#reconnection | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hairmetal666 · 1 year

Text

cw// cancer mentioned, no character death

Eddie's moving to Chicago with his boyfriend and their best friend.

Eddie's moving to Chicago and it feels like everything is finally coming together.

Eddie's moving to Chicago, Steve Harrington is his boyfriend, and his life is starting.

Eddie's moving to Chicago, but then Wayne gets sick.

He tells Steve that he can't leave, not yet, needs to take care of his uncle.

And Steve, his Steve, perfect Steve, says with no hesitation, "I'll stay. Eddie, I'll stay with you. We'll go in six months. Together, that's the plan."

But Eddie can't let Steve do that; Steve who is everything bright and good and right in the world. Steve needs to get out, even if Eddie can't.

He insists Steve go, insists so hard that Steve can only agree, though Eddie can tell it's killing him.

Before they leave, Steve and Eddie cling to each other.

"Six months, baby. Just six months and then I'll be with you."

"I'll stay, Eds. Let me stay for you?"

"Not in a million years. What's six months in a lifetime together?"

"You mean that?" Steve whispers, the words tickling against Eddie's neck.

"Of course, sweetheart. Never meant anything more in my life."

They cling harder, crying against each other, despite it being goodbye for now and not forever.

They haven't said "I love you" yet, and the words hang on his tongue as the embrace ends, but he can't say it now; not when six months of time and 200-plus miles will separate them.

Except Wayne isn't better in six months. He's not worse, but the cancer's still there, he's still sick. And Eddie can't leave.

Eddie figured something like this would happen. Knew in the back of his mind that Steve and Robin and Chicago were never anything but a pipe dream.

When he calls Steve, he thinks he's ready.

"Okay, so Hopper's letting us borrow his truck, but he needs to know our timeline. You think next Saturday--"

"Steve." He says. His stomach clenches.

"What's wrong?" Because Steve knows, like he always does.

"Wayne's not better."

Steve is silent for a beat. "Okay...that's okay. I'll come back. Right now. Tonight. We'll do this tog--"

"You know I can't let you do that."

"Eddie--"

"No, Steve, don't. Okay? Let's just. It's time, you know?"

"It's not. Eddie, it isn't. Don't do this. Please, please," Steve cries.

"It's for the best. I know you can't see it now, but it is. You need to live your life, Stevie. Get that degree. Be someone."

"Eddie," Steve sobs. "Please. You have to know that I lo--"

"Don't," Eddie snarls. Doesn't mean to but can't hear those words, the three that will break him in two. "This is for the best, Steve. A clean break, yeah?"

"No." And Eddie hears Steve shuffling on the other end, like he's getting up. "I'm not letting you do this. I'm coming back, and we're doing this together. A lifetime, remember?"

Eddie's crying now, can't help it. "Please, don't. Steve, just--it's over, okay? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't do this anymore."

He hangs up the phone before Steve can argue, cries himself to sleep.

5 Years Later

Eddie never gets over Steve Harrington. His golden boy, the brave, perfect, kind, bratty man who has his whole heart.

Wayne is okay. Will never not have cancer, but he's doing good. And Eddie runs a record store in the town over. Visits some bars in Indy when he feels a certain kind of lonely. He's settled, finally, is the thing. He's settled and happy enough, so of course, that's when it happens.

He's at the grocery store, stopped in produce. There's a little girl, maybe 3 or 4--bright pink shirt, chestnut hair, little overalls--sitting in a cart by the tomatoes.

The sight of her sparks something in Eddie's chest, but he doesn't understand what or why, and then she's pointing at him, smiling and wiggling. "Daddy!" She shrieks.

That's when Steve Harrington swoops around the corner, reaching for the girl, his daughter, and Eddie takes a step away, ready to run from this.

The girls says, "That's the boy in all your pictures." She giggles and points at Eddie more. Steve blushes, and Eddie's assaulted by so many things all at once he thinks he may pass out.

"Stevie," he hears himself saying.

Steve freezes, looks at Eddie, so much knowing in those hazel eyes it makes him a little sick. But it still surprises him when Steve pulls him into a hug. Being in those arms again, It's like everything keeping him together falls apart. He sinks into the hold, breathes in deep, feels like home.

It shouldn't, though. Steve's got a kid. Probably a wife. Can't have his ex-boyfriend falling apart in his arms in the grocery store. Eddie disengages, steps back a little. Steve blinks, eyelashes fluttering, and Eddie is still so in love with him it hurts.

"I should--I should go," he mumbles, gripping at the back of his neck like it's a lifeline. The little girl giggles more, bouncing in her seat, and he's overcome with fondness. Can't help but give her an exaggerated bow as he goes.

He makes himself walk to the end of the aisle, but once he's left Steve behind, he runs.

That night, when a knock comes at his door, nothing prepares him for a sheepish Steve Harrington standing on the other side.

"Sorry to drop by unannounced," Steve says, manners still impeccable. "Wayne gave me your address. I'm glad--I'm glad he's doing okay, Eddie."

Eddie's too astonished to respond, nods for a few seconds before, "Th-thanks. Uhh, you wanna come in?"

Steve does and then they're in Eddie's little living room together and what the fuck is he supposed to do?

"Where's the kid?" he asks. He gestures Steve to the couch.

Steve smiles, a soft thing that's a knife to Eddie's heart. "Oh, I left her with Robin. They'll be fine for a few hours. Her name's Ellie, by the way. Ellie Jane Harrington."

"She knows who I am?" Eddie asks.

"Course. I told her about everyone. Showed her pictures. I hoped she could meet you one day."

"Yeah?" Eddie can't stand the thing that unfurls in his chest, blooming with love, so much care it aches in his teeth. "I swear next time I won't run away."

