#Support Tape For Pregnancy

[ihatebnha]

I feel like kiri would manage to convince you to do a little document along with your pregnancy through videotaping. (Gives me Good Luck Charlie vibes, he was probably inspired by that too 😭)

Like he would videotape EVERYTHING, rant to the camera about how they're (the baby) is making you feel too cranky to cuddle, or- OR 🥺how he would try to adjust the camera from falling on the counter late at night before just leaning it on one of the jars you have and he would rant to it about how they (the baby) is causing you so many food cravings while prepping something for you to eat

Then when your water breaks, he's busy tryna talk to the camera about how's he's happy to see them and stuff but ends it abruptly when you yell at him to hurry tf up

Then the camera cuts to him in the hospital, however, you're the one recording this time since he fell asleep before you closed it to rest yourself. Finally, it cuts back to him holding the camera with you holding a bundle in your arms with tinier arms reaching out for you 🥺

SFAFDZNASKDF CRYING!!!

And, and, and alongside cravings and moods and all the snacks he makes... I bet he also documents how big your belly is getting with a hand on your tummy. He's got fat hands anyway but seeing them appear more and more normal-sized the bigger baby gets, he's so excited to compare every week or so.

He also always makes you both do little hauls with things you buy for them, too. All the clothes and socks and toys... and he definitely tries to record you both setting up the nursery (even if the video consists of more fighting about whether or not you can lift something than actual... work, BUT!!!).

I'M GOING CRAZY... just imagining the progression from like... awkward excitedness to being confident to jittery nerves again the further along you get. Part of him feels like documenting things via recording is so... silly, esp when you can hardly see your bump at first... but he ends up being so, SO HAPPY that he started early when your due date is right around the corner and everything is just a rush to make sure things go smoothly.

And in true dad-fashion, after you get your baby is home and you eventually go to watch the tapes back, Kiri starts BAWLING literally 2 minutes into the first clip.

(He still makes sure to start the filming up again for all your other kids though <333)

#kirishima #one time i read a fic about this except it was like a mafia au of some sort? and like... dad was arrested and u got hit by a car on ur way #to visit #and then like... d*ed #so baby had to be raised by the mafia with only tapes of u and dad is jail #it was so crazy LOL tho i do remember it being so good #not that i support the social media aspect of this but kiri def records them growing up too #he's the annoying dad who shows everyone videos of ur kids milestones #people are so sick of him #but YES ANON PLEASE YES #ask #anon #caitie chats #pregnancy tw #kids tw

[pascallllllll1]

Dizzy Spells

Pedro Pascal x Reader

Word count: 1K+

Description: Pedro being the caring and loving boyfriend he is forces reader to get looked at after experiencing dizziness and fainting.

Warnings: Mentions use of IV’s/needles and unplanned pregnancy. Age gap relationship (very legal)

Pssst!

“Hey! Don’t play with that!” Hissed your overbearing boyfriend who currently resides at your bedside while reaching to stop you from fidgeting with the tape holding the IV in place. You’ve never been a needle person, your parents always scheduling appointments with your family doctor growing up for vaccinations and shots to save you the embarrassment of having a melt down in front of school nurses through the years. Now coming into young adulthood needles continue to make you very nervous, but you're not a blubbering baby that needs to be held down anymore. Some might call that growth. Right now you’re just thankful to whatever higher power is out there that Pedro won’t have to witness hysterical sobbing caused by a tiny needle, all because you’ve been light headed lately and may have fainted a few times. Which leads you to now, where you lay attached to an IV keeping you hydrated while reclined in the stiff bed, your boyfriend of only 5 months by your side stressing over every little thing while waiting for the doctor to come back with test results from your blood work.

“I’m sorry! It’s just really itchy. I wanna go home babe, I really don’t see why we had to come there’s nothing to worry about! It’s probably low iron or something.” Whining you poke out your bottom lip and look up at Pedro with big doe eyes and rest the side of your cheek on his broad shoulder. With a deep sigh Pedro opens his mouth to begin his speech on how it’s better to be safe than sorry and how he cares about you taking care of yourself when two short knocks come from outside the waiting room door. You're quickly repositioning yourself and begin sitting up eager to get this over with and calling out whomever was waiting on the other side of the door to come in. A tall busty woman walks in, clipboard and files in hand looking about Pedro’s age if not older, she looks over to you both when crossing the space to the end of the bed and does a double take when looking to Pedro then back to yourself. You can hear the hesitation in her voice before she asks,

“So who have you brought in with you for support today… Y/N?” She glances down at the now open file to double check your name before her eyes meet yours again waiting for an answer. Nervous, you look to your left hoping for Pedro to speak up for you. Suddenly realising how the question may have come across to you the doctor clarifies her meaning.

“I’m sorry, it’s just your results have come back and due to the nature of them I wanted to confirm you wanted him in the room to hear or if you’d like privacy and for him to step out a moment.”

“The nature of them?” Speaks up Pedro worriedly, concern deeply etched across his face. The doctor looks to you for confirmation that you’d like him to stay. Your mind is spiralling out of control with ideas of what’s wrong with you, what could possibly be going on inside your body, and already searching for ways to solve these hypothetical scenarios reeking havoc in your head. Needing Pedro now more than ever for moral support and comfort you nod to the woman to continue on with the test results.

“Ok. First and foremost I’d like to make it clear that you are healthy and nothing is wrong with you.”

Pedro exhales shakily at the new information and pulls you against his chest with his left arm around you, he kisses the side of your head and takes a moment to breathe you.

You look up to the doctor and ask,

“So what's going on with me then? How come I’ve been so dizzy and fainting?”

“Because you’re pregnant, about 3 weeks along.” Your body tenses up when you feel Pedro quickly release you from his embrace and shoot up out of the bed towards the doctor. The sound of a file opening and paper being hastily sorted through fills your ears. This is way too early in the relationship to be happening. Does he want a family with you? To marry you? A future? Does he see you as his end game? For crying out loud you weren’t even together publicly yet- HIS FANS! How would they react? Would they hate you over such a large age gap? Would they hate you for taking him off the market? Would they hate you for trapping him with a baby? Would he still have a career or would his fans drop him because of who he’s with? You couldn’t live with messing up his life. His dreams and achievements he’d worked so hard for. A large familiar hand pulls you out of the black storm of doubt and back to the present moment. The other comes up to cup the side of your cheek and trace a delicate thumb over your trembling bottom lip. Shifting your focus to the man now kneeling on the bed in front of you, your eyes are met with tearful brown ones staring back at you, undeniably full of love and childlike amazement.

“Baby,” Pedro pauses and takes a moment to clear his throat and sniffle,

“I will support ANY decision you make, and YES this is all 100% your decision to make,” closing his eyes as his voice breaks Pedro exhales loudly and wipes at his eyes before his hands resume to their previous spots.

“But I want to make it so very clear baby, I will stay by your side and support you and our child, I love you Y/N. I want our family if you’re willing to give it to me.” Looking at the man across from you now, there’s not a doubt in your mind that he’s the partner you want to have in life. You and him. Seeing the love he has for you, for your unborn baby who you’d literally just learned about triumphs any previous worries you’d had initially. He’s your person and your his, together you’ll share the most special experience two people can share, raising a child.

“Our family.” You whimper out.

“Our family.” Pedro confirms wrapping you up tight in his arms.

Thank you for reading!! I’m still learning and figuring this all out so any comments are more than welcome! I’d also like to mention that yes I’m writing about Pedro Pascal himself but I’d like to make it clear this is all pretend and a fake fantasy. In no way do any of us know who he really is as a person and this isn’t me trying to make him something he isn’t just sharing my personal daydream fake scenarios with y’all! Hope you enjoyed:)

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal fanfiction

[tomssexdoll]

Could you please do tomorrow headcannons like the ones you’ve done for bill recently. 🙏🙏🙏. Love your writing btw- also if you make it can you tag me..

yesss ofc love and ty for the support <3

Relationship headcannons Tom

NSFW MENTIONED!!!!!!!!

