#we all just said it sometimes and none of us gave a shit and none of us have it a second thought

[wcters]

𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧

pairing: matt sturniolo x fem!reader

word count: 2.6k

summary: y/n joins the triplets on the cut the camera podcast to talk about having a boyfriend who’s a triplet, social media, and hobby’s

warnings: dirty/sexual jokes, established relationship, swearing, sexual innuendos, not a warning but thank you @whoetoshaw for some inspiration. please check her out! i will probably make another one 🤍

“Good morning campers, welcome back to the cut the camera podcast. It’s your hosts Nick Sturniolo,” Nick introduced, “Matt Sturniolo,” Matt told the camera, “and Chris Sturniolo.” The boys finished. “And we have a special guest if you couldn’t hear her laughing at us, Matt’s girlfriend, Y/n!” Nick told the camera as it showed you in your seat, smile on your face as you waved. “Happy to be here.” You spoke to the camera. It then panned to Matt sitting his his seat with his cheeks turning pink. “We had to beg her for so long to feature in one of these.” Chris laughed, shifting his hat as he spoke into the mic. “We had to buy her a box of Diet Coke.” He deadpanned. You smiled in response.

“Okay, to be fair, I’m not a social media person. I think the only social media I have and use a lot is Instagram and Facebook.” The three boys laughed as you mentioned Facebook. “It’s for family members! My grandparents have a hard time figuring out social media apps. But either way, have Tiktok but don’t even remember the last time I posted on there.” You tried to think but nothing was popping up. “That brings me into the first question,” Chris interrupts you, “what’s it like dating an “influencer” as some would call us while you just ━━ quite recently actually ━━ made your accounts public?”

“━━ before you speak,” Nick interrupted as Chris gave him an annoyed look and Matt groaned. “Here he goes.” Matt whispered into the mic. “I was just going to say she should introduce herself!” He yelled in defense as he put his hands up. “Oh shit, true.” Chris gestured to you. “Hello everyone, I am Y/n and I am a friend of the triplets and Matt’s girlfriend.” You started to introduce. “I like how she said a friend of the triplets and not just Matt’s girlfriend.” Nick laughed. “You know it babe.” You replied, laughing in your seat. “Anyway, I am nineteen. I am from Canada, and moved to LA around two ━━ three years ago? Yeah. Sorry, what was the question before?” “See, Chris? She has manners. You need to learn some.” Nick teased. “Shut the fuck up. The question was what’s it like to date an influencer?” Chris asked. Matt turned his head toward you.

“I’m not really sure what it’s like to not date an influencer since Matt was like . . . my first “real boyfriend” you could say, but I would assume it’s similar to a relationship with a non-influencer. You do the same things: dates, sleepovers, movies, etc. But he’s away sometimes,” you shrug, “when you guys went on tour, Matt was away a lot and we had to do long distance for a bit. I think it was hard for both of us ━━”

“━━ more for me.”

“━━ but it’s what happens when you date someone as famous as you guys are. I know what I was getting into, same with the social media part. I knew I would be on camera sometimes, especially because you guys vlog and other things. You guys respected my want to be off camera and I remember, Matt was so worried when we got together because we really liked each other but social media was his job, but I was fine with that! Of course I would be.”

“I was so worried,” Matt breathed out, “like I had mentioned before that I did what I do and she had mentioned that she didn’t want to be online, but when it got serious I didn’t want for this whole thing to be ruined because of what I do, you know?” “Of course,” Nick butted in, “and especially hate that she could’ve gotten ━━ no offense Y/n.” You nodded, “none at all. Completely agree.” “You would’ve felt a little scared, no?” Matt and you nodded. “I didn’t, and don’t, want her to be effected negatively from it. I mean, it’s inevitable really, but still. I couldn’t help it, still can’t, I’m her boyfriend.” “I knew what I was getting into,” you spoke, “it’s what happens in most male celebrity, youtuber fan bases. You guys get hate too sometimes.”

Chris nodded. “I think me and Nick were a bit unsure too. We had known you for awhile and we liked you. We talked to Matt about it too. Just saying like “watch out for hate,” and “support her,” and shit like that. You didn’t need any help at all.” “Like I said, I knew what I was getting into. I have friends that are dating some popular content creators and we have talked about it before. That’s how I know what to experience and how to deal with it. Thank you ━━“ there was a bleep as you said her name “━━ love you to bits.”

“What is it like to be on the podcast?” The youngest boy asked, looking at his phone and then to you. “To be honest? It feels great. I have seen this set from when it was just an idea to it actually happing and it is truly amazing to see what these boys can do.” You we’re honest, these boys had such great ideas and it felt unreal to see them come true. “Matt, you have such a nice girlfriend.” A laugh that sounded more like a giggle came out of Matt’s mouth. “Thanks. She is.” He replied, moving the mic. There was laughing around the table.

“This would’ve been super awkward if you were like “no, I hate her!”” You joked. Nick put his hand over his mouth. “I don’t know what I would do if that actually happened.” “Well good thing I’m not going to say that.” Matt spoke, looking at his girlfriend. “Thanks. What a man everyone,” you clapped your hands, “get yourself someone like this guy over here.” You pointed to him.

“Yes!” Nick yelled, clapping too. “And, there’s two other brothers . . . but one is gay. He is still available? Boys? Hit that line. And Chris’s too,” you pointed to the long-haired brother, “it’s too often he tries to get into the bed with me and Matt because he hates sleeping alone.” You whispered into the mic. The camera moved to Matt nodding and then to Chris as he started to protest. “No! You’re just over too often. Stop hogging my brother. I slept with him first ━━ wait!” He puts his hands up. You moved your hand over you mouth in shock as Matt leaned his head against the table and Nick copied your movement. “Not like that! I meant we,” pointing to Matt, him, and Nick, “had sleepovers before you did.” “Bitch, don’t bring me into this.” Nick chimed in. “Real.” You agreed.

“Let’s just move on!” Your boyfriend suggested as he lifted his arms up. “What is like dating a triplet?” He asked. “It’s not that much from dating a regular guy, apart from the fact that either one of these kids is following him everywhere ━━ mostly Chris ━━“ which earned a “what?” from the guy “━━ and sometimes I’ll like . . . steal a sweater or some sweats or something from Matt and then I’ll just be on the couch and one of the boys will come in and be like “I’ve been looking for that” and it gets confusing.” You laughed. “But besides some of those confusions, it’s like dating a guy and having two best friends that come with him.” “A package deal.” Nick agrees. You snapped your fingers at him, “yes. Exactly like that. And it’s so fun. It can get annoying, but what’s any kind of relationship if you don’t get annoyed?” “Yeah guys. I may be annoying, but you still like me.” Chris jumped in. “Yeah, sometimes I doubt that.” “Me too.” The other brothers agreed. “That was so inspiring.” Nick said. “Thank you.” You did a fake bow in your seat.

“You also help keep the house clean since you practically live over at our house.” Matt added. “I do, I do. I literally have clothes and my skincare shit at you house. And a toothbrush ━━”

“━━ And a toothbrush.” Matt said at the same time. “It’s convient for sleepovers!” Nick explained. “And also because you do just live here. There have been so many times where I’ve knocked on Matt’s door and then opened it and Matt’s just playing games while you’re chilling in his bed.” You nodded, shrugging. It was true. “Dude ━━ I have gone to wake up Matt for the day and I won’t even notice she’s there until I hear her move or some shit cause she’s all up under the blankets. Surprised you’re even under the blankets with Mr. Blanket stealer over here.” Chris points to Matt as Nick nodded his head and you laughed.

“I just tug em’ back. Or he just grabs me. This kid . . . I swear it’s like I’m never close enough.” “I just run hot you’re always cold.” Matt retaliated. “You run hot because you steal all the blankets!” Nick yelled. “I feel sorry for Chris every time you guys have to share a bed.” “Do you really though?” The boy in question asked. “. . . Not really, no. I like my blankets. Maybe you can teach him to share Y/n.” “I will certainly try.”

“And she can teach you fuckers to clean,” Matt retorted, “every time I go into your room it’s like I am walking through a morgue.” After he finished there was a “hey!” from Chris and a “that’s not true!” from Nick. “Keep me out of this.” You held your hands up in defense. “I will clean what I need to.” “She’s like a second mom.” Chris compared. “Don’t say that. That’s weird.” Matt muttered into the mic. “Yeah, this is like the same argument as the use of mommy and daddy.” Nick agreed. “Now, you just made it weird,” Chris pointed at Nick. “How about we move on so we can stop this from getting even weirder.” Matt clapped his hands.

“Yes. Next question. You watch our videos I would assume?” Nick asked. “Of course, who would I be if I didn’t?” You replied. “Period.” Chris replied. Nick gave him a side eye, “anyway . . . How do you feel that people are writing fan fiction about your boyfriend?” You covered your mouth with your hand. “What?” Matt asked, looking scared. “You guys are going to hate me for this.” You spoke. “You didn’t make one about Matt did you?” Chris joked. “No! I wasn’t that weird. But a canon event in every girls childhood ━━ and I mean every single one - was writing or at least reading fan fiction. Brittany Broski is so real for talking about it. Me? It was the guy who played in Doctor Who. The 2000s one.” “David Tennant?” “Yes. I was an avid Wattpad user. You could catch me on there every fucking day dude. I think I still have my account.”

A scream filled the room as everyone looked at Nick. “We have to find it and go through it. But . . . I still can’t believe you used Wattpad.” “Dude, ask any mentally unstable female girl and I promise you, she will tell you she did. I don’t use it anymore, but I was obsessed.” “Are the videos awkward to you because you used to write shit or no?” Chris jumped in. “A little bit. I mean, it must feel weird getting fan fiction written about anyone. But I think because I’ve been in that spot and writing it that I understand a bit more,” you admitted, “the videos are great ━━ like every video of yours is - and it’s so funny to see your reaction.” “We need to bring you sometime if you’re up for it.” Matt suggested. “Maybe?” You shrugged, dragging the word out. “It would be super funny.” Nick commented. “Oh for sure, but I don’t know if I’m ready to go back to that phase in my life.” You grimaced.

“Hashtag trauma.” Chris responded. “Please never say that again,” Nick murmured. Matt agreed with a “that was so cringey.” “Really though,” you laughed, “you get it.” Chris got up from his seat and high-fived you. “Have you guys ever read fan fiction outside of filming?” “Oh, switcharoo question. I mean, I have to check and find stories and make sure we don’t get demonetized. I don’t know about these two.” Nick answered first. “I haven’t, but I find it weird that Matt has wattpad downloaded . . . And that he asked people to send some to him.” Chris spoke. “It’s not like that!” Matt yelled, putting his face in his shirt. “Matt, honey. It’s fine.” You joked. “Oh my god.” His voice was muffled from the sweatshirt.

“Is that how you got into reading like . . . Actual books?” Nick asked you. “Not really. I’ve been a reader since I learned to read, but it probably had some effect on my reading.” You responded. “I read a lot now, too. Like if you guys are filming I’ll just hangout im Matt’s room or something and read.” “She’s always reading.” Matt said into the mic. “No actually. We could be getting picked up by Matt and this kid is in the passenger seat with a book in her hand. How can you even read in the car?” Chris blurted. “I actually don’t get car sick. I think I’ve been car sick once. I sleep in the car too. And I have the best naps in the car. It’s just something puts me to sleep. I’m not sure what.” You explain. “But yeah, I do read a good amount. I’ve got Matt to read a little too. Chris would you ever read?” “Probably not,” he answered,” just have too much going on. And no offence, but if I have time off I’m not going to sit down and read. There’s so many other things I could do.” You nodded your head, “to each their own.” “I’ll like nap or something. I feel like we’re all avid nappers.” Chris asked.

“No, totally. I love napping.” Matt answered. “Me too.” Nick agreed. “I’ll only get up if I have to.” “I’ll only get up if Y/n gets up or if Chris wakes me up. There’s not a lot that will get me up. Except if I need to pee or we have something that day.” Matt added on. “It’s true,” you nodded, “he will not let me go. And if I get up, he will get up and pull me to the couch if I’m not already on it and just lay there.” Your boyfriend nodded. “Hey, at least you have a personal pillow.” Chris added on. You nodded again. “You should by lucky? You know how many girls would want Chris to do that?” The blonde boy continued. Chris made a weird face. “Hey guys, make a fan fiction about it.” Matt looked at the camera. “No!” Chris yelled, slapping Matt’s finger that was pointing to the camera. “I’m just kidding, I don’t really care as long as they’re not super weird and gross.” “Cheers to that.” Nick agreed.

“On this note, I think we should wrap it up.” Nick announced. “That was today’s episode, it was amazing. Everyone thank Y/n for coming on the podcast.” Chris faced you, speaking into the mic. “It was an absolute pleasure. I would love to come back if you would have me.” You thanked them. “Of course. We won’t let you leave.” The blonde boy joked. “Just kidding, but still, thank you for coming on and we will see you guys next time. Bye!” Everyone waved to the different cameras before it showed you in your seat with Matt sitting next to you. “He’s secretly clingy.” You said before the camera shut off.

#emma writes #sturniolo triplets #matt sturniolo #chris sturniolo #nick sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo x reader #matt sturniolo x reader #x reader #x fem!reader #fanfic #imagine #cutthecamerapodcast #sturniolo #youtube

[munsonkitten]

They say it’s for his own good. Because he’s dangerous. But Steve doesn’t feel any more dangerous than he did before this whole mess. Like, seriously, he could kill literal monsters with nothing more than a bat covered in rusty nails. He doesn’t feel any more dangerous now than he did when he hit Billy Hargrove with a fucking car or when he held back in all the fights he’s ever lost. Because he could kill fucking monsters. He wasn’t gonna find out if he was capable of killing teenage boys too.

He sees Eddie sometimes.

Eddie looks dangerous, but then he always has. Even if he never was. He always had that look to him, with his leather and chains and heavy boots. Dangerous in a good way.

Now he looks bloodthirsty.

Well, ha, Steve thinks. That’s because he is.

Steve is too, but he doesn’t think that’s grounds for imprisonment. He doesn’t think that’s grounds for being held hostage in the newly reopened and renovated Hawkins Lab.

They say it’s because he’s dangerous, but if that’s the case then they should’ve locked him up years ago. They should’ve seen what was wrong with him back when he was that asshole popular kid at Hawkins High.

Every time he sees Eddie these days it’s when they’re being shoved down hallways. They have Eddie in a mask to prevent biting. Some clear plastic thing that shows his snarling face as he’s pushed. His teeth are sharp and pointed, and he has this wild look in his eyes. There’s blood inside the mask more often than not. Whether it’s someone else’s every time, or if it’s Eddie’s, Steve never really knows. A mix of both, most likely.

They make eye contact and Steve tries to tell him they’ll get out of this mess, and Eddie looks back at him like he wants to believe him, but just can’t.

Steve doesn’t blame him. He’s lost track of how long they’ve been here. He stopped counting after six months, after the lines he carved into his wall with a sharp fingernail — talon, really — became too numerous to hide behind the one pin-up girl poster they gave him for good behavior after the second week.

Weird reward, if you ask Steve. The orderly that put it up for him smirked, said something about tissues in the cabinet in the corner of his room, and then left without another word.

Really fucking weird.

The head scientist comes into Steve’s room. Steve can’t remember his name. Matthews or Mathson or… Something. Doesn’t matter. Not like Steve really needs to know. He’s just called The Doctor and that’s that.

“According to our records, today’s a very special day, indeed. Happy birthday, Steven,” he says, looking down at Steve’s chart.

So it’s February fourteenth… But —

“How old am I?” Steve asks.

“Twenty-two,” the doctor answers.

Twenty two… Which means it’s 1988. Steve’s been here over a year and a half, since June ‘86 when they took him in the dead of night. Things had been weird before that. He’d been having cravings, and Eddie came back from the dead, clawed his way out of the Upside Down all by himself. He came back different, but still the same Eddie that Steve had mourned.

Twenty two years old and he doesn’t even remember turning twenty one.

“Since it’s your birthday,” the doctor continues. “We decided you deserve a reward for being so cooperative during your stay. Something you choose yourself, anything you want — within reason, mind you. Don’t ask to get out of here because that won't be happening. But if we can get it for you, it’s yours to keep.”

“Eddie,” Steve blurts out. “I want Eddie. I want him moved into my cell permanently. Get us bunk beds or some shit.”

“Ah, yes, well,” the doctor sighs. “Mr Munson is quite….”

“Dangerous? Insane? I can keep him in check,” Steve says quickly. “Look, we were friends before all of this and now we’re in the same boat. I understand him. If you want to get through to him, do this for me and I can help.”

None of that is true, of course. He’s not gonna make Eddie do shit, and he really doesn’t think he could if he wanted to. He’s wild, a little more monster than Steve is. It probably has something to do with being stuck in the Upside Down after he died. Different, but still Eddie.

Steve doesn’t blame him for the trouble he’s been causing. He’s seen it firsthand only a couple of times, but sometimes his doctors go missing and never come back. Sometimes they’re covered in blood when they come to see him after being with Eddie.

It’s not hard to guess what happens there.

“We’ll try it,” the doctor says. “But I can’t imagine why that’s what you want.”

He writes something down on his clipboard, clicks his pen with a sigh, and stands.

“I will see what we can do.”

And then he‘s gone.

Steve waits two days. Two days where no one comes to see him, to poke him with needles or flash lights in his eyes. He’s delivered his meals through the slot in his door, but that’s all that happens. He drinks the blood they give him. Animal today, he knows. They switch it up on him, and he’s found he can tell the difference easily now. It’s not the same as human, but it does the job.

It keeps him alive. It keeps him from wanting to tear himself limb from limb because of hunger and thirst. There’s still an itch in his throat and a nagging in the back of his mind saying he’s not satisfied, but it’s better than nothing.

On the second day, he’s told to stand against the back wall, and he complies easily. Complying means rewards — it means he doesn’t get hurt. The first few days he was here he was uncooperative and they beat him. It was too much like being in the Russian bunker beneath Starcourt again.

So he stopped fighting back. He stopped spitting and hissing, he stopped trying to sink his teeth into anything he could reach. And in turn he got rewards. He’s given more time outside his room, more time to sit in a room with a rainbow around the walls and a bunch of old children’s toys.

He knows he’s at Hawkins Lab. He can feel it, can feel something in the back of his head that tells him his family is close. His real family — Robin and Nancy and Dustin and everyone else. He knows he’s in Hawkins Lab and he can’t help but wonder if El lived in the same room as him, if she pushed around the same Hot Wheels car he does when he’s bored.

He stands in his room now, and it’s really a cell, but he doesn’t like to call it that, and he watches as two men carry his bed out. Two more come in with bunk beds that look like two of the regular beds welded together — thin metal frames with thin mattresses. Straight out of a prison.

The doctor comes into the room and he’s carrying a box in his arms. Steve can’t see what’s inside it, but he thinks they might be the few personal belongings Eddie has. The box gets set on the bottom bunk. An orderly comes in with a pile of extra blankets and two pillows. Those get set on the beds, too.

They all leave without a word, but Steve knows he won’t be alone for much longer. He knows that they’re going to get Eddie to him, and soon enough, they’re both going to be able to escape. Together.

Steve doesn’t know how long he sits there on the bottom bunk, but it’s a while. He only spares a single glance into the box, and he sees a spare hospital gown, and some clean underwear inside it. There’s a book sitting on top, tattered and splattered with blood. At least Eddie has that, Steve supposes.

The heavy metal door to Steve’s room opens and Eddie is shoved in, snarling and snapping at the guard behind him, holding his hands in shackles behind his back. They have heavy wool mittens on him, his plastic mask covering the bottom half of his face. Steve’s surprised they don’t just put him in a straitjacket and throw him into a padded room.

They make eye contact, Eddie’s formerly chocolate brown eyes now deep red. His hair is pulled back into a ponytail and shows his slightly pointed ears. Steve’s look the same, and his eyes are still mostly brown, but he can see the red swirling around inside them during the few occasions he can look in the mirror.

Eddie sniffs the air through his mask, bares his teeth. Steve can see the blood in his mouth through the clear plastic.

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. What if Eddie hurts him too? What if he’s… What if he’s not Eddie anymore? If the last bits of his humanity have drained out of him, if he’s been forced to let the monster inside take full control… Steve doesn’t know what he’ll do.

I’d let the monster take me, too, he thinks, and then immediately regrets it. He doesn’t want to be that, and in his head he’s holding a snarling beast back with wrought iron bars, in a cell not too different from the one his physical body stands in. He’s gotten this far. It would be a waste to not even try.

