#personalities and how will is the only one who seems to notice how mike is struggling to care for himself and……… many thoughts

[aemiron-main]

also I do think that will should get to hug Mike in one of those hugs where he picks him up a bit. i just think he should get to lift his boyfriend up!! i don’t even mean this in a “buff byers has to be strong and domineering” way, I mean it in a “they’re both dorks and I want Will to hug Mike so tightly after that pathetic airport hug that he lifts Mike up a bit and they’re both laughing and they both almost fall over and Mike deserves to be flustered bc usually he’s the one trying to get people to lean on him so I want to see him lean on others/be cared for by others even just in small ways” way.

#stranger things #byler #st scenarios #byler scenarios #like just 2 be clear…. when I talk abt wanting will you lift Mike up or care for him it’s not abt buff ness it’s abt the fact that usually #Mike is the one doing more of the physical caretaking and defending and it’s hit a point where it’s not sustainable for him (see: quarry) #to always be the one physically trying to save/help people. so I think he should get the same treatment sometimes and same goes for the way #that will provides emotional support to mike I think that mike needs to provide that sort of support to will as well a little role swap for #a healthy relationship yk. like if i see ppl trying to make my Mike gets cared for posting into ‘uwu mike is just the inept always cared for #one and will is a big macho man’ then I’m biting them FR bc it’s not abt their looks it’s about their Dynamic and relationship and #personalities and how will is the only one who seems to notice how mike is struggling to care for himself and……… many thoughts #*wanting will to lift mike up #like I would still want this even if Mike was absolutely fucking ripped bc it’s not abt bodies it’s abt the dynamic between them #even if will was a gnome the size of a thumb I would still want him 2 magically find some sort of way to sweep his bf off his feet for once #they can sweep eachother off their feet the knight (mike) deserves to be swept sometimes too ok

[rebelspykatie]

Steve’s never had anyone show any genuine interest in the things he likes. Robin rolls her eyes when he brings up sports or silly movies that don’t have a bigger plot or character work. Even though she played soccer, she doesn’t care about it in the same way that Steve cares about basketball or football. 

The kids make fun of everything from his taste in music to his choice in snacks for movie nights. Mike calls him a little housewife for baking one time and he never shows up with cookies again. They’re never intentionally mean spirited, or at least he doesn’t think so. He knows he can give as good as he gets when it comes to catty, sarcastic comments, but he tries to steer clear of personal attacks on someone’s identity these days. He learned that lesson with Jonathan. 

But even before the party came along, it was like that. His parents never stuck around long enough to find out what he was up to, never attending a game or meet, and certainly in the dark about what he might be up to outside of school. Tommy only ever cared about himself and Carol, only following Steve around for clout, popularity by association. If he asked him right now, he’d bet a lot of money that Tommy doesn’t even remember his favorite food or the movie he used to watch when he was sick. There was a point where he thought he could share things with him. Until he realized mid ramble about sports cars that Tommy wasn’t even listening to him. He was staring at Carol and nodding along with a vacant expression. 

So he stopped sharing. Stopped caring if people knew anything about him because they never asked. People always made assumptions about him anyway. The girls he slept with only wanted one thing. The kids were happy to let him chauffeur them around with no questions asked. Robin was the only one he let in, the only one that cared about digging deeper. But, and she never said in so many words, he could tell that she thought his interests were mundane, and clearly not something that sparked any enthusiasm from her. She couldn’t even keep up with the girls he slept with, giving him the same bored stare as Tommy. 

Even now, after a few years, Steve’s reminded that they never would have become friends if not for trauma and the secret inner workings of the Russian’s within Hawkins. He’s lucky to have her, but he doesn’t think she ever would’ve chosen this, chosen him. And that’s fine. He’s used to not being chosen. His parents didn’t choose him when they started leaving him alone at age 12. Tommy and Carol chose each other and the reign of a new king when Steve fell from his throne. Nancy chose Jonathan. 

He doesn’t think he has a lot to offer. 

Well, at least until Eddie comes along. He’s taken by surprise when Eddie asks after the song that’s playing in his car. He’d assumed Eddie only liked metal music, and yeah he pokes fun at the genre of music Steve seems to stick to, begging him to give metal a shot, but he doesn’t say a word about how lame it is. When they’re having a movie night, Eddie notices that Steve gravitates towards coke and brings him one without Steve asking.

After Eddie sees his bedroom, Steve gets a pack of hot wheels for Christmas. Eddie jokes that he should give one to each of the kids as their new ride, since they seem to be ungrateful little twerps. Steve places them right under his posters on his dresser and Eddie grins at them every time he comes over. They lay in bed and pretend to drive them on the ceiling like they’re kids again. It shakes something loose in Steve’s chest. 

Eddie hates sports, but he invites Steve over on Mondays, when Wayne is perched in his chair for football. He quietly works on his campaigns while Steve and Wayne watch the games. Eddie somehow worms his way into Steve’s heart, digging deeper and deeper with each new thing, like he wants to know more. Steve’s history is a minefield, but Eddie expertly navigates through it, leaving who they were behind, building something new together. Steve’s already halfway in love with him before he even realizes that Eddie is something that he likes. 

He expects to freak out a bit more, but who is going to stop him? Who is going to care if he wants to be with this boy? He’s spent so long ignoring parts of himself for others that he wants to cherish this fragile thing, to cradle it in his hands, make sure no one can ruin it for him. When he kisses Eddie, it feels like coming home, like he’s finally found that place he’s been searching for his whole life. It’s a kind of devotion that Steve’s not used to, born of love and not obsession or jealousy or anger. 

He’s not sure he deserves it, but he’ll do everything in his power to keep it.

#steve harrington #stranger things #eddie munson #steddie #katie writes

[cheesecakethots]

“Whore.”

You could’ve sworn the teacup in your hands cracked a little from how hard you’re gripping it. If you were Illumi, it would’ve shattered into a fine powder by now. But you’re not, which makes you susceptible to being called such things.

They’re at it again. You’re unsure as to what you’ve done to upset some of the butlers and maids, but god do they not like you. No matter. You hate everyone in this stupid boring ugly manor anyway. Huh. Maybe that’s why they hate you, too.

It must’ve been a shock to see Illumi of all people one day bring home his future wife. One he never cared to mention to anyone else beforehand, and one that was still kicking and screaming over his shoulder.

You’re not really sure how long you’ve been here. Months? A year now? However long it’s been, it didn’t take anytime at all to realise that maybe you’re not as safe here as Illumi swears you to be. His mother most definitely hates you, but, oh well, she’s never really tried anything, as far as you know.

The help started muttering things when Illumi wasn’t around, things that hurt more than you wanted to admit. When you didn’t go running off to Illumi at the first few instances of it, it got worse, as though they knew you would never tell him about it.

First off, you don’t want to give him the satisfaction of being your saviour when someone says mean things to you. Secondly, you may hate these assholes, but you have a conscience.

Only last week Illumi came into your shared bedroom, absolutely drenched in blood, asking if you could shower together. You quickly found out that whoever he had been torturing wasn’t dead yet, and he still had more to do.

Thinking about what Illumi does to people he doesn’t care about, those he’s only hurting for a job, makes you shiver at the thought of him actually harming someone who did him, or you, wrong. But, despite your mercy on them, this time you’re considering just telling him. Only a little.

You’ve had a notably stressful day, being pranced around by his mother who’s insistent on ‘training’ you to be the perfect wife for her son. Her explaining to you that the family expects at least six children from you both had you rushing to the bathroom to vomit.

Then you ran into his father, on your way back to your room. He doesn’t seem to actively dislike you, but he scares the absolute shit out of you. The man seems to think you’re some house pet rather than an actual person with thoughts and feelings, but you suppose that’s only a modicum better than wanting you dead.

You also bumped into Illumi’s grandfather. You’re not sure if you can bring yourself to hate him, but you do hate the look of pity in his eyes whenever he sees you. Sometimes he’ll save you from a lecture Illumi’s mother is giving you, so he’s nice in that regard. He’d never free you, though, so he’s just another kidnapper you can’t become friendly with.

You eventually got back to your room, expecting a nice nap before being forced to attend family dinner, only to find Illumi had gotten back earlier than expected. You cringed at how hungry he was, and not for food, but just allowed him to do as he wished. You were too tired to argue. After he was done, he seemed to take note of how quiet and exhausted you were. Too bad, dinner time. You hated dinner times more than anything else.

You ate the admittedly lovely food in pure silence, but quickly became sick to your stomach at hearing Illumi and his mother discuss the prospects of you becoming pregnant. You didn’t eat anymore after that. You’re pretty sure his brother, Milluki, made some comment about you that Illumi didn’t like, which explains why his wrist got snapped in half a few seconds later.

Illumi tried spoon feeding you when noticing how full your plate was, but you managed to convince him that you weren’t hungry. That got you another lecture from his mother about how you’ll soon be eating for two. You were tempted to tell her that if you ever got pregnant you’d throw yourself into Mike’s jaws, but managed to refrain.

After that, you finally got to go to bed. It wasn’t something you were looking forward to anymore; you struggled to sleep when Illumi was home because he’d spend the majority of the night just staring at you.

“Can I go outside?”

You don’t remember why you blurted it or where the thought came from, but you remember the confused blink Illumi gave in response.

“Um.. just for.. ten minutes? O-Or five..? I just want to sit in the garden by myself for a bit… If not, it’s alright..”

You hated how pathetic you sounded, unsure as to what Illumi was thinking when he stared at you with that expressionless face.

“Alright.”

“What?”

“Would you like me to ask a maid to bring you out a cup of tea?”

You didn’t really think about his words too much, just happy you got something your way for once, and nodded rather enthusiastically. You should’ve said no.

The first few minutes of being in the garden, sat on the bench and allowing the cool nights breeze to settle on your skin had you relaxing for the first time in a while.

“Your tea, mistress.”

Oh. It was one of the ones you were sure hated you, and behind him was another. Oh, well. You took the tea from his hands, thanking them nonetheless.

It was much more bitter than you liked it, but you didn’t complain. You didn’t really want tea in the first place. They didn’t leave, but you didn’t complain. Illumi probably asked them to watch over you, maybe to make sure you didn’t try to run. It’s alright, you still have a nice view to relax with.

“Whore.”

Your eyes widen a little, and your grip on the cup increases. They continue muttering amongst themselves, but you catch small, demeaning phrases that you’re certain are aimed at you.

Why are you a whore? You’d never even had sex before you met Illumi, and if you had, it wouldn’t be their business. You’re hardly allowed to interact with anyone other than who Illumi allows you to. Where would you have the chance to sleep around? The insult doesn’t make much sense.

That’s what you tell yourself, despite the fact that your shoulders and hands are shaking and you feel something cold and wet running down your cheeks.

Shit.

You put the cup on the floor, hands moving to cover your face and wipe away any evidence of tears. Illumi hated when you cried.

Why are you still crying? What they said doesn’t make any sense. Stop crying, enjoy the view. You don’t have long left before you have to go back inside.

You’re still crying. You don’t notice that it’s gone eerily silent aside from your own muffled sobs, too busy working on shutting yourself up.

“[Name].”

Shit. Shit!

He’s been sat next to you for god knows how long now, and you didn’t even realise. God, this sucks.

“Why are you crying?” Illumi asks, and you can feel him move closer to you on the bench.

“I-I’m not,” you say, a hand still covering your eyes. What excuse do you give? If you say hay fever will he never let you out in the garden again? If you say you have a cold, will he keep you inside your bedroom for a few weeks? Months?

He doesn’t say anything, but you can feel him staring at you.

“Would you like to stay outside for a bit longer?”

Oh.

“Ye-Yeah. Y-Yes please,” you eventually reply, gulping down another sob.

He doesn’t leave, but you’re less bothered by his presence than usual. Despite it being… him, it’s not horrible to have some company, even though you’d never admit it out loud.

You’re not sure how long you sit outside before he stands, prompting you to do the same. Neither of you say anything, not until you reach your bedroom and Illumi tells you in a tone softer than you’d usually hear from him that he has something he must do, so you’ll be sleeping alone tonight.

You turn to go to bed, but he grabs your wrist. He doesn’t look at you for a moment, seemingly considering something. Then, he stiffly leans forward, pressing his lips to your forehead rather robotically. Sometimes you wonder if he is a robot, it really would explain a lot.

The kiss ends soon after it begins.

“Get some rest. You look bad.”

You huff a little, but can’t bring yourself to actually be offended due to the thinly veiled concern in his tone.

The sleep you get is better than you expected. Maybe not having a mass murderer eyeing you up while you try and rest is a reason for that.

Illumi doesn’t show up for the entirety of the next day, which is a little strange. He likes seeing you off in the morning, giving you a kiss before he departs - you’re certain he copied it from a romance movie you used to enjoy watching from time to time. You don’t question his absence too much, you don’t exactly enjoy his company, after all.

The day you have is better than the last. Illumi’s mother seems to be a bit less of a bitch than usual. That’s a win in your book.

It doesn’t take long for you to be back in your warm bed, wrapped up in covers and drifting off to sleep.

You wake up to the feeling of something wet hitting the tip of your nose, and quiet breathing above you.

“Are you awake?”

You are now. It’s pitch black in the room, but you can make out Illumi looming over, his hair framing around you like some makeshift cage.

Still sleepy, you groan a little, “Illumi? What… time is it?”

Something wet hits the bed.

“2:57 AM.”

Huh. You breathe in through your nose. Illumi absolutely reeks. Metallic, is it? You’re not sure it’s the best idea to comment on it.

“Oh. Okay.”

Another drip of something onto the blanket. He doesn’t seem to be in the talking mood.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“… Yes.”

Another.

You gulp. “Are you mad at me?”

“I don’t think so.”

Another drip, this time it hits your arm.

“Are you going to hurt me?”

You could’ve sworn you saw his eyes narrow in the darkness.

“No.”

The silence is deafening. Your hands clutch onto the end of the blanket. He leans impossibly closer, and the stench of whatever is on him becomes all to familiar. He’s smelt like it before, but never this strong.

“How long were the help bothering you?”

“Since I got here.” There’s little point in trying to lie about it now.

“If you hide something from me again I’ll break three of your fingers.”

A little specific, but the threat certainly does the job.

“Okay. I’m… sorry.” You’re not.

Finally, he pulls away, eyes still trained on your face.

“Go to sleep.”

You don’t. You’re certain that you can’t, at least not for tonight. Especially not after hearing him turn the shower on, and after he’s done leave the room once more.

Instead, you sit and stare at the ceiling, and wonder if any of those in the basement will even have three fingers left of them, by the time he’s done.

#tw yandere #tw.yandere #yandere #yanderecore #yandere illumi zoldyck #yandere illumi x reader #yandere illumi #yandere hxh #yandere hxh x reader #tw implied noncon #implied noncon #tw noncon #tw vomit #tw vomit mention #tw angst #tw pregnancy mention #tw pregnancy

[steddieas-shegoes]

A little thing based on this post because it wouldn’t leave my brain:

“I just don’t understand why you won’t try to read it.”

Steve had heard Dustin say this exact sentence hundreds of times at this point.

“I mean, do you know how to read?”

Mike was an asshole. Steve loved him because he was part of the group and he’d been through the same things, but he was such a dick.

“Yes, I know how to read. I just don’t.”

Dustin rolled his eyes.

“If you don’t wanna read nerd shit just say so.”

Steve threw his arms up in frustration.

Steve was a nerd at heart. As a child, he would beg the nanny to take him to the library and the science museum that had real dinosaur fossils. There was something about the peace of exiting his reality and finding a new one among fantasy and history that was indescribable, even to this day.

But as he grew into his looks, he grew out of that phase. At least around others.

And with no nanny around to take him places, he settled for just being the popular guy who hung out with his friends after practice and threw parties at his forever empty house on Saturdays.

But secretly, he still found himself enjoying books late into the night. Never school books, or his grades would’ve been good enough for college, but always incredible novels that took him to other worlds with the most impressively brave people.

And then he lived a nightmare. A few times over. With concussions at every turn.

Now, anytime he tried to read, his head started pounding, his vision got blurry, and ears would start ringing. He stopped trying altogether after Starcourt, but he’d never really let go his love of books.

He occasionally let Robin read to him, but she would get distracted by a plot or character and go on a tangent, leaving Steve confused about what the actual story was. He hated being confused.

“Stevie, you got a minute?”

Eddie had been watching from his spot at the end of the table, where he’d been cleaning up the mess of D&D. He usually made the kids do it, but he’d let them off the hook tonight when they beat the monster and escaped his trap.

Steve and Eddie were friends, definitely. Maybe not close ones, but friends.

Steve had a little crush, definitely. Or a big one. Maybe.

So when Eddie shows him attention, he somewhat shamefully receives it like he’s dying of thirst in a desert.

Robin is the only one who’s noticed so far, but if he keeps acting like a dog being called by his master anytime Eddie talks to him, someone else will comment on it.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Steve asked as he made his way to Eddie.

The kids took this time to talk amongst themselves about the game and what they think will happen next week, and Steve couldn’t have been more grateful.

“You don’t have to tell me, but.” Eddie was tapping his fingers nervously against his leg. “Do you not know how to read?”

“Uh. No I do. I mean I graduated high school. I know it’s hard to believe.”

“Not judging if you can’t, man. I mean, I took three senior years. I’m the last person who can judge.”

“Yeah, but you’re smart. You just didn’t like school,” Steve replied with a pat to his shoulder.

Eddie glanced down at the contact, eyebrow raising and then falling back to normal quickly.

“Just seems like you’d have read something by now to get them off your ass.”

And that’s a really good point. Maybe he should’ve just suffered through a migraine so they’d leave him alone about it.

But migraines left him out for days sometimes, and he couldn’t exactly afford that right now.

“I guess it’s just not worth the migraine.”

He hadn’t meant to actually say it. He didn’t want Eddie to feel bad or for him to try to make him feel better about it or ask questions or talk about the concussion thing.

Actually, did he even know about the concussion thing? Things?

“You get migraines when you try to read?” Then realization hit Eddie hard. “Steve. Do you like reading?”

Something about the way Eddie was looking at him, like he was sad for him but not pitying him, made Steve want to cry.

“I used to, yeah.”

“Everyone out! Your parents are gonna have to come get you! No questions, no explanations, go!” Eddie yelled to the room.

Everyone stared blankly at him before they started protesting, Dustin loudest of all.

“Steve’s my ride!”

“Not anymore. Hitch a ride with Lucas.”

“But Lucas’ mom always squeezes my cheeks and tells me she hopes I never lose my baby fat.”

“She speaks for all of us. Get the hell out of here!”

Steve was actually impressed. Maybe a little turned on? God, he was a disaster.

As everyone cleared out of the room, Eddie patted the seat next to him. When Steve sat down, Eddie scooted his chair so close to him, his knees were touching Steve’s.

“Alright, so you’re gonna tell me about what books you like and what books you want to read and we’re gonna get started.”

Steve blinked at him. “Huh?”

“You have a list I’m sure.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Okay, then we better get started.”

“I mean, I’ve tried. I appreciate it, but even focusing on one page makes my eyes burn and my head hurt.”

“Got that. I’m not asking you to read.”

Sometimes Steve was worried the concussions had actually knocked some screws loose. He wasn’t getting it.

“I’m gonna read to you, Stevie.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure a lot of them will be movies and I can just watch them.”

“It’s not the same. You know it’s not.”

He was right. Steve didn’t have much patience for movies. And sometimes even those gave him migraines if there were a lot of bright lights and explosions.

“Yeah. But still. You don’t have to do that. You might not even like the books.”

“Ah, this isn’t a completely free service, my liege.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I don’t have extra money to pay you, dude.”

“Not money. I get to pick a book to read to you when we finish the first book you pick.”

“Is it The Hobbit?”

“It is,” Eddie looked so smug.

“Well, that was my first choice,” Steve stared back, equally as smug.

“So, your house is empty.”

“Yep.”

“And I’m assuming you own this book.”

“I do.”

“And it’s getting late.”

Steve looked out the window at the pitch black skies.

“It’s late.”

“So I could stay and read you to sleep.”

“Won’t I miss some of the book?”

“I’ll stop when you’re asleep.”

Steve’s heart was practically begging him to say yes. Eddie reading to him in his bed? Possibly falling asleep together? Maybe even waking up together? It couldn’t be a better proposition. Well. It could.

“Will you stay even if I fall asleep?”

Eddie smirked. “If that’s what you want, sweetheart.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d called Steve that, but it was the first time it felt like he meant it in a non-teasing way.

“Okay.”

So they both changed into some of Steve’s comfy clothes, got into his bed, and Eddie started reading The Hobbit.

Just as he was during D&D and real life, Eddie was animated, providing different voices for different characters and often giving long pauses to let Steve soak in what the words meant.

Steve didn’t even have to ask him to do that. He just did.

Steve fell asleep somewhere between halfway and the end of chapter two, but Eddie stayed.

And they woke up the next day with Steve’s head resting on Eddie’s chest, Eddie’s arms wrapped around him to keep him as close as possible.

They finished the The Hobbit in a week, and because Eddie was now committed to making sure Steve was well-read, they started moving through his list rapidly, falling for each other in new ways every time Eddie turned a page.

Part 2 (Angst)  / Part 2 (Fluffy) /  Part 2 (Explicit)

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #tumblr drabbles #ao3fic #headcanon #secret nerd Steve Harrington

[feeder86]

The Feeders' Fortress

It was the dirty floor against his face that Mike noticed first. His head felt fuzzy and the room was so incredibly dark. It was impossible to work out where he was. He stumbled groggily to his feet, realising that he was dressed only in his underwear. What the hell kind of party had he been to last night to wake up here? Then again, had he been to a party last night? His head was so disorganised.

Reaching around the space, Mike tried to find his clothes and, hopefully, his cell phone so that he could find some light. As he did so, he heard footsteps creeping outside of the room and, for the first time, a streak of light through the crack under the door.

“There’s another one in here!” cried a deep masculine voice as the door opened and Mike suddenly had a small torch shone straight into his face. “Same as us. Underwear. No clothes in sight.”

“What’s going on?” Mike asked indignantly.

“Your guess is as good as ours,” sighed another voice beside the person shining the torch. He reached out his hand and lowered the light so that Mike was no longer blinded. Where the light touched, Mike could see the dilapidated interior of the house he was in: filthy, boarded up and crumbling. Tired, dated pieces of furniture lay haphazardly around the edges of the room, some covered poorly with dust sheets.

“What is this place?” Mike mumbled, getting to his feet.

“Someone’s creepy idea of a joke, no doubt,” came another voice as the footsteps of the guys entered the room. “It looks like your classic haunted mansion. All the windows and doors are locked tight and we haven’t found the way out yet.”

“If there even is one,” replied a pessimistic voice.

“Of course there is,” disputed the guy holding the torch who had seemed to appoint himself the leader. “We got in here somehow, didn’t we? So there has to be a way out.”

The others sighed. None of them claimed to know how they had arrived, each arguing their alternative theories about why they were there. None of them had before. They were all strangers. But, to Mike, there was one clear detail that each of them had in common: outstandingly good looks.

Finn, holding the torch, was a quarterback for the local college team and, even in the limited lighting, Mike could tell that the guy was more strapping than anyone he had ever seen on the pitch. The person standing beside him was Oliver; even taller and toned to absolute perfection. Like Mike, he did some modelling whilst studying in college. Mike knew the agency that he worked for and, whilst the other two were arguing about which direction to search next, the pair discussed the surprising stresses they had encountered with certain jobs they had done. The only other guy was Rob, another football jock for a rival team of Finn’s, though neither of them claimed to know the other. He was built for clear functional athleticism, with the lightest six pack of all of them and a meaty, muscular butt. Delicious.

