point. This morning, you had forgotten to bring a jacket and it was much chillier than you were used to.

“That's why I always remind you to bring yourself a jacket.” Your mom sighed, getting up.

“I will start making you something to eat. I will make you some oatmeal, stay all cozied up in bed and take it easy.” She gave you a motherly smile, patting your knee before leaving with the door closing gently behind her.

You were now alone.

This did suck, You had promised you would go over to Tamarack’s and you hated flaking on your promises.

So you just sat in your bed, twiddling your thumbs. Maybe you could start on assignments right now..? Nah. That was boring, your body’s immune system was already torturing you; let's not add homework to it.

You could draw something? Reorganize? Watch a video online-

Before you could bore yourself to death, you heard a pebble being thrown at your window and moved your attention to that.

You got up from your bed and wrapped yourself in your blanket before stepping over to the small window to reveal...

Tamarack!

You opened the window and received another pebble, barely missing you; earning an apologetic gasp from the ginger girl outside.

"Sorry! I wasn't aiming for you!" she apologized, waving her hand side to side as a greeting. You smiled before moving your face away from the window to cough.

"It's okay, Tama! *wheeze*" You reassured her, leaning on the ajar window to hear her better.

"I wanted to come inside but your mom said you were sick and was quarantining you.." Tamarack sighed before pulling something from her pocket.

You could barely make out what it was, that's until Tamarack got into paper airplane position and aimed for it at the now open window.

You moved out of the way just in time for her to throw it and......

She sticks the landing! The paper airplane flew right into your room and onto the ground. You picked up the white and red lined paper and turned back to Tamarack to open it.

Inside the airplane were a few pressed flowers and a little note.

'Get Well Soon!' was written in big letters; little notes from other people were below it.

'I hope you feel better'-Ren

'Expect me to break into your house soon.'- Qiu

'Make sure to get lots of rest'-Vianca

'See you when you get better!!'-Serenity

and finally, the sweetest one.

'Thinking of you, always! I will keep you company until you feel better! :)'-Tamarack

You smiled big before yelling down from your window. “Tamarack?”

“Yeah?” She replied , looking up with a shy smile.

“You are a angel”

#fanfic #our life now and forever #olnf #orion4ever #gb patch #olnf qiu #olnf mc #olnf tamarack #qiu lin x mc #qiu lin #qiu lin x reader #tamarack baumann #tamarack baumann x reader #tamarack baumann x mc #our life tamarack #our life now and forever tamarack #our life qiu #our life now and forever qiu

[turnipstewdios]

Half-Lives: Chapter 2

Read here: 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48120073/chapters/121402672

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope!” Best burgers in Gotham!”

Danny suspected his new friend was enjoying the look on his face a little too much. And to be fair, Jason would know better than Danny would. He did live here. He shouldn’t be this skeptical, given his favorite place to eat back home. Tourists in Amity had been a bit put off by a place literally called “The Nasty Burger” but it had been the best spot in town. So this shouldn’t be so weird. But…

“Do they all wear costumes?” “Yup!” Because yeah. The cashier was wearing tights. And a cape. And a rumpled looking domino mask held on with a string. “Which robin is that even supposed to be?” Because Danny wasn’t super familiar with the difference between the local vigilante’s costumes, but this didn't really look like any of the pictures he’d seen.

Jason looked slightly less gleeful at that. “Honestly… not sure.” he was squinting in the window at the register now. “Kinda looks like the first robin, but I think those are supposed to be Red Robin’s bandoliers.” “Why on earth does this city have a Batman themed fast food restaurant?”

“Why on earth not?” Jason shrugged. “Come on, I’m starving.” Danny followed him inside, and then quietly reaffirmed his decision not to look into fast food jobs  when the cashier grimaced, visibly braced himself, and asked if he could take their bat-order in the most horrifyingly cheerful voice he’d ever heard. He frequently talked to dead people who sounded more alive. I’m already dead. Don’t think I could handle being soulless too.

“Hi Benny!” Jason walked up to the counter like he came here daily. Which he might, for all Danny knew. They were only a few blocks from the roof he’d met him on, and he probably lived there. “Rough night?”

“Hi Jason.” The cashier, Benny apparently, looked slightly less strained when he walked over. “Not really. It’s been slower than usual.” “Yeah, it has, hasn’t it?” Jason looked almost put out at that. “The usual?” Benny was already moving to type something in on the register. “Yeah please. What do you want, Danny?” “Erm…” Danny scanned the menu briefly, and ordered the first thing that looked good. Then paused as his stomach complained again, and ordered a second burger and extra fries as well. And maybe also a hand pie.

He started to pull out his wallet, but promptly got distracted by the sight of the fry-cook in the back wearing a Batman costume. Which looked stupid. And so miserably hot. Why? What was even the point? By the time he looked back at the register, Jason had paid for both of their orders while he wasn’t looking. “Hey hey woah, dude, I can pay for mine, you don’t have to get that!” “Nah, I got it.” Which was just, so not ok! Danny had ordered a ton of food, and Jason lived in Crime Alley! He probably wasn’t all that well off, and he definitely shouldn’t be paying for a ravenous half ghost stranger's food! “Hey relax man, I mean it. It’s no big deal.” “No big-? Do you normally feed trespassers you catch on your roof in the middle of the night?” Jason paused for a moment. Then, seeming to make some sort of decision, grinned roguishly at Danny while he grabbed a cup. “Nah, only the cute ones.” And walked away towards the drink fountain while Danny blue-screened. Oh. Oh no. Hot guy flirting. Danny was so screwed.

They filled up their cups at the fountain, (Danny was screaming internally just a little bit) and then Jason went to claim a corner booth to wait for their order. Danny realized that he had been completely distracted from the whole paying the bill thing. He should probably just go with it.

As they sat down, Danny took a moment to really look Jason over in the light of the restaurant. He was, just maybe, not quite as scary as he’d seemed on a dimly lit rooftop. He was still really big though. And looked like he might be able to bench press Danny a guy without straining. He had short black hair with a tuft of white hair in the front that almost looked too bright to be dyed, and really striking blue-green eyes. His clothes were plain, but sturdy looking and well made. His shirt was really tight. He looked great in combat boots.

He also felt like he might, maybe, be ecto-contaminated. It was hard to tell. Whatever it was, it was low enough that Danny hadn’t noticed anything until they’d shaken hands on the roof. Even then, it was hard to get a read on, and nowhere near enough to set off his ghost sense. If he’d met Jason in Amity, he didn’t think he’d have noticed at all. It was odd to find someone like that here though. There was plenty of ambient ectoplasm in the air in Gotham, but he hadn’t noticed any effect on the people who lived with it. Where would the guy even have come into contact with a high enough concentration of the stuff for it to leave a mark? He got broken out of his thoughts when Jason started the conversation up again.

“You must be really new in town if you haven't been to Batburger yet. When’d you move in?” “Ah, just over the weekend. Only got into my apartment Saturday.” “Mm, ok, yeah. You haven't had your’ first rogue attack yet then, huh? Nothing’s happened in weeks.”

“Uh, no. I haven't.” Danny would like to keep it that way, thanks. He’d had more than enough of constant attacks by malevolent entities in High School. He wanted to be able to sleep once in a while. “You been mugged yet?” Danny almost choked on a sip of his drink. “Who just asks that? Casually?” “A Gothamite.” Jason grinned at him from across the table. “Getting robbed or held at gunpoint or taken hostage by whoever broke out of Arkham this week is a right of passage.” Great. He should feel right at home then. “In all seriousness though, have you run into trouble yet? This city’s no joke, even when you know your way around.” Danny glanced down at the table. “I'm fine. I can handle it.” Jason raised an eyebrow at that. “Look, I know, ok? I’m not taking this lightly or being careless. I know I don’t look like it, but I can take care of myself.” He could. Not that he was about to explain the ghost powers to anybody. Gotham was a rough place, but Danny was a tough person. He’d had to be. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go anyway. Their order came up, and Danny waved Jason down while he got up to go grab it. He should take the opportunity to change the subject. The fewer questions got asked about where he was from, the better.

The food did actually smell really good. Carrying it back to the table reminded him how hungry he was. He hurriedly sat down, pulled his burger out of its greasy paper wrapping, and tore into it like… well like he hadn’t eaten in almost three days. It was good. Different from anything at the Nasty Burger, but it tasted great! Jason had also started eating, and the table was silent for a few minutes while they worked their way through the first burgers in the stack. _________________________________________ Danny ate like he hadn't seen food in a week. Watching him attack a hamburger like a rabid coyote would have been funny if it hadn’t been mildly concerning. Jason took a moment to think while they both ate, and tried to puzzle out why he felt so… off kilter. He kinda liked Danny. And that was part of the weird stuff. He’d barely even met him. Knew nothing about him. Jason was a crime lord and a vigilante, it paid to be suspicious of strangers. He shouldn’t be this open to liking the guy this soon. But, Danny felt… safe. Soothing almost. The nerves he’d been feeling all day had calmed down a bit.

He had also turned an adorable shade of red when Jason tried flirting. He’d wondered if he’d overstepped for a second, but it hadn't seen like he minded, just like he’d been caught off guard. (He had also definitely been checking Jason out on the way to the table.) Jason had still backed off a bit though. He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable if the attention wasn’t wanted.

His hand still felt cold where he had touched Danny’s skin. It’s still like 80 outside, how the fuck are his hands that cold?  Could he be a meta? Did he have ice powers or something? Jason had no idea, but something about the contact had felt hauntingly familiar. That didn’t mean he wasn’t worried about him. He danced around questions about where he was from in a way Jason had seen from way too many street kids. The possible lack of access to food and the worn-down clothes were also not good signs. Jason couldn’t see any obvious bruises or scrapes, but he thought he might have seen the edge of some scarring peeking out from under his shirt. Danny apparently did have an apartment, but the lack of AC probably meant it probably wasn’t the best place. He hadn’t mentioned anyone else living with him either, and Jason couldn’t tell if that was good or bad.

Danny finally slowed down half way through his second burger, and Jason took the chance to ask another question. “You know anybody in Gotham?” Danny paused, chewing for a moment before swallowing. “No, not really.”

“No relatives or friends? University?” “Uh, no. My family’s still back west. And I’m not here for school.” “Work then?”

Danny chuckled a bit. “I’m actually looking for a job. Haven't been here long enough to get established yet.” Currently unemployed, but not homeless at least.  “How’re you affording the apartment while you look? You got a roommate?”

“Oh, no. I had some savings. It’s enough to pay rent for a few months, I just need to find work ASAP.”

