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hazelfoureyes · 3 months

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The Radio Demon fucks a Human Sacrifice (part two)

This is part two! Here is part one. I lied, there is a bit of smut! Oopsie daisy. Inspired by @moonmark98 ‘s story idea of reader trying to forget Alastor and failing. I hadn’t planned a second part initially so I hope you like it 🥺

⟢ part1♡̶sidestory♡̶part2♡̶part3♡̶part4 ⟣

You return to earth and spend a year trying to crawl out from under the memory of Alastor. When an employee tells you a terrible past trauma, you end up right back where you started.

minors DNI

“Ooh my, this is highly unusual. Charlie is right, you really shouldn’t be here.” Stolas fretted over you. “Uuunfortunately I don’t have my book at this particular moment however I can just snag it from Blitzy and be back soon.”

“What’s a blitzy?” Angel looked around the room to no one in particular.

“What isn’t he?” Stolas cooed.

“Wait a minute!” Husk snapped his fingers, “Is that the imp who burned down loo loo land?”

“The very one!”

“He also takes hits out on people on earth, doesn’t he?” Husk gave Stolas a sideways look. Alastor hummed in acknowledgment.

“Ah haha yes” Nervously chuckling, Stolas scratched at the feathers behind his neck, “Anywho! I’ll return shortly and get you back where you belong, little one.” He flashed his kind smile to you before bowing to Charlie and portaling out of the room.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Charlie sat beside you on the edge of the bed. You’d been escorted immediately to an empty room upon arrival, sat down while the core staff of the hotel flitted about wildly upon hearing Angel’s recounting of events.

“You smell dirty”, the tiny maid cackled and ran to you before being lifted by her apron by Husk.

“That is a”, you rubbed your wrists nervously, “complicated question…”

“There’s nowhere safer in all of hell than this room. With Vaggie and me and Alastor”, Charlie brought her hands to her mouth, “or— not Alas- I mean” She looked at Vaggie, “What do I mean??”

“Nothing and no one will lay a finger on you here.” Vaggie was staring at Alastor when she said it.

“I don’t think its fingers anyone’s worried about”, Angel shifted his gaze from Alastor to you and back.

Alastor turned his head slowly to meet Angel’s eyes, “Did you say something, Angel Dust?”

He shook his head and quickly left, Niffty and Husk in tow.

“I think you should leave, too.” Vaggie crossed her arms.

Alastor replied by taking a step closer to you, gesturing with his microphone, “I don’t see what all the fuss is about. She is safe and sound, barely a bruise on her.” He looked over you, the side of your face still slightly pink from the way you hit the ground hardly an hour ago. He could hear your body sliding across the wooden cabin floor still, what a strangely exciting noise. What else could he drag you across? What surfaces could he slide your over? What noises would they make? What noises would you make?

“You took her fucking soul, Alastor. In a coerced deal!”

“If I remember correctly, that is exactly what I had been asked to do.” He grinned, taking his monocle off and cleaning it on his sleeve. Vaggie looked to Charlie, who shrunk from her horrified face. “Plus, she’s still alive. Who knows if the deal even counts. I’ve never made one with a living person.” With an exaggerated shrug, Alastor took a seat on the sofa opposite the bed, legs crossed. “Either way, she isn’t anywhere near Val anymore.” His eyes met yours, for the first time since…

You looked away. He wanted to grab your chin and force you to see him. He wanted to read what was written on your face. Shame? No…yes, but something more. Embarrassment. Confusion. Ah— You clenched your jaw, finally returning his stare. Anger. “Did I not do exactly what I had promised I would? What I had warned you I would?” Your lips curled over your teeth. “While yes, I hadn’t explicitly stated the number of times-“

“Stop talking! No, no. Enough of that.” Charlie waved her arms as if she could dissipate the very topic away, “Alastor could you please give me a moment alone with her?” She looked at him with big, worried eyes, “Please?”

Through gritted teeth Alastor acquiesced, “It is your hotel, Princess. I’ll be just outside the door.” The last sentence was for you, you could feel it like you could feel his shadow still ghosting over your legs.

As soon as the door shut, she closed the distance between you, looking to Vaggie who offered her a supportive nod.

“Seriously, are you hurt? Did he— Did he hurt you?”

Oh, you wish he had. That’d be easier to say. Easier to process. You wish he’d knocked you around like Val had done earlier. That left you indignant, enraged. But this — whatever this was — you couldn’t find purchase on a reaction. You didn’t even want to think the things bubbling under your consciousness.

“Just my pride. Uhh,” you shifted, your thighs and cunt sore to the touch, “He really did warn me. Got my okay, kind of. And he didn’t hurt me, except dragging me around and flipping me but-”, You noticed Charlie’s alarmed expression, “I’m physically fine.”

She nodded, her expression still oozing concern, “Well that’s good, then.”

“What… You both seem humanish, but what exactly are-“ You tipped your head in the direction of the door.

“Well I think Angel is some kind of spider…Husk, not entirely sure honestly”, Charlie looked up as if searching for a memory, “Alastor is a deer. It’s all tied to how people lived and died, I think.”

A deer? You shook your head, “Nothing about that man resembles a prey animal.”

“His death sure did.” Vaggie commented.

“So if I have some weird death I’ll end up here? If I drown… I’ll come back as a fish?” You were mostly thinking out loud, and hadn’t expected Charlie to nod in agreement.

“But don’t think about that! You might still go to heaven. Like Al said, he isn’t even sure the deal is binding.” She beamed and clapped her hands together.

It felt binding.

When that green light had erupted from beneath you, you thought you could feel him. Not the tentacles, or the memory of his hand. It felt like he was in the light itself, casting shadows on the ceiling in the shape of you. It felt alive, every ray of light a breathe washing over you.

You looked down at the robe, white and silky. Where were your clothes? Where was your fucking aunt? What about your phone? You had a car, too. Wait, no… did you drive to her house? Or did she…You hadn’t slept since being dragged to hell. Staring at the hem of the sleeve, you tried to focus your mind but suddenly you were wading in cognitive mud.

Shadows gathered near the foot of the bed before you saw Alastor rise out of the cluster. Charlie said something, Vaggie said something but sharper. It sounded far away already. Your body was beginning to feel heavy, an ache settling across your back and thighs.

“Perhaps you should lie down, my dear.” His voice cut through the murky waters of your thoughts. The bed sunk beside you as he pressed a hand down, the other lifting your chin to force eye contact. Vaggie made a loud noise, Charlie a smaller one, a longer one. Was it words? Were they speaking? Your lids were heavy over your eyes, Alastor’s face beginning to blur. His smile looked strained, eyebrows knitted together in an emotion almost recognized. Concern? His grin threw it off. You raised your eyebrows to try and open your eyes wider but the effect was minimal.

You heard yourself groan as an arm hooked under your knees, another catching your shoulders as you fell to the side. It felt like you were floating. Your legs came down slowly, you could feel the robe adjusting around your waist. Your head went back before comfortably straightening. A warmth spread down your neck, leaving goosebumps to runaway down your shoulder. It was dark now, and in the haze you heard from somewhere so close it felt like maybe you had thought it yourself, “In perpetuity, mon cher.”

You didn’t recognize the room at first, but when you finally managed to lift yourself out of bed you sighed. Home. You only knew it had been real because of the robe and busted lip. Well, mostly sure.

No one noticed you were gone, which wasn’t shocking. Working backwards, you could piece together you had gone to visit your aunt on Saturday morning. You awoke early Monday in your own bed some 60 miles from your aunt's home. Your car had been found abandoned off an old dirt road way outside of town.

You tried to get back to life, get to work. But you were clearly only half there.

Your aunt was found dead the following weekend, half submerged in a swamp just outside of Tampa. Her funeral was funny. Not “haha” funny, “Say hi to Val for me” kinda funny. When they lowered her into the ground you wondered what she looked like. What's the animal manifestation of a selfish, raging bitch? What’s the most untrustworthy home appliance?

Probably a gerbil, or a toaster.

You found yourself doing that a lot, What will they look like in the afterlife?

It took a good six months for you to stop sleeping in the robe. You couldn’t trash it, it was evidence you had been spirited away. It smelled like smoke and baby oil. Like Angel. It was soft on your skin, like—

Oh. It took less time for the dreams to calm down. Maybe a month of waking up in a cold sweat.

At first they were stressful. Val backhanding you. The feeling of leather chafing against your wrists. The cabin. The real one, not the set.

But then one night they weren’t stressful. You could remember the dream like it had really happened. A large hand cupping your cheek, another roaming past your hips before hooking under your knee. The warmth of a breath on your neck, on your navel. More hands. Everywhere. Your back, your ankle, your neck.

You woke up and the first feeling you felt was disappointment. It hit you like a truck.

The dreams slowly ramped up until some nights you awoke mid-orgasm. Never in your life had you experienced wet dreams; you didn’t even know women got them.

And it wasn’t always him—- well, not at first. You’d be kissing someone, a stranger or your ex or whoever. You’d have your hands in their hair, enjoying the feeling of their tongue sliding over yours. You’d be positively humming into their mouth. They’d pull you forward, lie you down, tugging your pants down your legs.

When they’d kiss up your arm and nestle into your neck they’d whisper hottily into your ear, “My doe.”

Sometimes you woke up, but many times you didn’t. Many times you grabbed his face and kissed him, letting him take control and direct you. You’d shrink beneath him, allowing him to use your body as he pleased. You’d surrender, you’d melt. He’d fuck you into the ground of god-knows-where, nails cutting into the flesh of your ass as he pulled you up to meet each punishing thrust. There were trees and starlight and you felt the humidity on your skin.

You’d always squirm away, try to escape the pleasure and he would find joy in pulling you back onto his cock. It felt like a game where you both already knew the outcome. “Going to cum, sweetheart?”, would be the last thing you heard before the real life spasms of your release stirred you awake.

The first man you took home after returning to earth was sweet. Gentle. Too gentle. You’d try to direct him, to let him know you wouldn’t break but he’d shy away from asserting dominance.

Other partners were more in charge, but it didn’t sit right. If you were going to allow someone control over you, you felt like they had to deserve it. You needed to respect them in some capacity.

You tried choking during sex, while it did heighten the pleasure their hand felt so small it broke your concentration. Bondage was fun, you got a rush from shibari, but all it did was inform your dreams.

You tried femdom, and while it was impowering it didn’t scratch that itch. You tried being a sub, but like before you found the people over you as unworthy of you. You didn’t think so highly of yourself, it’s just that autonomy was precious and these people were, well, just people. Mortals.

Your friends enjoyed your hoe era, self titled, but it was short lived. It had been eight months since you returned when you bought your first real sex toy, and took up hiking. It felt nice to be outdoors, and the days you spent in the forests seemed to make for nights of less intense dreams.

Your toy was, ashamedly, selected for its three points of contact. A pink little vibrator, big enough to need some work into you but not painful. The first time you used it you clung to your pillow, heart ballooning against your spiked blood pressure, and screamed a chorus of his name. The two points inside you vibrating in tandem with the small suction cup shape extending from the base doming your clit brought back delicious memories.

Every time, you felt embarrassed after. You could imagine him hearing you all the way in hell and chuckling at how pathetic you were. Satisfied at how empty you felt after.

It wasn’t just about the sex, you were never a very sexually needy person. You were chasing that feeling of surrender, of being both safe and out of control at the same time. The little bit of danger with the pleasure. But not, “local woman found dead in the woods” kind of danger. “Corrupt your soul and ruin your afterlife” kind of danger.

After a year of being earthside, life had finally calmed. Were you still fucked in your dreams? Yes, but a manageable once or so a month. Your toy was nice, but not necessary. A man, or anyone, hadn’t touched you in months. And that was alright. You felt almost normal, except the mornings you woke up hoping to see a pair of red eyes somewhere in the room.

You chalked it up to escapism.

Work had promoted you, twice, which helped distract you from boredom. While performing one of your monthly employee meetings, you met with a young man you’d recently hired. He was still in college, but he had a good head on his shoulders and made quick decisions. You were confident he’d be your equal within the year.

(Implied childhood trauma below the line; not graphic but it’s implied to have happened)

⊹˚₊‧───────────────‧₊˚⊹

“Tired?” He asked you while you logged back into your computer.

You nodded, yawning into the back of your hand, “Spent most of Sunday at Shallow Ridge. Scoping out a good camping spot for when it warms up.”

“No shit, my dad hunts out there. Every Sunday, too.”

“I didn’t take you for the hunting type”, You blinked away the exhaustion and opened his employee file.

“Nah I’m not.” He shook his head, “He used to take me all the time when I was little.”

You nodded, not looking at him and only half listening, “Aww, sounds fun.”

He scoffed. You found the audio file of his graded phone calls, double clicking it. The file seemed corrupted.

“Not fun?” You absentmindedly asked.

You opened the program to manually find the call file. The silence began to creep over you until you felt your chest heavy under the weight of it.

You finally looked at him. The look in his eyes was distant, the color from his face was gone.

“Hey”, your tone changed, your subconscious recognizing something before you did.

He snapped back up, looking at you now. His smile didn’t meet his eyes. You didn’t say anything, just pushed your chair from your desk and looked directly at him.

“What?” He averted his gaze.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? You’re not just a resource here. Hell, I see you more than my own flesh and blood.”

He nodded, and when he finally brought his eyes back to yours his composure cracked and tears fell down his cheeks in streams. “It’s fine” he forced a laugh, “It was like a million years ago.”

You took off the rest of the day, and after providing hugs and your own tears and information on company sponsored counseling and resources, you went home.

Well, first you went to the camping store. And then home. Your dreams that week were calm, as if they knew you couldn’t enjoy a romp in a field.

When Saturday night bled into Sunday morning, you drove your car to Shallow Ridge. You placed the keys on the front seat and left your phone under the seat itself.

You waited for four hours, but eventually a truck pulled up and the man you saw in various Facebook photos and tagged family Christmas cards made his way into the dense forest. You circled back on the trail, head dizzy.

You knew you couldn’t overpower him, but you weren’t trying to win. You just wanted to make him hurt. You’d met men like him before. You’d suffered men like him. Survived men like him. When you two crossed paths on the barely marked trail and you were a beat behind him, you stopped, took out the hunting knife you were told could cut bone, and brought it down into the crook of his neck with both hands.

He whipped around, shock and panic on his face as his hands came back from his shoulder bloody. When he scrambled for his gun you sliced at his chest, then again at his throat but it wasn’t deep enough to stop him.

As he advanced on you, fumbling with his shotgun, you tumbled backwards. He fell with you, pinning you down beneath the full weight of his body on your stomach. Twisting beneath him you almost got onto your side when you sunk the knife into his inner thigh, remembering the artery there from your mother’s surgery. He got the gun loaded, aimed it at your chest, “Crazy bitch!”

“Fuck you.”

He fired.

Your breath left steam as it flitted weakly from your body, frost still on the ground. Your mouth was open as blood held your face to the forest floor. As your vision darkened, you watched the man slump over and onto the ground beside you. His eyes were open and unmoving.

A burst of green erupted from beneath you, and you smiled as you sank down into the light.

“Did you miss me terribly, my little doe?”

(Part three)

༻Masterlist༺

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jeeppu · 2 years

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oh my god my girlfriend's face when one of our gerbils climbed from her lap all the way under her chin

#like she had to stay still despite the extreme tickles #her face went red from silent cry laughter #oh that was the best #gerbil rants

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pigcowboys · 8 months

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About the confession fic.

PLEASE IM STARVING FOR IT.

Thank you.

Ps.( I need more percy headcanons from you they're so good LORD YOURE AMAZING).

pairing: percy jackson x gn! reader

summary: part 2 to this fic part 3

warning(s): blood, injuries, rough housing, cursing, SLIGHT jealousy, unresolved feelings whoops.. & mutual pining (they're just a little slow..)

a/n: HAHAH TYSMMM <33!! i wanna write more so badly but so much is going on with school i just haven't found the time.. :( (i have something in the works actually!!)

"are you okay?"

you jumped at the sound of grover's voice, waving his concerns off with a dismissive 'just fine'. and you were, for the most part at least. or as fine as you could be with the camp currently split in two on account of the disappearance of the young nico di angelo.

you weren't especially close with him - well, not as close as he would've been with his late sister. though, you had your fair share of moments with him.

while percy was away from camp on his quest with everyone else, you became to unofficial babysitter for the boy. taking on the role you assumed his sister had to play for him during the time they were together. and it was fun. you didn't have any siblings of your own so the thought of having your very own younger one just dropped at your feet was awesome to you.

well, it was till percy and the others came back and nico's seemingly never ending cheerfulness faded with the information of his sister's untimely death. it's things like that which reminded you of why being a half-blood was so dangerous.

she didn’t deserved to die that young - shit, nobody deserved to die that young..and in that way?

it's so..fucked.

