#the trash man will inevitably be behind one of them

[rosepetalgold]

Absolutely dying over the fact that Remus not only canonically hangs out in dark closets for no apparent reason but also that Janus knows to look for him there

#this was a trend on the dark side and you can't convince me otherwise #open a closet? remus #open a cabinet? remus #open the refrigerator? remus #janus needs to find him? #he just starts opening any closed door he can find #the trash man will inevitably be behind one of them #they're hide and seek husbands your honor #sanders sides #ts spoilers #ts remus #remus sanders #ts janus #janus sanders #dukeceit

[justpoliteconversations]

Midnight Impulses [Chain + Healer!Reader]

Keeping your abilities hidden is difficult when the object of your attention is so close.

It keeps growing. Will the trash heap never end?

Masterlist

TW: None.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise. Linked Universe is the fan creation of jojo56830.

---

You stare up at the night sky with a pinched expression, something ominously similar to a pout pulling at your lips. The blankets are pulled up to your nose, and above the soft rim your eyes glare squinty-eyed at the man laying beside you.

In the light of the pit fire, you can see the way his shoulders and back are tense with pain and fitful sleep. The shine of his hair taunts you where it highlights the delicate curve of his ear, the soft pink of a bang an elegant curve contrasting the harsh shadows of the fire light.

His bare skin. If only you could touch his skin without waking him, even just the tips of your fingers. But he's always been cagey, especially when he's in so much pain. He'd snap awake before you could even pull your hand from your covers, and then he'd be awake and suspicious all night. Just like every night before.

Your fingers grip into the inside of your bedroll, jaw clenching, resisting the temptation to rush him while he's vulnerable and force your healing magic into his aching joints and creaking, burning bones.

It wouldn't take long. If you could get your whole hand onto his face or maybe an arm, the deed could be done in less than a minute. He'd struggle, yes, but his gauntlets are off and you could keep him pinned for a few precious seconds after he manages to escape the confines of his covers.

Just one minute of struggle, and it'll be done. Sure, he'll hate you more than ever and will most certainly never trust you again. But his arthritis and damaged body (so damaged, laden with so many old, untreated wounds it makes your heart ache) will be gone.

He'll be free of them all. The pain, the weakness, the insecurities and the memories. He'll finally be able to put all those hurts behind him and just live, free of the burdens his path forced upon him. Free to look forward to a future not overshadowed by the slow, inevitable breaking of his body.

Free of a future that sees him stripped of mobility and restful night by the time he's 30. If he even lives that long, damaged as he's been by the cruel hand of destiny.

It would be worth it. Just one moment of struggle. One final twist and ache of his bones as he fights against your hands and arms and full body grip, and then he'll be released from the bondage of everlasting degeneration. The agony of a body sacrified for the greater good.

Just one-

No. The thought is irrational and unfair to the man in question. It would also reveal your hand to the Chain, and you had no intention of putting yourself in that situation.

You'd learned your lesson. Even the kindest and most honorable of men can be brought low by the promise of life. The guarantee of no more brothers lost to the slow hand of time, and the knowledge that tomorrow will find you and all you love there to greet it.

Life is so precious. Who wouldn't be tempted to keep it forever by your side.

You envied Hyrule. For his strength and his cunning. For no shackles shall ever find his wrists, no tether will ever bind his arms and legs. No force on this plain of existence will ever break his spirit.

You are nothing like him. Not a hero. Not a fairy borne. Not a beloved brother of the many powerful men who came before him.

You are just yourself. Someone who got unlucky with their blessings.

You envied him, for your healing is nothing like his. It is slow and bone deep, poorly suited to the riggers of field wounds but inevitable in its power nonetheless.

In this world of fairies and potions and the blessing of Goddesses, the hand of death will not come in the blaze of battle. No. It will creep slow and steady into the very marrow of your bones. It will start with aches so deep no fairy light can reach them, with a cough so thin no potion can grasp it.

For many, death will not be by the sword, but by the bone deep memory of what it left behind.

If you could still the hand of fate, wouldn't you? Wouldn't they, whom fate has chosen so readily? Even if it cost just a sliver of thier humanity?

You never intended to find out if these men had it in them to pay that price. No need to tempt fate. Not with men like these, who live and die by such sacrifices.

The ear twitches in his sleep and so do your fingers, the shine of his ruffled hair like a siren's call to your eyes.

You suck in a sharp breath. The temptation flaring once more within you, pushing you forward like strong wind at your back. Calling you like the promise of cool water under the desert sun. Like the shelter of home as a thundering storm shakes the land.

It twitches again. The shine of hair.

'Fuck.'

---

"He's messing with them again." Twilight grumbled, arms crossed as he levels his most unimpressed stare at the Vet's back.

Time chuckled, stretching along the log at his back and savoring the smooth roll of muscles and bones unhindered by pain or aches. He couldn't wait to bring you home to Malon and let you work your magic. His beloved wife had even planned out their sleeping arrangements to encourage your helpful nature.

"If Legend wants to drag this out, let him be. He's the only one suffering from it." He smiled then, more of a grin than anything. "And it's cute." The older man admitted impishly, leaning fully back against the log he'd been stretching over in a boneless sprawl.

Twilight wanted to say something back, but honestly couldn't deny any of it. Especially not when Legend rolled over and let his hand fall just inches from your bedroll. And your eyes widened and then narrowed, your mouth twisting into an obvious pout. How you whipped your back to him with a growl, hiding your face in the covers. Only to peek over your shoulder moments later to glare at the motionless hand with a single, leering eye.

Not when Warriors was hiding his face in Wind's sea-salt hair, trying to cover his amused grin and single cracked eye. Not with Wind's shoulders shaking with mirth, just barely hidden beneath Warrior's greater size.

Not with Hyrule smothering his laughter with both hands, back turned purposely to you so you wouldn't see. Not with Sky out like a light, breathing free and soft and unrestrained for the first time since they'd been forced onto this quest.

And not when Time looks so relaxed, spine arched freely like a man who'd not known the burden of the world pressing down on his shoulders. The effortless roll of his muscles a stark contrast to the painful twists of naught a week before.

"Fine." He eventually conceded, narrowing his eyes. "But if this keeps up for more than a week, game's over. They've not slept well in the last 3 days."

Time nodded, eye closing as he began to drift into a light, mediative doze. "Of course. We wouldn't want our shyest member to lose too much sleep over our brother's aches, now would we."

The heavily ringed finger twitched when you rolled back over to face Legend's back and began hesitantly reaching for it. You squawked at the unexpected movement and jerked back, hands flying to your mouth when you realized what you'd done.

Legend opened his eyes then, feigning sleepiness as he snapped. "What are you looking at, hah?"

You glared back. "Nothing!" Before turning your back to him once more and crossing your arms with an even deeper pout. Hunkering down in your covers.

Vet huffed, though an amused grin stole across his face the moment you looked away. "Weirdo." He snapped in a falsly waspish tone, his grin growing when you growled lowly under you breath.

Twilight looked at Time again. Frowning.

"Tomorrow. I'll talk to him." Time hummed in assurance, though he didn't bother to open his eye.

Twilight sighed again, and Time chuckled.

Near the fire, the shifting of covers, the reveal of a bare neck and another quiet gasp. The smothered giggles of Hyrule laying closest to them. The whisper of Warrior's trying to keep Wind from blowing their cover. Four returning from his watch, multi-colored eyes already rolling skyward with exasperation at the now very familiar sight.

'Yeah.' Twilight thought. 'You and me both.'

---

Return to the shadows.

#linked universe x reader #linked universe

[feeder86]

Falling for a Feeder: Infatuation

Of course Lucas had been into Talon ever since he’d first laid eyes on him. One look at that handsome smile, pretty face, not to mention the stunningly athletic body, and he had been swooning like never before. It was his piercing eyes and striking features. Or, perhaps it was Talon’s confidence and swagger that did it for Lucas just as much. Talon: the overconfident young guy, not at all daunted by the enormity of New York City after coming from such a small town, now surrounded by people he had never met before and places he did not know. Instead, maybe it was the way nothing in life seemed to phase Talon; as if the world was there only for him, and he would seize it with both hands. For a nineteen year old Lucas, newly out of the closet and sharing a house with the best looking straight boys on campus, such feelings of longing were always an inevitability.

Lucas had first learned of Talon’s unusual taste in women quite early on. He’d come downstairs in the morning to see the handsome football player making breakfast for a large, overweight girl that he’d seen walking through campus a few times before. He did a double take, seeing Talon leaning in and kissing her as he served up a plate of food for her. Had this girl been the one he’d heard Talon drunkenly bringing home last night? Surely not!

Sticking around downstairs, Lucas listened to the flirtations of Talon, spoiling and kissing her as if she was the love of his life. He watched as Talon led her to the door, placing his large hands on her enormous rear and kissing her once more, gently pulling up her skirt a little so that Lucas got an eyeful of the girl’s thick, doughy legs from behind.

“Are you… really into her?” Lucas asked as the door closed and Talon was rid of her at last.

“Hell no!” Talon scoffed, shrugging off the romance of the previous few hours like a dog shaking itself after a dip in a frosty lake.

Lucas chuckled, feeling a strange sense of relief. The world hadn’t gone mad after all. “I thought not! I couldn’t quite get my head around it when I saw you flirting with her in there.”

“Look at that!” Talon grumbled, ignoring Lucas entirely. He was lifting the plate he’d served his guest that morning. “She hardly ate any of it!” he complained, seemingly genuinely insulted.

“You did serve her quite a lot of food though,” Lucas replied, feeling unsure where Talon was going with his sudden disgust of the woman he had been seemingly infatuated with only minutes earlier.

“She’s a fat girl though,” Talon stated bluntly. “You saw the size of her. She should be able to eat a simple breakfast like that without a problem.” He lifted up the lid of the trash can and scooped the remains away. “I hate it when girls do that!” he grumbled, throwing the plates in the sink and running off upstairs to get ready for his classes.

Lucas stood, feeling just as confused as ever. Nothing seemed to make sense. Not only had the gorgeous Talon brought a large, unattractive fat girl home, but the thing that had seemingly put him off was his date not finishing her breakfast? He’d heard about guys who were into fat girls; some who even liked to feed them up and enjoyed actively helping to fatten them up. But that wasn’t Talon. Was it?

What had started as a suspicion was soon confirmed time and time again over the following weeks. Talon continued to bring home larger and larger girls, ending his dates with the cooking and inevitable consumption of a large fried breakfast. The other guys in the house even tried to make fun of him for it; sniggering behind his back about Talon’s strange love of fat girls. However, none of it ever seemed to put a dent in Talon’s ego. He laughed along with them and spoke passionately about why he got such a thrill from it all. He was a man who loved his life. And he was a man who loved his fat girls!

Perhaps Talon’s desires made him even more alluring to Lucas. That naughty, devious, kinkiness that he felt no shame in at all. The other guys didn’t have that confidence in themselves; not in the slightest. Despite their good looks and bravado, it was obvious to see that they were all surprisingly insecure underneath; just small boys pretending to be adults. It was only Talon who really had the guts to live his life how he wanted; to enjoy the things he liked without absorbing the shame that others believed he should feel.

Talon’s voice seemed to change when he talked about fat girls with Lucas. The lust was evident in every syllable he used. The smile that betrayed the kinky images that must have been flooding his brain as he spoke about his preferences. Lucas had to breathe deeply to stop himself from getting hard, listening to a guy he was so attracted to getting horny right before his eyes; the knowledge that the beautiful, perfect hunk was most likely nursing a boner in his underwear as he shared all of his fantasies aloud.

“You know, you’re the only one I can talk to about all of this,” Talon smiled at last. “Everyone else just thinks I’m a freak if I try and bring it up.”

That made Lucas feel very special. “I love talking about this stuff with you,” he replied honestly.

Talon smiled, pleased to have someone to vent his sexual frustrations with. Then he would continue chatting away, like he had known Lucas for years; like he was a conspirator to help Talon find the greedy, fat girl of his dreams.

“There’s not been much news here. Jay’s been pining for some girl on his course all weekend,” Lucas grumbled to Talon as the guy just got in that Sunday night, having spent a weekend visiting his folks. “He got drunk on Friday night and bored the pants off everyone going on and on about her. He thinks she’s the love of his life.”

Talon smirked. “Which girl is that?” he asked. He seemed to have a gift for remembering faces and names, with a deep interest in people and an understanding of how they ticked.

“He said her name was Sarah,” Lucas shrugged disinterestedly.

Talon laughed aloud. “Sarah Gormad?” he asked with obvious amusement. He shook his head. “What an idiot! Of course that soft boy has fallen for Sarah Gormad! He doesn’t stand a chance!”

Lucas frowned. Jay was a good looking guy: naturally broad and tall with deep, soulful eyes. Surely someone like Jay could have any girl he wanted. “Why?” he jumped in. “What’s so special about this Sarah girl?” he asked, feeling insulted on Jay’s behalf.

Talon looked to the door to check that none of the other guys were about to walk in and overhear them. Only then did he duck his head in slightly and seemingly confide in his housemate. “Sarah’s like me,” he stated simply. “She likes the fatties.”

“Oh!” Lucas gasped quietly. “Are you sure?”

Talon smirked again and nodded with confidence. “I’m sure,” he grinned knowingly.

“But Jay reckons they’re soul mates,” Lucas whispered. 

The two boys looked at each other seriously for a moment, then suddenly burst out into fits of laughter at the bizarre nature of it all. They often shared moments like these where they would both lose it over something ridiculous; making Lucas realise that, despite their obvious differences, he and Talon shared the most similar sense of humour in the house. Even though he did not know much about sports, beers, or how to pick up girls, Lucas always felt that Talon enjoyed talking to him more than the other guys they lived with.

“Aw, we shouldn’t laugh!” Talon finally sighed. “Jay is a good pal. If he wants a shot with Sarah, I’m going to make sure he gets it.”

Lucas nodded, despite not sharing Talon’s optimism. If this Sarah girl really was into larger guys, there was no way she’d want to start dating someone completely different to her preference. After all, dating a skinny girl was something he could never imagine Talon doing. Never in a million years!

Over the coming weeks, Lucas noticed Talon starting to take Jay a little under his wing. They were hanging out more and had even started training together at the gym. Talon seemed to be the instigator, always calling out for Jay and taking him here, there and everywhere with him, like he was his new favourite toy. Lucas tried not to feel jealous as he got less and less time for his chats with his secret crush. Instead, it was as if Talon was joined at the hip with Jay, regularly sat down in the lounge area together, watching some dumb noughties sitcom that hadn’t dated especially well.

“Have you noticed?” Talon asked Lucas a few weeks later as an exhausted Jay had fallen asleep on the couch with a beer in his hand. “Our Jay is starting to gain a few pounds.”

Lucas looked across sceptically. Then, suddenly, his eyes widened with realisation, seeing exactly what Talon meant. With his sleepy head falling to one side, a small puddle of fat seemed to have built under his chin, whilst his bloated stomach seemed to be pressing ever so slightly against his t-shirt as his chest rose up and down.

“You see it, don’t you?” Talon asked, as if desperate for confirmation.

“I see it!! Lucas nodded, feeling like now he had noticed it, he wouldn’t ever be able to unsee it again. He thought back to his conversation with Talon about helping Jay to get the girl he was interested in, then tentatively posed the question. “You didn’t have something to do with this?” he asked suspiciously.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Talon smirked. He reached for the football that seemed to always hang around downstairs and threw it directly at Jay’s torso, waking him up with a start. “Come on, buddy. Ben has invited us over for a party. We’ll pick up some supplies on the way.”

“It’s almost midnight,” a groggy Jay replied, trying to make sense of where he was.

“It’s Friday night!” Talon chuckled. “Get your ass up. Ben thinks Sarah might be heading over to the party soon as well.”

With a sigh, Jay slowly stood himself up, no longer needing any more cajoling. Then, with sleepy little steps, he followed his buddy out into the cold, fresh air.

Part of the requirement of Lucas’ course was that he took on a work placement with a company that had been assigned to him by the college. He walked back into the house, after four weeks away, seeing that his presence had been sorely missed. The guys simply didn’t seem to tidy up after themselves unless there was someone around to nag them. He heard the rumblings of someone heading downstairs and suddenly saw Talon smiling and welcoming him home. Just the sight of him made the breath catch in his chest.

“Did you miss me?” Lucas asked jokingly, already knowing that Talon had far too many friends to even notice that Lucas hadn’t been around.

“I did, actually,” Talon nodded, noticing the sarcasm in Lucas’ voice. “There’s been no one around to keep me in check,” he chuckled.

“Why?” Lucas asked, sensing that there was yet another tale of mischief involving Talon that was soon coming his way. “What have you done now?”

“Jay’s a fatty,” Talon simply stated. “Seriously. You won’t believe it when you see him. He’s got love handles and everything.”

Lucas shook his head. “It’s been four weeks,” he replied, not believing for a second that an athletic, six foot guy could suddenly turn into a fat boy in that amount of time.

“Trust me!” Talon grinned wickedly. “He’s getting massive! It’s all in his ass, his love handles and gut,” he explained, modelling the areas he was referencing on his own, fine physique. Then, he suddenly hushed, hearing more footsteps upstairs and the loud rumble of someone else coming down the stairs. Right on cue, Jay was entering the room and, just like that, everything Talon had said seemed to be validated.

Jay seemed fuller in the face from the moment Lucas laid eyes on him. His torso looked somehow puffed-up and the fabric of his t-shirt was clinging, rather unflatteringly against the mass of his middle, as if a gut really was developing underneath there. He greeted Lucas with a hug, then walked on by to the kitchen to fix himself a morning coffee, giving them both a view of his chunky glutes and thighs that seemed oversized, even for his large frame.

“There’s some leftover pizza in the fridge, buddy,” Talon suggested to Jay, who seemed to be considering what to have for his breakfast. 

Like a puppet, Jay opened up the refrigerator and pulled out the pizza box, munching away on the almost full pizza that was inside it.

Lucas felt Talon nudge him in his side, as if to get his attention before he spoke to Jay next. “Hey, I was just telling Lucas about that shit tattoo on your shoulder. He’s never seen it before. He had no idea what I was talking about.”

“It’s not a shit tattoo,” Jay frowned, looking like a guy who had been made fun of for his artistic choice many times in the past. 

“Let Lucas see it and be the judge of that,” Talon demanded.

With a sigh, Jay turned around and lifted his shirt fully off so that a small celtic-design tattoo could be seen. But Lucas already knew that the artwork wasn’t the real reason why Talon had requested this viewing for him. He could see Talon out of the corner of his eye, nodding his head and willing him to look at the fleshy love handles on Jay’s body, sitting there atop the waistband of his sweatpants, which dug into him surprisingly harshly.

“Um, it…” Lucas tried to comment. “It looks good,” he mumbled, feeling a great swirl of emotions within him.

Talon was grinning beside him, enjoying how flustered Lucas had suddenly become. He strutted over to Jay, as he tried to manouever his t-shirt so that he could put it back on again.  But Talon had got to him first, slinging his big arm over the guy’s shoulders and swinging him around so that Lucas could get a look at his chubby torso from the front as well; fuck, that belly button looked deep!

“It’s not even symmetrical,” Talon went on teasingly.

“Well, Sarah likes it,” Jay grumbled defensively, picking a new slice of pizza up.

Talon seemed to be trying his best not to laugh. There was a devious twinkle in his eye and joy written across his entire face. “Yeah, to be fair, Sarah really, really liked looking at his tattoo,”  Talon smirked, frowning ever so slightly and letting Lucas know that, just like his viewing today, Sarah hadn’t really been admiring the tattoo at all. “You even got her number, didn’t you, big guy?”

Looking pleased with himself, Jay nodded. “We’re going out for a date a week on Friday.”

“That’s why we’re heading out to the gym this morning,” Talon explained, with his strong arm still wrapped over the chubby boy’s shoulders. “Work on his guns before the big day!”

“Congratulations,” Lucas stuttered, recognising at long last that, whatever wicked game Talon was playing with his friend, it was actually working.

Getting Talon on his own was almost an impossibility over the next few days. He was joined at the hip, either to Jay or one of the other guys. Lucas thought he knew how Talon was doing it, seeing all the protein shakes lined up in the refrigerator that Talon was giving the poor guy after their sessions. He picked one up and opened the lid to sniff it, the cream and sugars instantly hitting his nose. It was hard to imagine just how many calories would be secretly squeezed into them, but it was clearly enough to start packing on a remarkable layer of pudgy fat onto Jay’s body. Lucas tipped one back for a tiny sip and shook his head. How would Jay not even realise that this was no protein shake? It was so thick, so gloopy and sweet, he must have been forcing it down his throat.