Steve laughs, hazel eyes fond in a way that Eddie can't look at for too long. "You didn't run away, Eds. It was a weird--reunion."

Eddie chuckles, pulls hair over his face. "A little bit. Not every day you run into your ex and his daughter scoping out tomatoes."

"I was hoping to give you a call, ask you out to dinner, or something. Not my kid recognizing you at Bradley's Big Buy."

"You wanna take me out to dinner, Stevie?" He asks before he can think better of it. Steve blushes red, and god Eddie missed him.

"Thought it might be nice, yeah. Get to know each other again."

It's Eddie turn to blush. "Why are you here?" He asks, good of a segue as any.

"Here, like, in your apartment, or here in Hawkins?"

"Both."

"I'm--uh--the new counselor at Hawkins High. Might coach the basketball team."

"But--Chicago," is all Eddie can say.

Steve laughs. "It was fun for a while, but--I don't know, man, it got hard with a kid. Joyce told me about the job opening and I decided to try."

"And Ellie's mom?" Eddie doesn't want to ask, can't stand not knowing.

Steve's eyes fall. "Ah," his hands squeeze into fists. "She's not in the picture. Never really was. After--" he takes a deep breath. "After we broke up, I sort of. Lost myself for awhile. Slept around. One night, I got this call saying that a baby had been surrendered at a fire station, my name listed as the father."

"Oh, sweetheart. I bet you didn't hesitate."

Steve stares at his hands, smiles. "Not for a second. I cried when I saw her, Eds. Just fucking sobbed. She was so beautiful. Then I had to figure out how to raise a kid and finish school."

"But you did it." Eddie can't hide that he's crying anymore.

Steve nods, is crying too.

"I'm really proud of you, sweetheart," Eddie whispers.

They look at each other, tear stained and sad but somehow so happy, and Steve leans forward, presses his mouth to Eddie's. He freezes, shocked to stillness, overwhelmed with the thing he never thought he'd have again.

Steve pulls back, face red and eyes wide. "I'm so sorry. I got it in my head--" he stands, fumbling for his keys. "I should have never--you told me we were done and I know you meant it. But I saw you in the grocery store and I thought, you know, I'm never getting over him. I'm so stup--"

"Steve, wait" Eddie snaps out of it all at once, hurrying to where the man he's never stopped loving is shoving his feet inexpertly into his shoes.

"Don't leave," he says, almost whispering. "Please don't leave. Steve, I'm so, so sorry for how I ended things. I was so young and stupid, and--I didn't want you to lose your dreams for me."

Steve turns then, tears trickling down his cheeks. "You were my dream, Eds. You still are. I should have come back, made you let me stay. But I thought--maybe your feelings had changed. That you didn't--that you weren't--"

Eddie can't help it, pulls Steve into his arms. "I was. I am. You're all I've ever wanted." He presses his face to Steve's hair, breathes in deep. "I loved you then. I love you now. I've loved you every day in between."

"I love you," Steve sobs. "I love you so much."

They kiss, lips slotting together like they never stopped. It's salty with tears, but it's perfect. It's them.

Their mouths part, but they stay in each other's orbit; need the proximity after years apart.

"I have a kid now, Eddie," Steve says into the silence between them.

"Yeah," Eddie nods. "She's beautiful. Looks like her dad."

Steve smiles, flushes again. "She needs stability in her life, you know? She's my priority. Always will be. And if I--if this--"

Eddie knows. Understands his boy just as well now as he did back then. "We'll take it as slow as you need, baby. I want to be there for both of you. When you're ready. And until then, I'll be wherever you need me."

More tears escape Steve's eyes, but Eddie brushes them away. "We have a lifetime to figure it out."

2K notes · View notes

maintohthakgayibhaishaab · 5 months

Text

for all the kanha fans, to all the Gopis 🦚

#kanha #from twitter #reconnection #desiblr #kanhaiya #gopiblr #radhakrishna #kanhaji #hinduism #hindublr #hindu mythology #vrindavan #desi girl #desi aesthetic #desi culture #krishna

112 notes · View notes

felucians · 7 months

Text

Imposter Syndrome as a native person is very real, especially if you're reconnecting or white-presenting.

Whenever pretendians with large platforms built on their "heritage" are outed as liars, it can affect actual natives mental health - which is why pretendians are such a huge issue.

To all natives with Imposter Syndrome, it's hard but you know your heritage and who you are - don't let liars take that away from you, especially when they want to be you.

#woc #woc experience #latina #latine #poc #latino #imazighen #indigenous #native #pretendians #imposter syndrome #reconnection #white presenting poc #white passing poc #when i was early in my reconnection journey i often had imposter syndrome surrounding my heritage #and i often still do when people who have faked their heritage for years are outed #i know my heritage - im accepted by my local community & tribe #i know my family and yet it still can affect me sometimes #and i think it's important that as an indigenous woman who's been through it - to tell other indigenous ppl who are less secure in their #heritage that we do experience imposter syndrome and that pretendians do impact our collective mental health #i owe it to my indigenous brothers and sisters to let them know that they are not alone in experiencing this #and remember most pretendians don't experience imposter syndrome around their fake heritage because they don't care enough to

93 notes · View notes

southernmermaidsgrotto · 1 year

Text

I also want to point out, if you’re a latine out of Latin america, seeking reconnection to your roots, or even if you’re still here but want to deepen ties to your ancestors, culture, etc. Brujería is a cultural practice, and it isn’t the only one. Culture can be folk magic, but it can also be playing instruments, dancing, writing, singing, stories and myths, and much more. If you want to reconnect, brujería isn’t the only route and it definitely shouldn’t be the only path you take to get closer to your folks. You should be walking all these at the same time, at different levels sure, because maybe history interests you more than music, or you have a gift for singing and not dancing, but you should be aware and connected to it all, not just the magic.