All right, so he did have somewhat of a safety net for the moment. That was good. “What kind of jobs are you looking at?” “Uh, well. I don’t qualify for a whole lot. I was actually going to start with looking into delivery jobs. Just about all the restaurants in my neighborhood do takeout, somebody’s gotta be hiring.” He took another bite. Chewed. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll look for whatever. I haven't actually had a lot of time to think about it yet. You know anything in the area I could look into?” Ah. That, Jason might be able to help with. This was his turf. He knew it inside and out. “Hmm” He took a second to work on his fries while he thought about it. “Yeah I might.” There were a few places nearby that might legitimately be hiring. But there were also a few businesses in the Alley that would hire someone if Red Hood asked. He had used them before to get alley kids and folks down on their luck a job. The small business owners in the area couldn’t always afford to pay the help they needed, so in a few cases Jason had paid the wages himself. The business got new staff, a kid got off the streets, and Jason got to do something useful with Bruce’s money. “I think there’s a few places I know that might have positions open. I’d have to check though.” He took a sip of his drink to wash down the last of his fries, and rummaged around in his pocket for his phone. “What’s your number? I’ll send you some info on places you can check out.” Danny raised an eyebrow. “My number? For job recommendations?” The corner of his mouth tugged up a bit. “No other reason?” “Ha! Well,” Jason smiled back. “There might be another reason.” Danny grinned back, and pulled out his own phone. “Sure, I can do that.”

_________________________________________

It was still hot outside. Danny somehow managed to forget that until he stepped out the door of the restaurant. The un-conditioned air hit his face like he’d been slapped with a warm, damp towel. Why did it have to be so humid? Jason didn’t look particularly thrilled to be back outside either. At least they were both suffering.

Danny felt awkward again. “Hey, thanks for the food man. You really didn’t have to.”

“Again, no problem.” Jason pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and started to light one. “It was nice chatting with somebody.”  He looked over at Danny for a moment. “You gonna be able to get home all right?” “Oh, yeah I should be fine. It’ll take me a bit but I know where I’m going.” He did. He’d looked up where the Batburger was so he could find his way back to the apartment. Jason puffed on his cigarette a bit. He looked concerned again. “How far away are you?” “Ah, a few miles?” “A few miles?” Alarmed now. “I thought you were out for a walk on the roofs!?” “I was?” “You traveled a few miles on the roofs!? What are you, a bat ?!” “Uh..” “Dude. You want a ride home? I’ve got a bike.” “Um, I’ll be fine. It really didn't take all that long to get here.” Jason dragged in a breath around his smoke and grumbled something too low and garbled for Danny to make out. It kinda sounded like he mentioned the bats again though. Let the breath back out. “You sure? I’ve got an extra helmet.” He started walking back down the street towards what Danny assumed was his apartment. “Nah, it’s fine. Really. I can get around. It’s kinda fun actually.” “You sound like my brother.” Jason sighed. “Fine.” He stuffed his phone and the box of cigarettes back in his pocket. “I’ll see if anyone I know is hiring and send you the details.” “That would be great man, thanks.” Danny smiled. “No pressure, I’m sure I can find something.” Danny looked up at the building as they approached it. “Could I use the stairs to get back on your roof again? _________________________________________ “Sure, why not.” Jason glanced over at him as they started climbing. He still wasn’t sure he shouldn’t just be insisting Danny let him drive him home. He kept saying he could take care of himself, but Jason wasn’t so confident. He opened the roof access door for the second time that night, and leaned up against the wall of the stairwell while Danny moved over towards the closest neighboring building. … “Hey, be careful. You’re not as likely to get mugged up here, but you can still run into people you don’t want to mess with.” “Oh, whaaat? But the last scary guy I talked to on a roof bought me dinner!” “You planning on making a habit of talking to scary guys on roofs?” “Nah,” Danny’s smile gained a smug teasing edge, and for a moment his teeth looked way to sharp. “Only the cute ones!”

Jason choked on a lungful of smoke. It only distracted him for a second, but when he looked back up, Danny was gone. Fuck. Really, really have to keep him away from Batman.

_________________________________________ Danny made it back to his apartment quickly and without incident. He probably shouldn't have disappeared like that, but he was still stifling low giggles over the face Jason had made when he'd turned around. It had been worth it. He phased in through his window, landed on his slightly creaky floor. And then stopped. He cursed, and smacked his palm into his face.   He'd forgotten to get a fan.  

#dc x dp #dp x dc #jason todd #halfa!! jason todd #jason todd x danny fenton #danny phantom #dead on main #batman

[anjelicawrites]

Soft III

Paring: Aemond Targaryen x reader  

Synopsis: soft smut between reader and Aemond. Set in the poly relationship universe

Warnings: chronic pain and what comes with it for Aemond (neuritis, photophobia and vomiting), vein cannulation and medicine usage. Talk of suicide. Whump (?). P in v sex, blowjob. 18+ only.

Part I and II

Aemond has chronic pain from the eye loss and subsequent nerve damage. Like many patients with chronic pain, his tolerance levels are different; when asked about it using the numeric rating scale, he'd answer that his normal score is three, which is considered an acceptable pain level by most physicians. Aemond has learnt to consider the pain like background noise he can ignore, he’s become proficient at that through the years.

Having to live with nerve damage, on the other hand, means that he is randomly ailed by neuritis which causes his pain to skyrocket into the realm of the eight and nine. In this case his symptoms are so bad that he has to seal himself in a darkened room, he can't bear the light or to wear his sapphire, let alone his eyepatch. He can't eat or drink due to vomit and has to have painkillers administered by IV, until the symptoms recede. 

He was candid about this so you and Osferth would be prepared and showed you two the phone number of the private nurse he used when in this kind of pain. The first time he had one of his attacks, both you and Osferth were shocked and barely had the presence of mind to call Aemond's nurse. Now, you two know what to do to help him, the nurse having taught you both how to cannulate his veins and showed which pre-prepared medication to give him; this is no balm to both your hearts, breaking when seeing him suffer so much. You two help him and stay by his side, offering Aemond love and comfort, broken by the knowledge that's a battle he has to fight alone. 

Osferth is away for work when Aemond comes home early from the office, his eye already bloodshot and you know this is going to be bad. You help him up the stairs and take the cannulation kit from the box you keep Aemond's medication in, as he removes his eyepatch and sapphire with a sigh; if you manage to be fast enough and nip the pain in the bud he will not be miserable for days to no end. Who would ever believe that you, who decided to pursue a Classics degree because working in healthcare wasn't your thing, would be so fast and precise with a cannula in your hand, in order to help your lover?

After you help Aemond under the covers, you roll down the shutters, put a bucket near his head, organize the medication and send a quick text message to Osferth; there's nothing else you can do but hug Aemond from behind, as pain curses through his body. 

Despite the early shot of painkillers, Aemond is in agony for hours, the first dose of antiemetic useless against the bouts of vomit, the only thing you can do is keep one hand on his forehead as he empties his stomach trice, before he collapses on the bed, not asleep but not exactly awake. You wait until his breath stabilizes and turn the baby monitor on. Aemond hates that you have to use it to keep an eye on him when he is this sick and you have to leave the room; he knows it's the most silent way you have to keep him safe, he still hates it, loathes that his body acts this way. 

On your tiptoes you open the door, Pumpkin the cat enters and curls next to Aemond's chest, purring softly and soothingly, Aemond doesn't stir. 

When you unblock your phone you see the array of missed calls and texts from Osferth, he answers after the first ring, his beautiful face scrunched down in unhappiness and worry, broken that he can't be with you two. He knows that you are more than capable of managing Aemond's meds and that the nurse is a phone call away, he just can't stand knowing that there are kilometers between you three, that he can't be there to hold Aemond tight

"He knows you care - you tell Osferth - at the moment he is too out if it to even register who is with him, but he knows that far or close, you love him"

"I know - he keeps walking back and forth, eyebrows scrunched - I still hate it". 

Your hand goes to the screen and he closes his eyes; you know he's not going to calm down until he's back and sees for himself that you two are all right, he has to wait a week at least and it will kill him. 

You hang up with a heavy heart, you see that Aemond hasn't changed position. His crisis, although extremely painful, usually follows the same path: if he manages to pass the night without worsening, he might be able to downgrade to oral medication, following a reduction of the pain. He has to pass the night, you think, the longest night. 

You remain downstairs long enough to eat something, and walk the dogs, wanting to go upstairs and stay with Aemond without having to disturb him too much. Outside Vhagar is cranky, your can hear the vibrations of her big body moving about; you wonder again how much of Aemond’s pain she can feel, even though he is on strong painkillers, or if their bond runs so deep that she has to bear it in full.

By the time you get upstairs the drip needs to be changed and you add another thick cover on his form; another side effect of these bouts of pain is that his core temperature drops, forcing him to bundle up under layers and layers he doesn't usually use. 

Before lying down and hugging him, you set the alarms for the pain relief and the anti emetic he'll need during the night; you will not truly sleep, too worried about him anyway. 

He is not groaning in pain, the medications are working, it's your heart that's breaking for him: the knowledge that no specialist will ever be able to heal him fully destroys you. That a children's fight turned out so ugly and his nephew received no scolding for his mistake, causes tears to well up in your eyes and you force yourself to keep your emotions in check, you can cry later. 

You lie down and hug Aemond from behind, his chest rises up slowly and surely, his pulse is strong, the painkillers are not interfering with his vitals, hopefully tomorrow you can start lowering the doses and by the afternoon stop the IVs and switch to oral medication. If his pain hasn't lowered, he'll need to continue with the saline, glucose, anti emetic and medication drips; this had actually happened only once, two full days of pain, when he couldn't move or truly talk to you and Osferth. He was in so much agony that you called the nurse, wondering if a trip to the A&E would have helped, the answer had been a no, he needed time and, after the second, terrible night, he started to come back to himself. You really hope this time is not a repeat of that attack. 

Once your hand sneaks to his front, Aemond's right one grabs it with a pained hmm. He is high on painkillers but not completely out, he can still communicate with you, it's the pain that's stopping him from unnecessary chit chats. He knows you are by his side and relishes in your presence, the small solace he has. 

When morning comes you are tired having fought sleep the whole night, your energies restored when Aemond opens his eye the moment you start the new bag of painkillers and saline; you don't dare talk to him, in fear that your voice might cause him harm. A soft smile graces his face when you caress his forehead and he mouths a tired 'I love you'. You let him fall back into slumber and call Osferth during breakfast to tell him that Aemond has turned the corner; your other lover still looks worried, clear in his eye the need to be home and by Aemond's side. By noon Aemond is sitting with his back against the headboard

"I think we should switch to the oral medication" his voice is tired, he hasn't slept that much and the left side of his face is still tormenting him

"Are you sure?"

"I was a 10 on the pain scale yesterday, I am a 6ish now. I am getting there, issa jorrāelagon, my love". 

You sit by his side of the bed, he has black circles around his eyes but he can move his damaged eyelid better than he did yesterday and he leans in for a kiss on his forehead, you comply, your heart breaking, knowing that a 6 would be a 8 for someone who is not in chronic pain as he is. That your lover will never know a pain free day, all because of his nephew. 

Methodically you remove the drip and bandage the cannula, not wanting to remove it just in case he might need IVs again. Aemond opens his arms and you cuddle there, Pumpkin the cat letting out a displeased meow at being replaced by you. You can feel Aemond’s core temperature rising up and Vhagar outside is not as cranky as she had been for the whole of yesterday, two indicators that Aemond is heading in the right direction. 