Lucas could have blown the whistle on it all, but he had never seriously considered the idea. He tried to convince himself that it was because he saw Talon as such a good friend that he was allowing him to have his fun. But, if Lucas was being honest with himself, he was actually just very curious about it all. It was hard to believe just how fast Talon had made his mark on Jay’s body, and it was incredible to see just how far Talon was willing to go with it. He was utterly wicked, doing this to one of his so-called ‘best friends’ and yet, Lucas couldn’t quite understand why his attraction to the straight boy was getting stronger and stronger.

By the evening of Jay’s first date with Sarah, the guy was looking chubbier than ever. He’d been to the gym that morning with Talon and was now standing by the fridge gulping down his shake with a lot more ease than Lucas had anticipated. Talon was stood to the side of him, watching as every single calorie was taken in. That was when Lucas looked down and saw the biggest shock of his life so far: the strain in the crotch of Talon’s pants. As the handsome boy watched his buddy chugging down the shake, he was actually getting aroused!

His eyes fixated, it didn’t take Talon long to look across and see that Lucas had spotted his erection. “Oi!” he whispered, grinning from ear to ear and throwing the scrunched up dishcloth over so that it hit Lucas in the face. But the feeder was still grinning with delight, not in the least bit ashamed of himself, despite readjusting his crotch, making both of them laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Jay asked, lowering his head after completing the chug and trying to burp up the excess air with at least some discretion. 

“Nothing, buddy. Nothing,” Talon smirked, putting his big arm over the overfed boy’s shoulders and guiding him away. “Let’s just go and get you ready for your big date!”

“Jay!” Lucas shouted out, letting the gnawing guilt in his stomach start to get the better of him.

Jay turned around, waiting for whatever it was Lucas wanted to say to him.

Lucas stood there, knowing that he should unmask their wicked housemate for all that he had done; yet he could never bring himself to do it. “Have a great time with Sarah tonight.” He twiddled with his thumbs nervously. “You really do deserve it.”

Later that evening, Talon wandered into the kitchen, seeming like some sort of spare part. “Awh, you don’t know what to do with yourself now Jay has gone out for his date?” Lucas joked, looking at his watch. “I think this is the longest you’ve left him alone in weeks!”

Talon chuckled and sat himself down on the counter, continuing to look forelorn. “I think you might be right,” he nodded with a grin.

“Out of interest, do you happen to know how much weight you managed to pack on him in these last few weeks?” Lucas asked, determined to maintain at least a hint of disapproval in his voice.

“Don’t know,” Talon shrugged, picking up one of the many random bouncy balls in the house and mindleslly throwing it from one hand to the other. “I kept him well away from the scales for obvious reasons…” he laughed. “Forty pounds? Forty-five?”

“Don’t you feel guilty?” Lucas asked, feeling a little exasperated by the glee in Talon’s voice.

“No,” Talon answered simply. “Should I?” he asked back, still with that self-satisfied smirk on his face.

“You secretly made your best friend gain forty-five pounds of pure fat, and you don’t even feel the least bit guilty?”

“No,” Talon repeated with a chuckle. “Jay wanted to date a chubby-chaser girl and I got off on popping a little belly out on him. It was a win-win!”

“You’re evil!” Lucas stated next, unable to help the little laugh that came with it. He stood up and reached into the fridge to grab one of the fattening shakes Talon had been feeding to Jay for all those weeks. “So, what actually is in one of these things?”

“Oh, that’s a top secret recipe. Only the most wicked and evil people in the world get to find stuff like that out,” Talon joked. He was getting turned on just talking about it; Lucas could hear it in his voice, making it sound almost as though he himself was being flirted with.

“I tried a bit of one last week,” Lucas admitted.

“Fuck! Serioudsly?” Talon gasped, suddenly giving Lucas every bit of his attention.

“I wanted to see what all the fuss was about,” he went on, enjoying the surprised look on the handsome boy’s face and suddenly realising just how much he had been craving this one-on-one time with him.

“Shit, man!” Talon laughed. “If you knew what was really in one of those things, you wouldn’t want to touch a drop of it!”

Lucas didn’t know what had got into him. He felt a spike of adrenaline from having shocked Talon so much and wanted a second hit. “You sure about that?” he asked, flipping the spout up and taking down a good few gulps. When he was done, he saw Talon’s eyes wide with alarm and surprise. “What’s got you so concerned?” he asked playfully.

“Did you really just down that after everything I just said about it?” he asked, laughing from shock.

“I dunno. Did I?” Lucas shrugged again, tipping his head back and sucking down more.

“Seriously, dude!” Talon cried.

“Tell me to stop then,” Lucas requested. “Tell me to stop drinking it and I will.” He stared at his friend, wondering what on earth was going on inside that devious and complicated mind of his. “Better do it quickly though… I’m getting thirsty again…”

With Talon’s silence, Lucas did exactly as he had threatened and continued gulping down the shake. He could feel the bottle getting lighter and lighter in his hand. With surprising ease, it was all trickling down his throat. Then, with a look of triumph, he banged the empty bottle down on the table and smirked with delight at his own cleverness. Now he definitely had Talon’s attention.

Lucas tried not to show how tight his tummy felt afterwards. He headed back to his room and groaned as he flopped down on the bed, rubbing his stomach. After a minute or so, he stood up again and went over to his mirror to see if his normally flat middle looked as bloated as it felt. He’d felt a tingling down in his crotch for some time, but upon seeing his uncovered belly looking so unnaturally distended, Lucas now suddenly felt it shift up a gear. He wanted to laugh in amazement. Just what was it about this that felt so damn… erotic? Had it been the look on Talon’s face? Was it the reflection of his swollen body in the mirror now? Or was it the idea of Talon’s mixture inside his body, working away, trying to transform him as it had done Jay? From the moment he started tugging at his hardness, Lucas knew it was going to be an intense orgasm. But what he didn’t realise was that he would need to climax a further four times that night until his body finally felt calm enough to sleep.

“You put appetite stimulants in those shakes, don’t you?” Lucas asked the next morning as he came down to find Talon in the kitchen, grabbing some bread before his park run. He'd been distracted by his headphones, trying to set up a playlist before he left; now viewing Lucas as a whirlwind suddenly decending upon him.

“Umm, yeah,” Talon mumbled awkwardly, surprised to be seeing Lucas opening the refrigerator door so wide and properly crouching down to search for things to eat.

“I’m absolutely starving this morning,” Lucas explained, pulling out everything he thought might help to satisfy his hunger. “Don’t you have to be there for the park run by nine?” he asked, upon standing up and seeing that a dumbfounded Talon was still staring at him in much the same way as last night.

“I was just…” Talon began to mutter awkwardly. He wasn’t usually the type to mumble, not as he was now.

Suddenly, Lucas’ stomach gave a loud and audible rumble, sounding angry and impatient. Lucas rolled his eyes and tutted. “Fuck it!” he cried, reaching back into the refrigerator and finding another one of Jay’s shakes and starting to take it down, knowing that it was probably the only thing that could immediately take his hunger away. He chugged it until he felt his stomach filling up pleasantly; surprised to see that, at that point, over three-quarters of the entire bottle had already disappeared into his body. He licked his lips. Talon’s shakes really were pretty nice after you got used to how thick and heavy they were. He shrugged, tipped his head back once more and finished the rest of it, not wanting to waste anything. Then he threw the empty bottle in the sink and began to lay bacon in a pan for cooking. 

Without a word, Lucas heard Talon rummaging around behind him, slowly drifting out to get to his run; clearly still lost for words. In no time at all, Lucas’ bacon began to sizzle. Then, as the front door closed behind Talon, Lucas finally felt free to rub against his crotch at long last, knowing that he would need to jack himself off again before Talon got back.

Jay had not returned home after his date the night before and there was an excited buzz around the house as the lucky boy sent a message to one of the other guys to explain that he was staying with Sarah on Saturday night as well. Things had clearly gone well!

“I think you may have lost your little project!” Lucas teased Talon.

Talon looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t think we’re going to be seeing as much of Jay now he’s all loved up,” he clarified, picking up a bottle of Jay’s ‘protein’ shake and noting that three new ones had been added that morning. “And after all that effort you put in!”

“I’m just pleased that I could help,” Talon smirked.

“Liar!” Lucas blasted, making Talon laugh and smile broadly. “I saw that boner! You were just getting your rocks off to fattening him up!”

Talon nodded as he continued to chuckle, not denying a single word. Then he suddenly became more serious, with a deliberately flirtatious tone. “You didn’t see it this morning though, did you?”

Lucas tried to bite back his thrill and returned an almost defiantl look back at Talon. “I was too busy frying up my bacon.”

“I noticed!” Talon smiled.

“You know what…” Lucas went on, popping the spout of Jay’s shake and taking a few casual sips. “All your talk of getting off on fattening up Jay…” He took a few more sips, enjoying the fact that he could make Talon hang on his every word. “...It’s all bullshit!” he laughed. “All you’re doing is adding a few hidden calories into his diet.”

Lucas had to lift the bottle a little higher to take a few more sips now. Talon simply stared at him, grinninng at the fact that his housemate was calling him out on his technique.

“You wouldn’t actually know what to do if someone came up to you and asked you to fatten them up properly. If they were holding you to account for it and checking on the scales to see if all your sneaky little methods really work.”

Talon playfully shrugged his muscular shoulders. “No, I guess you’re right there. I’ve never… overtly fattened someone up like that.”

Feeling vindicated, Lucas held the boy’s eye contact and threw his head back a little to drain even more of the shake . “I thought not,” he grinned, taking Talon’s mixture with him to finish off while he worked on his very long and very boring assignment that evening.

Lucas finally got the chance to meet the infamous Sarah the following weekend. Everyone else in the house had only taken a vague interest in the goings on in Jay’s love life, but Lucas, along with Talon, had stayed downstairs trying to be as sociable as possible the entire evening.

Jay hadn’t been to the gym with Talon all week and it seemed to show. His face had started to take on a doughy puffiness to it and his clothes appeared to fit with a strange awkwardness around his butt and especially around his waist. The poor boy had simply been passed from one feeder’s hands and into another’s. 

If Talon hadn’t told Lucas that Sarah was into larger guys, Lucas still thought that he would have been able to work it out for himself. The girl couldn’t keep his hands off Jay. Perhaps that was normal for a couple who had only been together for such a short time, but it was where Sarah was touching him that most attracted Lucas’ attention. Her fingers drifted over the fleshiest parts of his body, never failing to cup his newly padded up butt whenever he stood up. They seemed to be in the midst of a whirlwind romance, recounting all of the things they had done together that week; every one of them seeming to revolve around having food out at some place or another. Talon had appeared to notice that as well, giving Lucas a sly grin as they both turned to look at each other, thinking exactly the same thing.

Being in that room with the three of them, Lucas felt like he was slowly boiling in a cooking pot. His heart was racing and his dick, although not rock hard, felt like it was filling with warm blood. He took himself for a break to the kitchen, leaning up against the counter and trying to rationalise it all in his brain. Perhaps it was the fact that Talon was in there with them. Lucas felt himself fantasising about the sexy guy touching his body in the same way that Sarah was now doing with Jay. He started to wish that he had the sort of softness that Talon would go crazy for.

Reaching into the fridge, Lucas grabbed one of the special shakes and drained it. What had been a curious way to get Talon’s attention all week had just become something his dick and his growling stomach now screamed for. He opened his throat and released the accidentally swallowed air in one long and discreet burp; then tipped up a second shake, consuming it with a lustful desperation that he had never known before. Two whole shakes and he still wasn’t satisfied, searching in the cupboard for cookies or treats; something that might help to scratch the incredible itch that he now had. His stomach was bloating. He could see the shape of it under his shirt. Each day this week, it had looked more and more extreme than the last. He could take more. He could do it. 

There was still one more shake in the fridge, but now some of the guys were walking in after coming back from the bar. Talon was coming in too, chatting to one of them when his eyes seemed to spot the empty containers of shake now discarded by the sink. He looked over at Lucas and raised his eyebrows, smirking with surprise. 

Lucas squirmed a little. Up until now, he had felt so in control of this. Now he felt almost embarrassed to have been caught in the act. The guys were all chatting around him, yet Talon’s smirk seemed to penetrate right into Lucas’ very soul. The sexy guy reached into the fridge for a beer, slying and casually passing Lucas the final shake, as if he had known that his hungry housemate had wanted it. He positioned his tall, imposing body in front of Lucas as he continued to chat with the other guys, shielding him from view in a very deliberate way that would allow Lucas to drink it down without the others seeing and questioning why he was having it.

Lucas turned his back, lifted the bottle and chugged, feeling his stomach getting tighter than ever before. At one point, after he had snuck away, he thought he might even be sick. He took himself upstairs and lingered in the bathroom for a moment, until he realised that he could indeed keep it down. He needed to sleep though, and, although he couldn’t be certain, he was fairly sure that an entirely new batch of shakes would be ready and waiting for him by the morning.

“Ten pounds,” Lucas announced one morning in the middle of the following week. He smiled pleasantly, knowing that Talon wouldn’t need any further context to know what he was referring to.

There came that grin and the devilish twinkle in Talon’s eyes. “Not a bad start…” he considered playfully. “I had noticed your…” he nodded down at Lucas’ middle.

Lucas immediately began to rub at his stomach. What he had considered to be nothing more than a simple bloat was clearly something a lot more serious, given how it remained in place, even that morning. 

“You may notice a slight difference in the taste of the shakes from today,” Talon went on. “I’m trying something new to see how it works.”

Lucas had intended his announcement that he had gained ten pounds to draw a line under the whole matter; a way to take back some control of the situation. He’d tried Talon’s shakes and they had worked. He’d clearly gained weight, both on the scales and in his slightly altered body shape. Case closed. Yet, seeing the way Talon was so quietly thrilled, Lucas’ resolve to quit was slowly ebbing away.

“We’ll have to start thinking about your clothes in a couple of weeks,” Talon went on. “Especially if these new shakes work out the way I think they will. Some of your stuff is already looking a little… distressed,” he smiled, genuinely delighted with himself.

Lucas’s heart raced. Was it the fact that Talon had been taking a keen interest in his body over the last two weeks, or was it the way he had suggested that he wanted to be involved in picking out new clothes for him to wear?

Talon looked over Lucas’ shoulder to check that no one else was lingering around. “I’ve got to ask this,” he whispered slyly. “May I see it?” Then, with that, he glanced quickly down at Lucas’ middle, leaving him in no doubt about what he was referring to.

Peering to check for himself, Lucas inhaled and braced himself. He lifted his shirt just a little; enough for Talon to see that his stomach muscles had been coated and the thickening middle was a more permanent feature than just a simple bloat.

Talon bit down on his bottom lip. “Oh… shit!” he marvelled. His large hands twitched, like he wanted to reach out and touch, but he resisted.

Lucas grabbed at the softening flesh around his waist. He now understood everything Talon had said in the past about fat; it really was erotic to feel that blubber under the skin. It was the reason why his next sentence seemed to bypass his brain entirely. “I think I want more,” he whispered, gazing longingly into Talon’s eyes as if he was the only person in the whole world who could fulfil that wish.

“How much more?” Talon asked, with a lustful urgency to his voice.

“I want a proper belly,” Lucas replied, picturing it in his head. “I want to be bigger than Jay. I think I could be huge.” Still feeling the fresh fat invading his stomach, Lucas’ lust began to overtake him. “I’m starting to think…. I think I want to be soft and squishy everywhere!”

“Oh, fuck!” Talon cried, losing all composure, his hands writhing with longing, until at last they strapped themselves onto Lucas’ hips and he pulled him in for the most passionate kiss that there had ever been.

Within moments, a shake had been pulled from the refrigerator and handed to Lucas. He tipped his head back, trying to keep a keen eye on the horny guy in front of him and then swallowed with expertise. 

“Shit!” Talon gasped, watching Lucas’ stomach bloating before his very eyes. “Look at you!”

Lucas burped discreetly, feeling the relief instantly, even as the shake was completed. “I want another!” he announced, pleased that his stomach wasn’t feeling even slightly full yet.

“Come on,” Talon whispered, pulling Lucas by his hand until he reached the refrigerator. He passed him another bottle to hold, then grabbed one himself and pulled Lucas through the living space and into his bedroom on the first floor. Once inside, the door was closed and the horny boy put the bottles to the side, pulling off both of their shirts and kissing Lucas with even more passion than before. In those moments, Lucas felt as though the world only existed for the two of them. Talon’s kisses were so intense, his large, roaming hands so skilled and effective, Lucas felt like he would never want to leave this room again.

After a minute or so, Talon’s intense arousal seemed to overspill into a need for action. He reached out for one of the bottles and popped the spout ready.

“Head back. Open your mouth,” the horny guy gently whispered, getting ready to tip it in. He seemed to shudder with lust when Lucas gladly did as he had requested. His free hand rubbed all over the swelling body, roaming from place to place like a kid at a candy store. “You’re amazing!” he breathed, seeing the contents of the bottle getting sucked down with increible speed.

Now Lucas was feeling it. The first shake had barely touched the sides, but this second one had left its mark. He wriggled uncomfortably and tried to turn slightly away from Talon so that he could burp up some of the gas. Talon simply lay his big hand on his back, as if to help. Then, in one giant, epic flow, the swallowed air came rolling up Lucas’ throat, catching him completely off-guard. Unlike the other guys in this house, Lucas wasn’t accustomed to burping in front of an audience, especially in such an extreme and noisy manner. But Talon seemed to love it, nuzzing his nose against the side of Lucas’ cheek and whispering ‘well done’ as if he now felt closer to him than ever before.

By the time Talon’s pants came down and the hunk’s thick, oversized hardness went on display, Lucas felt ready for the third shake. This time, he took the reins himself, sipping it down bit by bit whilst Talon stroked both of their erections. Lucas knew he couldn’t last long in this situation and, by the sounds and horny looks Talon was giving him, the athletic guy wasn’t going to last much longer either. By the time they both came, Lucas had leaned right back into Talon’s side, tipping the last few drops down his throat and wishing, more powerfully than ever before that he would one day have the capacity to keep going: to be Talon’s ultimate glutton.

Lucas had never imagined just how erotic it would feel to have his stomach stretched and admired as much as it was over the coming weeks. Despite Talon’s hedonistic, self-gratifying manner, Lucas could tell that the guy had fallen for him, hard. He could see the love in Talon’s eyes every single time they spoke; he felt cared for; worshipped even. And, perhaps best of all, there was very quickly a lot more of him for the big hunk to love. Just as Talon had promised him, the shakes and the food were packing on an ever thickening layer of blubber across his entire body. The mass of it was building in his stomach and spreading outwards into his glutes and thighs; not to mention his face, arms and chest. Very soon, his small pauch would pop out enough to become his actual belly, and neither of them could wait. It was almost unbelievable just how fast it was all happening; how quickly a guy could go from ‘fit’ to pure fat.

“This is more weight than you put on Jay now, don’t you think?” Lucas asked, enoying a naked Talon jiggling and kissing his new belly fat from down below as he himself lay on his back, completely satisfied after the most incredible sex they’d had yet. Talon truly was a master at everything he set his mind to. It was why his body was so sculpted, why his college assignments always came back with top grades (even with seemingly minimal effort) and why Lucas’ waistline already felt so absolutely out of control since his new lover had taken over his diet.

“I’d say so,” Talon agreed, lost in awe as he played with and admired the plush softness that he had created in Lucas’ stomach. “Although Sarah is definitely making her mark. When I saw Jay the other day his ass was looking…”

“Huge!” Lucas finished for him, nodding with complete agreement. “How has Sarah even done that? How has she got him to gain so much just on his ass?”

“It’s nothing more than genetics,” Talon shrugged. “Some people simply store fat differently to others. I could tell quite quickly that Jay was going to be a bit more padded in his rear than most. It’s one of the many things Sarah absolutely loves about his fatter body.”

“You talked to Sarah about all this?” Lucas asked in surprise. “Does she know what you did?”

“Of course,” Talon chuckled, as if he was surprised that Lucas didn’t already know that. “I picked up a lot of information about him that she needed to know: his favourite fatty foods, bad eating habits, his usual eating schedule. It’s important. I wrote it all down for her, even before their first date.”

Lucas’ eyes popped with even more surprise. He’d always assumed that Talon had just been having fun with Jay. He never realised how specifically he had targetted him. “Does that mean you keep notes on how to fatten me up?” Lucas asked, feeling strangely aroused by the idea.

Taon smirked, not answering straight away. “Of course I do,” he smiled. “With Jay, it was just a few scribbled sheets of information. But I’ve got an entire notebook on you,” he laughed, resuming his kissing of Lucas’ belly; only looking back up as he felt Lucas’ resurrected hardness tapping him on his broad chest. “I’m guessing that someone quite likes that idea?” he whispered in his deep, sexy voice.

“What if someone ever accidentally reads that notebook though?” Lucas asked in a slight panic.

Talon simply laughed at the idea and couldn’t have seemed more laid back about it if he had tried. “Well then, they would read in great detail all about how your very wicked, evil feeder is deliberately turning you into his perfect, chubby piggy!” he whispered seductively, kissing and jiggling the new blubber even more.