Because then you aren’t in for reconnecting, you’re in for “oo shiny that makes me different and gives me power” and that’s not reconnection. That’s ego.

Reconnecting involves community and Elders. Eventually, and through the elders in your community, you’ll find out what role you’re meant to fulfill in your community. We all have one. The Healer and the Witch are just as important as the Doctor, the Lawyer, the Musician, the Storyteller, the Historian, the Scientist, etc. Maybe you have more than one gift. Maybe none of those gifts has to do with magic. Maybe your gift isn’t conjuring spirits, but it’s playing violin, or piano, or dancing, or writing, or practicing the law and defending the innocent, or tending the land and protecting ancestral agriculture techniques, every gift isn’t about witchcraft and it doesn’t have to be magic to be magical.

#brujería #brujeria #reconnection #reconnecting #if you're like me you'll be scavenging old texts from the library while drinking mate and listening to chacareras #but that's because i love mate and chacareras #my best advice:#if you want to do what your dead folks did #let them sit in your body for a while #whatever that means to you #gifts #curanderismo #curandera

122 notes · View notes

lydiahosek · 4 months

Text

Reconnection

[My contribution to the @inklings-challenge Christmas challenge, and a follow-up to my 2022 story "Connection". Thank you for hosting and merry Christmas!]

“…Hi everyone. Merry Christmas! At least, it should be Christmas by the time you get this. Right now it’s November 15th.”

In fact, it was December 27th when Arlo Connors’ transmission reached his family back on Earth. The first days had been spent by the Connors with the vague concern for him that always regrew in the back of their minds between messages. In a consolatory sort of coincidence, though, it arrived smack in the middle of the annual Christmas party, and the entire extended family (minus two strep-stricken cousins at home in bed) gathered and hushed to hear his voice.

Ever the dutiful son/brother/grandson/nephew/cousin, he first addressed the high points of the last transmission he received from them. He wished Jessamine well in her audition for the role of Claire in her school’s production of String Bean Salad Summer, complimenting the snippet of “One Tiny Seed” she had sung into the receiver. Jessamine shifted in her seat – she had ended up in the ensemble and was still a little stung about it. He advised Aunt Sybil on the glitch with her smart microwave that she had described. Sybil had to be stopped from bustling off to the kitchen to try the repair at that very moment. He congratulated Tim and Nadine on their one-year anniversary. They smiled and clasped hands – he would be an uncle in five months and didn’t even know it yet.

“Everything up here is going mostly according to plan. The biology team says the plants aren’t doing as well as they thought – something to do with the artificial atmosphere. But Alonzo and the rest of the techs’ gadgets are all working fine. A few might even get adapted for commercial sale…We passed Pellonia about a month ago. For once everyone just dropped what they were doing and stared. It looked like a big, cloudy orange. I tried to take a picture, but you know. It’s not the same.

“The big news is that I actually took a spacewalk last week.” Arlo described the simple but urgent malfunction with the ship’s thruster that required his direct attention, the process of being dressed in the spacesuit, and the combination of wonder and dread that filled his heart as he moved along the edge of the ship, his tether to it, to humanity, no wider than a garden hose. Several of his audience hung on his every word with little technical understanding but agonized suspense, forgetting that the account itself was proof that his time outside the ship had ended without incident.

“It sounds silly, but I kept thinking of the first time I jumped off the diving board at Uncle Harold’s pool. The same sense of something exciting, somewhere new to explore, all by myself, but also having to be alert, not get lost in it or…disaster. I was talking about it with Val…that’s Valeria Munroe, if Mom still has the article with the group picture saved…What am I saying, of course she does.”

Hetta had already whipped out her comm pad, opened her “Saved” folder, and retrieved the news article announcing the mission with its accompanying photo of the entire crew. She hovered her cursor over a few different faces before a text box appeared over one with the title “Valeria Munroe” and a brief biography. She smiled to herself and nodded. “She’s pretty.”

“Mo-oomm!” Arlo’s siblings chorused on his behalf.

“Anyway, it got me thinking, and I know it’s really early to say this, but…this trip’s going to be my last.”

A wave of confused, dismayed whispers swept through the room, followed by one of harsh shushing.

“I…I had always thought about the things I had made that I was sending up there…up here…that something my hands had touched was going to be sent past other planets and asteroid fields and onto worlds I had never seen and couldn’t even imagine. And even more than the pay bump and the…I dunno, ‘prestige’ as opposed to being a ground guy, I wanted to see for myself what I was working for. And now I have. And it’s not like…I don’t regret it, but I know I can’t maintain it. Just like I couldn’t stay outside any longer than it took to do what I had to do. It was beautiful, I was closer to it all than I’ve ever been, but the connection back was so thin, just like…sorry, I…”

Here they heard an unintelligible voice in the background and Arlo’s, muffled, saying “No, I’m fine.”

Then his voice was clear again. “I, um…I really miss you. I guess, is the point. And the sky and the trees and…traffic and barbecue smoke and those crummy slushies from Burger Beanie.” He made a noise between a laugh and a shudder. “More than anyone else here does, or did, it seems. The ones who’ve made a career out of this. Maybe they were like this too their first time and just forgot, but…I don’t want to forget. So…yeah.”

Hetta could be heard sniffling off to the side. “Mom,” one of Arlo’s sisters cooed softly, placing a hand on her arm.

Arlo clapped his hands loudly. “So! Now that I know that, I am going to try to strengthen my connections to whoever and whatever I can up here. And you will hear about it all! Sorry this message is so short, but I promise the rest won’t be. ‘Cause when I’m back down there, for good…I don’t want to forget, either.”

He left them with a few more pleasantries, Christmas wishes, and words of love, and then the room was silent. It remained so for the better part of a minute, until Sybil offered to start slicing up the gingerbread cake.