Even now, in this bizarre situation, Mike could feel himself getting aroused in their presence: these three gorgeous, practically naked boys. Together, they were calm, even jovial. They bolstered each other’s confidence, methodically searching the large building as if they were trying to hide the fact that they were silently terrified. There had to be answers to their questions somewhere in this building.

“What’s down there, do you think?” Oliver asked as they shone the torch down some stairs. 

Out of habit, Mike flicked the light switch, expecting nothing to happen, when suddenly, the whole room below lit up perfectly.

“Success!” roared Finn, heading straight down; soon followed by the others, at quite some pace.

What lay below was the most bizarre of sights: a small, neatly made up dining table, filled with tasty treats: cakes, doughnuts, cookies and pastries; all fresh and smelling incredible. Such a homely scene lightened the mood further, with Finn and Rob heading to sit down at the table and Mike following them, if only to hide the tightness in his crotch which would be clearly evident in this well lit room.

“I knew we’d be alright! This just proves it. It’s definitely some sort of prank,” Finn smiled, reaching out for one of the doughnuts.

Oliver stood to the side, surveying the scene with more scepticism. “Isn’t this a bit fucking weird?” he asked. “This whole place is a shit hole, and now this?” he pointed at the homely scene before him.

“Relax!” Finn scoffed at him, already chewing on a bite of the doughnut. “It tastes fine.”

Rob reached out next, picking up a pastry, now that Finn had sampled the goods. Meanwhile, Mike had his eye on one of the cupcakes, feeling surprisingly hungry after waking up here. Eventually, even Oliver followed them to the table,sitting down at the fourth chair, picking up a cookie and nibbling it with only a small amount of hesitancy.

Under the light, it was clear just how beautiful these guys all were. Mike found himself trying not to stare for fear that his erection may get even more severe if they all had to get up soon and explore the place some more. The mood was relaxed and surprisingly light-hearted as Finn reached for a second and third doughnut before any of the others had even finished their first chosen snack.

“Who do you think made all these?” Oliver asked the guys.

“Whoever it is pranking us,” Rob replied, scanning the room for cameras as he sat at the table.

Mike sat up nervously. He didn’t want to be on camera right now. Not with his erection as it was.

Mike suddenly felt a slight prod on his arm as Oliver looked at him seriously, pointing across to Finn. The movement caught Rob’s attention as well, until all three of them were gazing at a now motionless Finn, staring down at the table and seemingly stunned after finishing his third doughnut.

“Are you alright, buddy?” Rob asked, noting the sweat that was glistening on Finn’s face.

Finn looked up slowly until his eyes met with Mike’s right across the table from him. His jaw was slack as he picked himself up by leaning his strapping body on the table. Then, from out of nowhere, a giant burp erupted from his throat, right in front of Mike. It was so loud and deep, completely unnatural after such light snacks, making the three others stare across in panic.

“What the fuck?” Oliver asked, standing up in alarm, sensing immediately that something was wrong. It was then that Mike noticed that Finn was not as slim as he had thought; that for all his muscles, he was actually carrying a little paunch that looked bizarrely out of place.

FInn’s hips started to rock, like he was fucking some invisible girl in front of him, and, even in his loose fitting trunks, it was clear to Mike that the guy was also nursing an erection.

“What’s he doing?” Rob shouted; his eyes similarly caught by the shape of Finn’s stomach. Each time the guy rocked back and forth, the budding love handles at his sides seemed to swell more and more.

At some point, all three of them realised what was happening. It was the way Finn’s gut began to flutter and jiggle with the shaking. Fat was ballooning in his stomach, actually pushing it outwards. The relaxed fit of his underwear began to disappear as the gentle creases stretched out and the material tightened around him, spurred on by an obvious widening of his tight butt. It was then that Mike began to observe even Finn’s chest starting to succumb; his nipples pointing and a softness spreading into his pecs. It seemed to bloom and spread itself under his arms, softening up his biceps at the same time and swelling his neck; producing a shameful double chin.

Oliver was still the only one up, with Mike and Rob still stunned in their seats. Then, without warning, Rob suddenly bolted for the stairs, grabbing the torch at the same time.

“What do we do?” Oliver asked Mike in pure panic, clearly desperate to follow Rob and get the hell out of there.

Finn’s sweaty body glistened as fat spread throughout. The blubber began to pour itself over the tight waistband of the guy’s underwear, now digging in quite painfully. Mike could see the guy looking down at himself in shock and alarm: his beautiful body becoming more and more obese.

Mike had no answer for what was happening or what on Earth they were supposed to do about it. He could see Oliver looking back towards the dark stairs; no sign of Rob at all. More than once, Mike thought that Oliver might run off in fear as well. If he did, Mike decided he was going to run straight out with him.

A general widening seemed to take place in Finn’s body. The love handles pushed out to further extents and his hips swelled above the two extremely blubbery thighs. The guy’s cute underwear had allowed his large, sweaty glutes to slip out as the inflation took hold. Now the material began to tear; stretched as they were in every direction.

Within no time at all, Mike realised that Finn was now carrying an insane amount of fat on his body; 400 lbs? 450? His underwear were reduced to little more than rags, still dangling from a destroyed waistband; an entire sack of lard now filling Finn’s groin. 

Oliver bolted, quickly followed by a petrified Mike, throwing himself up the pitch-black stairs. “Wait up!” he cried out in horror, wincing as his feet stepped over the debris and dust. All he could do was follow the sounds of Oliver’s lightning footsteps. 

Suddenly, Mike felt himself bumping straight into Oliver, knocking them both to the floor.

“Watch it!” Oliver grumbled. “What the hell were you running for? We can barely see a thing!”

Mike’s mouth filled with all the things he wanted to say and then, just as quickly as they arrived, nothing. Why was he running? Had something scared him? No. He would have remembered that. He shuffled to his feet. “Sorry,” he mumbled, feeling rather silly. “I must have just been trying to catch you up.”

Oliver shushed him and the pair listened intently as voices came from another wing of the enormous house. They began stepping in the same direction, noticing faint glows of the torch around one corner.

“But this is the way I came in!” argued a new voice. “The door was open, and now…” he shouted, banging forcefully on what appeared to be the front door.

“Oh, thank heavens!” Oliver bellowed, finally spotting Rob standing next to a police officer. 

The relief that Mike felt was indescribable. Tall, built and appearing nothing but strong and capable, the police officer turned to face them both, shining a second torch in their faces.

“Is this all of you?” the cop asked. 

“No, there’s another guy,” Rob mumbled, as if he couldn’t quite remember exactly. “Finn. He’s downstairs somewhere. He was eating some food we found,” he continued; his voice wispy, like he was trying to piece something together. He’s pretty big and heavy though. I don’t suppose he wants to go walking all around this place at that size.”

Mike nodded, realising that Rob was probably right. That must have been why Finn stayed down in the basement. 

“Well, this door has locked behind me. I don’t have any signal on my cell phone and there doesn’t seem to be any reception for me to contact the station on my radio,” the cop explained grumpily. “I guess you had better take me to see this Finn guy so that I can check on him too,” he finally decided, slamming into the heavy door one final time, just in case it budged at all. 

Oliver and Mike took one torch, whilst the cop and Rob walked ahead with the other.

“Do you think he’s a real cop?” Oliver whispered to Mike. “This whole thing just seems to be getting weirder and weirder, don’t you think?”

Mike pondered the idea. He’d not imagined that the cop was not genuine. But Oliver was right. Here he was, wandering around, almost naked in an abandoned mansion with no idea how late at night it was. Absolutely anything was possible.

“Where exactly are we?” he shouted ahead to the cop. “How did you know to come looking here?”

The cop began explaining the exact location of the mansion. “This old place has been crumbling for years,” the guy stated, after informing them all how far out of the city they were right now. “We used to get calls about trespassers quite a lot, but that all stopped about six months ago. Until tonight.”

In the dim light, Mike could feel Oliver looking at him from the side. The guy wasn’t trusting a word that was coming out of the cop’s mouth. 

“Something’s up with Rob,” Oliver whispered a few moments later, when they had slowed their pace to allow the other two to go even further ahead, in search of the stairs to the basement. “Have you noticed how much he is sweating?”

Mike shone the light a little more on Rob. Oliver’s observations were spot on. The guy’s broad back was glistening with sweat, running down his back and drenching into his boxers, all down his butt crack. Something about it all seemed so familiar, although Mike couldn’t put his finger on why. Was this a bad sign? Was it something to be feared?

“We need to keep our distance from him,” Oliver decided, pulling Mike back a little bit more to let the cop and Rob get even more ahead of them. They kept a slow pace behind and waited as the pair eventually found the staircase down to the basement, heading straight down.

“What’s going on?” Mike asked, feeling that Oliver’s senses were sharper than his own; his instincts better.

Oliver rubbed his face, clearly stressed. “I don’t know!” he sighed. “But something tells me it’s going to be me and you finding our way out of here. I don’t trust that cop, and as for Rob…” he whispered. “I just have this really bad feeling.”

Suddenly, the cop was shouting at the top of his voice from the basement, startling both Oliver and Mike.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” he blasted. “What are you doing?”

Racing down, Oliver took the lead, standing on the staircase in front of Mike as they looked on at the scene. Rob’s body was rocking and shaking, his tight abs suddenly swollen and buried. The cop stood crouched to the side, his gun out and seemingly very afraid. Whatever was taking over Rob had a very firm grip on his body; thrashing him about as his stomach continued to grow.

In those moments, Mike suddenly remembered what he had witnessed happening to Finn. How could he ever have forgotten? There Finn was, snoozing on the floor, encased in mountains of fresh fat.

“What’s going on?” the cop demanded of Oliver and Mike.

“The food!” Mike mumbled, seeing it all there, continuing to invite them in. “There’s something in the food!” he stated with more certainty as Rob’s fine torso began to be consumed with an onslaught of blubber, swelling into his pecs and rounding out his stomach so that it pushed out further and further. The guy was panicking, managing to waddle around as his body shook, and he gazed at all the food that Mike was now blaming. Just what was it doing to him?

“But we ate the food as well,” Oliver shot back, terrified and transfixed as Rob’s butt widened in those cute little boxers of his; fat starting to crease the skin on his back and love handles swelling out further every single second. The butt crack began to peak out as the glutes grew; little more than an inch to begin with, then more and more; until his super sized butt was almost entirely outside of the underwear. That was when it ripped at the weaker stitching between his lardy legs and the material began to deteriorate quickly; all the elastic stretched beyond its capacity.

Mike put a comforting hand on Oliver’s strong shoulder, hoping to ease his worries in any way that he could.

The cop had fallen to the ground, backing up into the corner by the stairs and holding his gun out still; no longer so big, strong and tough.

Oliver reached his hand up and lovingly held Mike’s own hand upon his shoulder. Despite everything, the sensation of Oliver’s touch was all Mike needed.

Rob had fallen onto the floor, the transformation seemingly at an end, and a deathly silence filled the room.

“We’re fucked!” Oliver sighed. “Absolutely fucked!” He looked at Mike, his eyes full of concern for him. “Will it be us next, do you think?” he asked Mike, still holding his hand sweetly.

At that moment, Mike felt so completely smitten. Yet he nodded. “I think so,” he agreed sadly.

“What the hell are you on about?” the cop demanded of them both, still clearly terrified from what he had just seen. “Food can’t do that to someone! Not like that, anyway.”

“There’s no other way to explain it,” Oliver shrugged. “It took Finn first because he had eaten the most. Now Rob…”

The police officer stared hard at the two enormously fat guys on the floor and then looked in amazement at all the food still resting on the table. But then, his eyes widened even further and he stood up in horror. “Those doughnuts!” he shouted, looking straight at the unusually colourful and sprinkled treats on the table. “There was one just like it on my desk earlier! I thought it was from one of my colleagues.”

Mike and Oliver looked at each other with worry. Was the guy who was here to rescue them, actually just another victim? 

“But did you eat it?” Oliver demanded of him.

“Yes, I ate it!” the cop shouted back, getting angry now. He seemed to feel faint, getting hot under the collar and putting back his gun so that he could take off his shirt.

Again, Mike and Oliver looked at each other. Why was the cop getting so sweaty all of a sudden? They watched as he shuffled around, leaning against the side, kicking off his shoes and even pulling off his socks, as if every piece of clothing was irritating his skin.

“Um, Sir…” Oliver cried out awkwardly as the cop untied his belt, discarding even his gun without a care, then unzipped his pants and let them drop to the floor.

In this state, it was clear to see what the cop had had in common with the four of them; young, handsome and highly athletic as he clearly was.

“Oh, no!” the cop mumbled, tensing all the muscles in his strapping body.

“What’s happening?” Oliver whispered to Mike.

“It must be trying to take him,” Mike shot back. “I think he’s actually trying to fight it.”

Both Mike and Oliver climbed two steps further up the stairs, abandoning the cop and knowing that there was nothing they could do to help him now. The gorgeous officer was grunting and bracing himself against the wall. The sounds he was making reminded Mike of the guys he had seen in the gym trying to lift extremely heavy weights.

“I can’t watch!” Mike whispered to Oliver, who had taken a further step up to sit beside him on the stairs and kindly draped his arm over Mike’s shoulders.

“We must,” Oliver whispered back. “We’ve got to see if he can do it. Who knows, right?”

“Maybe he can fight it off,” Mike agreed hopefully.

“Shit,” Oliver replied, quickly shutting Mike down. “Look at his abs. Can you see? The skin around them is starting to bloat up.”

Oliver leaned his head against Mike’s and rubbed his back soothingly. The arousal Mike felt was spiking once again and he found himself momentarily lost, even as the cop battled on only a few feet away.

“It’s a battle that cannot be won. This guy only got married last year,” Oliver continued, as they both looked across at the police officer. “Yet he’s already cheating on his wife with a new recruit at his station. That’s why he ate the doughnut. He thought it was from her.”

Oliver’s voice was so soothing and intense. Mike felt as though he could sit there all day long admiring the perfect man beside him. But, what was he actually saying? Mike had to replay it in his head, before the obvious question dawned in him. “How do you know that?” he asked.

“His secret girlfriend says she can’t resist those tight little buns of his,” Oliver whispered teasingly, as if trying to hold back a laugh. “Not so tight anymore. Wouldn’t you agree, Mike?” he asked; the pair of them watching as the cop growled loudly in desperation to hold back whatever force was taking him. But Oliver was right; slowly, but surely, the guy’s butt had started to develop some extra meat to it, rounding the glutes in a way that only fat ever could.

“What are you saying?” Mike asked, feeling Oliver’s presence becoming more powerful. 

“Shh,” Oliver soothed, rubbing Mike’s back and continuing to lean his head against his, forcing them both to watch the action in front of them. “We can’t have a cop that handsome walking around, can we?”

Mike’s heartbeat rose to new heights. The person who was controlling all of this had been with him the entire time. His body tensed, making Oliver sigh in happiness as he stuck close to him on that step.

“I love this bit!” Oliver continued whispering, as if telling Mike a bedtime story. “Can you see how he’s trying to hold his breath? He thinks he can force it back down, but he can’t. The formula has now spread into every cell in his body.”

Even with the officer trying to hold on tight, a slow, insidious tire of fat was gently forming over his abs and budding softness grew into love handles. The effort of holding his breath was taking it out of him; his eyes were screaming for release and cheeks had filled with air. Now his eyes were shutting tight, as if to concentrate even more, when a tiny burst of air slipped through his lips like a leaking pipe; more and more, until the floodgates had opened and he had to let it all go; sucking up a great big chestful of air and then burping like never before; all control stripped from him.

That brief pause in the guy’s attention was seemingly all this formula had needed to take control. The hips began thrashing about with surprising violence, with his stomach and rear inflating with remarkable speed; as if making up for lost time.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Oliver asked, kissing Mike sweetly on the side of his head. “So much fat! The thighs, the chest and the arms!” There was such a thrill in his quiet voice, as if he was deliberately controlling his elation to creep Mike out even more.

“Why are you doing this?” Mike asked; eyes still fixed on the ballooning cop as his jawline disappeared under the building flesh in his neck and chin, and blossoming into his cheeks.

“Because I can… And because I want to,” Oliver quietly replied, as he continued to stroke Mike’s back. “Look at him!” he cooed. “Pecs are gone already!”

Mike watched as the officer’s nipples started to bounce and his thick thighs swelled outwards, blowing up his butt to a size that was almost disproportionate to his frame.

“I wonder what his girlfriend will say about him now,” Oliver joked, knowing that Mike would be looking at exactly the same thing. “A disgusting, overfed, fat ass like that!” he whispered gently into Mike’s ear, making every part of the boy tingle with a baffling excitement. “You’re going to be a fat boy, just like him soon…” the devil whispered into his ear.

Mike wanted to get up and run, but being so close to Oliver felt like something he had longed for his entire life. Was this what love felt like? This yearning to be with someone, no matter what?”

Oliver began to caress the tip of Mike’s throbbing hardness under his underwear. “How exciting for you. A whole new life for yourself as one of my fatties,” he teased, turning his head so that he could whisper directly into Mike’s ear as he watched the cop continuing to become even more extremely obese, lose his balance and slide against the wall; landing with a splat on his enormously overgrown backside. Yet, even sitting down, his butt and thighs continued to spread out onto the floor; the rolls and blubber that decorated his torso, softening and spreading; folds deepening every second. 

Then, just like that, the cop had fallen asleep; his revoltingly obese body resting after the dramatic trauma it had just endured. Mike gasped, but not because of the sight in front of him. It was Oliver, continuing to massage his erection. He was brought so close to climaxing, that when Oliver brought his lips towards him, Mike moved swiftly to meet them in a deep, passionate kiss.

As they came out of the kiss, Oliver gently stroked Mike’s hair back from his face. “I’ve so enjoyed our time together,” he smiled with delight. “You’ve been so entertaining, from the very start.”

Mike smiled back, in awe of the amazing man who was giving him all the attention he could ever wish.

Oliver brought his nose close to Mike’s neck and sniffed in deeply all the way up to the top of his head. “I can smell my formula inside of you!” he breathed with genuine eroticism at the thought. “It’s getting ready to take you!”

Oliver took Mike by the hand and stood him up. The pair came down the stairs, stepping over the gigantic cop’s outstretched legs and into the light properly. There was not a single part of Mike that wanted to resist.

“Let’s take these off, shall we?” Oliver asked, pulling the underwear down so that they dropped around Mike’s feet; his hardness springing out with an almost embarrassing enthusiasm “You’ve been such a good boy, this whole time. I picked the cop as the one who would be able to hold out the longest, but I’m so glad that it was you. Such a handsome boy!” he marvelled, stroking Mike’s face. “When I saw you in that magazine, I knew I had to take you.”

“I’m all yours!” Mike spluttered lustfully back; for some reason, only wanting Oliver to touch him again like he had on the stairs.

“Do you really mean that?” Oliver asked, barely concealing a grin behind those innocent looking eyes.

“I do!” Mike nodded. “I would do anything for you!”

“Then prove it,” Oliver snapped. “Don’t make me wait for you. Take another piece from the table and overdose on my formula just like that first idiot did,” he ordered. “Set my beautiful formula into action!”

Inexplicably, Mike’s feet were taking him towards the table. If this was the way to please Oliver, he needed to show him that he could do it. He grabbed at a doughnut and made to push it towards his mouth. However, just as he almost made it, Mike��s hand stopped and tried to push back. There was some invisible, subconscious part of his brain, still active and working, despite the fogginess that was clouding everything else.

Oliver smirked, as if he knew exactly what was going on; why Mike’s hand was not letting him eat. He seized the guy’s wrist and pushed it forwards with remarkable strength as Mike made every effort to keep his mouth wide open and let it fall onto his tongue. He bit down, watched carefully by Oliver, standing in front of him, smiling victoriously,

By the second bite, Mike felt his jaw slacken and stop working. A rumbling burp rolled from his throat, entirely unchallenged. The haze around him seemed to have grown more intense. Oliver was still in front of him, but circling around like a sergeant major conducting an inspection, or a killer whale startling its prey. It was only when he heard the man laughing that Mike knew his hips had begun to rock. He had no idea how the cop had tried to fight it off. The autonomous nature of whatever process this was, seemed entirely beyond his understanding. A warmth was filling his body; building and strengthening. Then that warmth seemed to spread itself across those areas that Mike had seen on the other guys: his stomach felt almost red hot, whilst his butt and legs were tingling and changing rapidly.

Oliver’s hands were seizing upon him, grabbing and pinching parts of his body that Mike didn’t even know existed. Mike tried to speak, to ask Oliver if it was working, but his mouth could not shape the words. Only a groan made it out, shaken and rocked by the vibrations of his instantaneously transforming body. 

Waves of fat began to bounce and crash into each other as Mike felt fresh flesh developing all over his body. A few seconds in, he had thought that Oliver had grabbed at his hardness again. However, he soon realised that it was the tip of his penis slapping against an enormous roll of fat that had invaded his torso. He looked down, seeing the remarkable width of his squishy stomach and the strange pointing of his nipples.

Oliver’s voice was far from soothing now. He was shouting and calling him out on his grotesquely overfed body; telling him how greedy he was, or likening him to a pig. He even oinked triumphantly right down Mike’s ear. 

The body that Mike was in no longer felt like his own anymore. His whole being had been transported into that of something new. The space that he occupied was incredible, surging outwards more and more. He lost his balance, feeling his giant self being collected by Oliver’s unnaturally strong arms as he was gently lowered to the ground.

Mike got a look at his disgusting, blubbery physique, wondering how he would ever use it.  How could he do anything with that enormous belly in the way? How could he get himself up the stairs to his apartment? He’d certainly never squeeze himself into his tiny shower, or find any clothes at regular stores to cover himself up with.

“Goodnight, Fat Boy!” Oiver sang as Mike felt his eyes getting heavy. He knew he'd never see Oliver again. He’d served his purpose. He’d entertained. Now came the sleep that would erase everything from his mind. The factory reset that would prepare him for his life as one of Oliver’s fat boys.

#gainer fiction #gay feedee #gainerstory #gayfeeder #gainerfic #gainer story #gainer stories #gayfeedee #gainerstories #gainer fic

[mc-i-r]

Disposable Heroes

Part one, Part two, Part three, Part four AO3 link

A/N: hi yes so sorry for how late this is, it turned into a huge monster of a fic that I’m still working on but I figured posting the first part wouldn’t hurt. This is based on this post by @liightsnow, @acowardinmordor, and @00biscuit while back and I decided to expand that concept a bit and here we are. I'll be tagging anyone that seemed interested in the concept at the end of the fic! Warnings are below but I just wanna say that Steve is struggling with his sexuality in this one so most of it comes from that. This will absolutely have a happy ending, just not right now. Enjoy the angst!

Tw: internalized homophobia, homophobic language, mentions of canon violence, dissociation, panic attacks

———

It’s a Sunday afternoon when he realizes it. Steve is sitting on his couch, eating a shitty frozen meal and watching a random movie on TV when it hits him. The kids haven’t asked him for a ride in two weeks. Two Saturdays have passed and there was not one call— either on the phone or over the walkie— from any of the kids. Not even Dustin, who has seemed to make it his life’s mission in the past couple years to annoy Steve into an early grave.