"do you know when they said they'd be back?" you asked grover, turning to look at him since the first time you began to speak. he gave you an unsure shrug. "mm..soon? i'm not too sure," he turned to look past the camp entrance. " i wouldn't worry about it though, they'll be fine."

"you'd be surprised the amount of shit percy can get himself into.." you said to nobody at all. grover seemed put of by your uncharacteristic brooding. he spared you a glance before parting ways with you to do whatever it is he had to. you didn't want to do anything right now but sleep.

for whatever reason you'd taken it upon yourself to try your best to help out with every single thing you could around the camp, touring new comers, cleaning the pegasus stables - you even assisted the stoll brothers in cleaning the hermes cabin after someone (travis) had let a couple of gerbils loose in there as a prank.

it wasn't funny. you glared daggers at travis for weeks.

maybe you were trying to preoccupy yourself or maybe you genuinely felt like helping - you weren't sure. or maybe you just missed..something.. or maybe someone? you looked towards the front entrance.

yeah..you did.

you hadn't gotten any time to think about the weird interaction the two of you shared a few weeks ago yet, it was always fresh in your mind somehow. percy was so weird. it felt like since that day you'd started to see him less and less than before. could you believe it? this guy, someone you considered to be your best friend had been blowing you off!

what a dick.

worst part was the fact that whenever you did see him, he was almost always with annabeth. annabeth, annabeth, annabeth. i mean, they couldn't of even asked you if you wanted to hang out? why were they always together? always whispering to each other and avoiding eye contact when you'd meet their prodding gaze. it was so weird..

the last straw had to be when you'd overheard them talking one time. you didn't mean to eavesdrop, you just heard your name in passing and it instantly grabbed your attention.

"so..you're going to do it?" annabeth asked

"i guess."

"come on! don't be like that - you're going to scare her off if you're not passionate. about it"

"do girls..like passion?"

"obviously! you have to make her feel important." annabeth tutted. "you guys never get these kinds of things."

"you sound like one of the hunters.."

"hm?"

"nothing."

why were they talking about girls? did percy have his eye on someone? is that why he was avoiding you? he..liked someone and didn't want to tell you. but, he told annabeth about it.. and not you? you were offended - very offended. how dare he not share his feelings with you! the nerve of some people. it wasn't the fact he didn't tell you that hurt the most, it was the fact he'd told someone else before you. why was this the way you had to find that out? who else did percy tell..?

the idea of it all flooded your thoughts and refused to leave it for days after days. it might've been the real reason you were brooding so much. you stopped dead in your tracks as you looked over yonder. ares campers, and they seemed like they were preparing for something. your breath caught in your throat as they noticed you, a sneer forming onto their faces as they made a beheading motion, dragging their thumb across their neck in a threatening manner.

oh wow, capture the flag. your favorite.

"is too late to run back to my cabin?" you asked nervously, lacing your boots before standing up groggily. percy turned to look at you with a frown. "you gonna be okay?" you didn't spare him a glance, opting to fix your breastplate properly as you stared ahead.

"yeah, i guess." the corners of your lips curled as you made eye contact with another ares camper nearby who seemed to stare you down like a fresh piece of meat. your stomach turned as you clutched your shield tighter, exhaling shakily.

percy stared at you silently, looking forward at the line of campers then back to you. you turned to face him when you felt his hand brush against your own. he didn't react to your head turning, only leaning forward to grab your hand and hold it tightly.

you looked down at where your hands were clasped together then back to percy. he looked back you, a shaky smile making it's way onto his lips as he squeezed your hand tighter.

"for reassurance," he explained, lips tugging into a small smile. you nodded like you understood what he was doing, turning back to face in front as you tried your best to stay focused on not dying.

as so as the match started you were almost hit with an arrow, courtesy of the apollo campers, you concluded. your shoes scrapped the ground as you ran for cover, mud caking onto your shoes as your legs went as fast a they could.

you could hear yells and chants behind you as you dodged the botany of the forest, ducking down to hide behind a larger looking log as you waited for the opposing team to run past. your lungs hurt and you were pretty sure that arrow had just barely missed your face because there seemed to be a small slash on the side of your right cheek. as the sound of the footsteps grew farther and farther you moved out again, running past the log as you made your way to the East Woods.

A hushed whisper of your name caught your attention as you took notice of Annabeth who seemed to be trying to blend in with the surrounding woods.

"jeez, are you trying to get killed?" her eyebrows furrowed. "those ares campers are betting on this match." she rolled her eyes. "those brutes, you'd think they'd try to have some kind of sympathy for the people they hurt." she seemed to ramble on about something under her breath to which you did not hear nor care to even hear.

"where's percy?"

annabeth gave you a look. "i don't know," she looked to her right wearily. "i thought he was with you."

something in your stomach stirred. you'd just seen percy at the start of the match..what happened..? you frowned, moving from annabeth's hiding spot as you planted yourself onto the ground once more, equipping yourself with your weapon once more as you held it close to your chest.

"what do you think you're doing?" annabeth exclaimed. "you can't be out in the open like this, there's barely any cover. you'll be attacked."

"everywhere in this forest is the open."

"you know what i mean." annabeth sighed. "look, i've got a plan but, for to work we've gotta wait a little, okay?"

"what plan?"

"i can't tell you all of it right now." she frowned. "just follow my lead.."

you weren't too trusting of annabeth's plan yet you complied, following after her as she moved from her hiding spot, meticulously through the forest. she was quick on her feet and you tried your best to follow her example but it was harder to recreate with your mud ridden sneakers.

it happened quick, you barely registered the sound of a flurry of arrows being set off at you and annabeth, the two of you ducking out of the way as you took to your feet sloppily, running for your lives. your heart pounded as the sound of 4 different pairs of feet chased after you. annabeth panted harshly as she looked around in a flurry, grabbing your wrist as she made a sharp turn right into the weapon of an ares camper.

they raised their sword and swung down viciously without restraint. your shield was barely able to block the attack, swinging back as you put distance between the camper and annabeth. she seemed shaken up but still readied her weapon, steadying her helmet on her head.

you stared at the ares camper with furrowed eyebrows. "is it true you guys are betting on us..?"

he didn't reply, rushing forward to swing. your shield cushioned the blow yet the rather old material seemed to shatter slightly under the weight of the swing. what the hell did these campers eat?

you threw your shield to the side, backing away steadily as you steadied yourself. annabeth stepped forward as well, swinging at the camper with precision, trying her best to block the harsh slashes. you tried to catch your breath, bringing your hand to your chest as you raised up your head shakily.

you merely stepped forward for a minute when another camper rushed towards you, knocking into your body with full force as you flew to the side, slamming against the tree face first. your nerves could barely register the pain as your collapsed onto your side, falling right onto your right arm.

you cried out in pain, reach forward to clutch your arm as blood smeared against the sleeves of your clothes. you curled into yourself as your body grew heavier and heavier. you could remember the faint sound of yelling before you finally blacked out, losing consciousness.

you woke up gods knows how much later in the infirmary. your ears were ringing and your chest hurt. how long had you been in here? a few hours? a few days even? you looked around the room wearily, nobody else had been inside - it was practically empty. you tried to stand up but took notice of the fact your arm was bandaged.

what exactly happened..?

the door to the infirmary swung open, gaining your attention as your head snapped towards the figure that opened it. your eye widened slightly when you locked eyes with percy. he seemed surprised you were awake, his eyes glinting with a spark of concern.

"hey.."

"hey." you two said in unison. silence fell over the two of you as percy idled in front of your bed for a moment before pulling up a chair and placing it near your bed, sitting down on it as he gazed at you with worry.

"did you just wake up?" percy asked, trying to seem normal.

"sadly," you exhaled. "i would've liked to sleep a little longer."

"well, you were out for a while." percy said absentmindedly. "i - uh, we were kind of worried about you."

"thanks." you smiled slightly, raising your head to peer at what it was he was holding in your hands. "what's that?"

"ambrosia," percy replied, fishing out a small cube from the pouch. he held it towards your mouth, waving it around slightly as he waited for you to lean forward and bite it.

"you know i can feed myself, right?"

percy frowned. "why can't you just let me be nice?"

you didn't reply, shuffling forward as you opened your mouth, allowing percy to slip the treat into your mouth. your mouth swirled with the best flavor imaginable as you sunk into your bed with a sigh, turning your head to the side to gaze at percy who looked at you wearily.

"how long was out for?"

"pretty long, you broke your arm and a few other things when you fell," he tucked the pouch into his hoodie pocket. "those ares campers are so.."

"insane. can't believe they were betting on people's lives." your eyebrows furrowed. "isn't that fucked?"

percy hummed in response and the two of you grew quiet again. you stole a glance at percy taking notice of the slight eyebags on his face and the redness of his nose.

"annabeth told me everything," he paused. "i'm sorry i wasn't there."

you shrugged. "it was no big deal, i mean, i'm still alive, right?"

percy leaned forward in his chair, bringing his elbow to rest on the cover of your bed, bracing his head in his palm. "yeah but," he paused. "i don't know what i would've done if you didn't manage to bounce back." you stared at him quietly as he seemed to zone out.

"i don't know what i'd do with myself if you ever got hurt."

your eyes widened as you registered his words, your lips curling upwards. so, maybe he didn't hate you.. you sat up in your bed slowly, bracing against the pillow you were resting on as you turned your body towards percy.

"that's not gonna happen," you paused. "..again." percy smiled yet still looked slightly distressed about the whole situation. you reached out to cup his cheek, a teasing smile pulling at your lips as you stretched them outward as far as you could.

"hey man, don't worry - i'm going to be fine, stop brooding now."

percy grunted rebuttals in response, exhaling when you finally released his face with a tired giggle, readjusting yourself to lay down on your bed as you settled in with a hum. percy rubbed his cheek soothingly, leaning forward to admire you.

you didn't register he was staring at you till you turned to your side and locked eyes with him, heart beating in your chest as the two of you stared at each other in silence. percy broke the eye contact, placing his hand on yours that laid still on the bed as he interlocked them.

you gave him a quizzical look as you squeezed his hand.

"it's for me." percy smiled sheepishly. "i wanna know that you're okay."

you didn't say anything only smiling to yourself as you closed your eyes, slowly fading out of consciousness as you dozed off clutching percy's hand.

#percy jackson #percy jackson fluff #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson x reader #percy jackson x y/n #percy jackson x you #x reader #x reader fluff #pjo fluff

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steddieunderdogfics · 1 month

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This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @thefreakandthehair! With thirty-nine works in the Steve/Eddie and Stranger Things tags on Archive of our Own!

In an underdogfics first, we have TWO nominators!

Our first nominator recommends the following works by @thefreakandthehair:

this is my month, I can feel it. october, baby!

never been afraid of any deviation.

scar-crossed lovers.

the answers are all inside of this.

Our second nominator, @sidekick-hero, recommends the following works by @thefreakandthehair:

over the hills and far away

meeting you was coming home.

make no plans and none can be broken.

rounding third, sliding home.

what's mine is yours (to leave or take)

Lex's brain is full of very creative scenarios, reading her writing is like reading an anthology of short stories but it's with all of your favorite characters! You get to see what they'd do in this AU or that AU, I love the exploration. It's like she's made a stew and it's simmering on the stove and you realize you're so hungry for stew as soon as you see it. <3 -- anonymous

Lex writes characters that come to life on the page while you're reading her stories. It makes it so easy to get invested in them, to feel with them and root for them to get their happy ending. She's one of these authors I would follow anywhere, any trope, any setting and universe, I am here for it. So I think more people should get to find her stories and be treated to the magic. -- @sidekick-hero

Below the cut, @thefreakandthehair answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

How can I possibly give just one reason! These two burrowed themselves into my brain like little gerbils with no hope of ever getting them out. I mean, was I supposed to hear ‘dontcha big boy?’ and be normal about it? But in all seriousness, they’re two sides of the same coin and those oppositions in character are super fun to play with!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

It was tough to choose, but friends to lovers keeps coming up!

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

If I have to choose a particular trope, hurt/comfort would be the closest fit, but in the sense of healing past hurts together as a unit.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

This question sent me into an existential crisis and the best I could do is narrow it down to three, and even that was nearly impossible. In no particular order: We’ll Know For The First Time by KikiZ; carve your name into my chest by hexiewrites; and more recently, Among the Wildflowers by ParadimeShifts.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Rivals to Lovers in my football AU! I’ve been so excited to get moving on that one.

What is your writing process like?

Oh, I wish I had a better one. I start with a skeleton outline, pop on some music, and then pick and choose which part of the outline sparks joy in that moment. I rarely, if ever, write chronologically so I just write what feels good in the moment and then go back with a scalpel to create connective tissue.

Do you have any writing quirks?

Definitely writing out of order, I think! And if there’s one thing about me, it’s that someone is gonna have an introspective moment looking up at the stars. Someone told me it’s like my calling card and they’re not wrong.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I like a bit of both. I like to post on a schedule for multi-chapter fics but only after it’s either completely done or mostly done so that there’s no pressure to it.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Over The Hills And Far Away incorporated some personal bits of my past that were equal parts cathartic and difficult to write at times, so I’d have to say that one! It’s really satisfying to take experiences that you regret or that didn’t end the way you’d hoped and give them a different ending in fiction.

How did you get the idea for never been afraid of any deviation?

The Eddie Month prompt for that day! Me and my co-mod for the event, nostalgicbones, included Bad Reputation by Joan Jett as a prompt and as I was listening to it, it got me thinking about how Eddie is someone who cares for those in less than ideal situations— maybe even to the point of weaponizing his own bad reputation to protect someone. In this case, that was Steve!

When writing the answers are all inside of this, what was something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect it to become multiple chapters! That one is part of my So Much For Stardust series (that I haven’t forgotten about, I’ve just been busy with big bangs) so it was based on The Pink Seashell interlude from the album. I still don’t know exactly how a 1-minute interlude turned into a 15k multi-chapter fic, but it was super fun to let go off the rails!

What inspired scar-crossed lovers?

Also a So Much For Stardust series fic, the first one in the series, actually. I heard Heaven, Iowa for the first time and wrote this based on that song in a day. My brain just kept rotating it around like a rotisserie chicken until I wrote it.

What was your favorite part to write from scar-crossed lovers?

This is ironic because I’m not an angst-writer by nature, but writing about the slow deterioration of Eddie’s van as a symbol for the passage of time was really fun to do. Bittersweet, but it was one of those things that I didn’t realize I was doing until I was in the middle of it and once I realized, I just carried it throughout!

How do/did you feel writing never been afraid of any deviation.?

Excited! It was the first time that I wrote pre-s4 steddie (which is wild that in two years, I just wrote that for the first time last fall?) and it was so fun to do!

What was the most difficult part of writing the answers are all inside of this.?

Probably balancing the kids’ voices in the first chapter while still creating tension between Steve and Eddie.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

It isn’t one of the fics listed here, but in no better version I could pretend to be tonight, I loved writing the line “Something about Steve feels like home, and Eddie is only familiar with houses.” Hurt/comfort, my beloved.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I’m planning on taking a break from big bangs for a bit to focus on some super neglected WIPs, so there are a few upcoming fics I’m excited about! My Football AU, an ASMR Artist!Eddie x Insomniac!Steve AU, and I’m working on a fic called Pickup Note with sidekick-hero and firefly-party that I cannot wait to dive into fully.

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Just thank you so much for all that you do with this blog! The ship truly exploded overnight and there are so many incredible stories that I’ve completely missed just because they’ve fallen through the cracks. I really appreciate what you’re doing here and the undertaking that it’s been!

Thank you to our author, @thefreakandthehair, and our nominators, anonymous and @sidekick-hero! See more of @thefreakandthehair works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

#steddie #steddie fic recs #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #stranger things #steddieunderdogfics #writer's wednesday #writer's spotlight #steddie writers

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autumnfoxthetherian · 1 month

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This is my journey if anyone’s interested (its kinda long to read): For me, it’s a mix of multiple factors. I’ve always acted kinda different from my schoolmates (random noises, unconsciously doing animalistic things) so I thought I was just a weirdo, and that was fine. It wasn’t until a couple years later that I heard about therians for the first time at school. People where less then friendly when they where talking about them though (and they didn’t seem to actually know what a therian was, they just assumed it was a furry(not that furries are bad!)) Anyways, I went home and did a lot of research, and some of the things I read just started to click! I also watched Therian Territory videos and that helped too. I started a journal because I knew I might just be getting exited over nothing, I still wasn’t sure if I was a therian or not. After about another year, the whole idea had kinda faded into the background, but I still questioned every once and a while. But after I kept having shifts and noticing them, I re-started my journal and eventually came to the conclusion that I was a therian. That was pretty much my awakening; it felt great! I did more research to see if I had a specific theriotype/s and knew by instinct that I was a dessert animal (though I’ve always loved forests, but oh well) I did lots of searching and learned about lots of animals. I thought maybe at first I was a rodent, and stuck with that for a while. but a few months later I had a dream shift of snuggling up with foxes. I immediately started doing research again and confirmed after another month of questioning that I was a Corsac Fox. It felt so much more natural then when I thought I was a gerbil, and ever sense it’s been easier to connect with my theriotype (I’m still questioning if I might be a rondent though because something made me believe before) Fox shifts are fun! And my mom has been supportive of me ever sense I told her even though she doesn’t understand. I go outside regularly to try to connect with my theriotype and hope that one day I’ll meet other therians!