Someone hit the “Play” icon on her comm pad, and peppy, harmonic voices resumed singing. Gradually new conversations began, and gradually they were about topics other than the absent son/brother/grandson/nephew/cousin/uncle-to-be. He would hear all about them, though, in about two months. The best gift he could get, as he and those below continued the wait till the mission's end for the best gift he could give.

#inklingschallenge #Christmas #family #homesickness #pregnancy mention #drowning mention #genre: space travel #story: complete #my writing #short story #science fiction #my ocs #reconnection

10 notes · View notes

spacelazarwolf · 1 year

Note

Hi, this one is a bit of a vent, a bit of a story, and a bit of an ask. I am a culturally Christian gentile, but I am largely the descendant of a family of Hungarian Jews. During the Holocaust this family was killed by the Nazis, except for my great-grandfather. He was able to escape and get to Brazil. When he got there he had to assimilate to the very Christian culture, and when he passed away, so did my family's Jewish culture. Now, as a culturally Christian atheist I feel a sense of emptiness thinking about how the culture my family once had was destroyed. I don't think I ever will convert to Judaism because I honestly just don't have the energy for such a big change. I do want to know however, what could I do to help the Jewish community, and how can I connect more to my Jewish ancestry while avoiding cultural appropriation?

my recommendation would be to do some research into where your family was from and take note of what cultural foods they may have eaten, music they wrote, the languages they spoke, and see if there's anything there you want to pursue. learn how to make some of those foods, add some of that music to your favorite playlist, look into learning that language or at least just a bit. if you're able to find any pictures of family, save them to your phone or computer or print them out to keep them in an album.

also, if you want to honor and mourn your ancestors who were lost in the shoah in a specifically jewish way, i think it would be appropriate to light a yahrzeit candle for them on yom hashoah. if you know the date your great-grandfather died, i think you could also light a yahrzeit candle on that anniversary as well.

in terms of helping the jewish community, if you are financially stable, consider doing a yearly (or hey if you're comfortable with it maybe even monthly) donation to an organization like keshet. if you're not financially stable but are able to donate your time, you can reach out to your local synagogue and see if they need volunteers. especially around the high holidays, there is a lot to do, so they may really appreciate the help stuffing envelopes for invitations or helping with parking or security.

in terms of conversion, know that it's always an option but not an obligation. you are valuable to us, whether you choose to join the tribe or choose to be an ally. you have a unique relationship to am yisrael and it's okay to acknowledge and celebrate that.

#ask avishai #jewish #reconnection

60 notes · View notes

medusapelagia · 9 months

Text

20 AU-gust: Reconnection

Rating: Teen and up Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson WT: sickfic, hospital, Medical Inaccuracies WC: 1673

He knew it.

He fucking knew it.

And he came the same.

Fuck.

It’s Dustin’s wedding. He couldn’t exactly be absent being the best man. What hurts is that obviously, Eddie is one of the groomsmen.

He should have known it, or at least asked. But he didn’t because he is a fucking coward, so now he is sitting next to Eddie at the stupid rehearsal dinner while the boy keeps making small talk with one of Suzy's bridesmaids.

He sighs, is not every day that you meet a famous music star so he is not surprised that everyone is trying to get Eddie’s attention, what it’s really annoying is that he is trying to ignore him and he has no one to talk to.

Three years.

Three fucking years since the last time they saw each other.

He fucking remembers that.

He remembers every stupid detail.

How hard it was raining, how cool Eddie was with his shirt unbuttoned and his tattoo in full view, how the fuck his heart ached when Eddie broke it.

“I’m not ready to come out Stevie.” he has told him “My career is just at the beginning. Maybe later on, when I’ll be more famous and I’ll have more fans, but right now my situation is… delicate.”

His situation was delicate.

His.

Not Steve’s.

As if he hadn’t come out to his parents losing everything just to follow Eddie to LA and help him make it big.

It worked, oh god it fucking worked, even too well.

He remembers how he went from club to club asking them to let the Corroded Coffin play. How he used all the charm that he had. How he worked night and day to make enough money to pay for that horrible one-bedroom apartment just above the Chinese restaurant. His clothes still smell of a Chinese restaurant even years after they left the apartment.

He looks around the room, everyone else seems to have fun.

Well, at least the food is good, so that’s what he is doing, keeping his stomach full trying to forget about all that happened.

He looks at his plate.

Risotto.

He loves risotto.

He looks for a moment toward the happy couple table, knowing that Dustin chose it for him, but he is involved in a conversation with his future-in-law so he starts eating while everyone else is still chatting.

The risotto is very good, maybe the cook is Italian.

“Man, are you ok?” someone asks him and he turns toward one of the other guests.

“Yes. Why?”

“You are red. Like… really red.”

Red? He is angry but not so angry to…

At that moment the waiter comes back with another plate “This one is without shrimp. Who is allergic?”

Steve’s hand lets the fork fall to the ground as soon as he feels his throat start to swell.

He needs his bag, he has an Epipen somewhere. But he didn’t carry his bag! It’s in his room.

Oh god.

He is going to die of an allergic reaction the day before Dustin’s wedding. Dustin is going to kill him.

Suddenly he feels cold hands on his face and a familiar voice talking to him “Steve. Stevie, look at me. Where is your Epipen?”

“Room.” He manages to babble.

“Shit. Someone go to his room! NOW! Hey, hey, is going to be ok. Keep your eyes on me ok? Steve? Stevie? Where the fuck is that Epipen?”

He is so stupid. How could he have left the Epipen in his room? He knows that he is fucking allergic! He knows that he needs to have one with him always.

He can’t breathe, his chest feels tight and he is going to black out.

At least the last thing he will see are Eddie’s eyes.

God, he is such a sap for that boy.