It’s not like he hasn’t seen them at all. He still practices basketball with Lucas on Thursdays, even though the season is long over. His weekly dinners with Claudia and Dustin are still going strong every Wednesday. Joyce seems to invite him over for dinners every couple weeks. From the outside, everything seems fine. And maybe it is, but Steve’s noticed things.

See, he’s not as stupid as people think he is. He may not be academically smart but he can read. However, instead of books, it’s people. He can read their micro-expressions, notice little signs in their body language that help him understand the person. He can tell when people are nervous when they avoid eye contact, can tell how anxious they are when they distract themselves by picking at their fingers. It’s how he’s so good with the kids. They’re in the stubborn stage of their teenage years, the time in which the only answer you’ll get is ‘I’m fine. Leave me alone’. But he can tell if there’s something on their minds, if there’s something eating away at them.

He can tell that Mike’s anger and pointed barbs are directed towards himself, how he’s struggling with something he can’t quite admit to himself yet. How Max is frustrated with her body, with accepting help, because she’s always had to rely on herself and putting that much trust in someone else has never been an option for her until now. How Lucas is trying to find joy in doing something he loves again, because his love for basketball has been ruined by Carver and his trusty band of assholes. How Dustin is trying to deal with almost losing Eddie, how he’s processing the feelings of almost losing a brotherly figure along with one of his friends. How Will is hiding part of himself, struggling to accept it in the same way Mike is. How El is trying so hard to find her new normal, to adjust to getting her life— her father— back.

There’s another thing he’s noticed, however. It’s that the kids are obsessed with Eddie. Steve from a couple years ago would feel jealous of Eddie, and would try to hold it against him. Now, though, Steve just feels… sad. The kids constantly talk about how cool and badass Eddie is for still being himself despite all the shit Hawkins has thrown at him. They talk about how Eddie takes them places, gets them little trinkets for their nerd game, and takes them fun places. Eddie does all these little things for the kids, lets them just be kids, and really, Steve can’t be mad at him for it. He tries to let them have fun, but his constant worrying overwhelms them. It brings them down. Eddie doesn’t do that. He joins right in with them, basking in the fun and letting himself go. Steve… can’t. Not with all the shit he’s seen. Letting his guard down is something he can’t afford to do anymore.

He sighs down at his meal, chucking it on the coffee table as he loses his appetite. His glasses land next to the disposable plastic tray, sliding across the finished wood surface from the force of his throw. He rubs harshly over his face, hands digging into his eyes until he sees stars.

Steve knows he’s not perfect. Hell, it took an interdimensional monster trying to kill him in order for him to realize that he could be a better person. That the only person truly able to change his life is himself. He used to think he had no choice in his life— whether it was his parents' high expectations of him or his friends trying to mold him into their perfect little plaything— but he knows better now. He knows that he shouldn’t have become King Steve, that he shouldn’t have hurled all his hate and anger towards other people who didn’t deserve it. He knows he shouldn’t have called people names or slurs, that he shouldn’t have spray painted lockers or ripped up books or shoved people against hard asphalt. He knows that, but knowing it was wrong doesn’t erase the fact that it happened. That Steve did those things and hurt people.

Part of him knows that his past is what made the kids turn towards Eddie. Why wouldn’t they? Steve was a bully, thought he was hot shit in school and made it everyone’s problem. Eddie was simply himself. His unabashed, unashamed self. He stood on cafeteria tables, made dramatic speeches, and shared his opinions to anyone and everyone who would listen. He’s so genuine and so, so much better for the kids. He teaches them how to be themselves, how to shove off the hate and embrace their weird side. He’s perfect for them, and Steve knows deep down that this is good for them. The kids need a good role model, one they can rely on, and Eddie has his herd of little sheep to teach and protect. It’s perfect. They’re perfect.

Steve remembers the time last week at the Byers-Hopper house when their little obsession truly became real. They were waiting for the bread to finish baking in the oven, and Steve saw that Will was seated alone in the living room. Joyce and Hopper were in the kitchen, talking and keeping a lookout so the bread wouldn’t burn. Jonathan and El were listening to music in his room, the synth and guitars echoing down the hallway. So, Steve decided to finally talk to Will. It’s not like they don’t talk ever, just… not much. Will is quiet, blends into the background, and Steve never felt like the kid would be comfortable with him trying to get in his business. However, he needed to ask the question that had been on his mind for a while.

Steve sat down on the couch next to him, keeping a fair amount of distance between them, and rested his elbows on his knees. Will was reading a comic, the cover full of bright colors and words, not paying attention. Steve sighed, pushed his glasses up, and ran a hand through his own hair.

“Hey, um… can we talk for a sec?”

Will startled a little, like he didn’t realize Steve was there, and closed his comic. He nodded, and Steve tried not to feel bad about the hesitation in his eyes.

“Is there something going on that I don’t know about? Like with the others?” Will’s eyebrows furrowed, a confused expression taking over his face.

“Um.. what do you mean?”

“Just… have I done anything to them to make them mad? I just… I don’t know, I feel like I’ve done something but I don’t know what,” Steve confessed. He must have looked as distraught as he felt, because Will seemed to soften at his explanation a bit.

“Why do you think that, Steve?” Will asked softly, and Steve had a moment of realization that Will seemed years older than he looked. Steve sighed, and explained that the kids haven’t really been hanging around him much and instead like to spend time with Eddie. He’s quick to clarify that he doesn’t mean anything bad by it, just wants to know what happened. It was Will’s turn to sigh, and he looked at Steve with something akin to sympathy.

“Steve, I don’t say this to be mean but… Eddie just relates to us more, you know? He shares more interests with us, and he seems to get us better,” Will expressed. His eyes widened and he hastily added, “it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you! Just… it’s nice to have somewhere else to go, you know?”

The rest of the evening was spent with Steve silently eating his dinner, Will’s words echoing through his head as he munched on half-burnt bread.

Steve decides then, TV dinner half-eaten and work vest still on his shoulders, that he’s going to make this better.

The next day, Eddie comes into Family Video to pick up some movies, definitely for a movie night judging by the titles— he seriously doubts a metalhead would willingly watch The Goonies, The Dark Crystal, and Ghostbusters by himself on a Saturday night. Eddie bounds up to the register, movies in hand, and does a dramatic bow as he presents them to Steve.

“I wish to borrow these, my liege,” Eddie declares, his voice deep and in a horrible mockery of an English accent. Steve scoffs and rolls his eyes, unable to hide the small grin on his face at the other man's theatrics.

Eddie looks so effortlessly pretty, his hair tied back in a ponytail and his tattoos exposed through the large arm holes in his homemade tank top. Steve shakes his head to get rid of those thoughts and takes the movies to check them out, ignoring the late fee balance on Eddie's account. A glance at the man in front of him, who is bouncing on his toes and looking around the store, gives Steve an idea.

“Hey, is Hellfire still going on?”

Eddie snaps his attention back to Steve, looking a little startled to be asked such a thing.

“Uh… yeah, it's still going on. We have to play in Gareth’s hot ass garage since school is out but we’re making it work. Why d’you ask?”

“Oh, uh… the kids complained awhile back that they didn’t have a good spot to play anymore and I was just wondering,” Steve explains. Eddie raises an eyebrow at him, and Steve can feel him staring. Can feel him looking at him closely. Too closely. He clears his throat and looks back down at the counter, pushing his gold, wire-framed glasses further up his nose. “I uh… I actually wanted to offer up my place? My parents aren’t home much”— more like never— “and I’ve got plenty of space for the gremlins and the other guys. Plus, my A/C works and I’ve got a shit ton of snacks. I’ll stay out of your hair and-“

“Actually uh…” Eddie cuts him off with a strained voice. Steve looks up to find his face contorted like he ate something sour, and he knows what his response is going to be before he opens his mouth. Eddie wipes a hand over his mouth before shoving it in his pocket. “Yeah, the other guys just… really wouldn’t want to be there.”

Steve nods— tries not to let the denial sting— and looks down at the movies in his hands. Ignoring how they shake, he sets them on the counter and slides them towards Eddie.

“That’s okay man, I get it. I need a break from the little horrors anyway,” he huffs out, the words digging their way into the pit in his stomach. He puts on his best customer service smile and looks up at Eddie, finding him looking a little wary. Eddie hesitates, as if debating with himself on whether or not to say anything, before rapping his knuckles on the counter in a little rhythm and picking up his movies. An awkward smile finds its way to his face, and Steve thinks it strange and out of place. It’s so.. un-Eddie-like. The pit grows deeper.

Walking backwards towards the entrance, Eddie throws a little salute his way before turning and swinging out the door. A belated “see ya, Harrington” drifts through the closing door in his wake.

Steve slumps over the counter when he’s gone, holding his head in his hands and feeling the childish urge to cry make its way up to his eyes. Even after everything— after walking through hell together, dragging his lifeless body out of the Upside Down as his blood dripped down his back and soaked through his clothes, standing vigil at his side until he woke up two weeks later— Eddie still seems to hate him.

But Steve… he feels the opposite. He has this overwhelming desire to be with Eddie. To hang out with him in the back of his van, drinking sodas and eating snacks as they look out over Lover’s Lake while the sun sets. To talk to him until the early hours of the morning until there’s nothing left to say. To go for drives late at night and listen to his loud music on the radio while holding hands over the center console. He has feelings for Eddie he’s never had before. Not for any past romantic conquests nor any girl. Hell, not even for Nancy. He’s never felt this intense need to be near someone before, and it scares him. It truly terrifies him.

He’s not homophobic— his platonic soulmate is a lesbian, for Christ's sake— but the fact that he feels this way is just… wrong to him. How is Steve Harrington, ladies’ man and charmer extraordinaire, into dudes? What is he, like, half gay? It just doesn’t make sense, doesn’t seem right, for him to feel like this. He sighs into his hands, digging his palms into his eyes until he sees stars. He can’t be thinking about this now, he can’t be thinking about this at all. He needs to shove it in the box in the back of his head where all the hard feelings go, waiting and festering to be dealt with later. He needs to, but he doesn’t know if he can.

Fuck, he needs to talk to Robin. Shit- can he though? What if what he’s feeling is a fluke or something? What if it’s just in his head because he’s desperate? What if Robin thinks he’s making fun of her and won’t take him seriously? It’s not fair of him to throw all his problems on her, even if he thinks she could help. It’s not her job to look after him, to take care of him. He can do that himself. He can figure this out himself.

Distantly, the words of Richard Harrington play in his ears. About how being gay is wrong, how it’s a disease. How it’s a sickness that slowly takes over until there’s nothing left. How it’s a disgrace.

He remembers sitting in the living room with his parents on a rare occasion in which they were home, watching the news channel as it talked about an epidemic spreading through young men. His father scoffed at the screen when they started talking about potential cures.

“Cures? They should just let those fags die. They brought this on themselves, you know. Typical of them to complain about the fucking consequences,” Richard had spat out at the block TV, standing to refill his bourbon. Steve had clenched his fists at his side, his already stiff posture straightening still. He felt angry at his fathers words, something pure and burning in his gut.

He didn’t know what it was at the time, but maybe he should’ve known. Maybe him being queer shouldn’t be as much of a surprise as it feels. Maybe he’s always known and just couldn’t bring himself to admit it. Maybe that anger he felt at his father’s words was partly on behalf of himself, too.

A wince shudders through him as he remembers how that night ended.

Steve had stood up from the couch, watching the dark liquid flow into the crystal glass in his father’s hand.

“What’s so wrong with being gay? I don’t understand how you could just.. hate people like that. Hate them for just existing,” Steve countered. His father had frozen at his words, slowly setting down the decanter with a solid ‘thunk’ against the metal tray where it belonged and turned to face him. His face was slowly gaining a reddish hue, a sign of the anger rising within him.

“What did you just say?” He demanded, voice scarily calm but laced with an icy rage. Steve swallowed.

“What… What's wrong with being gay, sir?” Steve hesitated, voice failing him. Richard had downed the glass of bourbon before throwing it at Steve, the crystal shattering on the mantelpiece behind him and sending shards flying.

“What’s wrong, Steven, is that you think it’s okay. No son of mine will think like that, not on my watch,” his father boomed, taking long strides towards him. Steve didn’t dare move, only watched his fist grow nearer as he punched him high on his cheek. He fell to the floor, arms trying to protect his head but it was no use. Richard had ripped his arms away, gripping the front of his shirt and making Steve hover above the ground.

“I didn’t raise a fucking fairy, Steven,” he spat. “A faggot.” Steve recoiled, physically feeling the vitriol his father aimed at his face. Richard had sneered, pulled him close and whispered, “Never forget that, Steven,” before shoving him harshly onto the ground and walking away. Black had clouded the edges of his vision, and he laid on the plush rug until it cleared up. He looked over, found his mother silently watching the TV and sipping her wine, and begged with his eyes for her to help him. To say something. Anything. She didn’t, and Steve had to haul himself off the floor, grasping the couch when his vision swam, and stumbled his way to his room.

The rest of that weekend was spent in his room, gingerly cleaning his face and the couple places where glass had cut him on his arms with a wet washcloth and soap. It was the first time he had ever gotten a concussion. He was fifteen.

He remembers replaying the fight over and over again, feeling like those barbs were directed towards him, too. In hindsight, maybe they were. Maybe his father just knew. Knew he was queer long before Steve ever did. Maybe that’s why he’s always so angry with him, so… disappointed. A groan escapes him and he runs a hand through his hair. He’s been thinking way too damn much for it to be this early in the day.

God, he really wishes Robin was here. He knows he can’t talk to her, but it would be nice just to have someone here to keep him from spiraling and drowning in his thoughts. He pushes himself off the counter and goes over to the cart where the returns sit, hoping that busying himself will occupy his thoughts. He sets a few on the shelves when what Eddie said earlier barrels into him full-force.

“Yeah, the other guys just… really wouldn’t want to be there.”

Jesus fucking Christ, he’s stupid. Of course the other Hellfire guys wouldn’t want to be at his house, they probably still see him as King Steve. Most people do, nowadays. Only the ones he went through hell with know he’s different now, that he’s changed. So really, he can’t fault them for being against the idea of Hellfire at his house. He wouldn’t believe it either if he was in their shoes.

Then again, wouldn’t Eddie or the kids try to convince them he’s different? That he’s not a dick? Shit, he’s been through four apocalypses, three concussions, and survived Russian torture— surely they would give him the benefit of the doubt, right? He’s dropped the bad influences out of his life, found better friends, better family— or can he even say that anymore?— to be with. Wouldn’t they try to stick up for him? Or... is he just not worth it?

Steve clenches his eyes shut, willing his bubbling emotions back down, and grips the movie in his hands so hard the plastic begins to creak. The little voice in his head, one that sounds suspiciously like Robin, tells him to breathe. He does. Deep inhale, hold, long exhale. Over and over and over again until he’s calm, until his head is clear.

He knows what he needs to do now: apologize. If it's one thing Steve Harrington knows, it’s how to apologize. Hell, he’s done it more times than he can count. He knows how to repair burnt bridges and how to get past the tough exterior of a person to pull at their heartstrings for sympathy. He knows the key; he just has to make himself useful. If he can provide things for the kids, for Eddie and the Hellfire crew, then they’ll want him around. That’s how it’s always been. That’s how it is with his parents, with school, with his past friends, and now his current ones. He vaguely recalls his junior year art teacher saying that, "once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but thrice is a pattern." Which means this, this is something he has to make right.

With a plan solidified in his mind, he goes back to work refilling the shelves with movies, brainstorming ideas to get his family back.

Over the next week, Steve becomes a one man show. He offers up more rides, more movie nights, more free reign of his house and his pool and his car and his money and himself just to make the kids happy. He picks up extra shifts at work just to get extra spending money for them, knowing that they go through twenty bucks in no time.

But… it doesn’t work. Because bit by bit, ride by ride, movie marathon by family dinner by game night by post-nightmare phone call, it becomes painfully clear. Everyone puts on a mask around him. One that says they’re happy to see him, that they’re glad he’s here, but he knows it’s a lie. This, really, shouldn’t be much of a surprise. People don’t stick around him much, so why did he think this was any different?

Maybe it’s because he was finally himself around them, he finally opened up and showed a bit of his true self, and was still rejected. Still pushed away. He wasn’t cowering behind a mask this time, he was just Steve. But it wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t good enough.

To their credit, it starts off slow. Casual comments that are cut off quickly, kicks under dinner tables and pointed throat clearing. It’s one instance during game night where it all clicks.

The Monopoly board is spread out before them in the Byers-Hopper living room. Steve, of course, is losing. He’s not good with investments and savings and he keeps landing on the goddamn ‘jail’ space but he doesn’t really care, not when he’s finally having fun with the kids. He groans when the dice make him land on one of Mike’s properties, shuffling his fake cash to pull out the tax money.

“C’mon this game is totally rigged. How the hell am I losing to a bunch of teens?” He grumbles as Mike proudly snatches the money from his hand. Max snickers from her place beside him, her pale blue eyes rolling as she looks at him.

“You know, if you actually used your brain then maybe you wouldn’t be losing. Ever think of that?” She quips, and Steve huffs. Leave it to him to be called out by a fifteen year old.

“I’m surprised there’s even a brain in there to begin with,” Dustin states. He’s seated across from Steve. “I mean, why else would he have-“

His comment is cut off by Lucas smacking his arm. Dustin looks at him like he’s about to protest when Lucas raises his eyebrows, looking pointedly from Dustin to Steve and back again. Steve can’t hear from his position so far away, but he swears Dustin mutters “shit” before crossing his arms and looking down at the board. Steve looks around at the rest of the group, noticing how none of them seem to want to look at him, choosing to focus rather intently on the cardboard before them.

The rest of the game is filled with awkward silences. Steve can feel them looking at him when he’s occupied, and it makes him feel like shit inside.

It’s on the drive home when it hits him. He is the one that doesn’t fit into their group, into their family. They’re slowly but surely removing him and replacing him with Eddie. With someone who fits. With someone better. It hits him so hard, so fully, that he has to pull over on a quiet street to sob in his empty car.

The first time it's fully solidified in his mind is at a barbecue at the Byers-Hoppers house. Robin can’t come, her aunt from up north is visiting for the weekend and she has to stay home. Steve walks through the house, planning on saying hello to Joyce before joining the party outside. He finds Joyce talking low to Eddie in the kitchen and he pauses in the doorway, watches how Joyce laughs at something Eddie says. How she places her hand on his arm as her eyes crinkle with the weight of her laugh. Eddie is smiling, open and wide, with a flush high on his cheeks that stains his skin pink. His dimples are on full display and it takes pure willpower for Steve not to go and poke at them, to settle his thumb in the divot of his skin.

Joyce leans close to Eddie and says something under her breath, making him blush purely red now and shush her, causing another wave of laughter to ripple through the both of them. The kitchen is filled with warmth, the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the sheer cream-colored curtains that line the two windows as laughter fills the room. It’s light, it’s happiness, it’s love. It’s something Steve hasn’t felt in years.

Steve knocks on the doorframe, waggling his fingers in greeting. They both turn to look at him, and all that warmth from before flees the room. If he hadn’t just seen the thin rays with his own two eyes, he could have sworn even the sun went down as well. He feels a stab of pain in his heart, so sharp it makes his breath stutter. He fights to put a smile on his face, briefly clearing his throat and praying his voice doesn’t sound as faint as he feels.

“Hey, Ms. Byers. Eddie,” he greets. Steve runs a hand through his hair, just to give himself something to do. “Just wanted to say hi before I go outside.”

Eddie’s face has gone completely slack, the only thing convincing Steve he didn’t hallucinate the entire exchange earlier is the flush that had yet to leave his cheeks. In fact, Eddie looks even more red now that he’s made his presence known. Joyce, to her credit, has a small polite smile on her face.

“Thank you, Steve, that's very kind of you,” she replies. She casts a glance at Eddie out of the corner of her eye, something Steve has noticed a lot of people do to each other when he’s around. “You go on outside now, okay? I’m sure the kids are missing you.”

Steve holds back his remark of “yeah, I actually doubt that” and nods, leaving the two of them in the kitchen as he continues down the hallway. He tries hard not to let the harshness of their quick whispers dig further into his already injured heart.

Once outside, he’s greeted by no one. Dustin and Lucas are discussing something rapidly to one another, Dustin gesturing wildly with his hands as Lucas nods along and adds details. Max and El are sitting on a lawn chair together, Max seemingly teaching El how to braid her hair. Mike and Will are sitting in the grass a bit away from the group, shoulders touching and heads bowed together as they talk quietly to one another. Steve smiles softly at them, knowing.

He makes his way over to Hopper, who is manning the grill with a beer in one hand and a spatula in the other. Steve waves and gives him an awkward little smile, and Hopper nods his head, pointing towards a cooler with his beer. Steve grabs one, popping it open and taking an, admittedly, big first swig. Hopper doesn’t notice, or at least doesn’t comment, and Steve looks out over the people he still considers his family. He catches Dustin’s eyes, hoping to have someone to talk to, but the kid only looks away and continues his conversation.

So now Steve is here by himself, slowly nursing a beer, and trying to keep his emotions in check.

It’s just that… he doesn’t know what he did. Was he too overbearing or did he not care enough? Was he too pushy or too distant? Was he just annoying them? Was he just an inconvenience? Did they ever really like him or did they just put up with them out of necessity? Or because they felt bad?

He takes another sip of beer, hating the way it tastes on his tongue but it’s better than the bile slowly rising in his throat. All he wants is for someone to see him, to see who he truly is and like it. To stick around. To stay.

And it’s true, he does have Robin, but sometimes she can’t give him what he needs. Call him a romantic but Steve wants that love, that connection, that intense feeling you get with a partner. He craves it more than anything. He wants to touch, to taste, to feel someone else.

Eddie. He wants Eddie.

A voice interrupts his thoughts.

“Kid, will you go get me a plate for the burgers?” Hopper asks, his gruff voice shoving all of his mushy thoughts aside. Steve nods, sets his beer on top of the cooler, and makes his way inside. He silently dreads ever walking in that room again, dreads having to feel the chill from before. However, the scene in the kitchen is drastically different this time. Joyce is by herself, Eddie nowhere to be seen, and is mixing together slaw in a big tupperware bowl.

Steve knocks on the frame again and is met with a small smile from the older woman. It’s infinitely more warm than the one he was met with when he got there, and he thinks it’s partly due to the lack of a certain metalhead in the room. Joyce sets down her spoon, wiping her hands on a nearby towel, and holds her arms out.

“C’mere, honey,” she murmurs, and Steve tries not to let her soft tone get to him. The last thing he needs is to cry in front of everyone. He walks forwards into her hug, leaning down a little to wrap his arms around her properly, and sighs when she rubs her hands up and down his back. Steve clenches his eyes shut, taking in stuttering breaths that he knows she can hear but thanks every god out there that she doesn’t comment on it. She taps her hands twice on his back and pulls away, reaching up to push some of his hair off his forehead and Steve wills himself to not lean into the touch too much.

“Sorry for not saying a proper hello earlier, I was a bit preoccupied. Eddie- well, that’s not my thing to tell but he needed some help with something and… well, you get it,” she smiles, laughs a little, and Steve smiles back.