Overcome by lust for the idea, Lucas shot out with the only request his horny mind could focus on. “Talon, I want you to make my ass fatter than Jay’s!”

Talon smiled, as if he had planned everything perfectly; as if he had known weeks in advance that Lucas would make this demand of him. “You really don’t need to worry about that,” he grinned. “I know exactly what I’m going to do to you.” He laughed. “It’s all there, in black and white, all the way through my notebook!”

With that, strong Talon effortlessly twisted Lucas’ hips over so that the chubby guy was very suddenly lying on his front instead. Talon moaned in appreciation, Lucas’ thicker butt now level with his face. Lucas started giggling as the handsome man began kissing and worshipping his large glutes, feeling ever so slightly ticklish. Talon sighed with awe and lust, marvelling as Lucas’ ass got softer and squishier with each passing day. 

“Trust me, Lucas, I’ve got BIG plans for this thing!”

[the-nysh]

Trimax vol1: Longhaired Meryl Appreciation

Both Vash and Meryl grew out their hair in the 2yr timeskip since Fifth Moon (prev vol), that they'll both get haircuts before formally returning to duty. BUT! Since in-universe it's Meryl's birthday (February), and as an experienced (and silly!) ~professional~ she understands the value of taking a well-deserved vacation before she inevitably gets swept into the chaotic typhoon of her job again....so for now, here's her looking radiant with her longer hairstyle:

Bonus comparison to her typical hair length looks like this:

Additional chapter character notes of interest below the cut:

When her coworkers start gossiping and making assumptions about how horrible and dangerous her job (supervising Vash) must've been, she gently corrects them--defending Vash's name, saying "it wasn't such a terrible experience; Vash was a very different person than everyone thought he was; he was actually a very caring and honest man." Very good! She's seen much of his genuine kindness and efforts on their travels, that she won't sit idly by when others continue to misjudge him or speak ill of his character.

(Interestingly in contrast, it seems Meryl has a tolerance towards barbs and criticisms thrown at herself--remaining comparatively silent and/or suppressing it when she's the topic, but she will speak her mind on behalf of others, like Vash's reputation here.)

When her boss calls her to identify recent photos of Vash, she has tears of recognition--it's the first time (and confirmation he's alive) she's seen him after Fifth Moon! She notes his hair color has changed...

However, this time that's her boss's only use for her, as he's hired another guy in charge to intercept Vash. Meryl tries to help by offering the new guy all her reports on Vash as references, but the guy rudely insults and dismisses her! Saying her reports are uselessly no better to him than tabloids--as if she were writing Vash as another 'legendary mysterious hero'--which ah! If her previous words to her coworkers were any clue, she was probably working just as hard to clear Vash's name thru her insurance reports too. :') Lovely integrity and consistent dedication, Meryl!

She was willing to let the new guy go (while dissing a silly gesture behind his back~ again, she refrained from arguing or speaking up for herself here) and sit this one out, until she learns he's a trained military soldier...uhoh. (*cough* whom Vash also doesn't trust and won't open his door for...until the guy mentions lies he brings word from Meryl--ding!)

Although Meryl was supposed to be on vacation, she personally intervenes upon realizing this in-house 'insurance agent' is a hit-man with an unethical approach to 'risk management'--he's here to kill Vash and she does NOT agree with that! (Her non-lethal stance on dealing with targets actually aligns with Vash's values!)

The guy berates her as foolish to get so involved, while pointing a gun at her head--so brave, Meryl! She calmly remembers what her coworker said, about how "a woman can't be happy when she's always getting thrown into life-threatening situations" and thinks back to every danger she's encountered--the Nebraskas, BDN and the Bad Lads, Monev the Gale, EG the Mine...Fifth Moon, to finally focusing on...Vash's smile.

Almost like a grounding effect. 'Do it for him~' Where normally yes, she'd agree, but getting so 'foolishly' involved and thrust into countless dangerous situations becomes necessary and worth it (for Vash's smile...)

Also because, did the guy completely dismiss and underestimate her so bad, thinking she'd carelessly come here all by herself without a plan?! Hah! Cause Milly's on supportive sniper stungun duty to trash into this guy's ego; played 'em well, girls~ With this, Meryl's once again stepped in to take preventative measures against trouble to help save Vash's life, even from afar without him knowing.

Although Milly asks if they can go meet Vash, Meryl insists on keeping professional boundaries at a distance for now--so they can prioritize their self-care enjoying their much-needed vacation, as they'll meet that 'troublemaker' through work and soon get carried away by the typhoon again, all in due time~

(Back at the office, now who's going to be their most qualified replacement for that guy injured on the job? Ding ding, all along that would be Meryl!)

#trigun #trigunbookclub #manga panels #commentary #whoops didn't plan on writing that much but i felt the need for more meryl appreciation

[teddypickerry]

𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔 !

pairings! jess mariano x female reader

word count! 1.4k

warnings! swearing

a/n! it’s been a minute. hope everyone had a decent holiday and didn’t have to be stuck in a room with their sucky family too long lmao. don’t forget requests are open, and i’m aliveeee. this was actually a request from a few months ago but i accidentally deleted it or something so idk i can’t find it now. so i’m sorry person who requested!!

THE WIND WHISTLED throughout the chilly morning, entering the wooden apartment building with ease. As if it had been waiting all morning to do so. An escape indoors when a purple coated man with funky boots opened the bright red door, holding it with his mittens. The girl stepped in behind him a soft 'thank you' with a warm smile releasing from her mouth.

The building was inevitably cold. The winter months didn't allow any other way. So the few who mingled throughout the lobby, sprawled out on the mismatched couches, were bundled. You recognized them as the Williams family. A pair of older adults with their one son. Their heater had broken individually in their apartment leaving them stuck to the lobby for warmth. The mother was sure to greet you with a smile, one you mirrored with a quick 'hello.' You had already offered your company to them the evening before. When your boyfriend and you had come home from the bookstore.

The couple had politely awarded your generosity with a hug but declined the offer. You had gifted them a blanket or two along with one of the books for the son, who seemed bored out of his mind. So it warmed your heart to catch the teenager sat on the floor with the novel in his hands. This was one of the moments that Jess Mariano; the love of your life, had fallen even more deeply in love with you. It was only a few weeks ago you had moved to the city. The past nineteen years of your life had been spent in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The town where you so luckily met your boyfriend two and a half years ago.

You hardly knew the people in the lobby who seemed fairly upset but you offered your kindness to them. Something most wouldn't do. You trusted people and you trusted your heart. Which is something Jess Mariano never had the taste for. He had spent his whole life searching for warmth. Being raised by a mother who didn't know him from the next and preferred the men she met on the streets over him — left him with no real resemblance of what a true kind person in your life meant. When he was seventeen he was shipped from his mother's home (which lacked any home truly) to the small town.

Living with his Uncle Luke he rebelled immensely. That's what he knew how to do. Stars Hollow was also where he met Rory Gilmore. The girl whom he assumed would change all in his mind. She was pretty and incredibly bright. They had similar book tastes and both trashed the same musicians. But they were never on the same step. Always one step forward, and three steps back. So the short lived relationship was ended quicker than it had arrived. And that's when his love for you blossomed.

You made your way up the flight of stairs that you had made so familiar with these past few weeks. Fumbling with your keys, and your schoolbooks to unlock the door down the hall. The tiring day of academics that started far too early for your liking was finally coming to an end. There was nothing more you preferred to do than run inside and fall asleep in your warm bed. New York University was harder than you had imagined. But delightful in more ways than one.

When you had been accepted just a year ago, right after you started dating the dark haired boy who had won over your heart, you didn't have the money to move your life (and your love) to the city. So after yet another year with your boyfriend in Stars Hollow — and saving up as much as you could, the two of you could comfortably afford an apartment in Brooklyn. One that was the perfect little home for the both of you.

The door opened, the keys jingling in the process. The sound of a Billy Squier record engulfed your ears immediately. Your boyfriend's adequate yet varying taste in music was always something to adore. You could hear the record stop, and footsteps make their way over towards the machine. It was only seconds later another song sounded. The classic rock filling the home.

Dropping your books and bag on the kitchen counter, you took off your shoes and made your way quietly into the small living room. Where the sight of records, CDs, and books sprawled out all over the ugly green carpet surprised you. Hardly any walking space anywhere. But spotted directly infront of the built-ins was the man who had your heart. His messy dark hair sprawled all over his head as it faced the wall, his back the only part you could see. He sported a jean jacket over his blue t-shirt and black sweats. Which you could only assume was because of the weather. A stack of books held in one of his hands while the other attempted to place them on the shelves.

"Woah was there a tornado? I didn't feel it." You had joked, a small smile appearing on your lips as you watched your boyfriend's head spin around. Attempting to not drop the pile of books in the process. A goofy grin was quick to appear on his face, turning his head back to face the shelves. "Hey, how was it?"

"Um... I mean," You paused with the shrug of your shoulders despite knowing the curly haired boy wouldn't be able to see. Making your way towards the boy, making sure to not knock over each pile or box of things. "It was hard that's for sure. But worth it. I'm glad I'm here and thank you for coming with me."

"Hey, cmon no need for that shit. I'd never leave my girlfriend in a city by herself. Plus what's Stars Hollow without Y/N Y/L/N? It's just bullshit," Jess simply spoke as you made your way up behind him, your hand approaching the small of his back. "So what are you trying to do?"

"Trying to go for a Martha Stewart vibe," He humored placing the last book on the shelf before wrapping one of his arms around you. "Books on this side and I'll get another shelf for our bedroom. Then your records here, mine here, and our CDs there. And a worship lair for Kathy Griffin right here."

"Hm," you hummed as your smile poked out at his last sentence. "Why can't our records be together?"

"Megadeth and Carly Simon clash, babe." Jess teased lightly before turning down the record player a few tones. So hopefully it wouldn't burst a journalist in the making's eardrums. How else would you hear all the political bullshit? "You didn't have to do all this right now. I know you're probably tired from working."

"I'm fine. C'mon, it's gotta be perfect for you. And if my sleep deprivation means that you'll get that New York apartment we've always talked about, then fuck sleep." The nineteen year old explained before removing you from his embrace and reaching down for more books. "That was cheesy, Mariano. Rom-com cheesy. You love me so much."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Y/L/N." The boy's once rebellious demeanor took over as he dropped his warm face. Trying his best to appear vile. "Well definitely not you, Mariano. You tend to keep me wide awake." Your words revealed a smirk on the boys face as you pressed your hand to his shoulder. "Okay well, I'm gonna order some dinner. Let's see if I can get through this without tripping."

"Hey, wait." He called out anxiously making you turn to face him once more. "Where's my kiss?"

"I think I left it at school." You pouted making the boy give you an annoyed look before you pressed his lips against yours. A sweet sensation taking over your body in the process. You felt the boy ross the books onto the chair in the corner of the room, his hands pulling your body into yours as he deepened the kiss. There was nothing like the feeling of kissing the love of your life in your shared apartment. Not just an apartment, but a home.

#jess mariano x reader #gilmore girls #lorelai gilmore #jess mariano #teddypickerry #rory gilmore #jess mariano x y/n #luke danes #gilmore girls fic

[angel-of-the-moons]

I’d love to request a sibling/roommates fic with Pavi Hobie and the reader if it’s not too much trouble! All 3 of them are so sibling coded. We all decide “fuck it the rent’s cheaper if it’s three of us LET’S BE ROOMMATES”. Some people think ‘oh that apartment’s gonna be trashed’, nope. We all have our respective chores and have a schedule on who takes the trash out. We love spending time at bedtime doing our own skincare routines and brushing our teeth together (callout for people that say that Hobie doesn’t bathe, that man is one of the CLEANEST fuckers out there). Definitely doesn’t stop the occasional argument of “WHO ATE MY LEFTOVER PIZZA?!” “WHO ATE MY LEFTOVER PALAK PANEER?!” “WHO ATE MY FUCKING LAST SCOTCH EGG?!”

Bugs In A Rug!

Platonic! Hobie Brown x Pavitr Prabhakar x Reader

TW/CW: None!

A/N: Sweetheart I am so sorry this has been backed up for so long, I plan on eating through some of my asks (again) So I can open them up. The ones I don't vibe with might get yeeted (I love you all as well as every request that comes in, but some stuff my brain just can't write! 😭)

🎸🪷🎸🪷🎸🪷🎸🪷🎸🪷

People said the three of you would make poor roommates. That your apartment would be chaotic, messy, and loud just because you were all young and close in age, and rowdy when the three of you goofed off.

Oh, they were wrong in their assumptions. Many looked at you and Pavitr and automatically suggested Hobie would make a mess of your apartment. Oh, no. They were so wrong.

You and Pavitr tended to be forgetful, sometimes leaving little messes in your wake that Hobie would either clean up himself, or flick a dish rag at the both of you until the mess was done with.

Oh, and the food situation. You all shared grocery funds; a sound suggestion that worked out well for your wallets. However... Then came the inevitable "who ate my snack?!" debacle. Pavitr in particular was very protective of his masala cashews--to the point he would actively count each little cashew and write the number on the bag.

A tad excessive, but his determination ratted you out as his "cashew thief".

Almost like how you found out it was Hobie stealing your frozen dinners, and how it was Pavitr stealing some of his jaffa cakes.

Right now, however was a simple, casual day. Hobie had spent the past two hours playing his guitar in his room (soundproofed, thankfully) and you and Pavitr were in your usual hamster pile on the couch, waiting for Hobie to join the two of you for your little communal movie night.

"Hooobieeeeee!" Pavitr said loudly, laying backwards over your side as you scrolled through your phone. "C'moooooooon! We're getting booooooored!"

"Oi, gimme a minute, you twerp!" Hobie called out from his room.

You snicker and wiggle around, purposefully messing with Pavitr's balance as he was draped across you like a lazy cat.

"Hey! Quit it! You're the pillow!" Pavitr laughed, rolling over to pinch your cheeks from behind.

"Nah, you're jush a heavy brat!" You giggle, finally turning your phone screen off as you roll over to try and start to wrestle with him.

Hobie comes out right as you have Pavitr's wrist held in your mouth, and he had your leg in an arm-lock.

Hobie, despite his usual punk aesthetic, was wearing a soft knit jumper that seemed a tad too long--even for his long, lanky frame--some loose sweat pants, and a pink and purple silk bonnet that contained his usually untamed mass of wicks.

He put his hands on his hips and frowned at you two. "Now who's actin' like a couple a' brats? Oh, wait, nevermind, it's always you."

"Hey! You're not funny!" You say, you and Pavitr releasing each other as you begin to reassemble your pile of pillows, blankets, and cushions.

"Oh, please, I'm hilarious." Hobie smirked, flipping you the bird (which you responded with both your middle fingers in return) as he walked into the kitchenette to prep the popcorn and pour out the sweet snacks for your movie binge.

Pavitr laid on his pelly and kicked his feet as he watched Hobie get ready. "Aww! You look so cute today!"

"Do not call me that!" Hobie warned, wagging a finger at him over his shoulder.

"But you do!" You giggle, waggling your eyebrows.

Hobie smacks the bag of popcorn into the microwave and glares at the two of you. "Hey, you two like to keep the damn place as cold as an ice box! I have to dress all warm just to live, you damn penguins!"

"Lizard." You and Pavitr both say without missing a beat. And immediately after you and Pavitr high-five and joke about one owing a pop to the other. Hobie just scoffed loudly and took the bag of popcorn from the microwave, shaking the bag up a bit so the butter spreads, and grabs the bottle of "movie theater butter" the three of you were so fond of.

You and Pavitr turn to the TV and you snatch up the remote, scrolling through films to watch.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Pavitr asked innocoently.

"There's this one movie--the dude in it sounds just like Miguel, I swear!" You say, signing in to your streaming profile to find said movie.

"Ugh," Hobie groans, plopping down onto the ground next to you and your tanned, golden-retriever of a friend. "If he acts like him, I just know the movie is gonna suck."

"No, no, no!" You refute. "He's actually funny and like, he's a pilot or something."

"Fine, fine." He sighed with a lazy smirk, holding the popcorn bucket out to Pavitr for him to grab a handful of the crunchy, popped treat. You meanwhile snagged one of the lemon drop creme cookies he'd set down in between all of you as the movie's opening credits begin to crawl.

It was your first time ever watching this "Star Wars" stuff.

#🌙 answered #hobie brown #pavitr prabhakar #Pavitr Prabhakar x you #Hobie Brown x You #Hobie x Pavitr x You #platonic!reader #roommates au

[kurisus]

Noragami reread: Volume 15 & 16 thoughts

Having another normal one.

I mentioned this my last reread, but poor Yukine this arc. He didn't want to go to Kamuhakari, he didn't want to reconcile with Kazuma, he didn't want to oppose heaven...and then there's The Box which is waiting for me at the end here. He gets punished for doing his duty and protecting Yato, and for other things beyond his control, which is yet another parallel to his life that makes me unbearably sad.

It is also sad how Hiyori, Yato, and Bishamon were all pushing for the two to talk to each other and telling Kazuma to apologize for interrogating a child as he would a criminal...but when Kazuma finally approaches them at Kamuhakari, he ignores Yukine completely because Bishamon has disappeared and that man cannot function on his own. So the apology never happens...CAN IT IN THE LAST CHAPTER. PLEASE. PLEASE.

I didn't really connect the dots on this one before (and this sounds stupid but it's because I read this arc as it came out and there was so much Happening that I was just following along), but Bishamon betraying the heavens was kind of an inevitability. She's been upset with them ever since they killed Ebisu, one of her dearest friends, so she was just biding her time. That's why she told Nana she would give her heaven's head on a silver platter. Her plan was to kill the sorcerer, then let Nana kill the ones who were responsible for Ebisu's death. She didn't care that much about opposing them, and neither does Yato.

Anyhow, she's not given time to hunt trash dad--and this is something I figured out my previous reread, but it's because of Kazuma. He knew where she was going and followed her to the burial site, so when the heavens caught him, they knew who was responsible.

It's so funny to see that flash of the Father backstory after getting the full thing and know that Father blamed the heavens for Kaya's death, yet she wouldn't have run if she wasn't so afraid of him.

Another thing I didn't pick up before was Tenjin remarking to Daikoku that they have all abandoned Bishamon by staying behind. Kunimi and Ebisu are present as well. These are the three groups that offer up their shinki to absolve Yato--because they felt guilty about abandoning Bishamon. What if I cry.

YUKINEEEEEEEEEEE

Discord reactions:

#live update #Noragami reread #GoodbyeNoragami

[killerlookz]

december moon | eddie munson

description: Eddie catches you upset while attending one of Corroded Coffin's shows, so he offers to spend the night with you in hopes of making you feel better. (note: this is just a lil drabble and not the full length fic ive been talking about for a few days now- that will be out, hopefully by sunday!)

content: gn! reader, smoking, very light angst, reader has a shitty best friend

word count: 1851

Your breath disperses with a long, drawn-out exhale, the warm smoke of the cigarette escaping your mouth almost coved the white fog of your freezing breath. Almost. With a pained, stiff hand you lift your trembling fingers back to your mouth to take another drag of your cigarette. The unfortunately pleasurable warm smoke trickles down your throat and fills your lungs and your body tingles with a dull sensation that lazily quells some desire in your brain. But with your exhale, the tingle is gone- and no sensation is left other than the urge to inhale once more.

The faint trashing of guitars and banging drums could be heard, muffled from the building behind you- and you yearned for the warmth the crowded space had provided you just moments before- but you couldn't help but want to crumble up inside yourself at the thought of returning to a sea of smiling faces by yourself, cold and miserable.

You hadn't taken it upon yourself to attend many shows for this very reason the inevitable loneliness that had always come with them. You'd never considered yourself friendless per-say, or even lonely at the very least, but it was times like this that had desperately made you reconsider that thought. You'd been dragged to this show by a friend who'd hopelessly fallen in love with the singer for some local band- she had assured you she would still keep you company for the night and that she purely wanted to go to check said singer out. But it turned out "keep you company" to her had really meant stand beside you for a few moments before the dude she was into looked her way for even a split second and she was gone- leaving you in the dust while she flirted the night away.

Now here you were, sitting under the pale December moon, taking down your last cigarette while icy tears threatened to spill down your stiffened, aching cheeks. You hug your knees close to your chest as you sit on the rough pavement sidewalk just outside the dingy music venue. You rest your cheek across your kneecaps while you drag the dwindling flame of your cigarette across the ground beneath you, extinguishing the small blaze.

"Do you have a cigarette I can bum?" A voice asks from beside you, picking you out of your daydreams of self pity.

'Uh," You start, caught off guard as you turn your head upward toward the sound, "No, sorry- just smoked my last."