The guard leaves Eddie where he stands, still cuffed, and backs away to the door. He slams it shut and locks it, then slides open the food slot. Eddie growls, jerks at his cuffs, trying to get free.

“Munson!” the guard barks. “Back up against the door.”

Eddie backs up until he’s against the door and Steve hears the key unlocking the cuffs around Eddie’s wrists.

The mittens come off next, and both things get pulled through the slot. The guard quickly slides it shut. Eddie is free from his restraints, and now he and Steve are alone.

Read more on AO3

#this is the first chapter so go on to chapter 2 #steddie #steddie fic #steve harrington #vampire steddie #vampires #my fics #eddie munson #vampire eddie munson #vampire steve harrington

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for not helping my family pay for hospital bills?

🎷🔥 so i can find it later

This is going to need a lot of context right off the bat. I (20'sM) am a gay man that comes from an extremely conservative family. My sister (20'sF) is also a lesbian and recently got married and adopted a child. I'm very proud of her, but that's not the issue.

My parents seem to have little to no issue with my sister marrying a woman. They do have a very big issue with me liking dudes, however. Like, it was the reason my parents got divorced "big issue." I'm not gonna go into everything, but my sister ended up with my dad and I stayed with my mom for reasons I'd rather not share.

Our last parting was on... less than decent terms. Upon finding out that I was of the homosexual variety, my dad flipped his lid. He called me several slurs and said some other very hurtful things, and even made moves to physically attack me. My mom, also a very homophobic woman, stepped in and thankfully talked him down. Then divorce, etc etc.

I saved up enough money to move out when I turned 18 and may have done some impulsive things including completely trashing my mom's bathroom, which I know I'm definitely the asshole for, but in my defense my mom kept "forgetting" to pick up my prescriptions and I was manic (I have bipolar). But, again, I know I'm the AH for that.

I now live with my two best friends R (20sNB) and P (20sM) in a house we all pay for. R comes from money so they help out a lot, and I love them both to death. We kind of have a sort of situationship but none of us are poly? Idk it's weird we're just going with it rn.

Anyway, I bring them up bc we all went to my sister's wedding together, and my parents separately chewed me out for bringing them (and for R daring to wear a dress. They're amab for context) and I obviously argued back bc hey they're my best friends and my sister specifically said it was okay for me to bring them (she and R are also friends and they wouldve been invited regardless of me bringing P) and also because R looks very good in a dress and i can handle them shit-talking me but i will not tolerate slander towards R or P.

At the wedding, I went full no contact with them and told them to lose my number. They, ofc, did Not lose my number and I got several calls from extended family saying about what you would expect them to say, so I switched numbers and gave only my sister and her wife my new number.

My sister. I love her to pieces but sometimes she gets on my nerves. She gives my number to my mom to have "just in case," but she reassures me that she won't give it to my dad or any other family. So far, she's made good on that promise, I just have to deal with periodic calls about getting a girlfriend and having kids.

Now, my dad isn't the healthiest guy out there. He has arthritis, osteoporosis, and several other things that i don't really wanna get into. As he's aged he's only gotten worse and there have been several times he's almost died, but recently he's been put on hospice and has an estimated Not Very Long to live.

Here's where I may be the AH. My dad calls me while I'm at a very important, personal event for R (he got my number from my mom) and goes on a long rant on how I'm an unlovable disgrace and how he fed me and clothed me and I could make up for all that by helping him pay off hospital debt. I say no immediately and tell him that he's never been my dad, only my dna donor, and that he's going to be dead anyway and that selling his house could cover all the bills. He calls me many more names and tells me he wishes I was never born (calling my mom some very derogatory names too (she's asian)) and that i should just go ahead and off myself to save the world someone like me. I tell him he should die faster while he's at it because God knows the world already has enough bigots in it and there could never be too many mentally ill queers.

I hung up, but now I'm thinking I went a bit too far. AITA for not helping out with his hospital bills and yelling at him?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[joeybsversion]

Jealous

Joe Burrow x Reader

Joe finds out about your past relationship with a famous NFL tight end

“Usually we talk about football, sometimes about life, and I’m always making fun of Jason.” Travis laughed. “But this week, we’re talking about a little something different on New Heights.” He raised his eyebrows. “Jason, you wanna let them know what’s going on?” He asked his brother.

“With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, there’s definitely lots of love in the air.” He winked at the camera. “Every week of February we are going to bring on an NFL player and his significant other and talk all thing L-O-V-E.” He spelled it out, causing a laugh from Travis. “Not our usual topic but I think we’ll still have some fun.”

“Damn right!” Travis joined in. “This week we have none other than the Ken and Barbie of the NFL world!” He began patting his hands on his knees, motioning for Jason to join in. “Drum roll please.” The pace got faster. “Please welcome Mr and Mrs. Burrow!” He cheered, causing applause from himself and Jason.

“Hey guys! Thanks for having us.” Joe laughed and took over the microphone.

“Bro, thanks for coming on! We’ve been looking forward to sitting down with you both!” Jason said. “You guys ready to just get straight into it?” He asked.

“For sure.” Joe smiled.

“Let’s do it!” You chimed in.

“First things first, give us a little rundown on your relationship.” Travis said.

“I’ll let you take this one away.” You motioned to Joe.

“Oh putting him on the spot!” Jason and Travis laughed.

“I wish I was being funny.” Joe laughed as he started “but we met at a Marvel movie brew fest.” You hid your face in embarrassment. “Super nerdy. Basically it was just a couple of hours of Marvel movie trivia and tasting different beers. But we ended up being on the same trivia team and thankfully I had some liquid courage and asked for her number.” Joe laughed.

“It’s true!” You chimed in. “It’s so embarrassing to tell the story.” You laughed. Travis gave Joe a hard time about it, causing a laugh from the whole group.

“We’ve basically been together ever since though.” Joe smiled at you.

“And let’s clear the air, Travis called you Mr and Mrs but you guys aren’t married yet, right?”

“That’s right. 6 years and still no ring.” You teased.

“You gotta get on that, Man!” Travis teased Joe. “I know a lot of people want to know how you manage a relationship with such busy schedules.” Travis changed the topic.

“It’s not easy.” You gave Joe a sheepish smile. “We FaceTime a lot when he’s on the road and try to spend as much time together as possible when he’s home.”

“Same with Kylie and I.” Jason chimed in. “Lots of phone calls and finding time, even if it’s 5 minutes to sit down and have a cup of coffee together.”

“Phone calls that get a little spicy?” Travis winked.

“I can’t help myself.” Joe answered and let out a shy laugh.

Your hand flew over your mouth, your face turning bright red.

“Hey you gotta find time when you can! Even if that means over the phone!” Jason defended, fist bumping Joe.

“NEXT QUESTION!” You interrupted, hoping to change the subject.

“How did you know she was the one?” Travis asked.

“I like being with her.”

“No shit.” Travis laughed. “Be more specific.”

Joe laughed, “It’s easy being with her. She understands me in a way no one else does. when I’m not with her, I wish she was there. When I am with her I want that time to last forever.”

“Awww, Joey.” You leaned over and rested your head on his shoulder.

“Get a room!” Travis joked.

“Hey bro, no need to be jealous! You’ll feel that way about someone one day.” Jason teased his little brother. “And just to think, it could’ve been her at one point.” Jason pointed towards you.

“That’s true.” Travis nodded. “We were a hot item back in the day.”

You started to laugh but we’re quickly interrupted by Joe, “What?” He asked and furrowed his eye brows at you.

“Yeah, Trav and I know each other.” You laughed.

“Before she was a Bengal fan she was a Chiefs fan!” Travis gave Joe a hard time.

Joes mood instantly changed. The rest of the interview was awkward, his answers were short, he was done joking around, and he barely looked at you or Travis.

Things wrapped up and you said your goodbyes and followed an angry Joe out to the car.

“What’s wrong?” You questioned as he backed out of the driveway and sped down the street.

“Why didn’t you tell me about you and Travis?” He asked, his knuckles turning white from his tight grip on the steering wheel.

“It was a three month fling that I barely remember.” You laughed.

“Bull shit.” He countered.

“No, not bull shit.” You answered and then rode in silence for a few minutes. “Why are you so mad?” You questioned.

“I’m not mad.” He paused. “I’m jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Anytime anyone looks at you or speaks to you, I’m jealous. I want all of your minutes and all of your words. I want all of you, all of the time.” He answered.

You laughed, unable to catch your breath for a moment. “Joey, you have me. I promise. There is no reason to be jealous.” You assured him. “In case my reaction to your idiocy, I love you. And only you.”

#joe burrow #joe burrow fic #joe burrow fluff #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow one shot #joe burrow smut #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow insta au #joe burrow instagram

[scarlet-star-witch]

The story of us

Steve Harrington x reader

Summary: How Steve fell in love with his best friend and found the love he deserved

Word count: 7.4K

AN: This is total fluff to heal me from Vol. 2. Steve deserves love, period. 

~~

She double checked her winged eyeliner, frowning slightly when she realized the makeup on her eyes weren’t quite symmetrical.

They don’t have to be twins, she shrugged to herself and continued on, plastering on her red lipstick. When she was finished she smiled nervously at her reflection, touching up her hair, making sure there were no tangles. 

She suddenly sighed and rolled her eyes at herself, her insecurities rising rapidly. 

All this work for Steve fucking Harrington, she thought to herself with a shake of her head. She never would’ve believed this day would come. The past couple of years had been a whirlwind and yet, unbelievably, falling for Steve had been the least astounding thing she’d experienced.

Creatures from an alternate dimension overshadowed anything else going on in her otherwise mundane life.

Smoothing down her outfit, she left her room before she could nitpick her look and change her clothes for the third time that night. She raced down the stairs and grabbed her purse, hoping to sneak out without any hassle.

But of course, the universe was not on her side.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Her dad called out from his spot on his recliner, eyeing her from over his reading glasses with a curious look.

“Out.” She shrugged, feigning innocence, her fingers itching to turn the door knob and hightail it out of there before she had to answer any more questions.

“Yeah, no shit. Where are you going?”

“Movies.”

“With who?”

“Dad, I’m already late, I need to go.”

“You know, I’d be a lot less suspicious if you weren’t avoiding my question.” He said with a knowing smirk, getting up from his chair and crossing his arms over his chest, a clear sign that she was about to get the third degree.

She stared at her dad challengingly, his own eyes narrowing in defiance, silently telling her she wasn’t going to win this one. 

She sometimes hated how observant her father was.

“So…are you going to tell me or do I have to get the lie detector out.”

“You don’t have a lie detector.” She called his bluff.

“I can buy one. I’m sure they’re not too expensive.” He waved her off. “So…”

Clenching her jaw as her mind suddenly became void of any of her friends’ names, she settled for the first shitty answer she could think of. “I’m going with a friend.”

“This friend wouldn’t happen to be a boy, would it?”

She tensed, wondering how bad her consequence would be if she just sprinted out of the room. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed by Steve. Sure, they were a couple some people gave a double take to, purely because most people had no idea the two of them even knew each other.

But there were prodding questions parents asked about their child’s budding relationships that she couldn’t answer in the slightest.

How’d you meet?

I used to hate him and think he was a stuck up asshole until he saved my life from a monster from another dimension with a bat full of nails. 

How’d you get together?

He kissed me while we were in the upside down - you know, that other dimension I mentioned - and thought we were going to be killed by a horde of demo-dogs hell bent on tearing our limbs from our bodies. 

Yeah, she’d prefer to keep those details private.

At her prolonged silence, her dad’s smirk grew until he laughed, as if he found great amusement in her torture.

“All you have to do to make this end is tell me who you’re meeting up with tonight.” 

“Honey, please just tell him, this is driving me crazy.” Her mom called out from the kitchen, though the amused smile on her face was evident. 

She hated when her parents tag-teamed her. All her friends said she was so lucky to have such cool parents, but none of them had ever been on the receiving end of their intrigue. 

With a heavy sigh, she averted her gaze down to the floor and muttered the damning name.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“Steve Harrington.” She blurted out louder, causing both of her parents’ eyes to widen in surprise.

“You’re going out with Steve Harrington? How the hell did that happen?”

“Nope, you said I only had to tell you who, not how.” She sassed, grinning widely as she made her way to the door.

“Don’t think you can escape these questions forever, young lady!” Her dad called out as she left the house. She waved goodbye and let out a deep breath as she found herself in the cool night air. 

When she saw the familiar car waiting idly a few houses down, a wide smile broke out onto her face and she raced forward, eager to see the man in question. As she got into the car, the smile she wore mirrored the one Steve gave her.

Before he could get a greeting out, she leaned over the middle console and kissed him deeply, her hands finding their common place at the base of his neck as her fingers curled into his wild strands of hair. 

Their hearts beat in equal excited measure, their stomach fluttering with an array of delighted butterflies. 

“Hi.” Steve breathed out when they finally parted.

“Hi.” She smiled and stole another quick peck to his lips. 

He cleared his throat, forcing his sudden lust filled daze to dissipate. “So, movies?” 

She nodded, biting her lip as she smiled knowingly, absolutely loving the effect she had on him.

Steve’s hand found its place on her thigh as he drove through the sleepy streets of Hawkins. That disbelieving feeling rose again, one that she still couldn’t seem to shake at the fact that she was in the car of the Steve Harrington.

She didn’t know why she was still so surprised by the turn of events. She’d been in his car plenty of times before and, more recently, they’d done some very r-rated things in the back seat. But their growing feelings for each other was still something she had to wrap her head around. 

She had started off hating the king of Hawkins high, rolling her eyes whenever he boasted in the halls of the dreaded place. Back then, she was someone he barely even noticed. Then they quickly became a pair finding solace in each other in a crazy world they never expected to be a part of. Then, she became a friend, a confidant, giving him advice, helping with his homework, comforting him in his dark times. She became a place of healing through his break up with Nancy. And then, she soon became a person he could never get out of his mind.

She quickly consumed him, healing his broken heart and showing him a love he never thought could exist. 

She became his everything. 

Placing her hand over his, their fingers intertwined and she smiled lovingly, her mind beginning to wander to how this had all started.

She had been Jonathan Byers’ best friend since they were in pre-school. That alone explained the fact that they ran in very different circles in school. When Will went missing, her life changed forever. 

She loved that little boy as if he were her own brother. She’d been fiercely protective of the quiet boy since he could walk and as his mysterious disappearance unfolded, she was thrust into a world she had trouble believing was real. 

“You don’t have to be here.” Jonathan had told her sincerely, looking at her with a pained expression through the explosion of flickering lights above them.

“Jonathan, I’m here and there’s no way in hell I’m leaving.” She told him sternly and tightened her grip on the ax she was holding. 

She’d never used an ax before, never even chopped wood before, but it seemed like the proper weapon to use against a demogorgon, a monster with no face as Nancy had described to her.

The three of them stood in a protective circle, their backs against each other’s as they scouted the ruined room for the monster. 

 Suddenly there was a knock on the door and the last person she had ever expected to see forced themselves into the room, looking around at the destroyed furniture, the excessive number of stringed lights and the weapons in their hands with wide, horrified eyes.

As Steve’s eyes took in the scene before him, his eyes landed on her and she felt as though it was the first time he had ever truly seen her. 

“W-what the hell is going on? Why do you have an ax?!”  

Those were the first words he ever spoke to her.

“You need to leave, Harrington.”

And those were the first words she’d ever spoken to him.

It didn’t take much convincing for him to run out of the house, the sight of the demogorgon enough to make him run for the hills. 

As the monster tackled Jonathan to the floor, she readied her ax and swung, hitting it in the shoulder. She gasped and backed up on trembling legs as it turned towards her menacingly, rearing its claws back, ready to strike her down. 

Ignoring the aching in her shoulders, she raised the ax again and with a grunt of exertion, she brought the weapon down, hitting the demogorgon in the shoulder. Its wailed cries of pain didn’t last long, soon the menacing growling took its place and its sights were set on her again. 

Gripping the handle of her weapon, she tugged, but it refused to budge, staying lodged within the monster, leaving her defenseless. 

Her eyes widened in terror as the creature roared at her, seconds away from lunging, when it suddenly wailed, its body stumbling back from the blow to its side it received. 

She watched, stunned, as Steve held the nailed bat, swinging furiously at the creature, backing it up into the hallway where they had placed the trap. 

Of all the things that could’ve possibly happened that night, Steve Harrington saving her life was the last thing she’d ever expected. 

That was the first time she got the inclination that he wasn’t a completely irredeemable asshole. 

Later that night, as the group gathered in the hospital, most still in shock that little Will Byers was in fact alive, she found herself restless, her foot tapping annoyingly against the linoleum floor. 

With a heavy sigh, she stood from her seat and made her way through the maze of halls to find the vending machine, suddenly realizing it had been over a day since she’d eaten anything. Her feet dragged her slowly through the bright hallways, the light making her already pounding headache worse. 

She suddenly stopped in her tracks, a sense of dread falling over her when she noticed Steve at the vending machine, eyeing the choices tiredly, looking as if he were about to keel over any second. 

When he felt her gaze he looked over his shoulder, his passive expression wavering as he smiled softly, sending her a feeble wave.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” She replied, somewhat hesitantly, not used to ‘King Steve’ paying her any mind. 

But this was the guy that had saved her life only hours ago. He had stormed right back into danger to help them, and that couldn’t be ignored, no matter what she had previously thought of him.

“I uhm… I just wanted to say thank you, for earlier.” She choked out awkwardly, wringing her fingers together, feeling slightly uncomfortable as he looked at her intently. “That thing would’ve killed me if you hadn’t stepped in, so… thanks.” 

Steve smiled lightly, a gesture that portrayed just how tired he was as it was barely a twitch of his lips, but it gave away his gratitude as he bowed his head, not quite sure how to take the compliment. 

“It was nothing.”

“Steve, you saved my life. That’s not nothing.” She told him sincerely and the blush that coated his cheeks made her smile.

He grabbed his food and smiled warmly as he passed her, allowing her to take her place at the vending machine. He stopped before he left, turning back to look at her and he called her name softly, making her look over at him with wide eyes.

She didn’t even think he had known who she was, let alone her name.

“I’m glad you’re ok.” 

With those words, she was left to stare at his retreating form in a stunned daze. 

He wasn’t what she had expected. 

Trauma had a way of bringing people together and by some strange twist of fate, she found herself hanging out with Steve Harrington more often than not. 

They could speak to each other about things they couldn’t ever speak to other people about. The shared horrors they had seen pushed the two of them together in a way they were helpless to stop.

They were almost completely oblivious to the way they had seemingly latched onto each other since that horror-filled night of Will’s return. They started, almost unconsciously, seeking each other out at school, whether it be simple shared smiles, or Steve inviting her to sit with him and Nancy at lunch, or just simply being with each other for hours until they had to go their separate ways home. 

It even developed into Steve driving her home from school day after day, the two of them spending more time together than not. 

One night, as she turned off the lights in her house, preparing to head to bed for the night, the phone rang. With a quiet curse, she raced as quietly as she could to the phone, desperate to end the shrill noise before it woke her parents. 

“Hello?” She picked up, her tone more pointed than she expected. 

“Hey.”

“Steve? Do you know what time it is?” 

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I just… do you have time to talk?”

There was a lingering fear heard in his voice, one he tried to cover up, but one she heard nonetheless. It was the same fear her own voice held those nights she couldn’t sleep, the nights where all she could see was that faceless monster. 

“Another nightmare?” She asked quietly. 

It was quiet on the other line for a long moment, she could practically feel Steve’s shame through the phone, his hesitancy to disclose what he was going through, fearing the notion that this made him weak. 

“Sorry, I shouldn’t- I’ll let you get to sleep.”

“No, no, Steve, it’s ok, I’m not tired.” She spoke quickly, stopping him before he could hang up. “Are you ok?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. I get them too.” 

On the other line, Steve nodded, though she couldn’t see him, his teeth worrying his bottom lip roughly. He paced across the length of his room, wondering if she could hear the pounding of his heart through the phone.

“You wanna talk about it?” Her quiet voice said again and he had to swallow the immediate urge to refuse and hang up to save his dignity. 

“Not really.” He mumbled, his finger curling around the cord anxiously. 

“Steve.” Her soft voice stressed, gently coercing him to reveal what was troubling him. “It’s ok to be scared. No one should have to see what we saw. Honestly, I’d be more worried about you if you were totally fine after all that shit.”

With a heavy sigh, the floodgates opened and Steve allowed himself to purge everything that was tormenting him. 