I hope you’re journeys where just as good, and that you found acceptance. I hope you’re happy being yourself. Comment your Alterhuman journey if you’re comfortable, I’d love to hear about it! And remember; everyone has different experiences and journeys, awakening could take years or days, but all Alterhumans and therians are beautiful!!!

Also pls reblog so we can get as meany answers as possible, thanx!

- Autumn

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thruheavenandhighwater · 1 year

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Pairing: Eddie Munson/ Plus Size Female Reader

Requested By: Anon

Word Count: 10,531

Summary: You and Eddie had decided at the beginning of your relationship that kids probably weren't for you. But every summer when your niece visits for two weeks, you find yourself reconsidering. This takes place in like '93 and reader and Eddie are both in their mid 20s.

Content Warning: Smut (18+, minors DNI) Eddie being a horny little gerbil and making sexual/ suggestive jokes. Breeding kink kinda. Unprotected sex.

Stranger Things Masterlist

Eddie Munson Masterlist

~~~~~

You'd always loved summer vacation. When you were in school, you obviously loved getting 10 weeks of freedom. As you got older you learned to appreciate the nice weather and ability to spend time outside with your friends. When you met Eddie you loved being able to follow him to shows, watching him be a rockstar at small festivals and house parties all around the state. But now, you loved summer for a whole new reason.

Your brother and sister in law had moved out of state a few years ago for his job. They were happy in their new city, and your niece had made gaggles of new friends at her school. But you missed them all terribly between visits. Your niece's summer vacation just so happened to be their longest visit. They'd come back the last week of June, stay through the Fourth Of July holiday, and drive back to their own city until November.

You and Eddie were both excited for their visit. You always were. For the last few years, since you'd been dating, you both loved those two weeks in the middle of summer when the baby would be home to visit. Neither of you had ever particularly wanted kids, but you loved spending time with your niece.

She and Eddie got along famously from the first time they met. She'd only been barely two years old at the time. Eddie had been nervous, making himself sick with worry for weeks leading up to the visit. He convinced himself that your brother and his wife wouldn't like him. He thought they'd take one look at him, at his leather and chains and run for the hills. He even had himself believing that you would listen to them and leave him while they were in town.

None of that happened, obviously. You all gathered at your parents house the day after they arrived for family dinner. The only thing stopping Eddie's hands from shaking was the fact that you held one tightly in your own, and the other held the cookies you'd made earlier that morning. You watched all of his worry melt away almost as soon as the front door closed behind you. Before you could even greet your family, your niece was across the room, taking Eddie's hand from yours and leading him into the living room to play Care Bears with her. They ended up playing for most of the afternoon. She made him be Funshine Bear, and your brother still calls him Funshine whenever they see each other.

This year, you and Eddie were finally able to get your own place. It was a rental, admittedly. A small house a few blocks from your work. But it was yours and you were both proud of it. The best part, you both agreed, was the extra bedroom. A few weeks before their visit you called your brother to ask if your niece could spend a few nights with you and Eddie while they were in town. Being that she was six years old now, he left it up to her. She nearly broke the speaker of your phone with how loudly she squealed once you asked the question. You and Eddie spent way too long passing the phone back and forth while you all planned what she was calling "the super awesome mega slumber party." The following weekend you and Eddie went out and probably spent too much money buying a new bed and Disney princess sheets, just for your niece in the extra bedroom.

The day everyone arrived back in Hawkins you met them at your parents house. No more than three minutes after she was in the house, your niece corned you and Eddie in the kitchen demanding to see "her" bedroom.

"It's in our house all the way across town, jellybean," you told her.

"I'm going there tonight?"

"Not tonight, kid," Eddie answered, crouching down to her level. "Auntie and me both gotta work tomorrow. You're comin' over on Friday."

"What's today?"

"Wednesday."

The groan that came from deep within her body would have suggested that she'd just been given the news that her stocks were tanking. Eddie only giggled, promising a fun weekend and as many blueberry pancakes as she could eat. She begged the both of you to come over tonight, claiming that she had to check out her room and make sure it was good enough. You told her no, though you didn't want to. You knew that if she came over tonight she'd be there for the rest of their trip. At the end of the afternoon you and Eddie hugged her goodbye and did your best to ignore the wide eyed, pleading looks she gave you through your parents living room window.

You ended up taking a half day on Friday, physically incapable of sitting at work for an additional four hours. You were practically bouncing as you called your parents house from work. Your brother answered, sounding very arrogant when he simply said your name in lieu of a greeting.

"Is my baby awake?" You asked. He chuckled and told you that she wakes up with the sun. "Has she eaten lunch? I'm about to leave work and I was thinking we could have a little date to Benny's."

"Benny's without me?" He asked, almost sounding genuinely offended.

"I guess if you're like, on the brink of starving to death you can go."

"Thank you so much for such a warm and genuine invitation," he said in a monotone voice. "But I'm gonna watch golf and pass out on the couch the exact moment your car is out of the driveway, so I won't be able to attend."

"Nice to know that nothing has changed in your old age."

"I'm barely four years older than you," he reminded you. "So if I'm old, what does that make you?"

"I'm still young and full of life," you answered. "And I'll be there in like ten minutes so she better be ready."

When you arrived at your parents house, your brother opened the door before you had the chance to knock. "She's been staring out the window since we hung up," he told you. The two of you stood side by side as you watched her slip into her pink tennis shoes. "Where's Uncle Funshine?" He asked.

You swatted at him, the back of your hand smacking softly against his chest. "Stop callin' him that."

"She calls him that!"

"She's six and it's cute," you retorted. Just then your niece stood up and proudly showed off the laces of her shoes, which she tied all by herself thank you very much. Your brother let out an exaggerated groan as he lifted her backpack to hand it to you. You had to admit, it seemed like she had packed everything she owned in that small pink bag. On the drive to Benny's she told you all about everything she had brought with her for the two nights she was spending with you and Eddie.

"I brought two outfits and then a extra shirt in case we go somewhere fancy," she told you. You did your best to hide the laugh that pulled from you, knowing that you were currently driving to the fanciest place in Hawkins. "And I brought some books, 'cause I'm getting real good at reading."

"So you don't want Uncle to read you stories anymore?"

"Well, he can sometimes," she answered. "But only 'cause he does voices and stuff. Oh! And daddy said you're gonna take me swimming so I brought my bathing suit."

"Daddy said that, huh?" You asked, looking into the rearview mirror to find her nodding triumphantly, her bright smile on full display. "Then I guess we gotta find a pool, don't we?"

Later that evening, after dinner and bedtime stories Eddie joined you in bed. "We're going swimming tomorrow?" He asked, turning onto his side to face you.

"Apparently my brother has promised her swimming," you answered with a smile. "Figured we could take her to the pool and let her tire herself out."

"Which pool?"

"There's only one public pool," you laughed.

Eddie groaned dramatically. "That place sucks," he told you. "And the lifeguards are all banging each other and it smells like chlorine and-"

"Okay!" You said, halting his rant. "So where do you suggest we take her?"

"Steve and Robin's apartment has a pool."

"For residents," you told him flatly. "We aren't residents."

"Steve and Robin are residents," he shrugged. You only sighed, telling him that you'd call them tomorrow. Eddie seemed happy enough with that as he rolled onto his back, opening his arms for you to take your usual spot with your head on his chest.

"I love you," you sighed as your eyelids began to feel heavy, the rhythm of his heartbeat lulling you to sleep.

"Love you, too, princess," he whispered. "Goodnight."

Your niece woke both of you up entirely too early for a Saturday. She came into your bedroom, wiping sleep from her eyes with her favorite stuffed bear under her arm. She walked to the foot of your bed and crawled between your body and Eddie's. "Pancakes?" She asked sleepily as she pushed you almost to the edge of the mattress.

"Can I sleep for like, four more hours?" Eddie asked, voice barely audible. She shook her head against his chest. He giggled, now rubbing his own eyes as he started to wake up. He looked over her head to you with a fond smile. "Then I guess it's time for pancakes."

Each of you had a job to help with breakfast. Eddie made the blueberry pancakes, per your nieces request. You stood beside him, frying bacon in a pan. Your niece delegated drink duty to herself, pouring glasses of orange juice for each of you. It was nice, you thought to yourself. Just the three of you bopping around the kitchen while you prepared for your day. Eddie hummed to himself as he added a pancake to the growing stack on the platter next to him.

"We swimmin' today?" Your niece asked as she shoved a syrupy bite into her mouth. Eddie answered, humming positively as he took a sip of his coffee. "When?"

"Later," you answered.

"When later?"

"Can you even tell time?" Eddie asked with a giggle, earning a withering stare from her.

"I'm not sure what time," you told her. "I gotta call our friends and find out."

"Can you call them now?"

You looked at the clock over the stove. It was barely 8 in the morning. You knew that neither Steve or Robin would be awake this early, unless they were at work. You decided to wait, telling her that you'd call after breakfast.

Eddie ended up being the one to make the call. Your niece cornered him while you showered, using her flawless skills of coercion on him. You walked into the kitchen, rubbing your hair with a towel while he was on the phone.

"- rules about dirty little freeloaders using your pool?" You smiled as you stood there, just out of sight while Eddie listened. "You're amazing, Buckley. No, I mean that. I'm gonna commission a statue of you and put it right in the front yard. Of course, very tasteful. Okay, bye. Love you!"

He smiled as he turned to face your niece, who was bouncing on her toes as she waited for the verdict. "We're in, short stack," he announced, holding his open palm out for a high five.

"Yes!" She cried, her small hand slapping loudly against his. "I'm gonna go get ready."

She ran past you, barely sparing a glance in your direction as she ran to her bedroom. The door closed behind her as you walked into the kitchen. "We're getting a statue?" You asked as you wrapped your arms around the back of Eddie's neck. He snaked his hands around your waist, nodding.

"Just a little one," he answered. "She said she's gotta work, but if we give her a few hours she's gonna wake up Steve and force him to let us in."

"So, shouldn't we get a Steve statue then?"

Eddie scoffed, "Absolutely not," he answered, leaning forward to catch your lips in a soft, slow kiss. He traced his tongue along the seam of your lips. Just as you opened them, granting him further access, you heard a door open.

"I need help," came a small voice down the hall. Eddie groaned, tightening his grip around you when you tried to pull away. You satiated him with a quick peck before turning away towards where your niece was half into her swimsuit.

She was beyond agitated when you told her that you weren't going swimming right this second. You recognized the beginnings of a tantrum brewing. Her little hands balled into fists. She sucked in a deep breath, preparing to let out what you could only assume would be an earth shattering scream. Just as she was about to let loose, Eddie swooped in with a day saving move.

"I was gonna go get ice cream," he said casually as he shrugged into a t shirt. "But if you wanna stay here all day and be mad, then I guess I'll just sit back down-"

"Ice cream?" She asked, suddenly dropping her shoulders. Eddie nodded from his seat in the living room. "Can I get sprinkles?"

"Obviously," he answered. "That's the best part."

The small ice cream stand in the center of town had only been open for a few minutes when you all walked up to the window. You were glad to see it was Jenny working today instead of Miranda. Jenny liked her job, whereas Miranda seemed to have a personal grudge against every person who dared order ice cream from her.

"Two chocolate cones with sprinkles, and one vanilla with no sprinkles," Eddie ordered with a smile. He turned to face you as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. "For the boring and gorgeous love of my life who hates sprinkles for some reason." You only rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest as he handed Jenny the cash.

You all collected your cones and walked to a bench a few yards away from the stand. Your niece sat on your lap while you all ate.

"We goin' swimming now?" She asked.

"Not quite," Eddie answered. "Don't you know you gotta wait 30 minutes after you eat or sharks will get you?"

"Pools don't have sharks." She deadpanned, licking at her ice cream.

"Oh," Eddie scoffed. "Didn't know you were a shark expert."

She turned to look at you. You had to laugh at her expression. She looked so much like her mother, who often gave you a similar look when your brother was acting some type of way.

"Pools don't have sharks," you confirmed. "Your uncle's just… well, I don't know what's wrong with him, honestly."

Eddie giggled, continuing to work on his own ice cream as it rapidly melted in his hand.

Eddie made one more stop on the way to the apartment building that sat on the south end of town. Your niece did nothing to hide her disappointment when Eddie parked the car in front of Melvalds general store.

"You said we were going swimming!" She whined, throwing her head back in annoyance.

"Well, I thought you might want some floaties or toys or something," Eddie told her. She perked back up instantly and began to scramble with her seatbelt before bolting out the back door, letting it fall closed behind her.

The water toys and accessories were pretty much front and center as soon as you pulled open the front door of the store. Your niece made a beeline for the toys and floating tubes. Eddie followed behind her, promising not to let her go crazy with purchases. You smiled to yourself, knowing full well that she was going to walk out of this store with anything she asked for. You walked down the opposite side of the aisle to where the necessities that you knew neither of them cared about were hung. You added a bottle of sunblock, a magazine, a hand pump for the floaties you were sure your niece would pick, three pairs of sunglasses, and some new beach towels to your basket. You originally picked out a plain pink towel for your niece, but put it back on the shelf in favor of the one right beside it. It was smaller than the others, obviously made for children, and featured a scene from the newest Disney princess movie. You knew she'd love it.

When you rounded the end of the aisle you couldn't help but laugh. There Eddie stood behind your niece, both arms full as she continued to shop. Your sandals clapped against the tile floor as you walked over to them. Eddie gave you a pitiful smile over the pile of boxes and toys he was hugging to his chest. From a cursory glance you saw three floating rafts and inflatable rings in matching colors, squirt guns, and a beach ball. He also had a purple plastic bucket dangling from his fingers, which your niece was in the process of filling.

"I told her she can only get what fits in the bucket," he told you in a weak attempt at defending himself. You giggled as you watched your niece add a pair of goggles to the two small dolls that were already in the bucket.

"They're mermaids," she told you when you picked one up. "And their hair changes colors!"

"They change colors, babe," Eddie parroted with a grin.

"One more toy," you told her in your best attempt at a stern voice.

"But Uncle Funshine said-"

"We won't be able to fit it all in the car if we listen to him," you told her, smiling up to Eddie as she returned to diligently scanning the shelves. She ended up choosing a florescent green frisbee as her final choice, even though it didn't fit in the bucket. You loaded all of your things into the trunk, handing out new sunglasses to everyone. They both looked so good, and so happy. You almost kicked yourself for not bringing your camera to commemorate the day.

Steve answered the door already dressed for the pool. It was surprising since you were pretty sure he was asleep less than an hour ago. He stepped back from the door, raising one arm to usher you all inside. Your niece was hesitant, having never met Steve. Eddie crouched down to her level and put one hand behind her back.

"This is Steve," he told her softly. "We're swimming in his pool."

"Hi, Steve," she said shyly, pulling a sympathetic look from Steve.

"Hello, honey," he answered. "Uh… so the bedrooms are empty if you guys need to change or anything."

"Cute of you to think this one would let us out of the house without swimsuits already on," Eddie told him, standing up straight and motioning to his black trunks. Steve looked to you just in time to see you pulling the black strap of your own swimsuit from the neck of your shirt.

"Well okay then," Steve said, clapping his hands in front of him. "What are we still doing inside?"

Once you were inside the black metal fence that surrounded the pool your niece immediately began to disrobe. She dropped her shirt and shorts in a pile before you told her to hand them to you. You folded them neatly and put them into one of the paper shopping bags to keep them dry. Eddie pulled his own shirt over his head and you had to force yourself to look away. The way his trunks hung low on his hips, showing off the bit of hair just below his belly button, accompanied by the mischievous wiggle of his brows as he handed his shirt to you. He knew what he was doing. You took a seat on a lounge chair near the pool and began to unpack your haul as Eddie and your niece stepped into the water.

"What do you think you're doing?" You asked, stopping both of them in their tracks. "I didn't buy sunblock just to put it on a shelf as decor. Get over here."

Both of them hung their heads as they trudged back to you. Eddie pulled the sunblock from the bag and squeezed a dollop into your open palm. You began to rub the lotion into your nieces arms and legs while Eddie did the same to himself. By the time you were finished with your niece, Eddie was holding the bottle out to you. "Help?" He asked, looking pitiful as he motioned over his shoulder with his head. You rolled your eyes, feigning annoyance as you took the bottle from him and stood from your seat. You squeezed a bit more sunblock into your hand and lathered up his back and shoulders, reveling in the warmth of his soft skin. Once you were done he turned back to face you.

"Thanks, babe," he said softly. "But I think you missed a spot." You gave him a questioning look, knowing that you had gotten every inch of him. He wagged his brows again, placing his hands on your hips as he looked down towards his crotch.

"Oh, get away from me," you laughed. He tightened his grip on your hips, pressing himself into you just a bit. "I'm gonna drown you." You threatened, though your smile told Eddie that there was no trace of malice in your words.

"Who's gonna make you pancakes if you drown me?"

"Steve."

Steve barked out a laugh from behind you. You turned to see him sitting on the chair beside the one you'd just vacated.

"You wound me, princess," Eddie whispered. "Now you have to kiss me or I'll think you don't love me anymore." You obliged, leaning into him as your lips met his.

"Can you guys stop?" Your niece called from where she was already in the water. She earned another loud laugh from Steve, who fell back against the seat, his hand over his stomach as cackled. You pressed another peck to Eddie's smiling lips, earning a loud groan from your niece as you pushed him away towards the pool. You sat back down on the lounge seat and began to open one of the floaties.

"What are you doin'?" Eddie called from the steps.

"Someone's gotta blow these up for you hooligans."

"Yeah," Steve called from his seat beside you. "Ya hooligans."

You smiled at him as he brought the beach ball to his lips to inflate it. You almost considered going back to the store and grabbing a second pump for him. But you didn't, instead telling yourself that you'd probably be done with the rest of them by the time he finished the beach ball. One by one you opened each of the floaties, pumped them up, and tossed them to Eddie and your niece.

You looked on happily while they played together. Your niece had her goggles on, absolutely convinced that they helped her see underwater. The pair would alternate between simply splashing water at each other and actual games, most of which were made up by the two of them. Their favorite seemed to be an Eddie original that he had dubbed Shipwreck. It was a fairly simple concept. Eddie would balance her on his shoulders and swim around for a bit. He’d don a happy smile and point out things around them like a cruise director.

“And if you look over here, you’ll see a tree,” he announced cheerily before pointing in an opposite direction. “And over there is… Oh, no. Oh, good god, it can’t be. Sea monsterrrrrrr!” He cried loudly, your niece giggling away above him before he fell backwards, dropping her like a sack of potatoes into the water. She came back to the surface, taking a deep breath before letting out another round of loud, high pitched laughter.

You loved it. You loved seeing the two of them interact. You loved the relationship they had, though they only saw each other a few times a year. It made sense, given that she was six years old and Eddie was basically an overgrown child himself. But still, you loved these moments with them. Just sitting back, watching them together. It pulled at your heartstrings, just a bit. You and Eddie had quickly and unanimously decided fairly early on that children were probably not in the cards for you. Babies didn’t really seem like fun to either of you. And neither of you were particularly jazzed at the idea of being wholly responsible for a human life other than your own. But sometimes, moments like these, a part of you would start to drift away and think about what a life with Eddie and a baby of your own might be like.

As you were finishing up the last of the rings, and before you could let your little daydream go too far, you heard the metal gate to the fence creak open. A woman a few years older than you walked through the gate, followed by three young kids.

"They saw you guys out here and decided it was time to swim," she told you with a laugh.

"Sorry," you laughed just before tossing the pink ring to Eddie.

"Oh, it's fine," she sighed as opened a magazine. "This'll tire them out so they'll sleep all afternoon. And then they're going to grandma's tonight, so it's fine by me."

You nodded, fully understanding and silently hoping for the same outcome with your own rugrat. You pulled your magazine from the bag it sat in as Steve stood from his seat, beach ball fully inflated in front of him. He dropped it and let it bounce off his toe towards the water before walking towards the edge of the pool. He lowered himself so that he was sitting on the edge before pushing off and into the water. You adjusted your sunglasses before settling back into the seat, thankful for the attached umbrella for providing some cover from the harsh summer sun.

"Aren't you gonna come in?" Your niece called to you.

"Maybe in a little bit," you answered.

"Come on, babe," Eddie begged. He swam to the edge of the pool, propping himself up on his elbows. The water from his arms left a large wet spot on the concrete. "The waters not freezing or anything."

"Yeah, come on, babe," Steve called from where he was treading near your niece.

"Yeah, Aunt Babe! It's fun!"

Eddie giggled, looking over his shoulder at her. His smile was beaming when he turned back to you. "Aunt Babe and Uncle Funshine," he laughed. "Sounds like the worst fuckin'comic book ever made."

"You'd probably still read it," you told him.

"Because I'm a glutton for punishment," he shrugged. His smile faltered just a bit as his voice quieted. "You are gonna come in, right? You're not just gonna sit up there all day?"

You sighed, dropping your magazine so that it covered your stomach. You still had your jean shorts and t-shirt on, your one piece black bathing suit underneath. Your niece had forced you into it, though you had no intention of swimming in public. Eddie sighed and pushed away from the side of the pool. You watched as he made his way to the steps and walked out of the water. It dropped off of him, leaving a trail of puddles and wet footprints on the concrete as he walked towards you. He placed his hands on the armrests on either side of the chair. He leaned close to you, his wet curls falling, hitting your shoulders.

"I love you," he whispered. You smiled, feeling a blush crawl across your cheeks. "And I think you look sexy as hell in your swimsuit. But more importantly, I think that nobody but me will care what you look like. Like, I'll probably want to take you up to Steve's apartment and do unholy things to you in his bed," he smirked, seeing the flush on your cheeks deepen from pink to red. "But I'll be good, I promise." He leaned forward, pressing his lips to yours.

You knew he meant every word he just said. That he thought you were sexy. That nobody else would care about what your body looks like in a swimsuit. That given the chance he'd happily defile Steve's bed with you. But you just couldn't shake the insecurities. Having been a bigger girl for as long as you can remember, those harsh judgements from other kids were burned into your brain. Every cruel name, every barnyard related insult, all of it.

Eddie stood up straight and turned back in the direction he'd come from. You watched the wet footprints dry up and disappear beneath the hot sun. Suddenly, your jeans and t-shirt felt constricting. Too hot to be wearing when it was 90° before noon. You called out to Eddie, stopping him in tracks just as he was about to step into the water. He watched as you reached down to the ground beside your chair, grabbing the sunblock. You held it out to him, silently asking for help. He grinned as he walked towards you, taking the bottle from you as he watched you lift your shirt over your head.

"Think Steve would notice if we disappeared for like ten minutes," he asked as you bent over to add your clothes to the paper bag that held everyone else's. You giggled, pulling your hair into a messy ponytail as you heard the cap of the sunblock open.

The lotion was cold. It shocked you just a little when it touched your hot skin. Your eyes fell closed as Eddie's hands began to work it into your skin. Once was done with your back, he placed one hand on your shoulder to turn you towards him. He expertly rubbed the lotion into your arms and chest, smirking to himself as he watched your skin turn pink beneath his fingers.

"Ready to swim?" He asked quietly, closing the bottle and dropping it onto your chair. You only nodded, smiling up at him.

Your niece shrieked with delight as you followed Eddie into the water.

“See?” She cried excitedly as you swam to join her and Steve. “Isn’t this so much fun!”

“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had,” you told her.