The wind blew harsh across your face as you looked up, stinging as it blew passed the droplets that had formed in your eyes. You squinted, protecting your careful gaze from the elements- your vision a blur for a moment before adjusting to the position. You recognized the man who'd asked you for a cigarette, you could spot that man from miles away- the combination of the long head of frizzy cults, awkwardly lanky legs, and large doe eyes were unmistakable- Eddie Munson.

Eddie had been somewhat of a unique presence in Hawkins, there was no one quite like him. Sure- other metalheads and headbangers alike existed within the town- but no one with the presence, the personality Eddie had. You had barely known the guy- and yet, he had made a lasting impression on you that you could never forget. He'd matured certainly, all of his features more defined, tattoos you didn't recognize extended onto the skin of his arms that was uncovered by his jacket sleeve, and perhaps most notably a small silver hoop hung around his nose.

"Oh shit," He huffs, "That's co- hey, don't I know you?" He asks, cocking his head to the side, pointing a long, ringed finger in your direction.

"Uh-huh," You nod, "Yeah we were-"

"That's right!" Eddie cuts you off, an enthusiastic smile on his face as he claps his hands together, letting a loud sound erupt around the mostly vacant parking lot as the recognition hits, "We graduated together!" His enthusiasm was almost heartwarming, despite clearly having aged a few years since leaving high school, he still had somewhat of a boyish charm about him.

Your lips fall into each other, forming a straight line as you give Eddie a tight-lipped smile,

"Yep," You tilt your head forward in a single sharp nod.

"Shit," Eddie chuckles, "Who'd you come here to see? Corroded Coffin?" He widens his eyes as he inquires about your night.

You shake your head,

"Oh- uh- no actually, I was here for uh, some band- shit- my friend dragged me along to see them- Defensive Personalities!"

Eddie chuckled, his cold breath visible in the dark, nighttime air- a smile appearing on his face,

"Well, if you're here to see them- I think you're missing out, they're on like, right now," He says, pointing a thumb backwards towards the building.

"Well, really, I'm not really here to see anyone," You shrug, looking back down at the pavement.

"No?" He asks, "What about your friend?"

"Ditched me," You mumble, dragging your finger across the rocky, jagged sidewalk, "For the singer in that band."

"Oh shit," Eddie says suddenly, "That's not cool." You're not looking, but you can hear his feet shuffling closer to you, his presence slowly looming over you.

"Oh- nah-it's okay," You shake your head, trying not to let the tears that threaten your eyes escape.

"No way," He protests, "That fucking blows- being ditched you know- I mean- I'm not gonna tell you how to feel but it's still kinda fucked up."

You sigh, raising your head once more to look at Eddie, trying your best to blink away the tears in your eyes. You'd felt so silly, in your twenties, nearly moved to tears by being ditched by a friend- it felt so stupid, so juvenile. But hearing Eddie, three years your senior, validating your sadness had you thinking maybe it wasn't so stupid to feel this way after all.

"No you're right," You admit, "It does kind of blow." You try to give a lighthearted chuckle, but it comes out more of a strained croak than anything.

"I'll be your friend for tonight," Eddie says, raising his eyebrows, letting you know his comment was more of a proposition than a statement.

"Oh- you don't have t-"

"No, it'll be cool," He nods, "We'll have a good time, I promise."

It didn't exactly take much convincing, hanging with a near stranger still seemed better than wasting your night, sulking around with nothing to do. Anyways- his presence seemed inviting, there was a lightheartedness to his entirety, one that filled you with comfort despite barely knowing the man. So much so, you hadn't had a single reservation about getting up at that very second and taking him up on his offer.

"Alright," Your lips curl into a tight-lipped smile, bracing a hand against the concrete to lift yourself up.

"Here," Eddie says reaching a hand forward, letting you grab it to pick you up. "Holy, shit- your hands are fucking freezing!" Eddie exclaims, nearly dropping you as your fingers wrap around his.

"Shit, sorry," Your eyes go wide as you find your balance, wobbling a little as you finally stand up.

"No- no- it's cool, how long have you been out here?"

"I don't know," You squint, furrowing your eyebrows, "45 minutes maybe,"

"Jesus Chris," Eddie shakes his head, "Explains why you're cold as a fucking corpse- come on let's go inside," He chuckles, beckoning you hurriedly toward the entrance to the venue.

You follow his lead, just footsteps behind as the pair of you enter the crowded space once more. The peace of the quiet outside is abruptly disturbed once the doors open, the warmth of the dozens of sweaty bodies inside the small space already radiating onto you. A shrill guitar tone assults your ears the moment you step inside, followed by even screech-ier vocals.

"Oh shit," Eddie chuckles, "Are they covering- fucking Nazareth?" His face contorts at the sound of the lead singer's ear-shattering vocals.

"I think so," You nod, concurring the singer that your friend had so eagerly left you for was doing the world's most god awful rendition of Nazareth's Love Hurts.

Some sick part of you could barely contain your laughter; maybe it was some sort of schadenfreude you were feeling at watching the man you'd been left for fail so miserably- and knowing the friend who'd left you for him would have to pretend like she loved it.

"Hey," Eddie said, grabbing you wrist as the two of you worked your way into the almost unmoving crowd.

"Huh?" You say, quickly flinging your head towards Eddie.

"Let's dance," A wide grin splayed across his face as he reaches out, grabbing your other wrist.

It wasn't like you had much of a choice at this point, both your wrists firmly captured in the tight grip of Eddie's large hands, all you can do is smile as the two of you begin to step back and forth to the rhythm or really- lack thereof in the song.

"I can really see why your friend left you for this dude, he is totally killing it," Eddie teases over the loud music, sarcasm heavy on his tongue.

"Oh yeah," You giggle, "I mean- I'm not even upset at this point, if I had a babe like that on the line, I'd ditch myself too!"

Unexpectedly, Eddie had pulled you a little closer, dragging your body to his, the two of you nearly chest to chest. It's evident he doesn't think much of the action, not caring about pulling himself into such close proximity of someone he barely knew. Your chests are nearly touching now, and the once dull thumping of your heart in your chest quickly graduates to a strenuous beating. The breath is nearly knocked completely out of your throat when Eddie's eyes catch yours, with nothing but invitations of warmth and kindness behind his soft brown irises.

You swallow thickly, trying to just continue on with your goofy swaying movements- but you can't help but stifle your movements when Eddie's hands untangle from yours and fall behind your back. Still- he keeps a good distance away from you, not exactly invading your personal space, but he's close enough. You freeze for a moment, unsure of what to do with your own arms before defaulting to the only thing that felt right in this situation, loosely perching your fingers atop Eddie's shoulders.

Eddie grins even wider, "Oh yeah," He nods wildly, "These dudes are fucking brutal- hope they play 'Every Rose Has It's Thorn' next!"

You can't help but laugh at his comment,

"Oh! I can only dream of it," You throw your head back a little, for once, letting some sort of joy take over tonight.

And as you lean your head back forwards, you notice Eddie's gaze is pointed straight at you, filling your body with those same tingles you'd gotten from nursing your cigarette just moments before. And at that moment, despite the harsh winter outside, you'd never felt warmer.

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things #joseph quinn #joseph quinn fic #eddie munson fic

[anarcoqueer1994]

TW: Slurs, homophobia, abuse, neglect

Steve’s parents are shitty, but Eddie loves Steve, and it gets sappy

You are My Sunshine

Steve likes boys. He has known he liked more than just girls since he was 8 years old. But Mr. Harrington made sure to try and beat that idea out of him, lay harsh harsh hands against him leaving bruises in their wake, degrade him with knife-like words like pansy or faggot until he learned not to bring up those feelings anymore. His mother would silently sit back, showing her agreement with apathy.

For years, Steve tried to hide it. He played the popular, skirt-chasing jerk, only daring to kiss boys in the dead of night, hook up with them when no one was looking, and accept that many of them were scared too, inevitably leaving him alone after. Honestly his luck with women, though, wasn't much better. No matter what, Steve just ended up heartbroken.

But when he met Eddie, things felt different. He didn't know why, but he was drawn to Eddie like some planet orbiting a giant bright star. And Steve wanted to stay in that orbit, wanted to move even closer, even if it destroyed him. But Eddie didn't destroy him. Eddie loved him. For the first time, Steve felt like he was truly, romantically in love, even if they haven't said that yet. He felt protected, like he belonged somewhere.

But his parents came home unexpectedly one day, to "check-in" after the "earthquake." Only it was 10 months too late. But it didn't matter, they caught Steve and Eddie making out on the couch, Steve straddling Eddie’s lap. Any pretenses that this was anyway two straight dudes hanging out were out the window.

The harsh words come out again as Steve tries to clumsily pull himself off of Eddie.

"I thought I beat that faggot shit out of you!" His dad yells stepping closer to Steve. His mom stays quiet per usual.

"Dad...I..." He stutters.

"Shut up, Steven." He steps closer as Steve flinches.

Eddie watches as the bright light that usually fills Steve's eyes is replaced by something darker...fear. Eddie isn't used to this, Steve was fearless against the monsters of the upside down, but this monster, his own father, is too much for him.

He knows he should stay out of it but can't. Before Eddie knew what he was doing, he was between Steve and his dad, blocking Steve from the man who looks eerily similar except his eyes are filled with hatred.

"Get out of here!' His dad screams at Eddie. "I don't want some trailer trash faggot in my home!" He tries to push past Eddie to his real target of his vitriol. But Eddie doesn't budge.

"I'll leave, but only with Steve." He spits back.

Behind him, Steve is seething. The moment his father turned his attacks to Eddie instead of him, he snapped. He was no longer fearful, all he wants is to defend Eddie, his Eddie.

"My son is not going with you!" Mr Harrington practically growls.

"Yes, I am!" Steve's voice shoots from behind them, as he grabs Eddie's hand, moving so he is next to his boyfriend. Eddie squeezes his hand in return.

He doesn't remember what happened next. Just screaming, and fists. When he gets to the door with Eddie, his father threatens him to never come back. His mother surprisingly convinces his father to let him grab his things first. He leaves that day with a few hastily packed bags, a black eye, and Eddie.

Steve drove off from his used to be home, not saying a word as he gripped onto Eddie’s hand, threatening to never let go. He was lost in his thoughts as Eddie tried to soothingly run his thumb in circles over Steve’s hand.

His father finally succeeded, got rid of his queer son. He knew people would find out. He knew he dragged Eddie, his star, into this. And it kills him. But it also kills him to finally have confirmation that his parents could never love him. He already knew that deep inside, given the years of neglect and abuse, but he secretly hoped that they did care afterall. But in the end, they only cared about keeping him under control, parading around his 'good' features, while trying to push down and erase the 'bad' ones.

To Steve's parents, he was just some planet that inconveniently got stuck in their orbit. He was an unwelcome visitor into their solar system. They tried to make do, throwing meteors of insults and hatred at him, to break him down, reshape him into something they could deal with.

All of sudden, it's too much for Steve, tears start falling down his face as he shakes. He has to pull over as his vision gets distorted. Eddie is immediately squeezing his hand and he leaning over.

"Sweetheart..." Eddie whispers.

Steve looks over like he is about to break, eyes red and puffy, face red, with tears down his cheeks. Immediately Eddie throws his arms around Steve pulling him close, practically pulling him onto his lap, as he whispers in Steve’s ear. Steve clings to him like his life depended on it, and in that moment it kind of did.

"Stevie..." He coos. "I got you, baby...I always got you."

"I'm so sorry, Eds..." Steve says wetly after a while, into Eddie’s shoulder, as the sobs start to dry up.

"What? Princess, no...no you have anything to apologize for." Eddie quickly says, not sure Steve is saying sorry.

Steve pulls away, scooting back into his seat,looking down, suddenly embarrassed for his "outburst." He hears his parents voices as he thinks about it, always embarrassed by any show of emotion he might have.

Eddie reaches back for Steve’s hand. Steve doesn't look up, but lets Eddie take his hand. Eddie clears his throat, "You have nothing to be sorry for." His voice is stern like he refuses to see it any other way.

Steve takes a shaky breath before daring to look up, only to find Eddie’s soft brown eyes staring back at him, except his eyes were full of worry, and Steve knows he caused that.

"No, Eddie. I do. My dad is going to out us, things are going to get out and you'll have to deal with that because of me. And now you are worried about me and my stupid daddy problems. And I don’t want to be a burden and..." Steve's anxious rambling is interrupted with a soft little kiss.

Eddie had watched as Steve was digging himself into a giant hole of guilt and it was breaking his heart, so he did the first thing he had thought of. And now as he pulls away, he doesn't go far, resting his hands on Steve’s neck, and forehead against him.

"Stevie..." Eddie whispers. "I don’t care what your dad says or does. He is an asshole, and doesn't deserve you in his life. He'll, I don't deserve to be in your life. Sweetie, you are amazing, and sweet, and somehow you want to spend time with a cynical freak like me..."

Steve cuts him off. "I don’t think your a cynical freak..."

"I know, sweetheart. And that's why you are so special to me. You really see 'me' and I really see 'you.' And, like, I love what I see. You're funny, and smart, and kind of dumb." He smiles teasingly. "And you are caring, and kind and bitchy, and everything all the same time. And you are so fucking hot. I love you, Steve Harrington. "

Steve suddenly feels like his heart is going to beat out of chest and fly around the car. "You love me?" He says in half disbelief.

"Yea, you are my sunshine, Stevie. You brighten up my life. So, yea I love you." He smiles at Steve like he is the only person in the whole world.

Steve can’t help but smile back. Steve had been wrong. To Eddie, he wasn’t just some planet pulled into his orbit, destined to be destroyed. He was a star in his own right. He was bright and beautiful and powerful. Steve and Eddie were two stars dancing around each other, pulled to one another, always circling the other with their light and receiving light at the same time. They were bright and beautiful and powerful together too. Steve was Eddie’s star just as much as Eddie is his.

He whispers "I love you, too, Eddie." And he leans back in for another soft chaste kiss.

Eddie lets a happy sigh escape his nose. "Good..." then he gets a devious little smile. "But there is one thing I would change..."

Steve pouts, maybe a little exaggerated. " Oh? What is that?"

"Your last name, Harrington." He says definitely.

"Honestly, not too fond of it myself anymore..." He replies sadly.

Eddie senses his sadness so he saves the moment. "Then how about we change it to Munson, soon."

Steve laughs, eyes still red and face puffy from crying. "Is this how you are proposing to me?'

"I don’t know. Would your answer be yes?" Eddie grins.

"Of course." Steve smiles again, before playfully adding, "But if you think this means you don't have to take me out to a nice place and propose properly, you'd be wrong."

"Whatever you say, Princess." Eddie laughs before pulling Steve in for another soft kiss.

#stranger things ficlet #stranger things #steddie #steddie fic #Steve harrington #Eddie munson #Steve's parents are terrible #abuse #slurs #neglect #sappy

[anxso]

Lil prompt fill I did for Angstober day 29 “Almost”

Some masochistic Faithshipping Yusei/Aki :’)

Akiza paced on the highest floor of the Arcadia Movement. Over the railing, she spotted Movement members rushing to and fro in their typical robes with no sign of the man in charge. Ever since the Fortune Cup, the activity had been nonstop.

The elevator doors slid open. Sayer exited while massaging the bridge of his nose. Two women followed behind, working together to carry an unconscious girl. Akiza neared his side, hissing, "Where have you been? I woke up in my pod, and you weren't there. Don't you know I need you more than ever right now?"

He groaned at the ceiling. "Can't you comprehend for a moment how our phones are ringing off the hook, reporters are trying to corner me at every turn, and it's on my shoulders to keep this place from crumbling? You're my world, Akiza. I want to be there for you every moment, but I am only one man. I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

She rapidly blinked to fight off the wetness in her eyes. "Y-yes. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"You're never a bother, but I must admit I'm overwhelmed." He glared at the unconscious girl. Akiza gasped. It was the same Movement member who'd tried to comfort her–the shadow, the fugitive from the Facility. Sayer snapped, "It's all Yusei Fudo's fault, that damn Satellite. This girl had a run-in with him, and now look at her. Fudo has a penchant for sending psychics into psychosis, I suppose."

"It's not right," Akiza snarled. Her fingers curled into fists. "Someone has to do something about him."

"And I will," Sayer said, laying his hand over Akiza's. "Wait in my office, please. I have to make sure this one is well situated for recovery."

He snapped for the women to follow him. Akiza let herself into his office and lingered. She paced back and forth. Outside, the sun set on New Domino. She lifted the half that remained of her Black Rose Witch mask, letting it catch the grim amber of the ending day.

Behind Sayer's desk, a panel hid away a screen showing the location of every marked criminal. Akiza wasn't *supposed* to know of its existence. There she stood, though, typing in Yusei's name. He was moving through the slums, an area Akiza knew like the back of her hand.

She returned the panel to its place, slipped on the mask, and ascended to the roof.

/\/\/\/\/\/

Yusei clung to the shadows in DAIMON, praying he might run into Blister. He figured it was only a matter of time before Godwin or one of his lackeys picked him up by force, and he wanted an opportunity to speak with Blister before the inevitability came to pass.

Overhead, wings flapped. He froze. In the middle of the City, he might have heard a pigeon or a swallow. He may have lost his mind because whatever the flap was sounded as massive as an airplane. He crouched behind the dumpster in the skinny alley. Dusk offered him plenty of darkness to work with, and he favored the low visibility.

Anything above him, however, would have no trouble spotting him.

The dumpster soared into the sky. He hissed in a breath and stumbled back. Trash flew in all directions as the massive metal object flipped over and over before crashing into the street. Tendrils shot at Yusei, stabbing into the wall behind him. The ancient bricks coughed dust.

Crimson petals drifted down around him.

"No," he said.

Vines wrapped around his torso. Thorns cut open his skin as the black bonds tightened, trapping him against the building. Street lamps flickered on. Copper light landed on the scarlet dress and flowing hair of the woman standing before him.

"Aki-"

She raised her hand palm-up, and a vine shot down from the Black Rose Dragon floating above them. The tendril wrapped around his throat. "I'm done listening to your poisonous words. You're wrong about me. I'm right where I belong. After all…"

She walked her fingers up his abdomen to his chest and caught his jaw, her fingernails digging into his skin like her thorns. Blood dripped onto the pavement. She smiled. "I like the view from here."

Yusei thrashed against the vines. Black Rose wound them tighter. His breaths wheezed. The movement of the sharp thorns tore apart his jacket and ripped off swaths of his shirt. She studied his chiseled musculature, the relentless tears in his tanned skin, his agonized expression.

Something warm rioted in the seat of her belly.

She cast out her arm. The vines snapped back, and Yusei collapsed to the ground. He held his own throat and swallowed air. She'd almost killed him.

Almost.

She wanted to shove him down. Straddle him. Claw his face off. No, something else. Her face heated like her stomach had, and she covered it despite her mask. Shame and desire interlaced like her walls of ivy. She stumbled back from him.

He rose to his feet, swaying, and held his arm out to her. "Akiza, please. Can't we-" He coughed. A shudder rattled her. "Let's talk?"

"After what I did to you, you want to *talk*?"

"I know it's not you!"

She shoved his shoulder against the wall. Wet blood smeared the palm of her glove. "What the hell is wrong with you? What do I have to do to get you to leave me alone?"

He pinned her with a glare, sapphire eyes shivering with his grit teeth. "I know that's not what you want. You found me, after all."

She winced and backed away. He slumped and fell to the ground, slowly, slowly. She said, "I'll kill you," but it came out as a barely audible whisper.

"I can't imagine a better way to go."

The statement struck her like lightning. She stood stock-still, and it was all she could do to remain standing and drawing breath. Yusei pulled off his glove with his teeth and showed her his birthmark. Her focus flicked to her own.

"Whether you want it or not, we're connected."

But she knew whatever sparked between them came down to more than a fucking skin condition.

Which sent her mind spiraling, thoughts of skin-to-skin, of where else he might have birthmarks, of of-

Black Rose Dragon swooped down and swept her onto its back. She held onto its neck, her pulse pounding.

Forget him, forget him, forget him.

She stared at the blood staining her glove, and she held it close to her heart.

#faithshipping #yuaki #yusei fudo #aki izayoi #5ds #yugioh 5ds #ygo #yugioh #fanfic #ygo fanfiction #ygo 5ds #angstober 2023

[dream-meister-translations]

DREAM MEISTER & THE RECOLLECTED BLACK FAIRY

ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE x KING'S GAME - PART 3   

━

A game to determine the king who will rule over the party participants.

Having decided to participate, we headed for the Great Hall located at the center of the castle, where everyone was told to gather. There were large windows that lined the walls, allowing us to peer out at the sky.

EMMA : The view of the sky is breathtaking! The moon looks so beautiful tonight! 

BURN : Oh, what a beautiful setting! With the moonlight behind us, our heroic actions will shine brightly! 

SPARROW : Wow...The moon is so big and round...I-It's beautiful...

YMIR : Hehe, Sparrow. You should say something like "Emma is even more beautiful."