This. This is what he wishes he could have with his parents. This lightness, this love. He never will, he knows that, but the little moments like this with Joyce, the way she hugs him and cares for him, are ones he treasures. Ones he wishes he could have everyday. Joyce is a wonderful mother, and part of him wishes he could have her as his own. Hell, she’s been more of a mother to him in the four years he’s known her than his mother ever has. But he knows that isn’t fair. It isn’t fair of him to put his parental issues on her or anyone else. So he doesn’t, and shoves his hands in his pockets instead.

“It’s okay, Ms. Byers, I get it. Sorry to interrupt you two, though,” he apologizes. She waves her hands in a shooing motion.

“Oh don’t apologize for that, honey, it’s okay,” she smiles, then hesitates. “I do want you to promise me something, okay?” Steve nods, and Joyce places her hands on either side of his face. “Promise me you’ll be careful with people, be gentle. Not everyone can be treated the same, some people… they’re special.

“Sometimes, it’s better to listen. Promise me, Steve, that you’ll always listen, okay?” She asks, and Steve has to swallow before he responds.

“I promise, Ms. Byers,” he replies, and she pats his cheek. Her smile has grown, and her eyes have softened.

“I love you, Steve, you know that, right?” Joyce asks, and it’s like the world has stopped moving. He didn’t know that, not really. Sure, he knew she liked him but he didn’t know she…

He doesn’t realize he’s tearing up until Joyce coos at him, wiping away a few stray tears that have escaped with her thumbs.

“I-I didn’t know you- I’m sorry, I don’t-“ Steve stutters out, but Joyce shushes him.

“You don’t have to apologize, Steve, it’s alright,” she insists. Her thin arms pull him into another hug and he buries his face in her shoulder. The angle is a little awkward, but it’s a comfort Steve hasn’t had in ages so he stays. “It’s gonna be alright.”

Her small hands rub up and down his back as he holds back tears. He regulates his breathing, taking in deep breaths and letting them out slowly, until he’s sure he won’t cry. He pulls back from the hug and wipes at his eyes, sure that they're red-rimmed and a little puffy, but Joyce only smiles that warm smile and pats his cheek again. Steve smiles at her, the first genuine smile he thinks he’s had in awhile, and it feels good. To smile and know it's real.

Joyce turns to the counter behind her and picks up a plate, handing it to Steve. His brows furrow, and he hesitantly takes the offered crockery.

“How did you-“

“I had a feeling,” she interrupts him with a wink. “Now go on before Hop burns the yard down.”

Steve smiles and goes back outside, handing the plate to Hop and ignoring his grumble of “took ya long enough”, before picking his beer back up and taking a much needed swig. A few minutes later, they’re all eating. Eddie has joined Dustin and Lucas in their rambling, all three of them loudly talking over one another. Steve watches them; wishing, wanting, yearning. Joyce bumps her shoulder into his, making him swivel his head to look down at her. She smiles, almost knowingly, and Steve blushes. He clears his throat and looks away, focusing on fixing his burger rather than whatever the fuck that was.

He sits alone away from the group, catching occasional glances from Joyce, Dustin, and Hopper. Joyce is concerned, he can tell that much, and part of her almost looks sad. Dustin looks conflicted, like he can’t decide if he wants to be mad from a distance or just come right up to Steve and say it to his face. Steve wouldn’t be surprised if he did the latter. Hopper, to Steve’s complete unsurprise, looks uninterested and, frankly, fed up with this whole situation. Steve doesn’t blame him, he is too.

After the food is gone, and dessert is served, Steve heads inside to help clean up. He washes dishes quietly with Joyce, while she dries them and puts them away. As he finishes up the last plate, Will comes into the kitchen.

“Hey, Mom? The party wanted to play some board games, is that okay?” He requests, and Steve can feel Joyce soften beside him. She smiles.

“Of course, honey. Make sure you ask the girls what they want to play, too, okay?” Will rolls his eyes and smiles, a mannerism Steve notes he definitely got from Mike.

“Got it, Mom,” he replies, and runs off. Steve turns back to the sink, realizing he’s been scrubbing the plate well past the point of clean, and rinses it off.

“I um.. I think I’m going to head out, Ms. Byers,” he begins. He hands the plate to her. “I’ve got a shift tomorrow and uh… I don’t want to intrude or anything.”

He doesn’t mention that he doesn’t want to repeat the last game night, where everyone kept glancing at him like he was a bomb set to explode at any moment. He doesn’t say that he can’t handle their stares for any longer than he already has.

“Oh, are you sure? You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want to,” Joyce offers, but Steve shakes his head.

“I really should be going, sorry.”

“Alright, dear. Let me walk you out,” she insists, moving to take off her apron.

“I’ll walk him out, Joyce, don’t worry about it,” Hopper's gruff voice interrupts from the doorway. Steve swallows and nods, drying his hands off on a towel. He looks at Joyce, seeing her share a glance and a smile with Hopper before looking back at him. He smiles, finally beginning to think that maybe… maybe things will be okay.

“Thank you, Ms. Byers. For everything,” he expresses. He leans down to give her a hug, her arms quickly hugging him back.

“It’s alright, dear. You come to me if you ever want to talk, you hear?” Steve pulls away from the hug.

“I will, promise,” he hesitates. Steve looks down at his hands, shaking from where they’re clutching each other, and takes a breath. “I… I love you too.”

He looks up right as Joyce pulls him into another hug. He laughs a little, and she pats his back before pulling away with a “be safe”. Hopper clears his throat from the door and Steve takes a step back, nods to Joyce, and follows the other man outside.

They step out on the front porch together, and Steve is prepared to continue walking to his car when Hop places a hand on his shoulder. He stops, and turns to find the man looking at him seriously.

“Son, I want you to promise me something,” he grumbles, and Steve begins to feel a strange sense of deja vu. While Joyce’s tone was soft, Hopper’s is deep and leaves no room for hesitation. He vaguely has a thought that this is what his father would have been like if things were different. If he were different. Steve nods.

“Promise me you’ll fix our shit, alright? I don’t wanna get in the middle of… whatever the hell this is but promise you’ll be better, okay?” He commands, and all the thoughts Steve had earlier about thinking things would be okay fly out the window.

“Y-yes, sir,” he stutters out. Hop claps his shoulder, mumbles a “get home safe”, before pulling a pack of smokes out his pocket and lighting one up. Steve turns, shoves his shaking hands in his pockets, and walks to his car.

Getting in his car is a blur of unconscious actions. He’s driving down a barely lit backroad when he registers that his eyes are stinging, and something warm and wet is dripping down his cheeks. He pulls over on the side of the road, shifting his car into park, and he sits there. He reaches up with a shaky hand and wipes his cheek, his hand coming back wet and shining in the faint glow of the moon. The sight breaks him, and an ugly sob rips its way out his throat. He chokes on an inhale as tears fight their way out, and he hugs his arms around himself as a sad semblance of comfort. His forehead finds purchase on the steering wheel, and his tears stain the leather before dripping on his lap.

He cries because he knows he’s the problem, that he’s the one fucking up. He cries because everyone thinks so, everyone knows. The kids know. Eddie knows. Joyce knows, but she’s just too kind to say it to his face. Hell, even Hopper knows. He cries because he doesn’t know what he did wrong. He cries because he doesn’t think anyone really wants him to fix it.

It’s the second time on a drive home from the Byers-Hopper house that he has to pull over and cry.

He struggles to inhale a deep breath and sits up, harshly wiping his tears away with his hand, uncaring that it rubs his skin raw and red. Sniffling, he puts his car in drive and goes home. Toeing his shoes off at the door is the only thing he thinks to do before he stumbles his way upstairs and collapses on his bed, snuggling into the thin comforter and falling into a fitful sleep.

After a slow shift at Family Video the next day, Steve returns to the darkness of his home with a plan. He can still be useful. They may not have to know, but he can still do something to help. To try and save them before they need to be saved. He can be a preventative measure for them, can stop them from getting hurt before they even know they’re in danger.

He shrugs off his work vest, throwing it on his desk chair as he searches his closet for an old sweatshirt. He finds one, the front adorned with white block letters that read ‘Tigers Swim Team’ and tugs it on. His nail bat finds purchase in his hand as he tucks a flashlight in his back pocket. The walkie Dustin gave him is hooked in his belt loop, just in case. He leaves all the lights on in the house and shuts the door, skirting around his house to begin his walk in the woods.

After four bouts with the Upside Down, he doubts that they’re in the clear, that it’s finally over. He thought it was the first time, then the second, and by the third he was skeptical. Now, though, he doesn’t know what to think. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was a round five, or six, or seven. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if it never stopped. But each and every time, they were unprepared. They were surprised, and it nearly cost them every time. But if Steve could prevent that surprise, give them all a heads up before it becomes a big problem, then maybe— just maybe— it’ll come in handy. He’ll come in handy. He’ll be useful again.

So, he walks the woods of Hawkins. His feet crunch the dead leaves piled underneath trees as he trudges through the woods. The flashlight shines long shadows on the ground in front of him, lighting up the pale gray bark of trees and making the eyes of rodents and raccoons shine amber and red.

A rustle sounds a few feet away and he jumps at the noise. He pauses and stands still, listening for the shrill chittering of demodogs or the heavy, thudding footsteps of a demogorgon. He waits, and his flashlight reveals a small fox walking out from behind a tree. He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and continues walking.

His feet carry him to Lover’s Lake, the water lapping lazily at the shore with the warm summer breeze. Out here, the lights from town are distant, making the stars shine brightly and reflect in the water. Steve stands there, watches as the artificial light of his flashlight reveals the small ripples on the surface of the water, and waits.

He waits for a lumbering figure to emerge out of the murky depths, to claw its way onto the shore and stalk off into the woods. He waits for chirps muffled by water and splashing to sound in his ears as four-legged creatures swim to the beaches. He waits for the screeches of demonic bats to echo off the trees around him as they fly out of the water and take to the sky. He waits, but it never comes. The lake stays silent.

So he walks.

He follows the road leading to the lake out, letting it take him to the highway that leads out of town. His feet stop as they come across a crack in the road, the crack he took in the other world to get Eddie home safely. The crack that is closed over with black tar, leaving a dark line on the ashen gray asphalt. He remembers clawing his way out of that crack, Eddie’s lifeless body over his shoulders as he slowly bled out.

Nancy had driven her station wagon over, opening the back so he could lay Eddie down as they rode to the hospital. She had asked Steve to drive so she could patch him up, but he refused. He couldn’t leave Eddie, not when he finally got him out. Not when he was barely hanging on. So she threw the first aid kit she had stashed in her car at him and drove to the hospital. Steve had done his best to stop the bleeding, the stark white cloth immediately turning red when he pressed it to Eddie’s skin. They almost lost him. But they didn’t. He’s alive.

Eddie. Eddie.

His head swivels to the forest next to him, the one that leads straight to the trailer park, and he runs. He jumps over fallen trees, feet thudding against the dry earth and leaves as his breath picks up. Orange street lights shine through branches as he draws nearer, and he only slows his pace when he breaks out from the line of trees. His feet swiftly take him to the sight of Eddie’s old trailer, the vacant lot standing out against the fullness of the park. The wooden front steps are still there, partially broken and shifted. The grass has yet to grow in fully, bare spots of dirt showing through the green. His shoes crunch on the gravel as he takes a step closer, inspecting the ground and poking at it with his bat as if it would move. As if the gate would open up just by him being here.

It doesn’t. Steve steps back.

He turns to leave the park, eyes wandering and finding a familiar cream-colored van parked at a trailer a few rows away. Eddie and his Uncle were granted a new trailer for their trouble, really the bare minimum they deserve after all the shit they went through, but they took it in stride. Eddie and Wayne spent the first few weeks after spring break making it into their new home once Eddie was released from the hospital, and Steve had done his best to help them out. But he knew they needed time alone, time to heal, so he let them be. He hasn’t been back there since then.

He kicks a stray piece of gravel, watching as it tumbles a few feet away and disappears into the grass, as he makes his way out of Forest Hills. Houses blur by as he walks the residential streets, only stopping when his own comes into view. Steve sighs, and walks up the concrete driveway, through the large wooden doors, and into the silence of his house. He doesn’t bother taking off his shoes, reveling a little in the dirty footprints he leaves behind on his mothers’ ornate runner that covers the length of the hallway. The analog on the stove tells him it's a little past three in the morning, and he sighs. Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, he fills it up with water before shuffling out of the kitchen. He flops on the couch, sips his water, and waits.

He waits for the sun to peek over the trees in the backyard, casting long shadows on the curtains that cover the windows and glass doors. He waits for the warm rays to shine through the large window in the living room, the one that faces the road, and light up the rug that rests under the coffee table in soft hues of yellow. He sits his empty glass on the table. He waits. And he gets up.

He goes upstairs, changes his shirt, and grabs his vest. Steve slips the walkie off his belt loop and places it on his desk, the flashlight landing right beside it. He props the bat next to his chair, and Steve looks at it, looks at the bent nails sticking haphazardly out of the wood and how it splintered in places from too much force. How some of the nails are covered in dried, blackened goop and dirt. How it's sharp and dangerous, a weapon. How it’s chosen to protect.

At this moment, Steve feels like the bat. The rough wood is his exterior, the splinters through it are the cracks. The holes in his facade. The places where people got too close, where people hurt him. The nails are what makes him strong. They’re the kids, Joyce and Hop, Eddie and Robin. They’re his family. They mold him into a weapon meant to protect, to keep them safe.

But just like Steve, the bat isn’t needed until it’s necessary. Until the world is ending. But until that time comes, the bat is left out of sight. It’s hidden away, moved from place to place just in case, but never used. Never wanted.

Steve walks out the door.

His shift at Family Video passes by like every other day, slow and full of know-it-all customers that never seem to understand that he can’t magically summon movies out of his ass whenever they ask. Robin comes in around lunchtime, and they spend the rest of their joint shift making fun of the ridiculous movie covers that adorn various romcoms. He goes home alone, sheds his vest, and once again walks the town of Hawkins.

He does it again the next night. And the night after that. And the night after that. Until it’s been a week and Steve hasn’t slept for more than a couple hours a night. He doesn’t mind, just means there’s less nightmares to wake him up before sunrise.

Less nights where chittering and the thuds of heavy footsteps strike fear down to his core. Less nights where the chill of fog and night air pierce his skin, warring with his senses against the hot breath hitting the back of his neck from deadly flower-shaped mouths. Less nights where the harsh scraping of monstrous nails against rusted metal and the echoey bangs of heavy, meaty bodies against solid bus walls fill his ears. Less nights where he can feel the thick, choking air of the tunnels, can feel the wispy particles filling his lungs and coating the inside of his mouth.

Less nights filled with muffled Russian echoing in his ears, the harsh texture of rope around his wrists, arms, and chest. Less nights where the sickening crunch of fists against bone and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth linger for hours after he’s awoken, shallowly breathing and pleading to be let go. Less nights where he can feel the blood in his teeth, coating his tongue and dripping down the back of his throat, and he has to run to the bathroom to puke the phantom feeling away.

Less nights he wakes up alone, empty house hollow around him. Less nights he cries to himself in the silence of his room, wishing, hoping, yearning for something. For something to happen, to change. For something to get better. For him to get better.

On the eighth night, he finds his feet have taken him to the edge of Hawkins. The brown road sign reads ‘Leaving Hawkins! Come Again Soon!’, and it stares at him from a few feet away. He looks past the sign at the stretch of road that disappears around a curve, trees following the line of asphalt and distant street lights lighting up their leaves with an orange glow.

He thinks about what it would be like to leave Hawkins, to pack up his clothes in his car and leave town. To follow the road and go around that curve, to not worry about ever coming back. No one needs him here, not anymore, so what’s holding him back?

Maybe this will fix him.

Robin might miss him for a bit, probably curse him and his whole family when she figures it out, but she’ll move on. She’ll find someone better. Hell, she’ll probably go to Eddie too. They already have some sort of secret friendship thing going on between them anyway. Really, he wouldn’t blame her.

Eddie probably wouldn’t care. Shit, he might even throw a party celebrating the fact that he’s gone. Steve snorts at the thought, closing his eyes and taking a breath.

Would it really be so bad if he just disappeared?

But then there’s the kids, left behind with no one to protect them. Sure, Robin and Eddie and Nancy are here, but Nancy is off to Emerson in the fall, Robin surely bound to follow in similar footsteps, and Eddie has made it well-known that he’s getting the hell out of here. If everyone is gone, who will be here to protect them when it comes back?

He rakes a hand harshly through his hair, pulling a bit at the ends and hating how greasy it feels on his fingertips. He can’t think like that, he’ll just worry himself into a panic and that’s the last thing he needs right now; a panic attack on the side of the road. He turns around, walking back towards town as the sky fades into light. He gets home right when sunlight begins burning the tops of the trees and collapses on the couch, sleeping until his noon shift.

He’s exhausted when he gets home, having to close up Family Video after a ten hour shift by himself, but he knows he can’t sleep. Not now. So he does what he usually does now when he gets home and grabs his essentials for his rounds, something that’s become routine for him.

He shrugs off his work clothes, replacing it with what has become his patrol outfit; the old swim team sweatshirt and a faded, ripped pair of light blue jeans. The sweatshirt is filled with holes, the baggy sleeves having caught on briars and branches alike, that allow the white of his shirt to show through. The jeans share a similar fate, the knees scraped up and the denim fraying from the unhemmed edges.

His white Nikes are stained a gray-ish brown from the nightly treks through the woods, small bits of leaves and debris sticking to the laces and in the grooves of the tread. The flashlight finds its place in his back left pocket, an extra pair of batteries landing in his front pocket after an incident a few nights ago where his flashlight died on him out in the middle of nowhere— he was forced to stumble through the woods until the sun began to rise and he was able to find his way back home. He didn’t sleep that night.

The nail bat is crusted with dried bits of mud sticking to the slowly rusting metal, shredded bits of leaves and undergrowth tangled in a green and brown mass. Clumps of dirt litter the floor under the bat, and likely mark a line in the hallway from his room down to the front door. Steve hopes it's still there if his parents come home.

It’s dark outside, only the street light at the end of the driveway illuminates the concrete and stepping stone pathway to the front door. Steve steps out on the front stoop, taking a deep breath of cool summer night air, and starts walking.

He walks out onto the street, uncaring at this point if anyone sees him or not. What does he have to lose? Hopper would probably tell him he’s stupid— something he’s well aware of at this point— and tell him to go inside. Or maybe he would drive him home, take the bat, and leave.

A small, traitorous part of Steve wants Hop to find him. Wants him to ask what the hell he’s doing walking around at night alone in the dark. Wants him to coax him in his old beat up truck and take him back to the Byers’ house. Wants some of Joyce’s hot chocolate as he sits on the couch and explains what he’s been doing, what’s been going on. Ask, desperately, why everyone hates him. Wants them to tell him he’s wrong, that no one hates him. That it’s just a misunderstanding.

But it doesn’t happen. All of that is a lie.

It’s a lie Steve has secretly been telling himself under the cover of darkness alone in his bed, lying awake and exhausted but unable to sleep. It’s a lie he tells himself when he sees any of the kids so he can act normal, act okay. It’s a lie he tells himself when Eddie grins at him, wide and gleaming, eyes sparkling with the afternoon sun beaming in from the storefront windows.

It’s those grins, those looks Eddie gives him sometimes that almost convinces him the lie is fake. Like Eddie is sharing an inside joke with him, only Steve doesn’t know what it is. Eddie doesn’t come around often but when he does… god, it’s like he’s the only one in the room.

Eddie looks at him with his whole body, always focusing on him so wholly and touching in some way. A hand on his bicep, an arm slung around his shoulder, even his arms wrapped around his waist one time. He was friendly, they were friends, until he wasn’t. Until Steve did something stupid that he still can’t figure out and Eddie is avoiding him.

The crunch of gravel under his sole brings him back into his head a little. He looks up, finding the pale orange glow of a lamp through a trailer window, and curses. His feet have brought him to where his mind always seems to go these days: Eddie.

He stands outside of the trailer, watching the way the little bits of weeds around the base shift and sway in the wind. The sky is filled with patches of clouds, light gray ripples standing out against the black sky from the glow of the moon. Steve isn’t completely sure how he got here, only that he started walking and didn’t really… stop.

Wayne’s truck is gone, leaving only Eddie’s cream-colored van among the gravel and grass. Which means Eddie is home and, judging by the light in the window, awake. Steve has a fleeting thought that he should turn around, walk back home, and try to forget he ever came here. Try to forget that he didn’t mean to, that his head and his heart are traitorous beings that have conspired against him to bring his body to the one place— one person— where he isn’t welcome. He tries to move, to will his legs and his feet to catch up with his brain and the urge to run. But they don’t. They stay frozen to the ground, rooted in place as if they belong here. As if he belongs here.

A voice cuts his thoughts off, one that he could pick out in a crowd full of people. His eyes snap to the front door of the trailer, now open and spilling warm light onto the wooden steps that lead down to the gravel drive. A figure grows near, tall and lanky and Steve feels like he’s trapped. His thoughts get louder, yelling and screaming at him to run run ruN RUN RUN-

Hands on his shoulders. Eddie’s face in front of him.

Eddie looks panicked, his dark eyes wide and dancing around as if searching Steve's face for… something. He must not find it, because the two little lines between his brows appear and his mouth starts moving. It’s all muffled, like he’s trying to talk through glass. Steve blinks.

“-ington? Steve,” Eddie’s pleading voice finds his ears as he shakes his shoulders, the fog in his head dissipating as the strained way his name falls from his lips. Steve hums. He blinks again.

“Oh,” he breathes out, voice barely louder than a whisper. Eddie is here. He’s in front of him. He can see him. He’s here and he can see and Steve shouldn’t be here he needs to go-

“Stevie, are you okay?” The fear in Eddie’s voice cuts off his train of thought— something that seems to happen a lot nowadays— and Steve feels every sensation return to his body. The heavy hands on his shoulders, soft and warm and missing their signature rings. The distant chill of the night air on his exposed bits of skin seeping away at the small amount of space between them. The faint puff of air on his face from the man before him. The fact that all of those things are from Eddie.

Steve clears his throat, swallows. Tries to focus his eyes on Eddie’s face.

“I’m fine, Eddie. I um.. sorry,” he trails off. He tries to smile, at least give something to reassure him, to keep him from asking questions. Steve doesn’t think he could answer them.

To his surprise, Eddie lets out a breath of relief, the fear dissipating from his eyes as they clench shut and his head drops. His shoulders move with his lungs as he takes a breath before looking back up at him.

“Jesus H. Christ, you scared the shit outta me, Steve. Thought…” he trails off. His voice wavers. “Thought you were gone. Like… like her.”

Oh. Chrissy. Fuck.

“Shit- sorry, Eds, I didn’t even realize- fuck, I’m so sorry,” Steve pleads. He takes in his surroundings, realizes he’s been standing out here, alone, for who knows how long. He needs to leave. “I-I should go.”

Eddie’s brows furrow, and he tilts his head. “You don’t have to leave, Stevie, it’s fi-“ he cuts himself off.

Steve looks up at that, unsure of when he stopped looking at Eddie, and takes in his pinched expression. The one that’s trained to the ground. The one that’s trained towards-

“What the fuck is this?”

Shit.

“I-it’s not what it looks like, I swear!” He begs, voice sounding unfamiliar even to his own ears. It’s raspy and breaks after a few words. When was the last time he really spoke to anyone today?