You felt Eddie’s hand slide behind your back beneath the water as he pressed into your side. “Me, too,” he whispered in your ear. You looked up at him to find that he was staring directly down the top of your swimsuit, your cleavage on full display from his vantage point. You pushed him away, repeating your threat to drown him as you and your niece began to work together to splash him mercilessly.

The rest of the afternoon was much of the same. Your little group would alternate between splashing and actually playing. Even the other woman’s kids begged Eddie for a turn at Shipwreck. He happily gave everyone a turn, once he’d okayed it with their mother. He was a natural with kids, you noted. They all seemed to love him. They loved his cruise director voice. They loved his wild attitude. They loved his tattoos, and his crazy hair when he’d break through the top of the water and whip it over his head, sending a burst of water cascading around him. You felt that familiar tug, your mind beginning to wander again.

Steve exited the pool suddenly, grabbing his towel from his chair before heading to the gate.

“You bored of us already, Stevie?” Eddie asked.

“Gonna grab us some waters, if that’s okay with you.”

“We are literally surrounded by water,” Eddie deadpanned.

“But you probably shouldn’t drink it,” Steve told him, closing the gate behind him. A few minutes later Steve returned with water bottles in hand, distributing them to your little group and offering some to the other woman and her kids. A little later a blue car with a Pizza Hut light on top pulled into the parking lot. Steve stood from his seat and met the pimple faced teenager at the gate, handing him some folded bills as he took the pizza from him.

“Lunch is served,” he announced as he set the pizza box on a table and flipped the lid open.

Everyone exited the pool and wrapped their new beach towels around themselves as they ate. You and Steve decided to stay out of the water after you finished. Eddie and your niece, however, were having none of that. Neither of them seemed to be done playing for the day. You and Steve sat back and watched them, smiling to yourselves as you did.

A few hours later, your niece finally allowed you all to leave. You asked Steve to borrow Robin's camera, begging him to take a picture of the three of you. He did so happily, saying that if Robin had anything to say about the missing photo, he’d set her straight. Your niece posed for the photo, one arm around and one around Eddie beside the pool. She yawned loudly as the photo printed from the bottom of the camera, and you took her back to the apartment to change back into her normal clothes. She fell asleep as soon as you began to drive her back to your house. You wondered if this meant that she wouldn’t sleep tonight. But as you looked back to where she was slumped over in her seat, her mouth hanging open as she slept, she looked so precious that you could’t find it in you to care.

Dinner that night was a cookout in the backyard. Eddie had been so excited about having a real yard that he’d gone out and bought a grill as soon as you moved in. And he loved taking any opportunity that he could to fire it up. Eddie manned the grill outside while your niece "helped" you to prepare sides inside. You tasked her with shucking the corn while you popped some potatoes into the oven. She hated it, complaining loudly that the "hairs" were getting stuck to her. Eventually, you took the corn cob in her hand and sent her outside to help her uncle. You walked out a few minutes later, carrying plates and drinks to the small table you'd gotten at a garage sale two weeks prior. The first thing you saw when you opened the door was that she had pulled a chair over to the grill and was standing on it, watching while Eddie flipped burgers.

She smiled over her shoulder to you when she heard the back door open. "You gonna help, too?" She asked.

"I'm helping inside," you told her.

"Come here and help, Aunt Babe," Eddie told you. He was still facing the grill, but you could hear the cheeky smile in his voice. You set the plates and drinks on the table and went to Eddie's empty side. He threw an arm around the back of your neck and pulled you close enough to plant a kiss to your temple. "So what's goin' on inside the castle?"

"Corn in the cauldron, potatoes in the oven," you answer, wrapping your arms around his waist.

"Ah," he sighed, almost triumphantly. "A feast fit for royalty."

After dinner you had to force her into a bath. She fought back, claiming that she was clean from swimming.

"Do you have any idea how many chemicals they put into pools?"

"No."

"Okay," you giggled at her honesty. "Well it's a lot, and you need to wash them off. And out of your hair."

Eventually, after promising as many bed time stories as she wanted, you got her into the tub. You once again let your mind wander a bit as you messaged conditioner into her hair. You wondered if your baby would have hair like hers, fine and stick straight. Or would it be thick and curly like Eddie's? Would you have a little girl, with Eddie's attitude and your laugh? Or a little boy, with your eyes and Eddie's smile?

After she was clean and dry, you brushed her hair and helped her into her pajamas. She walked with you to the kitchen where Eddie was snacking on a plain hot dog that was probably lukewarm at best.

"Will you read to me?" She asked him.

"'Course," Eddie answered before shoving the last half of the hot dog into his mouth. He shot you a sly wink as he walked past you, towards her bedroom.

You smacked him lightly on the shoulder, pulling a giggle from him. "Edward!" You scolded playfully.

Your niece stopped in her tracks, turning back to face you. She had one eyebrow raised high on her head. The picture of confusion as she looked between you and Eddie. "Edward?" She asked slowly, like she wasn't sure if she was saying it correctly.

"Don't say that, honey," Eddie told her. "It's a bad word."

"Like butthead?"

"Yes," you giggled while Eddie tried, and failed, to glare at you. "Edward is exactly like butthead."

She accepted your answer, seemingly adding Edward to her mental list of words not to say. She took Eddie's hand in hers and led him down the hallway and into her bedroom. You giggled as you turned to begin packing away the leftovers from dinner. You placed the Tupperware bowls into the fridge, right next to the untouched leftovers from the previous night. After the dishes were done and put away you popped your head in to check on them.

You poked your head into the room to find them cuddled up together in the small bed. Eddie's feet nearly touching the end of the bed as his back rested against the wall behind him. Your niece was laid against him, using his forearm as a pillow while he read Cat In The Hat to her. They both turned To face you in unison as the door opened slowly.

"How's it going in here?"

"This pesky little cat is causing all types of mischief," Eddie answered.

"Yeah," she agreed with a yawn. "He's a bad cat."

"Well, that's not good," you told them. "I'm gonna go to bed, okay? Goodnight, jelly bean."

She yawned again, her jaw opening wide before she bid you goodnight. As you closed the door behind you, you heard Eddie start up the story again. His Cat voice was similar to the voice he assigned the chubby raccoon outside your old apartment last summer.

You got comfortable in bed with your own book. Eddie could be a bed hog, and you'd never admit it to him but you cherished moments when you'd get the whole bed to yourself without him spreading his limbs across all of it. At first you could hear him reading aloud in the other room. But as you got more and more into your own book, his voice faded into background noise. According to your alarm clock beside the bed, you read for about 40 minutes before you realized that he still hadn't come to bed. You marked your spot in your book and set it beside the alarm clock before leaving the room on a mission to rescue Eddie from your promise of infinite bedtime stories.

You slowly pushed the bedroom door open and nearly melted into the green carpet in the hallway. The pair were in a similar, yet much more cozy position as you'd left them. Only this time, both of them were fast asleep. She was curled into Eddie's side, her little head resting on his chest. He had one arm wrapped around her with his head slumped to the side as small snores fell from his open lips. A new book sat open across his stomach. "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" in a pretty blue font across the hard cover.

You tiptoed and quickly and as quietly as you could down the hall and into the living room to grab your camera. This was without a doubt something you'd want to remember. You snapped off a photo of the two of them so peacefully asleep. You set the photo and the camera on the kitchen table and walked back into the bedroom. You kneeled next to Eddie, placing a hand on his thigh and shaking it just slightly.

"Hey, sleeping beauty," you whispered softly, your lips close to his ear.

He woke up just as peacefully as he'd been sleeping. His dark eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light you hadn't thought to turn off. He took a deep breath through his nose. His eyes found your hand on his leg and you watched a smile bloom over his face as they traced from your hand up to your face.

"Hi, baby," he said, quiet voice already gravely with sleep.

"You wanna come to bed, or am I being replaced?"

His smile grew as he looked down to where your niece was tucked into his side. "She doesn't snore," he answered playfully. You rolled your eyes as he bent his head down to gently kiss the top of her head. It was almost funny watching Eddie, all gangly limbs and no coordination, try to untangle himself from a sleeping six year old without waking her. Luckily for both of you, she took after your brother when it came to sleep. A MAC truck could bust right through the living room and neither of them would stir. You replaced Eddie with her favorite stuffed bear and had to bite back a sigh when she clutched it tightly to herself in her sleep. Eddie threaded his fingers with yours, leading you out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"She tricked me," Eddie laughed as he changed into a pair of cotton sleep pants.

"You're a grown man," you laughed.

"She used magic baby sleeping potion or something."

"Oh, well I didn't realize she was armed when I sent you in there."

Eddie crawled beneath the comforter beside you. You gave him a kiss, smiling as you turned over. His chest was warm and solid as he pressed into your back. His hand dipped below the hem of your tank top, finding purchase on your soft, supple stomach. He rubbed his thumb over your skin as he spoke again. "Shoulda known," he told you. "You have the same shit."

"I have magic baby sleeping potion?"

"Yes."

"I'm not a baby."

You could actually feel him rolling his eyes behind you. He tightened his hold on you, pressing even closer to you. "You're my baby," he told you. "And I mean it when I say I never slept as good as I do now before I met you. You're magic."

"And you're a sap."

"Not a sap, just a lucky bastard who knows how good I got it." You hummed and wiggled your butt against him. He backed away just slightly, whispering in your ear in a tone that went straight to your core. "Unless you wanna make her a cousin tonight, you better stop."

You laughed, feeling a blush crawl over your face and down your neck. You didn't want to stop, but you did. You were not going to be the one to traumatize your niece with your sex noises in the next room.

Sunday morning started much the same as Saturday had. Your niece sleepily crawled in bed between you and Eddie. She quietly asked for pancakes. Eddie tried to bribe her for more sleep. She had none of it and the three of you made breakfast in your pajamas. The only difference was that you were out of bacon, so it was eggs this morning. She made a mess as she helped to scramble them in a bowl. But you loved having the time to spend with her, so you didn't even mind wiping up the goopy yolks with a paper towel.

"I gotta wash my clothes," she announced suddenly. You and Eddie exchanged a confused look, before turning to her in unison. "I'm out of clothes."

"Clothes for what?" Eddie asked.

"For tomorrow."

"You're going back to grandma and grandpa's today," you told her, almost sadly. "I'm sure they have clean clothes for you."

"But I want to keep staying here."

Eddie dropped his fork to his plate, his gaze almost heavy as he looked over to you. You knew you'd have to be the bad guy today. You would have to be the one to put your foot down. You loved Eddie, but right now you found yourself hating how soft he could be. Especially when it came to her.

"Don't you miss your parents?" You asked.

"A little," she admitted. "But I'm gonna miss you guys more."

"We're gonna hang out some more before you go home with mommy and daddy," you explained softly. "But we both gotta work tomorrow morning and it wouldn't be very fun for you to stay here all day by yourself, would it?"

She looked at her half eaten breakfast in front of her. She seemed to be considering what you were saying, trying to understand. "I could go swimming with Steve again." She announced.

Eddie barked out a laugh, throwing his head back. "I bet Steve would love to go swimming with you again, but he probably has to work, too."

"But maybe I'll see if we can go over again before you leave," you told her. "How does that sound?"

She perked back up at the promise of another day in the pool. She still seemed a little upset at not being able to stay with you and Eddie forever, but you knew it would be short lived.

After breakfast you and Eddie offered up different things you could do before she went back to her parents. Shopping, the park, mini golf, ice cream. But she didn't want to do any of those. She opted for a day in with the two of you and as many free children's movies as Kieth would let you rent from the Family Video. The limit, it turned out, was five. Once you were home with your little haul of movies, your niece chose to watch Scamper The Penguin first. She snuggled into Eddie's side as she watched the little penguin and his friends adventures, yawning as the movie came to an end. The next on her list was The Little Mermaid. You stood from the couch to replace the tape, usually a task delegated to Eddie. Once you sat back down beside them, your niece shuffled to your side of the couch, resting her head on your lap. She was out like a light in the first half hour of what she had claimed was her favorite movie ever.

Eddie smiled down at her and rested his arm over the back of the couch. You reached up, placing your hand over his as the movie played. It was mostly forgotten, neither of you paying much attention to the antics of the voiceless teenager on the screen. Just when it seemed like Ursula, the evil mermaid who had stolen Ariel's voice, was going to win the phone rang in the kitchen. Eddie stood with an exaggerated grunt and went to answer it. You listened from your spot on the couch.

"Hello?" He answered, turning to lean back against the counter. "She's nappin' on your sister right now, but we can wake her up. Yes, we did. Thanks for signing us up for pool duty, by the way."

You smiled to yourself as you listened to his side of the call. You always liked how easily Eddie seemed to get along with your family. He joked around with your brother like you did. Your parents adored him, telling you frequently that he was a catch and that you should hurry and get married already.

Eddie hung up the call and walked back into the living room. "They're on their way to steal her," he announced with a sigh. He bent over, his hand coming to your sleeping nieces shoulder. He whispered softly to her, slowly pulling her from her nap with the news that her parents were on their way. She blinked her eyes open, staring at him almost confused for just a moment before sitting up. She yawned, stretching her little arms over her head before going into the guest room to gather her things.

When your brother arrived he greeted both you and Eddie with hugs before turning his attention to his daughter.

"Ya have fun?" He asked.

"Yes!" She answered excitedly. "Uncle Funshine said we can go swimming again with Steve before we go home. Right?" She looked up at Eddie with those big, pleading eyes that he was absolutely weak against. He laughed, and confirmed that they would go swimming at least once more.

"Who's Steve?" Your brother asked you.

"He's Aunt Babe's cute friend."

"Aunt Babe?" He asked, eyebrows rising comically. "And he's cute?" Your niece suddenly got shy, wringing her hands into the front of her shirt as she shrugged off the accusation that she might just think that Steve Harrington was cute. You made a mental note to tell him when you called later.

"I don't think he's anything special," Eddie interjected casually. "But if the little miss thinks he's cute, who am I to argue?"

Your brother nodded, smiling around a laugh that was too much like your dad's. He scooped his daughter up like it was nothing, taking her backpack from you and swinging it over his shoulder. He told her to say goodbye, announcing that they were going back to grandma and grandpa's. She waved at you and Eddie, almost sad as her father said his own goodbyes before leaving.

You and Eddie fell onto the couch in unison after closing the door behind them. It was almost muscle memory at this point to snuggle into him. He put one arm up, beckoning you to him. You wrapped your arms around him and you rested your head against his chest.

"Sometimes when she's here I almost want to rethink the whole baby thing," you admitted.

Eddie chuckled, running his hand up and down your arm. "You say that every time she's here, and two days later you change your mind again."

"I know, but I can't help it. I just love her so much."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I do, too."

You turned to look up at him. "Would you ever want to rethink it?"

"Dunno," he answered. "Doesn't help that you've been on the pill since before we met. And we use condoms."

"Not all the time," you told him.

"Yeah, and when we don't, I always pull out 'cause I love seeing that pretty belly all covered in my cum."

"Jesus," you gasped. You felt your cheeks go warm as you turned to face the TV once again.

"What?" Eddie asked, a smile evident in his voice. "You're the one talking about making babies."

"I was talking about having babies," you corrected. "Raising them. Not making them, ya little perv."

“Okay, well excuse me for getting confused, but ya know you can’t have the baby without making it first.”

You looked up at him again. His eyes were dark, you could feel the bulge beginning to form in his jeans. “You wanna make a baby with me?” You asked, your voice dipping into a husky tone.

“I’d certainly like to try.”

“Yeah?” You asked, barely louder than a whisper. He was already leaning towards you, nodding his head as a small ‘uh huh’ fell from his parted lips.

The moment his lips met yours, it was heated. It was messy and desperate and passionate. His hand cupped your jaw as he moved to lie you down. Your back hit the couch softly. He moved to hover over you, his free hand supporting him on the back of the couch.

“Want me to fill you up? Huh?” He asked between kisses. “Want my babies?”

You nodded as his lips trailed across your cheek and down your jaw. Your soft whimpers were offset by the deep, low growls coming from Eddie above you. He pulled back from you after a moment, towering over you as he straightened his back. He was still perched on his knees between your open thighs but he seemed so much taller than you as you lay beneath him. He took the hem of your shirt in his hands and expertly pulled it over your head, tossing it across the room like it burned his hand to hold it. He cupped your breasts over your bra, a cocky sort of smile on his face as he kneaded your flesh in his palms.

“God, you’re so fuckin’ pretty,” he moaned. He leaned down, connecting his lips to yours as his hands snaked around your back to unclasp your bra. He dropped it beside the couch as his hands traveled lower down your body. His warm, soft palms mapped every inch of your body as he made his way to the button on your jeans. He moved to kiss your neck as he popped the button open, the zipper slowly following.

“Been waiting to taste you all weekend, baby,” he sighed into your neck as he tucked his fingers into the waistband of your jeans. “You looked so fuckin’ hot in your bathing suit. And poor little me, I couldn’t even do anything about it.”

You lifted your hips as he pulled your jeans down your legs, leaving you in just your panties. He dropped your jeans on top of your discarded bra beside the couch. He once again straightened his back so that he was above you. You bit your lip as you watched him shuffle back on his knees. The anticipation alone was enough to have you soaking through the cotton that covered your core.

He gently pulled your underwear down your thighs. Once they reached your knees he lifted your legs one at a time to slide your feet though the holes. He planted soft, open mouthed kisses to your knees in turn before letting them fall back to the couch. Once you were naked beneath him his smile turned downright deadly. He laid down on his stomach, his shoulders between your knees as he gazed up at you.

“Love you so much, baby,” he sighed as he wrapped one hand around your thigh. Your eyes rolled into the back of your head when his pillowy lips finally wrapped around your aching clit. He used two fingers of his free hand to split your folds before dipping his middle finger into your entrance. You mewled, overwhelmed his sensation as he began to move the single finger in and out of you.

“Fuck,” you whined. “God, baby, need more.”

Eddie obliged, like you knew he would. He added a second finger without missing a beat. He began to lap at your clit with his tongue, timing it with the thrusts of his fingers. He groaned, sending a shock of vibrations through you. You reached between your legs and took his long curls between your fingers. He groaned again, and you couldn’t help but to tighten your grip.

Your legs began to shake as Eddie expertly worked you to your orgasm. His tongue and fingers knew you so well. Knew exactly how to get you to the best orgsams of your life. The knot deep in your core suddenly snapped as he curled his fingers inside of you. You came loudly, a broken cry of his name falling from your open mouth like water from a fountain. Eddie kept his speed, never faltering for a second as he allowed your release to wash over his face and hand. You knew he loved it. He’d told you as much when you started dating all those years ago.

Once you finally floated back to earth, you pulled your hands away from his hair. Your signal that you were done. That he needed to stop if he didn’t want to overstimulate you. Eddie sat up on his knees and used his fingers to gather up every drop of your orgasm from his chin. Once he was satisfied that he had gotten every delicious drop, he pulled his own shirt over his head. You reached forward and began to undo his belt as he tossed his shirt behind him.

“Needy little thing, aren’t you?” He giggled as you fumbled with the buckle. He moved your hands out of the way and undid the belt in record time. You expected him to stand and drop his jeans onto the floor. Instead, he only pulled down the zipper and pushed his jeans and underwear down just enough to free his rock hard cock.

You felt yourself begin to salivate as you watched him wrap his hand around himself. He groaned as he gave a few soft tugs to his shaft. His other hand fell to your knee as he shuffled forward just a bit.

He ran the head of his cock through your fold a few times. You jolted when he made contact with your sensitive clit, earning a smile from him each time. It felt like a sick sort of mercy when he finally plunged himself into you, bottoming out with no warning. He fell on top of you, planting his hand into the cushion beside your head.

“Love fuckin’ you like this, princess,” he moaned into your ear. “Soft and warm and tight, just for me.”

You wanted to answer him. You wanted to tell him that you loved it, too. That it was all for him. That he was the only one who could ever make you feel this good. But the words escaped you as he slowly pulled himself out of you. You held your breath as you waited for him to move. When he did, all you could do was let out a noise that fell somewhere between a moan and a cry. You felt him smile into your neck as he set a brutal pace. In and out, in and out. Quick and hard and exactly what you both needed.

You dug your nails into the backs of his shoulders as you felt a second orgasm building. “Can you cum again for me, princess?” He asked, punctuating every other word with another hard thrust. “Can you cum all over my cock for me, baby?”

You nodded quickly. Your eyes wrenched closed as he continued to fuck you. Each thrust pushed you closer and closer to the edge and you knew that this would be a big one.

“Fuck, fuck, fu-” You whined with each thrust. “Gonna- ah, fuck-”

“Yeah,” he moaned into your ear. “Yeah, baby, wanna feel you cum around me. Yeah, just like that.” Each word was accompanied by another deep thrust.

Finally you couldn’t stop it. Your orgasm hit you hard. You saw stars behind your eyelids as Eddie continued, his pace picking up just slightly as you came. He groaned as you clenched around him.

Without a moment to spare, Eddie suddenly pulled out of you. He sat up straight on his knees above you one last time. Just like before, his left hand sat on your knee while his right hand wrapped tightly around himself. He tugged twice before you felt his hot cum hitting against your skin. He covered your stomach and chest with his load. You reveled in the low, gravelly moans that were coming from him as he milked himself all over you.

“Fuck,” he sighed as the last few drops of his cum dribbled from the red, angry head of his cock.

“That’s not how you make a baby,” you panted as he began to drag his finger through the mess he’d made on your stomach.

“Couldn’t help it,” He shrugged as he gathered some of his cum between two of his fingers. “You just look so fuckin’ good. Layin’ there, naked and covered in cum. Fuckin’ masterpiece, babe.”

You reached out and grabbed his wrist. His brows furrowed almost pathetically as you wrapped your lips around his fingers. You swirled your tongue, collecting his cum before swallowing.

"We can't have babies," he announced, breathing heavily. "I really love being able to fuck you into the couch on Sunday afternoons and we probably can't do that if we have kids running around the house."

He giggled to himself as he stood from the couch. He bent over to retrieve his shirt from the floor, wiping himself with it before tucking his spent cock back into his jeans. He left the fly unzipped as he kneeled on one knee beside the church and turned his attention to you. The cheap cotton scratched against your skin as he began to clean his cum from your stomach. As you watched him, you couldn't help but to be a little disappointed with what he'd said. You loved him. You loved him more than anyone. The kind of love that would have you stepping in front of a bus for him.

"You really don't want kids with me?" You asked quietly as he was finishing cleaning you up. "Like, you don't even want to talk about it?"

He was almost surprised when he looked up at you. His dark eyebrows were hidden beneath the blunt cut of his bangs. His eyes were wide, almost sorry looking. You couldn't blame him, really. You were the one who had been the most adamant about not wanting kids. Eddie was more go with the flow. A very "if it happens, it happens" kind of mindset.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow?" He asked. "Right now I'd give you my left eye if you asked for it. And that's a conversation we should have with level heads, yeah?"

"Yeah," you agreed with a small nod. "You're right."

He offered a small smile before taking your hand in his and planting a lingering kiss to the back. He stood up, pulling you by the hand into a sitting position. "Come on, babe," he said softly. "Let's take a shower." You grinned, always happy at the idea of a shower with Eddie. You followed him into the bathroom and let him wash your hair, his long fingers massaging your scalp before you did the same for him.

You did talk the next day. And then again a few years later. And once more when your niece was 13. Each time was after their annual summer vacation visit. And each time, you would sit down with Eddie and ultimately decide that you had made the right choice. You were both happy with the life you made together. You were happy to have a niece, and eventually two nephews, to love and spoil and watch grow up. And that was enough for the two of you.