2008

You guys first started dating

Brags about you to anyone who will listen

Once you got to know him you realized how much of a softie he really is

He was very confident at first

Spoils you

Quickies behind stage at tours

You love playing with his dreads

Tugging on his braids during sex

2009

Suprised you with the braids

you love them ofc

Loves going on walks with you

Very affectionate

Super protective

Gets jealous easily

Slightly possessive

Hates when you wear skimpy clothing out

Always accompanies you at parties

Will hurt any guy if he has to

Gets you flowers a lot

2010

Takes you on the humanoid tour

Shouts you out in the crowd and brings you up to the stage

Stares at you while he's playing and flirts with you too

Quickie backstage ofc

Loves seeing you in his shirts when you go to sleep

Always gives you his jackets, hoodies, shirts

SUPER flirty

Teases you in public

Leaves hickeys everywhere for everyone to see

Smacks your ass playfully in public

2011

Cuddles are the best

Loves to go to the club with you

Still very protective

Jealousy issues calming down a little

Shows you off in interviews

Talks about you non stop in podcasts

Brings you to practice

Very loving and caring

Will drop everything just to make sure you're ok

Super close, very healthy relationship

2012-2014

Proposes to you finally

The proposal is beautiful, he takes you out to a fancy dinner and he gets the best spot and proposes to you under the stars

Showers you with gifts all the time

Gets you lunch when you're working hard

Loves to give you massages when you're stressed

Learnt how to cook for you

Talking about wanting a family

Cuddes and movies every second night

Partying like there's no tomorrow

Falling pregnant in late 2014 so the baby came after the wedding

2015

The wedding finally happens

The ceremony is beautiful

He smiles like an idiot when he sees you walking down the aisle, crying softly

Does the garter wedding tradition but tries to take your panties off instead

Dances with you sweetly at first

When you get drunk he grinds on you, dancing so sexually

He smashes his lips into yours when the priest declares you husband and wife

also picks you up and spins you around when after the kiss

Can't stop talking about how sexy you were at the wedding

Makes a wedding night sex tape with you LOL

Buying a house together

Baby finally arrives

2016-2019

A lot of renovating

More talks about having a big family

Tom upgrades the nursery

Best father EVER

Spoils you and the kids

Forces Bill to babysit for a couple nights so you guys can spend time together

Sex is amazing and always has been

Still very protective of you and especially your daughter

Fall pregnant again

2020

Find out you're having twins

tom jumps with joy after he finds out

Tells Bill and they are super happy

Tom buys you fresh flowers every week

When he takes the dogs for walks he'll always pick flowers for you

Loves taking your daughter to the park with you even though you're super pregant

Loves you unconditionally

Takes care of you so much during pregnancy and birth

Holds your hand at the hosptal

Sobs and holds the twins in his arms

Loves you for you

Reminds you everyday how beautiful and precious you are

Spoils the kids with junk food when you aren't there

2021-2024

Thinking of another kid

Very happy relationship and super close

Sex is amazing ofc

Buying you flowers every week ofc

Partying here and there

Loves home dates and spending time with you

Some nights he'll fall asleep on your chest

You love playing with his long hair and beard

Beard tickles you when he kisses you

He's careful not to give you carpet burn when eating you out

Loves washing your hair and making you feel relaxed

Runs baths for you to relax after a hard day

He helps with the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.

Best present giver

Super affectionate

tags: @effy-2000 @itsmealaiah @tomscumdump @20doozers @charliesgoodboy @tomkaulitzloverr @tomscumdoll @syylss @ge-billsgf @ballhair @miyukafujii

#tom kaulitz #tokiohotel #bill kaulitz #georg listing #gustav schäfer #tom kaulitz x reader #tom kaulitz x you #tom kaulitz x y/n #i love tommy #i love tom #tom kaulitz tokio hotel #tom kaulitz smut #tomkaulitzheadcannons #tom kaulitz fluff #fluff #sweet fluff #headcannons #ilovetomkaulitzmybfomg

[bat-writer]

Bruce doting on a pregnant batmom 🥰 (I might have sent this twice sorry but if so I still hope you have a wonderful day/evening/night ❤️)

A/N: Yes. THATS all just Y E S - I may have gone overboard LMAO

 ‿̩͙‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿  ‿‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿

Probably has a hunch way before you. This is Batman/Bruce Wayne. He know your cycle, signs and symptoms and all!

One day he came into your bedroom with some breakfast in bed and a small plastic wrapping

“What is it?” You asked

“A test. It’s been a week since your period should have been here. don’t be nervous or afraid we’ll talk it over with the results” he didn’t want it to sound like a business transaction but he wanted it to be a serious conversation

If it was negative or positive he’d be there with open arms and full support. Whatever your choice may be.

You step out of the bathroom with no emotion on your face and walk over to him. You place a kiss to his lips and whisper

“We’re having a baby” with a grin. His large arms coming around your frame to embrace you in a strong but gentle hug. Was it planned? No. Was this the best news he could hear all day? Absolutely! The woman he loves carrying his child is just beautiful to him.

Goes downstairs to tell Alfred about the news and has him set up a doctors appointment as soon as possible to get everything in order

During the first trimester you thought he might secretly be a caretaker. From morning sickness, to fatigue, to even your aches and pains he found some kind of solution for it all. He started to move things around the manor to make space and to start planning a nursery.

He would have a tape measure to measure your stomach each week to see the growth

"Honey, I won't be showing until I'm at least 3 1/2 weeks" you giggle

"I'm telling you the bump in right there! You just cant see it because your breasts are swelling" he tried to defend, when in fact they have not grown yet

During your second trimester he tried to crack down on crime as much as physically possible for your new addition

Speaking of new additions, he had to inform the rest of his family about who would be the newest Wayne. First up with Jason and Dick.

“Congrats you two!” Was Dicks response and of course Jason says

“…you still do it at your age-“ dick hit him in the ribs to not ruin the moment.

Either way, they were both happy for you and let you both know if anything is needed. They were there to lend a hand. The only other person left now was to tell Damien. Luckily Damien had a liking to you. However, when he had first gotten to the manor, he had his clashes with a dick so he doesn’t know how exactly he’d react to a new baby. 

He also would secretly ask them to right down any kinds of foods or combos you liked so he could always have them handy

“As long as it stays out of my space It wouldn’t really matter. And as long as Y/N is okay with it…” it was his own unique way of saying as long as you were happy, he was happy

Damien also made it habit to be around the same area as you when Bruce was out and Alfred was busy. You even asked him once if he wanted to feel the developing bump. He did and for a spilt second you could tell he was a bit flustered. After he had his fill he’d move and tell you some fact about your state in the pregnancy

Also his way of showing he cared

Bruce’s favorite thing was to watch you sleep in the morning and watch as you’re bummed rose and fell from every breath that you took. He also really love to watch you walk away because you’re starting to get a slight waddle from the new center of gravity on your body it was adorable.

He also loves when you have his shirt on and the slight bump that stretches the fabric so slightly

Hes on the verge of banning you from the Batcave and watching the computer. It gets pretty chilly down there. He doesn’t want you or the baby getting cold. Even though you told me you were fine and you have three blankets on you but because he loves you so much he loves his stay there.

Speaking of, missions is the only time he’s constantly in communication with you to make sure that you are right which also means Alfred is constantly being called to check in on you. But he did love coming home and taking a nice warm shower with you and feeling your bump

He gets a new glimmer in his eyes when the baby starts to kick and move more. There was one time the baby had a big stretch. It was a little scary but also fascinating and slightly painful 😭

He’ll give you the entire bed just so you could be comfortable!

Lots of massages and kisses. Anything he can relive for you! He’s also restricted you!

No bag carrying, no going up the stairs (had tried to instal one of those chairs to take you up and down), no bending down to get something, no kitchen knives, etc.

He wanted you to just be pregnant💀but you just could not love that way! So he lets you help with very SMALL things

He has also gone overboard on baby clothes, accessories, and just anything baby!

Has 2 cribs one in the nursery and one in your bedroom.

He organized your baby shower and just made it soft, elegant and beautiful. Gender is left as a surprise since he’d want to keep any media as far from you as possible

Sometimes feels guilt when he sees your struggling with pains he can’t really take away. Like when you experienced a Braxton hick he was reminded of what you would soon go through when it was the baby’s due date but he’s also reminded that he will be father once again tk a new baby.

This time he’ll be there from the very start.

Oh he’s also booked you the best suit in the hospital with only the best doctor and midwife. He knows sometimes hospitals can be inconsiderate of their patients so he wants only the best in securing your safety and the baby’s

He helps to pack your bag for when you go into labor. While you go through it all you hold up the tiny clothing that will soon be filled by a tiny version of you or him! At one point you do get a bit emotional and overwhelmed

It was a lot

You’re going to be a mother, you’re gonna push a baby out, there was A LOT more than just having a cute baby. Feedings, doctors, loosing sleep, all of that so you cousins help but cry. Bruce put everything down and came over to you and inlet in front of you

“Hey, hey, it’s okay…..I can’t lie to you and say it’ll be easy as pie. But I can promise you I will be there for you both always. Anytime you need help, a break or just need me there. I’m always here for you both” he said placing a kiss to your bump and one to your ring finger where your ring sits

He wipes your tears away and kisses your head. You finish packing the bag and set it aside. You snuggle into Bruce’s side and lay in comfortable silence

In this bed Bruce was holding the love of his life and the product of their love that grows inside of her

-kitty🐈‍⬛

- part 2???👀

#bruce wayne #batman #bruce wayne x reader #Batman x pregnant reader #dc comics #batman fanfiction #batman x fem!reader

[theemporium]

[7k] single dad!steve, wednesday!reader and a meddling kid that may be hawkins' best wingwoman.

.

Steve Harrington was barely eighteen years old when he was handed an eight month old baby and told he was a father. 

It had been a few weeks out of his high school graduation. He was in his house, a pot of instant noodles with a fork sticking out of it abandoned on the coffee table as he watched whatever mediocre game show that was playing on the television. The doorbell rang—an odd occurrence at eleven in the evening—but he got up and answered it regardless. 

Except, there was nobody he knew on the other side of the door—just a basket with a baby inside and an envelope taped to the edge with his name sprawled on it. 

In a panic, Steve had called Hopper. Later on, he would feel bad for waking the man up and dragging him out of bed at such an odd hour, but he was young, confused and stressed out of his mind that somebody had left a child on his doorstep. 

With Hopper there and being the voice of reason, he finally got the guts to open the envelope that explained everything. It was from a one night stand he had at some houseparty last year, one that clearly resulted more than he bargained for. She was from out of town, a friend of a friend’s cousin who heard about the party, and she was already back home when she took the test. She thought she could do it. She thought she could raise a child on her own. But eight months in after a difficult pregnancy, she couldn’t take it anymore. She just couldn’t do it anymore. 