Slowly, his body still full of the strong painkillers, Aemond comes downstairs to try and eat something light, the shutters still rolled down, in case he might get a bout of photophobia. His heart rejoices at the care you are putting in helping him, the little things you do like having a quick sandwich instead of a full meal, not to make his still sensible stomach turn, or lying down with him on the couch to keep him warm under the layers of covers. You could have washed your hands of all of this and kept employing his personal nurse; he knows your mother still gives you grief because you were too squeaked out to study medicine and still, you overcame that to cannulate his veins and give him medication; only his mother had shown him this level of devotion. 

Since he’d started living alone, he had to face these attacks on his own employing his personal nurse to help him. There was never love or affection on their part, just someone doing their job and he had felt so alone in his pain. He is still unwell, but he has you and knows that Osferth is worrying himself sick because he can’t come home. The love you two shower him with can’t stop his damaged nerves from firing up, at least he doesn’t feel that crippling emotional pain that made him think about suicide as his only emergency exit more than once, in the years before he met you two.

When he wakes up the next morning, Aemond feels better; he is still colder than usual and his left side is still tender, his head doesn’t hurt anymore, only his neck feels stiff, which will go away in a couple of days. Your soft breasts are cushioning his face, he sniffs you in, you smell so good. He doesn’t want to move, wanting to stay in bed with you as much as possible, soaking in your affection until he falls asleep again. The alarm for his oral medication wakes you, you loathe to rouse him but he needs to have his breakfast before taking his pills; he’d rather stay in bed with you, the only medicine he truly wants and needs to be prompted into following you into the kitchen. Your Aemond is always soft with you and Osferth and becomes exponentially so while on the mend, needing physical contact as much as he does his medication, if not even more. You want to be the perfect nurse for him, feeding him pancakes sitting on his lap as you two wait for Osferth to call. 

Your other lover looks relieved when Aemond answers the call, the screen luminosity is lowered to prevent photophobia but you both can see the dark circles around Osferth’s eyes and how relieved he is that Aemond is capable of talking to him. Reluctantly the latter lets you go from his embrace, your excuse is that you need a shower, the truth being you wanting them to have some private time: you have Aemond all for yourself, Osferth will be away for some more days and needs some alone time with Aemond as well.

You and Aemond don’t do much, you have some translations to grade and you do so with Aemond’s head in your lap, his eyes closed and a peaceful expression on his face as Pumpkin purrs on his tummy. He is wearing one of his tank tops, with a thick cardigan on top; you think that a long sleeved shirt would serve the purpose better but your lover is ridiculous like that sometimes and you love him all the more.

By the way Aemond cranes his neck you can see that it's still bothering him and you decide to do something about it, your hand sneaking there to start massaging the area and he sighs

"Let's go upstairs?"

"You still have all those translations to grade"

"My love, there's so much awful translation of the Anabasis one can bear and the kids don't expect their marks back before Friday. It's all right". 

You can see him weighing your proposal, he doesn't want to bother you any more than he has already done, even though he knows you have been looking after him from a place of love and care. 

Your hand on his neck subtly pushes him up and he follows your movements, his head spinning for a second the moment he is in an upright position, another tell tale sign his body is still recovering. He could probably wear his sapphire again, his left side getting better and better with every minute, he doesn't want to, he feels so relaxed he wants to forget he even has a prosthetic he can use. 

You take his hand, his hold strong, his fingers interlocking with his and you kiss the back of his hand before going upstairs. He undresses his upper half while you get a big towel and the solid massage oil. You straddle his legs, careful of not putting your whole weight there and you admire the expanse of his back, the beauty marks scattered on his fair skin as you warm the massage oil in your hands. The moment you start working on the knots in his muscles a series of soft moans leave his lips, his body slowly melting under your ministration, his hips brushing against the sheets; by the time you arrive to his lower back he is completely relaxed, you work the dips at the sides of his spine because you can, because the sounds leaving his mouth are heavenly, they get directly to your clit and you ground your hips against nothing. 

"All done. How are you feeling?" 

"Good. Don't go anywhere" his hand shots out to stop you from dismounting

"I need to wipe the excess from your back and wash my hands, I don't want to make a mess". 

An unhappy hmm leaves his lips as his hand unclenches from around your wrist and you use a smaller towel to clean his back and your hands; before dashing to the bathroom you steal a kiss from his beautiful mouth. 

You don't expect to find him naked and hard when you come back from the bathroom, his legs spread, his cock angry red against his pale skin. 

“Aemond…” you are speechless, his beauty stealing the words from your mouth

“I’m so cold, ñuha jorrāelagon, my love, please help me”.

You shouldn’t, you know you shouldn’t even think about it. He’s been in so much pain and your mind should not even start to go there, he needs time to recover

“Kostilus nyke jorrāelagon ao, please I need you” he begs brokenly.

His voice stops your jumbled thoughts. He lifts his hands to call you by his side, he looks like a tempting demon, his luscious legs bend and spread even more, his cock leaking obscenely on his abdomen, the soft sounds spilling from his lips. You want him so much you can feel your cunt leak.

“Aemond you’ve been unwell, it’s too early”

“I am feeling better - you can see how hard it is for him to switch back from High Valyrian - and I have been in so much pain. I need to feel good, please” his voice is deep and husky, his hips slightly push against nothing

“We should go slow. We will go slow and stop if you don’t feel well” you feel like he’s put you under a spell, your mind clouded with desire

“Yes, my queen” his hand curls around his cock, jacking it slowly as his stare burns your skin as it’s revealed.

You are so wet it leaks down your legs the moment you start walking to the bed. You lick your lips when you crawl between his legs, you ignore his cock to grab his sharp chin, forcing his eye to look into yours

“The second something feels wrong, you will tell me” the starkness of your tone seems to awaken him from his reverie, his pupil focusing on your face

“I promise you” you can hear the seriousness in his voice, he knows you don’t like to fuck around when it comes to safety

“Sȳz taoba, good boy” you say, he shudders, his lips parting, ready to be ravaged by yours.

Your hands go to his hair, your fingers massage his scalp and his tongue slips into your mouth. You can feel him shiver, his skin is still cooler than usual, goosebumps spread everywhere you two touch, your wet cunt slides slowly over his hard cock, his hands grasping your hips to help you move. You yelp in the kiss when he turns your bodies and you are under him, your legs around his hips on instinct, his weight on his arms, not to cage you in, even though you’d like him to do so. Your hands go to the dip of his spine to caress the skin there, his cock is nestled between your lips and you know this is as close to Heaven that you’ll ever get

“Kostilus? please”, he asks, his voice full of need, his manhood sliding through your wetness slowly, to drench himself and drive you crazy

“Anything you need, anything” your hands frame his face, careful of his scarred side, your hips following his, your clit firing with each of his slow pushes.

You groan when he stops, one hand going between your bodies to guide himself inside of you, his eye focused on your expressions as he breaches you in. You are wet, obscenely so and he enters you with a slow movement, your warmth snatching the breath from his lungs. 

It doesn’t matter how many times he’s breached you, your cunt feels like heaven; he needs to collect himself, his forehead against yours, the pain of your nails in his back helping him focus on reigning his orgasm in. He wants to feel you, take his time with your delectable, perfect cunt, his hips pushing slowly, savoring the velvet of your walls, your muscles massaging his cock, clenching and unclenching with his every movement, trying to suck him back inside yourself and he gives in, his movements short and deep, his cock massaging your G-spot deliciously and teasingly. 

You try to say his name, your throat producing a moan of pleasure as you whip your head back, his lips kissing your neck feverishly, pouring his passion there in the desperation to give you the pleasure you deserve. 

He could have taken you in any position, none would have given him the feeling of keeping you safe when you are defenseless. His body is giving you pleasure and protecting you at the same time, the thrill of the knowledge drags him dangerously close to his orgasm. He has to grab the sheets to focus, the sounds of his hips hitting yours mix with your moans and his, a symphony driving him into madness. 

It's the drag of his public bone against your clit at the perfect angle that sets off your orgasm, he tries to stop his, the pleasurable torture that is your muscles clenching around him destroy whatever control he has on himself and he comes inside of you until it hurts, his cock slipping out of your pussy, spent and covered in your mixed wetness. 

His arms give out, his body falling over yours. He knows he should roll over, he is heavy, you are so warm though, the cradle of your hips perfect for his tired body, your hands drawing nonsensical patterns on his sweaty skin. He doesn't want to leave all of this until his body is ready to move again and he can clean you up; it's going to take a while, him being so tired already because of the neuritis, your luscious body draining whatever strength he has left.  

When he rolls over, you moan in displeasure, needing his weight on your tired body, his masculine smell in your nostrils; he kisses your lips and you grab his neck, trying to keep him close to you, cleanup be damned. When he manages to slip his tongue out of your mouth, he murmurs that you need to behave, you answer that you don't want to, that you are always hungry for him

"If you are good, I will give you a nice gift"

"What is it?" you perk up

"It's not going to be a gift if I tell you" he winks with his good eye

"You are a meanie. I am telling Osferth" you fake pout rolling on your front, your ass in display

"And you are a brat. You know how much Osferth hates that". 

You blow him a raspberry and he laughs while he disappears in the bathroom. He returns with a cloth and a pitcher of hot water, his fingers delicately open your lower lips to clean the mess there and on your tights; you sigh in pleasure, your body getting ready again, your hips following his movements languidly, until he tells you to be good.

“You look like you need a bit of cleaning yourself” you say, your hands on his shoulders to push him flat on his back.

Uselessly he tries to tell you that the water is lukewarm now, you are already between his legs, licking your lips.

“Gevie, beautiful, you don’t have to” he’s breathless, his cock hardening under your stare

“I prefer this kind of cleanup, my love” you answer.

Your hand curls around the base of his half-erect cock, your tongue leisurely licks from base to tip, until both your spends are gone and he is hard and leaking again. Slowly you lick his head and softly suck until his hand is in your hair and he is moaning; you let go with a wet pop and make sure you are talking as close to his shaft as you can.

“I want you to use my mouth as you see fit - his hips buckle without his control - You deserve a nice treat”.

You don’t even have to wait for his permission, your open mouth hovers over his cock the moment his hands curl in your locks to push you onto his manhood. The instant your lips touch his head, you suck your cheeks in to offer him a tight space to fuck and he moans with every upward push, your hands behind your back to give him the freedom to do with your as he pleases. Animalistic noises leave your lips the more of his cock you can take, until he hits the back of your throat and you swallow him. You can feel him shudder, his hips trying to sit still and not fuck your throat as you swallow again and again to provide him with more friction, until he removes your face from his cock, a litany of expletives in High Valyrian spilling from his mouth. You know he is trying to keep himself under control, not to come, but you want him to paint your face with his come.

“Ride me, ñuha dāria, my queen” he begs

“Are you sure?”