It was only halfway into his explanation of his dark dream, that he began to wonder why he hadn’t called Nancy, why her name hadn’t been at the forefront of his mind when he wanted nothing more than to be comforted. 

Instead he went to her.

It took him weeks to get that sinking feeling to stop. 

But it didn’t stop Steve from seeking her out. She had quickly become the greatest friend he ever had and nothing, not even the guilt he felt, like he was betraying Nancy, could take that away. 

At school, as the group disbanded from lunch, Steve’s arm found its way over Nancy’s shoulders, his brain fighting to listen to what Nancy was ranting about. Something about fourth period history, he thinks, but he found it hard to concentrate.

His eyes were locked onto Jonathan and the girl who had quickly become one of his favorite people. More specifically, Jonathan’s arm around her waist and their shared smiles as they spoke to each other.  

He didn’t know why the sight caused unease to swell within him, he had no idea why that sinking, dreading feeling was back. 

He did everything he could to push the thought aside and he was successful, until only hours later when he was sitting with her at his kitchen table, working on an english essay together. 

He tapped his pencil against his notebook erratically, watching as she wrote, unbothered by his annoying habit. He cleared his throat, his brain screaming at him not to ask what he so badly wanted to ask. 

“So… how long have you and Jonathan been together?”

She laughed, the inclination both amusing and downright disgusting and looked up at him incredulously. “We’re not together.”

“Oh, ok, I just… you guys spend a lot of time together, so I just-”

“He’s my brother.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed in confusion and he looked at her questioningly. “You guys don’t look-”

“Oh my god, Steve, not literally you idiot.” She laughed and tossed her eraser at him playfully. “I’ve known him forever, he’s like my family.” 

“So you two have never…?”

“Fuck no!” She cringed. “It’s always been platonic between us.” She explained and didn’t know why seeing him breathe out, as if in relief, made her stomach clench.

He didn’t understand why he felt relief and he wasn’t about to question it. He didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole.

“Haven’t you had a friend like that? Someone you want to spend all your time with, someone you wanna tell your good news to right away, someone you love without any conditions?” 

“Uhh, no.” 

She eyed him carefully, noting the sudden shyness that overtook him, a shyness that made him seem embarrassed almost, like he was missing out on something, like there was something wrong with him for never having experienced what she was describing.

“And that definitely doesn’t sound platonic.” He added with a smirk, all traces of his insecurity gone. 

She sent him a playful scowl and rolled her eyes. 

“Well it is, trust me.” She assured him. “That kind of love, it can definitely become something romantic, but that sure as hell isn’t the case with me and Jonathan. He’s just… he’s one of my favorite people.” 

Steve nodded slowly, looking as though he was ruminating over her words carefully, causing her to look at him curiously, wondering what had caused him to look so thoughtful, wondering what had caused that uneasy look in his eyes. 

“But, I mean… you have that with Nancy though, right?” She asked slowly, simultaneously cringing at herself in fear of overstepping. 

Steve sat up straighter and for a brief moment, as his eyes met hers, he looked like a deer in headlights, trapped and doomed, before he schooled his expression and averted his gaze.

“Yeah, yeah, sure, I think so.” 

“You think so?” 

Steve hesitated, chewing on his lip nervously before sighing in resignation, looking over at her cautiously. 

“That loving without any conditions… I don’t know if we’re there.” He admitted quietly.

“That’s ok. You can get there. You two are still only in highschool. The both of you are going to grow and change as people and your relationship will grow and that unconditional love will grow.” She told him, trying her best to soothe his nerves, regretting having brought it up in the first place. “But if it’s really something you’re worried about you should talk to her about it.”

Steve nodded slowly, her words lingering in his head long after he had left her side. Guilt began to fester inside of him as his head spun with thoughts so confusing he didn’t know what to make of them.

A part of him didn’t want that to grow between him and Nancy. And that scared the shit out of him.

He continued to ignore the feeling and the constant thoughts of her, finding it easier that way. Facing his feelings head on was never one of his strengths and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be any time soon, he made sure of that. 

He was almost unaware of the way his eyes would seek her out, he was unaware of how often he smiled around her, he was unaware of just how purely content he was in her presence. 

She somehow had a way of making him laugh in situations that usually had him stressed. Tutoring had used to be a contentious, horrible hour of his life every Thursday evening that he would dread every second of, until she became his tutor. 

“What’d you get for question 7?”

“X equals 32.”

“What?!” Steve yelled, grabbing her notebook and staring down at it as if it were a valuable ancient script. “I got x equals 5.” 

She barked out a laugh, laying down on her bed as she clutched her stomach.

“Shut up.” Steve groaned, tossing her notebook back to her bitterly, though he couldn’t hold back his own smile from growing at the sound of her raucous laughter. 

“Sorry, sorry, I just don’t know what the hell you did to make that possible.” She said through her laughter.

Steve’s own laughter became louder and soon their homework was long forgotten as they dissolved into a hysterical fit of laughter that couldn’t be stopped. 

After a few minutes, their laughter lightened to soft giggles, the two of them sharing equally delightful smiles. Something shafted between them, their gazes lingering just a little too long, the moment dangerously toeing the line between platonic and romantic just a little too closely. 

Her gaze, which had been eagerly taking in every inch of his beautiful face drifted to the clock on the bedside table for a second and the moment was broken in an instant.

“Oh shit, I gotta go. Danny’s picking me up in like ten minutes.” She rushed out as she collected her books and shoved them into her backpack. 

Steve’s shoulders deflated at the reminder of her boyfriend. He didn’t like the guy, not one bit. It was clear Danny didn’t like Steve, that he was threatened by their friendship. The fact that he took every opportunity to glare coldly at Steve was telling enough.

“What do you guys have planned for tonight?” He asked casually, hoping the question came off as purely friendly curiosity and not his desire to protect her from the arrogant college douchebag.

“There’s a party on campus.” 

“Oh, cool. Sounds fun.” He said with a small smile, wincing at himself for his failed effort to sound excited for her. 

As she left, he tried hard not to think too hard about the kiss she’d placed on his cheek in goodbye and why it made his heart beat faster. 

And he especially tried hard to not think about what she’d be doing with her boyfriend that night, because every time he did he felt like his heart would drop out of his body. 

All of these thoughts of her, thoughts that confused him to no end, weren’t easy to compartmentalize. Even more so after Nancy had stomped on his heart and drunkenly tore their relationship apart. 

The night after the party, the night after his relationship ended, he found himself where most could find him, at her side. He was slumped on her bed, staring up at the ceiling mindlessly. 

He loved Nancy, at least he thought he did. She was the healthiest and realest relationship he’d ever had. He couldn’t just let go of that. He couldn’t ignore what the past year had meant to him, he didn’t want to throw it away.

But his mind kept returning to her. 

Her, his best friend who was dating another man and who most definitely didn’t see him as anything other than a friend. 

“What should I do?” He asked her, giving her a helpless look. “I could buy flowers, or chocolates, Nancy likes chocolate, right?” He continued to rant, not noticing the disbelieving  look thrown his way. 

“And why would you do that?” 

“I need to apologize, you know, a grand gesture to sweep her off her feet kind of apology.”

“Steve, why the hell would you apologize? She was the one that called you ‘bullshit’.” She asked, looking at him as if he were crazy. 

“I… well, I dunno, I guess I don’t. But I don’t wanna lose her either.” 

With a heavy sigh, she leaned towards him, placing her hand over his and he had to force himself not to look in amazement at the touch, forcing his gaze to remain on her face, where he became lost in her sympathetic eyes. 

Huh, I never noticed how her eyes looked in the sunlight, he thought to himself, dazed and confused more than ever. 

“Steve, you deserve to be with someone who loves you as much as you love them. You shouldn’t settle for anything less, you don’t deserve anything less.” 

Her words broke him out of his daze forcefully and he felt his breath hitch. The only time he had heard what he deserved was his dad yelling at him, berating him, telling him he deserved to stay in this small town, he deserved his shitty job and shitty grades. 

He had never been told that he deserved better than what he had. 

“But I don’t-”

“No, buts!” She interrupted him passionately and he was struck by how hard she was trying to help him, how much she truly wanted him to be happy.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had been so vehemently on his side. He had no idea it would feel so damn good.

“If Nancy doesn’t wanna be with you, then she doesn’t wanna be with you. You can’t force those kind of feelings and you shouldn’t have to. Steve, there’s probably a hundred girls in this town alone willing to show you how you deserved to be loved. You just need to find her.

He stared at her as if in a trance.

“Just need to find her.” He repeated her words slowly, his eyes never wavering from hers. 

She tried hard not to think of how her stomach flipped under his gaze. 

Over the next few days, Steve had been racking his brain, desperately trying to find a way to let her know, to find the courage to tell his best friend that he was crazy about her, that the love he felt for her was something he could no longer deny.

But the universe, as always, had awful timing, and the chaos they endured just a year ago was back in full force. 

“Well, this isn’t the Friday I thought I’d be having.” She muttered, her nose crinkled in distaste as she helped Steve shove the dead demo-dog into the Byers’ fridge.

It had been a whirlwind of a week, hell the last hour was enough to have her mind spinning.

Eleven was alive, Will was possessed, the gate was open, and their lives were in danger, yet again.

“Yeah, I second that.” Steve said through his panted breath as they both forcefully slammed the fridge door shut. 

Wiping his hands on his jeans and cringing at the mess the creature had left, he looked up at her again, his brows furrowing as he noticed the dull look in her eyes. 

“I’m sorry your weekend got messed up, I know you were looking forward to visiting Danny.” He told her, taking a guess as to why she was in such a foul mood. 

She let out a bitter sounding laugh and shook her head. “Please don’t say that asshole’s name in my presence.” 

Steve looked at her in bewilderment, silently motioning for her to continue, to explain what the hell was going on with her. Despite his elation at the prospect that her douchebag boyfriend was out of the picture, her behavior kept him from jumping for joy just yet. 

After a long pause, followed by an even longer heavy sigh, she leaned against the fridge, her eyes falling closed. 

“I caught him cheating on me.”

Steve’s face fell, his heart aching for her. He thought his break up with Nancy had been bad, but he was thankful it hadn’t been that bad. He was beyond angry that she had to go through that heartbreak. He moved to stand beside her, leaning against the fridge of horrors, his shoulder brushing against hers.

“Jesus, I'm sorry. He’s… he’s an idiot. He has no idea what he lost.” 

She laughed slightly and nudged him. “Yeah, right.”

“Hey, I’m being serious here. You’re a catch and you were way too good for that guy.”

“Steve, stop.”

“Stop what? Telling the truth?” 

She looked over at him and a lump grew in her throat when she saw the look on his face, when she realized he hadn’t been joking, that he was telling the god honest truth.

She let out a long breath, blinking rapidly to quell the urge to let those dastardly tears come to her eyes again. She’d wasted enough tears on Danny and she had quickly come to the conclusion that he didn’t deserve a single one of them.

“I just wish there was a way I could get back at him, you know? I wanna humiliate him like he humiliated me.”

“Yeah, I get it.” 

She chewed on her lip in contemplation until a reckless idea popped into her head. “Maybe I’ll sleep with his roommate, he was pretty cute.” 

Steve choked on his breath and he felt a burning pit of dread settle within him, making him feel sick. It was bad enough to think about her with Danny, but now, picturing her with another college douchebag was making him feel dizzy. 

“Uhhh, no, I don’t- that’s probably not- I- that’s not a good idea.” He stammered, floundering for an explanation, desperate to get her mind off of that plan that would tear his heart to pieces.

She smiled lightly, the sight of him so flustered warming her heart. “It’s not?”

“No, I don't think it’s enough.”

“I mean, his english lit professor’s young, I could probably sleep with him too, that’d definitely fuck with him.”

Steve’s eyes widened in horror and he shook his head, his mouth moving but no words escaping him. 

“Uhh, no, nope, not what I was suggesting.” He rambled mindlessly, feeling as though he was seconds away from going into cardiac arrest. 

“So what do you suggest, since apparently you know everything there is to know about relationships.” She joked sarcastically.

Steve laughed, though it was strained, his mind still racing with horrible thoughts of her tangled up with another man.

“I think, if you really wanna get back at him, you need to show him that you’re happy without him.”

“And how do I do that?”

“I think falling in love with someone, loving someone so unconditionally that you wanna spend every minute of every day with them, that whenever you get good news they’re the only one you think about telling, that you can only picture your days with them, that they’re the one person you wanna see, the one person you think about constantly.” Steve spoke, his voice becoming low as his gaze pierced hers. 

He hadn’t even realized he had leaned in until they were practically nose to nose with her

He swallowed against the lump in his throat, forcing himself to not chicken out, and kept his eyes on her.

Her face smoothed out as she stared back at him, almost as if she were in a daze. His words, words that were once her own but were spoken back to her but so much more passionate, with so much more fire than when she had used them, made her feel lightheaded. 

“I think that would really show him.” Steve said quietly, his voice almost a whisper, like if he spoke any louder, he’d scare away whatever was happening between them. 

“Hey!”

The two of them jumped apart and looked over at Dustin who was looking at them with narrowed eyes, trying to make sense of what he had just walked into.

“If you two are done flirting, we have a problem.”

“Dust- wait, what? What problem?” Steve’s initial urge to scold the teenager faded as he realized there was imminent danger.

Despite the fact that she should’ve been focusing on the present moment, you know, with the fate of the world on the line and everything, all she could think of was Steve, the words he had spoken to her, the way he had looked at her.

She wondered if she hallucinated the entire thing, if she was just reading way too much into the moment and exaggerating what it really was. 

There’s no way, she told herself, there’s no way he likes me.

As Billy harassed the group, threatening Lucas, and then beating the shit out of Steve, the valiant hero who tried his best, she couldn’t force herself to focus. Which was for the better, she assured herself, she didn’t want to watch Steve get his ass handed to him and, while she thought of herself as a pretty tough girl, there was no way she was getting in between a fight that involved Billy Hargrove of all people. 

It was a whirlwind of chaos as Max handled Billy, effectively knocking him on his ass. If she knew drugging him was an option, she would’ve done that the second that abrasive asshole stepped foot in the house. 

Yet, throughout the chaos, her mind never wavered from the way Steve had looked at her in that kitchen, she couldn’t stop thinking about the words he had said to her. 

Even as she helped drag him to the backseat of Billy’s car, still thinking the kids’ plan was a horrendous one, she had only agreed because her mind was preoccupied with wondering if Steve had just confessed his love to her.

Get a hold of yourself, she scolded herself. 

Even as the group of them trudged through the dark and dismal tunnels of the upside down, her mind refused to cease its incessant worrying. It was most definitely not the ideal situation to be hung up on a potential crush she may or may not have been denying for months. 

Her mind was so preoccupied, she hadn’t been paying attention to the dangerous terrain below her. Her foot caught on a vine and she stumbled, about to fall flat on her face when a sturdy arm wound around her waist, holding her upright. 

“You ok?” Steve asked breathlessly, looking down at her in concern. 

She felt her throat go dry and she nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I'm good.” 

She felt as though her brain was short circuiting as they continued to walk, Steve’s arm around her waist never ceasing, keeping her protected at his side.

Their plan had gone off without a hitch, they’d managed to torch the tunnels, successfully distracting the monsters so El had a chance to close the gate and save the world yet again. 

As the group ran through the tunnels to get to safety, Steve’s hand remained in hers, pulling her along with him easily. 

As they heard the horde of demo-dogs behind them, they all ran faster and she felt Steve’s grip on her hand tighten in fear. 

They worked quickly, hauling the kids up the rope in quick succession. 

“Go, go, go.” Steve urged, helping Dustin, the last kid of the group to get up, to start climbing. 

“Wait, what about you?” Dustin questioned, looking down at them nervously.

“Just go!” Steve urged, pushing him towards the rope. 

With all the kids safe and out of the upside down, they both let out equal breaths of relief, both of them feeling as though they had done their job, had protected those kids like they were supposed to. But as the roar of the monsters came closer, she looked to Steve, the both of them realizing at the same time that they had run out of time.

With a shaking breath, she turned to face her demise, watching as the shadows of the demo-dogs raced closer, only mere feet away. 

This was it. This was the end. 

A gentle touch startled her out of her dark thoughts

“Don’t.” Steve said softly, his hand settling at her cheek and moving her head to avoid looking at the creatures that would cause their demise. “Just look at me.” 

The catch in his voice didn’t go unnoticed and she swallowed thickly, looking up at him with watering eyes.

“If I have to die with someone… I’m glad it’s you.” She choked out. 

Steve’s expression twisted, looking as though he was pained and he bowed his head, his other hand moving to grip onto her waist. He moved his gaze up to meet hers and his eyes shone with tears.

“If we make it outta this, please don’t hate me.” He whispered reverently and before she had the chance to question just what he meant, his lips crashed onto hers. 

Her eyes widened in shock before falling closed in bliss, her heart racing within her chest. He held her so gently yet so desperately, she couldn’t help but fall into him, her chest pressed against his as she kissed him back eagerly. 

Her hand, as if without her knowledge, found their way into his hair and the short, needy exhale he gave made her weak in the knees. His grip on her waist tightened, his hand gentle at her cheek as they kissed with a fiery, burning passion, one they could no longer deny.

The moment was broken as she felt a bump at her leg, making her fall into his chest. He wrapped both arms around her protectively, holding her close to him. They watched in awe as the monsters avoided them, racing past them, paying them no mind.

“Holy shit.” She breathed out, her wide eyes locked onto the demo-dogs, her heart racing at how close she had been to accepting her end. 

With a shaking breath, she turned her attention to Steve, only to find him already looking at her, his own expression of shock mirroring hers. 

“Are you ok?”

 She nodded wordlessly and her hands moved to grip onto his arms which were still holding her tightly. 

“Are you?”

“Yeah, I think so.” He answered with a huff of tired laughter. “Shit, that was close.” 

Suddenly, they heard the kids screaming for them from above. 

“Are you two ok?!” 

“We’re fine!” She yelled up to them, moving to grab onto the rope to haul herself out of the tunnels, but Steve’s grip on her arm stopped her, making her look back at him.

“Look, what I did… I didn’t- if that made you uncomfortable-”

“Steve,” She interrupted him, a small smile beginning to grow at how nervous he looked. “Shut up.”

With that, Steve was left to watch her scale the rope in a daze, frozen in place. He let out a small laugh and shook his head. Despite his raging nerves, she had a way of putting him at total ease, calming every one of his insecurities. 

As he made his way out of the upside down, he found his place at her side, his arm finding its way around her waist again.

“Is it over?” Max asked, eyeing the group nervously. 

“I think so.” Steve replied with a smile, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his chest and he looked over at her again, both of them sharing knowing smirks at the double meaning of the interaction.

Their anxieties were gone, the dance they had done around each other for so long was finally over. 

Once it was clear that they had succeeded, once they knew Will was ok, El was ok and the gate was closed, their night of fighting was finally over.

Steve drove all the kids home, leaving the two of them in the car, driving down the empty roads of Hawkins. 

There was a nervous energy that surrounded them, unspoken words lingering in the air. Neither one of them knew what to say, both too nervous to break the silence that had grown since Dustin had left the car, leaving them alone. 

As Steve pulled up to her house, his expression shifted into one of disappointment, suddenly wondering if tomorrow would be different, if her feelings would be different now that the danger was gone, wondering if their moment was just a moment of weakness fueled by fear.

“So… I know I’ve asked you this like a million times already, but, are you ok?” Steve asked quietly. 

She looked over at him, their eyes finally meeting and the warm smile that graced her lips made his heart stutter. 

“I’m more than ok.” 

He nodded, feeling his palms beginning to sweat, his stomach twisting with nerves. 

“Steve,” She called out softly. “Did you mean it?”

He looked confused for a moment before he realized what she was asking. Their moment in the kitchen, the words he had spoken so gently and loving to her. 

He swallowed thickly, working up every ounce of courage he had to finally say the words that had been on his tongue for months.

“Of course I did.” He told her softly, his smile growing. “How could I not?”

Her eyes softened and her chest exploded with pleasurable fluttering nerves. She reached over, placing her hand over his and intertwined their fingers, delighted when she heard the breath of relief he exhaled. 

“You’ve been it for me for a long time. I was just too stupid to do anything about it.”

His words made her stomach twist in the best way she’d ever experienced. 

Steve cleared his throat and looked over at her hesitantly, his nerves in full force.