Despite the twist in his gut and the guilt he felt that she had to do this all alone, there was not one apology in her letter. No apology for dumping this on him or not contacting him when she found out. No explanation as to why she kept it a secret. Just a simple note at the end that said the baby’s name and that was all. 

Aurora Harrington. 

He was surprised she had even given the child his surname in the first place. 

That night was full of breakdowns, tears and an emergency call to Joyce Byers who made her way over as soon as she could to help the young teen wrap his head around the fact that he was a father. He had a child. He had his family. 

Steve had always imagined starting his own family, having kids with the love of his life after they moved into their dream home with a family dog who the kids would grow up with. Never once in his vision did he expect he would be eighteen, unprepared and alone. 

But he wasn’t really alone. 

He had Hopper and Joyce. He had Robin and the gang of kids who seemed less stressful to deal with now that he had an actual baby who was reliant on him. He had support systems who backed him up during the following months as he discovered fatherhood. 

And most importantly, he had his daughter. 

Despite his conflicting emotions from that night, Steve would never change it for the world. Maybe he would have wished he met his daughter earlier, that he knew she existed earlier—but beyond that, he couldn’t find a part of him that was upset at the fact she had entered his life. 

“Rory! What did we say about running?” 

“Sorry, Daddy!” 

Steve felt a warmth settle in his chest as he watched his daughter stop, quickly turning on the spot and rushing back to him (even though he said no running) and waiting patiently as he closed and locked the car. He grinned down at the young girl—now three, almost four and energetic as ever—as she extended her hand out for him to take. 

“Please?” she asked in the sweetest voice ever and Steve was unable to resist the big, brown eyes staring up at him.

He extended his hand to her, watching as she wrapped her palm around two of his fingers before all but dragging him towards the Hawkins Public Library, a tradition that began long before she could walk. He obediently followed her, his other hand holding the books they had taken out last time as they made their way up the steps and towards the reception. 

Orla—a sweet old woman who had been working in the library long before Steve himself was born—gave the father-daughter duo a smile as they entered the building, something oddly maternal about the simple gesture. 

“If it isn’t my favourite members,” she greeted in a soft, quiet voice as they approached the desk. In a swift movement, Steve placed the books on the desk before lifting Rory up so she could see the older woman. “Did little miss sunshine enjoy the books this week?” 

“Bleh,” the young girl stated, her nose scrunched in disgust. 

Steve only laughed, shaking his head at his daughter before turning to Orla. “She said it didn’t make sense.” 

“It’s a fairytale,” Orla said in a cooing voice for the young child. “It’s magical, it doesn’t need to make sense.” 

“I wanted a dragon,” Rory said with a frown. “No dragons. Only horses. Boring.” 

“Well, maybe you’ll find something better this week,” Orla sighed. The woman tried every week to throw a new princess tale or magical story at the girl, and every week she was unamused. 

“Can I go look, Daddy?” Rory asked, her attention turning to her father as she stared up at him hopefully. 

“Go on, sunshine, I’ll be there in a second,” he murmured and pressed a chaste kiss to the top of her head, the messy braids he had done that morning already coming undone. He placed her down, only to watch her run off not even seconds later. “No running, Rory!” 

“No yelling in the library!” Orla scolded playfully, watching as Steve only blushed in embarrassment. 

“Sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile. 

However, young Rory Harrington didn’t listen to her father’s instructions as she ran towards the children’s section of the library where the shelves were shorter and the colours were brighter. Her wide eyes took in the cartoon characters painted on the walls and the colourful bunting pinned across the ceiling. She eagerly made her way towards the bright plastic chairs and massive beanbags, only to stop short when she noticed somebody was already there. 

“Who are you?” 

You froze for a moment as the young girl’s voice sounded through the quiet section. You turned to look at her, still kneeling on the floor as you worked through the books you had to reshelf, and your eyes narrowed at the accusation. 

“Who are you?” You restored, watching as the young girl with sandy brown hair and big brown eyes tilted her head. And then she smiled wider than you had ever seen any child smile before. 

“Rory!” she said her name excitedly. “My name is Rory!” 

“Right,” you said with a single nod of your head before you turned back to the shelves. 

“Aren’t you gonna say your name?” She asked curiously and you glanced back over your shoulder at her. 

“No,” you stated bluntly but the young girl didn’t seem all that bothered by the tone. 

“Why are you wearing all black?” She questioned once again.

You let out a sigh. “Because I want to.” 

“Oh,” she hummed and nodded. “My Uncle Eddie does that.” 

“Good for him, kid,” you murmured before you turned back to the shelves, hoping that if you just let the child rattle on, you could finish your work in this section and run off before the kid’s parents showed up asking the same amount of questions she was. 

“He says angels wear black,” she told you, her voice still eager and animated as she spoke. “Daddy says he’s lying but Uncle Eddie never lies!” 

You let out a thoughtless hum. 

“Are you an angel?” 

You paused, blinking as the question processed before you turned to look at her. “Am I an angel?” 

Rory nodded. “Yeah, a dark angel. Cause you wear black.” 

“A dark angel,” you repeated, wondering where this kid even came from. 

“Or a witch!” She said with a gasp, looking at you with hopeful eyes. “Are you a witch?” 

“Do you not have somewhere to be or…?” You trailed off, glancing past her as if you expected to see her parents wander over at any moment and apologise for their daughter’s behaviour.

“Nope! Daddy says I can pick three books this week!” Rory grinned widely, like that accomplishment should have meant something to you the way it meant to her.

“Maybe you should go find your daddy then,” you said to her. But she only giggled and shrugged her shoulders before she moved closer to you. 

“You have black on your eyes,” she murmured in a curious voice only children have.

“It’s called makeup,” you deadpanned. 

“I want some!” 

“Ask your daddy.” 

Almost as though you summoned him yourself, Steve came rounding the corner with his brows furrowed together, wondering what was taking his daughter so long to pick up a few books for the week. Just like his daughter had done, he quickly fell short when he noticed you in the children’s section. 

“Oh. Hi.” 

You raised your brows, unamused. But your reaction was the last thing on his mind when Rory ran over to him, arms stretched out for him to catch her and lift her, which he did. 

“Daddy! I made a friend!” Rory smiled brightly. 

“I see,” Steve murmured before clearing his throat. He looked at you with a more polite smile, one that matched his daughter’s perfectly. “I’m Steve.” 

However, you simply nodded and turned your head back towards the shelves you were stacking. Steve frowned a little but didn’t question it—not that he got much of a chance—before Rory was wiggling to be put down again. She raced around the section, grabbing the books she had noticed last week before handing them to Steve with an eager smile, ready to check them out. 

Rory gripped her father’s fingers, pausing before they walked away as she turned back to you. “Bye, Angel! See you next week!” 

Steve blinked, guessing you had told Rory your name and gave you an awkward wave. “Bye, Angel.” 

And just like that, the two Harringtons left, leaving you somewhat intrigued by the small family and the odd choice of nickname. 

…

The second time Steve saw you was the next week when he returned with Rory, old books in hand and eager to choose new ones. 

She seemed more excitable than usual and it was only confirmed when they entered the library, this time finding you in the reception seat instead of Orla. Steve barely had a chance to say a word before Rory raced over, turning to look at her father expectantly as she waited to be lifted. 

“Angel! Angel!” 

You lifted your head, catching a glimpse of the small child before you noticed Steve approaching the desk with a kind smile. You watched as he placed a small pile of books down before lifting his daughter, the signature Harrington smile on their faces. 

“No yelling in the library,” you said as a way of greeting, but neither of them seemed bothered by it. 

“Sorry!” Rory said, polite as ever even if her volume didn’t change. 

“Inside voices, sweetheart,” Steve chastised his daughter in a soft voice and the little girl nodded. 

You watched the interaction with a hint of curiosity as he kissed the top of the girl’s head before setting her down, letting her run off to the children’s section. He then reached into his back pocket, taking out his wallet and sliding out the small, plastic library card that he slid over the desk towards you. 

“Just giving these back,” he said as he somewhat awkwardly pushed the pile of books in your direction. 

“I assumed,” you said as you took the pile of books, your fingers tapping away on the computer as you began to enter his details into the system. 

“So, are you new here?” He asked in an attempt to fill the awkward silence. 

“To the town or the library?” You questioned, your eyes remaining on the screen. 

Steve’s brows furrowed together. “Both?” 

“Yes,” you stated simply and he found himself at a loss. 

“Angel is a cool name,” he tried again, watching the way you worked so mechanically, almost like you were a machine yourself.

“A shame it’s not my name,” you replied. 

Steve blinked. “It’s not?” 

“Your daughter seems to think otherwise,” you continued. “I guess that happens when young humans are incapable of reading name tags.” 

Almost instantly his eyes shot down to the name tag pinned to your black denim pinifer, taking a few seconds to read the name scribbled on the small tag before he mouthed your name, like he was testing it before he said it aloud. 

“I think Angel still fits,” he replied lamely when he realised he had fallen silent, and that you had finished checking the books back in as you slid his library card across the desk. 

“Do you have any books to check out?” You asked him in a somewhat monotonous voice. 

“Do you always avoid compliments?” He retorted, the question slipping past his lips before he could even stop himself. But the short answers bothered him in a way he couldn’t quite understand himself. 