“Kessa kostilus nyke jorrāelagon ao arlī, yes please I need you again” your poor love, he must feel very cold, you have to help him.

You shuffle between his legs again, his hands grab your hips to help you mount him, your cunt hovering over his erect, weeping cock.

“I am yours Aemond” you say, cupping your breasts to play with your nipples.

A desperate groan leaves his mouth and he slowly lowers your body to breach him, your warmth engulfing him again. In this position you can feel his cock splitting your in two, every crevice of your body owned by him, who is begging for your breasts in his mouth. You comply, pushing yourself forward until you can bracket his head with your hands and he can suck on your tits while his hips move inside of you, tight and fast, neither of you capable of resisting any longer, the friction too much on your bodies. You come with a shout, his hands the only reason why you are still moving over him, whose screams of pleasure are muffled by your breast in his mouth. 

You two lie on the bed, legs entwined, your face against his shoulder, needing to breath his scent in, his hand caressing your sweaty back, until his stomach rumbles and you snicker.

He eats dinner like a dragon, hungry for the rich food on his plate, serving himself twice, a sure sign that he's feeling better. He falls asleep with his head on your bosom, promising you he'll give you your gift tomorrow. You are sleepy yourself when Osferth calls; you can see that he is calmer, now that he can see that Aemond is feeling better, all curled in your embrace, relaxed in his sleep. Osferth can't wait to come home to you two.

Poly taglist: @notyour-valentine​

#aemond targaryen x reader x osferth #aemond targaryen x y/n x osferth #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x y/n #aemond targaryen #osferth x reader #osferth x y/n #osferth

[sleepy-vix]

journal/braindump 26/3/24

i hope life gets better soon. school is so miserable and weird and i just constantly feel like my physical shape is blurred and i'm but a a faceless entity drifting through the crowded and sweaty halls. when i speak to people it feels like i have to physically force myself to and i'm always so conscious of the fact that i would really love it if i were alone and not speaking to anybody at all.

i don't feel confident in myself and i feel like this year has passed by way too fast and i feel like just attempting to live feels like a bunch of cold sand is piled in my hands, and like sand does, it slips easily through my fingers and all i can do is watch. i feel so stupid and so naive all the damn time

for a while i had believed that everything would be okay, and then for a while after that i believed that i should kill myself. i'm okay now, i still feel very unsettled and it's like i'm not really me but i feel fine enough to function and i feel fine enough to live and wish to keep on living

i wish to keep on living

tomorrow i will wake up early and i will make myself coffee and i will sit down and read (i've had reading block for 2 days- which seems short but its annoying for me bc i really really want to read but i feel too restless and distracted to). i'll try to be nice to myself and protect my peace really hard and go on walks or something

i find that watching youtube videos where people just sit and talk, or rearrange their house and books, is really calming to me. i can't wait to just sit in front of the tv with a cup of matcha and a box of chocolates and just watching people talk, or watch all the movies ive been meaning to watch for sooo long

autumn is rolling around, and i'm infinitely greatful that it is because i always feel so inspired during this season. autumn makes me want to read, it makes me want to watch more films and eat more food and drink warm drinks that make me feel okay inside.

i also hope to pick up journalling again, but i'm not sure if i will because i don't have my own printer for images and idk what to journal but i have recently tried to just draw pictures- ive recently written journal pages on what i want to read, and also an "about me" page, and hand drew pictures. it's nice, but it doesn't give the same effect as full out journalling (with stickers, images, tape, etc... sigh.). i hope i journal more this holiday nonetheless.

i also hope to read without feeling so much pressure. i usually have no problem with reading whatever i want to read, as i like to think of myself as somebody who isnt easily influenced by other people's views (eg. if someone told me i have to read a certain book, i will consider it but i wont read it unless i want to) , but lately i've been thinking of all the books i want to read this holiday (for me i have autumn break in one week- and autumn break lasts for 2 weeks) and as u can imagine, it is very stressful bc ive somehow fallen into the mindset that i must read ALL of those books before next term or else.

fyi the books comprise of

- the complete collection of jane austen

- the complete collection of sherlock holmes

- the poppy war

- the iliad

- hamlet

- the metamorphosis

soo yeah... especially the first two points are stressing me out haha... im starting the poppy war now but im a little nervous bc ppl keep saying that its VERY gory??? and i usually dont care abt such things but lately my nerves and emotions have been such a wreck that i dont trust myself to read it in a calm manner

i'll try to break free of this toxic reader mindset tho! it would be nice if i could talk to people abt books, so it feels like im engaging with my hobby while not actually having to do the hobby, but nobody ik irl will want to talk abt books as i do

MAN i so badly want to rant abt booktok (ok actually i wont expand on this bc its a very sore point for me in the sense that i might get worked up over it and then feel shit afterwards for displaying sm emotion)

anywaysss next topic

ummm i get my maths result back on thursday and im so fucking scared bc i know i messed up bad for a few questions but im not sure if it was enough to drop me down to a b... idk i REALLY REALLY WANT AN A. like istg my whole self esteem for until the next exams roll around is goijg to be based off my maths result.. fuck im so emotionally immature its laughable

ummm also i have literature class tmr and i love lit class but we have to watch fucking "shes the man" and im sorry but i hate that movie so so much (ive never watched it before but we watched half of it last lesson and it was soo annoying). ughh why is my eng teacher making us watch this 😭😭

also my eng teacher is very blunt and therefore very interesting to talk to so ive been wanting to ask him abt books hes read lately but i CANT bc we have to watch thats tupid fucking movie and also he has to mark papers :( but also like hes the only intellectually stimulating person ik irl so what am i meant to do with all of my buzzing book thoughts ughh (rhetorical question. pls dont answer) :(

hmm what else is there to say

oh yeah last night i had a dream tjat i got a B+ for english and that was... it was like a nightmare im not even kidding. it was such a vivid dream too- everybody else got an A meanwhile i got a B+ (very close to an A) and i was just absolutely shocked and i desperately begged my teacher to give me some extra credit work so i can bump it up to an A-... yeah...

oh but also back to me wanting to have a better life- i think i'll take myself to the thrift more and go out with my friend (yes, singular. theres only one friend that i like hanging out with outside of school 💀) atleast once this holiday... thats what teen girls my age do, right??? haha...

also i want to watch ladybird and the perks of being a wallflower and rewatch little women and dead poets society !

i also might reread solitaire but aghh that makes me stressed out abt reading again... fuck. maybe i should just take a break from reading omfg

i cant wait to wake up early tomorrow and drink coffee though! :)

also i will make more spotify playlists (it makes me rlly happy to) and MAYBE even try cooking????????????? man idfk im desperate okay? feeling suicidal is not fun and i dont want to feel like that again this year. i cant afford thay bc im meant to be an academic weapon :( (lol who am i kidding? im more like an academic victim)

also maybe i will just text my friends more in general. it stresses me out and makes me feel icky but the other day, i had a nice and fun and lighthearted texting convo with one of my class friends and it made me realise that i should probably text people more ...

lol

anyways i think thats all? i think ive gotten everything off my chest for now. i liked doing this actually. maybe i'll do it more often idk 💀💀

hope u guys have a good day 🙏 i dont actually expect anyone to read this but if you did, i hope you have a good day TIMES TWO!

no refunds :}

#sleepy vix #vix's journal

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Can you talk a little bit about how you became a paleontologist? (like school and stuff).

I went to college wanting to major in paleontology and everybody told me I could major in geology but that being a paleontologist just really wasn't possible.

I did major in geology/archaeology combo major (offered at my college, it's actually a BA, not a BS, which was disappointing), but it's not paleontology and i've been out of school for a awhile and i'm just really discouraged.

ugh welcome to my life. the reason my story is complicated is because of crap like that.

so, I'm going to get very, very, very real here. that means I'm going to reveal some personal details about myself. I'm okay with it. I want to share this. Content Warnings for Parental Abuse, Mental Illness, Physical Disability, and Trauma. Phew. Here we go.

first thing we have to acknowledge: I grew up poor. my mom was a stay at home mom because of mental illness (majorly agoraphobic and huge social anxiety, plus largely untreated OCD). my dad rarely held on a job for very long because of severe untreated ADHD. my parents' primary concern, at all times, was that their six kids (my mom loves kids) would have gainful, steady employment. they are communists, and it was always about how we can't help others effectively if we're not secure in the rest of our lives.

I wanted to be a paleontologist from the moment I could have such a want. But my parents never, never, thought that was a good idea. They wanted me to be a scientist, because they could see my potential, but they didn't think being a paleontologist was a safe career. And, to be fair, they had a point. But I didn't want to be anything else. In fact, the very idea would make me start sobbing. So while I was little, they didn't really do anything about it. Occasionally they planted seeds of "you might not be a paleontologist", but it never went well.

fast forward to me going to college. now they were serious. we were constantly fighting over whether I should be a paleontologist or a medical researcher (MDPhD. you know, the insane degree that insane people get.) (I'm insane, but not that way). because they were paying for, well, some of it (I got a lot of scholarships, b''h), and I was in general dependant on them like most college students are, they picked my classes. I was forced to major in biology (though I probably would have picked that anyway), and I never took any geology classes (well, I took half of one, but had to drop it because of my stupid premed classes).

I got to do paleontology research, but it was kind of in secret - I technically had two different research jobs, one in evolutionary biology, one in paleontology. I took tons of medical related classes, and was forced to take the MCAT twice. I wasn't good at it. Memorizing things isn't my forte, I'm much better at problem solving and finding/evaluating information. I also just wasn't interested in it - I can remember countless dinosaur genera, but ask me to remember really specific medical details and my mind draws a blank.

I did not do well on the MCAT, but I was still forced to apply to MDPhD programs. I also applied to evolutionary biology and paleontology PhD programs on my own. But paleontology is extremely competitive, and I didn't hear back from any of those. I also didn't get anywhere with any of those medical programs. In fact, I ended up getting accepted to a grad program for evolutionary developmental biology, because that was the only thing that had an opening. Rather than go home and be forced to apply to medical school again, I took the out.

I was miserable. But I tried to convince myself it was better this way. That I would have gainful employment, and be able to do science. Meanwhile, I was running this blog, building a community, and constantly thinking about paleontology instead of my actual thesis. Even though paleontology doesn't require field work, I'd convinced myself I could never do it because field work is inaccessible to me - I have had chronically dislocated knees since I was 16, and a few different physical conditions that make me exceptionally heat sensitive. I couldn't do field work, so I couldn't be a paleontologist. I also am fat, because of those disabilities, and there just aren't a lot of fat AFAB paleontologists, so I thought I wouldn't be able to get far for that reason.

But I couldn't finish that PhD. I didn't care enough about it, and I was constantly hitting roadblocks. I wanted the focus to be more evolution based, my advisor told me no. I wanted to pursue a specific question, my advisor advised against it. My wasps kept dying, and I didn't know why. I couldn't get my assays to work. My advisor was always focused on his other students and never me. It was a nightmare. All the while, my blog was exploding in popularity, and I was even going to paleontology conferences on my own dollar and networking there, presenting research about using the internet as an educational tool. And I felt at home. I was with *my people*.