SPARROW : Wh-Wha!?

LIEBE : Just ignore them, Emma. If it were possible, I would go up and pluck that moon from the sky to give it to you~

LEN : Is this the place idiots gather or what?

VICTOR : Emma, I'm curious, if you were to become king, do you have any orders or desires in mind?

EMMA : I haven't thought of anything yet. How about you, Victor?

VICTOR : Hmm. I want to develop a new cocktail~ There are limits to individual knowledge and creativity, so I'd like to gather a group of taste-testers and hold a cocktail symposium! 

YMIR : Does that really count as an order?

VICTOR : Well, in the sense of making opportunities by forcing others to partake, yes, I think it is a suitable order. What about you, Ymir? Don't you have anything you'd like to order as a king?

YMIR : Me? Nothing in particular. Most people listen to me without having to order them around, and I can't think of anything I'd want to order people to do just for the sake of it.

VICTOR : Be careful not to get stabbed one day, okay?

LEN : It's inevitable for trash like him. 

EMMA : It's a bit surprising that Ymir isn't interested in being king.

EMMA : (Considering how ambitious he is, I thought he'd be more proactive about aiming for the top...)

YMIR : Being a temporary king feels empty, don't you think? It's a different story if true power can be obtained. 

BURN : A shiver just went down my spine! I sensed a hint of evil from Ymir! 

YMIR : Haha, me~? Humans are evil by nature. I'm a simple man. I just want to see how far I can rise. 

EMMA : What about you, Len? You wanted to participate from the start. 

LEN : Damn straight. If I were king, I'd make everyone here do a handstand first. 

EMMA : Why!? 

LEN : 'Cause it's funny. Duh. Then I'd have rabbit races until the party is over. 

VICTOR & YMIR : You are ridiculous. 

LEN : I'm just kidding!! Sheesh...

BURN : I'll support you in your dreams, Len! 

LEN : Shut up.

LIEBE : If I were to become king, I'd use all means to make Emma fall in love with me. I'd show her how serious I am about wanting her~

EMMA : You sure are insistent...And getting too close again.

BURN : Hmm, orders huh? No matter how much I think about it, I can't find any interest in such a thing. I'd rather be the kind of hero who knocks down the guys giving the orders!

SPARROW : Burn is so confident...It's amazing...I wish I could be...

VICTOR : Oh my, Sparrow. What about you? Is there anything you'd like to order?

SPARROW : M-Me!? No, th-that's impossible. I mean, giving orders only to be attacked for it later...Uh, thinking about it gives me chills!

YMIR : So, everyone here is a participant? There are about fifty people.

VICTOR : That means a tenth of the original party are participating. This is a lot of competition.

LEN : Having absolute power to order anyone around, even other families? There's a lot of value to it!

SPARROW : Huh!! W-What's that sound!?

BURN : Is the game beginning? Haha, I'm getting excited! 

EMMA : (From here on out, I need to do my best no matter what happens!)  

With that determination running through my veins Iー

EMMA : Wh-What's this...!?

Suddenly, an unfamiliar smoke gushed into the room. Although we hurried to cover our mouths to avoid inhaling itー

My consciousness was swiftly thrown into a world where only white stretched out as far as the eye could see.

#Otome #Yumekuro #Yumekuro Translations #YMKR translations #YMKR #Dream Meister Translations #Otome Translations #Dream Meister And The Recollected Black Fairy #Dream Meister And The Recollected Black Fairy translations #king3

[madaboutmunson]

Devil Gate Drive

Free Space (Prompt B2 ) Summary: In which Eddie fixes a spooky campfire story that Steve mis told, sending them on a quest for a wish to be granted. Well, once, they get to Devil Gate Drive that is :)

Word Count:12196 @eddiemunsonbingo

AO3 Link ******************************************************************

One thing that is inevitable to happen around a campfire as darkness engulfs the people around it is storytelling. Some stories are to be nostalgic, some to open yourself up to others, but the most popular has to be those spooky stories. Ones to thrill and delight, specifically designed to be the perfect excuse to push wanting hands into holding or open waiting arms into protecting. But some of those tales aren’t just entire works of fiction. Some of those tales are rooted in some nutrient-weak soil of truth, but something keeps that myth alive by a sliver. So that keeps it crawling along and grazing its raw belly to reach a gathering such as this one. It simply needs to continue to be passed along until it can reach the correct listener at the correct time to bring it back to life.

And it is on a late summer night such as this that one such frayed yarn of a legend does just that.

“Welcome to Devil Gate Drive! The demon says as the gates lock behind them!” Dustin completed his story with an evil laugh. His shoulder slumped at the lack of reaction of the party.

A small round of applause emitted from Steve and Robin, but Dustin rolled his eyes and waved them away, folding his arms.

“It was a great story, Dustin!” Will offered kindly.

“Yes, very good. But not a surprise. I heard it before at another party,” El said with a small smile.

Max snorted out a laugh, which was music to everyone’s ears. Having been so long since they heard her express any kind of joy, “Wow! If even El has heard it before, imagine how many times the rest of us have heard it!”

Lucas nudged her in the ribs, which he immediately got flipped off for, “What she is trying to say is. It’s not you, it’s just an old story that gets told a lot. It’s scary the first time you hear it but after, not so much,” he consoled kindly.

“Last time, I ask for recommendations from you!” Dustin glared over at Steve.

“Hey! It’s a great story. Just because this bunch of dickheads don’t know how to appreciate a classic isn’t my fault,” Steve defended, eyeing the ground around the fire.

“I knew I should have stuck to my alien abduction story,” Dustin sulked and shuffled the toes of his sneakers into the dry dirt.

“You had sci-fi, and you let King Dufus-“ Mike started.

“Dingus,” Robin corrected him quickly and then waved him on to continue.

“King Dingus, change your mind to some ancient demon junk?” Mike shook his head, “That’s on you, man.”

“Oh, because your urban legend was so good,” Dustin made a face and teased him.

“Well, at least Will was scared of my story!” Mike barked back.

“Oh yeah. Terrified,” Will added unconvincingly.

Before Dustin could snap back, Nancy clapped her hands, “Well, before this pleasant evening descends into chaos, would anyone like a ride home?” Everyone except Steve and Dustin raised their hands. Steve frowned and lowered Robin’s hand for her. Nancy took out her keys, jingled them and walked to her car.

Robin immediately elbowed Steve in the ribs, “Ow, what was that for?”

“I’m ready to go home, dingus.”

“Yeah, and I’ll take you. Like I always do. You don’t need,” he carelessly waved a hand towards the group departing, “Nancy to do it.”

“Sounds like someone is a little jealous again,” Dustin muttered under his breath.

“Oh, Steve. Jealous? Colour me surprised,” Robin joked, gathering up their trash from around the dying fire, “Honestly, he’s probably just mad everyone didn't love that story so that at the end, he could say he told it to you.”

Steve folded his arms and frowned, “Ah, no, actually. I only told Dustin that story because his other one was lame, and also, what do I have to be jealous about? Nothing. If anyone is jealous around here, it's you two licence-lacking jerks!” 

Dustin shoved the half-empty Pringles cans into his backpack, “Steve, being jealous is one thing, but lying to your two best friends about it is just plain ridiculous. You were being jealous not two days ago and have been making snide comments about it ever since.”

“Jonathan again?” Robin tutted.

“No, actually, it's a new guy, and get this, it's not even Nancy-related.” Dustin chuckled as he gossiped with Robin, who stopped what she was doing and gave him her full attention.

“OK, that's enough. I am not jealous of anyone, not Jonathan, and certainly not some King of the nerds,” Steve laughed.

“Ah, so he admits it then,” Robin pointed a hand towards Steve and turned back to Dustin, “So who is this guy?”

“Oh, you know him,” Dustin smiled mischievously.

“I know a King of the Nerds? I thought that was you honestly, Dustin,” Robin laughed as Dustin mimed out proudly, putting a crown on his own head as she bowed to him, “Hmmm,” she pondered for a second before her eyes went wide with realisation, “Oh, no way! Really?” Robin made the devil horns symbol on her hand at Dustin.

“Really!” Dustin mirrored her actions in reply but stuck his tongue out simultaneously.

“Now, why would Steve be jealous of him?”

“I’m not jealous, ok!” Steve finally exploded, “If anything, he’s doing me a favour keeping you little shitbirds occupied at least one day a week!” Steve said, kicking and chucking things around while he searched the area, “Now, where is that stupid water bottle I told you to keep ready in case of emergencies? Hmmm? In case we needed it? Probably buried under a mountain of shit for easy access, I’m sure.”

“Yeah, I’m not getting a molecule of jealousy coming off you right now, Steve. Not at all. Not one bit,” Dustin said dryly.

“Oh wow. He really is jealous,” Robin started laughing so hard she nearly fell off the stump.

“You know what? I don't even know why I’m friends with you, absolute assholes. You use me like a personal taxi and-and agony aunt service. Then, all the help I give is thrown back in my face. From now on, you can forget it!” Steve said, finally finding the water and failing to unscrew the top on the first try, making Dustin join in with Robin’s laughter.

“Oh, that's right. Laugh it up, you little dorks. And you know something else. My story is a classic! The reason they didn't go for it is because you are an awful storyteller, and you missed out the best part.” Steve said, marching over to Dustin, thrusting the water bottle at Robin to take it from him and open it.

The fire hissed behind them with a metallic jingle and the sound of a zipper in the new darkness they had been plunged into. Steve turned himself to shield Dustin and threw an arm in front of Robin as he hoisted the water bottle high over his head. 

Their eyes frantically searched the darkness to no avail, but they were still adjusting. There is a snap of a twig, and all their heads snap toward it. Then, as a unit, they back up as much as possible.

“He’s right, you know,” came a low voice from the inky blackness, “You missed the best part,” a small flame illuminates a slender face surrounded by dark waves of hair. The flame goes out, and all that is left in its place is the pulsing glow of the end of a cigarette, “You’re supposed to tell them that the entrance can be found right here in Hawkins.”

The three of them relaxed a little, knowing it was just a human and not some demo-creature, but after what happened to some of the town earlier this summer, Steve was still on guard, “Get lost, creep!” he shouted towards the occasional glow but received an elbow in the side. As he turned to complain, he was blinded by the light of Dustin’s headtorch. Once he backed off to save his eyes, the beam of light turned to illuminate the guy who had been talking.

Tall, lanky-looking, all tough fabrics and edges, other than his big eyes and hair. A new idol for at least three of the party to worship the ground of. This was Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson.

“Eddie!” Dustin all but squealed at him as the man covered his eyes with his forearm.

Dustin quickly scrambled his way up higher and provided Eddie with his own spotlight, which made them both grin wildly.

Robin waved a hand in greeting, “Buckley, nice to see you out of uniform,” he chuckled with a nod, and his eyes moved to Steve, who looked like an overwhelmed and unimpressed Mother. His hands on his hips, and his tongue licking his teeth in seething annoyance behind tight lips.

Eddie dropped his head to the side, “Aww, not happy to see me, Harrington?”

Steve narrowed his eyes, “You think urinating on a fire is impressive?” He cleared his throat and looked up at Dustin, but his headlight stayed fixated on Eddie. Steve tensed his jaw and continued, “All you’ve done is filled the air with piss molecules or whatever now. So congratulations, I guess!” Robin quickly covers her mouth with her jacket

Eddie pouted as he began to circle Steve at a slow pace that Dustin’s headlight followed, “Was just trying to help you out, big boy, no need to get so uptight,” the last overly enunciated T he bit into the air between them, and then continues to walk around and observing him.

“I had it under control, thank you. You didn’t even get it all,” Steve complained as he walked over with the water bottle, masking his face with his jacket before pouring the water on the remaining embers.

Eddie wrapped his arms around himself and looked at the ground with a barely repressed smile, ”Duly noted, Harrington. Duly noted.” Eddie seemed to concede as his eyes watched Steve from under his hair.

“I don’t think that last bit would have saved the story, to be honest. They’ve all heard that story before. I probably could have shown them a creepy gate entrance, and they wouldn’t have been even remotely scared,” Dustin complained.

Eddie slowly tore his eyes from the grumbling man at the extinguished fire, “You sure about that, Henderson? It looked pretty damn creepy to me!”

“Wait. It’s real?” A newly intrigued Dustin.

“It’s just a set of random old gates in the woods,” an entirely-over-it Steve interrupted as he kicked more dirt over the fire.

“As real as I am stood before you,” Eddie followed up with an answer of his own.

“Oh my god, can we go see them?” Dustin scrambled down from the stump, excitedly rushing over to Eddie, who reached out and dimmed the head torch down a setting.

An exasperated Steve returned to the group, shaking his head with a laugh, “There is nothing to see unless one of your new hellfound hobbies is gross old gates?”

“D’awww,” Eddie gushed like a kitten had just pawed at him, “he really is jealous of lil’ ol’ me, isn’t he? It’s Hellfire, by the way. H-E-L-L-F-”

If looks could kill, there would have been a crater where Eddie had stood, “OK, last time I go over this. I’m not jealous of you, your stupid little board game club that is mostly math and playing pretend, what ugly bands you are into, or what laws you break daily!” Turning his eyes to Dustin next, he says, “It is literally a set of gates. You can walk right around them. Whatever they guarded is long gone. I’ve been there a bunch of times. It’s stupid.” Steve said condescendingly.

“If it’s so dumb, why did you go there more than once, huh?” Dustin fired back.

An amused smile graced Eddie’s face, “Yeah, why might that be, Harrington?” 

“Yeah, that does seem a little strange, even for you,” Robin said from inside her jacket, which was zipped up over her nose.

Steve mumbled something as he avoided eye contact with the others and kicked at the ground.

Eddie cupped his hand to his ear, “What was that now? Didn’t quite catch it,” he grinned.

“I said because it’s, um, a great make-out spot,” Robin made some grossed-out noises, and Dustin simply sighed. But Eddie continued to wait, seemingly unconvinced by this reply.

“Yeah, because some creepy old gates sound so romantic,” A disgusted Robin replied.

“Hey, it’s foolproof, okay. Everyone knows being a little scared works! That’s why people go on dates to scary movies, not romantic ones,” Steve defended.

“Sound logic. It’d work on me,” Eddie shrugged, shoved his hands in his pockets, and took a few long strides between the two very confused older teens, “So what you are saying, Harrington, is the first time you went there was to make-out with someone and not because of the other part of the story you missed out?”

“Wait, what is the second part of the story?” Dustin asked eagerly, the beam of his headtorch finally leaving Eddie and falling onto Steve.

“It’s not a second part! It's why the couple went to the gates in the first place, and I didn't miss it. It just makes it sound more fairytale than scary campfire story.” Steve corrected matter-of-factly, “How long exactly were you spying on us?”

“Long enough,” Eddie winked at him.

“What is wrong with you?” A perplexed Steve shook his head at the metalhead.

“So you just missed out the original motive for the couple and replaced it with they just stumbled upon it one night walking in the woods?”  Dustin gestures pointedly at the trees surrounding them.

Eddie clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on his heels, trying very hard to hide the satisfied grin that threatened to break out across his face and send Steve right over the edge.

“Yeah, well, it's certainly more scary than a wish being granted! That's like Aladdin or some little girl’s story.”

“HEY!” Robin complained, and Steve’s face immediately apologised for him, “You know what, maybe we should hear the alternate version and decide, huh? Eddie, if you wouldn’t mind?” Robin sent a scowl at Steve and an equally threatening forced smile at Eddie.

A slight growl escapes Steve, and Eddie claps his hands and rubs them together, “So Harrington almost nailed it, except for in the original story, our pair of high school sweethearts aren’t the perfect match they seem to be, well at least not to their parents. He’s a low-down dirty punk, and she’s a sweet as cherry pie girl next door. They hear that they'll be granted one wish if they make it to Devil Gate Drive, but it will come at a price.” Eddie shrugged one shoulder, “But what price wouldn’t our lovebirds pay for one another to live happily ever after? No price is too high, right?” He spun on his heel and wielded a wicked grin an inch from Robin’s face, making her jump back in fright, “Right?” He says with an evil chuckle.

“So their wish doesn’t get granted?” Dustin asked a slight nervousness in his voice now.

“Oh no. They get their wish exactly as they asked for it. They get to be together forever, and no one can ever tear them apart. Just like they asked,” Eddie smiled over at Dustin.

“So, what's the problem? Happily ever after, right?” Robin asked, pulling Eddie’s focus back to her.

“Well, they had to pay the price, and that may have dampened the forever they were tied into just a little,” Eddie says with a smirk.

“Oh no, did one of them have to die? Or-or become a hideous monster?” Robin guessed as Eddie smiled happily at the listener's engagement and pumped his eyebrows at Steve, who simply rolled his eyes and checked his nails in response as Eddie turned back to his captivated audience. 

“No, something much more simple than that. Just a kiss,” Eddie says simply.

“Is that it?” Dustin throws his hands up, “They kiss one another and get their wish?”

“Not one another, doofus! It's a price they have to pay to someone else,” An irked Steve interjected.

“Still, it's just one kiss, and they get to be all happily together forever. That's easy,” Dustin scoffed.

“Yeah, well, when two people are in love, they shouldn’t be thinking about kissing anyone else! Not for any reason,” Steve snarled, raising Eddie’s eyebrows.

“And now we get to the reason why the story was altered,” Robin gestured both hands towards Steve with a nod.

“No, not that at all,” Steve protested as Dustin and Robin continued to nod knowingly at one another, “And can we not talk about this in front of a stranger!”

Eddie’s surprised expression melted to something compassionate, “In Harrington’s defence, the story does get quite dark from there on. Maybe he thought it might be a little too much for young, impressionable minds to handle. So he wisely gave you the PG remake,” he looked over at Steve, “Right, Harrington?”

“Yeah, exactly!” Steve said with a glance at Eddie and a mumbled thanks.

“So what happens? We can handle it,” Dustin asked quickly. Eddie looked over at Steve again, who shrugged and waved a hand carelessly in front of himself.

“Well,” Eddie began, “The couple decide that it’s worth the price of one kiss. So they go to the gates and approach the demon with their wish to be together forever, and no one would ever be able to tear them apart. He asks who will pay the price, and our little rebel-without-a-cause gent, repulsed by the thought of seeing his girl kiss anyone that wasn’t him, offers to do it himself.” Eddie crouched down to get on the level with his seated audience, “He kisses the demon, and they are free to leave Devil Gate Drive. They return home, their parents accept them, just as they asked, they get married, they get their little picket white fence house, and from the outside, everything looks peaches and cream,” Eddie’s smile grew wolfish, “But behind those doors, a coldness had slowly been eating away at the warmth of their love little by little gradually for years. The Demon’s kiss haunted the man. He would kiss his love, but it was never the same. The spark would attempt to flicker into existence but would quickly fizzle out, and though he tried hard to play his part, she could tell there was something wrong, and she too longed for something else, until finally their love gave out and was no more.”

“What so the end of the story is they just break up? That is a kind of lame ending,” Robin looked disappointed.

Eddie cackled, “Oh no, nothing as easy as a break-up. They could fight and holler all they wanted, but every time one of them tried to leave, suitcase packed, storming out the door,  they’d get to that white picket gate, aaaand,” Eddie clicked his fingers with a sharp snap, “They ended up right back in their little home, all the things they packed unpacked. Trying to make a break for it from work? Nope! Zapped straight back home. Trying to romance someone else? No way! You get the picture.”

“Oh, that is truly evil!” Robin shuddered.

“Well, that's what they get for trusting a demon,” Steve scoffed.

Eddie stood up from his crouched position and opened his mouth, about to say something, when Dustin spoke up, “It’s not the demon’s fault they made a stupid wish without thinking about it. Everyone knows you have to be specific in your wishes. They should have said something like, We wish to be happily in love with one another forever, and no one can tear us apart, and we’ll be together forever. Then, the unhappiness part couldn’t have happened. It’s easy.”

Robin raised an eyebrow at Dustin, who made a face to indicate the idea she just had had also landed in his brain, as they both looked at Steve in unison.

“No! Absolutely not, no way!” he said with as much authority as he could muster and waved his hands in an X shape in front of himself, “Eddie, tell them it's just a set of old gates, and it's too late to be creeping around the woods in the dark looking for them.”

“Well, they aren’t deep in the woods or anything,” Eddie laughed, speaking to Robin and Dustin, but stopped abruptly when his eyes met Steve’s, “but it is late, I guess.” Eddie twisted his rings around his fingers, saying, “I could be willing to tell you what happened last time I went there if, and only if, Steve tells me why he went back a second time,”

“Fine!” Steve said, grabbing Eddie by the shoulder and leading him away from the others. Once out of earshot, he pulled him closer and, in a hushed voice, reprimanded him, “What the hell are you doing? We don't want to encourage them. I’m trying to deter them. You know it's weird out there!”

“Is it? You tell me,” Eddie responded quietly with a smirk.