“I don’t wanna hurt you, Eds, I really don’t- please, believe me,” he pleads. “It’s just for protection! I don’t-“

“Why are you covered in mud, Steve?” Eddie cuts him off, voice strange and cautious and his hands tighten their grip on his shoulders. Steve knows he doesn’t look the best, knows that his clothes are dirty, but he looks down at himself anyway. His eyes focus on a leaf stuck to his shoelace. He shrugs.

Eddie moves in front of him, a quick thing that Steve suspects is him shaking his head. He mumbles something he can’t hear, voice only a rumble in his throat but Steve knows enough to know that people only talk under their breath when they’re mad. When he’s done something wrong.

He pulls away. Eddie’s hands drop off his shoulders.

“I-I should go. Sorry for bothering you, an-… and keeping you awake,” Steve stutters out, clearing his throat when his voice breaks. He chances a look at him, finding concern written on Eddie’s face. It softens when they make eye contact, and Eddie shakes his head.

“I wasn’t asleep, Stevie. Don’t really, uh.. sleep much, these days. I usually just wait around for Wayne to get home to catch a couple hours. Doesn’t feel safe here by myself, you know?” Eddie confesses, mouth turned upwards in a small, sardonic smile. Steve nods. He does know, he’s never felt safe in his home. With or without people. He’s been going through it for years, long before the events of ‘83. He doesn’t say any of that though, doesn’t think he has the right to.

Eddie steps towards him, closing the bit of distance Steve made between the two, and rests his hand on the arm holding the bat.

“Come inside, Steve,” Eddie requests, voice low and soft. Eddie’s smiling at him. It’s that soft, small, Eddie smile. One that Steve has only seen a handful of times. It’s asking him to say yes, and Steve… he’s weak. So, so weak.

“Okay.”

Eddie’s smile grows.

His hand wraps further around his arm, tugging him towards the open trailer door and Steve feels betrayed that now is when his feet decide to move. He follows Eddie, watching the way he’s glancing at him the entire time. Eddie pauses at the doorway.

“Steve,” he whispers, and Steve looks at him. His hand travels down his arm, causing goosebumps in its wake despite the layer of fabric between their skin. It pauses over the hand still gripping the bat, thumb brushing along his knuckles. “Let it go.”

Steve looks at him, searches those dark brown eyes for fear or hate or anger but finds none. He only finds care. Concern. Love.

It’s terrifying.

He loosens his grip and Eddie takes it from him, the comforting weight of the bat replaced with the warmth of Eddie’s hand. He props it just inside the door to the trailer and leads him over the threshold by the grip on his hand. He’s led over to the couch where a hand on his back urges him to sit down. Steve does, and instantly sinks into the well-worn cushions.

“I’ll be right back, okay? Just gonna get you some water,” Eddie informs him, squeezing his hand briefly before releasing his grip and turning the corner to venture into the kitchen. Steve watches him go, the way the baggy and worn band shirt hangs off his frame. The way his sweatpants are bunched up at the ankle as if they’re too big for him. The way his hair is pulled into a messy bun at the back of his head that swings a little when he walks away. Even now, he’s beautiful.

Shit. He’s so gone for this man.

Eddie returns with a glass of water and flops down on the couch beside him, pressing the cool surface of the cup into his palm. He takes it with a shaky hand, his other joining it to help stabilize the glass. It doesn’t work.

He takes a small sip of water, the liquid feeling like heaven against his dry throat. They sit in silence until Steve finishes half the glass. Then, Eddie speaks.

“Why were you outside at two in the morning, Stevie?” His voice is gentle, and it makes Steve want to cry. He swallows.

“I- I don’t know,” he deflects, lies. Anything to not talk about it.

The harsh sound of a mock game show buzzer startles him, and he turns to find Eddie with his hands cupped around his mouth. Steve grins and lets his head drop, and Eddie nudges his shoulder. He takes a deep breath, focusing on the surface of the water in his hands.

“I have to keep them safe, Eddie,” he confesses. Eddie stays silent, hand gently rubbing his forearm. “It’s what I need to do. What I have to do.”

Silence stretches between them, then, “who, Steve? Who do you have to keep safe?”

‘You,’ he wants to say. ‘You almost died. It’s never been that close before, not in the four years this shit has been going on. You and Max almost died, and I wasn’t there to protect you. I wasn’t with you and Dustin to keep you both safe, to help fight off the bats and urge you through the gate. I wasn’t with Max and Lucas and Erica, wasn’t there to fight off Carver and save Max just a little bit earlier. I wasn’t there, but I should have been. Carver should have beat me to pieces, not Lucas. It should have been me the bats got to, not you. It should have been me, it should have been me, it should have been me.’

Hands fall over his as Eddie takes the glass from him. He didn’t realize his hands were shaking that bad in his revere, causing the water to spill over the sides and onto the brown carpet below them. The glass thunks on the coffee table before Eddie rests his hands over Steve’s, stills their shaking.

“Hey, talk to me, Stevie,” he practically begs. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Steve looks at him, sees the worry in his eyes, and wets his lips with his tongue. Doesn’t miss the way Eddie’s eyes flicker down at the movement. He clenches his fists.

“Please don’t tell Robin,” he pleads. If she found out about this, if she knew, he wouldn’t be allowed outside alone ever again. She would worry about him, keep him under lock and key to make sure he wouldn’t do anything stupid. She would stay with him during the night, insert herself firmly by his side until she was sure he was okay. She would make him sleep in his own bed, trapped between his own walls. Trapped in his own house. He can’t stand that place, can’t handle the echoey walls and empty rooms. Can’t stand not being able to do anything for anyone. Can’t stand to be useless.

He’s just wasting time right now. He shouldn’t be here, talking to Eddie, when he could be checking the gates. He should be out there trying to save people, not himself. He should be trying to save his family. He could already be too late. It might have already come back while he was distracted and they could all be gone. It could have been waiting until he was occupied, waiting for an opening to strike. They could be in danger right now. They could be dead.

“Alright, I can do that. I won’t tell her but… Steve, why-“ Steve cuts him off by standing up on shaky legs, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. “Steve?”

“I need to go, Eddie, I need to- they could- I need to go,” the words tumble out of his mouth, words he isn’t quite sure even make sense but he doesn’t care. He just needs to get out.

Steve walks over to the door, eyes locking on the bat propped there, before he hears Eddie stand up behind him. He turns to find Eddie holding his hands out in front of him like he’s trying to placate a wild animal and, at this moment, he kinda feels like one. His heart is beating too fast and he can feel his breathing quicken. His throat closes up as panic claws its way upwards and clouds his vision, muffling his hearing. Eddie’s mouth moves but Steve can’t hear it through the cotton in his ears. He backs towards the door, hating the fear in Eddie’s eyes as he does so.

His back hits the wall next to the door and he turns, hand finding the rough wood of the bat almost instantly, before he runs out the door. The small “sorry” he lets out is an afterthought, thrown over his shoulder right before the trailer door slams shut behind him and his feet crunch on gravel as he runs towards town.

His blind panic takes him to Dustin’s house first, finding all the lights turned off save for the faint glow of the hall night light through sheer curtains. He stays there for a minute or two, waiting for the sign of flickering lights. Nothing comes.

A couple streets over, he stops in front of Lucas’s house, finds the same thing. Dark. He stands there and waits. No flickering. He runs.

The Wheelers. Dark. He waits, no flickering. He runs.

The Byers-Hoppers. Dark. Waits. No flickering. Runs.

Max. Dark. Waits. Dark. Runs.

Robin. Dark. Waits. Dark. Runs.

His house. Light.

They’re safe. He collapses.

He sits heavily on the front stoop, bat falling to the ground and knocking against the concrete with a thud. His knees come up to his chest and his arms wrap tightly around them as he rasps for breath, the air coming in short, quick bursts. His fingers dig into the soft flesh of his calves, hard enough to leave bruises. His forehead rests heavily on his knees and his eyes sting, welling with tears as the fear slowly fades away.

He sits outside, struggling for breath until the sun begins to rise, and waits. When the sun finds its way over the trees, he makes his way inside to get ready for his opening shift.

The bat finds a new home in his trunk.

Taglist: @tea-beloved @starry-eyedlune @hyperfixationgoddess @zerokrox-blog @nicovania @invisibleflame812 @chaoticvictorianspirit @justforthedead89 @dacremontgomeryay @vhelt @adhdsummer @nerd-and-nervous @i-have-three-feelings @mimicori @remuslupinisthevoiceofgod @solliesolesito @romanticdestruction @vanillatwist @bowl-o-queerios @grimmfitzz

(If you want to be added or removed please let me know!)

#steddie #stranger things #pre steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things fillet #stranger things drabble #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fic #things get better for Steve i promise #hes just having his angsty time right now #robins part is next tho so stay tuned for that #disposable heroes

[aweina]

ᥫ᭡. school boy crush , mike schmidt ( fluff )

wow, she’s really pretty …

tags fem reader. mutual pining. strangers to crushes. awkward older brother mike. abby has a new bestie.

the doorbell buzzes. three times exactly, few second pauses in between each of them — ultimately forcing him to wake up with a blank mind.

shuffling towards the door, mike tiredly opens it and finds a woman, seemingly around his age, and some younger girl patiently waiting on his doorstep. he’s confused at first, just woken up from a heavy snooze — the curls on his head are frizzy and his mouth dry from crashing into bed without some water.

his brain doesn’t register anything other than the woman on his doorstep, you, was the prettiest person he’s ever seen. he scans your face carefully — making sure to rub off the blurry haze that his slumber brushed over his vision while keeping his gaze subtle. tracing over your eyes and mouth. a pink hue stains his freckled cheeks when you finally caught him staring, a soft laugh escaping your lips as he profusely apologizes in an incoherent manner.

you formally introduce yourself, pointing towards the young girl who happened to be your younger sister — a new friend of abby’s. mike is relieved, his sister finally making friends that are actual living beings and not some ghost lingering in her head. but he’s also conflicted, seeing how pretty you are and how hard he could contain himself around you.

suddenly, mike’s smitten trance is shattered when he’s pushed away from the door, where abby happily greets your younger sister and yourself. her voice upbeat and her small arms wrapped warmly around both your bodies. the young brunette turns around towards her brother, a sour look on her face.

“don’t creep out my new friend.” abby warns, sticking her tongue out to mike while she protectively holds your sister’s hand.

“yeah, he was staring at my sister weirdly.” your sister shyly mumbles, intended for only abby to hear but both you and mike heard her clearly.

he’s embarrassed, being called out by a child of all people. even worse, it was in front of you to hear — now biting back a pleased laugh while ruffling the messy locks of your sister out of the act to comfort her.

“now don’t be rude. he seems like good company.” you assured your sister with a smile so radiate, mike swore he saw a reflection flash in his eyes.

you gazed up at him, eyes so soft and holding no malice — not one’s he usually sees. he nervously gulps at your lingering eyes, dragging towards his pursed lips and tired eyes, the same thing he did just moments ago. wait, are you checking him out too?

mike couldn’t help but gaze away shyly, a big grin on his face. your staring was too intense, but at least he knew the attraction wasn’t one sided. then you do the same, noticing your own fleeting gaze and the knowing smile on his face, your polite smile quivering and nervously coughing.

both the young girls quietly observe your nonverbal flirting, confusion knitted into their small brows.

“umm actually, i think both of them are weird.” your sister faintly yells as she gently nudges abby, who nods in agreement.

add. note : mike is just being lovesick is so precious. he also needs to make a new ‘friend’ just like abby aka YOU ( ¯▿¯ ) !!

#.୨୧ ina writes #.purple mark #PLAY(DATES) immediately #mike just acting like an infatuated teenager #he deserves it #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt #fnaf movie x reader #josh hutcherson

[cheriladycl01]

You're a dick Stroll! - Lance Stroll x Engineer! Reader

Plot: You created the best car for the 2024 season however after some harsh comments from Lawrence Stroll about a female engineer having been the reason his son crashed out in Bahrain turns out after investigations from the FIA people owe you an apology!

A/N: Obviously this is fanfic so its dramatized so in no way does this portray anyone in a realistic light and is just for the drama and the vibes.

Credit to micksradio for the GIF

"You innovations have been amazing this year Y/N all thanks to that brain of yours!" Mike Krack the team Principle for Aston Martin tells you, holding either one of your shoulders shaking them in delight at the new car in front of him.

You had been at Silverstone working as the lead mechanic/ designer on the new car throughout the last half of the 2023 season.

"Thank you, but you know it was a team effort right?" you smiled back, it really was a team effort.

"Well, we actually wanted to offer you a promotions of sorts!" he exclaimed a look of shock crossing your face.

"Excuse me?"

"We figured that you know the car the best and we want you travelling with us to make adjustments as and when needed. Last year was a struggle when we didn't have you here, you are the quickest we've seen and having you on the road with the team would really help.

"This is amazing, yes I'll do it!" you exclaimed happy that you were finally able to travel around the world with Aston Martin.

A month later and you were in Bahrain for pre-season testing of the 2024 year, everything was looking good on both the car, they were running well and the data figures looked good to you and your team.

You'd stayed late with a few other team members making sure everything was ready for the most important Sunday of the year, this race was the one that usually set the drivers mentality for the year. Nobody wanted to crash in the first race and no-one wants to not make it into the points.

You left, once you'd finished your checks on both cars, some people still working around.

"Okay, I'm off guys and ill see you for the big day tomorrow!" you smiled at them before heading back to the hotel that Aston Martin had placed you in. It wasn't a long ride, and you splurged on an Uber considering how much overtime you'd just done in the garage.

You did share a hotel with the drivers, as one of the lead engineers in Aston Martin you got the privilege of the nicer hotel compared to some of your colleagues.

As you entered, you could see some of the drivers sat in the bar, Lando Daniel, Max and his girlfriend Kelly were all sat together taking pictures, obviously for the .jpg accounts.

Charles, Pierre, Carlos and Lewis were also there sat at the bar, drinks in hand. However, with your attention directed elsewhere you felt yourself bump into something.

"Oh my gosh I am so sorry" you exclaimed looking towards the person you had bumped into that was now holding your forearm as if to steady you so you didn't fall back.

"It's er okay, you seemed distracted are you... okay?" you hear the person ask and look up to see your teams youngest driver.

"Oh Lance I'm so so sorry!" you say noticing it was him.

"It's okay" he says awkwardly before shuffling off. You watch as he walks up to Alex and George who were also sat with one another. You continue up to your floor before showering and passing out in your bed.

The next day your alarm was set extremely early, you came straight to the track having gotten ready in a record speed time. Your hair was whipped up in a ponytail and you'd nearly put your green Aston Martin team top on back to front.

You got to the track for when Mike told you to meet him there, he wanted you the radio engineers and the strategists to all talk before the race. Considering it was only 7.30 in the morning there were already loads of people in the paddock, from all different teams.

Where it was your first time you didn't know the protocol or anything for greeting other teams, so you just stayed your typical friendly self sending a smile and wave to everyone that you passed and made eye contact with.

Once you'd got into hospitality Ben Mitchell, Chris Conin and Peter Hall were all there, Peter held a coffee out to you with a small smile.

"Thanks" you smiled before you all started to talk about the race ahead, you guys checked the weather patterns and the track temp before trying to plan the race for both drivers.

By the time you'd done your final checks it was time for the race. Lance had placed P7 the day before and Fernando had placed P10 which was an amazing start to the year for Aston Martin.

"How's the car looking?" the social media girl asked, she was looking at the screen of data rolling in from the car but not understanding what the figures actually meant.

"It's performing phenomenally. Its definitely better than last year. Its also original and completely initiative, I've heard Horner and Vasser talking about it!" you explain having heard them interviewing about the grid and a little season preview.

She nods, and you talk a little before she leaves to go and try and film some social media stuff while there isn't too much excitement on the track.

However only 2 laps later Lance was reporting his breaks being stiff, which from the figures looked to be impossible. Before his race engineer could even ask for your advice, Lance went into a turn too quick skidding off the side taking Gasly with him. You looked up at the screen in shock, a hand covering your mouth.

Lance's car had gone sideways before flipping over Gasly's car. Lance and Gasly were both out of the race.

"What the hell happened!" Lawrence screaming coming over to you, all the pit crew who had just pulled Fernando's car in stopped what they were doing and came over to you.

"Sorry?" you asked pulling the headphones off genuinely not having heard him.

"What happened! Your the engineer who was here late last night. What did you do to my sons car, he's an impeccable driver and he has DNFed because YOU cant do your job" he screamed and you flinched taking a wide step back.

"Look i didn't do anything, I wasn't even the final engineer here last night. I think he was just unlucky sir" you tried to explain, but his face like thunder had you a stuttering and stumbling mess.

"Yes you did! Just admit you either sabotaged the car on purpose or your so damn incompetent at your job that you didn't build the car right! You know you should be fired for this, its completely unacceptable and I'll be speaking to Mike about having you removed because you clearly" he starts but one of the crew members behind decided enough was enough and stepped in front of you.

"Hey, sir with all dew respect there are camera's everywhere in here recording so just think about your image" he directs and Fernando having finally got out of his car and having seen what happened to you.

"Lawrence, i think its best that you take a step back" Fernando advises seeing how close he had gotten to you.

Instead he just storms out of the paddock, you release a breath you didn't even realize you had been holding in everyone swarming round you take make sure you were okay.

BREAKING NEWS: FIA LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO HEAD OF ENGINEERING AT ASTON MARTIN AFTER STROLL CRASH VIDEO OF LAWRENCE STROLL RIPPING INTO Y/N Y/LN HEAD OF ENGINEERING AT ASTON MARTIN INTERVIEW WITH LAWRENCE STROLL AND MIKE KRACK GETS HEATED AFTER INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED

It only took 4 hours for the public to find out who you were and your social media handles as you had a few people following you. One of which was McLaren who you had worked for under an apprenticeship scheme.

The only thing you really wanted right now was have a drink, so the hotel bar where you were certain would be safe from the public eye. You came down from your hotel room, you weren't in anything fancy and felt out of place the minute you sat down at the bar. Most of the drivers were there celebrating wins, or drinking away the loss.

It was like you had this beeper on you, as when you entered the room and walked to the bar all the drivers seemed to notice you. I mean it wasn't hard, your hair was thrown up in a ratty bun and your eyes were red from having read all the hate messages sent to your inbox.

"She's the one they're investigating because of Stroll's crash! His dad went in on her after the race"

The whispers all around you from people in the bar had you shrinking in your seat.

"So your the one that made me crash!" Lance exclaims from behind you, you turn round seeing his face, angry and upset and expression nobody liked.

"Look, I didn't do anything to the -" you start but are slowly interrupted.

"No you did, you know nothing and you shouldn't be in this job! Everything they are saying about you online is true, you could have killed me and Pierre because of that accident. So careless!" he shouts, which shocked the other drivers as Lance wasn't really one to raise his voice.

"Please Lance, I've already had enough..."

"No, you haven't had enough! You shouldn't be in this sport if you cant build a car properly, it's shit! It's not powerful and you clearly cant build a car like Andre last year!" he says, you could tell he was getting frustrated and it made you take a step of your seat.

"You're a dick Stroll! Andre didn't build the car. I did that's why i took the position this year as he wasn't performing as Head Mechanic so yeah. I didn't do anything to the car, the data was fine maybe you just are as good as a driver as you seem to think you are" you say before storming out of the bar.

Two weeks later, where you'd lazed around all day at home was when you'd got that expected call. You were currently on suspended leave where you were still under investigation. Mike had been facetiming you on and off asking for help to try and speed up the pace of fixing the car before Saudi Arabia GP.

It was in fact Mike calling again, however this time he was telling you to open up any socials and see what the FIA had posted.

CHECKS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED INTO THE ASTON MARTIN CRASH SHOWING HEAD ENGINEER IS NOT LIABLE AND HAS SERIOULSY BEEN MISSTREATED - FIA FIA COME OUT WITH EVIDENCE THAT ASTON MARTIN HEAD ENGINEER IS NOT TO BLAME FOR STROLL'S SAKHIR CRASH - SKYSPORTS CLEARED FOR DUTY Y/N Y/L/N TO MAKE RETURN AT JEDDAH - F1

"Are you serious?" you say, the first piece of enjoyment in your life in the last few weeks has just occurred.

"Yes, we need you on the first flight out to Saudi, someone's waiting for you at Heathrow to bring you" he exclaims, you jump up cutting the call short and start to rush, packing a bag by slinging clothes in it not bothering to fold. You make sure your uniform is all packed as well as the essentials before running out the door and running to the train station.

You came into the terminal, shooting a text to Mike, not knowing who to be looking for. You look around to see if you can see one of the other mechanics or maybe Mike's personal assistant but you come short.

"Come on Mike" you whisper to yourself looking at your phone.

"Y/N?" you hear from behind you. You knew that Canadian voice all to well.

"Lance?" you ask with a slight sneer to your tone, you were still angry and upset with him and his father for jumping to such outrageous conclusions.

"Mike wants you there asap, so I suggested you come with me" he says guiding you down a secure back path to where it leads out to the jets.

"Your kidding me right?" you ask as he walks you out onto the den where his dad's private jet is waiting.

"We needed you there as soon as possible the car is in literal pieces without you there!" he exclaims, having heard from his father than things had been slow in the garage.

"Well, do you now trust me to build you an effective car?" you ask halting your steps, you didn't want to work with him anymore if you didnt have his trust. Throughout your suspension you had both McLaren and Mercedes reach out to you offering you a job with them once it all blew over.

"I do trust you, I just got angry when i crashed the car in the first race of the season, my dad blamed it on you and to me that seemed the most logical. I am sorry for what its worth" he says awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"For what its worth... you're still a dick. But i think i can put up with that" you smile, before following him over to the pane ahead.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc

#f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 x you #formula 1 #formula one #formula one fanfiction #lance stroll #lance stroll x reader #lance stroll imagine #lance stroll x y/n #lance stroll fanfic

[devieuls]

ˋ One more time.

Mike Schmidt x Ex gf reader (one shot)

Synopsis : After five months of mysterious disappearance, a young woman returns to the life of her ex-boyfriend. As they both try to piece together the pieces of their past, they will face buried secrets, unresolved questions and the possibility of a future different from what they had imagined. But also a more intimate rapprochement

Warning : SMUT MDNI. Semi-"vanilla"

Lenght : 2.5 K

· · ─────── · 𖥸 · ─────── · ·

You returned to "home" with a sense of trepidation in your soul. The evening had fallen, and the cold winter air penetrated your bones as you approached the entrance to what was once your refuge, but now it seemed to you only an empty and impersonal place. The air was icy, the dark lighting cast disturbing shadows on the walls. You haven’t been back in months, and it just seemed so neglected and gray. As you walked through the door, you could feel the emptiness filling the room. The couple photos with Mike were gone, some small gifts for the house were placed on the third floor, almost hidden. You felt like a stranger in that house where once love and warmth overflowed from every pore. You started to wonder if maybe it was a mistake to come back, show up after you’d been gone for so long, but Abby ended up calling you and asking you to come back. You had hoped to find Mike in the living room, maybe sitting in the chair watching something on TV, but he didn’t. Just pizza boxes and empty drinks. You found yourself with a strangely heavy heart of pain that you had come to know all too well over the years.