Then the pandemic happened. I was already estranged from my parents for other reasons, that I'd rather not get into (no, it's not cause I'm queer). Everyone was frustrated with my lack of progress at my first program. My spouse, the infinite well of support that he is (url @plokool), gave me the push I needed to drop out with a master's degree (which I had earned at that point). I then was seriously considering becoming a rabbi, because I didn't think I could hack being a scientist at all after that experience.

But, everything felt wrong when I wasn't engaged with paleo. ADAD had gone on hiatus because my artists were persuing other opportunities (and I'm so proud of them!). I just felt empty and lost without paleontology in my life. So I went to the virtual SVP that was being held in 2020, since it was cheaper than usual and online.

And I met my current advisor. We clicked *right* away. We had the same questions about bird evolution and talked for hours. He encouraged me to apply, so I did - just for paleontology programs. I knew if I didn't do paleo, there wasn't a point. Nothing else would hold my interest enough for me to get a doctoral degree. I also talked to the wonderful friends I had made here on Palaeoblr, ones who were also actually pursuing paleo, and they promised me I could do it - that they believed in me. The one thing no one but my spouse had ever really indicated to me. It gave me the push I needed, and when I was accepted to this program, I took it. It also helped that I finally had working ADHD medication, for the first time in my life.

Even though it meant moving from Chicago - nice, at least sometimes chilly Chicago, my home for my whole life - to fucking southern new mexico. I am so hot. All the time now. My feet never return to their proper color. But it was worth the risk.

But I'm not doing field work! I've had to take a lot of remedial geology classes, but all my work has been computer and lab based. And I've done so much already! I've published a new bird, I've done excellent in my classes and teaching, and I'm currently compiling my own database of Paleogene bird fossils. Last year was a little rough because of trauma things, and the gd-damned adderall shortage, but I'm moving forward. I am hoping to go into museum work, because I love museums, and I believe in them and their ability to educate people (I also want to help the museum field decolonize itself, but that's a different discussion.) I've even made a design for an evolution of dinosaurs exhibit that my professor wants me to make into a real thing someday.

So... yeah. I became a paleontologist by being the world's most stubborn mother fucker alive. I decided I wanted to be as a kid, and I never could let it go, even when it would have been better for me to. But I'm glad I didn't, because now I'm here, and I'm doing well. When i can focus, at any rate. Because I'm only at peace when I'm around dinosaurs.

(P.S. I've even repaired my relationship with my parents, and they support me as a paleontologist now! just took 30 years for them to realize they couldn't fight me on this, I guess... or they're old and tired of fighting. one of the two.)

#about the blogger #extremely personal #long post #paleontologist #how to become a paleontologist #childhood trauma #controlling parents

[inkyweenus]

Thinking about time travel and all the secrets Lu Guang is keeping. And how long he's been keeping them.

And also what his limitations are... because I don't think he knows as much as he thinks he knows.

I've got a lot of thoughts and a lot of questions. I tried to organize them in the hopes to maybe work out some ideas, but it got a bit... Much. Weigh in if you have thoughts because...I'm clearly vibrating in place wanting to talk about this. But anyway, here we go.

How is the present affected by future dives into the past? (Alternate timelines or pre-determined track)

This section is basically me asking a lot of questions that might just be writing holes or maybe not and we just don't find out for, like, 6 years. And that's fine. I'm here for it, I just need to sort out all these theories in my head.

In S1E9, LG looks into the surveillance photo and sees CXS on the solo dive. Is this because CXS was currently in the photo? Is it because CXS had already done the solo dive and so LG was seeing the affected photo? Is it because CXS was always going to go into the photo, so LG saw the past that always was going to be?

When Liu Min called from Xu Shanshan's phone, was it because CXS was always going to set up the meeting? What if CXS hadn't come to that conclusion and didn't reveal himself in Shanshan's body? Would the call have never happened? Does Lu Guang allow this huge "deviation" because he saw it was supposed to happen? Did he lie about what he saw in the photo? Was his elevated concern in that moment he claimed was about CXS's potential mental state while of going into his friend's potentially dying body actually about CXS starting the game? Is he just as clueless as everyone else and now everything is spiralling?

Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao. Oh man. "Nothing will be affected" my ass Lu Guang. Pretty sure you created an entire person that didn't previously exist from that mission. Sure, all the people that were supposed to die in the earthquake died, but Chen Xiao did NOT have a wedding ring on when he came to the photoshop to hire them. He was a miserable man with regrets he couldn't move past, including missing his "first love." Now, I get that first loves have a lot of weight, but he's like 30+ and so desperate... this is not a man who looks at his wedding ring with care and sings his son to sleep. But he becomes that. Where did that child come from?!?

Just because the 12 hours after the photo are the same doesn't mean that the 12 years after it are. Lingering resentment--or the lack thereof-- is a strong shaping force. Also. Chen Xiao's lack of regrets from a successful mission means that he never would have hired them to dive in the first place. So to make it full circle, Chen Xiao "returns" to the photo shop (for the first time?) to have CXS develop the photos he took himself on the camera he saved from the wreckage...And, I have to assume from the implication of a new timeline, THAT is how they get paid for the job. How much are they charging to develop film? Was it worth it??

Does LG even know about this kind of change? Is it just too far out of his range to see? He didn't seem to know about Emma until he saw the news, so maybe he's limited in what he can see, but he found that article pretty fast, so maybe he knew something was happening. It's hard to know.

What are the extent of LG's powers? Is he from the future?

He always says not to ask about the "past or future." I assumed this meant the future of the past that CXS was currently in, but what if he also means the future of the present that we're currently seeing? Can he see the future of the present he's in now?

In season 1, he knew that CXS would appear as himself when he dove into the surveillance camera footage. How? It was obviously CXS's first time doing that, but maybe not LG's. If it was his first time, how did he know?

We recently learned that he can see the present through surveillance footage the same way he does looking at footage of the past. Does this mean he can also see 12 hours into the future? It's 20:44 when LG unlocks Chen Bin's phone, so it's probably around 21:00 when he uses his powers. Does he know how things will unfold? Does he see the twins moving through the building? Does he realize there are two of them?

He's obviously been up to something this whole season: watching the clock, hiding photos, opening up stitches without much physical effort beyond using his powers... 🤔

My current crack theory is that LG reopening his stitches while using his powers to watch the fight is actually related to him escaping and/or jumping off the boat to free CXS. I'm not sure how because it's definitely more than 12 hours between the events, but something is up.

It's not surprising to me that CXS and Wang Juan were controlled through touch. The moment Li Tianxi reached out her hand to shake CXS's I yelled at my TV. It looked too similar to LG reaching out to start a dive.

And I yelled even louder when she made contact

CXS can dive on his own and LG can see into a photo on his own. The physical touch only connects their minds, it's not necessary to activate the powers. Could LG touch CXS and communicate telepathically without diving into a photo if they had an activation touch? Does LJ need a time travel element to get into CXS's head?

I think Li Tianchen's powers at least are touch related because when he touched Xixi, CXS lost his connection with LG. But I think there may be something else going on with the twins. I'm just not sure what I think yet. We wouldn't know if one was possessing the other because their eyes are the same.

How do the powers manifest, and what does that mean for Lu Guang's backstory?

I think we saw the moment when Li Tianxi and/or Li Tianchen acquire powers. Was it a predisposition that unlocked during a highly traumatic moment or did it just manifest somehow from an extreme desire to take control of the situation?

Li Tianxi was a child who wanted to communicate and be present but felt trapped in her over stimulated body. Li Tianchen was a boy with strong ideals and a sense of protectiveness... without the strength of an adult body to follow through with that protection. While they were holding the photo, huddled together in close physical contact after Tianchen's head injury, one of them or the combined force of them was able to 1.) take over their mother's body and 2.) blank out Xixi's mind to the point of cutting CXS's connection with LG and eventually the whole photo. But something went very wrong along the way. Maybe some signals were crossed.

CXS is a highly empathetic person. He feels so much for everyone and wants to connect with people emotionally. And his powers reflect that. We know CXS has probably at some point had a strong enough desire to go back in time, if anything to see his parents.

What, then, do the circumstances look like for a logical, emotionally reserved--but deeply caring--person to acquire powers to see snapshots of the past? What would drive him to want to change the past so much that he manifests these powers?

We know CXS had never done a dive without LG before he temporarily went rogue in S1E9... because he didn't know he could do it until he tried.

We know S1E1 isn't the first time they dive. CXS nags LG about having heard the rules a hyperbolic amount of times. So the powers aren't new at this point. But I don't think they both had powers before they met. So how and when did they get their powers? Was it when they met? When they travelled abroad? After some accident or something?

LG just shows up in CXS's life unannounced. Twice. And that's how they got close. Was it just the random fated meeting of soulmates as per fiction standards or did LG intentionally seek out CXS for more timey-wimey reasons? Did meeting LG activate CXS's powers? Did they experience something together to have compatible abilities? Did LG already have his and teach CXS how to manifest his own? How much did LG already know before he picked up that basketball?

I have this other crack theory that I absolutely hate and don't want to be true at all and almost certainly isn't, but, like...what if if LG and CXS are actually the same person from different timelines. Like LG is a version of CXS that doesn't get to have familial love and maybe experiences too much trauma, and he goes back in time to give himself some semblance of a home and a set of rules to hone his powers without altering the timeline that he's actively changing. They're intentionally written to be two halves of a whole, and there's been more than one joke made about LG being a ghost or not existing. I hate it. But it's in my head.

One last question for today... because I have to wonder:

Who makes the rules?

Has LG just read enough books to feel knowledgeable about how time travel works? Is he from the future trying to maintain a desired outcome? Are they following the rules of a third party who's orchestrating the flow of events from a distance? Are they... Leaving their fates to the ones who aren't in control?

#link click #shiguang dailiren #This is obnoxiously long but I'm not sorry. I ask too many speculative questions and don't answer any of them. This is my brain right now. #It's not my fault that Lu Guang has too many secrets and time travel writing can kinda set its own rules #Send help #Also just assume that any theories I posit are all heavily influenced by my brain reading Shiguang as cannon rather than just a ship. #Because it is. It's literally the title of the show. Can't change my mind. But I'm very impressionable when it comes to other theories so.. #Tell me about your thoughts so I can mitigate my own

[silenttale22]

HAPPY WITH YOU |KSJ|

BestFriend!Seokjin x Chubby!Reader Genre: Fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, stupid friends to lovers Warnings: Swearing(as usually ig, sorry!), some mean comments 'bout reader's weight, reader's pretty low self-esteem Note: Hi Sweetheart, thank You for being here! I'm back, and surprise, surprise - soon I'm going to start new story, like story not one shot and I'm pretty excited! So, I hope you will enjoy!