“So, uhh, I mean, do you… do you feel… I mean, I know this is new and weird, well, not weird, at least for me. I’ve known I’ve liked you for like… I dunno, a while, probably more than I’d like to admit. And you’ve probably only seen me as a friend, but I think the last few months have-”

“Steve.” She said forcefully, cutting off his rant and forcing him to look over at her with wide eyes, his fear evident.

She tightened her grip on his hand and leaned forward, forcing his nervous, cast down gaze to raise, finally meeting her eyes.

“I think I was too stupid to do anything about my feelings too.” She echoed his previous words cheekily.

Steve let out a harsh breath, smiling widely, and he couldn’t help but feel as though he had accomplished a great feat. The pure relief she saw on his face made her heart lighten, as it had more times than she could count around him, a feeling she had finally come to terms with.

With a giggle, she leaned forward and crashed her lips to his.

He responded immediately, deepening the kiss as his hands grabbed onto her eagerly, as if he would die if he didn’t have her close for another second. Months of tension were released as they kissed with a fiery need that they thought would never dissipate.

After a few minutes, Steve pulled away, his brow furrowed and lips swollen as he looked at her intently.

“Wait, so, this means you like me too, right?” He questioned breathlessly and his stomach flipped as she laughed loudly. “What, I’m just checking, I mean, we did just almost die. Emotions are running high. I don’t want you waking up tomorrow morning totally repulsed at the sight of me.”

“Oh my god, Steve, just kiss me, you idiot.” She told him and he was all too happy to oblige.

As he kissed her again, this time softly, more gently than he had before, they both had to fight the smiles that threatened to grow and ruin the kiss. 

~~

More Stranger Things fics are coming! 

I have an Eddie fic coming out soon to undo the emotional damage of Volume 2 xx

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington imagine

[captainsophiestark]

To The Stars

Rhysand x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Summary: With war on the horizon, Rhys and his mate have been busier than should be possible, with almost no time to even see each other. But sometimes, to stay sane, you have to make time.

Word Count: 1,064

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I squinted at the words on the paper in front of me, trying to get them to stop blurring. My eyes burned, and my head ached, and before I knew it, I was face down on the desk.

Not the first time it had happened to me, and probably not the last. But the Night Court was basically the only court who had our shit together and stood a chance at stopping Hybern, which meant it was on me and the rest of the Inner Circle to organize what we needed to organize to save the world as we knew it. That tended to lead to a lot of exhaustion.

Even worse, it had left me no time to see my mate, Rhysand, as we were both running around like maniacs, often in different directions. His face floated across my subconscious as I fought to stay awake despite my body begging me to rest my eyes and stay down on the desk. I thought I'd finally lost the battle when I heard his voice, calling my name in his smooth, soothing voice that had come to feel like home. Then I felt his hand on my shoulder, and realized this wasn't an exhaustion-induced dream.

I groaned, slowly dragging myself back into a sitting position as I blinked at Rhys through bleary eyes. He hardly looked better than me, with dark bags under his eyes. Still, he pulled a soft smile onto his face when he looked at me.

"You look about as tired as I feel," he said, voice a little more gravelly than usual. I huffed a sigh.

"I'm absolutely exhausted. But we have to do what it takes to have a chance at winning this war."

"We do."

The silence hung between us for a moment, the massive weight we carried together resting heavily on our shoulders. Then Rhys, my wonderful mate, sighed and gave me a tired smile, running his hand along my cheek.

"Come outside with me."

I raised an eyebrow at him, but his face didn't change. I held his stare, but when his calm expression didn't crack with even a hint of what he was up to, I finally gave in with a sigh of my own.

"Fine. But only because I love you so much. If anyone else was asking me to accompany them for mysterious reasons rather than wading through these papers or sleeping, I would tell them to fuck right off."

"I'll make sure to remember how lucky I am to be met with a different response."

I snorted, at myself more than him, and he shot me a small smile as I got to my feet. He held out a hand and led me out of our bedroom and up the stairs to the roof.

"If we had even a single extra second to string together, I would've told you to close your eyes first," Rhys said, a smile in his voice from ahead of me. I raised an eyebrow, more curious than ever as he stepped out onto the roof of the Velaris townhouse and I followed after him.

Rhysand stared at me with a massive grin on his face, holding his arms out slightly on either side in a 'ta-da' gesture. I looked just past him to find a nest of blankets assembled on the roof, with glasses of sparkling wine waiting for us. A small fire roared in a firepit that hadn't been there the last time I'd checked.

"We have to rest at some point, or so I've been told by every other member of our court. And if I have to take a break, I'd much prefer to take it with you."

I smiled, none of the tiredness leaving me but most of the tension draining away. I crossed the short distance between me and my mate, wrapping my arms around him tightly and breathing in his scent. I could hear his heart beating in his chest, the soft thud mixing with the crackling fire, and for just a moment everything was right with the world.

"How did I get so lucky as to find you?" I asked, a soft smile on my face as I at last pulled back to look at Rhys. The corner of his mouth quirked up, and he leaned in until his lips were just a breath away from mine.

"I wonder the same thing, how we could be so lucky to find each other, almost every day that I walk this world," he murmured. My heart swelled, and a heartbeat later Rhys closed the distance between us. I lost myself in his embrace and his soft, tender kiss.

We stayed locked together for a few long moments, then finally, reluctantly, I pulled back. Rhys watched me like a hawk, but I just gave him a little smile.

"We'll have time for that after wine and stargazing," I promised. He sighed, playing it up a little, even as he leaned back.

"I suppose it would be a shame to let it all go to waste."

I winked and gave him one last peck on the cheek, then led him over to the pile of blankets. The two of us made ourselves comfortable, snuggling into the warmth together and staring up at the crystal clear night sky. I sighed, the light from the stars shining out through the darkness above.

"This is beautiful," I murmured. Rhys handed me a glass, which I took, my eyes never leaving the night sky above.

"It really is. It helps, to look at this. To look at Velaris. And you. To... remember what we're fighting for."

"Yeah. Yeah, it does."

I finally tore my eyes away from the starlight overhead to look at my mate, meeting his sparkling eyes. I would go to the absolute ends of the world for him, and I knew he would do the same for me. The road ahead would be hard, against Hybern and the other courts, but how could anything hope to stand against us? Especially when we had the rest of our friends behind us, too.

"To the stars who listen," he said, lifting his glass to mine with a half-smile. I returned the gesture, the soft clink of the glasses ringing out in the night.

"And the dreams that are answered."

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989

#sophie's year of fic #a court of thorns and roses #rhysand #sarah j maas #acotar #rhysand x reader #rhys #acotar fanfiction #a court of thorns and roses fanfiction #rhysand fanfiction #rhysand oneshot #rhysand imagine #actoar oneshot #acotar imagine #velaris #a court of dreams #a court of mist and fury #a court of wings and ruin #high lord of the night court #high lord rhysand

[ynbabe]

Fake texts au- pt.10 bffs with the rookies+ The Hangover III

I can't believe we're on part 10 already 😭😭😭

| Masterlist |

"How could I? I didn't have my phone?" the girl asked slightly panicked,.

"That's because you had mine," Lando spoke up, tapping on his phone, "You logged into your account from mine," he said showing it to the girl.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP ME?" She yelled.

"BECAUSE YOU GUYS KEPT RUNNING ONTO THE FUCKING ROAD AND LOGAN AND ARTHUR COSPLAYED SPIDER-MAN" He yelled back.

"Okay, okay," Max put his hands up to calm the two down, sometimes they were so similar he'd want to ask if Lando had a twin separated at birth, "Lando, what did she post?"

"oh oooh, this going to be fun," the boy said, switching to the girl's profile.

its_y/n_love

liked by 21,023 users

Tagged: @/arthur_leclerc @/logansargeant @/oscarpiastri

its_y/n_love me with my Pookie bears everyone say thank you Oscar for paying the Hospital bills 😍

view all 10,874 comments

usernamei SHES GIVINGGG

username she ATE

username they're her pookie bears 😭 she's so unserious I unironically stan her

username a grown woman calling grown men pookie bears 😒 username fr like oscar had to pay for HER hospital bills username he literally payed for Arthurs too but yall ain't gon say none abt that

its_y/n_love

liked by 501,023 users

Tagged: @/arthur_leclerc @/logansargeant @/oscarpiastri @/landonorris

its_y/n_love LANDOOOOOOOOO why he always with his boy tho 🤨

view all 20,874 comments

username omg she's literally living my dream 😫

username fr god i've seen what you've done for others

username omg she's freeloading off him now too?

username give it up she literally just their friend username and even if she wasn’t why would yall treat her differently than any other wag? username look at her man she's literally using them for fame and money

"Well, that wasn't as bad," y/n shrugged.

"That's cause you didn't have your camera roll," Logan snapped back, finally feeling a little more human, the hangover easing down.

"Look who's talking," the Aussie came to y/n's defence, "You're lucky you didn't have YOUR phone," Oscar called out, making the American's face turn red.

"Damnnn Oscar!" The girl praised, colour returning to his face, all were slowly returning to normal, even Arthur had found his way back to the table. Seeing this, the two older men Max and Charles ordered for the table, while Lando, went through more of Y/n's Instagram with the group.

"Honestly, the response isn't that bad, and our PR officers won't murder us, sooo we're good," he said, smiling and logging out of her Instagram account.

"Oh my god," The Monganeseque boy spoke up after being missing for almost half an hour, " I don't think we ate last night," he said shoving the food in his mouth.

The older men expected one of the other three to corroborate the boy's words but they just witnessed four twenty-somethings guzzling down food and large glasses of OJ, lifting plates to slide food into their mouths, letting runny egg yolks and bacon grease getting over their face and hands.

"Fucking hell," Max snarled, "it's like watching animal planet or something,"

"It's disgusting is what it is," Charles agreed, "MERDE ARTHUR, MAMAN RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THIS!" He yelled at his brother who was currently dipping a rolled up pancake in orange juice.

"Oh mate that's fucking disgusting," Y/n scoffed but then followed suit.

"Both of you are insane," Logan cried out, his accent thick, but failed to notice his own disgusting plate, dipping his bacon in maple syrup.

"ugh, there is something mentally deficient with all of you," Oscar frowned.

"Big words for someone mixing coffee into their oj," Lando cringed, taking a photo of the four and their disgusting eating habits.

"I- I can't look at this, I'm leaving," Charles gave up, holding up his hands in surrender, "I have a meeting at Ferrari anyways,"

"Bye, Charles!" the table chorused.

"Oh shit, it's 11am already?" Max called, looking at his watch, "I've got debrief at noon, see you next race, yeah Y/n?" He patted the girl's shoulder as he left.

"Never, again, ever." She yelled out, behind the man, making him laugh.

"Wait really?" The American looked over, bacon in hand.

"Nah, but like I've got uni and stuff and I've been going Arthurs races as well so, I'll probably be back by Britain or Netherlands," she explained.

"Oh yeah I forgot you still go to uni," Lando said.

"Not all of are millionaires cause of our fast vroom vroom cars," she spit back.

"yeah, yeah, " he waved off, "Oscar, Zak's told me to babysit you till our flight tomorrow so you don't do something or someone," he wriggled his brows, smirking at his teammate, making him roll his eyes, "you regret, so let's go and leave that disgusting abomination here," he said pointing to the coffee-orange juice.

"Guy's I don't know about y'all but I'm going go and pass out in the room till next year," The girl said, pushing away from the table.

"Same," The two boys followed.

oooooh this was ✨✨✨ but next we have the summer break chapter 🤭

Taglist: @dark-night-sky-99 @cashtons-wife @i-wish-this-was-me @thehufflepuffavenger1 @eugene-emt-roe @fangirl-dot-com

#f1 x y/n #f1 x you #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #f1 #charles leclerc #max verstappen #lando norris #lando norris x reader #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x reader #arthur leclerc x reader #arthur leclerc #logan sargeant x reader #logan sargeant #fake texting au #fake texts #fake text #f1 smau #smau #social media au

[tarjapearce]

A thought on Miguel

Ya know? Every time I see Miguel I think.

Man, this man needs a hug even if he says that's he's fine cause we know he's just bulshitting himself big time. Like, he's broken, his life was shit and the little thing that actually made him happy disappeared in his hands before his eyes.

Sometimes I think that Gabriela was that inflection point where he just realizes "Maybe  just maybe I can try happiness." (Cause c'mon. In the comics dude is abused emotionally by his own mother. Always comparing him and belittling him. And we know what happened to Gabriel. and his step dad is shit. )

Sometimes I like to think that Gabriela was his redemption to all those terrible bad years prior the incident. She was his purpose. And when he saw the chance, he didn't even hesitated into dive head first into it. His biggest mistake. Although pretty much understandable. None would overlook the chance of being better or happy or do things differently, right?

Sometimes I think He just wanted to be the father he never had. He just wanted to be the role model he never had, be that safe place for someone else that he never got. And that's why I think most of us empathize with him. Mostly for not saying all of us, (Kudos if you don't ♥️) have had situations that resembled Comic Miguel and Movie Miguel's life.

And when he loses Gabi, that's a turning point for the bad to him. His main motivation to be better, happier is gone.

Instead, he kinda twists that purpose Gabi gave him to protect the Multiverse he knows. Not that he doesn't care for the Spider Society members. He knows that all of them are there because they are more capable of handling themselves. They don't need protection, but they do need a role model, someone that guides them into not fucking up like he did.

That's why he is all grumpy, tired, emotionally drained and mentally exhausted. Cause he learned the consequences the hard way, but the rest is just cool about it. (Not cool in the 'I don't care way' but more like Just 'tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it, but my way' sort of thing.)

He didn't have the proper time to actually reflect on his mistakes, not that the multiverse is giving him any break though, He is Spiderman. He just knows that his mistake CANNOT be repeated. That's why he turns even more irritable, angry, fearful, all stemmed from self loathing for failing.

The man is depressed af. And we know, he overworks himself, he berates his own mind by watching over and over the screening videos of him and Gabi, he perpetuates guilt, but he cannot waver, cause he is a role model (A self imposed one) for the rest. He's not yet he is a martyr. He's not because he shares the common goal to keep Multiverse safe, but he is since said need to keep multiverse safe rooted from his big fuck up.

But dude has a savior complex. (I think this one suits better than martyr, dunno.)

And when Miles show up and does his thing, he sees all his convictions, motivations, his purpose, everything that drives him, threatened. And that's why lashed out the way he did on Miles.

That's his breaking point. I do not agree in the things he said to Miles though, we all know that he was just self projecting big time a good chunk of that dialogue. But he just wants to contain Miles at first, but the more Miles fights, the more everything he has worked for crumbles. An act of despair and fear disguised as anger, I like to think.

He is stunned cause damn, the menace to everything he has known and built so far just escaped from his hands before his eyes and again he was unable to stop it. (Another failure for him.)

He's a walking contradiction. Mistakes for him are not an option, but he can't help but make them along the way. Like most of us. And I think that's what makes him the most human among other Spiderman. And hopefully we can see more of him and how does he deals with all of that in the last movie.

But yeah, that's just my take on him.. Might be wrong, might be 🤡 or obvious but yeah. Needed to get that out.

#miguel o'hara #talking with t✨ #random though of the day #miguel atsv #atsv miguel #spiderman 2099 #t writes✨

[kix-mm]

Dusty’s letters

Terrifying tantrums

Previous - Next

We saw eye to eye, literally. My mother was an average human, while I was already an inch taller than her at just six years old.

To most people, it would be an absolute nightmare to deal with. Just imagine the temper tantrums of an average child. Kicking, biting, screaming, and sometimes even throwing stuff around. Kids that age didn’t always listen either, and I was no different, except my tantrums were dealt with in a very particular manner.

I still remember the look of distress she gave me when I began my tantrum, tipping everything over, throwing whatever I could lift, flailing my arms around while screaming at the top of my lungs. It all happened in a blur, I remember her grabbing my arm and yelling at me to stop, only for her to be violently smacked… I never meant to hurt her like that, I was just so angry, I knew no better way to express it…

When she flew back and hit the floor I suddenly stopped. She tried to hide the pain she was in by looking away from me, holding her red cheek as blood slowly began dripping from her nose. She was just as shocked as I was. I think that was the first time she felt fearful of her own son, me to be specific. I could tell by her shivering voice and her chocked breath that she wasn’t okay. “Mommy..?” I asked in a sheepish tone. “Andy… go to your room.” She replied, she tried to sound stern and almost got away with it if it wasn’t for a soft sniffle.

It was then that I realized that I had hurt her. Badly. Mommy’s bleeding, I thought. I immediately began to panic and shuffled closer, wanting to hold her, or rather, I wanted her to hold me. “Mommy I’m sorry…” I spoke again, feeling more and more worried as she continued to keep her face hidden from me. I held her arm and tried to make her face me, I was unaware at the time, just how strong I was compared to a human, and that made things unintentionally worse between us.

She looked at me with frantic eyes, quickly wiping her tears off her cheeks and smudging the blood on her white sleeve, I never heard my mother cuss before, but I could hear her whisper in a frustrated tone when she saw the blood stain. "shit..."

I gasped, and my expression only became more worried when I saw my mother's state, her cheek was red, and was already beginning to bruise, her nose had smudged blood under it and her eyes were puffy, worst of all she looked scared... my mom... scared... I was the one she was afraid of, I was the monster that scared mommy... I hurt mommy too, like real bad monsters do...

She pulled away from my grip, but I tightened it "mommy-" my plea was cut short as she pulled away from me once more. "Andy... please... go to your room..."

I hesitated, trying to piece together what I could possibly do to avoid being sent away. But ultimately, I came up with nothing and hung my head low as I slanted to my shared room. I made the effort to make sure none of my brothers were there, reading or having a nap, and I pulled my blanket over myself and hugged my pillow as tight as possible before I let myself cry. It was an unsaid rule in our household, tears were something you didn't show, it just made everyone around you uncomfortable and it drew unwanted attention.

I continued to cry for what felt like half an hour until I felt a familiar weight on my bed, it was Jacob. My eldest brother, the voice of reason and at that particular time, the man of the house.

He rests his hand reassuringly on my back, rubbing ever so gently in an attempt to console me. I sat up and rubbed my puffy eyes. It seemed that every one of my brothers was there.

"W-was I too loud?" I said while still sniffing and rubbing my eyes. "The whole house heard it," Roy said sarcastically, but Jacob shook his head. "Branch, did you hit mom?" He asked in a warm and calm tone, yet his expression was rather serious.

I quickly hid my face in the already soaked pillow and started whimpering again. "I d-didn't mean to!" Jacob rubs my head. "We know, calm down, Branch. We know all too well what you're going through... it happens to all of us." He explained, he was right about that. I wasn't as small as I once was, I couldn't be carried like I was before, and now my strength was catching up to me too.

I'd have to start being careful. Or I could hurt mom again, not just mom, I could hurt anyone, anything... it was all so daunting to think about for someone my age.

Eventually, I built up enough courage to go back to my mother, she sat in the kitchen with an ice pack against her cheek. The dark, puffy bags under her eyes made her look restless, her expression was hard to read at the time, but she looked defeated as a mother.

As soon as my mother noticed me her expression drastically changed, hiding her tired eyes, her broken expression with the same warm eyes I was familiar with. Had she always done that? I worried for her... and she noticed.

"Andy... are you feeling better now?" She asked and gently rubbed my cheek. I immediately melted into her touch, hugging her tight. "I'm sorry, Mommy... I'm sorry I hit you... I'm sorry I hurt you..."

She staggered back as I leaned on her, a habit I had yet to break, but one she didn't mind, no matter how old I got. "Oh Andy... my sweet boy... I forgive you, I did so long ago..." he sighs, her body relaxed. The familiar peace had returned between the two of us...

But from then on out, I made an effort to become more self-conscious in my actions. My brothers were a big help with that. They taught me different ways to let off my steam, and that if things ever got too bad for me that I could always just walk away. Roy said it best, what would they do? Stop me? Unlikely unless they were the same size or taller.

Things... weren't always perfect between mother and I. I did still have my moments, and that wasn't my last tantrum... that wasn't even the last time I hurt her... but that was the biggest stepping stone in my life. And I'll never forget that day.

"Thank you, Branch," the neighbor said as they closed their book and took off their glasses. "It was a pleasure to have you back here again." Just then, a little timer rang, right on the dot.

Branch looked over at the clock that was hung up to the right of him. "So this is it for today, then?" The neighbor nods. "Our next appointment will be the same time next week, as usual, i expect you here on Friday at 6 pm." They said as they got up from their chair and stepped over to the door leading to their terrace.