He takes what he thinks is his last breath and then he feels someone holding his leg and a sharp pain in his thigh.

Immediately his muscle starts to relax and he starts to take some fast breathing.

“Slow… try to breathe slowly… you are fine. Everything is fine. Just keep breathing, ok sweetheart?”

He opens his eyes and Eddie is still holding his leg, the Epipen is sticking out from his slack.

“Steve? Can you hear me?”

He nods, the swelling in his throat is diminishing but he doesn’t feel good enough to talk.

“Ok. I’ll take you to the hospital.” He says, picking him up bridal style.

Dustin is almost crying “Oh my god! Steve! I told you that there were shrimp in the risotto! Why didn’t you ask the waiter when he gave it to you?”

Because he was too busy trying to ignore the boy that now is taking him to his car as quickly as he can.

“I should come with you.”

“Will be fine, Dust. Stay with your family, we will see you tomorrow at the altar, ok?”

“But you and Steve…”

“We can be adults for a few hours. Now we really have to go. Enjoy the party.”

Eddie gets in the car and starts to drive as a bat out of hell.

“Are you still with me big boy?”

Steve nods, too tired to answer.

“Good. Now we are taking a trip to the ER and then I’ll take you back in no time. I know that you need your beauty sleep before the ceremony.” He winks at him trying to lighten the mood.

Eddie parks outside the ER, and enters screaming for help, a kind nurse brings a wheelchair and Steve feels so bad that he doesn’t complain and lets her pull him around the hospital.

They give him another shot and keep him under observation for a couple of hours until the swelling is completely down and his oxygen level is back to normal.

“Pay more attention next time. Anaphylaxis can be deadly.” the doctor scolds him before discharging him from the hospital.

He is ready to call a taxi, when he sees Eddie who is running toward him “You ok?” he asks anxiously.

“Yeah. Sorry for the chaos. You should not have waited for me. I could have called a taxi.” he says, getting in the car.

“Are you fucking serious right now? You almost died in front of me and you thought that I was going to leave you here?!”

“It wouldn’t have been the first time.” he murmurs.

“Are we really doing this, Steve?”

“You left me! You broke my fucking heart!”

“And I’m sorry! But that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you, Steve!”

“If you did, you wouldn’t have waited three years to talk to me. And only because you thought that I was going to die.”

“I don’t want to fight with you, Steve. Especially not now.”

“Admit that you don’t want to talk with me and we will be fine.”

“You never call either.” he rebukes.

“You were the one that broke up with me!”

“And I thought you didn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore.”

Actually… he didn’t. But now that he saw Eddie again his heart bleeds like the last time that they saw each other… and maybe… maybe being friends is better than nothing.

There is a dark silence between the two of them, but when they get back to the hotel Eddie takes Steve’s hand “Can I sleep with you?”

“I’m too fucked up to have sex, Eddie.”

“No. I just… I just want to be there in case you need help. I bought another Epipen while I was waiting for you. I… I don’t want you to be alone. I can sleep on the couch, I don’t fucking care. Please.”

It makes sense. Still. It hurts.

“Steve?”

“Ok. But you sleep on the couch.”

They get into Steve’s room and he undresses quickly in front of Eddie without thinking. It’s only when he hears a deep moan from Eddie’s mouth that he turns and remembers that he is not alone in the room.

“Sorry.”

“You are still stunning.” Eddie replies, looking at him with no shame.

“Glad you notice. It’s a pity that you are not into men.”

“I came out.”

“What?”

“I came out. Two years ago.”

Oh. Two years ago. One year after he broke up with Steve.

“Cool. Who is the lucky man?”

“You.”

“What?”

“You are the love of my life and I was selfish and stupid and Dustin and I made all this complicated plan to make you fall for me again, but then I felt selfish again. You were doing so well without me, why should I come back into your life with all my shit? I’m not a nice person, Steve. I’m childish and selfish, and fucking in love with you, but I’m no good for you.”

“That’s the worst declaration ever.” Steve snorts, sitting on his bed.

“It is. And I’m the worst boyfriend ever. And I broke your heart. But I swear that if you give me another chance I’ll do my best to avoid repeating the same mistakes. I wanted to start with something big, like asking you to come with me to the Grammys.” Eddie says with a smirk.

“I am dead on my feet. Can we talk about that tomorrow?” Steve asks, getting ready for bed.

“Of course baby. You take all the time that you need and I’ll wait for you. Are you tucked in as you like?”

“You remember?”

“Of course I do.” Eddie replies, getting closer and moving the sheets to keep him comfortable and then he kisses his forehead as he was used to “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“I liked it.” Steve replies, his eyes almost closed “I missed you, Eddie.”

“I missed you too baby.”

The next day, when Eddie catches the bride's bouquet, he offers it to Steve.

He smiles, still unsure of where they are but still deeply in love with the boy who broke his heart and promised not to do it again.

The next day, when Eddie catches the bride's bouquet, he offers it to Steve. He smiles, still unsure of where they are but still deeply in love with the boy who broke his heart and promised not to do it again.

#tumblr fic #myfanfic #steddie #au gust 2023 #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things fanfic #reconnection #sickfic #writing challenge #medusapelagia fanfic #medusapelagia #my fanfic

21 notes · View notes

darkthingshappen · 1 year

Text

Merry Whump of May, Day 10

@themerrywhumpofmay

Day Ten - “Hit the hay.”

Key

Forgetting

Warehouse

Okay, seriously y'all. This prompt wrote it self. I have collaborated with the amazing @sparrowsage (Part of my always supportive Whumperful Crew) for another crossover with his enthralling The Warehouse series and my Brother's Keeper series. As we saw during Whumptober, Ben and Jake did a stint at the warehouse and met Sparrow where they spent a most unfortunate evening together. If you'd like to read that, you can find it here. Also, if you're interested in The Warehouse, here's a link to his masterlist. This takes place after Ben and Jake's second captivity and is part of a recovery arc.