It has never been your favorite thing to rush through the hallway, with the students talking at such a loud volume that it overpowers the sound of your headphones. Irritating even more, as you couldn't focus on the next steps. But you were made to do it day after day anyway. Trying to get to whichever class was listed on the university's schedule. But with your luck, it turns out your university decided, during its most chaotic and busy period, to renovate every possible corridor. Making it a real struggle to move from one place to another, and often having to rely on luck.

The actually made paths became confusing as much as even you, with your forever spare time and fairly decent organization, could barely make it to the needed places. With the passing time since it all started, couldn't really count how many times you found yourself lost in your search for a classroom. Often end up in a completely different area of the university's corridors, enduring stares full of puzzlement because what can you do on a particular floor with a stethoscope slung across your neck…

By far the worst was when you by accident got on the athletes' floor. Then the stares were even more baffling, but you yourself at times didn't know whether they were completely ordinary - filled with pure curiosity, some kind of intrusiveness on their part, or fake at all. Because more than once you asked yourself whether you were sometimes making everything up.

That's why, in and of itself, changing and looking for the place you needed wasn't your only problem. Much more troublesome was the unpleasant dryness in your throat and the tightening feeling in your chest, where your heart was pounding like crazy - often echoing in your ears. So more than once you had to ignore the repeated dizziness while walking a straight path. Your brain was able to come up with threats from every little thing at a surprisingly fast pace, making it increasingly difficult for you to believe in the realism of any situation.

On this day, however, you arrive in front of the classroom ahead of scheduled time, trying to stifle your jumbled thoughts and send a brief smile in the direction of your department friends. Your feet lead you to the group on your own, with whom you stick more closely and greet each other as warmly as your mind allows. You were always glad inside that you didn't have to go through all those years alone but rather had that helping hand to get through college.

And it's not that you bitterly regretted your choice of major. Ever since remember you've wanted to become a doctor and help others. But studying medicine can be the worst nightmare. Exhausting you to the point where you fall asleep over your textbooks with tears dried on your cheeks from overexertion, not only from the overwhelming amount of material but also from the stress that builds up in your head. With each revision before a new class which you already had coded in your head as necessary, or learning extra information on your own because you couldn't help yourself, a silent scream of exhaustion ripped through your head.

Willy-nilly, you were an ambitious perfectionist with a poor memory and miserable patience, which didn't make things any easier - in fact, it caused even more problems. You were coping, though, so you could say it really wasn't that bad. In fact, sometimes it was even better than you might have thought. Having to sit and stress over the simple fact that you wouldn't be able to cover all the material in one night often took more time than studying itself, and only got you out of your hair, which you were overly tugging at as you read the next chapter. This made those same nights sleepless when even after going through the book's chapters you were able to stay up wondering if you surely covered everything again.

There were also times when focusing on the subject material came with more trouble than usual. Especially when your head became busy with completely different kinds of thoughts, and instead of studying the structure of a heart, you wondered why yours was crying so much for someone who would never be yours - or at least not in the way you'd like him to be.

Because it all started from nowhere, surprising even you that these feelings were bottling up inside you this tight. No matter how much you try to push them out with words it will pass. They stayed, hunting to this day.

And yes, you could have woken up every morning or just rolled out of bed with the mindset that all you could do, or maybe must do was care for him. And yes, you could have said from time to time that "he is your best friend and you really love him," or that "you are happy to have him in your life, and his smile is one of the reasons for your happiness," but you did it with knowledge, that words must stay at the friendship point. So the pain in your chest while saying those words, since they don't mean the same thing to him at all, became too much to endure.

That's why you, more often when you weren't spending time studying, would rather make up each night's imaginary and never-ending stories with your friend in the lead role without sleeping another night, only to have a hard time facing him the next day. But what could you do about the fact that you were attracted to his person more than you should have been? What could you do about the fact that the sound of his voice popped up in your head more often than you would want it to, especially his faint and addictive laughter.

What could you do about the fact that from childhood, deep in your heart you already felt something more than friendship for him.

Years passed, and keeping these feelings inside as best you could became an unbearable weight. But you weren't willing to lose the closest person you ever had. The person who actually knew everything about you. And somewhere in the deepest part of your soul, you hoped that maybe one day he would also feel the same. But you quickly cross out those thoughts from your head, knowing that it was complete stupidity.

His figure was quick to begin haunting your dreams more often than usual. To this point, you tried even more to avoid him. There were times when you didn't write back messages or missed conversations for a couple of days, explaining later that you were studying or had no time. So you usually delayed all meetings with him as much as you could as well. But you could have guessed that he wasn't stupid at all, and your behavior somehow made him suspicious.

Nevertheless, you still found it hard to look him in the eye.

But something inside you cracked, and it was slowly breaking you apart. Hurting even more than usual. Your thoughts kept coming back to the fact that someday - sooner or later you are going to lose him. Saying what you really feel, or most simply by his irritation with you.

Until then, though, you didn't crave much. You just wanted to be next to him, to love him silently, to support his every decision and his growing career. To be there for him when he needed you.

Just why did it have to turn out so destructive for you in the end?

"Oh, hey Y/N! You knew that the acting major has a class on the same floor at the moment? Jin chat us up, he was asking about you," the voice of one of the girls snapped you out of your instant musing, and your gaze fixed behind the window frame came back to her smiling face.

"Really? He asked about something or just for…" you began, but your sentence was half paused when your name echoed down the corridor, and when you peeked your head out from over the shoulder of your friend standing in front of you. Eyes wide open as a tall boy could be seen running towards you.

No more than a second passed when his long, broad arms embraced your body swinging you in the same way, and your stressed muscles melted in his embrace instantly.

"How is my favorite miss doctor?" Seokjin's voice came into your ear together with a quiet giggle from standing next to you girls.

"I'm fine," you murmured, pulling away from his embrace, causing a wry expression sent in your direction.

You ignored it, having your heart pounding against your ribs, making you even more nervous. More and more you felt the air leaving your lungs, and you found it difficult to catch a proper breath with each passing minute.

"Hey, are you sure everything is okay? You look pale, do you still have a cold or did you spend the night in the books again" Jin's hand quickly went to your forehead to check your temperature, which you had higher just a few days ago by running in the rain when you missed the bus back home "You said you had fully recovered" the boy's worried voice brought back a sense of guilt in you, making you nod quickly in the negative, saying again that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about.

A look of dissatisfaction quickly comes over Seokjin's face. His facial expression immediately tells you that he is in no way convinced by your answer, and his protective posture appears even closer to your hunched body being ready to grab you as if you were about to lose all strength.

This was also one of the reasons why you were so willing to completely put your heart in Seokjin's hands. You knew that when anyone stole his heart, he would be able to give up literally anything to keep the other person safe. Place a heart in his hands, and he would protect it above everything else, giving up his health and soul so that things would be as they should be.

The truth was that you never really fell in love with his beautiful face - not saying that in the meaning that you don't find him attractive - it's more about the fact that you were charmed by his soul from the very beginning. His pure soul, ready to stand up to make those close to him feel good at all costs.

"Are you finishing at 8 as usual?" you nod quickly in the affirmative on hearing the sound of his voice, causing another beautiful smile to be sent in your direction "I'll drive you home. By the way, we'll eat something, it's been a long time since we talked."

"We talked literally yesterday".

"On the phone. It's not the same" you roll your eyes, but agree with him, and a moment later send short words of goodbye to disappear behind the door of your classroom.

But just as quickly as you stepped over the class doorstep, your head and inner embarrassment began to work at top speed. What was to you after all those studies about all those bones and the construction of the entire skeleton, when your nerves were eating you up from the inside at the very thought of having dinner with him? Apparently, this was nothing new. The shared meal was nothing new. You couldn't count how many times such evenings had taken place, but after the hot dream with the boy in the lead role that spent the sleep of your eyelids tonight didn't seem to make things better at all. Your cheeks burned at every mention of it, let alone having him sitting across from you in your favorite restaurant, sending a cocky smile really out of nowhere, not sure what it was doing to your head.

Usually, you succeeded in acting like a best friend, and called all of your behavior a joke, or completely ignored his silly questions. But whenever Jin's flirty jokes got in the way, or when a boy wanted to show you at all costs what their rehearsals for an upcoming college performance looked like last time - the slight more intimate contact between his skin and yours made your heart want to jump out of your chest. Lately, your only saving hand had become sarcasm or dryness, and yes, it often saved your awkward situation, but still, Seokjin knew you.

Looking at your exceptionally good faking, you could tell that you would be able to do amazing acting if you really wanted to - and got rid of your face before doing so, replacing it with the desired standards. This also became one of the reasons why you were so quick to cross yourself off the list of "perfect girl" candidates for Seokjin. You were no actress, much less a model - your figure was far from that. Your chubby cheeks, pot belly, and bigger tights in no way included you in this list.

It wasn't even a matter of you not liking your body - because that wasn't the case at all, you had gotten used to it and in the long run, it didn't bother you - but after so many years you knew Jin's type and you were definitely not that type.

“Yah, better focus on this freaking skeleton cuz I honestly don't feel like being called on that”a strong nudge was sent by sitting right next to your friend, making you raise your eyes and fix them on the presentation popping up on the blackboard looking at each and every bone in our body from head to toe, struggling to keep your eyes open through the boring voice of the teacher.

"Well my dear ladies and gentlemen, that's it for today. Tomorrow we'll see you for a lecture about more significant bone injuries and their treatment I also hope you'll keep in mind our, starting soon, week-long internship at the hospital to get not only a theoretical but also a practical look at the work of doctors."

"Yes, Professor," the group replied in agreement chorus, and then in an instant everyone got up to their feet, so you wrapped your textbook and empty sheets of paper in your bag with speed, in order to leave the room as quickly as possible after the two-hour lecture.

In the end, you were one of the last to leave anyway, being dragged along by the same person who so recently had been paying attention to you during class.

"I am desperately in need of coffee," to her weepy voice and sudden hovering on your shoulder, you responded only with a quiet huff and let yourself be led to the school cafeteria without any objection.

A few thuds on the automat standing there and in the hands of your friend there was a small cup with a dark liquid, which turned out to be more watered-down crap than a tasty drink, but what can you expect from such automats.

"What kind of idiot makes this coffee? Supposedly the best university in the region, and gives us nothing but shit. How is this going to support such incredibly talented young doctors?" you snorted with laughter at her weepy words, leaving you met with a death glare.

You raised your hands in a defensive gesture, but only another groan left the girl's lips, only to spew out another dose of whining and name-calling at everyone in the surrounding area a short while later. She only fell silent when you found yourselves back outside the hall, as you sat down on the chairs set up somewhere in the corridor, your gaze wandered off its own accord to the actors' group. You were quick to find a smiling Jin with your eyes, and a quiet sigh left your lips.

"Okay, you'd better tell me right away what the hell is going on again between you and a particular ham."

"Huh?" your confused look is sent in her direction but she easily stares back sizing you up.