~~~~~

#eddie munson/female reader #eddie munson/plus size reader #eddie munson/reader #eddie munson/you #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x plus size reader #eddie munson x fem reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson au #eddie munson smut

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fierymiasma · 11 months

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✽ Five Times....// Sebastian x f!MC ✽

Summary: Five times Sebastian Sallow Was Jealous and One Time He Didn't Have to Be (Part 2)

Words: 2.7k

Part 1 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Full Fic

|| Masterlist || AO3 || Upcoming ||

Chapter 2: Girls

"So…how did it go?" Sebastian asked in his most causal voice.

The hero of Hogwarts pointedly ignored him, focused on the transfiguration before her.

Sebastian pouted, resting his cheek on his hand. She had been avoiding Sebastian ever since he interrupted her date at Hogsmeade. He tried to respect her need for space. After all, how many times did Sebastian need to pout and be alone with his thoughts in their 5th year?

But it's been two whole days since they talked. Practically eons. Surely, she didn't expect to starve Sebastian of her companionship? For the past two nights, he barely had any sleep, tossing and turning, dying to learn of the outcome of the date. If she and Ben Harrrington had decided to go steady, Sebastian wouldn't know what to do with himself.

Pouting silently next to her, he watched her transform her teacup into a gerbil. Transfiguration was one of those fields that was just as much of an art than science. Sure, any ordinary witch or wizard could brute force solid masses and conglomerate it into its final product but…she…?

She made it look so easy, fluid lines and masses moving like water, shifting beautifully amongst itself to transform into her desires. The hero of Hogwarts was always naturally gifted at magic. Sebastian always took pleasure in just watching her in her element.

Still, he had to wonder. He gazed at her with his undivided attention. His own gerbil had long wandered off having been entirely forgotten. "How did it go?"

"How did what go?" she feigned ignorance.

He huffed. She was smart enough to know exactly what Sebastian was referring to. "Your…date," he hissed through gritted teeth. "with Benjamin Cushings-

"Ben Carrow." She corrected, still not looking up at Sebastian.

Sebastian resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the mention at the other boy's name.

She chewed on her bottom lip. With a swish of her wand, the gerbil turned back into a teacup. In all honesty, the date hadn't gone as well as she had hoped. Maybe it was Sebastian's interruption complicating her already confusing feelings, or maybe she was really not compatible with the 7th year. She had been so sure Sebastian was about to confess his feelings towards her. Everyone had told her that the other Slytherin boy harbored a crush on her.

They were wrong. She was wrong. It was clear that Sebastian didn't think of her as anything more than a friend.

The better she came to terms with it, the better.