“I didn’t realise my job description included maintaining mediocre small talk and aimless comments,” you stated and he knew you were right. He knew very well. But that didn’t stop the bitter taste left in his mouth as he was left grasping for a reply. 

Thankfully, Rory approached the desk moments later with two books in her hands and Steve’s thoughts were torn away from you. 

…

They saw you every week without fail at the library. However, it was over a month after that first interaction that Steve bumped into you outside of your workplace. 

It had been a long day at work—an unexpected double shift when Kevin never showed up and supposedly called in sick—which left Eddie swooping in to take Rory for a few hours before Steve picked her up from the trailer less than thirty minutes ago. 

It was coming up to eight o’clock and he knew Rory hadn’t eaten yet. He also knew it was quickly approaching her bedtime and he didn’t have a single clue what was left in the fridge back in the house, which meant an impromptu last minute grocery trip so he could grab the microwavable macaroni and cheese Rory liked. 

He was truly a candidate for father of the year.

“You sure you don’t wanna sit up here?” Steve asked the young girl as he pushed the trolley through the automatic doors at the entrance. “You love sitting up here.”

“I’m a big girl, daddy,” Rory huffed out, but she still gripped the edge of his jacket like he requested. “I can walk.” 

“If you get tired, just tell me, sunshine,” he said to her, knowing full well his daughter was as stubborn as they got.

Steve was fighting to keep his eyes open and his body moving as they wandered through the aisles of the grocery store, halfheartedly throwing things into the trolley that he vaguely remembered writing on the grocery list that was taped on the fridge. He was too stubborn himself to do two trips this week. If he forgot something, it would just have to wait until the next week. 

“Do you want the strawberry yoghurts or the kiwi ones?” Steve asked, his tired brain racking on which one his daughter preferred this week. “Rory?”

Steve blinked as he glanced down to where she was moments ago, only to see the spot next to him empty. It was like a shot of adrenaline was coursing through him as he glanced up and down the aisle, seeing no sign of the young girl. 

“Rory!” Steve called out, his voice a little more frantic as he abandoned the trolley and the yoghurts and began racing through the aisles they just left. The grocery store was by no means big, but in that moment it felt fucking massive. 

“Rory, where—” 

His sneakers screeched against the tile floor as he paused by the small bakery near the back of his store. There Rory was, standing there without a concern in the world, holding onto the edge of your dress like she did with him.

“Daddy! Look!” Rory cheered gleefully, unaware of the emotional distress her father had just been through. “Angel!”

“I…uh, I see that,” Steve’s chest was heaving as he walked towards you both, finally tearing his eyes away from his daughter when he was sure she was okay before looking at you. 

“You lost your small human,” you told him.

And maybe it was the adrenaline rush or the stress or the fact Steve was just downright fucking terrified up until a few moments ago, but he laughed. He laughed loudly. 

“Yeah,” he breathed out between chuckles. “I did.” 

There was a pause.

“Thank you for looking after her,” he added quickly, his cheeks flushing a light pink. 

Your eyes dropped down to the young girl who was still gripping your dress. “I didn’t really mean to,” you replied honestly. “She just seemed to…latch on.” 

“She used to be a runner,” Steve admitted sheepishly. 

“Admirable,” you commented with a nod. 

Steve cleared his throat a little, shifting his gaze back to his daughter as he held out his hand. “C’mon, sunshine, we should leave Angel to do her shopping.” 

But Rory just pouted. “I wanna stay with her.” 

“My cat doesn’t like kids,” you stated bluntly as you tried to take a step away from the young girl, but her grip held tight. 

“Kitty?” Rory’s eyes lit up. 

“Rory, honey,” Steve sighed and walked closer, kneeling down to gently pull her hands off your dress. “We gotta go.” 

Her bottom lip jutted out. “Daddy—” 

“M’sorry, sunshine, but we gotta head home,” he murmured in a softer voice, all too well aware of the way your eyes were watching the interaction closely. “It’s your bedtime soon.” 

“Story?” She asked hopefully. 

“Your favourite one,” he promised and she quickly threw herself into his arms, a small oomph leaving his lips upon impact. He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up effortlessly before he gave you a smile. “Thank you, once again. I know you said you did nothing but—”

“Message received, Steve,” you nodded. 

“Right,” he cleared his throat, already starting to take a few steps back to head back to whichever aisle he abandoned his trolley in. “Have a good night, Angel.” 

…

It was two weeks before Halloween when Steve came into the library alone, looking a little more dishevelled than you had ever seen him before. 

It wasn’t unusual for Steve to be a bit of a mess. He was twenty-odd years old and a single dad, it wasn’t like he had his life together at all times. Hell, not even half of the time. 

Sometimes it was just stained shirts when he didn’t have time to do laundry or mismatched shoes he didn’t pay attention to when he was running out of the house. 

But this was something different. 

His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was far messier than usual. There were dark circles under his eyes that made it look like he hadn’t had proper rest in days, and there was a weariness in his eyes that only a young, lost parent could ever really have. 

“You look shit,” you said as he shuffled towards the reception desk. 

Steve just gave you a sad smile. “Rory’s caught something from daycare, hasn’t stopped coughing or crying in days.” 

He was somewhat surprised by the way your brows furrowed in concern. 

“She’s sick?” 

Steve nodded. “All week. But she demanded new books so a friend is watching over her while I grab some.” He paused for a moment, his eyes widening in realisation. “Shit, I’m sorry, I forgot the other books back home and—“

“Steve,” you said his name, a little softer than your usual tone. “It’s fine. You can bring them next week, or whenever she’s better. I’ll let you off this time.” 

His lips twitched a little. “Going soft on me, Angel?” 

“Don’t flatter yourself,” you muttered but he could’ve sworn you smiled a little before your face returned to its usual expression of general disinterest. “Go and pick your books, Steve.” 

Steve only grinned before he disappeared off to the kids’ section of the library, flicking through the books as he racked his brain on which ones they had already read and which ones were new. 

You were still at the desk when he returned with a pile of seven books, a sheepish smile on his face. 

“I couldn’t decide,” he murmured as he placed the pile down. “Plus, she’s been wanting more stories.”

You glanced down at the pile, your eyes flickering across the spines as you read the titles before you frowned. “No.” 

Steve’s face fell. “No?” 

“She won’t like these,” you told him. 

His confusion only grew. “She won’t?” He repeated before shaking his head. How could you seriously know his daughter better than him?

You nodded your head towards the colourful board. “She’s given every princess book only two pumpkins,” you said as you pointed towards the themed reading chart the library had set up for the local kids. “She doesn’t like them.”

“She doesn’t?” He asked, sounding a little helpless. 

“She prefers the witch books,” you said and pointed towards the chart where Rory had given each of the books at least three pumpkins or more. 

“Oh.” 

You watched the way the crease between his brows deepened, his shoulders tense and the rest of him even tenser. He looked like he didn’t have a single clue what to do and he was starting to beat himself up for it. 

“I’ll give you a few,” you said eventually as you turned around, heading towards the small cart of books you had yet to reshelf. “I’ve been meaning to give them to Rory anyways.” 

“You have?” Steve asked, the surprise in his voice not hidden. Or at least, it wasn’t hidden well. 

“She has similar taste to me when I was her age,” you said as you placed a pile of around five books towards him. “That’s a good sign.” 

“I’m sure it is, Angel,” he murmured as he took the books, giving you a warm smile. “You’re quite the lady.” 

“Don’t you forget it, Steve,” you teased lightly, and he swore he saw another twitch of your lips. 

His eyes softened. “Thank you.” 

You simply nodded. “I’ll see you when she’s better, Steve.” 

And that was the closest thing to a proper goodbye he had ever received from you. 

…

When Rory was better, she came running into the library with a grin spread across her face and a themed Halloween headband pushing back her sandy brown hair. 

“Angel!” 

Steve opened his mouth, the words on the tip of his tongue. But you got there first. 

“Inside voices, Rory.” 

Rory blinked before flashing you a sheepish smile. “Sorry.” 

“You look better,” you noted, your eyes taking in the small child. Except for the paleness that remained even after one was sick, she looked mostly normal. And just as eager for the upcoming holiday than she was the last time you saw her. 

“I am better, Angel!” Rory grinned up at you, barely able to stand still as she did. “Halloween is this week!” 

“Is it?” You mused. “I had no idea.”

“It is! It is!” Rory clapped her hands together before turning to her father. “Tell her, Daddy!” 

Your attention turned to Steve for the first time since he entered, only to find the boy already staring at you with an unreadable expression painted across his face. You waited for him to say something but he never did. 

“Daddy!” Rory repeated, tugging on the edge of his jacket and he finally seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in. 

“Huh?” Steve looked down at his daughter before he looked at you, his cheeks flushed a light pink. “Oh, yeah, Halloween!” 

“Tell Angel how long, Daddy!” Rory insisted. 

“Oh,” Steve blinked before clearing his throat. “Uh, five—”

“Five days!” The young girl finished for him. 

Your lips twitched. “Well, now I know.” 

Steve only smiled sheepishly in response. 

Everything followed the same routine for their usual visits to the library. Steve placed the previous books on the counter, you signed them back in as Rory ran off to the children’s section to find some more to take out. Usually, Steve would stand by the desk and make aimless small talk with you that you always insisted was unnecessary, but always entertained regardless. However, when the youngest Harrington disappeared between the shelves, so too did the older one.