"Y/n!" Abby’s voice made you smile slightly and you turned to her to lower yourself to her height and hug her gently, God, if you missed that little girl. "How are you, honey?" Your voice was warm and affectionate as you squeezed her, she started twisting you with information, not even giving you time to ask questions or ask her where Mike was. "Do you hear me?" she asked after a few minutes and you looked at her shaking your head, passing a hand through your hair and laughing awkwardly. "Yes, I listen to you… it’s that-" before you could finish talking she look at you with the look of someone who had already understood too much for her young age. "He’s out. I’m talking, you know he got a new job? But it’s at night, and I have to hang out with that obnoxious Max. Remember? Here, she is. "A little laugh came out of your lips and then you hear footsteps behind you. You noticed a beautiful blonde in a police uniform when you turned around, beautiful blue eyes, a perfect face, and she looked like she came out of one of those model magazines. Then you noticed Mike and a knot formed in your throat. The first thing you thought was that she was his new girlfriend, otherwise why were they smiling until just before? Why that closeness? Why did he seem so relaxed in his presence? The saliva was now bitter and your breath became more irregular, getting up from the ground and taking laborsa that you had dropped to embrace Abby. Mike had a similar reaction, unable to look away from your figure. "Mike, she’s back! Y/n!" Abby began with a sunny voice, while that blonde smiled back at her as if she knew her and was happy for her. Did she think you were some kind of old babysitter? A new friend? Because it seemed like within those months your person had been cut off from that world that once belonged to you as much as they did. "Y/N.." He started, but you passed the gaze from him to the blonde and vice versa. "umh… I'm… Abby, I’ll visit you another day. Excuse me" you whispered, leaving your house key on a bedside table. You passed the beautiful blondie and Mike, being swept away by the icy winter wind that somehow seemed warmer now. Quick steps followed you from behind, and you could tell that it was Mike following you, surely looking for the right words to address you.

"Y/n… Y/n wait!" You pretended not to hear, but it was useless when he grabbed you by the wrist, stopping you on the spot and forcing you to look him right in the eye. Mike’s eyes were heavy, tired, which you also said from his dark eyes and the look on his face. "Let me go Mike…" you muttered quietly, tugging your arm. And that’s when you really realized you weren’t ready to face him again, not after the time you spent in total coldness in the final part of your relationship, not after you ran away from him for some bullshit. "We need to talk" "No. We don’t have to do anything… it was a mistake to come back. Tell Abby I’m sorry, I-I have to go." Mike pulled you even closer to him and looked you in the eye, bending your face to the side. "At least tell me why you left… come back here like nothing happened, look at me like I’m a piece of shit and walk away" "I didn’t look at you like you were a piece of shit." "You did. You looked at me, then Vanessa and-" "Vanessa, huh" you couldn’t help yourself and he looked at you confused. Moments later, he seemed to understand, and you waited for him to set you straight, not deserve it. He owed you nothing, he was allowed to move on with his life. After all he was young, she was beautiful and certainly would not have waited for his ex-girlfriend with anger and depression problems. "Listen. Let me go. I was wrong to come back, you certainly did not expect me to come back and that’s fine. Come back from… Vanessa" Her name looked so dirty coming out of your lips. "Y/n, Vanessa is a friend" "So you said of me" "She really is… Listen, I was out with her for work." "Is that what you say now? 'Work'" your voice was clearly ironic, and that hurt him. "God, Y/n. is really work… In the place where I work some people broke in e-" "You don’t have to explain anything to me, Mike." His look almost seemed sorry. You felt silly. It was you in the wrong, you had run away, you had ruined your relationship, you had been a bitch that night blaming your couple problems on his trauma with the brother. But now you were making that wound, the one they shouldn’t blame. "No. Holy shit Y/n you disappeared for 5 months and now you come back as nothing. You lecture me and make me feel like an asshole again. You don’t tell me where you’ve been, you haven’t even called me in months, let alone answered my calls. What’s your problem?" His gaze hung over yours, burning your irises until you felt cold chills down the back. He was right…

"I was gone." you whispered, looking down. "Gone? Gone where? All those months? Abby was asking me about you," he replied disappointed and incredulous. "I know… I’m sorry" "I was worried about you, I thought you were dead. I even called the police." "I’m sorry, I know" "Abby spent months crying for you. She started hating Max because she didn’t want her to babysit." "I know it" "Stop saying you know, don’t say it. you don’t. If you knew you would have come back. You would have contacted us, you would have called or written." "I’m sorry, okay? I needed a break." The exchange of jokes between you seemed to get colder and more detached, as if you two were accusing each other of who knows what, but never going straight to the point.

You don’t know exactly how they got you to stay with Abby while Mike was working. You knew you were in the kitchen cooking mac and cheese for dinner like the five months before never happened. Abby would tell you about Mike, and then Vanessa, her imaginary friends, and her school. You took care of her all night, and you deluded yourself that you were back where you were waiting for Mike at home and then you were all sleeping together. But you knew it was just an illusion. You read some stories to Abby and she quickly fell asleep. You allowed yourself a few minutes to wander around the house, noticing the slight change. You went into your room, no, not anymore. You walked into Mike’s room and you noticed the slight clutter, the piles of clothes, the messy desk, the practically half-empty closet, the bedding, and the smell of closed. You noticed the poster on the ceiling was gone. God knows how long you tried to get him to come back, and you recklessly blamed that Vanessa for that change. You went back to the living room and fell asleep in front of the television, too tired to visit other rooms or tidy up. At 6:45 in the morning, Mike came home, and he woke you up because of the door he accidentally slammed. You wrinkled your eyes and yawned before you got off the couch. You noticed the boy in front of you, he was visibly tired and had a bandage on his arm. Before you could even mention the wound, Vanessa came into the house and returned him a black gilet. You sighed and made to leave right after Vanessa. Mike stopped you and looked at you.

"Abby is still sleeping, I should go" whispered with kneaded voice from sleep "You can stay… please, stay. Abby would be happy to have you for breakfast" his voice was as sweet as it used to be. He was always sweet, he wasn’t the kind of guy with an aggressive or sour tone, he wasn’t you. "No, I should leave now… really." You turned to leave and your hands touched. You missed a breath, you turned slightly and bit your lip slightly. You sought within yourself the strength to leave, but its smell was now pressing against your nostrils. His free hand went to rest on the side of your neck, making you approach him. Your noses grazed, your breaths harmonized for the same speed and depth in which they took breath of air. You looked at her lips and wanted to try them again. "I have to go…Mike" you whispered, trying to put a brake on everything before you crashed into the same loop again. "Yes… you must go" he said quietly, not letting you go. You sighed and after a few seconds, your lips were within inches of each other, but you were still trying to resist desperately. You couldn’t, you didn’t have to kiss again, you didn’t have to go back to the cycle. Not after you put a stitch.

Mike now held your face with both hands, caressing your soft skin lightly and gently, longingly, just as he did long ago. Your eyes became more and more intense, with eyes drowning in each other. After a brief moment of hesitation, the resistance gave way and your faces slowly approached. Your lips brushed lightly at first, but soon the kiss turned into an overwhelming passion. His hands began to explore the contours of your body, as the clothes were removed with a growing desire. The kiss was consuming the lips of both of them, as the room warmed more and more as the clothes were taken off, your breaths that now seemed uneven because of the heat that had kidnapped both. Mike didn’t hesitate to take you by the thighs and get up to lean on the table, his lips went down your neck with speed and desire. His nimble hands had already left you half-naked, he took off your panties quickly, slipping two fingers into your already soaked intimacy. You closed your eyes and opened your mouth to leave a groan that he was about to choke with his free hand. "Abby will wake up soon, don’t let us hear" he mumbled, as he started pumping his fingers in and out of you. You whined silently, looking at the ceiling as you begged for restraint and that sweet little girl to stay and sleep in her warm crib. You didn’t notice right away when Mike came inside you with his hard erection, you were busy looking at the ceiling and holding back the desperate moans. Your lips met again as the pressures intensified and became increasingly bumpy, rough, almost animal. His fingers ended up digging into your hips, holding you to him as he took back what was his. He broke away from the kiss, not giving you time to realize the situation, starting to mark your body. You sighed heavily, your hips against him as much as you could. You bit your lip as you whimpered for more, and he fulfilled that little silent wish, making it deeper and a little slower, as if to make you feel every inch of him rubbing against your walls. You could feel the vein of his muscle pulsating inside you as the strokes became so damn satisfying, albeit exasperating. Your eyes rolled backwards, feeling closer and closer to orgasm. You were sure you were coming, your hands were tight around her bicep panting in a low voice, trembling slightly for pleasure. He grunted in a low voice, enjoying as much as you for that newfound intimacy, you could hear how he hit your weakest point as if he had never stopped cheating in those 5 months of absence, remembering where you liked and how you liked.

"Mike… Mike, is breakfast ready?" Abby’s sleepy voice was heard above the stairs. You cursed yourself for not praying more intensely for his sleep. Mike came out of you, putting his sore erection back into his sweatpants and black boxers. I recovered your pants and panties and passed them to you, hoping to block Abby before she got into the kitchen. You put your clothes on with an unheard of speed, slightly puffing for the missed orgasm. You felt discomfort between your legs, you knew you were close and your body made you weigh it now. Your swollen clitoris palpated between your legs. You rubbed his thighs, hoping to ease the pain, and you sat in the chair, pretending a few seconds before you weren’t getting fucked on the dining table. "Not yet… emh… now I’m going to make it, go brush your teeth" Mike replied to his sister, gently pushing her down the stairs, sending her to the bathroom to brush her teeth. He turned to you with a sorry expression. "Don’t worry" you calmed him down, as he couldn’t help but notice his erection in his pants, and feel slightly mouth-watering. " We’re in this together, right?" "Definitely," he replied, putting his hand through his hair, then going into the kitchen, trying to calm down.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Notes:

Not exactly my thing, but something to start with. I didn’t want to start with a too heavy smut but I definitely will in the next one shot of the other characters.

-Mel

#ℳ𝚎𝚕'𝚜 #Mel's garden #Mel's fnaf garden #Mel's Mike garden #mike schmidt #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt x you #mike schmidt imagine #mike schmidt smut #mike schmidt fnaf #five nights at freddy's #fnaf movie #fnaf #josh hutcherson #michael afton #michael afton x reader #fnaf x reader #fnaf smut #micheal afton x reader #fnaf headcanon #fnaf imagine #fnaf x you #michael afton smut #smut drabble #x female reader

[libraryofgage]

Please write for 42. Maybe it could be something dealing with Steve overhearing something he shouldn't have,maybe something the kids say, or Eddie says to someone. Whatever it is it makes him feel like shit. He talks to Eddie, or Robin (or both!) about how much he's changed over the past few years and how he didn't end up being the person everyone thought he'd be, but after what hes overheard he's crying because even though he did all he could he feels lonelier than ever.

Anon, I love you

Prompt 42 for this prompt list!

“Who’s laughing now?”

“…Clearly not you. You’re crying, dear God.” 

I didn't use these quotes exactly, but I came close. It still fits them, though lmao

---

"I should be right back," Steve says, throwing open the van door before hopping out. The moment it closes, Eddie blasts the heavy metal he usually can't because of Steve's sensitive ears. Steve snorts with amusement and heads towards the diner, the smell of fried food and grilling beef overwhelming him the moment he opens the door.

Steve heads up to the counter, flashing a charming smile at Paula, a woman who's been working at the diner longer than Steve has been alive. "We got your usual almost ready, sugar," she tells him, returning the smile as she grabs a receipt from the turning rack and leads him over to the register.

It's a Friday night, which means the diner is bursting with teenagers hanging out in groups or trying to have a romantic date. Steve doesn't usually see anyone he feels like greeting when he picks up food, but a quick sweep this time reveals a table where Jonathan, Argyle, Nancy, Mike, and Will are sitting. Their table is close to the bar, but none of them seem to have noticed Steve because of their conversation, which is just fine with him.

If he gets dragged into a conversation, he might take too long and make Eddie worry. And if Eddie worries, he'll come bursting into the diner, and there are too many people in here that still blame him for...well, everything, for that to be safe.

"Your total is gonna be $12.93," Paula says, watching as Steve distractedly pulls a twenty from his wallet.

"Keep the change. I'll be waiting over there," he says, nodding to a bar stool somewhat close to where his friends are sitting. He then slides into said stool, leaning on the counter and trying to ignore how sticky it is.

He's close enough now to hear the tail-end of Argyle saying, "--eems like such a nice dude, though."

Mike snorts at him. "You didn't know Steve when he was dating Nancy," he points out.

Oh. They're...talking about him. Steve gets the feeling he should walk away, but he also feels stuck in the stool.

"He wasn't that bad," Nancy says. Silence follows her words, and Steve can imagine the looks she's getting. "Okay, yeah, he was an asshole."

"He smashed my camera," Jonathan says, and Steve wonders if he's imagining a trace of bitterness in his voice.

Here's the thing: Steve apologized for smashing the camera (though, he feels it was still justified) and got Jonathan a new one. A fancy, new one. But it doesn't sound like Jonathan is going to include that detail, too.

"He's a lot better now, though," Will says, and Steve wants to get him a new set of dice for trying to stick up for him.

He then wants to cry and maybe break something when he hears Jonathan and Mike snort and bark out a short laugh.

Steve feels himself grow tense as Nancy and Jonathan regale Argyle with how shitty he was in high school. He keeps waiting for one of the kids to refute or bring up how he's changed, but Mike only adds to it all while Will stays quiet, probably unwilling to get himself laughed at again (not that Steve blames him, honestly).

None of them actually point out how Steve's changed. They laugh at how much of a douchebag he was in high school, and Jonathan tells Argyle to "watch out for King Steve coming through" now that nothing is trying to kill them again.

And Steve feels sick to his stomach. Has...has he not actually changed? Is he really the same King Steve he was in high school? Is he still that asshole who didn't give a shit about others because he was just trying to survive himself, no matter who it hurt? Is this how everyone sees him?

"All right, sugar. Here's your cheeseburgers," Paula says, placing a bag in front of him and jerking him out of his thoughts. "One without tomato but with extra ketchup, and the other with grilled onions."

Steve blinks and smiles at Paula again. "Thanks. Same time next week?"

He waits to see Paula's amused smile and playfully dismissive wave before grabbing the bag and practically running out of the restaurant. He doesn't know if it's good or bad that nobody at the table seems to have noticed his presence or departure.

Steve jerks the door to the van open, not waiting for Eddie to turn the music down before hopping in and slamming it shut. He silently pulls on his seatbelt, holds the food in his lap, and stares at the glove compartment.

"Uh, you okay, Stevie?" Eddie asks, his hand lingering on the volume dial.

"I don't wanna talk about it here," Steve says. Because he's going to talk about it with Eddie, the only other person he trusts to be honest with him is Robin. But this is date night for him and Eddie, and even when he's drowning in self-doubt, Steve doesn't want anyone else to interrupt their date night.

Thankfully, Eddie just nods. "Okay, sweetheart," he says, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road.

Steve doesn't say a word the whole drive, too consumed by forcing himself to focus on Eddie's hand on his thigh. There's a warmth that he feels through the fabric, grounding him and keeping his brain from spiraling too far.

When they finally park (a secluded area close enough to the local make-out spot to still see the romantic stars in the sky without getting caught by anyone else) Eddie turns to Steve and softly asks, "Wanna move to the back, sweetheart?"

Steve grips the bag in his lap tighter, takes a deep breath, and looks at Eddie. He feels a little bad for ignoring the question, but he can't help his worries and fears bubbling out now that they've stopped driving. "I've changed, right? Since high school?"

Eddie blinks, caught off guard by the sudden question. But then he nods. "Yeah, Stevie, you've definitely changed."

"Jonathan and Nancy were in the diner with Argyle, Mike, and Will," Steve says, trying and failing to seem more nonchalant by unbuckling himself and moving to the couch that barely fits in the back of the van. Eddie follows, sitting closer than necessary to eat the burger Steve hands to him. "They were...talking about me. High school me. King Steve. And Jonathan told Argyle to be wary of me. Do they really think I'm the same person?"

"Stevie-"

Steve doesn't let Eddie get far. He's too wrapped up in what happened, too consumed by self-doubt and guilt and the wish that he'd said something to them. His chest feels tight, he feels like the world is going to cave in on him, and the only thing keeping him steady is the way Eddie puts down his burger and pulls Steve into his lap. "And the worst part is that they were laughing. Will tried saying that I was better now, and they fucking laughed. Like it was ridiculous. Like I could never change.

"And I just....I wish I'd said something. I could have ruined their night so fucking easily, Eds. I could have turned around and asked if they always talked shit behind the backs of people who saved them. I could have asked if Jonathan didn't like the replacement camera I got him, or if he still used it to sneak photos of Nancy."

"Is that why you broke his camera? Fuck, I don't blame you."

Steve manages a slight smile for Eddie. "Thanks. I...I don't know. For all I've changed, it would have been so easy to just turn around and be who they thought I still was. And then I would've torn them down to the size of ants. And...and...I wish I had but I don't but I do, so I could've ended it with who's laughing now?"

Steve's chest feels a little looser, and that's a fucking relief, but then he feels Eddie's hand cradling his cheek. "Well, it's definitely not you, sweetheart. Your crying."

Oh. Eddie is right. He is crying. Steve hastily wipes at the tears before just giving up and leaning into Eddie's touch. "Sorry," he mumbles.

"Don't apologize. I almost wish you had done it. And that I'd been there to see it."

"No, you don’t."

Eddie grins, pulling Steve closer so they're chest-to-chest, heart-to-heart. "Yeah, I do. I love when you get bitchy, sweetheart. Especially when it means we can be bitchy together."

Steve blinks, and he can't help laughing. The words were simple, but they still managed to erase all the doubt and some of the hurt. He still probably needs a few days before he can actually look at Jonathan or Nancy or Mike again, but he doesn't feel so immediately devastated.

"Somehow, that was the perfect thing to say," he tells Eddie, closing the distance between them to kiss his lips, getting a hint of ketchup on his tongue.

"Perfect enough to earn me some fun?" Eddie asks, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

Steve sighs dramatically, pretends to think about it as he actually laments that their burgers will get cold, and then pushes Eddie down on the couch.

#steddie #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve harrington angst #steddie fluff #established steddie #prompt list #my writing #i hope you like it anon!

[trashmouth-richie]

Okay so

Choke Me Bite Me has made me feral

I’m thinking about the next part…maybe some smutty angst where Eddie’s girlfriend catches him and Reader, or he calls out Reader’s name while sleeping with his girlfriend? And she makes him choose? Up to you who he chooses…feel free to go full angst.

Xoxoxoxoxo, @munson-blurbs 💚

CHOKE ME BITE ME | part ii | for reference

this will be the last for this ask/ mini series 😘 thank you for all the love ❤️ 💋 thank you to @lunatictardis for the req that started this 💕💕

eddie x female!reader

w.c 3.2k

warnings: NO MINORS, p in v unprotected sex, cheating, drug use. etc

Over the past few weeks Eddie had been acting stranger than usual. Someone who was once a leader among younger misfits of Hawkins, was now nowhere to be found. His seat at lunch would be empty for days, only to be seen rushing in at the last minute to eat a few pretzels and steal Dustin’s hat, or to tease Mike about his supposed California “girlfriend”. Other days he would go missing for lunch and half of his classes, which for him, was not uncommon, but coming back to class with his hair in a low bun, cheeks flushed and sweaty, was. He even started canceling Hellfire or moving it entirely at the last minute, claiming he wasn’t prepared or that Wayne needed him.

The boys of Hellfire grew suspicious of their leather and denim adorned Dungeon Master, “He’s gotta have a girlfriend.” Mike squeaked, the effects of puberty still hitting even though he was the tallest of the nerds.

“He’s had a girlfriend for a long time, dumbass.” Gareth sneers, “How the fuck have you not noticed?”

“Fuck I don’t know! He never talks about her!”

Dustin, easily the smartest of the group, chimes in, “Actually, that’s a good point.. he doesn’t talk about her… at all.”

“Last I heard, she was fucking around on him, I heard her talking about it with Chrissy Cunningham during Biology a few weeks ago. I told him but he didn’t seem to give a shit.” Jeff shrugs, shoveling in a heap of chewy canned corn. “You know how he is.”

The rest of the boys nodded in agreement, brushing it off their shoulders as they planned how they were going to beat Eddie’s next campaign, if he didn’t cancel, again.

“Christ, mmm are you sure no one’s going to come in and see us, you almost got us caught last time.”

“Nice try princess, you almost got us caught cause of that fucking whore mouth you have… fuck.”

“Not my fault you can’t keep your mouth shut when your dick is in my throat.”

The hellfire room echos with your combined moans as Eddie pumps harder into you harder, ass hanging off the table, he’s rubbing your clit as you clench around him. Sweat is dripping from his thick tufts of hair as he rolls his eyes into the back of his skull— full demon mode as he claws at your hip with his other hand.

Since Eddie brought you to school that day after date crashing, and vandalizing Andy’s car, you had both been skipping class to— explore the inner walls of Hawkins— or for lack of better words, fuck in any empty room you could get to first. So far the broom closet across from Ms. O’Donnell’s, the Hellfire room (Eddie’s personal favorite) , the band room, the wood shop shack, the dugouts by the baseball fields and the picnic table in the woods: had all been defiled by you and Eddie.

“I swear you get tighter every time we fuck,” Eddie groans as you writhe beneath him, grabbing him by the thins of his shirt collar to look him in the dark glassy pits of his eyes while you moaned into his mouth and come all over his cock. “Thassit pretty girl, fuck you’re so fucking hot, so perfect— letting me fuck you allover this goddamn school, I’m coming fuck fuck fuck.” He comes undone, shivering and bucking his hips harder with every shooting release his body produces. He collapses halfway on top of you, causing the cheap table to groan and buckle beneath your combined weight, crashing to the floor with Eddie’s dick still buried inside of you.

The shock wears off and you’re both hysterically laughing, your laughter pushes his softening length out of you along with your combined come, oozing out of your pussy and all over the floor like pearly melted ice cream treat. “Don’t think I’ve ever broken a table from fucking before.”

“What can I say, I’m just that good,” you say with a wink as you button up your blouse, fixing your hair and blotting your mascara ran eyes.

Eddie couldn’t deny you anymore. He had been putting on this hard ass facade for a while now, but every now and then he would slip up, telling you how pretty you were, bringing you back to his place and holding you while you both slept after the usual hookup and joint. With all the time you had been spending together, you wondered if they were even together anymore. You never mentioned him to her. Never treading towards that car wreck of a relationship. He didn’t seem nearly as frustrated and pissed off as he did when this situation first started. In fact, the sex was almost sweet at times, blaming it on the weed as Eddie would bottom out into your pussy, holding your hands above your head and kissing you sloppy, his hips rolling slow in tandem with the low rumblings of “Free Bird” playing in the background, singing into your ear as he fucked into you slow.

Tucking himself back into his jeans, your come still sticky sweet on his cock, he smirks, “yeah, you’re something all right.”

The jingle of a key in the door has you both on alert, pulling Eddie out of the blissful limbo of wondering if you’re just fuck buddies or a little something more. He helps you to your feet and holds your hand tight, yanking you towards the back door leading to outside. You're both laughing as you run to the picnic table in the woods, grabbing your hand tighter, filling his lungs with fresh air, coughing from the years of lung abuse. A blush pricks its way across his cheeks as he looks down at you. Your smile will end up killing him, he’s certain of that. The ache in his heart subsides when he sees it. Like all the bullshit she puts him through doesn’t matter. Because he has you.