Dusty was playing outside while waiting for her brother to finish his weekly session. Branch smiled as he watched his sister amuse herself with not a care in the world. "How has school been for Dusty?" The neighbor asks as they push the large doors open for Branch. "She's been well, top of the class in art, actually," Branch said with pride as he pushed his way out of the small office. He called for Dusty, who looked over. Oh boy, she had mud in her hair again. Branch sighed. "I guess tonight's another bath night." The neighbor chuckles. "Does she still hate them?" They ask. "Not as much as she used to, unless I forget the rubber duckies and bubbles." Branch said with an amused smirk.

Before the two left, Dusty handed the neighbor the letter, despite her being able to go over to the neighbor whenever she pleased. She seemed to prefer writing instead, and truth be told, the neighbor loved it just as much.

#gentle giant #g/t community #giant/tiny #g/t #gt community #my ocs #oc #my characters #my oc art #gt #gt artist #giant tiny #giant #g/t art #g/t drawing #g/t ocs #g/t related #gt angst #gt art #gt writing #sfw gt #gt story #gt sfw #sfw g/t #giant oc #writing #writblr #artists on tumblr #angst #size difference

[fearfully-fiction]

Instead- Colby Brock x Reader

word count:1409

warnings: slight angst, unrequited love, a bit of fluff, like 2 curse words.

summary: you've been dating Colby since your senior year of high school, but it just so happened that someone you were closest to has hidden feelings for you. (rewrite of witches pond section of Dracula's Castle)

(gif not mine!)

You had been friends with the boys for as long as you could remember. Colby asked you out in your senior year of high school and of course, you said yes. A small yet significant detail you missed was that there was someone else who loved you too. Someone who you were immensely close to. Someone you confided in when you needed the best secret keeper you knew. Someone you told everything to, the person who introduced you to Sam and Colby. Nate Hardy. 

Now he had never told you this obviously, he was very good at hiding it. Nate was the first person you told when Colby asked you out, and to say his heart broke was an understatement. He knew his chances were gone, and it broke his heart that he was too late. But seeing the joy and excitement on your features when you told him gave him enough courage to keep it all to himself. 

Still, years later, he looked at you and felt his heart clench. He had had girlfriends, but none he loved like you. So seeing you now was something he loved but dreaded each time. 

It just so happened that you were now in Romania, with the boys about to go investigate Dracula’s Castle. Before you got to the castle you were going to find Witches Pond. 

The venture was into the forest of course, where else would it be? You were in one of Colby’s sweaters and a pair of jeans along with your favorite pair of vans. Nothing special but Nate thought you looked beautiful. 

“You know I love you guys but sometimes you make me want to hit you because of the crazy shit you do,” you said and shook your head. “But you do love us?” Sam questioned and you chuckled. “Yes, I do,” you spoke up again. Nate fell into step with you and tossed an arm around your shoulder. “But I’m your favorite right?” he asked quietly and you laughed. “Always have been,” you said and nudged his side. He smile down at you and squeezed your shoulder, and you smiled back at him. He could’ve melted at the sight of you smiling so fondly at him. 

“Do you guys really think Vlad was killed at this pond?” Nate asked and everyone turned to face you two. “I mean it’s a possibility, you know, I don’t think that everything is impossible. So, I think there’s a chance,” you shrugged. “Yeah, I mean like she said it’s not impossible to think,” Colby followed up as he fell into step with you. You carefully twisted your arm around his and tangled your fingers together. He smiled down at you and kissed your head. Nate had removed his arm from around you and walked ahead to catch up with Sam. 

Sam looked over at Nate and sighed, “I’m sorry man,” Sam told him. Nate looked over at him in confusion.” What for?” he asked. “You love her,” Sam said and Nate’s eyes widened. “No I don’t, what are you talking about?” he asked and shook his head. “It’s ok, I won’t tell anyone. I just see how much it affects you,” Sam told him and Nate sighed heavily. “Just don’t say anything,” he said quietly. “Like, I said. I won’t say anything,” Sam said and clapped a hand on his shoulder. 

“You’re nervous,” Colby said quietly. “A bit,” you said and leaned into him. He let go of your hand and placed his arm around you, you reached up to once again tangle your fingers with his. “We’ll be fine baby, we always are. Nothing will hurt you I promise,” he said and you nodded your head. “It’s not me I worry about,” you said and looked up at him. “Nothing will happen to us ok, nothing will happen to me,” He assured you. You softly nodded your head, “Ok,” you took his assurance. 

You leaned up on your toes to press a kiss on his cheek. 

“Now how about we find this pond huh?” he asked with a small smile and you once again nodded, smiling back at him. He pulled you to a halt and slightly crouched down in front of you. “What are you doing?” you laughed softly. At the sound of your laughter, the other two boys came to a stop. They turned to look at you and Colby. “Hop on, I’ll carry you,” he said and your eyes widened in surprise. “What?” you questioned. “C’mon, I’ll carry you,” he stated again. “Are you sure?” you asked. He stood up straight and turned toward you, placing his hands on your cheeks. “I’m positive,” he said and kissed your head. “Ok,” you said and shook your head with a laugh. 

He turned around again and you held onto his shoulders and jumped a bit. He easily caught you and you wrapped your legs around him, with your arms going around him as well. Colby took off down the trail and you held on tighter. You laughed loudly as he went as fast as possible, laughing with you. When he stopped you rested your head on his shoulder and giggled. 

Nate looked at you two and couldn’t help but feel his heart sink. The sound of your laughter and the sight of your smile were the most beautiful things to him. He was disappointed that it wasn’t him who would get them from you for the rest of his life. 

“You good babe?” Colby asked and you laughed breathlessly before pressing a kiss on his cheek. “I’m just fine,” you said with a bright smile. “It’s disgusting how cute you both are!” Sam called from behind you and you let out another loud laugh. “I’m taking that as a compliment!” you called back and hear him chuckle. 

You rested your head in the crook of Colby’s neck and placed a small kiss there. He squeezed your legs and hummed contentedly. Your eyes became heavier as he carried you, but you stayed awake. Keeping soft conversation with him once in a while. 

Nate couldn’t help but wish it was him who got to hold you like that. 

“How fucking far into the woods is this execution site?” you mumbled and Colby laughed. “Hey, Sam, she wants to know how fucking far into the woods this execution site is,” Colby said and looked over at him. Nate and Sam laughed. “I don’t think we have much longer,” he answered. “I’m not sure about that, we always get lost somehow,” you said and glanced over your shoulder. 

“Not always,” Nate tried to defend, and you huffed out a laugh. “Sure,” you dragged out. 

But to your surprise, you got there after a few more minutes. 

Colby set you down and you gently tugged him down to place a kiss on his lips. “Thank you, love,” you said and he placed another kiss on your lips. “Of course,” he said and smiled. 

---

The walk back seemed to go by much quicker, and then you had a three-hour drive to Bran Castle. You got into the car and sat in between Sam and Colby. About an hour into the drive you fell asleep on your boyfriend’s shoulder. “(y/n), you ok?” Nate asked after not hearing you for a while. He looked back at you and his gaze softened at the state of you. Your hair falling in front of your face and your cheek slightly squished by Colby’s shoulder. “She fell asleep a while ago,” Colby spoke softly so as to not wake you. “Right, sorry,” Nate said and turned back around. He looked in the rearview mirror and clenched his eyes shut when you sleepily reached to grab Colby’s arm and hold him closer to you as you hid your face in his shoulder. 

Colby kissed your head and let his head rest against yours. 

All Nate wanted was you, he wanted to be the one you loved. He wanted to hold you and kiss you goodnight. He wanted to tangle his fingers with yours and let you hide in his chest when you got scared. But he knew you were with Colby and he cared too much to jeopardize that. He would just have to live with the love you gave him despite it not being the love he so desperately wanted. He just couldn’t help but think what it would be like if you loved him instead. 

---

Taglist:

@jaziona92

@beautybyfire

@thefandomthings

@kippykasey

@kristin813

@katelynanna

@nyx2021

#colby brock #colby brock one shots #colby brock imagines #sam and colby imagine #sam and colby #colby brock imagine #colby brock fanfic #colby brock blurb #colby brock fluff #colby brock x reader #colby brock x y/n #colby brock x you #colby brock one shot

[justagalwhowrites]

Lavender - Ch. 40

You, Joel and Ellie get to know Jackson just in time to leave it. A continuation of Lavender Ch. 1-39 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: None really! Whole fic is smutty and violent so Minors DNI, 18+ only. No use of Y/N.

Length: 7.1k

“There’s plenty of food here,” the woman who’d asked Joel’s name before - Maria - said. “Take as much as you want.” 

Joel and Ellie were both devouring what was already in front of them but your stomach was still in knots from watching the dog go after Ellie. It was like now that you knew you all were safe, your mind was finally processing all the terror of the past few hours. 

You still instinctively sat Ellie between you and Joel. You didn’t like that you weren’t sitting with your back to something. The room was too open, you felt too exposed to fully calm down. Instead, you looked around, taking it all in.  

Tommy’s arm was draped over the back of Maria’s chair and you caught his eye, quickly gesturing between the two and raising your eyebrows. He gave you one of his cocky smiles and a little nod and you smiled, giving him a little thumbs up. 

“It’s just been a while since we had a proper meal,” Joel said, glancing at Ellie as she practically went face first into he plate. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a proper meal,” she said. “This is fucking amazing.” 

“Ellie,” you raised your eyebrows at her. “Language.” 

“But,” she protested but you just gave her a look and she sighed. “Sorry.” 

“Thank you,” you said, taking another bite yourself. Ellie was right. It was fucking delicious. You looked to Maria, who looked plenty skeptical of you. “And thank you, for bringing us here and for your hospitality…” 

“And for taking our guns and scaring the shit out of old people in the woods…” Ellie muttered. 

“Gremlin,” you looked at her, brows raised. “Come on. I know you know better than that.” 

“I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot,” Joel said, glancing at you. 

“Kinda happens when someone starts off trying to kill you,” Ellie muttered. 

“Weren’t gonna kill you,” Tommy said quickly, looking hurriedly at you and Joel. “Just have to make sure we scare off the wrong kind…”

“Like little old people in the woods?” Ellie looked skeptical. 

“Ellie,” Joel looked at her and she rolled her eyes. His eyes met your own over her head as she leaned on the table and you just shrugged. 

“Sometimes a bad reputation can be a good thing,” Tommy said, looking at her in earnest. She didn’t seem to be buying it. 

“Sometimes,” Maria said, eyeing Joel. You frowned. 

“Maybe it would be good for us to take a minute just for family,” Joel said, inching closer to Ellie but looking at Tommy. 

“Well,” he looked a little sheepish. “Maria… She is family.” 

“Oh shit!” Ellie nodded. “Congrats!” 

“Good on you, Miller,” you smiled. 

Joel just sat there, staring at his brother. 

“Joel,” Ellie hissed, jerking her head toward Tommy. 

“Oh,” he coughed. “Congrats.” 

“Why don’t we do the tour,” Maria said more than asked. 

You followed her out into the town. You hung back, falling into step next to Tommy, Ellie sticking close to you. 

“I’m amazed you got someone to actually marry you,” you teased. He laughed. 

“I know, I’m surprised too,” he stuck his hands in his back pockets, watching his wife as she led the way through the town. “She’s amazin’. You’re gonna love her, I know you are…” 

“Well you always had excellent taste in women,” you said, trying to keep a straight face for as long as you could. Tommy laughed first and you had to cover your mouth to keep from being too loud. 

“Fuck, remember that one girl who I brought to your grad party?” He asked. “God, what was her name…” 

“Ashely?” You asked. “The one who got so drunk that she jumped off the diving board and into the pool in a white sundress? No bra? That one?” 

“That’s the one,” he laughed. “Jesus, what was I thinkin’… My taste got better as I got older, though…” 

“Guys,” Ellie said, pointing her head toward Maria and Joel, who had both stopped walking and looked back at you and Tommy. 

“Sorry,” you smiled sheepishly. Tommy just gave his wife a tight lipped smile. When they turned back around, the two of you looked at each other like you’d just been caught talking in class by the teacher and tried to not start laughing again. 

It was nice, realizing that - even though it had been years since you’d seen each other - it was easy to fall back into being friends again. 

“We started out here,” Maria was saying. “It was already a gated community so we built the wall out from there. Managed to scare off most raiding parties but we find them here and there…” 

“What about infected?” Ellie asked. 

“Yeah but out here it’s fish in a barrel,” Tommy said, looking at Joel, who’d fallen back a bit. “I found a variable power scope, I can headshot those fuckers from a half mile out…” 

“Oh shit, I wanna do that!” Ellie’s face lit up. 

“Absolutely not,” you cut her off. 

“Seriously Doc,” she groaned. “What’s the point of living through the end of the world if you can’t shoot shit in the head from half a mile away?”

“I’m absolutely positive we can come up with a better reason than that,” you replied. 

“Doubt it,” she said. 

“You’ve done a good job of keeping this place off the radar,” you said, looking around as people milled around the street. 

“Took a lot of work,” Maria said. “Location is helpful but we keep our mouths shut about what we have, don’t invite people in without careful consideration, stay off the radio…” 

Tommy looked down at his boots and Joel glared at him. You gave him a look and he just squared his jaw. You tried to not sigh. Leave it to Joel and Tommy to find each other again after years apart and almost immediately start picking fights. 

“So you’re the ones who are keeping the dam running I take it?” You asked. 

“That’s us,” she said. “Took a bit but we got it working a few years back. Now we have sewage, plumbing, water heaters, lights. All the comforts of home.” 

“And no fucking FEDRA,” Ellie looked up at a power line running overhead. You nudged her and raised your eyebrows. “What!” 

“Remember how I said I was going to start cracking down on your language one of these days?” You asked. She sighed. “Well today’s that day, Gremlin. Start dealing with it now.” 

“So dumb,” she muttered. You pulled her into your side for a small hug. 

“You’ll like it,” you said. “You’ll see.” 

“So you’re in charge then?” Ellie asked Maria. 

“Well no one’s in charge but I’m on the council,” she shrugged. “Democratically elected, serving 300 people. But we share everything, all the work, everything you see in town, the greenhouses and the livestock…” 

“Collective ownership,” Tommy smiled proudly. 

“So, communism?” Joel looked at him. 

“No,” he said quickly. 

“Yes,” Maria laughed. “This is a commune. We’re communists.” 

Tommy just stood, blinking for a second. Joel looked smug. You snorted. 

“Tommy the commie,” you teased. 

“No,” he looked at you, eyes wide. “Please no…” 

“Oh yes,” you said, laughing a little. 

“C’mon, don’t make me hate you,” he groaned. “Haven’t seen you in years…” 

“Oh I’m calling you that from now on,” you smirked. “God, so many possibilities…” 

“Swear to God, Kid,” he was trying to not laugh now, too. 

“How about I take the girls to get cleaned up,” Maria said, looking between you and Tommy and frowning. “The house across from ours?” 

“Hasn’t seen any work since ’03 but it has heat,” Tommy said. 

“I’ll take heat,” you replied. 

“You two catch up,” Maria said, looking pointedly at her husband before leading the way across town. 

She showed you to a house that you’d have died for in the before times let alone now. Wooden and two stories and charming, with a front porch you could picture wrapped in Christmas lights or with a chair Joel could play guitar from. 

“Pretty fu… freakin’ nice,” Ellie said when you went inside, nodding at the furniture and decor. 

“You go shower first,” you nodded up the stairs. 

“Sure you don’t want to?” Ellie asked. “Because you’re pretty gross. Like I can smell you from over here…” 

“Thank you so much,” you laughed. “Go shower and try not to use all the hot water.” 

You watched her bound up the stairs before you dropped your pack on the floor by the couch and flopped down on it. You hadn’t sat on something soft in weeks, it felt weirdly unstable. Like it was going to swallow you. 

“Sorry,” you said, realizing Maria was still standing. She was looking you over, like she was analyzing you. “I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just been a long few months on the road.” 

“I can imagine,” she said, going and taking the arm chair opposite you. “So why’d you come?” 

You frowned. 

“What do you mean?” You asked. 

“I mean,” she said. “Did you come here for my husband?” 

“What?” You laughed. She just looked at you. “I’m sorry, I think you definitely got the wrong impression…” 

“I don’t think so,” she shook her head a little. “I’ve known Tommy about a year and a half. Heard a lot about you and a lot about Joel. I know he asked you to come out here several times. I know your history. I just need to know if he’s the reason you’re here.” 

“No,” you replied, sitting up a little straighter. “No, I’m not here for Tommy. Not that way, anyway. I was traveling with Joel in this direction. He’s here for Tommy, I’m here with Ellie.” 

“And why is she here?” She asked. 

“She’s got family with the fireflies,” you said. “Trying to get her to them. She’s a student of mine, I didn’t want to let her travel alone…” 

“So you uprooted your life to look after a student,” she sounded suspicious. 

“She needed me more than the others did,” you shrugged. “And I didn’t have much life to uproot.” 

“You can understand why I’m skeptical,” she said. “My murderer brother-in-law shows up with my husband’s ex-girlfriend in tow…” 

“Murderer…” you shook your head a little. 

“Has Joel not told you about his history?” She asked, almost smug. 

“No,” you shook your head. “That I knew. I’m just shocked that Tommy didn’t tell you his.” 

“He was following Joel’s lead,” she replied. 

“I’m not talking about before the QZ,” you replied. “I’m talking about the reason Tommy came west in the first place.” 

She frowned so you pressed on. 

“He was a Firefly,” you said. “He helped set a bomb, in the QZ. Blew up a FEDRA building, killed more than three dozen people. Almost killed me. That’s why he left town. Joel made him leave after that, because Tommy was fine with some collateral damage until it almost got me killed. 

“Now, I love Tommy. As a friend,” you added the second part quickly when you saw Maria stiffen. “And I believe he’s a good person. But he’s done some awful things. So has Joel. But that doesn’t make him a bad person. 

“As far as the ex-girlfriend thing goes,” you continued. “We broke up years before he even came out here and we broke up because I was too hung up on Joel to fully commit to anything else. We stayed friends - we’ve always been friends - but it’s not like we were madly in love with each other or something. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about from me. I’m with Joel and I can promise you that Tommy never once looked at me the way he looks at you.” 

She considered you for a moment. 

“You said you’re a doctor?” She asked, other topic set aside. You relaxed a little. 

“I am,” you said. “But from the looks of your set up, you’ve probably got one of those.” 

“We have a nurse,” she said. “A dentist and a veterinarian. No doctor. We could use one.” 

“Well,” you shrugged with a small smile. “I think I’m in the market for a job. Or I will be, once we find Ellie’s people.” 

“Speaking of Ellie,” she said. “I’m going to go run and grab you both some clean clothes. If you want to go across the street, that’s our house. It’s a bit more comfortable.” 

You took her up on it, peering around inside at what life was like when it was lived here. 

It was almost disturbing in its familiarity. Like you’d stepped into something from the day the world ended except it wasn’t frozen like everything else was. It was lived in, maintained, loved. 

There was a chalkboard over the mantle, the names Kevin and Sarah on it. Your heart clenched for a moment. 

You forgot, sometimes, that Tommy lost Sarah, too. The two of them got on like a house on fire. Joel had been so young when Sarah was born that Tommy was just a kid himself. He was regularly at the house for dinner, always happy to take her for the night when you and Joel wanted some time alone. The two of them had inside jokes and favorite movies and stories that belonged to just them. 

And, unlike Joel, he hadn’t blocked her out. He lived with the pain of the loss of her instead of hiding her away. Of course he would have something of her in his home. You just hadn’t expected it. 

“Tommy said you knew her, too,” Maria said, making you jump. She stood beside you, looking up at the board. “That you were probably the closest thing she had to a mom.” 

For some reason, that’s what made you choke up as you fidgeted with the end of one of your braids. 

“Yeah,” you said, voice wet. “Her real mom was an idiot, she was the best kid. Just… she was incredible.” 

“Not her real mom if she wasn’t there,” Maria said. She put a hand on your shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “But it sounds like she had one.” 

You wiped your eyes on your dirty sleeves. 

“Sorry,” you said. 

“Tommy also said Joel doesn’t like to talk about her,” she said. “That must be hard for you.” 

“It is,” you sniffed and laughed a little. “Fuck, it really, really is. It doesn’t feel like she was mine to lose, not really, so I have to deal with it the way he does but fuck. It’s hard.” 

You looked back up at the small memorial. 