Sebastian shifted nervously at her lack of response. She didn't understand. Sebastian needed to know. He needed to know if all of his chances with her were completely dashed. Using his signature Sebastian Sallow charm, he angled his body towards her, fluffing his hair a bit, sitting exactly right.

"I assume it didn't go all too well?" Sebastian pouted dramatically, "It's a shame. I rather liked him. Seemed like a right chap." He stretched his arms over his head languidly, knowing full well that the muscles in his arms would shift ever so slightly against his tight school outfit. "Don't worry your head about it. Plenty of blokes in the sea."

Finally, she slammed her fist on the desk in anger, her first real reaction during this whole conversation. There was an ugly twist to her mouth as she glared at Sebastian with utter contempt.

"Actually, Sallow, the date went fantastic!" She hissed through gritted teeth. "It was just grand, thankyouverymuch. In fact, Ben and I are going to go off an elope to London right after his graduation, and our wedding will be attended by a herd of magical unicorns, and we'll skip into the sunset."

Abruptly, she stood up from her seat, her chair screeching backwards noisily. "I have to talk to Natty about something."

With a swish of her hair, she turned away, stomping rather dramatically towards Natty's desk, no doubt trying to find herself a new Transfiguration partner.

Sebastian was again left alone at their desk, with only her hairy gerbil sized teacup for company.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Dismissed from Transfiguration class, Sebastian shouldered past the rest of his classmates. "Natty!" The Gryffindor alone. It was the perfect time for Sebastian to do snooping. "Natsai!"

"Sebastian!" Natty turned around. "How was your weekend?"

"Good," Sebastian rushed, sparing the details. The rest of the students walked around them, no doubt annoyed that they were blocking their path. "And yours?"

"Great! I got to spend some time with friends by the Black Lake-"

"-Oh? Was the new Crossed Wand Champion there?" Sebastian feigned ignorance, as if he wasn't stalking her the whole weekend.

Natty's eyes twinkled with mirth. They were too knowing. Still, she was kind enough to not point out how desperate he appeared. "Oh, no, actually I believe she was on a date."

"Oh? A date? That's fantastic." Sebastian's smile was far too wide and far too fake. "And how did it go… the date?" Sebastian asked in a light airy tone, as if he wasn't dying to know every single detail.

Natty mimicked zipping her lips. "My lips are solemnly sealed under the oath I have taken upon joining Girl Talk."

Sebastian's brows knitted in confusion. "Girl Talk?"

She beamed; her teeth dazzling. "Our weekly afternoon tea sessions with Imelda, Poppy, your crush, and myself."

"I don't have a crush on her." Sebastian mumbled darkly underneath his breath.

Natty ignored his comments. "My friend, I am sorry, but I cannot share anything with you. If you really want to know, perhaps you should ask her yourself."

He huffed. Well, he just tried that, and for some reason, it didn't go as well as he expected. Sebastian's eyes widened innocently. "Really, not even for me, your old dueling partner?"

Natty was impervious. She shook her head resolutely. "I am afraid not. It is just as grave as an unbreakable vow. Breathe a word from girl talk, and I am effectively banished from Hogwarts for Life."

He rolled his eyes. Getting Natty to ever change her mind was like getting Headmaster Black to suddenly become tolerant of Muggles: impossible.

"Sebastian, I sense the feeling that my weekend is not at the forefront of your mind," The corner of Natty's lips ticked upwards, "What is it that is troubling you?"

Sebastian sighed. Natty was perceptive as ever. Always able to pinpoint what was truly bothering people. "Nothing. Our vertically challenged friend is just avoiding me is all. She hasn't even invited me on her outings outside Hogwarts in weeks." He crossed his arms. "I should be so lucky it's mostly you and Poppy that she goes on her adventures with. I wouldn't know what I would do if she chose some troll-headed boy like Benjamin Cushings to tag along with her misadventures."

Natty frowned, confused. "Why does it matter? Girl or Boy? The possibility of her developing feelings for either Poppy or myself is still present, yes?"

Warning bells rang in Sebastian's head. Her first date with Ben What's-his-face now entirely forgotten. "Wait, what are you saying? Does she like…"

Natty giggled, mischief in her eye. "Whether or not 'your crush' likes girls, boys, or both, is not for me to answer. That is something you must ask her yourself. But…." she sang in a teasing voice. "I have noticed how quickly her eyes look at my backside when she thinks no one is watching her."

The ground was spinning. Sebastian fought to steady himself. Now, no one was safe. Not only did he have to worry about the male students that she interacted with, but the female students as well. It instantly doubled the number of people he now had to keep his eyes on. Natty, Poppy, Imelda, Anne.

…Anne….

Oh Merlin, Anne. He's left her alone with Anne many times. How naïve he's been thinking his lonely sister could use some female company, a new friend in the lonely cottage in Feldcroft. How positively elated he'd been when his new best friend and sister became thick as thieves. Sebastian's heart would skip a beat whenever the hero of Hogwarts would go out of her way to stop by Feldcroft and drop off freshly made scones.

Oh Merlin the scones…what if…there were never any scones…what they've been secretly snogging this whole time?

After all, she's never made him scones before.

"If I could offer some advice, my old Cross Wands partner," Natty interrupted his thoughts. "My father has always told me sharing my feelings is better than holding them in. Perhaps, if you told our friend your concerns, you'll find them much more manageable than you anticipate."

Sebastian wrinkled his nose. Tell his crush friend how he felt? No thanks. He'd rather be trapped in the Scriptorium. Biding Natty a very hasty goodbye, Sebastian sprinted to the hero of Hogwarts's favorite hiding spot in the Transfiguration courtyard.

Curled in the shade of the biggest tree in the courtyard, she had books spread around her, jotting down notes on parchment. Without so much as a hello, Sebastian grabbed her by the arm (strangely she did not protest at this), dragging her to a secluded corner of the courtyard by her sleeve. He waited until the coast was clear.

"Sebastian! What is all the fuse about? I have a 14 inch paper due for Professor Binns!"

He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. He turned back to hiss quietly. "Are you interested in girls?"

She scrunched her nose in confusion, essay forgotten. "Come again?"

Sebastian paced back and forth, rubbing the back of his neck. Every fiber in his body wanted to wrap her closer, shake an answer out of her. "Some people, rumors really, around the school say that you prefer girls as well as guys."

He did not get the reaction he wanted. She folded her arms, leaning away from him. "And, since when did you care for school gossip?" She asked coldly. "Why does it matter to you if I like girls or if I like guys?"

He felt like pulling his hair. What did it matter? It was only the most important question in all of Hogwarts! What if she wasn't interested in boys at all? What if her date with Whats-his-name was just a cover? Oh Merlin, was Sebastian doomed from the very start?

"Of course it matters! I need to know!" Her disgusted expression made him backtrack. "As your friend of course. I'm not…I'm not…a hateful git or anything." She scoffed, walking away. "Oh don't be like that. You know I'm not against the idea of two woman or two men being together. Merlin, Sirona is one of the best people I know…and….and Professor Garlick! I'm pretty sure she fancies a lady! Not sure who..but…you know she looks the type!"

His friend stopped walking away from him. Her body was stiff. Her voice was low and dangerous. "She looks the type?"

Sebastian could sense he was about to walk into a trap he didn't know he sprung. "Well, I mean the general…aura. But it doesn't matter! Point is, I will always be your friend. Regardless of who-I mean, what type of person you like!"

Her eyes narrowed, Sebastian was getting on her last fucking nerve. First the date, then the incessant nagging during Transfiguration, now this. What had gotten in Sebastian recently?

Spinning around, she marched back to Sebastian. She was going to give him a piece of her mind. Before she could spew her angry tirade, the words were caught in her throat.

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Sebastian had a soft expression on his face. He was shuffling his feet nervously in the courtyard. His hair had fallen from its normally perfect coif, tumbling over his brow. No doubt, he had been grabbing at its roots, in frustration. He gazed at her through its strands with wide bright eyes.

And just as suddenly as it came, her anger deflated. This was Sebastian, her closest friend in Hogwarts. No matter what awful thing he did, she could never be too angry at him. "You wouldn't reveal this secret of mine to everyone in Hogwarts?"

"Never." Sebastian answered automatically. "Every secret you tell me, I guard with my life. I would never betray you like that. And, no matter who you like, you'll always be one of my closest friends. That I can promise." He was alarmed at his own sincerity. Sebastian would never stop caring for her, even if she didn't reciprocate his feelings, though…he'd much rather prefer if she did feel the same way.

Her shoulders relaxed. "Even if I was only attracted to nasally annoying gits named Leander Prewitt?"

"Prewitt??? Blasted Prewitt??" he sputtered at her laughter. "Now, hold on a minute. Your preferences don't mean you have to lack taste! Like any gender you want, but Leander Prewitt? Leander? What? Too many troll attacks knock your head a bit lose? Prewitt?"

She tried to stifle her laughter behind her robe sleeves. She looked more relax, all the tension disappearing from her shoulders. She knew Sebastian was an stand up gentleman deep down, but she couldn't help but be a bit nervous talking about a subject as sensitive as this. She could never knew how people would react in this day and age. She wouldn't want to lose her best friend. "Alright, alright, Sebastian. Don't bully the poor boy. I get it. You're not an ignorant prude."

"Only when it comes to Prewitt." Sebastian muttered underneath his breath.

Her expression softened, overwhelmingly relieved that Sebastian was an ally (abetted an awkward one at that). She pulled Sebastian into an unexpected hug, tucking her face into the crook of his neck. Her hands gripped on his robes hard. It was silly that she was so worried talking to Sebastian about something like this. It was Sebastian, the boy who always stood by her side. She should have known from the very first moment Sebastian took the fall for their adventure in the restricted section that he would do anything for her.

Sebastian was thrown off, instantly overwhelmed. He didn't know what prompted the hug, but the Slytherin wasn't going to ever let opportunities like this pass over him. Quickly seizing his moment, he wrapped his arms around her, holding onto her tightly. He never wanted to let her go. He basked in her scent, surrounded by the intoxicating scent of her flowery perfume. Honeysuckle, lavender, and her favorite apple tarts from the kitchen. Soft strands of her hair tickled his cheek. Her arms were so sure and comforting around him.

Merlin, this feeling was dangerous. In her arms, everything felt so right. The world was at peace and every insurmountable problem in Sebastian's life had entirely slipped his mind. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what he was feeling, but whatever it was, it was far more dangerous than any dark arts that he had ever dabbled in. Before he could take it in any more, the hug was over. Just as quickly it started, it was gone.

He missed her warmth.

The transfer stood in front of him, awkwardly fidgety as if she was surprised by her own reactions. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, good talk Sebastian. I…I have to go finish my History of Magic Essay before Binns gives me detention. Um, see you at dinner!" With that rushed goodbye, she scurried out of the corridor.

Sebastian stood there lamely still trying to memorize the scent of her shampoo. His heart was pounding as though he just fought off a troll and won. He folded his arms. "She never did answer my question, did she?"

Part 3

------

A/N: MC is bisexual af. Sebastian's just too stupid to read between the lines.

#hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow fanfiction #hphl #harry potter #sebastian sallow fic #harry potter hogwarts game #jealous!sebastian #hl #hogwarts legacy mc #natty onai #hogwarts legacy sebastian

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eqt-95 · 6 months

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a new kind of romance, pt 4

part 3 | zippers

🧁 | frosting

“Are you… baking?” Kara asked, nose sniffing toward the oven emitting scrumptious confetti-cake smells. She was interrupted only by the already-baked cupcakes sitting on the counter.

“Mhm,” Lena replied, wiping her fingers clean of powdered sugar. “No eating!”

“Wh-what?” Kara scowled, pulling away just in time to avoid a swat. “Why not?”

“They’re for Esme’s bake sale.”

“I don’t remember this being part of ‘godmother’ duties,” Kara pouted, collapsing onto a stool across from three dozen cooling cupcakes desperately wanting to be frosted, sprinkled, then inhaled by Kara Danvers, Girl of Steel and possessor of Bottomless Stomach.

“It’s not,” Lena laughed, “but Kelly called in a bind, and since I had the evening off-”

“To hang out with me,” Kara interrupted.

“-to hang out with you, yes, but I thought you could help me.”

“How?” Kara prodded, scanning the kitchen: the oven held four racks of baking tins, the dirty dishes were already churning away in the dishwasher, and there was a great, giant bowl of homemade buttercream sitting in front of Lena.

“Decorating,” Lena said cheerily. “But first, help me with this. It isn’t quite right; I think maybe too much lemon? Here:”

And then there was a finger.

A finger.

Extended.

Extended and dolloped with butter cream.

A butter-creamed finger hovering expectantly and Kara wasn’t sure if it was her heart stopping or the world halting on its axis. Because time definitely froze. The warm smile on Lena’s face, the dimples marking her cheeks, the bright spark in her eyes sat in the periphery of Kara’s eyes which were fixed and frantic and hungry, staring hesitantly - obsessively - at the perfectly extended digit.

“T-try-? It?”

“I need that discerning tongue of yours,” Lena said, and maybe if Kara wasn’t already struggling to overcome all of the thoughts flooding her brain, that comment might have sent her spiraling. Fortunately, that was already happening.

And maybe there was something mischievous glinting behind that sparkle in Lena’s eyes, but that was not something Kara had capacity to process because the finger was not moving.

And maybe subconsciously Kara licked her lips, but that was not something Kara had self-awareness for because the finger was not wavering.

And maybe that sent Lena’s eyebrow arching in a mix of curiosity and daring and her own unsated hunger, but that was not something Kara noticed because the finger was not backing down.

“No?” Lena asked, and her voice was low and caked in challenge. “Supergirl turning down a snack; I might have to-”

And whatever words Lena might have said were caught in a breathy gasp because Kara, automatic and unthinking, wrapped her lips around Lena’s outstretched finger and ran her tongue over the soft dollop of sugary goodness until nothing but the pad of Lena’s finger was left under it. And that’s when Kara registered the expression on Lena’s face and the dilated pupils that made her eyes glow dark and in stark contrast to the brightly lit kitchen.

And that was something Kara didn’t know what to do with. Because the tease didn’t feel so much like a tease anymore, and a line felt very close to being crossed and there certainly wasn’t a world where Lena Luthor would want Kara crossing that line because it wasn’t even a line Kara knew existed - even considered existed - until this moment and what even would it look like to cross that line? Soft and warm and heavenly and perfect and everything Lena Luthor already was but... more?

“Thoughts?”

None. How could Kara possibly have any thoughts when her mouth was still processing lines and the light, sweet, lemon-zesty flavors and textures and feeling of Lena’s finger and then - then - Lena’s question coming dry and throaty and nothing like her retreating, glistening wet finger?

“Uh.” Gerbils were more articulate. Anything was more articulate. But Kara didn’t have spare bandwidth to weigh in on that. Instead she braced herself against the countertop and breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth.

“Nothing?” Lena asked - teased.

“I-I just… I uhm…” Kara sputtered, her vision clouding and hands curling against the counter edge.

“Here, maybe you need another taste?”

And yea, Kara was absolutely going to be blamed for the giant crack that appeared in the countertop and blush furiously at the next game night and want to fly straight into the sun because “oh Rao.”

- - - - - - part 5 | could we? wood we?

#and yea i start half of these sentences in the middle of a conjunction. what am i gonna do about it... edit? i don't think so #and no i was not expecting to write these so quickly #but when we're talking about lena and frosting it sort of writes itself?#new romances #supercorp ficlet #supercorp #kara danvers #lena luthor

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ashesandhackles · 7 months

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Chapter 1,2,3,4,5

I love this chapter for how much it pokes fun at politicians, particularly the political opponent saying, " a grim mood has gripped the country," barely concealing his grin or the detail of Fudge turning the PM's tea cup into gerbil and how it chews the corner of his next speech XD

Emmeline Vance seems to be put on guard for Muggle PM by the Order (Snape implies as much in next chapter), cos she was murdered on the PM's premises.

Kingsley is also assigned to protect Muggle PM, but by the order of the Ministry (perhaps also a move by the Order?)

meta for this chapter: democracy in wizarding world by @whinlatter

Love the moody opening shot of 2nd chapter: mist over a dirty river, the chimney: a relic of disused mill, and a scrawny fox looking for fish and chips. Bellatrix makes a quick entrance in the scene by killing that fox.

Love the juxtaposition of Narcissa's familiarity with Spinner's End to Bellatrix's utter contempt. (In this Muggle dunghill?)

Bellatrix does not expect Narcissa to hurt her: it reads both dismissive of the baby sister, but also an expectation of familial loyalty (your own sister?) She is so surprised by Narcissa jinxing her, she keeps sufficient distance between them later on.

the comparison to Narcissa looking like a "drowned person": a reference to myth of Narcissus.