"You've been acting a little off lately when it comes. At first, I thought maybe you two had a fight, but he seems more than okay," she slurped her coffee, without taking their eyes off you

"Must be your imagination," you muttered, pulling your gaze away from the group standing afar and fixing it on a slightly skinned wall in front of you.

"Oh, yea? Cut the crap bish. Lie to him, not to me. You're losing it, hm?" he sends you a friendly smile, but you only wince letting out an annoyed sigh "I knew it!"

"Stop it" you mutter under your breath, however, she sends you a duck sideways "Seriously give it a go, I'm trying to get him out of my head. It won't take long." A puzzled look gets shoved into your face

"And why is that?" one of your eyebrows wanders up as you finally look at the girl's face

"Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"Why the hell would you want to get him out of your head? Girl, you'd look so cute!" The female almost squealed, clenching her hand on the coffee cup, causing a small amount of liquid to spill on her pants.

With no waiting, you just rolled your eyes and reached for some tissues for her, which she accepted gratefully still cursing her misfortune under her breath.

"Listen y/f/n, I'm no model or actress. And we both know that's who Jin will end up with," girl groaned, rubbing the dark stain on his jeans harder

"But you're his friend. The best one. So…it's almost like being in the front row," she said with a smile, handing you a pack of tissues

"Exactly, almost. In the front row at his wedding, crying into my sleeve that it wasn't me." y/f/n this time clearly didn't like your sarcasm when she slammed into your shoulder violently, and a quiet painful moan escaped your lips. "And what was that for?" you muttered, massaging the hit spot

"For stupidity, cheers."

"Yea, cheers…for facts with a hint of bitterness, I guess," you muttered, breaking off the chat, ignoring all the words pouring out of the words of the student sitting next to you about the main theme - Seokjin when he has the opportunity doesn't take his eyes off you.

And if only she knew how much she was messing with your head at that moment. You were again lost in your thoughts and that miserable what if. At even times, the words spoken gave you hope that maybe your friend really felt something more, but on the other hand, how naive could you be? Your stubbornness and lack of faith quickly deleted the briefly growing thought of a positive ending.

So the next few hours of lectures quite quickly became a horrible torture for you, and along with overzealous thoughts you were haunted by a headache tearing your skull from the inside. And the breaks between classes seemed even worse, as the girl sitting with you didn't even the slightest bit understand that bringing up the same topic over and over again doesn't help your situation. Especially when at times you managed to make eye contact with Jin standing at the other end of the corridor, always sending you his most beautiful smile, always sending mixed signals that you had no idea how to read.

When your hour struck and the last sentence came from the lecturer's mouth, you get up lazily from your chair, barely keeping yourself from letting out a quiet crying moan. Y/f/n as if reading your thoughts, pokes you lightly on the shoulder to send you a smile and a raised thumb up but you only sighed taking your bag and going to the exit, where you almost immediately saw Jin sitting down.

"How long have you been waiting over here after finishing your class?" you ask with a raised eyebrow, seeing the slightly sleepy eyes of the boy, who got up from a chair at the sound of your voice to send you a smile.

"Exactly 2 hours, 45 minutes and 45, 46, 47…" the boy began to repeat, looking at his watch and nodding from side to side naming the seconds

"Jin" interrupted his brief activity, and his gaze met yours again.

His pleasant warm eyes shimmered through the bright lights in the corridor, and your heart clenched painfully in your chest as the realization that getting a grip on yourself around him was becoming more difficult with each passing day.

"Shall we go, doctor? I'm hungry and I've eaten all the fruit mentos," Jin waved the package, already empty, right in front of your eyes snapping you back to reality. "I was joking. I left you the blue ones, I know they're your favorite" he showed you another one, this time a small sack with the blue mentos put aside

"All licked?" you chuckled jokingly

"It's not like we use the same toothbrush at all," you rolled your eyes,

“Not the same” he snored as you took the bag of blue candies from him, and moved arm-in-arm together to the exit.

The sky, now covered in dark blues, was slowly revealing the brightly glowing dots that you always used to stare at for long hours. Sitting on the windowsill of a sheltered room when everyone in the house had gone to bed, and with hot tea in your hand, you would hang your legs out the window to get a better view of the sky, which was not as visible as in the countryside anyway through the city light. That's why you were often happy when you could spend the night at Jin's place, especially in the warm summer when you set up a tent with a transparent roof in the backyard to lie down admiring the constellations or shooting stars. With each one, the two of you squeezed your eyes tightly shut and made up a wish that would someday come true.

Just why now yours seemed so far away, and even impossible to fulfill.

"You need to come over again for a sleepover" Seokjin's sudden voice as you reached the car turned your gaze skyward, as he exactly knew what are you thinking about, "Mom asked when you were coming. She thinks that out of the two of us you are the one with the taste, complete nonsense by the way, and she needs help with some curtains" a quiet snort escaped your lips as you took your place in the passenger seat, immediately fastening your seat belts.

"I doubt I'll be able to make it anytime soon. I'll be in the hospital the next week and on top of that the midterms are getting closer and…"

"Listen, I know that studying has always come first for you…but I have a feeling, lately, that you…hell, I don't know, maybe I'm stupid. Never mind." He said quietly tightening his hands on the steering wheel to soon after start the car and drive out of the college parking lot towards a restaurant of yours.

At first, the road was quiet, making Jin seem even more anxious. The first thing you always did when getting into the car was to plug your phone into the radio to pick a song for the road, and it usually told him what your mood was. Because the music always spoke for you and he had known that for a very long time. However, this time there was a silence that announced troubles.

As you were able to catch a glimpse of the sparkling lights above the restaurant's entrance from afar, just after your friend stopped in the parking lot at a nearby park, a pleasant sense of nostalgia embraced you with warm arms.

Memories of a not-so-distant winter flashed before your eyes. The trees decorated with the warm hue of the lights and the falling of delicate snowflakes created a beautiful scenery, that you couldn't take your eyes off from. Until a snowball hit your head starting a huge battle between the tree trunks. A battle filled with lots of laughter and that childish carefree attitude. After which, with frozen noses and soaked clothes, the two of you rushed into a restaurant to eat warm ramen.

"Shall we go?" Jin's hand rested on your shoulder as you gazed into space, unwilling to walk away from the memories. Memories in which everything seemed easy.

"Yes, yes. Sorry," you replied quickly and turned on your heel moving towards the restaurant. It's just a pity that you didn't notice this sad gaze of a boy who followed you with insecurities growing bigger.

Taking a seat at the table was the easiest thing as the place wasn't so popular. It took minutes to take an order where you didn't even have to say what you wanted in detail. Seokjin knew your order perfectly. He knew everything. Almost everything. But his gaze fixed on your skin today was burning unbearable. And you knew that the very moment you wanted so badly to prolong was slowly coming. The moment when you're going to lose him.

Because, after all, friends don't look at each other for such long moments. Friends don't feel such a strong feeling in the heart when a brief smile full of care is sent. Friends don't bring you these pleasant butterflies that make you so happy.

And you were terrified by the fact that boy might actually start to realize that you don't look at him as a friend anymore at all.

“Listen” he started, making you look at his face after your miserable tries “I was about to talk about something else but first you have to know that, uh…I don't like it at all,” you raised an eyebrow to send him your confused look but he huffed “Your behavior. I don't like it.” your eyes widen, and you could feel the blood draining from your face.

Your gaze paused on his eyes for a long moment, not knowing what you should do. You felt the stress build up in your body, your heart pounded hard against your chest by the excess of sudden emotions that began to fill you from the inside stronger than in the past months.

“Wh-what do you mean?” your voice trembled as the words filled with anxiety came out of your throat after a short while

“I mean your avoiding. Your brushing me off every fucking time I try to reach for you. What's going on? You don't want to be friends? You found someone? I don't understand,” you couldn't run away, you had to face it. Doesn't matter how much you didn't want to.

“No Jin. It's just…stress…”

“Yea, stress…bullshit. Stop with these excuses, damn. I know you too well, okay? I know it's something that hurts you. Not just stress, school, or family. I know it isn't.”

“Listen, I don't know what are you talking about. Nothing is happening, okay?” he huffed, wanting to begin another sentence but the food was set up on the table and you immediately took chopsticks to fill your cheeks with rice.

“Easy there piggy, you will choke or something” sudden voice of waiter made your eyes widen, almost choked on the rice as the waiter said. And with your overwhelmed state, eyes started quickly watering.

“What the fuck you just said?” angry tone of Jin's voice made you swallow the rice down hard, feeling how it hurts your gulle

You just wish to go home and cry in your pillow.

“Sorry, I had no intention of insulting your…um, friend,” waiter said without any tone of regret, looking still with a somewhat painted dislike

"That's my fucking girlfriend and so you better call out your best apology if you still want to work here" your eyes widened again at his words, but you couldn't lift your gaze stuck in the table.

A mixed feeling once again popped up in your chest. Because why would he say something like that? Staying with the word friend was just enough…

"Jin, just let it go," you said quietly, hoping that everything would be over quickly.

This whole situation, this whole meeting.

"Sorry" The waiter nodded and quickly disappeared from sight, and Seokjin let out a low annoyed groan still wanting to stand up and hit him

"Y/N look at me" you glanced at him hesitantly, still trying to fight back the tears coming to your eyes "He's an idiot, and please don't cry. You're beautiful," and that was the moment when the real tears fell down your cheeks. Because you couldn't believe it. Not right now.

"J-just give me a moment" you quickly wiped away the dropping tears and got up from your chair "Gotta go to toilet."

You quickly disappeared from Jin's sight and slammed the restroom door behind you. As you walked over to the mirror to look at your reddened face in the reflection, unwanted tears flowed down your cheeks even more. That awful feeling of shame began to fill you, and honestly, you didn't know if it was this waiter's words that had such an impact on you, or rather the instant hope wrapped around you that Seokjin's words could ever be true.

You stared at your reflection and the only thing you wanted to do now was spit on it, as well as on your hopeless heart, which always had to screw everything up. As if it couldn't most simply find someone else. As if it couldn't pound faster for every other person around, every other person but him.

Quick splash on your face with cold water, glad that you had let go of any makeup in the morning when getting up for lectures, and after waiting a while for your maroon cheeks to turn a slightly stronger pink, you left the washroom to return to a boy sitting impatiently. He tapped out an unfamiliar rhythm on the table. Your plates were still full, his chopsticks still lying wrapped, untouched in the same place.

"Are you feeling better?" were the first words to leave his lips and you initially only nodded affirmatively while taking a larger sip of the cool water, which cooled you slightly from the inside. "I swear, I could just hit him."

“Stop it Jin, let's just forget about it” voice was still shaking but you tried to ignore it and take another sip of water “Just talk about the thing you wanted to,” you brushed off the topic, as you always do when something hurts but what could you do

“But…” you send him a quick look which was understood but he hesitated. Not being sure if can really just start the chat again.