“Was Kevin your son?” You asked quietly. She just nodded. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Thank you,” she smiled tightly and then laughed a little. “You know, as much as I love it here and I’m so thankful for everything we’ve built… sometimes I resent it. Before this I could look at the world and think ‘well at least he didn’t have to survive this. Maybe it was better.’ But now I see what he could have had and…” 

She shook her head slightly. 

“Anyway,” she said. “I set some clothes out for you in the master bedroom across the way. I’ll have to go run and get you and Ellie some coats yet, I’m guessing you could use some new ones?” 

“Yeah,” you laughed a little. “These have been through a lot.” 

“I’ll be back,” she said. 

Ellie beat her over to the house, looking around cautiously, her hair down for a change. 

“Look at you!” You said. “All shiny and clean…” 

“Swear I had to scrape off an inch of dirt and shit,” she said. 

“Oh perfect,” you replied. “Sounds like I should give you a hug then, can’t have you be too clean…” 

“Oh ew!” She smiled a little, putting her hands up defensively. “Please don’t put your gross body all over me!” 

“Fine,” you sighed. “Since you asked so nicely….” She flopped on the couch. “How are you doing?” 

“Fine,” she shrugged. 

“You sure?” You asked, sitting on the edge of the couch beside her, trying to keep your dirty clothes from touching as much of the furniture as you could “Because you didn’t seem very OK earlier.” 

She shrugged. 

“Ellie.” 

“I just don’t have someone here,” she said. “You guys have Tommy, you all go way back. You’re family…” 

“Family can grow,” you shrugged. “That’s one of the cool things about it.” 

“I guess,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her stomach. 

“I’m going to go shower,” you said. “Will you be OK here on your own until Maria gets back?” 

“Don’t think I’m going to get eaten by infected,” she replied. 

“You know where to find me if you do,” you said. 

She laughed once and you left her alone with her thoughts. 

*** 

“Can’t believe how long it’s been,” Tommy said, swirling whiskey in a glass. Joel nodded, taking a sip from his own cup and raising his eyebrows in surprise. “Right? The fuck were we drinkin’ in the QZ?” 

“Shit,” Joel smiled a little. 

“Got that right,” Tommy laughed once. 

There was a bar here. A real live bar, one that reminded him of country bars he went to back in Texas, not one that reminded him of the shitty speakeasy that everyone in the QZ made do with. 

“Seems like you’ve got it made here,” Joel said, looking around. “Didn’t do too bad.” 

“Don’t I know it,” Tommy leaned on the bar, looking at him. “So you and Doc, huh?” 

“Yeah,” Joel said, glancing at him before taking another sip. “Me ’n Doc.” 

“Good for you,” Tommy said. Joel wondered if he meant it. “Surprised you’d haul her all the way out here, though… With a kid, too?” 

“Wasn’t by choice,” Joel said roughly. “Kid’s a job. Some Firefly family or something, I’m bringing her out to them. Doc’s her teacher. Was her teacher. Didn’t want her goin’ with just me.” 

“And you’re, what,” Tommy asked. “Just doin’ this to be a nice guy? Favor to Doc?” 

“There’s payment,” Joel shrugged. Tommy laughed darkly. 

“Course there is.” 

Joel’s jaw tightened for a moment. 

“Know where the Fireflies around here are?” He asked. “Hit some snags getting out of Boston. All I knew was west. Figured I’d find you, go from there.” 

“There’s a base at the University of Eastern Colorado,” Tommy said. “Bout a week out but it’s a fucked week, Joel. You don’t want to be goin’ that way…” 

“You come along and it’ll be easy,” Joel shrugged. “Get you some target practice, like hell you can hit an infected from half a mile out…” 

“I can’t go, Joel.” 

Joel’s jaw tensed again and he took another drink. 

“Your wife got you under her thumb already?” He asked. Tommy just glared at him. “She’s the one who kept you from getting a message to me, isn’t she? Just a goodbye would have fuckin’ done it, somethin’ to let me know you hadn’t fuckin’ dropped dead, gotten picked up by raiders, somethin’…”

“You’re the one who wanted me out of the QZ to begin with. And there are rules that come with being here, Joel,” he sighed. “There have to be or here wouldn’t fuckin’ exist…” 

“Rules that keep out the wrong kind, right?” Joel snapped. “People like me?” He could feel it, the heat of anger but also shame. He knew he’d done terrible things. Things he was far from proud of. But he’d never try to keep Tommy out of a place like this. 

“Look,” Tommy sighed. “I don’t judge you for what you did…” 

“That’s fuckin’ good since you did those things too,” Joel snapped. 

“Not things,” Tommy said. “People. We killed people who didn’t deserve it, Joel…” 

“Fuckin’ rich comin’ from you,” Joel snapped. “Blowin’ up a fuckin’ building, almost takin’ her out with it…” 

“And I have to live with that for the rest of my life,” Tommy cut him off. 

“Do you know what we went through to find you?” Joel snapped, putting his glass down with too much force.

“I’m gonna be a dad,” Tommy said quickly. Joel’s eyes went wide for a moment. “Maria’s a few months along… I’ve always wanted to be a dad. I think I’ll make a good one.” 

“We’ll see,” Joel said. 

“What, no ‘congratulations’?” Tommy asked bluntly. “No ‘I’m happy for you,’ nothing?” 

“I’ll be happy for you when you can prove that you’ll be there for your fuckin’ kid,” Joel snapped. 

“You think I wasn’t there for your kid?” Tommy asked. Joel stiffened. 

“Don’t,” he growled. 

“Don’t pretend like I didn’t help raise Sarah,” Tommy took another drink. “Don’t act like…” 

“Fuck you, Tommy,” Joel snapped. “We’ll get out of here first thing tomorrow.” 

He stalked out of the bar, the street filled with people, gathered around a Christmas tree. A fucking Christmas tree. Hadn’t seen shit like that in decades. 

The last Christmas he remembered as being fucking Christmas had been with you and Sarah. You’d flown down for it. They’d saved you some ornaments to hang on the tree so you got to decorate. Sarah had been obsessed with gel pens that year and you’d gotten her a set of pens and special paper that supposedly made them pop more. Joel had gotten her a new Walkman and some CDs. She’d been thrilled. 

She’d have loved it here… 

His chest got tight again, making it hard to breathe. He found something to help him stay standing, tried to be out of the way, make sure he wasn’t vulnerable to threats. Not that he needed to worry about threats in a place like this but the instinct was strong and he tried to remember what you did to help him through it and he felt like he was fucking dying… 

He couldn’t take you and Ellie south like this. He couldn’t do it. One moment like this at the wrong time and he’d get you killed, he’d get you all killed. 

He walked around town for a bit once he managed to calm back down, just looking at the place, trying to get his mind right. He couldn’t take you. He’d fail you and he’d fail her and you’d be the ones paying for it, paying for all the ways he found to fuck up and keep fucking up. 

He eventually made it to some gathering place in town, one where it seemed people were concentrating. He ducked in, looking for you. 

Joel found you quickly. You were wearing different clothes, your jeans fitting you almost disturbingly well for jeans that hadn’t been yours until this afternoon. Fuck you looked good, your hair loose, laughing with Tommy. Tommy, his fucking brother who’d been in your bed when Joel couldn’t get his shit together for it. You grabbed his shoulder, laughing so hard at something you were almost falling over with it, Tommy laughing too. His stomach knotted. He didn’t want to fucking look at this anymore. 

He found an empty store front not far away and paced. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t fucking do this. Couldn’t take you and Ellie out into the wild to get you killed, put you in a position where you had to stab another man, where Ellie had to shoot another man, where… 

“Been lookin’ for you,” Tommy’s voice snapped him out of his own head. He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking at the ground. “I’m… I’m sorry. About before. I know… I know how you feel…” 

“I’m sorry, too,” Joel said, looking at him. Tommy nodded for a moment. 

Joel crossed his arms, looking past him to the Christmas lights outside. 

“This trip,” he said. “Down to the university. It a suicide mission?” 

“No,” Tommy frowned. “Everyone we’ve sent down’s come back.” 

Joel nodded slowly. 

“What is this?” Tommy asked. “Why do you need to get them down there? She’s on Doc like fuckin’ glue, forget her family, just stay here…” 

“She’s immune,” Joel looked at him. Tommy just stared at him. “Ellie. She’s immune. She got infected, didn’t get sick. She got bit before we even left Boston, saw her get bit a second time. It’s been months, Tommy. Months. She’s not turning…” 

“How the fuck did you end up with an immune kid?” He sank onto the chair beside him. 

“Fuckin’ Marlene,” Joel laughed once, darkly. “She hired me and Tess to get Doc and Ellie to some Fireflies in Boston but it went to shit, the whole thing went to shit. The Fireflies were all dead, Tess… Tess got bit. Doc was bound and fuckin’ determined to get her here, said she’d do it herself and I couldn’t… she’d have gotten them both killed, I had to go but…” 

Joel tried to swallow past the tightness in his throat. 

“Tommy… all I’ve done is fail them,” he could feel the tears coming and he couldn’t bring himself to care. “I was too slow and too deaf and too fuckin’ stupid in Kansas City. Ellie had to shoot some kid who was tryin’ to kill me there. Doc killed a man I let get to her there… all the years I spent tryin’ to protect her, to keep her from havin’ to do shit like that and I couldn’t even do that much anymore. 

“Then today, with the dog, I… I froze,” he was crying now, couldn’t make himself stop. “All I could think of was ways to get them both killed and so I just stood there thinking it was going to destroy her and I couldn’t do anything about it. I’m having panic attacks now, Tommy. She has to pull me back from ‘em but the whole time it feels like I’m dyin’ and I can’t do anything, there could be an infected right in front me, right there rippin’ them apart and I couldn’t do a damn thing for ‘em….” 

“Joel,” Tommy said softly. 

“I can’t get them killed, Tommy,” he was pleading with him, ready to beg if he had to. “I can’t live with that, you know I can’t survive that. I can’t lose them, I can’t, I can’t fail that way, not again. It’ll kill me, it’ll fuckin’ kill me…” 

“What are you asking me to do, Joel?” 

“I’m askin’ you to take ‘em,” he said. The second he said it, it was like a weight was lifted. “Please. You’re young, your healthy, you’ll make it back, you’ll bring them back, it has to be you…” 

“Joel,” he said again, starting to shake his head. 

“Think about what it means,” he said, voice thick and wet. “What Ellie means for your kid. What they could have if we can just get Ellie and Doc that far….” 

He sighed. 

“You can’t tell anyone,” Joel said. “Not even Maria, it’s too big a risk. Anyone sees the bites on her, knows what she is, they’ll kill her. Tommy, I’m begging you. I will never ask you for another thing, never. Just protect them, get them there…” 

“I’ll take them,” Tommy said, his eyes finally meeting Joel’s. “I’ll take them.” 

Joel walked slowly back to the house, looking up at the stars. Stars that Ellie wanted to visit. He laughed at that. It was a big dream for a kid before. Now? But it suited her. Impossible girl with impossible immunity wanting to do impossible things.

The house was quiet when he got there, a light on upstairs. He frowned and followed it. He thought the two of you would still be with the rest of the town… 

Ellie was there, sitting in the window box, reading a diary. Sarah’d had one like that once. She locked it religiously. Joel always had to fight the temptation to read it but he never did. 

“So this is what life was like before?” She asked, not looking up from the pages. “Worrying about stupid shit like clothes and boys?” 

He shoved his hands in his pockets. 

“Look…” 

“You know,” she closed the diary and looked at him. “I thought you might ditch me. I didn’t think you’d try to ditch her…” 

Joel frowned. 

“What’d you hear?” 

“Heard you begging to not be the one to go with us,” she stuck her chin out, defiant. “Didn’t think we were quite that shitty to be around…” 

“It’s for your own good,” Joel said. 

“Bullshit,” she snapped. 

“No,” Joel snapped back. “No, it ain’t. Tommy is younger than me, he knows the region…” 

“So you just don’t give a shit about me,” she said.

“Of course I do,” the weight was coming back to Joel’s chest. This isn’t what he wanted, either. He didn’t want her to think he didn’t care… 

“I’m not Sarah,” she said. 

He froze, staring at her as she stepped closer to him. 

“Who…” 

“Maria told me,” she said. “And I’m really sorry about your daughter, losing someone… It’s hard, I understand…” 

“You don’t understand a goddamn thing,” he snapped, his hands clenching into fists, digging his nails into his palm. The anger - at himself for putting her in this position to begin with, at her for even dreaming that she understood what this would be like - built in him. “You have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about…” 

“I’ve lost fucking everyone!” She yelled. “Everyone! Everyone who ever was there for me because they chose it, because they loved me? They’re all fucking gone! Everybody fucking except for you!” 

She threw her small body against his chest and he absorbed the blow. He almost wished it hurt. Physical pain would be good, right now. 

“Don’t act like someone I don’t know is going to be better because they’re not!” She looked so hurt, so scared it made his heart ache. “I’d just be scared the whole fucking time because they’re not you! You got us this far, Joel! Don’t…” 

“You’re right,” he cut her off. “You’re not my daughter. And I sure as hell ain’t your dad. And Tommy is takin’ you in the morning.” 

He turned to leave before she made him wish he was going with you both even more, wanting some distance, wanting… something. He wasn’t sure what. 

What he got was you, standing in the hall, staring at him. 

“I can’t believe you,” you breathed. “I can’t fucking believe you.” 

***

You’d been so absorbed in talking with Tommy and Maria at the back of the community hall that you hadn’t noticed Ellie get up and leave, Tommy leaving for a while himself to look for Joel. You didn’t notice she was gone until the end of the movie, when you went to find her to go back to the house. 

“She said she was going home,” the kid sitting next to her shrugged. 

You must have looked as worried as you felt because Maria put a kind hand on your shoulder. 

“She’s perfectly safe here,” she assured you. “I’m sure she’s fine.” 

“Right,” you nodded. “You’re right. I’m just not used to being away from her is all. It’s weird.” 

“I’m sure it is,” Maria said. “You’ve been through a lot out there…” 

“It’s not that bad outside,” Tommy said, his hands in his pockets. You frowned at him. “I mean, for a little while…” 

“Sure,” Maria laughed. “That’s why we live here, because out there is just fine…” 

The walk back was pleasant, the three of you casually strolling. You liked Maria, you learned. She warmed up to you quite a bit after your first conversation, apparently now convinced that you weren’t there to take her husband away. 

She was clearly very smart, excited about becoming a mom. She told you she’d been a district attorney before and you laughed. 

“Those Miller men,” you shook your head. “They aim high.” 

“Do they ever,” she laughed back. 

Tommy was absolutely crazy about her. The two of you found a few minutes to catch up without anyone else there, Tommy perched on the fence around the horse paddock. You climbed up beside him. 

You caught up on life a little bit. You told him you knew about the bomb in the QZ. He winced at that. 

“Yeah, that’s one of those things I regret most,” he shook his head. “At the time, I justified it. Thought some death was worth the cost in a war. I should have figured it out at the time that the answer to FEDRA’s shit wasn’t killing random people. I wish I’d never done it. But I can’t change it, you know? I just have to try to live with it.” 

You nodded slowly. 

“Sorry I damn near got you killed,” he elbowed you playfully. 

“Gee thanks,” you laughed, watching as a horse trotted around the pen. 

“Hey, um,” he looked at you. “I hope this ain’t weird but… I wanted to tell you that I get it now.” 

“Get what?” You frowned. 

“What you said about Joel before,” he said. “How you didn’t think you could ever love anyone else? Didn’t make a damn bit of sense to me then. I get it now. I don’t think I could love someone else if I tried for fuckin’ years, not like I love her and…” 

“Good,” you smiled at him when he faded off. “That’s how it’s supposed to work. I’m happy for you.” 

“I’m happy for you, too,” he smiled back. “You two were always great together. Now we just have to keep him from being a fucking dumbass again…” 

You laughed a little at that. 

It was nice to be somewhere that felt like you could have friends again. 

“Oh, here’s one!” You said as the three of you got close to your houses. “Tommy loved Pretty Pretty Princess…” 

“I did not,” He cut you off. “Absolutely not…” 

“So when Sarah was 10 she was still in her princess phase for a chunk of that year,” you said. “And Uncle Tommy here was the best opponent in Pretty Pretty Princess…” 

“Nope,” he tried to talk over you but you ignored him. 

“He’d wear the crown…” He tried to cover your mouth but you dodged it. “And the clip on earrings…” 

“So what I’m hearing you say is keep an eye out for Pretty Pretty Princess,” Maria smiled. 

“Yes,” you smiled. “Exactly.” 

You heard raised voices from the second story of the house where you were staying. You frowned. 

“Should probably go check on that,” Tommy said, eyebrows drawn together. 

You frowned. 

“What do you know?” You asked. Maria frowned, too. 

“Better for you to talk to Joel,” he said. “Maria…” 

She gave you a look before following her husband inside. 

You went inside your house, heading upstairs, Joel and Ellie clearly mad about something. You couldn’t make out what they were saying until you were on the second floor. 

“Don’t act like someone I don’t know is going to be better because they’re not!” Ellie yelled. “I’d just be scared the whole fucking time because they’re not you! You got us this far, Joel! Don’t…” 

“You’re right,” he cut her off. “You’re not my daughter. And I sure as hell ain’t your dad. And Tommy is takin’ you in the morning.” 

He was leaving you. 

He promised he’d never leave and he was leaving you. 

There was a knot in your throat when he opened the door to Ellie’s room. He froze when he saw you there.

“I can’t believe you,” you breathed. “I can’t fucking believe you.” 

You took off down the stairs before he had a chance to argue. 

“Baby,” he called after you. You ignored him, beelining for the back door of the house. He caught up with you quickly. “Just… wait…” 

“Why?” You snapped. “So you can tell me how you’re going to leave me again? Just like you promised you’d never do…” 

“Not leavin’ you,” he shook his head, his eyes wide and pleading. “Baby, never leaving you…” 

“Really?” You said. “Because it sure sounds like you are!” 

“Stay with me,” he said. You laughed once. 

“You’re fucking kidding me,” you shook your head. 

“Baby…” 

“You’re serious,” you walked to the edge of the yard and put your hands on your hips, staring up at the sky for a moment. before you stalked back. “I’m not leaving that girl, Joel. I’m not.” 

“What if the Fireflies decide they’re not lettin’ you go?” He asked. “What then?” 

“What if they decide that with Ellie and I’m not there?” You snapped. “What if they don’t do their jobs right and put her at risk? What then?” 

“I don’t…” 

“I’m going with her,” you said. “Do not try to talk me out of it, Joel, or I swear to God…” 

“Are you goin’ because Tommy’s takin’ you?” He demanded. 

“What?” You gaped at him. “What the fuck does that mean?” 

“Means you were with him,” he said. “Fucked him…” 

“Oh, fuck you,” you snapped, getting in his face. “You don’t get to use what I was doing eight years ago to deal with the fact that you hated me against me, especially not when you spent that whole time with someone else…” 

“Sure seemed to be havin’ fun with ‘em today,” his voice was getting heated. 

“Yeah,” you shook your head. “Because he’s my fucking friend, Joel. Maybe you should find one you’re not sleeping with or related to, find out what it’s like. Do that while you’re leaving me fucking again…” 

“I’m not leaving you,” he grabbed you, almost roughly, one hand on your arm, the other at the back of your neck, his fingers tangling in your hair. He pulled you against his body, holding you tightly to him. “I’ll be here, waitin’ for you to come back. I’ll just get you killed out there, Baby, I’ll just get you hurt or killed and…” 

“Call it whatever you want, Joel,” you snapped, going back towards the house. “I’m going.” 

You took the stairs faster than you should have, your toes almost catching on two steps. You knocked once on Ellie’s door. 

“Fuck off, Joel,” she sniffed. 

“It’s me.” 

She didn’t say anything so you just let yourself in. She was curled up in a small ball on the bed, the room dark. 

“You here to ditch me, too?” She sniffed. 

“No,” you said, pulling off your jacket and stepping out of your boots. “Scoot over.” 

She obliged and you crawled into bed beside her, curling your body around hers. She snuggled back into you. 

“I can’t believe he just doesn’t give a shit,” she sniffed. “I really thought…” 

“He cares,” you said, holding her close. “He’s just… bad at showing it sometimes.” 

She sniffed and nodded. You stroked her hair gently and you were about to fall asleep when she spoke again. 

“Your friend from college,” she said quietly. “The one with the daughter who you took to the Space Center and to ride rollercoasters… That was Joel, wasn’t it.” 

“Yeah,” you said softly. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She shifted to look over her shoulder at you. 