You tried not to let your curiosity peek.

Steve returned to the desk a few moments before Rory, holding his own pile of books that he placed on the desk, along with the three new stories his daughter wanted to take out. He watched the way your eyes scanned over the spines before your gaze met his, one eyebrow raised in question.

“New hobby?” You mused, and something in his chest warmed at the fact you essentially cracked a joke with him.

“No, uh,” he let out a nervous laugh, scratching the nape of his neck as he stared down at the pile of books with an odd expression—almost like they scared him. You think they genuinely did. “They are for me.” Pause. “To learn.” Another pause. “Rory wants to join the Hawkins Halloween Bake Sale and I can’t bake for shit.”

“Bad word, Daddy!” The young girl chirped as she skipped towards the desk, more books in hand that she wordlessly handed to her father.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Steve apologised with a sheepish expression.

“You can’t bake?” You questioned. 

“Daddy says it’s very hard,” Rory answered instead, nodding solemnly like she agreed with her father.

“It’s not,” you said with a snort, and the sound warmed something in Steve’s chest.

“It is,” he defended, shaking his head. “It’s witchcraft!”

“It’s baking, Steve,” you said in that almost-teasing voice that made his lips twitch upwards. “Not rocket science.”

“It may as well be,” the boy grumbled under his breath. 

“Can you help us, Angel?” Rory blurted out of nowhere, looking up at you with her big doe eyes that made it virtually impossible for anyone to say no to the young girl. 

Steve’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he turned to you, already shaking his head before he could even utter the words out. “Don’t listen to her, we can cope on our own—”

“Please?” Rory continued, jutting her bottom lip out until you felt something in your chest tighten at the sight. 

“When is the bake sale?” You asked, your eyes narrowing in question.

Steve said your name, uttered it out in a choked gasp but Rory continued to answer your questions. 

“Halloween!” She cheered gleefully.

“I can help you bake on Saturday,” you said with an earnest nod. “I have the day off.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Steve said in a softer voice, ignoring the happy cheers of his daughter beside him. “We don’t wanna bother you or—”

“You’re not bothering me,” you stated bluntly. “I want to help. I wouldn’t offer otherwise.”

“Oh,” he murmured before nodding. “You’re sure?”

“Certain.” 

Steve tried to bite back his smile. “Yeah, we’ll see you on Saturday then.”

…

The house was in shambles before you even arrived. 

Despite no actual baking having occurred, the Harrington household was chaotic since the family had woken earlier that morning. It took a solid five minutes after ringing the doorbell before Steve opened it, swinging the oak door open as his frazzled state gave you a confused smile. 

“You’re early,” he replied breathlessly. 

You raised your brows. “I’m actually on time.”

His eyes widened as he cursed under his breath. “You are?” His eyes glanced down at his watch. “Shit, you are.”

“Is this a bad time?” Your eyes glanced over his lack of t-shirt and sweatpants laying low on his hips. “You seem…unprepared.”

“Yes…no!” Steve quickly shook his head, running a hand through his head as he pushed his hair away from his face. “No, it’s just…Rory is just really excited to bake.” 

Excited was an understatement. Rory was practically bouncing off the walls, grabbing random ingredients from the cupboards and placing them around the house. Steve had spent most of the morning running after her, trying to put things back in the right place whilst also trying to keep his daughter in one place for longer than thirty seconds.

It was endearing, in a way. It was endearing to watch the way the father-daughter duo interacted, and the way they seemed to move like a practised routine. You watched them with a look of interest as Steve tied the small apron around Rory’s waist and placed the costume chef hat on her head before he even put a shirt on himself. 

To be fair, he still hadn’t put a shirt on. 

“So,” Steve clapped his hands and gave you a smile that matched his daughter’s excited one. “Where do we start?”

And when Steve Harrington told you he was hopeless at baking, you genuinely thought he was exaggerating. 

He was very much not exaggerating in the slightest.

“So, I add the salt now?”

“I—” You paused. “You think salt goes into cupcakes?”

He blinked. “They don’t?”

Rory snickered. 

Your lips twitched upwards as you budged him to the side with your hip. “Let me do the baking, Steve,” you said as you nodded towards the bowls on the other side of the counter. “Just mix the colours into the icing.” You paused. “And wear gloves unless you want stained hands.”

He grinned. “Aye aye, captain.”

It didn’t take long to mix the icing together. Rory had helped him, and it had been a little messier than intended but the young girl was giggling and smiling the whole time so neither of you had much issue with the matter. Rory settled on the counter, legs swinging off the edge as she watched you work, piping up with random questions here and there. 

And never once did you get annoyed with the young girl, staying as patient as ever. 

Steve watched with a fond smile on his face, head in his hand as he watched the interactions between you and his daughter. He allowed his chest to warm as his daughter smiled wider than he had ever seen. He allowed his stomach to flutter as you smiled back at her—not a twitch of the lips or the hint of a smile, but a full wide-lipped smile.

Eventually, Rory decided she wanted to run off to play with her dolls while the cupcakes baked and cooled before you could decorate them. You wordlessly began moving around the kitchen cleaning, and Steve didn’t say anything as he began helping. 

“Thank you, by the way,” Steve suddenly spoke up, sneaking a glance at you. 

Your brows furrowed slightly. “For the cupcakes? They aren’t made yet, they could still be—”

“No, not for that,” he shook his head, his hand pausing his movements of swiping the counter as he turned to face you. “For making Rory smile.”

“She’s a happy kid,” you retorted. “It’s not that difficult to make her happy.”

“Yeah but,” Steve paused before he shrugged his shoulders. “Just…sometimes I think I can’t give her stuff I wanna, you know? Like today, moments like those. She’s been robbed of them and I just wanted to say thank you for giving them to her.”

Your face softened, and it was almost scary to see if it didn’t make his heart speed up. “You’re a good father, Steve.”

He let out a nervous laugh, his gaze dropping to the tile floor of the kitchen. “It doesn’t always feel like it.”

You stepped closer and then one more until there was little distance between you. Steve was almost caught off-guard when you took his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers and squeezing softly. 

“You’re the best father you can be for Rory,” you murmured, your voice just above a whisper but it was loud and clear for him. “And that is more than enough.”

Steve swallowed harshly, trying to rid himself of the lump in the back of his throat. He blinked a few times as he tried to rid himself of the tears welling in his lash line before his gaze dropped to your lips. And he should have looked away. He knew he should have. But you were so close and all he would have had to do was tug you a little closer with your joined hands, to dip his head down for his lips to brush over yours and—

“CAN WE DECORATE THE CUPCAKES NOW?” 

You both jumped away from each other as Rory barreled through the door, clutching a pink teddy bear in her arms as she looked up at you and Steve expectantly. 

You cleared your throat, smiling a little as you nodded. “How about you check with me?”

Rory grinned. “Okay!”

But despite himself, Steve found himself staring at your lips far more than he cared to admit for the rest of the day.

…

“Happy Halloween!”

Steve knew you were working the morning shift at the library on the morning of Halloween. He hadn’t asked you, far too shy to face you properly when every time he looked at your face he imagined kissing you senseless. He chose to ask Orla instead, who gave him a smug smirk and a knowing look when he asked the question. 

He tried to tell himself that he was only asking because he knew Rory would want to show you her Halloween costume. He told himself he was doing a kind act for his daughter’s happiness, that he just wanted to see her smile. But in all honesty—and maybe it made him a bad father—a selfish part of Steve just wanted an excuse to see you when he had no real reason to.

“Happy Halloween, Rory—” However, you cut yourself short on her name when you peered over the desk to look at the younger girl. 

“Guess who I am?” Rory exclaimed excitedly, practically bouncing on her feet as she looked at you with eager eyes. 

Your eyes glanced over the little black denim pinafore dress she was wearing, taking in the black tights and black boots and black shirt underneath. You took in the costume rings she wore and what looked like messily applied black face paint on her lips. You took in the bright pink puffer jacket she was wearing over the costume, no double to battle the cold weather. You looked at her with such a fond expression, it always made Steve want to explode.

“Uh, a witch,” you guessed half-heartedly just to see the young girl squeal in response. 

“No, silly!” Rory laughed and shook her head. “I’m you! I’m Angel!”

Steve watched the way you tried to fight the grin growing on your face. “Really? Woah, Rory, your costume is amazing.”

“Daddy helped me,” Rory answered proudly. “He said I look scary!”

You raised your brows as you finally turned to glance at Steve who was watching the interaction with an unreadable expression. “Do you think I’m scary, Steve?” 

Steve shook his head. “That feels like a trick question.”

“It is.”

“Then I choose to not answer.” 

You gave him a small smile before you turned back to the younger girl. “Shouldn’t you be heading to the carnival?”

“Daddy says you would want to see my costume,” Rory told you.

Steve blanched. “Woah, hold on a second—”

“And he says he wants you to come with us to the carnival!” Rory continued before she looked up at you, eyes wide and her bottom lip jutted out.

You quirked an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

Steve let out a nervous laugh. “She’s a little confused—”

“I want you there too!” Rory added, the puppy dog eyes intensifying as you stared down at the same baby browns she shared with her father. “Please, Angel? I wanna show everyone who made the cupcakes!”

You opened your mouth to reply but Steve cut you off, a pink tint to his cheeks as he spoke. “Orla mentioned you finished at one,” he said with a knowing look. “We don’t mind waiting ten minutes while you clock out.”