Love how the narration makes a comment that Snape's childhood home is a "dark padded cell". It parallels Sirius being in Grimmauld Place, a place of childhood wounds. Both grown men in self-inflicted prisons.

Wormtail and Snape are flatmates, which is hilarious. Snape is the spy, and keeping Wormtail, his most inclined traitor in the flat is a way to keep both of them in check (Wormtail listens at doors to get information to curry favours). Of course, Snape uses this opportunity to humiliate Wormtail and make him an errand boy XD

Voldemort is really a cult leader: there is factionalism and resentment between DEs, as indicated by Bellatrix's jealousy of Snape's supposed favourable position. A feeling other DEs seem to share who apparently carry "false stories of treachery" to Voldemort.

Snape uses Bellatrix' high regard for Voldemort's capabilities against her XD most of my analysis of this interaction is here

the petty bickering Imao: Snape putting down Bellatrix for the Ministry fiasco, Bellatrix throwing Lucius under the bus and Narcissa shutting that down XD

I love the Emmeline Vance tidbit: we know she was murdered in the Muggle PM's backyard. Snape says it was on his information that Emmeline Vance was murdered, and Dumbledore says in DH: "To give Voldemort what appears to be valuable information while withholding the essentials is a job I would entrust to nobody but you." This gives an idea of how Dumbledore works: like in the Seven Potters plan - the correct date is given, but the Order having seven Harry's gambit isnt disclosed (Mad Eye dies in this ambush). I think Emmeline Vance incident worked similarly: the information given to Voldemort is broad details, and it puts an Order member in a life and death position - and unfortunately, she dies.

Narcissa and Snape, both on the floor, kneeling, while Narcissa kisses his hand and asks for an Unbreakable Vow. It is a pretty charged scene - where she is asking Snape to be Draco's protector and the vows almost read like a marriage.

Snape makes the Unbreakable Vow, knowing Dumbledore has asked him to kill him. But even then, Snape resists the idea of actually killing Dumbledore (and we know he hates doing it) - to the point the other alternative is death.

The newspaper opening of Ch3 to build details about the wizarding world is so cool. Also Augusta Longbottom giving interviews to Prophet after Neville helps Harry in OOTP lol XD she had stopped her subscription in previous book

Harry does not allow himself to hope that Dumbledore would come to rescue him and he hasn't packed. The only allowance he made to the possibility he would be rescued from Dursleys is shutting Hedwig in her cage :(

"long experience told him to stay out of his uncle's arms reach whenever possible"

"agapanthus is flourishing" - agapanthus are commonly known as Lily of the Nile. Interesting gardening note about Petunia, and memory of Lily that surrounds the house.

"we have corresponded of course" ah, Dumbledore reminding Petunia of the letter she had sent him, begging to be taken to Hogwarts.

Blacks are patriarchal. The houses are inherited via the male line.

Harry is so strikingly monosyllabic, more than usual at the discussion of Sirius' will. He really does not want to talk about it, nor think about it. But the bubbling grief within him, the anger - we see a glimpse when Harry stands up at the suggestion that Bellatrix will get Grimmauld place.

Dumbledore expresses his anger through coldness: there is a bit in the scene where he just raises a finger and strikes Vernon into silence (it could be just the power of his gesture and the dynamic in the room, it could be Dumbldore doing magic - but either way, its an effective way to show how much he controls the room).

Petunia, who had previously received kind response from Dumbledore and a Howler later when she changed her mind, is successfully guilted by Dumbledore over their treatment of Harry. She looked "oddly flushed"

The way the book begins with Dumbledore assuring Harry that he won't be attacked by saying: "You are with me" and one of the last exchanges Dumbledore has with Harry in the books is: "I'm not worried Harry, I'm with you." My heart <3

The difference in perception of Dumbledore's speed: Slughorn notices the lag, but Harry in the previous chapter couldn't tell when the wand moved. Nice way to illustrate Dumbledore's skill.

Notes from Slughorn about Lily: Charming, vivacious and cheeky. The cheekiness especially is very reminiscent of Harry.

Slughorn's casual bigotry and his token Muggleborn faves: Lily and Dirk Cresswell.

"it was hard to sympathise with Slughorn's cossetted existence when he remembered Sirius, crouching in a cave and living on rats". Stab me, why dont you:(

harry's first thought of seeing the Burrow, his second most favourite building: "Ron's in there..". Ronarry.

Harry spent two weeks in Privet Drive, refusing meals (his go to method of punishing himself), "full of chill emptiness" at the thought of Sirius' death. "It's hard, knowing he wont write to me again":(

Tonks had come in for "tea and sympathy" with Molly late at night. Molly tries to get her around when Remus and Mad Eye will be home, but Tonks declines the offer. Probably to offer Remus and herself space. She also could not quite meet Dumbledore's eyes - and I wonder if its her feelings about the mission Remus is going on speaking.

Harry spent two weeks at Privet drive refusing meals, and the moment he steps into the Burrow, he realises how hungry he is. It is very telling how much he is allowing himself to be cared for by Molly in this moment.

Molly illustrating what's wrong with Slughorn's old boys club by casually talking about how he never noticed Arthur (similar to how Slughorn would treat Ron in this book)

Molly is carrying around the clock of hers, now that wizarding world is in open warfare. The clock is in the wash basket:pleading_face:

Hedwig waiting for Harry before proceeding to go off hunting. What a cutie.

Okay, I love the scene blocking for trio here: Harry lies back down on the bed after greeting Ron, Ron pulls a cardboard box closer and sits next to his bedside while Hermione sits at the edge of the bed. There is a casual intimacy to this that I really love.

"we thought it'd be something like that?" "you did?" XD love how much Harry knows Ron and Hermione's silent language and is amused by the change of narrative tack.

the main love interest of the novel just slouches into the room looking irritable, lol. And she leaves the scene by trying to imitate Fleur's exit - "hands held aloft like a ballerina". XD

Hermione and Ginny being bitchy about Fleur is really telling moment of their friendship - especially Hermione dropping her voice to go, "She's so full of herself" XD. I love what Fleur seems to bring out in them - Ginny does not want to be patronised, and Hermione does not take kindly to what she feels is Fleur's unearned vanity. There is also an undercurrent of jealousy because of Ron's response to Fleur ("It's pathetic," Hermione says when Ron tries to tell Harry why he isnt used to Fleur's Veela aura)

"there isnt much to do here unless you like cooking and chickens" and Fleur indirectly slapping Mrs Weasley across her face with sheet of her hair lmao. Living for the pettiness.

"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror" - Hermione backing Tonks as an option over Fleur is also speaking about her feelings about what she feels Ron should value in a girl (i.e her).

Harry coming in to defend Fleur and then immediately wishing he hadnt spoken when Hermione ("Not you too!") and Ginny (I suppose you like the way she says 'Arry do you?") descend on him : "I'm just saying Phlegm - I mean Fleur-" Poor boy.

Interesting use of silence when Ron and Hermione argue over Tonks' feelings about Sirius death: Harry proceeds to eat to deflect, while Ginny is observing the whole thing without interrupting the conversation. Harry only speaking up when he finds a point of connection with Tonks with his own grief and self blame: "She thinks it's her fault he died." No wonder he tries to open up to her later in the book: "I miss him too"

Hermione is really frightened by the implications of the prophecy, when Ron tries to bring up what the Prophet says, she shushes him, and when Harry finally confirms it, she squeezes the twins' telescope hard.

Ron just really thinks of Harry as a hero: he is amazed at the prophecy, and he assures Harry that dumbledore teaching him lessons means that Harry isnt a goner. "He must think you have a chance!" It's this tiny hero worship that is there, where he puts himself down in favour of Harry that gets equalised in next book, as Harry tells him - "Stuff like that has always been cooler than it really was. I've been trying to you for years."

Hermione's entire nervous meltdown in the kitchen over OWL results is so funny. "Hermione's hands were shaking so much she made her whole owl tremble" LOL.

ooh the sweetness of this moment. Ginny nervously asking how Hermione did, and Hermione is like "not bad" and Ron striding over to her in full confidence of her genius ("oh come off it"), announcing her results and teasing, "You're actually disappointed, arent you?" Romione <3

Chapter 6,7,8,9,10

Quidditch in Orchard, and triple helpings of food: Harry is happy :(cant do without mentioning @whinlatter fantastic fic Orchards here)

Also, Hermione is SUCH a sport for playing Quidditch with them lol.

Harry, in true runaway fashion, being upset about Florean Fortescue, the man who gave him free ice creams and homework help during POA :(

Draco's first dialogue is about his mother coddling him - he clearly wanted to do stuff alone for his mission, but Narcissa is hanging on.

Harry's Sirius grief and rage coming back again: he notices in the second meeting with Narcissa that she resembles Bellatrix. He doesn't lower his wand and steps forward to intimidate her. It's a tense scene where they both imply the other can't do much - but Narcissa picks at the wound that is propelling Harry: "I expect Potter would be reuniting with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius."

Fred (and george) always being surprised when Hermione compliments their magic: "For that Hermione, you can have one for free." He respects her intellect.

Just Fred and George casually displaying their enterpreunership: capitalising on people's fears and making it funny, having a Muggle novelty section as well as the DADA line, drawn from their experience of Dumbledore's Army. Telling what kind of competence we are dealing with at Ministry if Fred and George are getting massive money for their DADA line.

Harry paying unusual amount of attention to Fred and George grilling Ginny about her dating life. We see how she is edging into the narration slightly in this chapter, on the periphery.

Ginny, the 'sporty' girl, loves cute Pygymy Puffs. <3

Borgin bowing to Draco as deeply as he once did Lucius Malfoy after Draco finishes his demands: showing Draco's status as a "man" (a status he seems to be negotiating with his mother, who he snaps at for treating him like a child)

Ron and Hermione bickering all the way to the joke shop and then presenting a united front in front of Molly about how they were not missing, but just in the back room XD

Harry and his obsessive spells and leaps of logic that neither of his friends appreciate: it was Malfoy this book, and Hallows in the next one XD he comes to the conclusion here, after pondering over Malfoy's behavior and Borgin's response- that he is a Death Eater

"I wouldn't go in the kitchen right now - there's a lot of Phlegm around" "I'll be careful not to slip in it" : there is a tenderness in how Harry responds to Ginny here, and I see it a bit of a charged moment. (@whinlatter noted how this scene is set with Ginny carrying laundry, and that would set the flowery scent association Harry would have later)

Harry wondering if Tonks would be part of his security arrangements - he is actively seeking her out, in the belief that they both share the same survivor's guilt.

Ginny's lower tolerance for Ron's crush on Fleur (she stuck her leg out when he goes to say goodbye to her): I've seen fics take it as her loyalty to Hermione and her annoyance on her behalf that her brother is behaving like this when Hermione is right there.

Harry actively seeking adults out with his suspicions and threats he feel is looming is a direct response from the communication break down from last year, when he didn't go to anyone and then Sirius died. He collaborates with adults this year to ensure those kinds of mistakes don't happen.

"Harry please. You're talking to the man who raised Fred and George." lol

Neville's new wand is made of cherry wood and unicorn hair: both emphasising his pure soul, but what I found interesting is that it matches Harry's holly with associations to immortality/ eternal life. @saintsenara noted: "cherry is associated in lots of British and Irish folklore with the infant Christ and Mary, and I love it as a reference to Neville's own motherlessness, and the fact he could, as we know now, also have been the Boy-Who-Lived"

Harry coldly refusing Romilda Vane by saying Luna ("looking like a multi-coloured owl") and Neville ("whose bottom was sticking out of his pants") are his friends, is a direct contrast to the last time he was in a compartment with them and was embarrassed that Cho saw him with them.

Slughorn missing out Belby while handing out pies after Belby revealed that he is not all that well connected to his uncle, oh boy. Anyway, this is a good meta to have as reference for Slughorn's old boy club.

Zabini is so pissed off at Ginny's intervention on Harry's behalf ("Yeah Zabini, because you're so talented.. at posing") that he actually gives Harry a "filthy look" once they leave and Harry "returns it with interest".. the understated sexual rivalry Imao.

How interesting that how quiet Neville's story is - even Malfoy can't guess at what could interest Slughorn. Given that it is essentially what his aunt went to Azkaban for.

"I wouldnt touch a filthy blood traitor like her, whatever she looked like" Blaise is still burning from Ginny's insult XD He doth protest too much. And Pansy is threatened enough by Ginny to actually watch Draco's reaction about her.

This meta by @indigo-scarf breaks down Draco and Blaise interaction better.

The brutality of Draco's ambush at the end of the chapter. It felt more personal than it had ever been before.

I love the illustration of Tonks' competence even while she is very clearly "unsmiling and miserable looking". She finds Harry because she noticed he hadn't come down from the train, and she checked the compartment where the blinds were drawn. (Although she very obviously does not care about appearances - her own, or Harry's in the moment. Hermione cleans up the dried blood on Harry's face later in the chapter and it just shows how much energy Tonks has in the moment to not think of this).

Harry's keenness to leave the "new, gloomy" Tonks behind shows how much he is avoiding his negative feelings (there is a self aware moment from him later in chapter where he admits he clings to blaming Snape for Sirius' death, because it feels satisfying. The weight of what happened in OOTP is too much for him to bear alone). This is the year where he redoubles his focus outside of himself - the obsessive spells over what Malfoy might be upto, trying (in his own way) to take care of Ron and Hermione.

Snape disparaging Tonks' Patronus while his own Patronus is a reflection of his love for Lily: classic Snape lashing out at anything that reminds him of himself lol. But ofc, he intends for the jibe to be his opinion of Remus.

Snape taking the Unbreakable Vow, Dumbledore giving him the jinxed DADA post. They both have really prepared for this year lol.

So begin the Lavendar shenanigans. Rowling sets up the teenage drama by having Lavendar interrupt the usual Ron-Hermione back and forth over free periods and Fanged Frisbee, with a "loud giggle." It's an interruption in their usual conversation rhythm, but Ron, who feels unseen and is insecure, is pleased with her attention.

Last book, Neville kicks away his father's wand in shedding of his legacy. McGonagall steers further away from the family legacies and expectations by asking him to drop Transfiguration (which he doesnt enjoy but is asked to take cos of his Gran), and do Charms instead. McGonagall reaffirms this with: "It's high time your grandmother learns to be proud of the grandson she has rather than the one she thinks she ought to have." (I also love the suggested familiarity of McGonagall going to drop a line to his gran about her failed Charms Owl)

Parvati is "crestfallen" that Firenze is no longer taking Divination. Lol, woman has her priorities straight.

Love the tiny moment here in Snape's class where Snape makes an implied jab about Harry's mind power and looks at Harry, and Harry looks back. And Snape has to look away - uncomfortable most likely by Lily's eyes glowering at him for too long. (I must say, Harry's redoubled antagonism for Snape is actually quite enjoyable to read, it lends an intensity to their scenes, plus it is also the year Harry "befriends" teenage Snape via his book and by the end of HBP, culminate in what I think is among the most complicated scenes in the series)

Hermione drawing parallels between Harry and Snape's words ("Isnt that what he is saying? That it comes down to being brave and quick thinking?") and the narrative will even more parallels by Deathly Hallows, setting them up as fellow abandoned boys, like Tom Riddle.

Amortentia is in a gold cauldron. Aesthetically pleasing as well for Harry XD While Harry is like, "it has something that I might have smelled at The Burrow", Hermione already knows her answer. She turns pink and does not complete her sentence. The reaffirmation of her attraction to Ron by a love potion nonetheless, is among other things that propels her to make a move.

In close proximity to Amortentia, Ron's feelings for Hermione is also on the surface and he gets annoyed when Hermione is radiant that Harry told Slughorn that she is the best in the year. There is a subtle element of competition from Ron for Hermione's attention/validation even in the beginning of the chapter. They both are not outwardly doing anything about it, but their feelings are bubbling to the surface even more this year.

In OOTP, Harry was so disconnected from Ginny's inner life that she had to remind him about her possession. Here, when she is alarmed and angry about him "taking orders from a book", he knew "what was on her mind at once." Speaks to the comfort and wavelength the dynamic reached over the summer.

The theme of competition is really strong in this book, with neither Ron and Hermione appreciating Harry's top position in class. Although, Harry astutely read it as Hermione thinking that what he does is akin to cheating, but not only is cheating is aggravating for Hermione, but cheating is even more aggravating when he gets to be top of the class (a position she does enjoy, and only gives up "coolly" if the win was fair). She becomes "increasingly bad tempered when her Potions yield poorer results than the Prince." For Ron, however, Slughorn increasingly treats him like he is invisible.

I also love how resilient the trio friendship is that they snipe at each other, but it immediately swings back to "ooh tell us what Dumbledore says! We will wait up for you." It shows a very healthy tolerance for conflict and tension between them (a point even Harry has reached after much development), even though fandom fixates on the dsyfunction lol.