As always, I'd like to thank the rest of my whumperful crew: @quietly-by-myself @whumpcereal and @oddsconvert for the wonderful beta job she gave this tonight.

Warnings: aftermath of torture, aftermath of noncon, aftermath of captivity.

Even after spending a few weeks in here, Sparrow couldn’t help but still find this place foreign to him. There were small bits and pieces he still remembered, barely remembered, from when he was here months and months beforehand, like how the staff members in the light blue scrubs weren’t the doctors, more like assistants. He couldn’t remember the proper word for them. He had been here at the hospital for a few weeks now, and somehow his stay was going better than it did the first time. That didn’t mean that there weren’t challenges. The only thing that made it easier on him this time was that he was around a few people he knew he could trust.

Alex, his doctor (at least that’s what Sparrow believed the word was), had told him that he was finally allowed to walk around the floor after the few weeks of healing that prevented him from doing much of anything. He hadn’t been allowed out of bed much, only to shower and use the washroom. Any other time, he had to have someone with him, pushing him around in a wheelchair. While he did miss the company of his friends, now that he was free once more, the growing need to have some space became more apparent to him.

The hallways were dimmed, since it was a fair bit into the evening, but despite this, Sparrow wasn’t scared. He was just exploring, looking into rooms that had open doors or uncovered windows, observing the environment he was in. So long as he didn’t go into any of the rooms, no one would say anything or approach him. It felt strange to him, being able to do things of his own free will again. He had almost forgotten what it felt like, almost leaned too far into what was being done and asked of him to the point where he lost any kind of will. But he was safe now, for good. The Warehouse had been shut down since the raid. Damon was arrested, whatever that meant, but all he knew was that Damon couldn’t get to him anymore.

Sparrow played with his fingers while he walked, glancing into a dimly lit room with only the patient in it as he had done with all the other rooms he had passed.But as he carried on, he nearly tripped over his own feet as he scrambled backwards to get a better look at the person laying in the hospital bed.

He couldn’t help but let his eyes widen as it finally registered; the patient in the bed was Jake Adkins. There were different wires attached to his body that connected to different machines and a tube down his throat. It took a lot of willpower for Sparrow not to move from the doorway to try and get the tube out, convinced it was placed there to hurt him. But it wasn’t there to hurt him; Sparrow had to remind himself that this place wasn’t like the Warehouse. If it was there, it was being used to help Jake.

So instead, he just stood in the doorway, watching Jake sleep. The steady beeping from the monitors in his room slowly faded as Sparrow’s thoughts swarmed around in his head.

How was Jake here? At this hospital? Volkov never took his captives to hospitals and they were nowhere near the island.

Then it dawned on him; if Jake was here, where the hell was Ben? He couldn’t stop the panic beginning to well up inside him that Ben wasn’t safe, or that Volkov and Dmitri were here for some twisted reason, that he himself wasn’t safe.

Unconsciously, Sparrow leaned against the doorframe to keep himself upright, his breathing already starting to increase before he heard footsteps coming from his left. Sparrow’s head snapped to the side to see who it was, fearing it was one of his old captors. His entire body was tense, but he froze when he saw who it really was. It was Ben.

His hands were bandaged from the nails that Volkov had put through them, but he looked like he was healing. There was more color in his face than there had been over those few days when he and his brother were at the facility. He still bore the myriad of bruises, scrapes and cuts from their fresh rescue, but at least he was alive.

“Hey, who are… Sparrow?” It took a moment for the younger brother to register who was in front of him and it left him standing in place, frozen, just as Sparrow was. After a moment, Ben was able to break out of his surprised stare, not expecting to see him. Ever again.

“I.. I didn’t… how are you here? How did you find us?” Ben stopped, not wanting to pester Sparrow with the thousands of questions forming in his head.

Ben frowned when he looked in at his brother’s too still form laying in the bed. Even though they had both made it out, had gotten rescued, he still felt guilty at the fact that he was awake and walking while Jake was unconscious and unable to even stand.

He looked back up tentatively at Sparrow. “I… I need to sit down, I’m… I’m not very strong at the moment and I get winded kinda easily. Wanna join me?” Ben motioned to the chairs that were around Jake’s bed.

The question managed to snap Sparrow out of his frozen state, nodding his head after a moment. He didn’t know what to say; there were so many things he wanted to tell him but if he tried to grab hold of something in his head to start with, it vanished. He followed Ben into Jake's room, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs before continuing to fiddle with his fingers in his lap. His eyes kept wandering to Jake and how he had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t supposed to touch the machines, and that the tube in Jake’s throat wasn’t hurting him.

They sat in silence for a long while, just the beeping of the monitors between them. Ben’s eyes rarely left his brother, as if he were counting his breaths.

“He’s dead,” Ben quietly broke the silence. They both knew who he was talking about.

Sparrow’s head spun in Ben’s direction, the words snatching his attention. His eyes lingering on Ben’s for a brief moment before he averted his gaze. It was still hard for him to make eye contact with anyone for more than a second. It probably always would be.

Sparrow could hardly believe his ears. He’s dead, that madman is actually dead. But it had to be true. How else would they be here if he wasn’t? At least that put some of his fears to rest. Sparrow turned his head back towards Jake, taking in a silent deep breath before letting it out slowly.

“This is where I was brought the first time,” Sparrow said, just as quietly. “This is where I met Ale- Dr. Sharpe. A-and Felix. When they raided the Warehouse, they brought me back here.” Sparrow pulled his legs up onto the chair, hugging his knees close to his chest. “It’s familiar, to say the least. A good familiar.” He looked down at his wrist, eying his hospital bracelet. He still had a bit to go before he was allowed to go back with Felix, but that was alright. He didn’t feel ready to leave here yet, especially now.