She had been noticing Eddie’s lack of attendance, not that she cared. Even though she didn’t sit with him and his band of freaks at lunch, she couldn't help but distinguish between the now quietness of the cafeteria and Eddie’s normal prancing around like a lunatic, blurting the conformities of the world for all of his very much uninterested peers to hear. Being with him was suffocating. Clutching the air from her perfect image and tarnishing her brand of Hawkins High elite. She allowed their time to be spent together at his place rather than hers, not wanting to taint her family name by having that garbage pile on wheels parked outside the trim and poised bushes of the monstrous house in the newer golf course addition to Hawkins. He didn’t understand what the big deal was, why she thought it was important or even fucking cared at all.

“So you’re embarrassed to be with me?” He’d whine. She so badly wanted to say yes, but clung on to their relationship as a backup…mostly for the free weed. Okay only for the free weed. Sometimes sacrifice was necessary get what you actually wanted. And for that, she would sacrifice herself and lie through her teeth to get what she desired— but what she wanted, wasn’t Eddie.

She was in love with him, or at least she thought she was early on in their relationship. Hooking up after stumbling into the Hideout on a Tuesday night in the summer after a birthday party for Chrissy landed them a ride to the bar and free drinks from the bartender she had been flirting with all night. Eddie was singing that night, sweaty and shirtless. Hair soaked down to his shoulders as he sang and winked towards her. She thought he was in college, home for the summer, playing with his band, working on the side, she was astonished to find out that he was twenty and still in high school, her high school. Eddie had fallen head over heels for her, excited that someone, anyone, would give him the time of day. He was oblivious to her wandering eyes, the way guys would snicker and wink at her whenever they were near. Even missing her crude hand and mouth gestures she made to the jocks on the football team. He was so blissfully unaware, and she used it to her advantage.

He had caught her, she didn’t know it, but he had seen her cheating. He decided to show up to her house on her birthday, a dozen roses tucked under his arm and a pretty heart necklace wrapped in gold paper he had seen at the jewelry store in star court mall. He had spent two weeks worth of dealings to afford it, only for her to be kissing Jason Carver on her front porch. The following night you had been working at Melvald’s when he came stomping in, searching for batteries for his Walkman. You had seen him around school, heard the rumors about him being a vessel for satan. But nothing would prepare you for the pool of wetness in your panties when he smooth-talked you into meeting him out back after your shift for a smoke. That night you were both high out of your minds, lazily shotgunning one another as Eddie pounded into you from behind in his van. Releasing all his pent up anger from seeing her with Jason the previous night. You were his outlet, he had made it clear to you that this was strictly fooling around, nothing more, and to never, under any circumstances were you allowed to talk about her.

That was almost two months ago, and although you promised yourself you wouldn’t, begged yourself not to care about him, to move on from him— you simply couldn’t. You craved him when he wasn’t around, needed him when you had a bad day. What started off as a fling was currently erupting into nights of late night talking, spending more time at Eddie’s house than you did at your own, even meeting his uncle on accident when Eddie started undressing himself and you, shucking his jacket to the ground and toeing off his Reeboks, when he backed himself into the front door of the trailer, a stunned Wayne sitting at the kitchen table, clearing his throat from behind a cup of coffee. But he was still with her.

One night, crowded around the small pea green table finishing their supper, Wayne clears his throat, swallowing the last bits of his tv dinner, “So what happened to ol’ uh whatshername?” Wiping his graying mustache with the back of his hand, rolling his eyes as Eddie stares at him with a confused look on his face, one eyebrow curled up, the other shoved high into his fringe. “Don't’ play stupid with me, boy, your girlfriend.” Wayne grunts.

“Oh.. uh— well we’re still together, why? Gossip not cutting it at the plant, need some entertainment?” Eddie sneers, putting up his walls of defense so quick they practically shook the foundation of the fragile decaying trailer.

“As much as I love not seeing her scowling face around here, was just curious as to why she ain’t, and why you try to sneak y/n out of here in the mornings when you think I’m asleep.”

Eddie’s face pales, running a hand down his face he sinks lower into his chair. “I don’t know what to do.” He groans, talking behind his hands.

“Boy, I know that skull of yours is thicker than concrete, but I never figured you’d be that damn dumb.”

“Hey!” Eddie protests, “it’s not that easy! She was the first girl ever to notice me!”

“It is that easy, you’re just not paying attention, ain’t never seen you smile more than when y/n is around. That other snooty rich bitch used hand sanitizer every time she touched something here. Drove me nuts watching her turn her nose up to you, to this place. Her heart ain’t in it son, and quite frankly it never was,” he stands from the table, throwing away the paper formed sectioned out plate and puts the fork in the sink, rubbing his hands along the fraying towel hung from the stove, “sometimes you gotta open your eyes a little bit and see who makes you happy, who you actually like spendin’ time with.” He tucks his head beneath a worn ball cap and waves bye as he steps out of the trailer, leaving a dumbfounded Eddie staring holes into the cold mashed potatoes. A decision pressed along the inner workings of his mind.

“Jesus Christ,” Gareth points across the dim lit parking lot, laughing as the shadows of Eddie’s van rocks back and forth.

“You know what they say, when the van’s a rockin’ don’t come knockin” Jeff explains, wiping the last bit of Coke off his chin. “Told you he had a girlfriend, Mike!”

Hellfire had just gotten over and the party was heading to their vehicles. The late spring air was chilly as a light breeze picked up, scattering trash along the black asphalt of the parking lot in a sad tango.

“Shit, guess he did have something better to do.” Mike says with a laugh, high fiving Dustin and Lucas. A car pulls into the parking lot, parking right behind Eddie’s van.

“Wait isn’t that…”

“No fucking way!”

Stepping out of the car was Eddie’s girlfriend, fuming pissed as she knocked and banged on the windows.

“Oh shit, oh shit!” Gareth yells as he runs towards Eddie’s van. “Let’s go!” he yells over his shoulder, summoning the rest of Hellfire to help out their devoted DM.

A note taped to the inside of your locker meant one thing, Eddie. He knew your locker combination and would frequently leave you locations and times on where to meet. But this note was different: “meet me at 6 o’clock in the parking lot by my van. 🖤” Your stomach fluttered at the sight of it, clutching the note to your chest you thought about it for the next three hours.

The van was set up with your favorite snacks, camping lanterns he “borrowed” from his neighbors, pillows, blankets, and of course a few joints he had rolled previously. He was standing against the opened back door to the van, holding flowers and that signature grin.

“What’s all this?” You ask, eyes wet with tears, your smile breaking from ear to ear. The beautiful petals from the flowers curling against your fingers as you touched them delicately.

Eddie grabs you by the waist, his hand dragging up your body lazily, stroking your cheek, “just thought we could do something different tonight… before we go any further I need to tell you— I’m ending it with her.”

Your heart skips a beat, “w-why is that?”

His hand grazes your chin, lifting it up higher revealing the slope of your neck. He slotted his lips against you, licking slow and lightly nipping his teeth into your soft flesh. “Oh I think you know why, baby.”

“I do, but I want you to say it,” you tease, twirling your fingers through his hair as you try to stifle a moan.

Eddie grins against your neck, licking a strip up to your ear, whispering, “I want you, and only you.” He pulls away and looks deep into your eyes, “you make me happier than I’ve ever been, I feel like I can be myself with you… I’m so into you baby.”

Your heart sings, you throw your arms around Eddie’s neck, pressing your lips to his, murmuring between kisses, “I’m yours.”

He picks you up delicately, bringing you inside the van and laying you down softly against the pillows. Shutting the door, Eddie peels his clothes off, eyeing you with sweet eyes of honey flecked brown as you undress. He presses his body into yours, kissing you slow and sweet, savoring this moment, wishing he had always taken his time with you. Soaking in every kiss, every lick of your skin, the soft moans you hummed out beneath him as you were finally his. “Should have made you mine the minute I saw you behind that counter at Melvald’s. You looked so cute, and I was so miserable.” He noses his way through the valley of your tits, suckling on your nipples as your back arches up, thrusting yourself up into his mouth.

“It’s okay, Eddie,” you moaned in the comfort of the van, “we’re together now… and I need you.” Your pussy aching to be filled.

He wastes no time, throwing your legs around his waist as he unzips his jeans, spitting on your naked pussy and rubbing his cock through your dripping folds. He pumps into you slow, kissing you deeply as he mutters swears against your lips. “I’m down bad for you sweetheart,” he admits, thrusting his hips into you, reveling in the eyes you gasp as he pushes in deeper, “you have no idea.”

You claw at his back, fingers digging into the softness of his skin, rippling across his muscled form. Finally able to mark him up without any restraints, he moans into your opened mouth. He pumps into you harder, rubbing your clit with one hand as the van is rocking back to forth. Sweat is pouring from your bodies, fogging up the windows, and dripping onto the blankets. Headlights glare against the back windows as Eddie pounds into you deeper, you’re whining beneath him, begging and clawing at his shoulders, crying from the beautiful pleasure filling you up, cusping your g spot as Eddie raises your leg over his shoulder, using your hips to grip onto.

A bang on the window has you both stopping dead. Nothing but bated breath and your heart beats heard as you listen. High pitched screaming is breaking against the balance from beyond the metal doors, it’s her.

The Hellfire boys make it to Eddie’s van just in time to stop her from throwing open the doors, or so they thought.

The doors open revealing Eddie’s bare ass for all of Hawkins to see, he throws the blankets over you covering your naked body. He swivels slowly to face her.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” she screams as she slaps and hits him on his naked chest, a pillow covering his groin. “You're cheating on me?!”

“Aww, you thought you were the only one fucking around on this relationship?” he scoffs, “tell me how long have you been fucking Jason behind Chrissy’s back?”

“That’s none of your business!” She seethes.

“You’re right, it’s not, we’re done. fuck off. Oh and don’t worry, I made sure to tell Chrissy about your and Jason’s little rendezvous.”

She stomps back to her car screaming with rage as she pushes Mike out of the way. Tires squealing as she leaves the parking lot.

“Y/N?” Dustin asks, peering around Eddie.

“Hey,” you wave, covering yourself up more as you scan the van for your clothes.

“Wait, you know him?” Eddie asks, sitting down next to you and slithering beneath the blankets, pecking your shoulder as he wraps his arms around you.

“Yeah, I do but maybe we can play detective after we’re not naked in the school parking lot.”

“Oh right, hey get out of here you little pervs! Quit trying to look at my girl!”

You would think about those two little words rolling so easily off his tongue for hours. Wrapped in Eddie’s arms, wearing his shirt as you sleep peacefully in his bed, finally as his girl.

a/n: this was so fun to write, hope I ended it the way you had all hoped. I didn’t want to give Eddie’s gf a name figuring she would be best to just be imagined however you as a reader would think of her. if you liked this—please comment your favorite part of this little ask turned mini series—I’m currently taking reqs for specific stories only, the link is in my master list 💋 thank you to everyone for leaving your feedback 🤎

tagged: @sidthedollface2

@dontwasteyourchances @tlclick73 @eddie-swhore @sinczir @alexiatheheroic @sh-el67 @lolalanaie

{if you’re tagged but didn’t get a mention notification, I tried to tag you but I think I saw someone post that it’s a settings issue on your blog}

#eddie munson angst #eddie munson #eddie x fem!reader #eddie munson smut #eddie x you #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie x reader #eddie smut #eddie angst #eddie fluff #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie munson x y/n

[schmidtkisser]

hi there!! i just want to say that i absolutely loved your first fic, it was beautiful! regarding prompt suggestions, could you perhaps do something like the reader helping mike get a restful night's sleep following the events of the movie? no pressure ofc!!

Nightly Lullaby

pairing: mike schmidt x gn!reader

word count: 1.8k

synopsis: mike has trouble sleeping due to the anxiety of dreaming the same memory he has trained his brain for over the past few years. after tucking abby into bed, you help mike finally sleep comfortably for once.

content: established relationship between you and mike, 2nd person pov, comfort, fluff, domestic fluff, love language: physical touch, insomniac mike, fnaf movie spoilers (story takes place after the events of the movie), you babysit abby, you sing them to sleep

a/n: thank u anon for the rq! this was so fun to write and was such a cute prompt to work with <3 hope i did it justice

★彡★彡★彡

It had been about a week or two since Mike resigned from being a security guard at a run-down, haunted pizzeria.

You heard all about it from Mike himself. The history of the place, the owner, animatronics possessed by the ghosts of dead children, his past with Garrett — everything. It was hard to believe at first, but the sincerity in his tone, as well as the fact that Mike wasn’t the kind of person to lie to you, led you to believe everything he claimed was true.

You could barely imagine everything he had to go through. Losing his little brother, his parents, having a difficult time finding a job, all while in the process of almost losing custody of his sister. Though he seemed to be struggling less now that it was all over, you couldn’t help but notice his struggle with sleep ever since then.

Mike always relied on a nightly routine to help him sleep up until a week ago. He told you about the dream theory, and how he’d stare at a Nebraska poster while listening to nature noises on a walkman.

The part that concerned you the most was his reliance on sleeping pills. You couldn’t even begin to describe the relief you felt when he admitted that he was ready to stop using them every night. But now, as a result of the sudden routine change and the lack of pills, he had a hard time falling asleep.

—

He leans against his sister’s doorframe, his arms folded as he watches you with half-lidded eyes. You always tuck Abby into bed after a long day, pulling the comforter over her shoulders before you give her a small forehead kiss. A little conversation exchange would occur, before she would ask a small request from you.

“Can you hum me a song again?” Abby asks, her brown eyes sparkling with anticipation. The simple routine following up to the nightly lullaby works like a charm. She’ll be asleep in no time. “They help me sleep. And you always do it better than Mike.”

You can’t help but scoff a small laugh at the stab at Mike, glancing over at him to see his reaction. He playfully rolls his eyes at you two, before continuing to observe you both.

You look back at Abby, who is hiding her obvious smile beneath the duvet covers. Your eyes soften at her, your hand reaching down to pet her head, before you begin to hum a simple, yet effective lullaby as she requested. She listens intently, her eyes beginning to flutter shut within the first minute or so of your hum.

Though, she wasn’t the only one listening to the sweet song. Mike’s ears tune into your delicate crooning, yawning quietly as he leans himself forward. He adores the soft rumble from your throat, how it strung itself together into a beautifully crafted lullaby. He thinks you sound angelic despite not singing a single word. He can feel his heart pick up a beat as he listens. He feels his eyes grow heavier, his head beginning to nod off as he feels himself begin to drift.

But the lullaby ends almost as quickly as it began. You pull away from Abby, her soft snores slipping out in purrs; she’s out like a light. Your lips curl into a little smile when you observe her, slowly lifting yourself off of her bed as your attention shifts to Mike, who is in the most exhausted state you’ve ever seen him in. The poor man looks like he’s about to fall over any second.

You make your way over to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. The sudden contact wakes him up, his eyes widening slightly in surprise as he looks at you. His cheeks flush with warmth from how close you are, not to mention the comforting feeling of your arm wrapped around him. It made him want to melt, thinking you feel much warmer compared to any blanket he’s ever used.

“Come on, Mike,” you whisper, guiding him forward. You quietly close Abby’s door as the two of you leave the room. “Let’s get you to bed.”

He nods, trying his best not to drag his feet across the floor as you walk him to his bedroom. He feels heavy as he leans against you, his exhaustion making itself present with every passing second.

Making your way inside the room, you close the door behind you with the heel of your foot. You walk him to his bed while you keep him close to you. The cold air nips at your skin, and you can feel Mike shiver against you too. You reach over to click his lamp on, the warm light illuminating the room. He murmurs your name softly as you both take a seat on his mattress with a creak.

“There, there,” you rub a hand up his back. Your eyes gaze down at him, noticing even the slightest few details about him. His furrowed brows, the little frown pursed on his lips, and most notably; the dark eye bags dusted beneath his eyes. The sight saddens you. He really hasn’t slept a wink in the past week.

He casts his eyes up at you, his arms wrapping themselves around your waist as he pulls you closer. To him, it feels like having a teddy bear in his arms — something he hadn’t really felt since the loss of his childhood. The thought gets him emotional, and he attempts to hide the sudden flood of emotions welling in his face by nuzzling himself against your neck. His fingers slowly clutch onto the fabric of your shirt.

“I don’t want to dream anymore,” he utters. “Things are fine now but, what if I dream about that again, you know? I mean, I trained my brain to think of the same memory every night.” There was a slight crack in his voice, his clutch growing tighter. “Y/N, I know it sounds stupid, but I just…”

“…It’s not stupid. None of it is.” You hush him gently. Your hand trails over to his shoulder, the other reeling him in for a warm hug. You can feel his tense body begin to calm as he takes control of his breathing. The comfort of your embrace never fails to ease him. “I can’t imagine being in your position, but sudden change is difficult. I just want you to know that I’m always here for you, Mike.”

Your tone stumbled slightly as you spoke. It came out cornier than you wanted it to, and you felt your face heat up a little in embarrassment. His silence following your words scares you into a small pit of self-doubt. Did you say the wrong thing? Was it even helpful? You nervously nibble at your lower lip, waiting for any kind of response.

Then, you feel a small, amused huff against the skin of your neck, followed by a little nod from him. The fingers clutching your shirt loosened slightly, but he still kept a grasp on you. “Thank you, Y/N.”

You let out a sigh of relief, cradling Mike in your arms. Your lips curl up into a smile, pulling away from the hug just slightly to look at him again. His brows weren’t furrowed anymore, and you can even see a hint of a smile on his face.

You cup his cheek with the palm of your hand, exchanging a sudden, yet loving kiss between you two. The kiss catches him off guard, but he eases into it quickly. You savour the tender feeling of his lips, the warmth of his cheek against your palm, how he kissed back with the same amount of love in his gesture.

Oh, how he makes you melt.

You pull away at the same time, taking a breath as you look longingly into each others’ eyes. Your thumb brushes gently against the corner of his lip, your palm feeling every inch of his stubble. He leans into your touch, and you can’t help but think that he resembles a puppy with the way he looks at you. He closes his eyes, nuzzling against your palm with a yawn. Your eyes soften, beginning to realise how tired you’ve gotten also.

“Bed time?” You whisper. He nods silently in response.

You draw back from the intimate cuddles to tuck him into bed. He feels your absence, and you feel it too, despite the fact that you were just a foot away from him.

He brings himself down onto his bed, resting his head against the feather-filled pillow. You carefully pull the comforter over his body, providing him with warmth against the cold air circulating in the room. He was just about ready to pass out, but his fingers clasp at the rim of your shirt.

“Can you sleep here, with me?” He croaks, turning his eyes away from you. “Please.”

Initially, you were planning to drive home after he went to bed, but you couldn’t help but soften at his request. You were growing too tired to drive safely anyway. You click his lamp off, the room getting swallowed in darkness, with the moonlight peaking through the slits of the blinds. “I can.”

You crawl into the empty spot on the bed next to him, sinking yourself beneath the covers. His bed was far more comfortable than you could imagine, and the faint scent of him has you sinking in deeper.

He rolls over to lie on his side, facing you as his arms snake around your waist again. You do the same, enveloping him in your embrace. He rests his face against your chest with a lazy hum. As he listens intently to the beat of your heart, he thinks of a small, though embarrassing request.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Mmm?”

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t.”

He pulls you in closer, your bodies intertwining. “Can you hum me a song?” He murmurs. “Like you do with Abby.”

The question catches you off guard. You should’ve expected it, yet it still surprised you — but not in a bad way. Deep down, you knew he felt a bit embarrassed for asking you to sing him to sleep. He is a grown man, after all, not a child like Abby.

Yet, you carry no judgement, cradling him in your arms as you accept his request. It was better than listening to a nature tape on loop, or the dead silence of the house, after all.

You begin to hum for him, your lips pressed together as you craft a tune for him to nod off to. He pays close attention to every note, to the rise and fall of your chest when you croon, to how your voice would bounce off the walls back to you two. With every passing second, he can feel his eyes grow heavier. In the comfort of your arms and the sweet sound of your song, he finally lulls off to a deep, peaceful sleep.

You can feel his body relax against yours, and his soft breaths hit against the skin of your chest as he falls into a slumber. You slowly wrap up the song, keeping him in your hold as you nuzzle the top of his head. You smile to yourself, your heart full of tenderness and warmth, whispering for one last time tonight.

“Goodnight, Mike.”

#fnaf #fnaf movie #mike schmidt #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt x you #mike schmidt x y/n #mike schmidt x gn!reader #mike schmidt fanfic #fnaf movie fanfic #josh hutcherson #josh hutcherson x reader #josh hutcherson x gn!reader #mike schmidt fluff #domestic fluff #gn reader #gender neutral y/n #physical touch #x reader

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Karma At First Sight: part 2 (Fluff)

2012!Raphael x reader

Part 1

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

After seeing you the first time, Raphael can’t help but wonder if he’ll ever see you again, even if his brothers seek to pay back all the teasing he has done to them.

Warnings: Spelling, brothers teasing each other, Kraangs that wanna hurt you?

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

Days turned into nights, and Raphael couldn't shake the image of you from his mind. He found himself more and more distracted during training sessions, his thoughts wandering to the mysterious girl who had captured his attention on that rooftop stakeout. It irritated him, not being able to do what he usually did, without the thought of you making itself ever present. But what irritated him even more, was how attentive his brothers were. They were quick to notice whenever his movement stalled and the look in his eyes, knowing it was you he thought about.

Their teasing never really stopped. Just like Raph found have done with Donnie so many times, they found every excuse to tease him. It took him a little longer than usual to eat breakfast? Mike would sigh out loud before laying down on the kitchen table, a dreamy look in his eyes, mumbling about how he missed you, before running and dodging whatever Raph would throw after him. Raph had been sitting too long staring at the same page in his comic? Leo couldn’t resist commenting on how one of the characters must look familiar, making Raph’s eyes spark fire. And was Raph so naive to think that he could make comments on Donnie’s crush on April, that shit eating grin on Donnie’s face was enough to make Raph retreat every statement.

Whenever Raph and his brothers went to the surface, Raphael couldn’t help but look out for you on the street. New York City was big, but maybe he was lucky that you would be around somewhere. And of course his brothers noticed his searching eyes, knowing full well that he would never look for Kraang with such intensity and hope in his eyes.

One evening, the brothers found themselves back on the same roof, from which Raph had seen you a mere two weeks prior. Raph was doing his best not to seem too invested in what was going on, on the street. He would act as if he didn’t notice if a person walked past, when in reality, he was hoping to see your face once more, and hear you hum whatever music you were listening to. But of course, his brothers saw it.

“As far as I remember, Raph”, Leo started, never moving his eyes from his search for the Kraang. “Juliet was the one on the balcony and Romeo was on the ground”.

“Shut it, Leo”, Raph growled.

“What’s wrong?”, Mikey asked, inching closer to Raph with a smug grin. “You don’t like being teased about your girlfriend?”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”, Raph exclaimed, trying to catch his annoying little brother, before he got out of his reach.

“Hmm, sounds like a sentence I recognize”, Donnie said, tapping his chin in fake contemplation.

Raph growled in frustration, ready to jump on his brothers in a moment's notice to shut them up, only to stop in his tracks by the sound of Kraang bots in the alley next to the building. All four turtles jumped from the building, descending down into the alley. The skirmish that followed was intense. In the midst of the chaos, Raphael's attention was drawn to a figure standing at the mouth of the alley, staring in shock at the scene in front of them - it was you.