“Ok, ok. The first time I heard the story, the next day I snuck out to find them, but it was just a set of gates, there was nothing on either side,” Steve shifted nervously from one to the other, “I was just a kid, ok? I believed in that shit, like an idiot,” Eddie looked at him and softly shook his head but stayed silent for him to continue, “So I tried cleaning them. I thought maybe all the ivy and stuff was in the way,” suddenly Steve found himself lost in his memory, of those iron gates embraced in stone that nature was desperately trying to claim back as its own, “And then…I think….I thought…” Steve's words drifted off as did his gaze until Eddie's ringed hand reached up, turned him back to face him, and looked him directly in the eyes.

“And then what happened?” Eddie asked quietly, dropping his hands slowly back to his side.

Steve looked over him, “And then I thought I saw a spark right where the gate lock is, but the next time I came back, it didn't happen, or any of the other times I came back again.”

Eddie’s eyes widened, “A trick of the light, maybe?”

“Yeah, yeah, and we absolutely do not tell those two any of that, okay? I need you to back me up out there. Hawkins is full of weird shit. I don’t want to be chasing after them in the dark, for eaten up by a-” Steve stopped himself quickly, “A ditch, or something.”

“Sure, man. I’d love to help you, but I can’t,” Eddie said awkwardly.

“What do you mean you can’t? You said if I told you-” Steve complained, but Eddie cut him off by softly grabbing his jaw and turning his head to the vacant tree stumps and missing backpacks.

“I can’t help you because our audience seems to have left!”

“Well, at least they can’t have got far or know where the gates are,” Steve says, pushing Eddie’s hand away and quickly gathering his backpack.

“Sure they do!”

“How could they know where they are. I didn't tell them, neither did you, and everyone else thinks it's just a stor….” Steve’s face dropped from condescension to horror, “Oh fuck, the directions are in the story. SHIT!” Steve went from sitting to sprinting faster than he ever had done in track at school before he stopped dead, turned around and shouted back at Eddie, “Hey, are you gonna help me or not?”

“No can do, Harrington, Saturday night is big business for me, got people to see, you know?” He heard Eddie shout back but could no longer see him. Steve huffed and busied himself, trying to remember the story’s directions by the beam of his torch alone.

Dustin and Robin stood before the gate as a glow emitted at the centre of the padlock. Robin instinctively put her arm in front of Dustin, who pushed it away, and the glow folded in on itself to a singular speck of light and disappeared into nothing.

“Goddamn it! What the hell happened that time?” Dustin complained and sat on the floor, resting his head in his hands.

“I don’t know! I don't know!” Robin exclaimed, her hands in her hair, “But I definitely saw it that time. I can’t believe Steve knew about this and didn’t tell us!”

“I know, right? Now that we know that all this upside-down business comes from the lab, we could wish it away. We could have no town deaths, and nothing bad would have happened to Will. I bet we could even throw in Billy not being a complete asshole and, most importantly, that Eleven got the help and friends he needed rather than getting experimented on.”

“Yes, yes! Exactly, we could save everyone, right? The story didn't say how long the wish had to be. It just had to be one wish, right?”

“Riiight,” Dustin said slowly and clapped his hands together, “I know why it didn't work just now,” he said with a big smile.

“Why?”

“Because when you threw your arm out, I thought, ‘I wish people would stop treating me like a kid.’ Maybe the wish has to be unanimous or something. Like the couple in the story, they both wanted exactly the same thing, and the gates opened for them!”

“You genius child!” Robin rushed over and grabbed him by the shoulders, making him giggle. Their laughter became interrupted by the approaching sound of wooden things clanging and knocking against one another. They both gripped one another tightly in fright until the torch light came into view, stopped and was angled up to reveal the shadowed face of a less than-amused Steve Harrington.

“What are you idiots doing out here? Are you both insane?” He hissed quietly when he got close enough.

Robin thumps him first on the arm, “Ow!” Steve frowned, rubbing his arm in complaint.

“How could you hold out on us like this?” She scolded as Dustin threw his own punch on Steve’s other arm with a laugh, which he quickly turned into the frown he was supposed to be wearing.

“I wasn’t holding out anything. One, it doesn't work, and two, after everything we’ve been through the last two years, do you really want to be wandering into some weird gate thing?” Steve gestured at the gates, and as he looked, he saw they seemed to have not changed at all, not since that fateful summer day when he was out here on his own, with only his radio for company.

Two plain iron wrought estate gates were held shut tight by a thick knotted chain and an ancient padlock delicately embossed with filigree. The top and bottom of the gates, absent of post caps, glinted like the sharpened edges of daggers, ready to shred anyone who tried to crawl under or over them. The moss-covered stone pillars that flank them, the hinges embedded in their sides, still stood, a weathered gargoyle on each. 

“Look, we just thought we could undo all the bad stuff that happened, bring back Barb, protect Will and Eleven,” Robin explained, and Dustin gave her a little nudge in the side, “E-Even makes Billy a nice guy, so Max is safe too, and you won't get knocked out. Besides, whatever is beyond that gate is no match for us, not with you along with us.”

Steve looked at their hopeful faces and groaned but tried one last thing, “You heard what Eddie said about wishes. If you aren’t specific, they can be turned against you. This all just could be a trap, so just,” he looks between the two of them, “just let me go first ok? Stay behind me, and if anything goes wrong, anything at all. You run, lock the gates behind you and don't come back, understand?”

“As long as you promise that if you get separated, and you get to make a wish, you stick to the same one, so you can get out too. Deal?”Dustin looked at him with all seriousness, “No Martyr crap.”

“Deal,” Steve said, swallowing hard, “Here,” He reached behind his back and pulled two wooden baseball bats out of his bag and handed them one each, “Just in case.” Steve pulled out a third for himself, his old trusty nail bat. “Ok, let's give it a try.”

Robin and Dustin filled Steve in on the exact wish they had planned out. They stood before the gates, bats braced over their shoulders, ready to swing at anything that came their way. Steve was the first in line.

The padlock began to glow, and the gate hinges creaked as the leaves of the gate moved back and forth, trying to free themselves from their restraints. The rattling echoed through the woods, and suddenly, the glow condensed to a singular orb of light that gently floated to one of the pillars and disappeared beneath the ivy and moss covering it. And with that, the gates creaked back into their normal position. Unmoving and unopened.

Robin rushed toward where the orb had landed. She hurriedly brushed away the plants to get to what was underneath a square brass plaque. She scrambled quickly for her torch and used the light to reveal the inscription.

“Five,” a confused Robin reported back.

“Five what?” The boys replied in harmony, only to be met with a shrug as their eyes followed the light beam to the shining plaque, which looked almost brand new other than the number five that seemed hastily hammered into it.

“Maybe we need two more people?” Steve questioned.

“No, the story had a couple pass through, and when it was just me and Robin, it almost opened too!”

“Maybe it’s….er…” Robin tapped on the gates five times, and when nothing happened, she tried the stone and then the gargoyles, but nothing happened.

She stepped back next to Dustin, who was also busy looking around the gates for anything they might have missed. Then, suddenly, the plaque started to glow.

“Whoa, whoa, what did you do,” Dustin exclaimed, looking Robin over.

“Nothing, nothing! Did you?” Dustin shook his head in reply as they both slowly turned their heads to the shuffling sound behind them.

Steve was doing half of some kind of dance. One hand in the air in front of him as he twisted his heels from right to left into the dirt, quickly stepped around with a twist of his hips, and kicked his leg out to the front and across himself with a triple step, humming something.

“What are you doing? We’re trying to figure out a puzzle here, and you’re what? Dancing?” Robin complained, and Steve stopped dead and looked a little embarrassed.

Dustin tugged on Robin’s jacket, “No look,” The plaque had stopped glowing, as Steve had stopped dancing.

She quickly turned back to him, “Wait, explain to me why you were dancing.”

“Because of the song,” Steve said, looking a little weirded out. He looked at the two blank faces in front of him, “Ok, wow! It's not even that old! The lyrics to the song say, at the age of five they can do the jive down at Devil Gate Drive’, so I tried to remember some jive moves that my Nonna taught me.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Do it again!” Dustin all but yelled, gesturing to Steve’s feet.

“Well, you don't normally do that dance on your own. I mean, you can, but it's usually danced with someone else,” Steve muttered awkwardly and extended his hand toward Robin.

“I am not co-ordinated enough for dancing,” Robin held her hands up with a laugh.

Steve moved his extended hand to Dustin, who sighed but took it all the same.

“Ok, just hold my hands and copy my feet at first, and then if I put our hands up like this,” He hoisted their joined hands together above Dustin’s head, “Just follow the moment of the spin, ok.”

After a few stumbles and an argument about which way he should turn to spin, they got into a pattern of sorts, “It’s working, guys! It’s working. Keep going”

Steve and Dustin, with huge smiles on their faces from having much more fun than they should have, pick up speed.

The glowing plaque creaked and cracked as the glow seemed to warp it until the plaque pieces and padlock finally dropped to the floor. A breathless Steve and Dustin stopped their dance, and as their eyes met, “We tell no one of this, understood?” Dustin said.

“OK, sure. But you should know, you’re pretty good. I wasn’t expecting you to be, but you clearly have some kind of natural rhythm,” Steve complimented his friend.

“Really? You think? Maybe it was because I had such an able leader to follow?” Dustin gushed back, but before Steve could fire back another kind word, Robin made them aware of the new situation.

“Guys, I hate to break up this bonding session, but um, the plaque did fall away, but, um, there is just a new one where it was,”

“Are you fucking, kidding me with this shit right now!” Dustin seethed, “Six, ok, Steve. Is there a line about being six?”

“Yeah, it's, um, something like, ‘they get their kicks’, I think,” Steve wracked his brain trying to remember.

Before he could even hum the line a second time to himself, there was a loud clang as Robin kicked hard at the chain holding the gates together, followed by a dull thud of the chain hitting the ground. 

“Man, she is awesome!” Dustin grinned up at Steve.

Robin smiled over at them and stepped back in their first formation as the gates slowly creaked open all by themselves, but what could be seen through them was certainly not the forest that they had not seconds ago been able to see through them. 

Steve carefully stepped forward, his bat ready to swing as he took in the new scene before him. A cold room lined with walls of grey stone, broken up occasionally by some hideously violent scenes depicted in stained glass. The scent of incense and snuffed-out candles fills the air, and directly opposite them is a giant set of solid wooden doors with rusted metal hinges.

“Are we absolutely sure about this?” Steve asked one last time.

“A chance to undo all this shit? To save all those people, to help Will? Yeah, I am one hundred per cent certain. We can all have our old lives back.” Dustin enthused, and that was all Steve needed to get him to step through the gates, but once inside, he found the place completely deserted.

He stayed quiet, hoping to hear the faint rustling of some foe or beastie, but all he could hear was the soft hum of electricity. He shrugged at the other two and walked toward the giant doors opposite. An unusual sensation bristled over him the closer he got to the doors, and it intensified as he reached out his hand.

“STEVE! DO NOT TOUCH THAT!” Dustin squeaked out, and Steve stopped in his tracks as the other two rushed towards him, Robin holding up a handheld mirror and giggling. As he stared into it, he saw his usually voluminous hair standing on end above his head.

“It must be electrified somehow. Hold on. There look!” Steve and Robin followed Dustin’s finger as it traced along the wall following a chunky cable and finally came to rest over a set of three switches, “Anything in your song about things being on or off?” Dustin asked, rushing over to the knife switches on the wall, each sticking out halfway, neither on nor off.

Robin joined Dustin at the switches, but Steve busied himself elsewhere at a table, frantically scribbling and smoothing down his hair.

“Geez, these look straight out of Frankenstein or something. If we pull them all down, that will turn off the power?” Robin said, full of awe, dusting the cobwebs from them and proceeding to flick the webs from her fingers back into the room behind her.

“Well, that sounds like a good first try,” They both got to task pulling the switches into the down position. There is a change in the hum, but when Dustin finds a random nail on the ground and throws it towards the door, a small zap of electricity lights up around the projectile.

“Up?” Dustin questioned, and they pushed all the switches in the opposite direction. Robin tosses something towards it this time, but the same thing happens.

“Well, there are only a certain number of combinations. We can just try them all,” Dustin shrugged happily as Steve shoved a piece of paper in front of them.

“There, those are the lyrics I remember. They’ve helped so far. Maybe if you had them too, I figured that might be quicker?” Steve said, but his eyes were looking over the switches, “So where are we at with these Dracula switches?”

“Frankenstein,” Dustin corrected.

“Yeah, well, whatever,” Steve waved his hand.

“It’s alive!” Robin said suddenly

“Ok, ok, I get it. I mixed up my movies, you guys, geez, priorities!” Steve shook his head, looking up at the switches.

“No, Dingus. The lyrics ‘Come Alive’ twice. Like, it's connected, right. So the first two on and the third one off?” She reached up and pulled the third switch down, 

The hum of electricity died, and for good measure, another metal scrap got hurtled toward the door. This time, it happily bumped against them and dropped to the floor, unfrazzled.

Robin passed the hastily scribbled lyrics to Dustin, who read them over as they moved in the usual formation in front of the doors, which Steve carefully opened as quietly as possible, but the creaking of the doors might have woken up everyone in a ten-mile radius if it hadn’t been for the fact, that none of the people in the vicinity would be waking up any time soon.

The cool night air whooshed through the open doors and hit them full force, making them stumble backwards. Once finding their feet again, they realised they had been in a chapel or church of some kind because at the foot of the stairs out of the building appeared to be a graveyard, split apart by a gravel path that led to another set of gates. On them, something flashed occasionally with light.

“Eyes open, keep close, bats ready, try to move like a ninja. Something doesn’t feel right out here,” Steve whispered quietly.

Steve took the first step down and was treated to a thunk on the back of his head. He whipped his head around only to find a very apologetic-looking Robin, “Sorry, guess that was too close.” She whispered back with a smile.

They continued down the steps and path, careful in their movement and silent as the grave until they reached the next set of gates.

What had been glinting in the moonlight was a beaten-by-the-elements mirror attached to a piece of rope that held the two tall metal gates together.

“What is this like a light thing?” Robin grumbled, angling the mirror around, trying to capture a beam of moonlight to move around the graveyard. Dustin took the lyrics out of his pocket and reread them whilst Steve covered their backs, his head moving from left to right to cover both sides of the path.

“Maybe it's to do with stars, that's right there at the top?” Dustin poked the paper and held it up for Robin.

“No, it can’t be. So far, it's been in order, right? And we just did that chorus-type bit, so we must be on the second verse now.” 

“You know, being scared aside, this has been kinda fun. It’s like an adventure, you know, but less blood and guts and more puzzles, which is preferable when you are very much in the game itself,” Dustin says with a chuckle.

“You know what, yeah, this has been fun, like before all hell broke loose at the mall, and we were figuring out that message.” Robin fondly recalled moving around the mirror and checking the back of it, “Except, of course, this is much easier.”

Dustin made a pained noise, “Why would you say something like that?”

“I’m just stating the facts. Reading song lyrics is not as difficult as translating Russian.”

The ground shook, not enough to knock them down, but enough to have them scrambling for the lyrics again, searching for mirrors, reflections, or anything related to that.

“Uh, guys. How you doing with that gate?” Steve’s voice wavered.

“Nothing yet, but we’re trying to find something to do with mirrors,” Robin said, a little flustered.

“Well, let me help you out there. There isn’t any, so I suggest you try out any other ideas you’ve got because we’ve got company.”

“Company?” Dustin laughed, turning around, only to be greeted by a shambling figure approaching in the distance, groaning, “Shit!” He said shortly and turned back to the mirror.

“Wha-what is- shit!” Robin exclaimed, picking up her bat again, “I’m gonna cover Steve. You’ve got this, buddy!”

Dustin tucked away the lyrics in his pocket and held the mirror in both hands, examining it, holding it at different angles in the light. He even tried cleaning it on his t-shirt, but nothing happened. He took out his torch and shone it directly on the mirror in the hopes that it would illuminate a clue somewhere around them, but what it did instead was light up more of the graveyard and alert the two older teens that it wasn’t just one member of the undead they would have to deal with. The stench in the air and the hands clawing out of gravesites around them made it clear that soon they might be overrun.

“Come on, Henderson. You got this!” Steve coached as he braced himself, ready to swing at the approaching figure.

Bolstered by his hero’s words, Dustin focused back on the mirror, “Come on, there must be something here,” he whispered to himself.

“Uh, Dustin, trying anything would be good at this point,” Robin’s concerned voice increased in volume, followed by the swish of a bat in the air.

“Shit-shit-shit, ok. OK! Maybe I’m overthinking this,” Dustin frantically looked over the gate, and his eyes landed on the rope tying them together. He quickly spun his backpack around himself and rustled in the pockets before finding his Swiss army knife. He flicked out one of the blades and sliced easily through the rope. He tutted at how easy that had been and pushed the now untethered gates, but the gates pushed back and held firm.

“What in the-,” Dustin said slack-jawed as he pushed on the gates one more time with all his might, but the same thing happened.

Behind him, he heard the swishing of bats, “Stay back, you putrid asshole!” Robin shouted.

A grunt from Steve, and there is another swish and a clatter of bones. Dustin’s heart pumped so hard he could hear his pulse in his ears, blocking out the sounds of battle behind him. Frustrated, he held up the mirror and yelled into it with a face of fury, “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?”

The mirror flew out of his hands so quickly as the gates threw themselves open, “Guys, it's open!” He yells.

“Ok, now listen,” Steve struggles to say with another sound of something rushing through the air, which ends with a clatter and the sound of dry heaving, “Listen,” Steve tried again as he spat on the floor, “Don’t turn back just look ahead, what can you see?”

“It's just, er fields, there is a broken cart, more path and a set of gates with a box in front of it.” Dustin managed but was desperate to take a look behind him. He was trying his very best to just do what he could until they were all safe.

This time, another loud whack filled the air with a squelch and the sounds of Robin coughing and spluttering.

“Ok, that’s good, that's good,” Steve said unsteadily, “I want you to find something to bar the gates, anything, a piece of wood, a rock, the broken cart, anything you can move, then bring it back and shout for me. Got it?”

“Got it,” Dustin confirmed and ran to find the chunkiest piece of broken cart he could find and dragged it back to near the gates, “Ok I got something,” he shouted, with his back pressed up against the wall, head looking directly away from the gates until he hears them slam shut and the wood is wrenched from his hands.

He opens his eyes and can see Robin backed up against the gates as Steve heaves the piece of wood into place. They both looked disgusting, covered in various coloured congealed liquids, intermittently heaving and spitting on the floor, catching their breath. Steve caught him looking over and rushed to him with a big smile on his face as he shook him by the shoulder, “You did so good, dude, So fucking good!”

“I did?”

“You really did!” Steve beamed proudly with a sniff and wiped his nose and mouth with his sleeve.

“Steve, can we save the proud parent routine until we are out of scent radius of these things, please?” Robin warned them.

Steve grabbed Dustin’s shoulder and forced him to walk in front, “Eyes ahead, ok, Henderson? Pick up the pace a little, alright?”

Robin ran ahead of them, and soon their quick walk migrated to almost a jog, “What was back there?” Dustin asked breathlessly.

“Um, you know zombies in the movies?”

“Yeah”

“Well, let's just say those are the My Little Pony version of the real thing.”

“You guys dealt with them easily enough,” Dustin said with a small smile of adoration. He aimed at Robin and then up at Steve.

“Er, well, we dealt with enough to get out of there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Listen, let's save this conversation until we are somewhere much more structurally sound.” Steve looked back, gripped the shoulder of Dustin's jacket, and dragged him along into a run.

Dustin kept his eyes front and saw that the box was not ordinary. The glow from it illuminated Robin's face as she stooped over it, poking it, turning to the gates, and then back to the box.

The box in question was a very particular kind. This was a classic Wurlitzer 2000 jukebox that Robin was flipping through the songs of and pushing its buttons, getting increasingly more stressed, “It’s not Devil Gate Drive, It’s not any songs by Suzi Quatro. Then I tried some songs I liked because I’m the only girl here. I’m just going through the female artists now, trying to figure out who the jukebox queen is,”

There is a crunch and the squeak of the old gates opening again. Frantically, Robin bangs her fists on the jukebox glass, “Come on, what is it?”

Steve hurriedly hip-bumps her out of the way, flicks through the pages and punches in the number. The record arm moves and picks up the record, the gates to their right click open, and the music rings out across the landscape.

Caaaaaaan 

anybody 

find me 

somebody to 

Love?

As they barreled through the gates, they slammed shut behind them. Steve pushed them along until the nature around them began to melt away. Tree stumps started to be replaced by spare tyres, hills by piles of abandoned cars of eras gone by until there was an audible pop behind them, and as they turned, the gates they had just run through vanished. Turning around again, they can see couples to their left and right, just as bewildered as they were, looking around, holding one another tight.