He glanced back at Ben, looking him over again. “Why are you guys here?” Sparrow hadn’t put much thought into where the two brothers would have lived before their captivity. Granted, he hardly knew the world around him, barely even knowing the name of the town he called home, but he didn’t think out of the entire world, Ben and Jake would end up in the same hospital when the island was so far away.

“Jake… we… we um… we needed a level one trauma center, and mom and dad wanted him close… close to home. I… I think I was here before too. I… I don’t remember much from when I first came home, but… But I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks before mom thought I would do better at home. I…” Ben shrugged. “ I don’t remember much from then. I remember my mom visiting. I remember them being there when they flew me home, but it’s all like flashes. I… I was… not in a good place, mentally that first time. I’m better now though. D-Dr. Sharpe you said… blond guy, r-really tall? S-s-sorry. I st-stutter when I get nervous.”

Sparrow listened intently as Ben spoke, easily seeing he was wracked with nerves, disregarding the stutter entirely. While it had been a survival tactic, even now he was overly observant and could find telltale points in how someone was feeling. When Ben mentioned Alex, Sparrow’s face lit up a bit.

“Y-yeah. He’s the one who helped me when I got here the first time, and was waiting for me when I got here a few weeks ago.” Sparrow’s body relaxed a bit; Alex had helped him through so much and Sparrow trusted him with his life. “He’s good with me. He never overly pushed me or did anything to hurt me. He kept me safe while I was here and was the first person I met outside of that fucking place that showed me any kind of care.”

Sparrow looked back at Ben after a moment, noticing that he still seemed on edge a bit, more so than he should be. “He won’t hurt you, or your brother. I promise.”

“He… He’s safe? He asked a lot of questions… my mom tried to an-answer some. But… but I know there was stuff I didn’t want to s-say with her there. The past few months… I mean, you know. Dr. Sharpe is really tall… but… but he’s safe?”

Sparrow nodded, a soft smile on his face. “He’s safe.” He took a moment to take in another deep breath, recalling old memories. They were a bit faded, though a lot of his memories from when he was last here were. Entering back into that hellhole had practically erased everything he had learned, at least on a conscious level.

“I was scared of him too, when I first met him,” Sparrow admitted. “Though, I was scared of everyone. Everything was so….new and scary, I didn’t know what was going on. I thought everyone here was going to do the same thing the Keeper’s did. But Alex-Dr. Sharpe worked with me. He took things at my pace and respected my wishes.”

Sparrow looked back over at Jake for a moment before turning his gaze to the bed sheets as he continued, “I honestly don’t think I would have left the hospital if it wasn’t for him. He helped me so much in ways I never thought were possible, even gave me a way to listen to books since I uhm, since I can’t uh, can’t read.” It was a thing he was still embarrassed about, but that small gesture from Alex had helped him cope, it gave him something to focus on and think about that wasn’t related to anything he had gone through.

“You can’t read? H-how long did… were you there?” Ben’s eyebrows knit together in concern. Ben couldn’t imagine not being able to read. Books and knowledge had always been such a big part of his life. He thought of all those horrible lonely nights trapped in that cage where he could do nothing to ease the pain and horrors. One of the only things that had kept him sane had been to try and remember the stories from the books he’d read. His favorite characters. He had always been terrible at art, but he remembered trying to draw them in the dust of his cage sometimes and then rubbing it out before anyone could see. No books, no stories. Ben wasn’t sure he could have survived. He looked at Sparrow with new admiration.

Sparrow’s face blushed a bit at the question out of embarrassment, but even so, he knew that Ben meant no ill intention. It took him a moment or two to answer the second question, unconsciously hugging his legs closer to his chest. “I think it was around twenty-one years? I never knew anything different from that place, and in there, why teach a pet a skill they’d never need?” He was determined to get better at it though. Sparrow hoped that he would be able to learn how to read well so he could enjoy the comfort of books without having to struggle with them.

“Twenty-one years! How the fuck did you survive?” Ben kept his voice quiet, but he was nonplussed. “I barely made it fourteen months. Geez! I… I’m impressed. I would have died long before that. Just given up. You’re one hell of a s-survivor.” Ben swallowed and brushed his floppy hair out of his face. “A-an-and D-D-D… your Keeper?”

Sparrow couldn’t help but chuckle at Ben’s reaction. Before he had escaped, the Warehouse had been all that he knew. There were still so many things he didn’t know about or of and even the thought of that made Sparrow anxious, but he knew that in time, he’d learn. At his own pace.

“It’s all I ever knew. I grew up there, I thought that’s how the world worked; people getting treated like shit and having to fight to survive. All I ever wanted was to be treated like an equal, to be treated like a normal person, like how the Keeper’s treated each other. When I escaped the first time, I finally started to learn that that’s not how things are supposed to be, which only made going back that much harder.”

Ben nodded knowingly as Sparrow spoke. Being dragged back to captivity was so much worse.

At the mention of Damon, Sparrow couldn’t help but tense. The events of the raid were still painfully fresh in his mind and it was hard to think about them, let alone talk about it, but he had come to learn that talking about things helped.

“The Warehouse got shut down. There was a huge raid, so many people died. He…. he tried to escape with me when they came. One of them, I think his name was Vaughn? He managed to find us before Damon could escape. I-It’s hard to remember things clearly, but Vaughn came and visited me here after things were taken care of. He told me that Damon had been arrested, whatever that means, and that he wouldn’t be able to hurt me again. That he could never find me now that he was taken care of. He’s not dead, but I’m hoping that what he said was true, that I don’t have to be afraid of him anymore.”