“Someone would think you had planned this, Steve,” you said in that almost-teasing voice of yours.

He tried to ignore his pounding heart. “Maybe I did.” 

Your lips twitched upwards. “I’ll meet you both outside while I grab my stuff.”

Steve tried not to let the relief show on his face, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t as subtle as he played it off in his head considering the small snort you let out before you turned back to your work. 

He had tried to fight the mix of nerves and giddiness as he watched you walked down the library steps, offering to take the tray of cupcakes from his hold. But Steve just shook your head, telling you that you could be in charge of holding Rory’s hand instead before the three of you headed towards the town centre where the carnival was set. 

It felt domestic and familiar, something that Steve was not expecting but it didn’t really surprise him either. Even if he hadn’t realised, you had somehow wiggled your way into the unit he created with Rory since the day he found her on his doorstep. And maybe it should have scared him or threatened him in some way, shape or form. Maybe it should have stressed him that his perfect, little dynamic was changing. 

But it didn’t.

You didn’t.

Walking into the Hawkins’ Halloween Carnival with you holding his daughter’s hand and him holding the cupcakes the three of you made together felt as easy and simple as breathing air. It felt natural for him to take Rory’s hand after dropping the cupcakes off at the bake sale table, swinging her back and forth as you navigated through the stalls. It felt natural for the distance between you two to disappear after Rory ran off to play with some kids from kindergarten. 

“I’m surprised the other kids aren’t scared of her,” Steve joked in a lighthearted voice, lightly nudging your shoulder with his own. 

You scoffed. “She is far too chirpy to pull off the whole look.” 

“My girl is a lil’ ray of sunshine,” he commented, almost proudly like he was seconds away from puffing his chest over the remark. 

“It suits her,” you hummed as you nodded in agreement. “She matches her father well.”

Steve smirked a little as he snuck a glance at you. “You calling me a ray of sunshine, Angel?”

“I do have to give you a nickname in retaliation for the horrendous one you’ve given me,” you retorted, turning your head to look up at him. 

“Rory came up with that,” he defended before shrugging. “Plus, it suits you.”

“I don’t think many people would call me an angel,” you remarked in a blunt tone, because that much was true. The dark clothes and aesthetic tended to intimidate people, but the candid personality seemed to completely put them off. 

“They don’t know you like I do,” Steve countered back, his voice a little lower when he spoke. A little rougher too.

“And do you know me, Steve?” 

His eyes darkened. “Yeah, I think I know you pretty damn well, Angel.”

A few beats of silence passed between the two of you. And if either one of you were honest, it wasn’t a setting either of you particularly thrived in. A carnival in the centre of town where almost every Hawkins resident was present at. With kids screaming and families laughing and the sweet scent of cinnamon thick in the air around you. With so many eyes around and yet none focused on you, not that either of you would care to notice. Not when you and Steve were too locked in your own world. 

It was you who made the first move. 

It was you who reached out to grip the lapels of his jacket in your gloved hands, to tug him closer and destroy the remaining distance between you, to pull him down so you can press your lips against yours. 

But it was Steve who kept it going. It was Steve who wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you flush against his chest. It was Steve who let one hand tangle itself in your hair, keeping a hold on the back of your head as he kissed you like it was his last moments on earth. It was Steve who kissed you like the world was ending and these last few seconds in the middle of Hawkins’ Halloween Carnival would be the last few moments alive. 

It was you who had the balls to act first, but it was Steve who made it feel like the world was exploding in a million different colours around you.

“DADDY IS KISSING ANGEL! DADDY IS KISSING ANGEL!”

You could feel the curve of his smile against your lips before he pulled away, his cheeks flushed a pretty pink colour as he turned to look at Rory who was giggling and snickering at the pair of you. He heard a soft snort and turned back down to look at you, to memorise the amused smile plastered on your face as he kept his arms wrapped around your body. 

“What?” He questioned.

You shook your head, tilting your head up to look at him. “You still think you know me, Steve?”

His smile widened. “I think I’d like to get to know you a little more.” 

You could only let out a snort of laughter in response, and Steve was determined to hear it more often in his life, if it was the last thing he would do.

.

#steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington fic #steve harrington one shot #stranger things x reader #stranger things x you #stranger things x y/n #stranger things fic #stranger things one shot

[soubi122]

How Long? PT 8 - Finale

All, this was a rollercoaster of emotions - thank you so much for your support and patience with this series.

WARNINGS: Manipulation, mentions of pregnancy, pregnancy, fear, angst, anxiety, suggestive, mentions of death/murder, cheating, overall toxic behavior, destructive behavior, smut, fluff- if I missed anything in the warnings I'm sorry!

Homecoming

Arriving back home, you began to plan out your revenge. How could you make him hurt as much as he’s hurt you? Could you risk setting up one of his little sidechicks to clash with his pregnant mistress and make everything come crashing down. He had plenty to choose from. Like vultures they came in to see what scraps they could get after your death. It would be risky and you would need to ask Mikey for permission, with you being back in Tokyo - your life was no longer yours. 

The sound of his phone vibrating only made you even more annoyed. You were so close to smashing it against a wall but you stopped yourself, you couldn’t destroy your evidence. Without a moment to spare, you began to print his messages, pictures included. Ugh, it made you sick to your stomach having to read these things again. Seeing all the women he was messing with and worst of all - the bullshit ‘I love yous’ that he would say. I love you. Those words meant nothing to him, he oh so casually threw them around to these women. It was like throwing bread crumbs to pigeons. They were eating that shit up and not even second guessing it.

After about an hour of printing, taping papers to the wall and making a mess out of Mikey's living room - you decided to take a break. Sprawled out on the floor, you remained quiet and stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity. Your vision began to get blurry and the throbbing in your chest wouldn't cease. It got worse and worse with each passing second, you ended up curling up on the floor and crying your little heart out. Even though you already made up your mind, it was still hard to get over it. The betrayal, the lies, the pain, everything… It was hitting you all at once. Ran always found a way to break you. The echoes of your cries reached Mikey as he walked through the doorway. Without hesitation he bolted to where you were. “Angel? What hap…pened?” He paused and looked around his living room. The explicit content made him feel sick. Turning to look at you on the floor, he reached over to pick you up and cradled you in his arms. Your sobs and hiccups made a pang in his chest. He hated seeing you like this, you didn't deserve any of this. 

Softly speaking and leaning in to place a kiss on your forehead, Mikey asked you to explain. After spilling your heart out to him, he embraced you tighter and apologized to you. He should have stayed with you last night but already warned you not to leave the house again. “Manjiro…I feel like I never really knew him.” You cry and bury yourself in his chest. All his bullshit ended up swallowing you whole. “I don’t know who I fell in love with….” You say softly into his chest. The poison honied tone could have made Mikey set the world on fire for you. “We’ll figure this out.” He says softly and places a kiss on your forehead. A simple well placed hand on your belly made Manjiro bite the inside of his cheek, this gesture - did you really want…one? Would you want one with him or was this a breaking point for you? 

*meanwhile*

Ran and the others continued their plans on how to contain the hellfire that was unleashed amongst Bonten. The master of keeping tabs of everyone (Sanzu), was able to track down every single person who the pregnant woman was in touch with. Kokonoi traced all call records and texts between the woman and her contacts - all her information was at their fingertips. “Remember, this needs to be a covert operation.” Kakucho said before they began hunting down all of her contacts. Needless to say, Ran was in charge of silencing his mistress. 

On the way home, Ran’s hands began to tremble - he was letting this get the better of him. The thoughts racing inside his head were making it difficult to focus on the road ahead. His car’s center console alerted him of an incoming phone call. It made his stomach drop, speak of the devil. He thought to himself when he read the caller ID. Picking up the call and answering with a dry Hello, he waited for her squeaky little voice to say babe. It was silent, he got a little irritated and was about to call out again but the sound of someone breathing heavily and sniffles made his ears perk up. “(M/N)? Oi?! Can you hear me?” He yelled and pulled over to the side of the highway. “Ran… come home - now!” Her voice was full of panic and fear. “Shit… I'm almost there.” He said and sped down the highway. Ran couldn’t afford to have her think he didn’t care about her, not when she held so much leverage against him. But what could have her all shaken up?

When he finally made it home, he was surprised to see his pregnant mistress standing by the doorway. She had tears in her eyes and the moment she saw him, she threw herself into his arms, crying and stuttering over her words. “W-who could have d-done this?” She cried and clung to him. Ran’s head turned to look through the doorway and his stomach dropped. His home was a disaster. Broken glass, torn papers, clothes and various items scattered everywhere. Was there really someone stupid enough to try and rob/trash the home of a Bonten executive? To make matters worse, what if your pregnant mistress was there at the time this took place? They would have jeopardized his plan to silence her. “Stay here.” He instructed her and walked inside. Everything was in disarray, there was no place in his home that wasn’t fucked with. Walking inside his bedroom, he saw that all his belongings were either broken or torn. What really set him off was seeing his picture frame shattered - the proposal photo of you and him was shredded. He felt his blood boil. Something caught his eye, his baton was on the floor amongst the destroyed belongings. This was personal, this was done by someone who knew of where his momentous were hidden. There were only three people in the world that knew where he kept that thing. You, Rindou and his pregnant mistress. There was no way it was Rindou as he was with Ran the entire time, it sure as hell couldn’t have been you as you were taken by Mikey and were to remain hidden until all this blows over. The only person was…her. 