I wonder what Harry thought when he recognised the graveyard - the place Voldemort was resurrected and site of his trauma - from a distance.

The setting of the Gaunt house is such that the entire house is hidden beneath the tangle of trees (probably to hide from 'busybodies, intruders, filth'), and it even blocks the light out. What a miserable sounding place to grow up i.

"now i come to think of it, i have seen noses like yours in the village" "i dont doubt it, if your son has been let loose on them" I love the humour in the proceedings, the beginning where Harry is wondering why Odgen is not understanding Morfin when he is perfectly clear by brandishing a knife in one hand and wand in the other XD

Merope's abuse is being illustrated so clearly in this chapter: her fear of her father, who keeps berating her and calling her a Squib (and also by the end of the scene nearly strangles her). And her brother, who attacked Tom because she was attracted to him. And of course, her cooking for them while they do nothing in a largely neglected home. It paints a stark, gendered picture. (as both @whinlatter and @saintsenara - there is a deeply troubling implication of incest here. I would also refer to @saintsenara top tier works on Merope Gaunt here)

Tom and Cecilia pass by, and while Tom shows his class snobbery, it is juxtaposed with the Gaunts being proud of their heritage and heirlooms that come from Slytherin himself.

"The shock of her desertion lead to his early death - or perhaps he simply never learned to feed himself" lol

Harry is so quiet after Dumbledore declares how Tom Riddle never cared to find out about his son. There is a lovely pause in the scene here, and a mood setting. But Voldemort's abandonment by his father is something Harry understands. He is also eager to know more, and seemed reluctant to leave the office. A new mystery.

Chapter 11, 12,13,14

Although Ron's "I'm tall" is played for laughs when Hermione is dispassionately listing out why Harry has become extra popular, there is a fluidity to Ron and Hermione's relationship this chapter which goes back and forth and is very accurate to teenage experience. Hermione didn't spare him her attention when he was seeking it, so when Lavender gave him a wide smile, he nearly "strutted" in his pleased confidence (a fact that amuses Harry and makes Hermione "cold and distant" to the point she doesn't wish Ron good luck). But when Ron makes it as a Keeper, he grins when Hermione finally comes and effusively praises him ("you did brilliantly Ron!" and we can see Lavendar leaving with Parvati looking grumpy) and Ron is specifically pointed out as being "taller than usual".

However, Ron's feelings of inadequacy around Harry rears its head again ("What are you two doing?" Ron asks suspiciously), when ironically Harry is confronting Hermione in private about Hermione confunding McLaggen - in her words, because a) he pissed her off by the way he was talking about Ron and Ginny b) realising he wont be a good teammate. And this feelings of inadequacy is exacerbated by Slughorn treating him as completely invisible by end of the chapter, so we see Ron staring over at Lavendar Brown before going to bed ("As I am not invited to any parties, I'm going to bed").

Harry immediately hoping for Bellatrix Lestrange's arrest. Again, the ripple effect from previous year.

Harry to Buckbeak: "How are you? Missing him? But you're Ok with hagrid, arent you?":( the way Harry opens up to the Hippogriff Sirius was on the run with as someone who'd understand what missing Sirius is like.

"Since when have yeh called me sir?" "Since when have you called me Potter?" The way he immediately knew how to turn tables on Hagrid when he shouted Potter, he deliberately emphasised the word "sir" to disarm Hagrid. The cheek (and slight manipulativeness) of this boy <3

Arthur actually acting on Harry's tip off and raiding Malfoy manor. As @messybutsheiskind pointed out- one of the first time an adult takes harry's suspicions seriously once confided in them, and checks it out. Harry later attempts to tell his (outlandish) suspicions to McGonagall.

Ron's exception for Hermione: "Reading textbooks in bed is an indecent behavior in everyone except Hermione, who was simply weird that way."

"Levicorpus" is a spell that caused Snape some trouble. I wonder if the non verbal modification came in later? It was apparently all the rage at some point in Hogwarts, per Remus. I cannot imagine the spell spreading unless it was performed verbally a few times, and then Snape revises it to a non-verbal spell.

I love the moment Harry wonders if the Prince is actually James (and actively pushes away the thought his father was a pureblood) - this is, once again, the loss of Sirius shining through. Sirius' letters can no longer bring him comfort, so could this funny, imaginative textbook be his new father figure?

Hermione makes a correlation between the spell and the one used by Death Eaters during the world cup, suggesting darker connotations not only for the spell, the Prince but also James himself. Harry gets a "sinking feeling" about not only his dad's use of it in SWM, but Hermione's judgement of it. You can tell this is one of the reasons he never tells Ron and Hermione about the memory.

Boy do I have feelings about Slughorn ignoring Ron as though "he were a display of Cockroach Cluster". Clearly, Harry also has strong feelings about it, which is why he schedules his Quidditch practices whenever he gets an invitation. (although hilarious that Ron, Ginny and him are merciless about Hermione spending nights with Zabini and McLaggen). I also like that both Harry and Hermione know that the encounter upset Ron, and they both try little ways to engage him (Harry showing extra interest in Sugar Quills, or Hermione asking Ron where he would want to go next).

Harry's Sirius wound bursts open in the Mundungus scene in a scary way. All my feelings about this very underrated scene that people should talk more about here.

Hermione thinks Harry is angry that Mundungus was stealing his stuff, when Harry is actually really angry about Mundungus disrespecting Sirius. It shows how much of his grief he has withheld from Ron and Hermione.

Ron attempting to get attention from Madam Rosmerta, and Hermione's waspish response to his "nothing" is : "I expect nothing's in the back getting more Firewhiskey" (related to the plot, Rosmerta is giving Katie the necklace). She is bothered by it enough that she keeps flickering her eyes between Ron and the bar. The kind of insecurity displayed here is very teenage-ish. (the author obviously finds jealousy very funny - given that she invokes it in Arthur/Molly next book, but I do kinda imagine older, more secure Romione being okay with knowing that they each find other people attractive and joke around about it. #bestfriend vibes)

Another effect of Sirius' death and the events of the previous book is that Harry is going to adults with every suspicion of his - unlike the last book where he keeps his thoughts to himself. From telling Arthur to check the Malfoy manor again, to telling McGonagall about his suspicions about Malfoy giving Katie the necklace, and even giving details like following Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes

Harry's conversation with Hagrid and how he outplays Hagrid. It is more of an honest disarming of Hagrid than outright manipulation, but it displays a streak of knowing people and knowing what buttons to press. He does this with greater effect in Felix Felicis with Ron (ofc it backfires on romione, but lol). It's why he recognises Tom's very subtle and careful manipulation of Slughorn in the Horcrux conversation.

Harry witnessing Katie incident and suspecting Malfoy, Snape and Dumbledore meanwhile conspiring to save Draco's soul and Snape saving Katie's life. For my feelings about the trifecta of Harry, Snape and Dumbledore, my meta covers this.

I think it was pointed out in this reread before, about how Phineas Nigellus' feelings about Sirius' death: "the last of Blacks is dead?" + how incensed he is about how a criminal is treating Black family heirlooms, vs Harry's grief is about someone disrespecting Sirius' memory: "What did you do, go back the night he died and strip the place?"

Harry's indignation that Burke paid only 10 galleons to Merope (and his immediate understanding of Voldemort's anger at Smith casually talking about his mother being robbed) and his pity for his parent's murderer ("She wouldnt stay alive for her son?") surprises Dumbledore. Striking parallel: Harry's rage at someone robbing Sirius' heirlooms vs Tom's knuckles whitening over the locket.

Merope refusing to do magic reads like guilt, her penance for her enslavement of Tom Riddle Snr. Dumbledore also proposes an alternate, and it is meant to parallel Tonks: "attendant despair sapped her of her powers, that can happen".

I like how comfortable Harry is getting - pushing boundaries with Dumbledore and his own surprise at Dumbledore welcoming it. ("Where were you this weekend?" and Dumbledore promising to tell Harry in due course and of course, Harry's unthinking "Nice suit sir" and Dumbledore merely chuckling)

I like the detail of Mrs Cole looking "anxious rather than unkind" and of course, she very much reads like a woman with too much on her plate and no time for herself (it's why Dumbledore's attention prompts her to relish telling the story). The place is shabby with mismatched furniture, but also spotlessly clean. There is sterility and functionality to descriptions here. (also love the detail of Dumbledore not only enchanting Mrs Cole with the parchment, but also sneakily placing gin and two glasses as suggestion).

"Funny boy who hardly ever cried": a baby that is uncomfortable expressing needs, because it might not be tended to, and the baby understands abandonment. Also Dumbledore's immediate wariness and interest in Tom, knowing that the child is a bully.

Harry is shocked that Tom would try to establish a power dynamic with Dumbledore ("Tell the truth!") and Dumbledore's complete unfazement by it (which is also a power move, which Tom recognises and gets warier). Tom tries again - "prove it!" and Dumbledore merely raises his eyebrows and asks for respectful honorifics when Tom addresses him. I also love that Dumbledore recognises Tom, who is not truly sorry, being manipulative with his "unrecognisably polite voice" and then Dumbledore does something that establishes his total power in the scene: he burns Tom's wardrobe and asks Tom to open it. Dumbledore doesnt like what he sees as "instincts for cruelty, secrecy and domination" and ends up dominating the scene.

Also Tom staring at Dumbledore's eyes "as though to catch each of them lying" - a perhaps underdeveloped leglimency skill that he will develop well in canon?

The moment Riddle says he believes he was special, Dumbledore stops smiling but watches him "intently". Another way that Dumbledore disliking seeing mirror version of himself in another person ("you disgust me" with Snape) and here, Tom believing himself special is a reflection of his own youthful self: "I was gifted, I was brilliant. I wanted to escape. I wanted to shine. I wanted glory."

The first time Dumbledore is gentle in the scene is when Voldemort asks about his father - he keeps the "irksome, common name" Tom in an effort for connection to his father. And his absolving (and dismissal) of his mother abandoning him: "My mother can't have been magic or she wouldn't have died."

The way Harry immediately understands that Tom is determined to impress Dumbledore with his disclosure of his Parseltongue abilities. And Dumbledore barely validates him: "It is unusual and not unheard of", but it invokes Dumbledore's curiosity in his parentage I suppose.

Harry wondering if Dumbledore would have the mouth organ. His mind already making links to what Dumbledore is showing him.

I really, really enjoy trio conversations in classroom set ups, and usually involving something weird. The physicality of the scene - the way they work together even when arguing says so much about their relationships. The Snargaluff stump set up is so much fun: you see Ron charging into protect Hermione when vines catch her hair, and Harry succeeding in solving the larger problem, which enables Hermione to get the pod.

Hermione is so pissed off: she turns bright, boiling scarlet because she had hexed McLaggen for Ron, and he is asking her to "get off" with McLaggen. So she does what she did at Yule Ball: angrily tells him that she was going to ask him. Meanwhile Harry is in the background, pounding his pod with a trowel so he doesnt have to hear them. XD Harry is ambivalent about the idea of Romione because he might either see trio falling apart or a scenario where "he was shut out for good":(

Dean Thomas, from the Muggle world with very little access and opportunity to be a Qudditch player, gets to be Chaser <3

"And Ginny, dont call Ron a prat, you're not the captain of this team" "Well you seemed too busy to call him a prat so I thought someone should" XD

Harry having the worst practices ever and telling his team, "good work everyone, I think we'll flatten Slytherin". What a cutie.

Ah the chest monster is here (which I find reallly funny device to allude to the sexual edge of his feelings)! Harry not returning Dean's shifty grin and Dean immediately being like, "lets go back to the common room"

Love Ginny and Ron fight: a lot of it speaks a lot of her friendship with Hermione. Her being privy to the knowledge that Hermione kissed Viktor Krum when the boys dont have a confirmation (Harry suspects it because in the end of GOF, Hermione returns from her goodbye with Krum completely smooth faced, an indication she is hiding something from them), her knowing Harry kissed Cho, her vicious deconstruction of how Ron behaves around Fleur (the heat and anger there could be on Hermione's behalf, apart from the fact that Ron is her brother).

I doubt Ginny knew that Hermione hasnt told the boys about Krum or of her own fight with Ron, because Hermione is "hurt and bewildered" by Ron's behavior the next day. Although it is the stress of the fight with Ron, it is interesting that when Ginny yells about how Harry's snogged Cho Chang, she sounds close to tears.

"Ron, you're my best mate, but carry on treating the rest of the team like this, I;m going to throw you off the team" love how maturely Harry handles this. Also this exchange" "it's a mental problem you've got!" "you calling me mental?" "yeah i am" XD these boys! My favourite part of this chapter is Harry's faith in Ron. He cooks up Felix Felicis scheme on the foundation of the fact that he believes Ron can save anything when he is in form. (It also shows how well he knows his friends that he works the initial scheme.)

lmao, "Hark who's talking, confunded anyone lately?" Harry's friendship with Hermione this book is so much easier and so much fun.

Harry initiates physical contact with a character and its Ginny. And I have a feeling she notices how "let go very quickly and avoided her gaze". Because that is not normal behaviour, Harry. Later in the chapter, she also tests the physical boundaries between them by patting him on his arm.

Harry darting after Hermione when he thinks she has seen Ron and Lavendar:(: (also love how Hermione brings it up with Harry, even though trio as a collective just walk around romione feelings. "Dont pretend you didnt see him, he wasnt exactly hiding it, was he?"). And Harry being horrified that it is the moment Ron walks in, how Ron cannot look at Hermione and both Harry and Ron are waiting for an imminent explosion. It is just..such a good depiction of an insular triad friendship.

Harry "thought his voice would vanish from lack of use":rofl: as he determined to be friends with both Ron and Hermione, and both are angry/defensive about what happened.

Ginny "kept cropping up in his dreams that made him devoutly thankful that Ron could not perform Legilimency":rofl:

lol @ Harry slyly telling Hermione that she knows a lot about Fred and George's Owl order service for their love potion, and she returns it with a jab: "I don't go around putting Potions in people's drinks.. or pretending to, which is just as bad" (But I love how the scene ends with them bantering about whether or not Filch and Madam Pince were in love with each other)

How interesting that Hermione views Love Potions as not "dark or dangerous", when we know in this book just how dangerous it could be. The enslavement of Tom Riddle Snr was done through means of Love Potion. As Slughorn says in the beginning of the book, that if students have lived as long as he has, they wouldn't underestimate the "power of obsessive love." Love as a weaponised thing, as something both that motivates dark things, while also behind Harry (and Lily's) sacrifice, seems to be theme in the books.

Harry goes after Hermione after she runs off to the bathroom after the Transfiguration classroom fiasco. Love that the boy could not think of any words of comfort, so he just got her things XD. And unlike the previous books, him standing up for Hermione is stronger than his quiet attempts in POA: "What did you have to imitate her for?" "She laughed at my moustache" "So did I, it was the stupidest thing I've ever seen."/ vs "Can't you give her a break?" "No- she acts like Scabbers has gone on a holiday" and Harry drops it.

Ginny is glad that Harry is taking Luna to the party, both because Luna is very excited but also because Ginny isn't threatened by Luna as a romantic interest for Harry. (lol @ the DH scene where she intervenes when Cho asks to take Harry to Ravenclaw tower and Ginny suggests Luna instead XD)

Parvati and Hermione's interaction is genuinely very sweet since Parvati felt guilty about laughing at Hermione in Transfiguration. Throughout the books, Parvati seems to be the one trying to connect with Hermione: she tells Lavendar about Hermione crying in bathroom back in PS, her attempting to tease Hermione about leaving Divination once Firenze comes along etc etc.

Hermione inviting Cormac McLaggen to piss Ron off is an A+ petty move (also the hilarious moment she tells Harry that she was also considering Zacharias Smith XD "You considered Smith?":rofl: ). She also gets a jab in to really twist the knife further into Ron (which suggests she had spoken to Ginny, who may have revealed that she told the boys about Krum): "I like really good Quidditch players"

Worple trying to manage Sanguini's blood cravings with pasty lol.

Slughorn thinking Harry's attempt at Draught of Living Death was better first attempt than Snape's. XD But interesting that Snape's first attempt wasn't as noteworthy - it shows he has really worked to get where he is at Potions.

Luna talking about Rotfang Conspiracy with Trelawney who seemed "sincerely interested" XD

The scene with Snape and Draco is great: Snape correctly reads that Draco is at this point, scared: "What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master Draco?" and Draco's resentful bravado," I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I don't want you butting in." he also loses patience after trying to negotiate with the said bravado when Malfoy accuses him of wanting his glory: "You're speaking like a child. " And it is around then, Malfoy, who does want to be taken seriously, leaves.

#hp reread #harry james potter #ron weasley #ginny weasley #hermione granger #nymphadora tonks #severus snape #tom riddle

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