“Queen! Of course!” Robin rejoiced a little more relaxed, though not by much, “But how did you guess the song?”

“Lucky, I guess,” Steve said, urging them forward towards a pounding beat they could all hear. As the piles of scrapped cars and trucks piled higher and higher, almost as tall as buildings, they pressed on until the view in front of them stopped them.

A pit bigger than the Quarry in Hawkins spread below them. This one, however, was barren of water but full of people, specifically couples of all eras and ethnicities, dancing together, huge smiles on their faces that didn't budge as they twisted, jived, waltzed, tangoed, and discoed around the place. Huge bonfires littered the area, making incredible waves of heat flow up and over them almost rhythmically. Above it all, on a rocky outcrop, a creature sat on a gigantic gilded throne at odds with the kingdom of trash and scrap surrounding it.

From that distance, it couldn't possibly be human-sized, closer to giant than anything. Two pointed, warped and twisted double-pronged horns on its head, the bases of which were smothered by hundreds of serpents moving over one another. Its large eyes were aflame as it surveyed the entertainment below, and its evil grin was fanged. Its upper body was bare, showing off the deep red of its toned, branded and scarred torso. From the belt of shackles around its hips and downward was a fur of the deepest black that ended in two large cloven hooves.

And just as Steve had managed to digest what must be the demon before him, the creature snapped its head towards him. He felt it looked right at him, but that must be impossible with the thousands of people here, this far away. Steve stumbled back with fright all the same as the demon threw back its head and unleashed a loud, wicked booming laugh that echoed around them, and the dancing creatures of the pit mimicked it with their own reedy cackles.

“Yep. Yeah. This was a horrible idea. We should just find a way out,” Steve said worriedly as he backed up slowly from sight of the pit but soon found himself coming to an abrupt stop. He turned to see his two friends looking back at him.

“The way back is gone, you saw it disappear the same as we did, and we’ve come this far, Steve. If we can’t go back, we may as well go forward.” Robin soothed and gestured over his shoulder.

“Robin’s right. And this is our chance. This is our one chance to make everything right.” Dustin agreed, holding his hands together like he was in prayer.

“You want to try and have a conversation with that thing?” Steve exclaimed, looking and pointing over his shoulder at the monstrosity that had now stood up to its full height from its throne, “You think that thing is gonna give a crap about Will, Barb, or Hawkins. No! It's gonna take one look at us and eat us like a snack, OK. That thing cannot be reasoned with. Look at it!” Steve protested urgently as a creeping sensation moved up his spine, “We haven't even looked for a way out. There could be hundreds. It's just how we came in is gone, right guys?” He looked for agreement from his friends, but all he saw was the colour drain from their faces, and their eyes travelled up as they were quickly overcast with shadow.

“Your hairy friend is correct, little morsels,” An impossibly warped and deep voice came from above Steve’s head, “There is a way out, but there is but one way to get there.” The demon clicked its deep red fingers tipped with black nails with grain and knots like wood. All four of them found themselves in a room with black rock walls, a hearth to simmering lava that folded over itself, and the remainder of the room contained giant-sized furniture made of silver, draped in black worn sheer fabrics, depicting strange animals and bones, “To make your wish,” The creature says sitting on another throne-like chair at the end of a long table, as it steepled its fingers together, “I trust you have one?”

Steve quickly gathered Robin and Dustin behind him, “Don’t hurt them. It’s my stupid fault we’re here. Let them go home.”

The demon leaned forward and raised its furry jet-black eyebrow to a sharpened point, “Is that your wish? For two of you to go home and one to stay? Strange if you ask me, but it is not my wish to make.”

“No!” Dustin shouted defiantly, “That isn’t our wish!”

“Ah, I see, it is not unanimous. Well, take your time. I have plenty of that. You three, however, not so much,” it smiled impossibly wide, as a few snakes that adorned its head slithered forward to taste the air between them, “but again, that really is more of a you problem, isn't it?”

“Tell me little bird,” It pointed a sharpened nail at Robin, “You are desperately quiet. Do I frighten you?”

“Ye-Ye-Yes,” She barely managed, shaking and clinging onto Steve simultaneously, almost pulling him back with her.

“Ah,” It grinned, “Finally, an honest one among you.” The snakes on its head began to uncoil from around the horns and fall down to and spill over its shoulders, “Is this better?” It asks but stops suddenly, “Ah, I remind you of someone, do I not? HA! Oh, she’s clever, isn’t she,” It laughed loud like bark and clapped its hands together, “I guess the jig is up. So be it!”

Almost like running water over a watercolour painting, this creature began to melt into something new, something they recognised, someone they recognised. Eddie Munson.

Instinctively, Steve lurched forward to attack. Now, the enemy was more his size, but Robin and Dustin held him back.

“Ah-ah-ah, big boy. Don’t be fooled by appearances in this place,” his smile quickly fades to something all the more sinister, “I could still have your insides for dipping sauce with a wave of my hand.” Steve, still vibrating with rage, forced himself to step back.

“Why did you-” Dustin began, but he was quickly cut off.

“Why did I suddenly appear in your lives, befriend you and infiltrate your little party? Well, now that would be spoilers, wouldn’t it? Suffice to say you have access to something I want, and though I have tried my best to get it, my duties here keep me from getting too far. I shall speak no further on the matter, and the feeling I’m getting about your wish, in particular, is that you want to go right back where it started anyway. And that works for me. There is one problem, however,” Eddie puts his hands to the sides of his face in a cutesy way, “The wish still has to be unanimous,”

“It is unanimous. We all want the same thing. Steve just panicked, is all,” Dustin quickly answered. Steve nodded.

“And on top of that wish, that we all get home unharmed, and you keep your evil ways away from all of us!” Robin added with gusto.

“Interesting.” Deep in thought, stroking his chin, he says, “You see me as evil and terrible and scary, and yet, I have been nothing but benevolent. You know, technically. The three of you shouldn't even be allowed in here, a group of three, without a droplet of lust or anything but platonic love on you. That doesn't cut the mustard here, not for me, not for my superiors. We dine on love’s young dream here. So, I bent the rules. I made it a test. A little loophole, if you will, and you two seemed so desperate to get through the gates, and I know how much you would each love a moment in the spotlight, congratulated by your peers, your friends, to be strong, to be intelligent, to be wise.” He got up from his seat and paced around the table, “I even gave you a challenge when you were getting bored of my little games, and then when you got here, I didn't chuck you directly in the pit before discussing your wish. And you have the gaul to stand before me, ungrateful and petulant.”

“You did all of that?” Dustin choked out.

Eddie nodded with a tuneful hum, “Yes. And Steve here has been so desperate to breach my gates for so long. He’s been graciously passing around my legend for nearly a decade now. Isn’t that right, champ?”

Now the colour drained from Steve’s face, his mouth opened to say something, but the words would not come.

“Stories spread like wildfire in the mouths of the young, but more importantly, so does belief. That is why I had to intervene when I heard Steven here twisting my tale. I was disappointed, to say the least. He’s normally so good at the exact details. Sweethearts just end up here without even thinking about it.” He beamed a toothy grin at them, as Steve could barely process the information, “But as I said, this wish is not unanimous. It hasn't been since you got to my gates, and frankly, it is getting a little repetitive saying as much. So, though you are here, you cannot leave. So, I suggest you all try to get on the same page. Do try and hurry along. I mean, I literally have all the time in the world, but I do get bored terribly easily. Especially when I’m not getting all the attention,” he sighed and headed back to his chair, kicking his legs over one of the arms and drumming his nails on the other.

“Wait, if all those people came with the same wish, then why are so many people still here?” Dustin asked.

“Oh, Dustin, you clearly didn't hear the message of the whole story! These sweethearts come here, head full of forevers, and then when they stand where you are, they state their wish. I ask for my price, and they remember the story's ending, don't they? So, being the soft-hearted fiend I am, I make them an offer. They can pay the price, have their wish, take their chances out there, or they can stay here, no price to pay, and stay as in love as they are at that moment, forever.”

“You-you tricked them,” Steve stammered furiously.

“Did I, now?” Eddie lurched forward with a sneer, thumping the table, “Or did I give them a choice? A CHOICE THEY MADE!” Eddie bellowed furiously before quickly shrinking back into a smirk, “Take a look again if you wish, Steve. There isn't a sad face in the house other than you three ingrates. I tire of this. Make your wish. Don’t make your wish. It’s all the same to me, my sweets.”

“If we don’t have lust or romantic love, what is the use in keeping us here? You could just send us home, and we’ll be sure to tell everyone your story properly,” Robin used all the charm she could, and it earned her a side glance.

“Gosh, you are clever, aren't you, birdie,” He swung his feet to the floor and paced over to them, looked each of them over, “That is because you have something far more valuable than mere love. The absolute worst thing you can be in any realm. One of you is…” he made a come hither motion with his finger, which none of them were drawn in by, and yet he still smiled as he breathed out with a gasp of ecstasy, “A traitor.”

The three friends burst into a cacophony of accusations, all being thrown at Eddie.

“That’s impossible. We’re best friends. We’d never betray one another!” Steve shouted adamantly before turning to Dustin and Robin, “He’s just trying to make us turn against one another. Don't listen to him. Just decide the wish, and let's get out of here.”

“MMM mmm mmm, descension is my favourite amuse bouche,” Eddie smiled and licked his lips as he leaned against the table on the heels of his hands.

“Wait!” Dustin shouted suddenly, “Wait! Shut up!” He squeezed his eyes shut with the shout before focusing again on Eddie and holding up three fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Eddie rolled his eyes, “Three! Any other mysteries of the world you wish me to unravel,” he laughed.

“A-ha!” Dustin smiles smugly, “And what t-shirt was I wearing the first day we met?”

Eddie’s face soured, “A "Weird Al" Yankovic t-shirt!” The grimace on his face tightened his lips like he was fighting against them opening.

“Dustin, what are you doing, man?” Steve whispered, pulling him back into the huddle with him and Robin.

“Only busy trying to find a way out of external dancing damnation!” Dustin replied as insulted as possible.

“What? Have you lost your mind?” Steve stressed as he grabbed Dustin and shook him by the shoulders.

“Yeah we need to finalise this wish, the Eddie stuff we will unpack later I promise,” Robin firmly pointed out.

“Listen, you’re both missing the point. I just figured out two things just now. One, That thing has to answer our questions. Two, the answers to those questions cannot be lies. Maybe he can’t lie at all, I don’t know, but anything we ask he can’t lie about.”

“What does this have to do with our wish?” Robin complained.

“That means one of us is lying about wanting this wish. I’m not saying either of you is a traitor, and maybe you have your reasons, but this is our chance to undo everything. Please reconsider.” Dustin pleaded with the older teens.

“Look, we all want that wish to come true. Not one of us wants to have anything bad to have happened to anyone else.” Robin put her foot down, “He’s clearly just trying to over-exaggerate something like Steve not wanting us to come to the gate in the first place. He’s just twisting it. Pitting us against one another,” Steve nodded at her in agreement.

Dustin and Robin looked at one another for a few seconds, and both turned to Steve simultaneously, “It’s you!” Robin gasped as she clasped her hand over her own mouth.

Steve felt his heart race, looking between the two closest friends he ever had. They didn't understand. Yes, it was terrible what happened to everyone, and Steve did want to undo everything, but there was something much more potent at play here. He raised his hands in surrender, and with a cracking voice, he yelled, “Please stop this. I’ll make your deal!”

There was a snap of fingers, and Dustin and Robin, mid-shot at Steve, were frozen in time.

“You know I am really contorting the rules for you now, Steve. The rule is the wish is unanimous,” Eddie purred as he circled Steve with a leisurely stroll, his hands clasped in front of him, not merely adorned with Eddie’s rings but so many others.

“It will be if the other two people can’t think or speak. It only has to be me,” Steve sniffed as he dropped his head in shame.

Eddie’s finger hooked under his chin to raise it, “My, my,” he tilted his head with a soft, adoring look, “He’s smarter than he looks, and let on.”

“It's not smart. It's sneaky!” Steve frowned with a tear threatened at his waterline as he snatched his head away from Eddie’s hand.

Eddie placed his hands over his heart, “Truly, you wound me so profoundly, my beauty. To turn away from the man who has done nothing but your bidding for years now.”

Steve’s eyes turned from sadness to surprise as Eddie continued, “Tonight, I hid your secret until I could no longer. I have my binds, as do we all. But from the moment you sat crossed-legged at my gates, sobbing your eyes out as Freddie Mercury begged me on your behalf for someone to love, did I not give you that in spades.”

“No, you did not!” Steve yelled, “Stop lying! You did no such thing!”

“I DID!” Eddie yelled right in his face, his voice boomed so loudly the room shook, and debris fell crumbled from between the stones to the floor, as Steve turned his face away, “I gave you everything I could. Did your parents not shower you with money and gifts? Did you not suddenly have the eye of most of the people in your school? Did you not become adored by your peers? Did you not become king of your tiny realm?” Eddie gesticulates wildly around the room as he bellows his efforts. He then drops to something quieter, his fanged teeth clenched and his fingers pinched to deliver the final blow, “Did I not find you the woman of your dreams and place her in your very path. In arms reach?”

“Well, you failed,” Steve pinched his nose, holding back his emotions as best he could, “None of them loved me,”

Eddie raised his chin and deeply breathed, “That is not what you asked of me.”

“You can’t love one way. That's not how that works! It’s just another, uh, trick of yours,” Steve waved his hand away as if brushing the past from his mind.

“I gave you what you asked, you had people to love, and as a cherry on top, you had people that worshipped you,”

“But it wasn’t real. It was all bullshit. What I needed back then I found without your help! Robin and-and Dustin, they care about me. They love me!” Steve stepped forward, brandishing his words like a weapon against his foe.

A growl rumbled from Eddie, “You don’t need these kids, Steve. I can give you anything you wish, just as I always have!”

“I do need them.”

“No, you don't!”

“I do. I need them to love me. Without them, I’m nothing,” and that pushed him over the edge. As his tears fell, they hissed and spit as they hit the stone floor beneath him, “And now, because of how selfish I am for it, I will have lost them.”

“YOU DON'T NEED THEM!” Eddie roared, his eyes glowing a deep red as his chest heaved.

“And what of the love I give, hmmm? The love I have given? Always will give. Is that not enough to sate you?” Eddie's eyes ignited. The hellish flames danced in them with jealousy and pure rage. Steve, lost for words, wiped the tears from his eyes. Half horrified and half in disbelief. “You think a creature, such as I, is incapable of such complexities as love. Well, you are wrong! Is a street sweeper not as capable of love as a poet? Can a peasant not woo a prince?” Eddie’s eyes searched Steve’s, his frustrated voice dropping to a whisper, “Can a demon not love the very soul of an earth angel?”

“If you love me, you’ll let us go,” Steve angrily answered back.

Eddie narrowed his eyes, pointing accusingly at Steve, “Is that what you do to things you love, Steve? Do you let them go? Or do you cling on secretly, desperately, until they drop you like a bad habit?”

Steve looked at his friends and back to Eddie, “I’m ready to make my wish.”

Eddie’s eyes bored into Steve’s, his nostrils flared in anger as he pressed his lips together tightly before taking a deep breath, “Very well. Hand over your prized trinket.” he sneered.

Steve frantically patted himself over, “I don’t have a trinket. Whatever that means.”

“What, you're two best buddies who love you so very much, never gave you anything you hold dear?” Eddie snipped.

Steve looked over at his friends again, remembering their times together, side by side in battle, sitting battered and drugged on a toilet floor, getting ready for prom, and that was when the idea came to him. He turned back to Eddie, reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys.

Eddie snatched at them menacingly, holding them up. The flames in his eyes flickered green as he held them in his grasp before pocketing them, “And your wish?” he seethed through gritted teeth.

“I wish to rewind everything to earlier tonight at the campfire, where all my friends and family were safe, and that I never told Dustin or anyone else I care about that story.”

“That's all?” Eddie raised an eyebrow in disbelief, “Not riches, not saving everyone, not throwing me into the abyss?”

“Yes, that’s all.” Steve blinked down at the floor and hung his head ashamed.

“Your wish is my command,” Eddie smirks as he saunters to Steve to claim his prize.

As their lips touched, Steve’s mind went blank. 

All he could feel was a sharp pain in his ribs.

“Hey, Dingus! Wake up. It’s nearly over,” Robin whispered with a huff of a laugh.

“Oh shit. Are you ok? Is Dustin…DUSTIN?! DUSTIN!” Steve called out frantically, only to be met with the annoyed, narrowed eyes of Dustin Henderson to his right at the side of the campfire.

“Is it too much to ask, to have a moment in the spotlight, just once?” Dustin grumbled.

Steve looked around at the others with an awkward smile, “Ha, uh, Sorry guys, real vivid dream.” He sat closer to Robin and took her hand in his as they listened to the rest of Dustin’s alien abduction story.

“Hey, are you alright?” Robin asked as Steve looked around the fire. He bit his lip as his eyes fell over Will, El, Max, and Nancy. The guilt swished heavily in his guts. It was just a dream, he tells himself.

Soon enough, they are packing up. Nancy offered a ride home, and Steve didn't stop Robin from going.

“Hey, looks like it's just the two of us, buddy!” Steve happily pulled Dustin in for a one-armed side hug.

“What is with you tonight?” Dustin laughed, shrugging him off.

“Nothing, nothing, just you know. It was a nice night.” Steve hummed pleasantly as he easily found the water bottle to put out the fire's dying embers and collected up his backpack as he and Dustin walked back down to the car.

By the time they reached the car park, Nancy is still parked in her spot, her hands over her ears as everyone else is arguing over who should sit where.

“Bet you’re glad you stuck with me, huh?” Steve chuckled and nudged Dustin in the ribs.

“No matter what happens down there. No matter who bats their eyelashes at you, I get shotgun!” Dustin said with the utmost seriousness.

“Of course, Absolutely,” Steve beamed as they approached the chaos. 

Dustin threw an arm in front of him, which he almost barreled over, “Are you high? Did you eat like a special brownie or something? Is that why you fell asleep, and since you woke up, you’ve been acting like you fell right out of a Disney musical?”

“No, man. Is it ok for me to be happy for once?” Steve laughed, reaching into his pocket for his keys, “Shit!” he dumped his bag on the ground and started fishing out his torch, only to be blinded by a set of headlights.

A silhouette moved into the beam after a door slam, “Need a ride, Henderson?”

“Eddie!” Dustin beamed excitedly, and Steve grabbed his arm to hold him back, but he just got a frown and shoved for his effort.

Steve’s eyes made contact with Eddie’s. Dream or not, this guy was still a stranger to him. To his surprise, Eddie swallowed nervously as he approached.

“Maybe? Steve here lost his keys somewhere between here and up there.” Dustin gestured into the dark woods.

“Oh really?” With a delighted grin, Eddie said, “Not like Harrington to make a mistake, is it?”

“You’d be surprised!” Dustin laughed, but Eddie’s eyes didn’t leave Steve’s.

“Is there a problem, guys?” Nancy called over as people were finally taking their seats, and Dustin ran over to explain.

Eddie stepped closer, and Steve braced himself for something terrible, but all he felt was him take his hand, “Well, looks like it must be opposite day today, huh, Harrington? Today I get to be the saviour,” his smiled morphed to a smirk as he pressed the keys into Steve’s palm, and began stepping backwards towards his van.

Steve tried to shake it off quickly and held the keys up, “Found ‘em,” He called out before getting into his car and starting it up. Dustin promptly jumped into the passenger seat as Nancy pulled away, and Steve followed swiftly after her, not wanting to stay there any longer than he had to, still shaken and weirded out. 

Steve looked in the rearview mirror at the figure leaning against the van as they got to the exit. 

Eddie shifted, raised his hand to his mouth, and blew him a kiss.

#eddie munson #stranger things #eddiemunson #eddie stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #fanfiction #steve harrington #steddie #steddie ficlet #madaboutmunson #robin buckley #dustin henderson #puzzle solving #mentions of zombies

[deadbnnuy]

Spotted Death Chapter One: The Alley

The pale white figure wandered dejectedly into the alley, away from the stares of passerbies he faced daily. Mumbles of anger escape the man, his large hands clenched into fists.

"Stupid Spider-Man..." Johnathan growled under his breath. "Just a villain of the week? Is that what I am!?" He threw his arms up. "Hah! I'll show him. I'll show them all, but how--" He began to give himself a peptalk, which was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a can falling from the surrounding trash.

He turned and glanced over his shoulder, the pitch black hole that replaced any and all facial features shrunk like the pupil of a shocked man as he fully turned his body, attempting to look confident, but failing as he unintentionally held his hands in front of himself with limp wrists as he kept a keen eye out.

"... W-Who's there?" He asked with half-hearted confidence. He was met with short silence before the snarl of what sounded like feral dog behind him... He whipped around and came face to face with a towering... thing. A wolf-like creature with a pair of square rimmed glasses sat upon a snout wrinkled by a growl.