To make matters worse, she was always jealous of you and begged him to get rid of your photo - she couldn’t stand the sight of it. Jealousy on a woman was always an ugly thing to him. Even if he was the cause of it. Funny how he finds jealousy appalling and yet he had the gull to come at you like that back home. Ripping up the photo seemed like something she would do. Could it have been possible that she found out about your return? Rumors could have spread the moment Ran departed for Wakkanai. She always kept tabs with the underlings, so hearing that Ran disappeared after a mysterious revelation - it wouldn’t surprise him that she knew. All fingers pointed in her direction. Walking out of his penthouse, he kept a calm demeanor and only consoled his mistress. She was genuinely terrified but all he could see was red. Playing the victim and pretending to be innocent, it suited her. “Ran, could someone be after our baby?”  She cried pathetically, in his eyes. “No, no sweetheart - unless, you told everyone already about it?” He said in a low sweet tone, the number one rule in the underground was to keep your family affairs out of the picture. She stuttered and cried even louder. “I’m so sorry, I told a few friends! I was so excited and happy to become a mother.” She blurts out and pouts. They both knew that she fucked up, it puts not only the baby at risk but it also puts Ran at risk. 

“Let’s go back to the office, you’ll be safe there…” He said and pulled her in close, the fake affections were so perfect that she didn’t suspect the real danger she was in. He was trying his hardest not to choke the life out of her. The poor girl has no idea that the devil has other plans for her. 

Bringing her back to the office, he sat her down and was being sweet to her. Coddling her and comforting her, trying to ease her worries. He felt disgusted with himself. (oh how the tables have turned) Dealing with a pregnant woman was overwhelming for him, especially when it wasn’t someone he loved. With a seductive pout, she asked Ran for a kiss - he gave it to her. It tasted bitter to him as he closed his eyes. The lips he’s kissed often now felt foreign, they felt like sandpaper against his and he compared her to you. Thinking about how your lips were soft and plush, your sweet taste and the sound of your voice. You were everything to him, you controlled his heart and had a hold on him like no other - Ran lost himself in you and ended up deepening the kiss with his mistress. She wrapped her arms around his neck and proceeded to return his misguided affection. He put his hand against her belly and caressed it, remembering you on the airplane holding that child - it made his chest hurt. He wanted nothing more than for you to carry his child. To make him a father and give him a new reason to live. With a breathy moan, Ran spoke without thinking - “Fuck… I love you so much.” This made his mistress elated, “I love you too, Ran.” This continued for several minutes until Rindou walked through his office door, “What the hell happened?” It made Ran snap out of his delusion and realize who was in front of him. He felt his heart drop. He slowly pulled away from her, making it almost seem as if he’s saddened to go. The moment he walked out the door, he made a beeline towards the men’s bathroom and rinsed his mouth. Rindou trailed behind him and tore him a new one. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” He shoved Ran and pinned him against the wall by his collar. For Rindou to go against his elder brother, it was some serious shit. “Get your shit together and make your fucking choice!” He almost snarled at Ran. The younger Haitani couldn’t stand to see Ran in this pathetic state, he could see cracks in his brother's face and only prayed that he wouldn’t crumble. The realization of his actions hit Ran like a truck, he told her he loved her. He shared emotions meant for someone else. Rindou released his brother and told him to take a few minutes to breathe and focus on eliminating the current problem. Ran felt like vomiting, anguish was eating away at him and he couldn't hold it in. Confusion plagued his mind and didn’t know left from right. He proceeded to throw up and wished you were here to assuage him. He was losing his mind.

“Did anyone say anything when I left Tokyo?” Ran asked his brother, he was pensive. He needed to formulate some sort of plan before walking back into the office. The last thing he wanted was for his mistress to catch wind of the real reason as to why she was brought to headquarters. Rindou gave him the rundown of everything that happened while he was gone. Rumors were quick to spread but only the main 8 knew the actual truth of you being alive, Mikey was quick to apprehend those who were linked to the underling that brought Ran your photo. The one thing that they were able to confirm was that the underling was not alone when he came across your photo. Whether or not it was too late to confirm how much information was leaked, no one knew. Ran needed to be on his toes around his mistress.

After about fifteen minutes, he straightened up and headed back to his office. "Baby, is everything ok?" She asked him and was about to stand up but he stuck his hand out and gestured for her to remain seated. “Who did you tell exactly and who knows that you've been staying at my place? We need to know to make sure that you and the baby will be safe.” Ran's words were laced with concern and had a hint of warmth in them. Maybe with enough sweetness she'll fess up about the incident at his apartment. “Please…” Oh how his honeyed tone of voice makes all the women fall. Even you at some point. At first she was hesitant about speaking, she didn’t want him to kill her friends and back ups. She fiddled with her hands and pouted as she remained silent and kept her head down. “Is there something you’re hiding from me?” His tone was a little cold and she immediately raised her head in a panic. The look on her face reflected nothing but fear. Maybe she said something more about the pregnancy, something that he has yet to find out. “You know the type of enemies we have. Do you want them to kill our baby?”  He asked in a low tone. 

She began to squirm in her seat and sniffle, bingo… It was her turn to talk. “Ran, I swear I didn’t mean it. I just didn’t want you to deny our baby!” He didn’t flinch, he knew he was right about her and the incident involving his home. “Explain. Now…” His mistress cracked like an egg and began to explain to him about her potential blackmailing. Yes, she found out about his trip to Wakkanai and why. Her jealousy took it too far and she didn’t want her place to be taken again. “I didn’t think that anyone would betray me like this! I was scared you’d leave me. You’d leave me for a woman who looks like (Y/N)...I know you would.” With every word she spewed, Ran was feeling his fingers twitch, how could she be this stupid? The consequences of jeopardizing a Bonten member are dire - death would have been dealt by his own hands. “I’m begging you, please - stay with me. I will do better. I won’t be able to replace her, I know that but please… give our baby a chance.” His mistress was holding her belly and on her knees at this point, begging him to stay with her. It made Ran sick. 

He had no choice but to keep her close to him, though he could not overlook her destroying his home - he needed to pretend that he accepts her and the baby. “I’ll get us a new place to stay for now - you will need to remain there and do not leave that apartment no matter what. You painted a target on your back by announcing your pregnancy. You cannot trust anyone, do you understand?” Ran signed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Making the arrangements should have been simple but he had a lot to try and salvage from his home. 

He cleared this decision with Kokonoi, no one else was to know of her location. By the end of the night, he had already sent his mistress to the new apartment and got some of her things settled there. She was foolish enough to surrender her two phones to Ran in place of a new one that only had Bonten’s contact information on it. She pretty much sent her friends to an early grave - they were being executed for the right and wrong reasons. She had no idea of what Ran was really accusing her of. 

By the end of the next day, Ran had already cleared out his penthouse with the help of a cleanup crew and was still as blind as ever. He didn't notice his extra mobile device missing, either that or he figured that she destroyed it and it got tossed with the rest of his now useless belongings. The plan proceeded in full force, the hunt was on for all her contacts and Ran continued his act. Multiple calls were made to him about the incident at his apartment. Though the rest of the group was against shielding his mistress, they understood that it needed to be done until they eliminated all threats. “I understand, please - just don’t mention any of this to (Y/N).” Ran said over the phone as he stood in his empty penthouse. Memories of his past flooded his head… Seeing you dance across the kitchen as you cooked or when you cleaned, he wanted it back. Your sweet smile was all he used to look forward to when coming home. Now, he can't even look at you without feeling guilty about everything he's done. “I don't know how long you'll be able to keep her in the dark… But she will find out and when he does - you'll lose her.” Takeomi lectured Ran. Though he didn’t need to be reminded, he accepted Takeomi’s advice. 

Several days later, Bonten had already rounded up more than half of the mistress's contacts that knew about her pregnancy. The pile of corpses only made them much more fearsome than the authorities could handle. Under the guise of 'for our baby' excuse, Ran tried to keep her disconnected from the world. He didn't allow her to call anyone, message anyone or even reach out to anyone on social media. All her phone activity was monitored and any attempt to reach out to anyone other than Ran was alerted to Bonten headquarters. His mistress was getting restless from staying in the one bedroom apartment that Ran rarely visited. When he did visit, it was only for an hour or two, it was the obligatory check-in. When he noticed her disappointment, he would bring her flowers or snacks to try and keep her as complacent as possible. His mind was so focused on her that he felt as if he was forgetting something. 

“Ran, can we go out somewhere, please?” She pouted and wrapped her arms around him. Her belly was starting to get in the way of her pressing her whole body against him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea-” He began to respond but was cut off by her pouting even more and burying herself into his chest. “I feel like I’m going insane in this apartment.” Ran knew he had to keep her happy until the final contact was tracked down. With a heavy sigh, he agreed and let her decide where she wanted to go. She wanted something sweet and they decided to visit a crepe shop. That was the only thing she shared with you, your sweet tooth. 

*back at Mikey’s* 

“Angel, he thinks his mistress was the one who trashed his home. You’re kind of off the hook…” Mikey says and gives you a pat on the head as you remain seated on the couch. You smiled softly, but there was emptiness in your eyes. You wanted to go home already, you missed your cozy home, your cafe and the cool ocean air nipping at your cheeks in the morning. “Are you going to tell him that you know?” Mikey asked, snapping you out of your daze. You felt heat creep up your cheeks, you were angry, embarrassed and hurt. Overhearing about Ran hiding his mistress and giving her an apartment, you expected nothing and yet you were still disappointed with him. He hadn’t checked in with you since that day you left the office. Ran completely forgot about you, he didn't even bother using Mikey as a messenger between the two of you. 