Raphael, who seemingly forgot the world around him as he caught sight of you. The Kraang droid he had been fighting did not exist for a moment, until…

“A human has seen Kraang fight with what is known as the turtles”, the droid said, causing Raph to return to reality. “Kraang is to capture and destroy the human that has seen Kraang fight what is known as the turtles”.

“Oh no you don’t!”, Raph yelled, driving his sai into the droid.

You, frightened by what you had just witnessed, started stepping backwards onto the street, not noticing the Kraang coming down the alley on the opposite side of the street. Raph however noticed it, getting rid of the Kraang he had been fighting before sprinting in your direction.

“Look out!”

You turned in confusion, just in time to see Kraang, ready to launch at you. You screamed and ducked, giving Raphael the room he needed to jump over your head and straight into the face of the Kraang. You watched through your fingers as Raph used his sai to take the droid out, hoping that he reached the brain looking creature inside it.

As the life disappeared from the Kraang’s robot body, Raph turned to you, watching your movements closely. You were watching him in astonishment, taking in all of his features. His green skin, three limbed hands and feets, the shell on his back and his bright green eyes.

With each droid taken out, his brothers watched the two of you from the alley. Though they had been teasing Raph relentlessly these past few weeks, they wouldn’t help but feel invested in the scene in front of them, fearing and hoping along with their hot tempered brother.

Raphael was the first to step forward and speak up, his gaze locked onto yours, fighting the nervous feeling in his stomach, and the way his hands started to get clammy. "You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous", he grumbled, a hint of concern in his voice.

It took a moment before you answered him. Blinking at his words as you were processing them. "Seems like you guys have it under control".

Raph shivered. You spoke to him. You actually spoke to him. You did not scream him in the face like he had feared you would. All those times he had been daydreaming about talking to you, fearing how you would react, suddenly seemed like nothing compared to the real deal in front of him.

Extending a hand to you, Raph helped you up from the pavement, till you were standing on your feet. "We appreciate the support from the sideline, but it's best to leave this to us", he said, hoping to break the tension that he felt inside himself.

You chuckled, making Raph feel his stomach tingle once more. "Got it," you replied, not showing any signs of fear. "But, you know, if you ever need an extra hand, I'm here", you said with a little hint of sarcasm, before looking down. “Until then I would like to keep my hand”.

Confused Raph looked down, seeing that he still had his hand wrapped around your smaller one. As if the realization electrocuted him, he let go of your hand, feeling his face get hot. “Heh, sorry”.

“It’s okay”, you smiled. “Do you have a name? I would very much like to know the name of the, uh… person that saved me from… that”. You nodded to the Kraang on the ground.

“Uhm… yeah, it’s Raphael”, the nervous turtle said, trying hard not to show it. But the thought of retreating into his shell felt very welcoming during that moment.

“Nice to meet you, Raphael. I’m (Y/N)”.

His heart skipped a beat when you said his name. The way it sounded with your voice made it shiver down his shell.

“(Y/N)? That’s a really pretty name”, he said, and then suddenly realizing he said that out loud. You let out a hearty laugh, making Raph relax a little.

“You’re sweet, did you know that?”, you asked, still smiling bright. You should have seen the way his brothers looked, fully ready to disagree with you on that statement.

“Hey! Raphael!”, Leo yelled from the alley. “Time to cut the date short! We have to go!”

Normally Raph would yell at Leo, or even try to make a jump for him, but being with your eyes on him, he instead got flustered, cheeks turning red wondering if you understood why his brother would say such a thing.

“You heard my brother; I have to go now”, Raph chuckled nervously, avoiding your gaze. “Uhm… It was really nice meeting you, (Y/N)”.

“You too, Raphael”, you smiled. “But before you leave, will I ever see you again?”

Raph almost choked on his own air, searching his mind for the right response while his brothers started yelling at him to get moving.

“You want to see me again?”, he finally got out, staring at you as if you had two heads.

“Of course I will”, you said, before pointing down the street. “You see that building three streets down on the corner? - The red one - I live on the 5th floor on the left. My bedroom is the one right out to the fire escape. If you ever want to hang out, you know just where to find me”.

“Cool! Great! I’ll make sure to do that”, Raph said, still not quite sure on how to react.

“Move it, Raph!”, his brother’s voices sounded from the alley.

“Chill! I’m coming! Relax!”, Raph yelled back. “See you soon, (Y/N)”. And with a happy little smile he ran back to the alley, feeling your eyes follow him all the way, even as he and his brothers moved up the fire escape and up onto the roof.

“And you said she wasn’t your girlfriend”, Mikey giggled, hurrying up before Raph could get close to him.

As the turtles retreated into the shadows the roof provided, you lingered for a moment on the street, watching them disappear. Raphael, however, couldn't resist a second glance in your direction, giving you a little wave, before disappearing himself. The happiness he felt when he saw you wave back to him.

#tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt raphael #tmnt donatello #tmnt leonardo #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt raph #tmnt donnie #tmnt x y/n #tmnt mikey #tmnt leo #tmnt x you #tmnt x reader #tmnt 2012 #tmnt 2012 raph #tmnt 2012 donnie #tmnt 2012 leo #tmnt 2012 mikey #tmnt 2012 raphael #tmnt 2k12 #2012 tmnt #tmnt leo 2012 #tmnt raph 2012 #tmnt donnie 2012 #tmnt mikey 2012 #tmnt 2012 leonardo #tmnt 2012 donatello #tmnt 2012 michelangelo #tmnt raphael 2012 #tmnt leonardo 2012

[happy74827]

Oblivious to Love

[Mike Ross x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Finding that your crush was evidently hiding something from you became more nerve-wracking than you thought. But something tells you that maybe it's worth the chase through the office, much to Harvey's displease of course.

WC: 2323

Category: Fluff

I wrote this mostly for my friend (love you @yoursacredqueenmother), but honestly I wrote it for myself too. Plus, there’s barely any Mike Ross fics on this app so I wanted to give some popularity towards him.

Oh how I love writing underrated kings.

『••✎••』

When you first met Mike Ross, he was nothing but a loser, a sorry excuse for a man. From his annoying habits of always being right to his slightly disheveled appearance, the way he always looked like a lost puppy in the morning. Everything about him was just... annoying.

Yet you couldn't help but fall for him. Fall for that crooked smile that seemed to make your knees wobble, those blue eyes that you swore were made out of crystals, and that damn brain of his. God, his brain was impressive. And every time you watched him work, you could only think that this guy was a fucking genius. He was just a brilliant person, and you knew it.

And he knew you knew it. Mike Ross was a very talented man, more talented than you. The way he talked, his words seemed to flow out of his mouth as if they were enchanted, and with one single phrase, he could convince you of the existence of unicorns. He had always had this way about him. It was like he could get anything he wanted by simply giving a smile. And even though Mike didn't know this about himself, he was able to make you melt with just a few words.

And after getting to know Mike better, you found that he was an amazing person. Sure, he could be a bit cocky at times, but his cockiness always came with the fact that he knew he was doing something right, and he was willing to admit to his wrongdoings when it was necessary. That's something that not everyone is willing to do, and you found that really impressive. He also had the most caring eyes you had ever seen, always willing to take care of anyone who needed help. Mike was a great guy, one of the best you knew. And when it came to his intelligence, you had no doubt that he was the smartest guy in the world.

But you still couldn't help but think, what was a guy like Mike doing with a girl like you?

You were nothing compared to him. He was intelligent, quick-witted, and attractive to boot. He was like the epitome of a perfect human, while you... you were just another boring girl who happened to be lucky enough to be in his life. You could never compare to someone like him, someone as amazing as Mike Ross.

It wasn't long before your feelings for him began to show, and when they did, it was inevitable that Mike would find out. It seemed that he could read you like a book, and you had no idea what gave away your feelings, but you had a sense that Mike had caught on early. Of course, it was only speculation, but the evidence was… well, there. He came up to you more, wanting to hang out with you, and his words to you were even sweeter. You were too embarrassed to think straight, and you had no idea what to do with yourself.

"You alright?"

It was lunchtime when Mike decided to show up, his blue eyes glancing down at you. His question took you by surprise, and you gave a quick nod in response.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm alright," you said, looking down at your salad. "I'm just a bit tired today, that's all."

He seemed to buy your answer because he didn't push any further on the subject. He just continued on as if nothing had happened. But something did happen, and you could tell that Mike was avoiding your eyes. You noticed this right away because he would never look away from you for so long, and you began to grow suspicious. What did Mike know?

The first person you decided to chase down and confront was Donna, the woman who knew anything and everything. She was like the goddess of knowledge, and if there was anyone who knew what was going on, it was her.

"Alright, what's up with Mike?" You questioned, waiting for an answer.

Donna looked up, giving you a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Don't give me that, D. You know exactly what I mean. Mike is being… I don’t know, he's being strange. I know you know why."

The older woman gave a sigh, taking a bite from her salad. "I don't know, he hasn't told me anything," she replied. "But are you sure he’s the one being weird? Because, you know, you're not exactly normal yourself."

"I am exactly normal!"

"You're so not normal."

"And how would you know that? Have you ever seen me? I look normal to the naked eye!"

Donna only smirked in response.

"You're useless," you groaned, turning away from the woman and sitting down at the table. Just as you did so, Harvey decided to walk past on the way to Jessica’s office. Of course, Harvey. Mike and him are practically glued at the hip.

He must know something.

"Harvey!" You shouted, causing him to halt in his tracks. The man turned around, his face contorting into one of confusion when he saw you. The confusion only stayed for a minute, though, because the second you went to open your mouth, he shut you down.

“Nope. I’m not doing this," Harvey said, pointing to the door. "Not this time."

"Doing what?" You asked, following behind him as he continued on his way. "You didn’t even know what I was going to ask.”

"Doesn't matter. I’m not getting involved with you and Mike."

"How’d you…?" You stopped yourself before you could finish your sentence, watching Harvey continuing on his way to Jessica's office, ignoring your complete presence.

Why was everyone avoiding you?

"Alright, what the hell?" You said, stomping back towards Donna. She gave a look of concern as if she was expecting you to explode any second now. “What’s going on? Please, tell me. Please don’t make me go to Louis. If I have to hear him talk about going mudding one more time, I might just snap. I swear to God-"

"Alright, alright," Donna interrupted, holding up her hands in defense. "But just remember, you asked for this."

"Just tell me, Donna. Tell me now before I die of curiosity!"

Donna sighed, rolling her eyes and looking you dead in the eyes. "Mike knows.”

"Knows what?"

"He knows.”

Oh.

Oh.

Oh no.

Donna must’ve immediately picked up on your panicked state because she was suddenly in front of you, grabbing onto your shoulders and trying to ground you as your eyes widened in sheer panic.

"Calm down," she whispered, shaking you slightly. "Just breathe."

"Is this bad? I think this is bad. This is bad. I’m going to die of embarrassment now. I won’t even be able to look at him ever again-"

"Stop." Donna slapped you in the face, her actions taking you by surprise. "Look, I'm going to tell you what I told him, alright?"

You only gave a small nod in response.

"After Mike asked—”

“He asked?!”

“Shush! After Mike asked if you were in love with him, I asked if he was in love with you."

"And?"

"He wouldn’t say. So, I asked him if he thought he was, and he didn't give me an answer.”

You blinked at her. "Okay. I don't think this is helping."

"You don’t understand. That’s a good sign. When you want to tell someone how you feel, but you don't want to give them the satisfaction of saying it out loud, you refuse to answer a question when someone asks if you feel that way about them. It means they really care, you know? Mike doesn't want to risk telling you how he feels, but he doesn't want to lie to me."

You stared at her, unable to respond. Donna just gave a sigh and patted you on the head.

"Look, all I'm trying to tell you is that this might work out. Just give it time."

You, in fact, didn’t give it time. You practically went insane to the point of going back to Harvey to question him again. This time, he gave you an answer.

"Does Mike like me?”

He gave you a confused look as if he were expecting you to explain what the hell you were talking about.

"…I’m going to pretend like you asked a real question," Harvey said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t know if you've forgotten, but this is a law firm. Not a damn soap opera."

"I need to know!" You pressed. “I know Mike said something to you. That man cannot keep anything secret. It's just not possible."

"Dammit," Harvey muttered, rubbing his temples. "This isn't something I want to deal with right now, I’m busy-"

"Harvey, it’s a simple yes or no. I will literally leave you alone for a whole week if you tell me. I promise I won't bug you at all; I swear on my life. So, please. Just tell me."

Harvey sighed, putting down his pen. There was a part of you that felt bad about interrupting his work, but this was too important just to ignore. You had to know.

"Mike likes you, kid. Now get the hell out of my office," Harvey said, waving you off as you left, feeling a huge weight off your shoulders.

Oh, man. Oh boy. This was actually happening. Mike Ross, the smartest man in the world, liked you. The smile that surfaced on your face was involuntary, and you couldn’t help but put it on full display as you walked past Donna, who raised an eyebrow.

"You need to talk to him," Donna said. "Or else you'll never stop smiling like an idiot."

That's what you did.

The second you saw Mike, you rushed to his office, where you could see that he was alone. You entered quietly, making sure to close the door behind you as Mike looked up, his blue eyes locking with yours.

"Hey," he said, clearing his throat as you made your way towards him. “I was just—”

“Harvey said you liked me.” You blurted, causing Mike to freeze. You didn’t mean to just come out and say it like that, but you couldn't stop yourself from doing so. He looked a bit shocked, but his expression quickly changed to one of curiosity, his eyebrows arching.

Then, he did something you hadn't been expecting at all. He gave you a smile. Mike Ross, the man you had been pining over for years, gave you a smile that made your knees wobble, and you felt your stomach tighten.

"Funny enough,” he said, leaning back into his chair, still wearing that grin on his face. "Donna said the exact same thing about you.”

You couldn’t help the soft laughter that escaped you because it was funny. Donna and Harvey. Everyone seemed to know except you two, and that was almost humorous. But it wasn't enough to stop your nerves because you still wanted to talk to him.

"Listen, Mike-"

"No," he interrupted, shaking his head. "Not until you listen."

He paused for a moment, waiting until you were fully in attention before continuing.

"You don't need to say anything," Mike said, his voice taking on a serious tone that surprised you. "I’m smart enough to know how you feel about me. I knew it as soon as I saw the way you looked at me. Sorry that it took me so long to say something, but I wanted to make sure it was real, you know? Because you can't just trust someone based on looks, not with stuff like this. You know?"

“Mike,”

“I’m rambling, aren’t I? I’m totally rambling, aren't I?"

"Mike-"

"I feel really awkward right now," he said, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "Because this is normally the part where you would just kiss me, but you haven't done anything of the sort."

"You want me to kiss you?” You asked, your heart pounding so loud that you could feel it in your throat. “That’s a little bold, don't you think?"

Mike leaned forward, giving you a look that caused your heart to practically leap out of your chest. His eyes seemed to be sparkling as if he were asking a question you already knew the answer to.

"Since when has anyone said I was shy?"

You let out a small gasp, almost like a squeak, as he grabbed onto your hand and pulled you closer to him. The chair Mike was in was not made to sit two people, and you had to squeeze in between him, your bodies pressing against each other.

He leaned into you, his nose brushing against yours as he closed his eyes, giving you a second to do the same before he kissed you. It was soft and warm, and the second his lips touched yours, you were gone. His hands came up to your face, and you could feel his fingers caress your cheeks as you pressed into his kiss.

The first time you kissed someone, you knew it was special. Something about it caused butterflies to swarm in your stomach, and you wanted nothing more than to continue this for the rest of your life. But as you kissed Mike Ross, you knew that it was even better.

His kiss was passionate and full of longing as if he were kissing you for the first time. It was a feeling you never experienced before, and it was amazing.

When the two of you finally parted, your cheeks flushed and your lips slightly swollen; you couldn't help the giggle that escaped you, watching Mike as his face turned slightly pink.

"That was… wow.” Mike bit down on his lip, trying to hold back his smile. "I never knew."

"Never knew what?”

Mike looked up, giving you that crooked grin that you adored so much. "That a kiss from you can make my heart stop beating."

#mike ross #mike ross x reader #mike ross x female!reader #mike ross and reader #mike ross/reader #mike ross x yn #mike ross x you #suits fanfiction #suits fanfic #suits usa #suits tv #suits #x reader #reader #fanfic #fanfiction #harvey specter #michael ross #michael ross x reader #harvey specter x yn #harvey specter x reader #harvey specter x female!reader #louis litt #donna paulson #jessica pearson #michael ross x female!reader #mike ross suits #female!reader #netflix suits #suits netflix

[gayofthefae]

I love Mike's behavior in seasons 3 and 4 on a rewatch because the first watch is "Mike is so in love with El that he accidentally ignores Will", but on a rewatch, it's "Mike is spending all his time with El to avoid Will....what is he running from".

It's interesting, too, because I've made a post about this before, though that one was more about how it's framed to the audience and in Will's perspective, though I'm just now realizing, it might be in Mike's too:

Throughout season 4, it is repeatedly emphasized rather than the fact that Mike is going to El that Mike is leaving Will. It is not romantic that he is choosing El, it is tragic that he is leaving Will behind, so we come to think of it this way too, because Will does, but like I said...I think Mike might too. Afterall, his avoidance of Will on that first day is clearly purposeful and conscious, which means it's a flip of the original interpretation of season 3: his seeming focus on El is an effect of his active avoidance of Will. Really, though, whichever part is active is where the true "focus" lies, as is notable by his passive responses, wandering eyes, and general "out of it"ness throughout the day - his mind is on Will even when his eyes aren't. Thinking "don't think about him" is still thinking about him.

And I love this repeat, because it really is just making it more overt like they say it is. They told a very similar plot a second time but focused on a second aspect to make you question his motives and focuses when he performs this action. Then, on a rewatch, you notice that he's doing the same thing in season 3 as he is in season 4...so maybe his motives are the same too.

We think of Mike getting up from the breakfast table, skating, etc. as "leaving/ignoring Will" not "focusing on El" because that's how he's thinking of it. He's trying so hard to seem like Will isn't on his mind that he's just thinking about how he looks in relation to Will with El often framed simply as the object of his distraction. We're in Will's POV in many of these scenes but in some ways, we're ironically, arguably in Mike's by the nature of the fact that just like him, we are putting all our attention onto Will.

And this shot is a perfect example. We're looking at Will...and yet...the camera shot they used is from Mike's perspective. Not only that, with Mike out of focus in the foreground and Will in focus in the back like that, this kind of shot implies that Will is what he's thinking about. The camera suggests that Mike is hyperaware of Will's presence here. We aren't Jonathan, who is about to respond to this by trying to help, seeing Will upset. We aren't closer on Will to show that it's in his perspective. We're Mike. And as Mike, we're thinking about Will. Right before he leaves for El, but instead of cutting straight to El, we cut back to, that's right:

the person we just left behind.

They have chosen to frame it repeatedly throughout the season as: Mike isn't thinking of El. He's thinking of "not Will".

the breakfast table scene Every single Mike and El scene is about Will

#byler povs #stranger things #byler #byler cinematography #mike wheeler

[orangesand-lemons-234]

TW: Death

---

There had only ever been two deaths in the Manhattan Lodge House.

13 years ago, a 12 year old boy named Rocky. A kid who'd been in the refuge for 8 years of his life and seemed to have contracted every virus he could've caught.

He went out quietly, passing away in his sleep and never waking up. An older girl, Nifty, was the one who found him and quickly informed Kloppman, who had him buried later that week in the patch of grass outside.

The second time was after the fight.

Everybody was sleeping soundly, aside from Race and Albert. Jack was nowhere to be found, so until further notice, they were now the ones in command throughout the house. They couldn't bring themselves to fall asleep in case something were to happen, so they were trying to keep themselves awake as long as possible.

They were simply lying there, Race tracing random patterns onto Albert's thighs with his thumb, while Albert smoked his cigar, trying to relax after such a rough day.

At around 01.36, Tommy Boy rushed over to their bunk, tears spilling down his face and panic in his eyes.

"Jesus Tommy, what's happening?" Albert asked, quickly showing himself to a sitting position. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"I think I did-" He stuttered out. "Splasher ain't waking up. We shook him, said his name, slapped him a few times but he still ain't wakin' up-"

Race swung himself off the bunk, Albert following suit and running to Splashers bunk, praying to whoever was up there that the situation wasn't as bad as they were thinking.

At the bunk, Buttons could be seen holding Splashers limp body in his arms, sobbing to himself.

"Buttons...is he-" Race began, before being cut off by Buttons slowly nodding his head.

"He's gone." Buttons whispered, wiping his cheeks as dry as he could get them. "My baby brother is gone."

A few more people were starting to wake up at the noise they were all making. JoJo had caught onto what had happened, and while his shake had come back, he was ushering some of the younger kids out of the room, making the situation easier for the ones in charge.

"C'mon Ike, outta bed." He whispered, Mike asleep on his back and Mush at his side. "Yeah, we's gonna go on a little midnight walk, aye?"

"Jo, yous are shakin'." Specs uttered, putting a hand on the other boys arm. "That ain't happened in a while, you sure you's are good?"

"I'm fine." JoJo replied, walking the kids out of the room. "Call for me when we can come back in."

Specs nodded, walking over to the group at the bed.

Albert had run downstairs to go and grab Kloppman, let him know about the situation on their hands, leaving Racer, Buttons, Tommy Boy, Specs, and poor Splish-Splash.

Tommy Boy was holding onto Buttons, who was now sobbing into his shoulder. Racer had Splashers body covered with a bedsheet, a few specs of blood from his injuries seeping through.

"Christ." Race sighed, unable to break his watch on the body. "Kids only what, eight? Still had everythin' ahead of him."

Soon enough, word had spread to everybody in the room about the death, Kloppman running in with Albert beside him, confirming the fact for everyone.

That night, Splasher stayed lying on that bed with the sheet remaining atop of him.

The next morning, Finch and Henry were sent outside to dig another spot in the ground where they'd lay Splasher just a few hours later.

Much like with Rocky, it was only some of the older Newsies who went out to witness the burial.

Tommy Boy and Buttons were crying again. They'd just lost their little brother, the kid they'd practically raised throughout their childhoods. Now he was gone, just like that, all because of that stupid rally. Kind words had been said, but that doesn't bring back the most important person in their lives.

Race and Albert were dead silent, practically unable to speak from shock and fear. How had Jack done this for so long without cracking? It was their first day, and a kid had just died. They'd been told that it wasn't their fault by Kloppman numerous times, but it just couldn't sit right with them that a child died under their supervision.

JoJo was leading a small prayer service. He hadn't stopped shaking, making a short note to himself to tell the nuns how long this one seemed to be going on for. He'd been in charge of keeping the little kids occupied and distracted, but he knew deep down that there was only so long he could hide the death of one of the loudest kids in the house. He was just praying the day wouldn't be sooner but much later.

For multiple years after, they would look out the window and see the graves of Splasher and Rocky, remembering two kids who ended up dying to fend for themselves and their families.

It wasn't about pennies from that moment onwards. It was about remembering the newsies lost selling to help their family and striking to help future generations.

#whoopsies! #really angsty stuff! #my favourite flavour of newsie posts! #splasher my dear child #i am so sorry- #i just picked a younger newsie at random and ran with it #but yeah #dead newsies #fantastic. #newsies #uksies #92sies #newsies fanfiction #oneshots #tw death #splasher newsies #buttons newsies #tommy boy #racetrack higgins #albert dasilva #jojo de la guerra #specs newsies