“Because she wasn’t mine to share with you,” you said quietly. “But I wanted to.” 

She was quiet again for a bit. 

“You’re not leaving me?” She asked, voice groggy. 

“Never,” you said. 

“Not just because you have to?” She asked. 

“Never had to,” you kissed the crown of her head. “Just love you.” 

She pressed back into you more and fell asleep, her small body warm on yours. 

You didn’t get much sleep yourself, too busy worrying about Joel. He wasn’t going to do well while you and Ellie were gone, you could feel it. And with Tommy gone, too, he’d have no one. In a new place, trying to fall into a new way of life. It was going to be a disaster. 

You got up before Ellie, making sure your bag was good to go. You set aside most of the medications, leaving them behind for the town, taking only your birth control, a small supply of antibiotics plus the euth kits, just in case. You got Ellie’s bag as packed as you could before you woke her. Her eyes were still wet. 

“Come on, Gremlin,” you said, brushing her hair back. “We’ll be OK.” 

You peered into the master bedroom on your way downstairs to meet Tommy but it was empty, bed not slept in.

Tommy knocked softly on the front door and you opened it wordlessly, the three of you making your way in silence to the stables. You were trying to remember a pun you didn’t think Ellie had said yet when you almost walked into Joel as he paced. 

“The fuck are you doing here?” Ellie glared defiantly up at him. 

“I came to say goodbye,” he said, looking between the two of you. 

“Bye,” Ellie snapped, ducking around him. 

“Wait,” he said. She obeyed, turning to face him. He looked between you, Ellie and Tommy for a moment. “I… I still think Tommy is the safest option but… If you both want me to take you…” 

“Doesn’t matter if he’s safer,” Ellie said. “Right Doc?” 

“She’s right,” you smiled a little. “It doesn’t. Sorry, Tommy.” 

“’S alright,” he smiled a little, too. 

“There are some ground rules,” Joel said. 

“Of course there are,” Ellie rolled her eyes and looked at you, almost saying ‘can you believe this guy?’ 

“Somethin’ happens, I freeze or…” he trailed off. “You leave me and get the fuck out, understand?” 

“Joel,” you frowned. “We’re not…” 

“That’s the deal,” he said. “I’m gettin’ you two back alive. That’s the only way we’re doin’ this. That’s the rule. If I’m going to hold you back or get you hurt, you leave me. Understood?” 

“Whatever you say old man,” Ellie handed him her backpack. “Let’s go, we’ve got ground to cover.” 

Joel turned to you, his face soft and open. 

“Baby…” he said. “I’m so sorry…” 

“It’s OK,” you reached up and cupped his cheek, scratching through his graying beard gently. “I get it, it’s OK.” 

He kissed the inside of your wrist. 

Ellie wanted to start the ride with Joel and you didn’t blame her, Tommy joining the three of you on the first part of the trip out of town. 

“Just go southeast,” Tommy said. “You’ll hit 25. It’s right off the interstate, can’t miss it.” 

Joel just nodded. You smiled at him. 

“It was good to see you again, Tommy,” you said. 

“You too,” he smiled back. “Take care of yourselves, OK? There’s a house waitin’ here for you when you’re back. If you want it.” 

Joel looked over at you and smiled a little. 

“We’re countin’ on it.” 

A/N: And they're on the road! I think we all know what's on the way next...

I have a taglist! If you'd like to be added, please comment below.

I really can't believe how close we are to the end of this story like what?? It's been a crazy ride so far, thank you all so much for going on this adventure with me. This story has been amazing to share because of all of you, so thank you for all of it. Love you!

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#joel miller x female reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #fanfic

[storiesforallfandoms]

pool side ~ steve harrington;stranger things

word count: 3220

request?: no

description: in which their innocent conversation by the pool quickly turns into something a little dirtier

pairing: steve harrington x wheeler!female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut (oral (f receiving), i guess technically public sex?)

masterlist (one, two)

Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t hate Steve Harrington.

I mean, I didn’t know him well enough to hate him. We didn’t run in the same friend group. I was a math nerd - high grades in the subject, champion of basically every decathlon in the last four years, would be leader of the team if I really wanted it - and Steve was...well...he was Steve. Big, popular Steve. Everyone loved and admired Steve.

Everyone including my twin sister.

Nancy was head over heels for Steve from the moment he gave her even the smallest sliver of attention. He would call her all the time, sneak into her bedroom at night, distract her from her studies and make her late for class, or miss it all together.

Maybe that’s where the rumor that I hated him came from. I was trying to talk some sense into Nancy after she came home past curfew wearing Steve’s hoodie and noticeably missing her clothes from when she left. Well, noticeably for me. Sometimes our parents can be blissfully ignorant, or too trusting of Nancy, Mike, and I.

“You don’t even know him,” she argued when I told her Steve was making her act differently. “Maybe you’d like him if you got to know him.”

“I’d like him a lot more if he wasn’t getting you in trouble all the time,” I muttered in response.

Within a week the whole school thought I hated Steve, including Steve himself. But that wasn’t the case. Quite the opposite, actually. Like everyone, I liked Steve. I liked him as much as my sister did, if you know what I mean.

Why else would I go to a party at his place without Nancy? I wasn’t a party person, and none of the other attendees wanted me there I’m sure, but Steve invited the entire grade, and I decided to go.

But, again, I’m not a party person, so instead of being inside with my “peers” listening to the too loud music and drinking lukewarm beer, I was sat in a chair next to the Harrington’s pool, just watching the still water.

The muffled music increased for a split second as the backdoor opened and shut again. I looked over my shoulder to see Steve standing at the door.

“Shouldn’t you be studying your math textbook?” he asked, a half smirk on his face.

“Shouldn’t you be trying to get in my sister’s pants?” I retorted.

He chuckled. “You got me there.”

He walked over to the chair next to me and sat down. He offered me a beer and I took it, although I had no intentions of drinking it.

“I’m kind of surprised to see you here,” he said. “Doesn’t seem like your scene.”

“It’s not.”

“Then why are you here?”

I looked down at the beer and decided maybe I would drink it. Anything to get out of answering that question.

The liquid was heavy and made my mouth feel dry, as if I wasn’t drinking. I had only drank beer once before and it definitely did not taste good at all. I wasn’t sure why basically every guy liked to drink this shit whenever there was a party or something. It seemed like the worst way to get drunk.

“Why are you out here?” I asked him. “Come to make fun of the loser all alone at the party?”

Steve put a hand over his chest. “You wound me. Maybe I saw you out here and wanted to keep you company.”

I scoffed. “Yeah, sure.”

Okay, maybe my attitude added fuel to the rumors about my feelings towards Steve, but it was hard not to have a shield up around him. My crush on him aside, Steve was also surrounded by assholes. His friends were probably the worst people in all of Hawkins. I had no idea how Nancy, who was a very gentle and caring person (so I thought), ever put up with them, no matter how much she liked Steve.

“I’m serious, (Y/N). There’s no ulterior motives here. I saw you out here alone and I wanted to come keep you company. No one even knows I left.”

“Oh. Well...thanks.”

Silence washed over us. Steve sat back in the chair, kicking his legs up and tipping his can back against his lips. He chugged the contents down within seconds before discarding the empty can onto the lawn next to him.

“Impressive,” I said.

“Thanks.”

I sighed, sick of the awkward tension in the air. “I don’t hate you, you know.”

Steve seemed amused by my confession. “Really? You could’ve fooled me.”

“I’m pretty sure Nancy is the one who started that rumor. I just sort of played into it after a while. But I don’t hate you. Your friends are another story.”

“Yeah, well you’re right to hate them. They’re assholes. I have no idea why I was ever friends with them in the first place.”

I was taken back by the confession. “Whoa. When did that happen? Last I checked they were still following you like lost puppies.”

Steve was silent again. I wondered if he was regretting telling me so much. Maybe he was about to storm off, leaving me there more confused than ever. I wouldn’t blame him. It wasn’t like we were close or anything. Nancy didn’t even bring him around to meet the family (which technically was a good idea considering how our mother acted sometimes).

Instead, he let out a sigh that blew the piece of his hair that was dangling in his face a little.

“Since you confessed something to me, I’m gonna confess something to you in return,” he said. “Your sister dumped me.”

Now that was a very surprising confession. I was shocked that I was hearing this news from Steve and not from Nancy. We usually told each other everything. I figured a break up with Steve, especially one that she initiated, would’ve been big news that she would’ve told me right away.

Steve looked up at my face. “Judging by that expression, she didn’t tell you that.”

I shook my head, still too stunned to speak.

“Yeah, I don’t blame her. I was a bit of a jerk towards her so she ended things. She’s been hanging out with Byers a lot lately, so I’m guessing there’s something there or there will be soon. She deserves him if he’s what makes her happy.” He shrugged. “Still sucks, though.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said. And I genuinely meant it. As much as I disliked the way Nancy was with him, it seemed like he was quite upset over the break up.

“It’s fine. Like I said, I was a jerk and I deserved it.”

“Doesn’t explain what’s going on with your jerk friends, though.”

“I’m getting there. Have some patience.” He smiled a little at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “They were being assholes towards Nancy. They made fun of Byers, called her names, then turned to insult me when I tried sticking up for them. I said enough was enough. I didn’t want to deal with that anymore.”

“Good for you, though. You deserve better friends than them.”

“Yeah I guess I do. Should’ve realized that when I caught Tommy going down on Carole in my parents bedroom.”

I made a face that Steve caught for a split second. He started to laugh a little at my expression before asking, “What? Don’t like to hear about sex?”

“Sex is fine I guess. It’s the oral that has me kind of cringing.”

“Wait.” Steve sat up, his face suddenly becoming serious. “You’ve never received oral before?”

I could feel my face burning and I quickly turned away from him. “Oh my God, I’m not talking about this with you.”

“You totally haven’t. What type of dudes have you been dating that they haven’t given you that pleasure before?”

I wrapped my arms around myself, almost like I was trying to shield myself from him. I wished I could just melt into a puddle and disappear into the pool in front of us. I really did not want to talk about my embarrassing sex life with Steve “The Hair” Harrington.

Of course I had been in relationships before. Had lost my virginity the year prior. It wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it felt good at the time. But that was the first and last time I had ever had sex, and I certainly hadn’t done anything more than regular sex. Definitely had not explored the world of cunnilingus. The same guy I lost my virginity to said it was gross and I wouldn’t like it, and, since I was inexperienced, I took his word for it.

I had been so determined to not look at Steve that I hadn’t even noticed he had gotten up from his chair and came to kneel in front of mine. His fingers gently touched my chin. The brief touch sent electricity coursing through my body. I wondered if he felt it too.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” he told me. “I’m just saying it feels really, really good. Or it does for a guy anyways. I’ve only ever done it to a girl once and she told me it was better than sex.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that erupted from my mouth. “That’s not a hard thing to top for me. I’ve only had sex once and it wasn’t the best.”

Steve looked so shocked that you would’ve thought I had just told him some insane, life altering secret. “Okay, whichever guy you were with to make you think this way seriously needs to get his shit together. Sex is amazing when you’re doing it with the right person, and getting head feels just as good.”

He was so close to me. Closer than he’s ever been. I shouldn’t want to jump his bones considering he’s now my sister’s ex-boyfriend and there has to be some rules against that, but I wanted to so badly. I wanted to kiss his face, run my hands through his hair, feel his body on mine. I wanted him to show me how good sex could feel.

“I could show you.”

I blanched at his comment. “W-What?”

“The oral part. I could show you how good it feels. If you want to, that is.”

“Like...like right here?”

A cheeky smile spread across his face. “Yeah. Why not?”

“Well, for one, your house is full of people right now. What if someone sees us?”

“All they’ll see is you laying back in the lawn chair. They’re positioned in a way that you can’t see anything else unless you’re upstairs, and everyone knows upstairs is a no go area.” His hands were on my thighs. They felt so warm. I wanted them in other places. “We don’t have to. This is totally up to you, but I feel like you should be shown what you’re missing.”

I glanced back at the house to make sure there was no one looking out through one of the windows. It was a bad idea, but I allowed myself to lay back on the chair with Steve still knelt between my legs. His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Is it okay if I take these off?” he asked, reaching for the buttons on my pants.

My words caught in my throat, so all I could do was nod. He unbuttoned them slowly, looking up at me every so often as if making sure I was still okay with what he was doing. Once he had them undone, he reached up for the waistband.

“Up,” he instructed. I lifted my hips and he pulled off my shorts and my panties in one movement. The cool air hit my bare lower half and I shivered a little. Steve pulled me down so I was sat right on the edge of the chair. “Open your legs for me, sweetheart.”

I did as he asked and allowed my legs to fall open.

He was cautious at first, leaning forward slowly, still watching me for any signs of hesitation or changing my mind. I could feel his breath against my core and it sent more shivers through me.

I gasped when his tongue finally collided with my clit, licking a long, slow stripe through my sensitive area. He paused, looking up at me still. God, I could get used to seeing that look in his eyes - one of lust but also one of admiration. Like I was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Even if he was just looking like that because I was letting him do naughty things to me.

“Keep going,” I managed to stutter out.

He smiled before diving back into me. One of my hands flew to his hair while the other gripped the chair beneath me as his pace picked up. He continued to mercilessly lap at my clit, each press of his tongue against the bundle of nerves sending jolts of pleasure through me.

I felt bad for how much I was messing with Steve’s hair, but I couldn’t help myself. It felt like I had no control over my own body anymore. I was fisting locks of his soft hair in my hand and my back was arching off of the chair. Steve kept having to reach up and push my hips back down, but he didn’t seem too bothered by the reaction. He looked amused, actually.

When his tongue went lower and dived into my folds, I let out a loud moan. I quickly clapped a hand over my mouth and looked down at Steve, who still had his face buried in my pussy. I could see the amusement in his eyes as he chuckled, the vibrations adding an extra form of pleasure

He continued to lick through my folds, his tongue just about entering my pussy every time he went lower on me. His hands held onto my thighs, his fingertips pressing into them. I moaned into my hand, trying to muffle the noises but it was no use. I was being louder than I intended, but I had to admit that Steve was right: oral felt incredible.

I could feel a sensation building in my stomach, and I knew it meant I was approaching my high.

“Oh God,” I breathed. “I’m gonna...I’m gonna...”

“Cum in my mouth, beautiful,” he coaxed. “I wanna taste you.”

His words were enough to send me over the edge. I let out a cry of pleasure, officially no longer caring if anyone heard us, as my orgasm ripped through me. Steve continued to lick my entrance, lapping up my juices as much as he could.

When he pulled away I had to bite back a whimper. I already wished to feel him licking me again, or maybe to feel more of him.

He got up to hover over me. His mouth and chin were glistening with my slick. I was surprised at how much that turned me on. He pressed himself against me and I could feel him poking through his jeans. He started to lower his face down to mine and my heart raced with anticipation. He stopped just before out lips touched.

“Wait,” he said, bringing his arm to his face and quickly wiping me off of his mouth and chin. “There.”

And when Steve closed the gap between us, I felt like I was in heaven. It was the moment I had been waiting for since the moment I laid my eyes on him. Of course, I never imagined it would happen just after he gave me the most intense orgasm of my life, but that fact just felt like an added plus.

He grounded his pelvis against mine, building friction between us. I was more than willing to let him take me right here in the lawn chair outside of his house, until a thought crossed my mind.

I pushed him away and he looked down at me, confused. “I can’t...Nancy...”

“She dumped me, (Y/N). I don’t think she’d have a problem with it.”

“No, I mean I can’t sleep with the guy who took Nancy’s virginity. Even if she ended it, that’s so wrong.”

“We never slept together.”

It was my turn to look at him in confusion. “What? But that night she was over late...she came home and she was wearing different clothes...”

“I pushed her into the pool. She came up to my room so I could give her dry clothes. We made out a little bit, but she stopped before we could go any further. She said she didn’t feel ready, and I respected that. She broke up with me before we could ever go any further.”

Well, that felt like a relief.

But still, now that I was coming down from my high and thinking a little more clearly, I didn’t want to have sex with Steve where anyone could possibly catch us.

“I’d still rather not do it out here,” I told him. “Is...is that okay?”

He smiled a little. “Of course that’s okay. I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to do. We can try again sometime when it’s more private and with less people in my house.”

“You...you still want to have sex with me...after tonight?”

“I do. This wasn’t a one time thing for me. That is, if you don’t want it to be a one time thing.”

I shook my head quickly. He chuckled and cupped my chin again. “Well then, it’s decided. I would very much like to make you a believer in how good sex can be.”

His lips pressed against mine again. When he pulled away I felt dizzy with happiness. I truly could not believe the events of this night had happened at all. I was still convinced I had dreamt it all.

“Do you have to go home tonight?” he asked. “I know your parents can be strict with curfews.”

I deflated at the question. “Yeah. Mom wants me home by 10.”

“Do you have a ride home?”

I shook my head. Despite the distance, I had decided to walk to Steve’s place. None of my friends who could drive wanted to go to his party, and I wasn’t about to ask my parents to drive me there.

“Well, here’s an idea: how about I drive you home before your curfew, and then tomorrow morning I’ll come back and pick you up, and we’ll go out for breakfast.”

“I-I’d like that,” I said.

He smiled brightly. “Okay. Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s go back in for a while. What do you say?”

I nodded again, feeling speechless. I was so sure this whole night had been a dream. I was about to pinch myself to see if I was really awake.

Steve took my hand and helped me up from the lawn chair. We grabbed my panties and shorts and I pulled them back on. My legs still felt wobbly from our earlier activities, so Steve let me lean against him as he walked into his house.

So yeah, I think it’s safe to say I definitely did not hate Steve Harrington.

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington smut #joe keery #joe keery imagine #joe keery smut #joe keery x reader #stranger things #stranger things imagine #netflix #one shot #imagine #smut #fanfiction #fanfic #fandom

[onebigfangirlworld]

sugar daddies in the house tonight

Summary: Maverick and Iceman use the Navy Gala to show off and you don’t mind being their arm candy for the evening

Relationship: Iceman x Maverick x Female!Reader

Warnings: none that I can think of

word count: 843

A/N: so this idea has just been brewing in my mind for a while now. This is for @daughterofthereaper02 

Masterlist

A Navy Gala. A place where anyone who is anyone in the Navy shows up and brags about their accomplishments. It was a night you dreaded going to because it was so boring, and sometimes you felt like the people you talk to are just talking down to you, instead of talking to you. The only good thing about going to this gala in particular is seeing your boyfriends in dress uniforms. The full white dress uniforms always just did something for you and seeing Tom “Iceman” Kazansky and Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in them just made you want to go feral on them. They said the same thing about you when they first saw you in your dress.

A few weeks prior to the gala, when the three of you were discussing what to wear, they had told you not to worry about picking out a dress, jewelry or shoes. That they would have that covered. You were apprehensive to trust them but after a little persuasion you agreed. The two of them loved to buy you gifts, spending their money to give you the best clothes, jewelry, shoes and anything else you could possibly want. You called them your sugar daddies as a joke once and the joke just stuck around. But you loved them for them as a person and not because they spend all their money on you. 

The night of the gala, Iceman and Maverick were shaking with excitement. They wanted to see you all dolled up in the outfit that they had picked for you. Making them wait for you at the bottom of the stairs while you got ready, they agreed that it should be considered a special kind of torture.

As you descended the stairs, there was a gasp and a mumbled holy shit. You were dressed in an all black dress that reached the floor, with long form fitting sleeves, and a square neckline showing off your chest. The red-bottomed heels made you look taller than you were and your hair was pulled back to show off the diamond teardrop earrings that you wore.

“What do you think?” you asked as you gave a little twirl. 

“Is it too late to cancel and just go back upstairs to the bedroom?” Maverick asks. Tom and you laugh at Pete’s comment. You gently smack his shoulder and mumble a quick ‘no’ before giving Pete a quick kiss on the lips. Turning to Tom, you again ask him what he thinks of your outfit.

“You look radiant but somethings missing.” 

“I thought it would look better with a necklace but you two didn’t give me one so I’m not wearing one.” 

Wordlessly Tom hands you a black velvet box. You look between your two men, brows furrowed wondering what could be in the box.

“Open it,” Pete tells you. You gasp in shock as you open it. There was the most gorgeous necklace you had ever seen. It was a diamond encrusted choker, with diamonds dangling down at various heights. Something else caught your eye with the choker.

“Is that, are those your initials inlaid onto this?” you quietly ask.

“Yes so that-” Pete starts.

“So that everyone knows who you belong to tonight,” Tom finishes. 