At the mention of Agent Vaughn’s name, it was Ben’s turn to brighten. “If Vaughn told you that you were s-safe and he couldn’t get to you a-again, then it’s true. I’ve never met a man more t-true to his w–w-word.” Ben smiled at Sparrow. He hadn’t smiled much, but putting the connection together that Vaughn had helped rescue Sparrow helped. It’s like a little part of this messed up world that had finally come right. The fucking Warehouse was no more. Like Volkov’s holding pens were no more.

A smile began to spread across Sparrow's face as Ben reassured him about Vaughn. There were so many things he didn’t know about Ben and his brother, but he hoped that they could keep in touch. They were too important to let go after all this time.

“I would say that I want to forget, but I don’t think I do. And it doesn’t matter because I can’t. I… I think I want to try and help people. People like us. I-I used to want to b-be a s-scien-tist, but I don’t know if that’s st-still my p-path.” Ben was quiet and reflective as he talked. The last few years had upended his whole life like he’d never thought it could. But hopefully this was all finally over. Hopefully.

Sparrow nodded at Ben’s words, liking the idea. Sparrow had no idea what he wanted to do since the only goal he had had been achieved; to be free. It was something he didn’t think was possible, yet here he was.

As Sparrow was about to add onto the conversation, there was a soft knock at the door. Both of their heads turned to the source of the sound, both being a bit on guard, but Sparrow relaxed as soon as he realized it was only Alex.

“I was wondering where you had gone off to, Sparrow,” he commented lightly. Alex looked to Ben, giving him a soft smile. “I’m glad you found someone to talk to though.”

Sparrow glanced at Ben, giving him a reassuring nod that it was okay. He knew Ben wouldn’t trust Alex one hundred percent right off the hop, he hadn’t either, but he knew he could help start the process. “You said I could finally get up and walk on my own earlier, so I did.”

Alex chuckled softly, “I did indeed tell you that you could.” He put his hands in his coat pockets, leaning a bit on the door. “I hate to end things early for you and your friend, but it’s getting late and I think it’s best that you both hit the hay. There will be plenty of other times when you two can talk when there’s more daylight.”

At Alex’s words, Sparrow couldn’t help but look confused. What did that even mean, ‘hit the hay’? What even is hay? Sparrow shook his head slightly to try and get rid of the confusion, but he knew Alex was right. It was getting late, he could tell by how dark it was outside through the windows. He’d have to come back tomorrow if Ben was up for it.

Ben smirked at Sparrow’s obvious confusion over certain colloquialisms. Despite his apparent years of captivity, no, he wanted to call it what it was, his enslavement, there was something precious and childlike in Sparrow. Not an innocence, per se, but a… naivete to his demeanor. Ben liked it. He liked Sparrow. There was something fierce and loyal in him that Ben now believed was rare in the world but worthy and needed. This was especially true after all the cruelty and lack of humanity that Ben had endured during his time in captivity. He reached his hand up and unconsciously touched the horrible slave tattoo that he still bore on his throat. This time, that would be the first to go.

Sparrow started to stand from his chair before he finally remembered something. Something that had happened so long ago but had been important to him the last time he had been able to speak to Ben. He turned and looked at Ben with an excited expression. “Maybe at some point soon I can introduce you to the people who helped me stay fighting while we were there. I’m sure they’d be happy to meet you and your brother. And hey, maybe you could introduce me to your fiance. I’m sure she’s really glad to have you home.”

“I’d like that. My parents will be around tomorrow if you want to meet them. And they usually bring Zoe with them, if she’s not already here. She had her own doctor appointment today, which is why she’s not here. But she’d love to meet you. Jake is… The doctor’s say it may be a while because his body is repairing itself and needs extensive rest. They aren’t sure if he’ll be able to walk yet. Either way , he’s going to need massive amounts of physical therapy, so I’ll be around. I’ll need some myself for my hands and things, but the nerve damage is already done.”

Ben shrugged as if to say it is what it is, but the uncertainty of what he was going to do with his life going forward unnerved him because before all this he’d been so certain. But that was a problem for another day.

“It was really great to see you, Sparrow. I’m glad you got out. No one deserves what happened in that warehouse.”

Sparrow nodded at the invitation, ignoring the anxiety of meeting new people. That night that he had comforted Ben, hearing about the people that were waiting for him and his brothers return, Sparrow knew that at some point, if he were to ever get out, he’d want to meet them, to let them know that Ben was ok.

“It was good to see you too, Ben,” he said finally, his excited grin softening to a warm smile. “I’m glad you two got out too, and that you’ll never return to any of that. No one deserves what happened to us or anything in between.”

With that, Sparrow gave Ben one last smile before he headed for the door, giving Alex a small, soft smile before exiting the room, Alex following shortly after.

It was surreal, being able to see Ben and Jake again. Like Henley, Sparrow didn’t think he’d ever see these people again, but it hadn’t kept him from thinking about them every day, hoping and wishing they were ok and staying strong. It was almost like the whole ordeal, the entirety of it all, was a big lock, and he had only just managed to find the right key to unlock everything he needed to continue forward.

Tagging List: @i-can-even-burn-salad @peachy-panic @deluxewhump @arwenadreamer @whumpcereal @melancholy-in-the-morning @dont-touch-my-soup @whumpsday @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump @oddsconvert @melennui @susiequaz12 @morning-star-whump @crystalquartzwhump @whump-and-other-things @mylifeisonthebookshelf @reflected-pain @hold-him-down @quietshae @quietly-by-myself @there-will-always-be-bloodblood @whumping-seven-days-a-week @hiding-in-the-shadows (I hope I’m not forgetting anyone - please let me know if I am and I’ll fix it. I’m still getting used to this)

Sparrow's Tags:

@mannerofwhump @honey-is-mesi @painful-pooch @whumperfully @hiding-in-the-shadows @flowersarefreetherapy @goronska

28 notes · View notes