“Please, just talk,” you mumbled, playing with chopsticks nervously, avoiding his gaze as much as you could

“Okay, fine then,” A deep breath was taken, which made you concerned. And as boy said another word “I-I like someone.” it became the words, that made the sound of a breaking heart inside your chest. Knowing now that every one of your stupid suspicions was false. Knowing that everything you used to overthink was now true. And even if you saw it coming, it still hurts

“Oh my, that's awesome Jin!” you send him the best-faked smile you can, feeling like everything inside from a living nightmare turned into a scary emptiness that wants to throw you into a vortex of eternal sorrow. But after all, you had to be happy, happy for him. To support him for as long as he needed.

“Uh, yeah…I mean, at first, I wasn't sure. I used to feel different with her but wasn't sure if this is it. But after some…behaviours, I think my heart understood something. And I guess..that, um, damn it's pretty hard to talk about.” he took a breath, and a quick sip of the water “When it hurts so much, after not seeing her, or seeing her hurting, it means I feel more, right?” he said struggling, but you just kept a smile on your face

“Well Jin, if you think you like someone, if you feel it inside your heart…then it must be true, right?”

“I guess so but, I don't think she likes me back. Not in this way.” you furrowed your eyebrows, wishing to beat the girl's ass without even knowing who is she.

“C'mon, who wouldn't fall for you?” words slipped off your lips faster than you thought and boy left a quiet miserable chuckle.

“Yea, you,” he said quietly as if you didn't mean to hear it. But you did. And it made you look at him with confusion.

“My word doesn't count,” you said, swallowing hard, starting to play with fingers,

“Problem is, it does,” you looked at him with question painted on your face “‘cause it's you,” he added, making your eyes widen and only a small ‘huh’ left your lips. But as a boy didn't say anything else, your thoughts began processing.

“Wait, what?” you almost choked on your own saliva, thinking that you're in some freaking reality show. “Stop joking with topics like that you idiot.”

“I like you Y/N”

“Jin I said stop joking around” you huffed, knowing how much he liked to do such things, yet he never did it…that deep.

“I'm not, really. I thought about it, a lot actually. But firstly I thought it was just momentary because we have been so close since always and all. But…you know, for some time when you used to have this project, heart diseases or something with this stupid guy…”

“Joohyuk?” he stopped, as you quickly said the name making only Seokjin look at you with a “you really had to, huh?” face

“Yeah, whatever fuck him. I…damn, it made me so mad. Like, why do you smile at him like that..huh?” his body was tense, fingers playing with a napkin, squeezing it tight from time to time in the fist

“Jin”

“No, shut up. I-I tried with my flirty jokes, I-I tried to, you know, came closer but you have always been using your fucking sarcasm, and as usual, I do find it funny, every time you rejected me like that made me think what the hell am doing wrong…”

“Nothing…” you mumbled, couldn't look him in the eye, because…all you did was on purpose. On purpose to not fall even more for him.

“Huh?”

“You did nothing wrong you idiot. I've been sarcastic because I didn't want to lose you.” his eyes widened, and you could swear that his face brightened a little bit because of your words

“Huh?!” you rolled your eyes at the disbelieve painted on his face, sight felt on the table

"I-I have feelings for you, and It-it was hard for me as I thought you'd never fall for someone like me. And I wanted to play it cool…so I did that..” started more mumbling than speaking, he still with painted disbelieve knocked on the table to make you look at him

“You did that on purpose? Are you stupid???” his louder voice made some people look in your direction, making you cringe inside

“Yah, better watch your mouth,” you said, kicking his legs under the table which made him let out a stifled squeal

“In what freaking ever possible way could I DO NOT fall for you?”

Your head couldn't process for a long while what was really going on and in what direction the whole conversation was going. You couldn't believe that all the gestures that you thought were just friendly, turned out to be something more. And your heart can do nothing more than dance joyfully inside your chest, yet your head is in the completely opposite corner of the room. It's tossing around hitting the walls, refusing to admit that this is happening. Pretending for so long, managed to get used to the fact that you would never be chosen. And your brain was always the one who spoke up, often not allowing your heart to speak a word.

“Like, in every way? Just look at me” you commented after a while but the boy snored looking at your face, as well as you couldn't believe that you really felt something for him too.

“Oh I do, I do look a lot and I can stop sometimes,” cheeks start to burn slightly, and when a sweet chuckle from Jin comes to your ears you don't know if you want to burst into tears, or happy laugh together with him. “Y/F/N never told you? She caught me too many times just standing and staring at you. Because, damn… you're so beautiful.”

“She did…did tell me about it but you know, kind of hard to believe,” you left a miserable laugh, already putting your hands on the table and it didn't take long for Jin to brush his finger onto yours and then grab your palm in his. “You know Jin, we're friends but like from different words sometimes”

“Doesn't change anything. They always say marry your friend, someone who liked you first and then fell in love because there's no one else who understands you that much. ” his warm skin on your cold hands gave you an instant burst of butterflies, and it didn't matter how much you still wanted to fight your feelings, it was too hard.

Because you knew, every freaking time you will see him, you will fall for him even more. “Y/n” you looked at him, and a soft smile melted your heart. “Would you like to be mine?”

“I…” and there was this hesitation, because what if this will bite the dust? What if those feelings aren't permanent? Of course they don't, it can all change with the snap of the fingers. But it was hard for you to refuse. Hard when he looks at you with these warm eyes, begging for more.

“I know you're scared, of course, I know. But trust me…”

“I do. I always trusted you. The same, I was always yours Jin. Always.” his big smile was sent to you, and a moment later he left a small peck on your hands, promising that he wouldn't let you down.

And you know he won't. But you're still scared that maybe it's you, who's going to let him down.

This is another time when you rush through a corridor full of students, somehow pushing past the protruding shoulders. Knowing deep that you are grossly late for Seokijn's much-awaited performance, for which you had been rehearsing the script with him for months. And all over again because of those unfunny renovations that had you feeling like choking the principals of your school soon.

Your passing exam from the main building was moved to a completely distant corner of the university, not to mention that the professor himself was late due to which everything sucked your time. And now you had somewhere this barely passed exam when you glanced at your watch seeing that the spectacle had already lasted a good half hour.

You rushed into the school's theater auditorium unable to catch your breath, but still ignored the burning sensation in your chest. You moved toward the security guard standing in front of the venue's entrance, trying to calm your breathing and trying miserably to find the badge you got from Jin providing you entrance to a special sector for close ones. Tears almost came to your eyes when you couldn't feel under your fingers the pink lanyard your entrance badge was on.

"I don't fucking believe it," you muttered and tugged the bag off your shoulder to get a better view of its interior. Luckily for you, the entrance ticket got tangled in your sweater, and with a sigh of relief, you pulled it toward the security guard, who with a nod let you inside.

With every effort, you tried to get to your seat without disturbing the people already sitting. Still, it was hardly without unpleasant whispers in your direction, which fortunately your nervousness ignored this time.

You finally found your seat, right next to Seokjin's mom who sent you her happy smile and patted your thigh when you finally sat down and turned your gaze to the stage to see a boy dressed in princely robes, stunningly presenting himself on stage.

Was this really your boyfriend?

Although you couldn't take your eyes off him, you saw that, despite his excellent acting, you saw that there was a shadow of sadness on his face that you suspected was caused by you. A sudden tightening of sadness emerged in your chest, wishing Jin would look in your direction. He could see that you were here supporting him with all your heart. Just like you always did.

"He was very stressed before coming in," you heard Ms. Kim's voice, and an even greater sense of guilt embraced you tightly

"I would have been on time if it weren't for the stupid professor" you burbled, in response to which the woman just patted you on the knee and pointed with her head to look towards the stage

And your gaze met Jin's, and a wide smile appeared on your face. You lifted two thumbs up to see the corners of the boy's mouth lift slightly and that uneasy weight from your chest disappeared. He knew you were here. He knew you were giving him support.

When the performance came to an end and a loud standing ovation filled the entire auditorium, you couldn't stop yourself from hopping from foot to foot to set off on a run to congratulate your boyfriend backstage. After a short while, you headed off together with Jin's mom, but she made it pretty clear that you should be there first so you didn't even wait and shot a quick smile in her direction to run right after in the right direction, waving in before the eyes of the security guard with a ticket, who for your luck, let you go in without a problem.

And you could already see Jin from afar. How could you not when his face was glowing in these warm lights. But when two foreign hands suddenly wrapped around his neck, and he was locked in a tight embrace, your feet stopped hard in place. Sharp pain appears inside chest. Her long dark hair reaching the waist swayed slightly, and her magazine-like figure looked gorgeous in the fitted dress. Slender modeled legs in high heels, in which she had to stand on tiptoe to reach Jin anyway.

Your total opposite. Sweet.

Your stomach did a flip, and a feeling of uncertainty gripped your body even tighter. As you stand there only in black jeans and a white shirt, with Converse on your feet. Again, that strange sensation of suffocating inside along with the difficulty of catching your breath began to burn painfully in your cage.

You are not this pretty…

"Yeah, thank you, Jia. So nice of you." he sends her a smile, with this handsome luck on his face making it hurt even more.

"You know I thought we could maybe…" Your head dropped down like a whupped puppy, and you were about to turn your back and leave but then his voice came to your ears

"Excuse you," he cut in on her words, making you lift your head, to exchange a glance with the actor "…my girl is waiting" he pushed her gently to quickly sprint in your way and put all his weight on you, wrapping arms around your waist and tickle you with his fingers.

Lips found yours as quickly as he came to you, and the temperature of cheeks changed immediately.

“Another time let this pretty head of yours think too much, hm?” his voice made you groan, and hid his face into his chest so he could hug you tighter.

“Can't help it sometimes.” you smiled, brushing his hair with fingers

“Don't I show my love well?” he whined

“Shut up, you're just too handsome” he laughed loudly, making your heart flip from this happy sound.

“Handsome, yes. Agree. But not as much as you, You are way too beautiful.” You snored into his chest at the words and even though it's nothing new, sometimes you just can't get used to it.

“I'm so proud,” you said, looking into his eyes now “You did so so good.”

“Thank you, darling, for a while I thought you won't come…” you bite your cheek from inside, saying a quiet “sorry but this stupid professor” and he understood. He always did

“By the way. Did you pass?” he asked suddenly, making you pop your head up from his chest.

“Got D”

“Aish, sorry” you chuckled only, meeting his surprised look “you don't look sad at all?” his brow snapped up, squishing your cheeks lightly.

“Cuz I'm not, and why you sorry? I passed, right?” You smiled again, it was hard not to when you looked at him

“But you rather A type of student,” he mumbled

“I don't care. You're my today, and forever A” only quiet “oh” answered you, and you couldn't hold back the laugh. “Listen, you were always for me, right? With every exam, every hard time. And I am always here to support you, okay? Always to make you happy,” you added, as he caressed your cheek and left another peck - this time on your cheek

“I know, and I am happy. To have you by my side.”

And you only smiled with this warm feeling inside your heart, promising yourself that you'll do everything to make him happy with you.

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