His ears were pricked forward and his pupils were fully trained on the spotted man. A slow smile spread across his furred snout, revealing his sharp yellowed teeth, Johnathan felt a pit in his stomach as he broke into a cold sweat. One word escaped the creature's maw...

"Boo."

Johnathan screamed and stumbled back, his gangly legs attempting to find footing, but failing miserably as he crashed into the metal trashcans behind himself, denting one of them with the impact of his own body. The strange man burst out into laughter at the expense of Johnathan, his ears pinning back as he does so.

"Hahahaaa! Hehe- hooo boy... I really got you, man!" He said with a cackle, Johnathan growled angrily as he pushed himself forward to stand, fists clenched. "Now listen here you--!!"

"Woaah! Hey, tiger, no reason to fight me now." The man said with a grin. "You scared me half to death!!" Johnathan snapped, his shoulders tense as he spoke, his face spot shaped with jagged lines in rage. "And it was funny as hell." The man said with a smug smirk, before offering a huge paw out for a handshake. "I'm Wolf, your friendly neighborhood menace, and you're... hell what was your name?" Wolf took his hand back before Johnathan could shake it to scratch the back of his head.

With an air of annoyance, Johnathan responded. "I am... The Spot." He placed his hands on his hips and struck a pose of sorts to attempt to impress the strange person in some way. Wolf just nodded "Uh-huh... Alright then Spot. Nice meeting you." He said with a smirk

"Who... are you?" Johnathan asked with trepidation. "I just told you, dingus. Wolf." Wolf scoffed in response, his lip curling in a mild sneer. "No, no! I mean like- why are you here? What do you want?" Johnathan reiterated. Wolf tilted his head upwards ever so slightly to look down at the pitiful villain as he grinned widely, yellow teeth glistening.

"It's come to my attention you're a bit down on your luck, hm?" He spoke almost condescendingly. "I mean... well... yeah--" Johnathan shuffled in place uncomfortably, his hands clasped together low as he twiddled with his thumbs. Wolf chuckled "Me too, bud."

After a moment's awkward silence, Wolf stepped closer to Johnathan, towering over him slightly, causing him to cower as he attempted to hold back a squeak of fear that inevitably escaped.

"I'll cut to the chase, Dalmatiner." Wolf spoke with a soft rasp to his voice. "A little birdy told me you're a real science whiz..."

"Uh- y-yeah! Yeah I- I used to be the lead physicist at Alchemax!! Uh... used to be..." He echoed his own words with an air of sadness to them as he looked down at his feet.

"So you're smart?"

"I'd like to think so."

"Great. 'Cuz I'm not."

"Well that's a bit harsh don't you--" Before he could finish, Wolf cut him off. "In battle." He stated blankly, Johnathan stared awkwardly up at him "... Right." he nervously chuckled.

"I'm suggesting an alliance of sorts, Spot." Wolf grinned again, his eyes gleaming in the dim light of the alley. "An... alliance?" Johnathan tilted his head, becoming fascinated. "Y'see... you've got the smarts to beat that little spider, but he overpowers you completely." Wolf said. Johnathan became flushed with embarrassment, "N-No he doesn't! He's just one lucky bastard-"

"He's got superhuman strength from your spider..." Wolf said lowly, John felt his blood run cold. "... How do you..." he trailed off, staring up at the furred beast. "I heard it all. I saw the whole thing at Alchemax earlier." Wolf chuckled ominously. "... You didn't see me uh... kick my own butt... did'ja?" Johnathan nervously laughed. "I did." Wolf responded flatly. "Oh--"

"That's beside the point. I've got beef with Spidey too. I'm suggesting we pair up to crush that bug under the boot of revenge." Wolf said with a smirk.

"That's a common misconception actually! Spiders aren't bugs, they're arachnids--" Johnathan's fact was cut short by the sound of Wolf punching a nearby dumpster, evoking a flinch from Johnathan.

"I want to help you kick Spiderman's ass you dense fuck."

"Oh!" Johnathan said with a nervous laugh, "My bad..." he rubbed the back of his bare, paper white head. Wolf sighed and let his hand go back to his side. "Listen here. I see you, man. You had it all, and that little shit took it all away from you. You've got brains... and I've got brawn. I wanna help you."

Johnathan paused, finally processing the offer being presented... Wolf was quite tall, almost 7'5", and noticably muscular. Johnathan glanced at his own body, gangly and a bit awkward, and certainly not very strong. But did he want to form an alliance with this man...? He seemed... a bit agressive.

"How do I know you're not gonna betray me?" John asked, folding his arms. "Listen. Us freaks aren't common, Spot. But what few of us there are, are labeled as monsters by everyone around us..." Wolf said with his head tilted down, eyes still trained on Jonathan's featureless face.

"Let's prove them right." He growled, following it with a chuckle.

"Besides... heh... I'm not gonna hurt my only hope to crush that little twerp."

"Hm..."

Johnathan thought for a moment... it was a promising offer. But still...

"... So you want a sidekick?"

"A friend, more like." Wolf replied with a smirk.

Johnathan hadn't heard that word used to refer to him since what happened, he thought very hard for a moment.

"... You've got a deal then, Wolf..."

he offered his hand out to shake, and Wolf took it with a hearty and firm handshake.

"So, wanna get some grub or somethin'?"

"Huh? Uh- yeah! I'm down for some grub."

"Wicked."

#The Spot #ATSV #Self insert x canon

[prettybindings]

Still in Love with Rose

I'm not really still in love with Rose. I was never in love with Rose.

In spite of this, she's still in my heart, and she always will be. Rose was in my life for only a fleeting moment, long ago, and that moment was so brief that I think I shouldn't say she was in my life at all.

Thirty years ago, when I met Rose, I was poor. I lived alone, and I worked as a janitor at a movie theatre. I worked seven days a week, and even then, I could barely pay my bills.

A block away from my apartment, on the way to the theatre, there was a small store: The Bakery Thrift Shop. The Bakery Thrift Shop was an outlet store for a large company that manufactured baked goods: Breads, rolls, a few pastries and desserts. It was stocked with items that were perilously close to their expiration dates, or which had been slightly mishandled: donuts that had broken apart, cinnamon rolls with half of their icing plastered against the top of the package, jelly rolls with strawberry filling that had soaked through and stained their white cardboard trays.

I loved the Bakery Thrift Shop, because the prices were a fraction of what the unmolested items cost at Jewel.

The store's location, on a small street in a mostly-residential area, meant that it wasn't well-known, and that was obvious from the lack of customers. For me, however, it was conveniently located, and once or twice a week, on the way home from work, I'd stop at the Bakery Thrift Shop.

My visits to the Bakery Thrift Shop were inevitably preceded by an entire day picking up trash, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, washing windows. By the end of the day, I was filthy. On top of that, the clothes I wore to work were invariably old and ugly, and I was nothing much to look at to begin with. By the time I arrived at the Bakery Thrift Shop, I was a dirty, tired, skinny, scraggly-looking kid, and I probably smelled like Pine-Sol.

That's who I was, and that's how I looked, when I met Rose.

Rose, the cashier at the Bakery Thrift Store, Rose, whose face I can no longer remember. What color eyes did she have? Was she tall, or short? I don't remember. I remember that she was pretty, that her hair was brown, that she always wore a nametag that said "Rose." She was my roughly my age; I guessed that she was probably a student at Loyola or Mundelein, working part-time.

I wish that I could remember the way she looked now, so that I could say: Her eyes were like sapphires, and her smile melted the coldest of hearts. Her hair shone like satin and smelled like strawberries. Her skin was smooth, perfect, and, I imagined, very soft to the touch. The curves of her body, demurely but not completely concealed beneath the fabric of her uniform, beckoned a siren's song from far away, so far, barely audible.

I wish I could say those things, but I cannot say them honestly, because all of those details have drowned beneath the torrent of years that have come and gone. Rose was pretty, yes, but everything else about her, I've forgotten. Everything, that is, except one very important thing.

I remember the way she treated me.

Rose was polite: effortlessly, unfailingly polite. "Good afternoon, sir." "Will there be anything else, sir?" "Thank you, sir." Her voice was friendly and kind, and every word from her lips sounded natural. It wasn't the forced banter of a corporate policy, and it wasn't the product of a terse sign hidden behind the counter that reminded employees THE CUSTOMER IS KING. No, she was friendly because it came naturally to her, and she said "sir" because it was part of her nature to treat everyone she met with kindness and decency.

Although I cannot remember the color of her eyes, three decades later, I remember this: they looked at a filthy, exhausted, unkempt young man, and they reflected warmth, instead of disdain. She looked at a poor man who paid for damaged goods with the change he'd found on the floor of a movie theatre, and still smiled when she talked with him.

Was she married? Did she have a boyfriend? I never asked. No matter how lonely I was, I knew that Rose would never be anything other than the kind, pretty woman behind the counter.

If, if, if... If I had possessed virtues that she couldn't see, if I could have shown her that there was something about me that would have made me more than the shabby, skinny young man who bought smashed jelly rolls and broken donuts, and she had been kind to me...

That would have been less perfect.

If there had been a reason for her to be kind to me, then her kindness would not have been so memorable.

There was never any reason, and because of that, I remember her to this day.

Later, as I struggled to find something better -- a better job, a better me -- I moved, and the Bakery Thrift Shop was no longer on my way home. Many months later, walking through the neighborhood, I went out of my way to see the Bakery Thrift Shop.

The building was empty. The Bakery Thrift Shop was gone.

I cannot say that I felt any terrible sadness, or any great longing. I didn't drop to my knees in the parking lot, and call out her name. I just kept walking, because it was gone, over, finished. Rose was out of my life forever, and that was that.

I suppose that she's out there somewhere. I could let my imagination roam. Is she still in Chicago? Have I ever walked past her on the street? The pretty woman I saw on the train just a few days ago... could it have been Rose? Maybe she's a doctor, with a house in the north suburbs. Maybe she manages a chain of clothing stores, and goes home to a husband and three kids. Or maybe she's a writer, and someday she'll write a story that will begin: "When I was twenty years old, I worked at a small shop in Rogers Park."

Maybe, but probably not, and if Rose isn't the writer, then I get to be the writer. I get to tell the story, and it ends like this:

Rose, after all these years, I still remember you.

#prose #writers on tumblr #fiction #writing #love #memories

[pxison]

100 INDULGENT TROPES @abysmal-black asked: one muse steps protectively in front of the other maybe when they're kids? sibling angst time >:)

For the first mission they were sent on together, it was going well. Enemies were surprised to see children out on the battlefield and overpowering full grown men, something that they took pleasure in taking advantage of. Each twin reveled in getting their kill counts up but that left one brother unaccounted for and for good reason. Sanji was trained separately in stealth and so wasn't expected to be on the frontlines with them. Instead, he'd been sent with plenty of support to access the base and put his training to use.

Though it was odd of him not to return in a timely manner as was shown in previous data collected that Ichiji managed to snoop in on. Concluding that it was inevitable that they'd be breaking down the enemies' defenses enough to pierce through anyways, Ichiji took it upon himself to move on ahead and take advantage of this opportunity to check in on Sanji.

It was almost too quiet inside the base when he burst in. Aside from cleanly taken out men, there was nothing else amiss. An uneasy feeling began to grow when enemy bodies shifted into those of their own clone soldiers with Sanji nowhere to be found. A loud scuffling could be heard further in and wondering if it had anything to do with Sanji, Ichiji investigated further.

What he saw when he turned the corner stirred a fiery rage in him that Ichiji didn't know existed. One opponent seemed to remain, and Sanji wasn't getting anywhere with him as bruised up as his brother appeared. Not wanting anymore harm to be done to Sanji or better yet, allow the indignity of one of their own losing to trash such as this, Ichiji acted almost instinctively.

Shoving Sanji behind him, Ichiji was all curled lip and eyes surging with photonic energy as he stared down the man looking still so sure of himself and that two of Judge's brats couldn't beat him. Well, not until a powerful burst of energy blasted out from Ichiji's eyes and through his chest, leaving an incendiary hole as stunned body collapsed to the ground.

That out of the way, ichiji was quick to spin his frustations' on Sanji. "What were you doing Sanji? Why were you struggling so much against this garbage?"

#abysmal-black #👑don't waste my time👑asks #bet you had something else in mind but I couldn't resist this #the angst is whenever Ichiji opens his mouth @ Sanji tbh

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Ghost Story - Chapter 35

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 1747

Warnings: None

Summary: No one will miss a ghost. It'd been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember, something Ghost herself started, and she always said it with a smile on her face or with mirth in her voice. The untouchable stealth pilot in every sense of the word, no one could've predicted the depth of her turmoil over recent events, nor the extremes she would go to in order to protect the man she loved, not even those closest to her. Now, all that was left of the young aviator for Maverick, Hangman, and Rooster were the memories of the past, which would slowly fade with time. She'd come into their lives and made an unforgettable impression, and then, like a ghost, she was gone... Then again, ghosts can't die a second time.

Notes: The chapters/large parts in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: You're Where You Belong/Give 'Em Hell Champion

****

Ghost

Maverick's crestfallen, almost downright despairing expression when Ghost announced him as her lead spare nearly broke her and made her recant her decision, but then she reminded herself of why she'd gone that route and held firm. Still, it haunted her dreams, and before her alarm went off, Ghost found herself already dressed for the day and eating a small breakfast, not wanting to aggravate her already upset stomach even further. She couldn't drink enough water either, her mouth constantly feeling dry. Ghost had never felt this way before a mission, nor had any of these symptoms occurred, so why were they happening now? 

A sinister voice in the back of her head had the answer: Because you're not planning on making it out of this alive.

The harsh truth nearly made Ghost hurl. She chucked the remaining breakfast in the trash, unable to eat any further, and allowed her feet to lead her to a destination unknown, needing to just move. They inevitably brought her to the main hangar. She could hear the commotion above of the crew ensuring everything on the top deck was ready for launch.

"This is it, Ghost," she whispered, staring out over the empty ocean and oddly calm waves. She took a deep, steadying breath and gripped her dog tags. She ached for the comfort of her mom and the optimism of her sister because Ghost could've used a hefty dose of both right now, but most of all, she missed her dad. Nathan Winchester had always recognized what his daughter needed to hear in order for her to get the job done. She'd found ways around it since he passed, remembering the old adages and advice he used to give, but none of it worked for now. With the critical nature of the mission, this was unlike anything she'd faced before, and Ghost needed him now. "Talk to me, Dad."

"I was wondering where you were," Maverick said, coming to stand beside her. He stared out over the ocean with her, hands clasped behind his back. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," she admitted, dropping her hand from her dog tags. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay."

A silence fell over them, and the look on Maverick's face when she chose him for her lead spare burst into her mind. Guilt flooded her chest at the sudden epiphany of why he reacted the way he did. She felt the need to clear the air. "Look, it wasn't personal why I chose Rooster over you. On paper, you were the best candidate, and in training, you and I were undefeated. For all intents and purposes, you were the one I should've chosen as my wingman, but I didn't because if something happened to one or both of us up there, I didn't trust Rooster and Hangman to push aside their egos and work together. They listen to you, and I need a spare leader with that ability. And I promise I'll bring Rooster home. Nothing will happen to him as long as I'm up there."

"I'm not worried about that," Maverick said quietly, shaking his head ever so slightly. "I'm worried about you."

Ghost snapped her body to face him, unnerved by his statement. "You don't think I can do this?"

Maverick's eyes widened, and he turned to look at her. "No, no, that's not what I meant. I could've phrased that better," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "There's no doubt in my mind that you'll succeed with the mission-"

"Really? Because your expression says otherwise."

He offered the smallest of smiles, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. "I do believe in you, but I'm worried about what you'll do to make sure Rooster gets home. He's the last bit of Goose I have left, that's true, but you're the last bit of Charlie I have left, and no matter what happened between your mom and me, no matter how much we fought or how much time passed, I loved her."

"Mav-"

"I need you to come home, Ghost."

She frowned, her nervousness shifting to concern. What had gotten into Maverick? "What brought all this on?"

"Because I see so much of myself in you, the good and the bad, and that scares me, Ghost, more than anything. You and I are phenomenal fighter pilots, the best of the best, but we have self-destructive tendencies, too, that are amplified when we are emotionally invested in the outcome of the mission. Your decision to choose Rooster as your wingman was a logical one, but I know you still love him regardless of the fights you've had with him recently, and you can't push those emotions down when he's in danger, believe me."

Ghost nodded, a weight settling on her shoulders as she realized Maverick was afraid of her perishing on the mission. "I don't plan on dying today. That being said, if something does happen to me up there, I need you to convince Rooster to return to the carrier instead of hanging back to save me because I know he would try. You're the only one he'll listen to about it. You're the only one he'll prioritize over me."

"Ghost-"

"Please, Mav. Promise me you'll get him home if I can't."

Slowly, he nodded. "Fine, but on one condition. You promise me that if you have to eject and land in enemy territory, you will fight your way back to us, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Ghost said, slightly taken aback by the sudden passion in his voice. "I promise."

His shoulders sagged in relief at her words. "Thank you."

"Of course." She looked him up and down. "Hey, are you sure you're all right? You've been acting strangely since we left port."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Maverick smiled warmly at her, his green eyes full of adoration. "Come here."

To her utter shock, Maverick opened his arms and pulled her into a tight hug. She willingly returned the embrace, burying her face in his shoulder and thinking it hadn't been words of advice she needed but a simple gesture that screamed, "I love you, I care for you, I've got you."

****

Rooster

Ghost and Maverick were already in the hangar for the training when Rooster and Hangman arrived. They lined up for the briefing, and Cyclone wasted no time getting everything started. The screen visualized the target run and area as Warlock began speaking. "Your mission today is to eliminate a terrorist base deep in Russian territory. With the fragile relationship with the country, we cannot send missiles for assistance to destroy most of the base ahead of time, as they would risk being seen. Therefore, we are having two F-35s fly low through the ravine to avoid detection since you will be shedding your stealth capability for the max ammunition capacity. Once through the ravine, you will arrive at the enemy base nestled in a shallow valley. The buildings are tightly clustered together, so your bombs, when dropped, should eliminate multiple targets at one time. This part of the mission should be relatively easy. However, your biggest threat will be enemy fighters, so we recommend destroying these buildings-" Cyclone pointed to four hangars on the left-hand side of the map- "first to avoid having enemies launch. Be mindful that some may already be in the air. Once all targets are destroyed, you will return to the carrier through the ravine. Any questions?"

Maverick, Hangman, Ghost, and Rooster shook their heads. Cyclone nodded. "Very good. As a reminder, because of the location of the enemy base, if you are shot down, the chances of us being able to conduct a rescue operation will be almost impossible due to the location and nature of the mission, so make sure you come back home."

Rooster hung his head at the admiral's words, unable to shake the sinister sensation creeping up his spine. Judging by Hangman's pained expression, he was experiencing the same. With the briefing done, the four pilots strode to the elevator and took the short ride to the top deck. Their F-35s waited for them. Reaching the first plane, Rooster and Ghost faced Maverick and Hangman, and the latter said, "Take care of each other up there, and you give 'em hell."

He clapped them both on the shoulder, lingering a little longer on Ghost's, then strode off. This left Rooster and Ghost alone with Maverick, who told them, "Whatever happens, make sure you two get back home. Some destruction and having you both return is better than complete decimation and having you both dead."

"Understood," Ghost said. "We'll see you soon. Bye, Mav."

"No, no, no, don't say bye. That's too final."

"It's a temporary goodbye. Ghosts can't be killed a second time." Smiling playfully, Ghost started walking off, Rooster at her side, when Maverick called out their names. They turned around. He wore a proud smile when he said confidently, "You've got this."

Rooster nodded appreciatively at the encouragement, the nervousness settling in, but he reminded himself of the words that had helped so much last time: Don't think. Just do.

Rooster escorted Ghost to her plane and shook her hand, barely refraining from pulling her toward him and crashing his lips onto hers because, for all he knew, this might be the last chance he ever got to kiss her. What if she didn't make it back? Or he didn't? Or-

"Hey," Ghost said, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "You with me?"

Rooster blinked, clearing his downward spiral of thoughts. "Yeah, I'm with you."

"Good. Looked like I was losing you for a second." 

"No, no, I'm here. I-" Rooster paused, so much he wanted to say with no time to do so, and saying I love you hardly sufficed for everything he felt for her. Instead, he went with, "I'll see you up there."

Without another word, Rooster stalked off toward his plane, glancing around at the commotion surrounding him. Crew members ran around and shouted in preparation for the launch, the sun shone brightly down on him, and in the distance, Hangman- wearing a pensive expression- watched Ghost climb into her plane. 

Rooster slid into his jet and put on his helmet, checking everything was functioning correctly, and then put down the canopy. When it sealed shut, and he could hear only the roar of his engine, the reality settled in. It was time.

****

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