“You didn’t have to do this. This is this is too much, I can’t possibly wear it tonight,” you exclaim. 

“We wanted to. Need to show everyone that you're ours,” Tom tells you. You surge forward and kiss him. You pull back from and give Pete a kiss as well.

“We should really get going, cause if we don’t leave now I don’t think we’ll make it to the gala tonight,” You remind them. They let out a sigh and soon Tom is putting the necklace on you and Pete holds your hand through it. Soon they’re both leading you to the car to take you to the gala. 

Later that night, Pete and you were slow dancing together, while Tom was stuck at a table talking to a few different admirals and captains. Truthfully, Tom had just been watching you and Pete slow dance together and not paying attention to what was being said. However he started paying attention, when someone started talking about you. 

“I’m just saying she’s too hot to be with Mitchell. Any chance you think I could get her to leave with me tonight?” 

“She does look really hot tonight doesn’t she?” Tom turns back to the table and looks at the men sitting around it. “Pete and I had a great time picking that dress out for her. We also had a great time customizing the necklace she’s wearing. Even had our initials inlaid into it. Now if you’ll excuse me gentleman,” Tom knocks back the rest of his drink and stands up, “I’m going to go dance with my boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Tom pulls the two of you into his embrace. The three of you stay there, gently swaying to the music, enjoying each other's company and exchanging soft kisses, until the gala is over.

#writings of one #top gun #icemav x reader #iceman x maverick x reader #tom 'iceman' kazansky #pete 'maverick' mitchell #iceman x reader #maverick x reader #iceman x maverick #tom kazansky x reader #pete mitchell x reader

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for taking everything I can from a former friend?

I 20 met this guy J 24M last year through a mutual friend, and since we happened to live in the same neighborhood we hung out more. For context, during this entire time I am/was also supporting an unrelated person financially, so I need every penny and have way less than J.

J has borderline personality disorder and does not go to therapy. I don't want to vilify anyone in the same situation, I'm just bringing it up because J's bps deeply impacts every aspect of his life.

He'd been going through some tough times, with his love life going to shit, cutting off his toxic family and having to find his own apartment etc, so I helped him often.

Since neither of us have much, we shared stuff regularly, e.g. he'd buy me food sometimes and I gave J my skateboard, among other things. I painted his walls & decorated, because I have the skill necessary and he doesn't. I went out to look at furniture with him. I asked my parents to give him furniture they were selling (he got it free). I frequently went to his place in the middle of the night, whether he had splitting migraines or thought someone had tried to break in. I helped him organize a Christmas party, even though he cancelled it because he got angry at someone or something. I cooked for him a few times (he doesn't cook). I let him use my washing machine after he moved into his new apartment without one, even though he owned a cat so all his clothes were covered in cat hair and I have a severe cat allergy, meaning I couldn't do my laundry normally & sometimes it came out with cat hair no matter how hard I tried (this lasted 8 months and would have gone on indefinitely if not for following events). Btw I did all of this without asking for anything in return.

Earlier this year, because of his ridiculously high expectations, he dumped his best friend at the time (the mutual friend), and assigned me his new best friend. After a few months, they became friends again anyway but I kept the "best friend" title.

In July, he hurt his dominant hand during an angry outburst. I was there when it happened but he seemed fine at the time. When he came to do his laundry the next day, Sunday, he told me that his hand was sprained and we talked about how he'd need to see the doctor the next day. He agreed to go. He promised to go to the doctor.

I know he's not good with going to doctors, especially on his own. So I texted him the next day and asked if he'd already gone. He responded "Nope, don't feel like", and upon asking why, he said that "it'll heal on its own anyway". Which to me read as 'I don't care.'

This pissed me off. I blocked him. I planned to unblock him once I'd calmed down, probably in a few days. I was really upset about this because it happens regularly. Him not going to the doctor when he should is a pattern, a bad pattern. He's gotten me sick that way.

The next day he texted my partner, asking if I was okay. They explained that i was upset at him for telling me he'd go to the doctor but then not going. He blew up at them that it was none of my business anyway whether or not he went to the doctor. Whined about his medical anxiety (which is valid but wasn't the point). Said that the sprain was healing so he didn't have to go. They argued for a while until my partner got tired and stopped responding.

Apparently I am now no longer his friend. He asked our mutual friend to tell me to pick up my stuff. I'm busy these days, so I haven't done it yet.

When I pick up my stuff, it's gonna be a whole list of things: a seat/cushion, a stovetop, 75€ worth of comics, a measuring tape, the skateboard, a box. I'll also bring him laundry detergents that are laying around at my place still.

Now WIBTA if I ask him to also give me pain medication to replace all the meds I gave him and money for the furniture I got him for free at the time (I'll ask 40€ even though they're worth more)?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[specialagentlokitty]

Carol Danvers x teen!reader - be yourself

Hi! Can I ask for familial figure Carol Danvers story please where Reader is non-binary, and their family is very phobic to queer stuff, and so R runs away and Carol takes them in? - Anon💜

TW: mentions of unaccepting family

Standing in your living room, you took a look at your parents and you took a small breath.

“I uh.. I just wanted to tell you guys something…” you said quietly.

You mom smiled at you.

“Of course, what is it?”

Taking a deeper breath, you glanced away, running a hand up and down your arm nervously.

“I’m non binary…”

“Huh?” Your dad said.

Both of them sat up, looking at you sternly, and you subconsciously took a step back from them.

“I’m non binary… I Uhm… I don’t really feel like I identify as male or female… like they just don’t feel right…”

“Get that shit out of your head.” Your dad snapped.

You snapped your gaze to him in pure shock.

“There is no such thing! You were born as what you are so that’s what you are! You can’t change that!” Your mom yelled.

You felt tears burning your eyes as you listened to them go on and on about how it wasn’t right, how none of it was right and that you needed to see a doctor.

You stood for what felt like forever listening to them until you turned around, just leaving the room.

You slammed your door shut, and sank down against it as you cried.

You weren’t sure what kind of reaction you were hoping for, but it definitely wasn’t that. Maybe some confusion, but you never expected to hear such harsh things from your own parents.

When you came down for dinner they kept going on and on about it, glaring at you and making sure to use the wrong pronouns when talking about you.

You thought maybe it would get better but it never did, and after nearly a week of this, being forced to see a doctor, and the constant harsh things they would say, you couldn’t take it anymore.

You packed a bag and you left in the dead of night, running down the street, running as far as you could until you could find a bus out of town.

Then you got on that, not thinking anything through, where to go or what to do.

It was how you found yourself in an unknown city, living on the streets.

It wasn’t easy, but at least this way you didn’t have to listen to them anymore.

You could get by enough from helpful strangers who gave you money, and sometimes you would join with local homeless teenagers who would meet up in the park just to play games or talk.

You were making your way down to the homeless shelter for something to eat when you all but walked into somebody.

“Oh I’m really sorry!” You rushed out.

“That’s alright, are you okay?” She asked.

Looking up, you took a step back, nodding your head.

Of course you would recognise such a hero as soon as you saw her, Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, everybody knew who she was.

“Yes, thank you? Are you? I swear I didn’t take anything from you, I’ll wait here while you check.”

Carol frowned a little bit.

“Why would I think you’d take something?”

You gave a small shrug.

“Most people do. I’m really sorry I’ve got to go, the kitchen at the shelter closes soon!”

With a small smile you ran past her, and Carol watched as you left.

You didn’t think you’d ever see her again until one evening she wondered upon you camping in a construction site, and she walked over.

“Hey, it’s dangerous you know.”

“Huh?”

You turned around.

“Sorry, I’ll go. I just thought it would be safer here.”

“Hey, hey wait a minute kid.”

You stopped walking, letting her jog over.

“I saw you come in here last night too, are you sleeping here?”

You shrugged a little bit.

“It’s cold, and it’s not safe for you to be out in the streets. I can take you home.”

“No! Don’t take me home!” You pleaded.

Carol raised her hands, quickly nodding her head.

“Alright, okay. We won’t go there, but I don’t feel right leaving you here, can I at least take you somewhere else for the night?”

You shook your head.

“All the shelters are full up, I gave my spot to a boy a little younger than me…”

“Okay, maybe a hotel or something?”

“No money and they won’t take me cause I’m all covered in dirt and stuff…”

“Alright, how about we just go for a walk, yeah? You know who I am right? You know I wouldn’t hurt you?”

You nodded your head, trailing after her as she led you back to the street, and you began to slowly walk around.

“What’s your name?” She asked.

“(Y/N).”

“How old are you?”

“(Y/A).”

She looked at you.

“You’re so young… why are you out here (Y/N)? Where’s your family?”

You frowned, turning away from her.

“Don’t know, don’t care… disowned me…”

“What? Why? You don’t seem like the kind of kid who would do anything so bad to be disowned.”

“Non binary…”

“Oh wow really? I know loads of non binary people! They’re all so friendly and always so happy! You know on some other planets that how they’re raised, as non binary, and they can decide later if they want to stay as non binary, or change that.”

You looked up at her.

“Woah, really? And nobody cares?”

Carol smiled, shaking her head.

“Nope, totally normal. I’m sorry that your parents can’t accept that.”

You shrugged a little bit, looking back down at your feet as you clutched the straps on your bag.

“That’s life…”

“Yeah but it shouldn’t have to be, there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s more normal than people think.”

Carol took you to get some proper food, and she spent the whole night searching for somewhere for you to stay until she came across a small motel who thankfully had a spare room.

She snuck you in, and handed you the key to the room.

“Here, I’ll come back with some clean clothes and stuff for you, don’t open the door unless you know it’s me okay?”

You nodded your head, locking the door after her.

You didn’t know why this big time superhero was looking after you, but you were thankful for it.

When she came back, you managed to get a shower, and you sat in front of her as she brushed and cut your hair for you.

“What’s it like travelling space?” You asked.

Carol smiled, telling you about it, what she did and things she had seen, and you sat there fascinated.

She kept coming back, bringing you more and more things for the next two weeks until finally she stood in front of you.

“I’m sorry I have to go.” She sighed.

“It’s okay, it was really nice to meet you, I hope you stay safe.”

“Will you stay safe?” She asked.

You gave a small shrug, giving her a little grin.

“The best I can.”

She nodded her head, heading towards the door, but she didn’t walk out, instead she turned around to look at you.

“Ever thought about travelling space?”

“Ever since I watched doctor who, they made it look so cool!”

This made her laugh, and she opened the door, holding her arm out to you.

“Come on then.”

“Seriously? You don’t even know me.”

“Yeah I do, come on, I could use the company and Fury is always telling me to get a friend to travel with me.”

You grinned from ear to ear, grabbing your bags as you ran over to her.

You were practically bursting with excitement and Carol just watched you with a gentle smile.

In a way you reminded her of when she was younger, people telling her who she could and couldn’t be, and you had chose to be who you were, and she found that amazing.

She was proud of that, she was proud of everybody who chose to be themselves despite what people said, and she was going to take you from the streets and give you the love and respect you should’ve had in the first place, be the parent you should’ve had in the first place

#marvel #marvel x y/n #marvel x you #marvel x reader #marvel imagine #Carol Danvers #carol danvers x reader #carol danvers x y/n #carol danvers x you #Carol Danvers imagine #captain marvel #captain marvel x reader #captain marvel x you #captain marvel imagine

[killmongerskeepermain]

Ms. Udaku // Shuri

Summary/Request: Can you do professor shuri / student reader.

Pairing: Professor!Shuri x Student!Fem!Reader

Warning: None

Word Count: 2.1k

The blaring alarm was enough to make you jump out of bed and onto the floor. Today was the day. A handful of students were handpicked to participate in a special technology program. You had been looking forward to this since you were amongst those chosen last week. Being smart has its perks. You don't have to listen to Mrs. Johnson go on and on about atoms and ions. Plus Ms. Udaku was doing the lecture. If you had to pick a professor to pin after, it was her. She wasn't even that much older than you. You would pass by her office just to speak to her on your days off. Usually she would wave off students for bothering her but not you. She tolerated your antics. Sometimes it made you wonder if she felt what you did. But that wasn't important right now. It was a big day so you already had your outfit picked out and knew how you were going to style your hair. A girl gotta prepare. Your phone started to buzz and you saw your best friend's name flash across the screen. "You almost ready Kiya?"

"Hey Y/N, I'm doing my hair but I'll be ready in like 10 minutes." She said and you bounced on your feet. 

"Making sure you look good for a certain genius? We all knew she was going to be picked." You joked and she scoffed. "Bitch ain't nobody worried about looking good for Riri. I look good for me, myself, and I." She retorted and you smiled into the mirror. "I never said who said genius was. Bitch just admit you like her and move the fuck on. Yall already be eye fucking the hell out each other during microchem." You told her before letting out a laugh at her silence. "Yeah. Didn't know I peeped that shit huh?" 

"Fuck you. I'm heading over to your room." She said before hanging up as you did your mascara. You two agreed to walk in together since this was huge for the both of you. Will look real nice on a resume. A soft knock hit your door and you walked over to let her in. Her hair was in a high ponytail with her makeup done and you shook your head before letting her in. "Okay. Who you looking cute for? Ms. Udaku?" She asked as she looked you up and down. You shrugged your shoulders as you grabbed your bag and book off your chair. "Me, myself and I." You repeated her earlier words as the two of you left the dorm room, headed to your destination. The classroom was divine. And you wouldn't say that about any of the rooms in this bitch. You caught sight of Riri sitting in the second row and a small smirk played on your lips. "Come on, I know where we can sit." You pulled her behind you to the front row a couple of seats down from the girl. Kiya immediately took notice and punched your shoulder.

"You bitch." You gave her a smile as you took your seat. Mrs. Johnson walked in with a smile before greeted the room as all eyes were on her. "Good morning. I'm glad all of you could make it today. Now I'm not teaching this program since this isn't my regular class time. Your professor for the course is Ms. Udaku. She is taking her time from her own classes to teach you all so show her the utmost respect." She told us as another woman walked into the room. You couldn't tear your gaze from her as she waved with a wide smile. It was until her brown eyes set on you that you lowered your own to the notebook on the table. You felt Kiya pinch your thigh and you refused to look over at her knowing smirk. 

"It's a pleasure to be here. I wouldn't have known that so many people would be interested in this kind of stuff. But luckily you have me here to teach you."

"Will we learn about some of your experiments Ms. Udaku? They are popular amongst the student body at multiple universities." A voice asked from the back of the room.

"Please Shuri is just fine. I'm only 24 years old. Making me 2 or 3 years older than most of you here." She laughed and your heart skipped a beat. Fuck. She started her lecture and you felt Kiya nudge your arm shortly after. You looked over at her this time and she held a grin. "I saw that. Does my little Y/N have the hots for Ms. Udaku?" You rolled your eyes as you knew she didn't plan on letting this go. "No you didn't. Now shush. We're in the front."

"You picked these seats. Remember?" She smirked and you began to regret your plan. Last time I try to play matchmaker. "Shut up." You whispered before Shuri turned to face the two of you. Oh shit. "Would one of you like to tell me if this sequence will be a success or not?" She asked and you looked over at the sequence written out. You bit your lip, not wanting to look like a fool in front of her. "It'll fail." Kiya spoke before you could say anything and Shuri turned to you. "Your friend seems so confident in her answer. Why don't you elaborate why?"

"Well there's some components missing. Without them it won't turn out the way you expect it too. It'll turn into a completely different sequence, which could cause a big problem. So, she's right, it'll fail." You said softly and the room went silent. Were you wrong? Did you just embarrass yourself in front of the smartest woman in this room."What's your name?"

"Y/N." You began to fidget under her gaze and she gave you a soft smirk. "Good job Ms. Y/N." Fuck me. She held your gaze before turning back to the board. You let out the breath that you were holding as Kiya nudges you playfully. You felt another tap and looked back to see Riri with a smile. 

"Pretty good for a mechanic and a bookworm." She said before looking over at Kiya, who seemed as if she was about to combust. Riri took notice as she sat back in her seat and I couldn't stop the grin on my lips. 

"Okay Ms. Bookworm." You mumbled and she put her face in her hands. You stayed attentive during the rest of the lecture just staring. The way she talked so passionately about her work. The way her curls bounced in her face. You swore she caught your gaze a couple of times but you didn't even try to turn away. When the lecture was over she thanked everyone for attending. 

"This has been quite the experience. I do plan to come back for another class so be on the lookout for that announcement. Anyway, I have some things to attend to back in my office. Off you go." The students started piling out but you took your time to put your books in your bag. You noticed Riri walking up to Kiya and decided against eavesdropping on your best friend. She'll tell you right after anyway. You felt a presence next to you and looked up to see Shuri. 

"Ms. Udaku."

"Please. Call me Shuri. I wanted to tell you personally that you have a sharp eye. Didn't expect you to answer correctly after being put on the spot." She told you and you tried to hide your smile. 

"Thank you Shuri. Although you did have me thinking I was wrong." You replied and she gave a small laugh. 

"I was ready to tell you that you were. Since the two of you were talking during my lecture. But I'll admit you surprised me. See me after your classes, okay." She walked past you leaving you stuck in shock as you wondered why she needed to speak with you further. Kiya planted herself next to you before turning to watch Riri walk out the room. When the coast was clear she buried her head in your shoulder with a slight squeal.

"She asked me out. She knew I liked her. She KNEW I liked HER!" She said and you turned to her. 

"Ms. Uda- Shuri wants to talk to me in her office." You started and Kiya froze before grabbing your shoulders tight. 

"Okay Y/N. You are going to walk in there and butter her up. She wants you." She said and you scoffed. "She's our professor."

"She's teaching outside of her own class. So she's not OUR professor, Mrs. Johnson is. Besides, she's only 2 years older than you. I see nothing wrong." She shrugged as the two of you walked out of the room. "So while I'm getting head from Riri you better be in there face down ass up. And I want to hear all about it later tonight." 

"Bitch what?" You laughed as she held onto your arm to steady herself, lost in her own laughter. We had finally calmed down when you looked at the time. "Well let me go on and see what she wants. I'll see you tonight."

"I'll bring the snacks. Bye girl." We went our separate ways and you suddenly felt your heart flutter. Secondly your hands started to sweat as you neared the office door. You stood frozen in front of the door and began to panic. What if you go in there and make a total fool out of yourself? What if you caught the wrong signals? Maybe you should just book it back to your dorm room and forget about the whole thing. But then you'll have another class with her. She'll most likely confront you or-

The door was pulled open mid mental crisis revealing Shuri. "You're not that quiet you know. Come in." You stopped into her office and bit the inside of your cheek as the door closed shut. "You can relax, Y/N. I don't bite." Oh but fuck do I want you too. You gave a small nod as you took a seat across from her desk. She leaned against the side and you took the chance to ask the golden question. 

"Um, so what did you want to talk to me about?" You asked as she flipped through some pages in a file.

"You are one of the smartest people on this campus. Aside from Riri Williams. Your project on the machine used to detect usual metals under the water is astonishing. It even works above water. Where did you even get the parts for this?" 

"A nearby junkyard. Riri told me about the place. Surprisingly most of the stuff worked just fine. Just a small tune up here and there. She nodded her head before placing the file on the table. 

"I also want to speak about your staring problem." She said nonchalantly and you jerked your head up to see her already looking at you. "My staring problem?"

"Yes. During the lecture you always found yourself staring at me. Did I have something on my face? Or maybe you were spacing out? Either way I won't tolerate it during my class." With each word she got closer to you until her hands resting on the arms rests, trapping you between her and the chair. "I don't know what you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me Y/N. I have one of the smartest brains in the world. If you don't want this, just say the word and we'll never speak of it again." She was close enough for you to feel her breath on your skin. Fuck it. You leaned up to close the gap between you and she smiled into the kiss as she nestled her knee between your legs. You swallowed a moan as she applied pressure to your clothed pussy. Her tongue slipped along your own when she pushed her way past your lips. Her hand slid under your skirt and grabbed hold of your panties. You spread out slightly as she dragged them down your legs. Your heated meeting with the professor was cut short when a knock sounded from the other side of the door.

"Ms. Udaku, I have some questions about the assignment due next week." She pulled away from you to allow you to pull yourself together. Slipping your panties in her pocket she opened the door to greet the student with a smile. 

"Of course. Ms. Y/N I'll see you next session alright." She turned to wink at you out of the student's sight and you nodded. You gathered your things before walking out of the office. You put a hand to your chest to calm down as you made your way back to your room. Not without stopping by the bathroom to wipe your thighs of the mess she made.

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