The days spent at Mikey’s you either slept on the couch or in his bed. Manjiro would come home and carry you to bed if you were asleep on the couch. He'd take any opportunity to get close to you without making it too obvious. However, your little loungewear had him palming himself at night or locking himself away in another room, quietly relieving his tension. It felt like old times again but he refused to do anything that could make you uncomfortable. Sometimes all you need is a single spark to set plans in motion. If all goes the way it’s supposed to, he might not have a chance to tell you how he really feels. 

With a light kiss on your forehead, Mikey prepared to leave for the office and stood up. Kokonoi needed him to sign off on a few things and also review the ongoing situation with Ran. “Can I count on you to be here before midnight?” You ask and look up at him, your cute little doe eyes made Mikey almost lose his composure. How could an innocent gesture make his member throb and twitch? This angle looked rather lewd in his eyes. He felt his heart rate spike and his mouth was salivating. All he needed was to picture his cock in your mouth and - “Mikey?” You say his name and he comes back to reality. There was an intense look in his eyes. “Hmm? Yes?” He responds with a bit of shyness. “Is there something wrong?” Shaking his head no, he swipes his thumb on your lower lip and begins to head out the door. He left you dumbfounded and your heart skipped a beat. That look in his eyes was similar to that night, only this time you are sober to see through it and understand his hunger. 

A few hours after his leave, you began to get restless and peckish. Mikey didn’t really have a lot of food at home and you haven’t left his place since - you had no choice but to step out. Easily, you can order takeout but with the cloud looming over your head, you wanted to see if a walk could make it go away. Taking precautions as always, you wore Mikey’s baggy clothes, a face mask and a hoodie. The hood was over your head and helped cover your eyes, making it harder for people to see your face. I know I promised to stay inside but I feel like I’m losing my mind. It’s just like the first time. You think to yourself and walk out the door. Taking the longest and most relaxing walk down the streets, your mind started to feel at ease. Stopping by a small crepe shop, you ordered a snack and made your way to a park that had a beautiful pond in the center. It was the Shibuya botanical garden, there was no better place to come and relax, especially by the pond. It’s not the ocean but it’s still a beautiful view. Very few people were here during the weekday, it made it so much easier to just take in the sights and light earthy scent. 

The soft cool breeze had you inhaling deeply and exhaling in bliss. Your head almost felt fuzzy, it was serene and almost quiet. Closing your eyes, you lean back into the bench and just let go of your worries. Soon this would all be over, you could go home and go back to the life you left behind. You wanted nothing more than to sink your teeth into a sandwich and a hot cappuccino, your cafe’s pastries also crossed your mind and you felt homesick. Everything started to look rather clear, that is until - “Ran, look at this! It’s beautiful.” The familiar voice pierced your ears, you opened your eyes and sat up immediately. The voice was distant but close enough for you to hear, your eyes were darting around behind you and your heart began to pound inside your chest. You were praying that it was just your imagination. Soon the voice spoke again, “Look! It’s a family of ducks, they have a baby - just like we will soon.” Her tone was warm and full of love, she was happy. Turning to your left, you saw what you wished you didn’t. It was Ran and his pregnant mistress - they were at a distance but you recognized those purple strands anywhere. They were a few benches away from you. 

You felt your heart drop to your stomach. His right arm was wrapped around her and his left hand was caressing her belly. The sweet smiles on their faces felt like a slap to the face. Their conversation carried on as if the world revolved around them and there was no one else there. Try as you might, you couldn’t hold back the tears that stung your eyes. You were preparing to leave him, yes but you never imagined seeing him with her. Not like this, not like a beautiful loving couple expecting their first child. The fire burning inside your chest only made it hurt even more, it felt like he took a knife and stabbed you with it. You overhear him say, “I’m sure our baby will be just as beautiful.” He says and cups her face, bringing her into a tender kiss, making her back face you. He looked genuinely content and his body language suggested he made his decision. He was going to keep his mistress and the baby at his side. When he pulled away, he said something - something that plunged the knife even further into your chest. I love you. You didn’t have to hear it to know, the way his lips mouthed those words…it was as clear as day. 

Keeping your hood on, you removed the face mask so that your face could be seen. You wanted him to notice you. Standing up to walk in his direction, you looked straight at him and waited for your eyes to connect. Too lost in his own little charade, he didn’t notice you until it was too late, when he looked up - he froze. You just passed them and continued walking, the look in your eyes made him feel fear for the first time in his life. It was intense and it looked like everything was happening in slow motion. He felt a lump in his throat and his pulse quickened. He looked visibly distraught. “Ran? What’s wrong?” His mistress said and cupped his cheek. He felt his world tip on its axis and he felt as if he couldn’t breathe. There was no mending the threads that unraveled. 

His next move made your blood boil even more, he snatched your wrist and yanked it towards him. “Baby, wait!” His mistress was caught off guard with his actions, who the fuck was he calling baby? When she leaned to the side to see who he was talking to, her expression dropped - it’s as if she saw a ghost. “Y-you… you’re alive?” She stuttered and held her belly in a protective manner. Your eyes never left Ran, the fire in them was smoldering him and he had nowhere to hide from it. “T-This isn’t what you think!” The loud sound of a smack made his mistress flinch. “Fuck you Haitani…” You spat and pulled away from him. Twice he’s felt the sting of your hand and it never got any easier. “He’s all yours…congratulations.” You say coldly and turn to leave. Behind you, you could hear him taking a step forward only to stop when his mistress screams his name. 

He was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he leaves now, she will not hesitate to make calls or scream out for help and draw attention. Bonten was also on the line. If he stays, he loses you forever. The pain in his chest only made it harder as you continued to walk away. He never thought…well that’s the thing - he never thinks. He didn’t think he was going to get caught, not after being so close to rounding up all his mistresses contacts. He would have gotten rid of her and had you in his arms. A Haitani always gets what he wants but this time the gods put a stop to their reign of ignorance. Clenching his fists, he turns his back on you. He made the hardest choice in his life, a choice that severed your ties for good.

Immediately heading back to Mikey’s place, you packed up what you could and booked the first flight back home to Wakkanai. There were no second thoughts and you couldn’t take it anymore. You didn’t know if it was heartbreak or disappointment. You thanked the undergods that you were able to book the last flight of the day. The flight leaves in 5 hours, it was enough time to make it to the airport and through check out. You could feel your hands shaking as you made your way out the door and into a cab, the driver looked rather concerned. “Are you alright?” His soft tone made you bite back tears. “Oh, yes. It just feels bittersweet to go home.” You say and smile, trying to hide the maelstrom of emotions bubbling inside you. The ride carried on in silence. Looking out the window, you could only see those images flash in your mind. His arms around her and caressing her belly, you felt nauseous and disgusted with yourself. He made ‘love’ to you - he said he wanted a family with you when he already had started a family with another woman. Your head kept pounding and pounding, trying to massage your temples didn’t help - it felt like your skull was about to crack. “I know I’m not supposed to do this but, here. Please take this.” The driver says and hands you a small paper pouch. It was migraine medicine, the strong stuff too - this man was an angel. Taking the medication from between the slit in the divider - you thanked him and swallowed the pills. 

Once at the airport - you thanked him, paid and left him a hefty tip. What he said next made you pause, “Whatever you’re going through, I wish you the best. Just know you’re not alone.” It made you think about the one person who never failed you. Manjiro. You smiled and thanked him once more before walking away. 

At the counter, you present your ticket and finish the check in process. The moment you passed through airport security, you felt your phone vibrate - it was an unknown number. Ignoring it, you put your phone on airplane mode and sit in the waiting area until it’s time to board. Life really had it out for you, there were a few pregnant women or families with kids. Could it be any more obvious that life with a family would be impossible for you? After this, you didn’t want to open your heart again nor fall in love again. The taste of freedom was bitter.

Nothing echoed louder than the announcer calling out boarding numbers. It spooked you and made you jump, you were so lost in thought, that you weren’t really paying attention to your surroundings as much. You had to drown out the moms, the kids, the infants… it all made your skin crawl. Taking your place, you were grateful that you were placed all the way in the back and away from everyone. It wasn’t a full flight so your row was empty. When all lights dimmed, you laid your head back and felt your ears pop. The attendants would ask you every now and then if you needed anything as you looked dazed and your eyes were glossy. You would smile and respond softly, “Yes, I’m alright - it’s just an emotional homecoming.” It was a half truth but one that allowed you to keep the attendants from prying too much. 

The two hour flight felt like an eternity. While the plane was in taxi, you removed your phone from airplane mode - it stayed quiet for a total of 45 seconds before it kept buzzing non stop. The slew notifications wouldn’t stop, you were getting messages from Mikey and unknown numbers. You didn’t have the heart to open any of the messages, not at least until you got home - breaking down in public was not something you wanted. The cab ride was quick and quiet, the people on this side of the island kept to themselves. Stepping foot inside your home, you threw yourself on the couch and broke down. At this point, you didn’t know what you were crying for anymore. Was it over Ran, was it out of frustration, self pity or just everything all together? It felt like you had no more tears left after a good thirty minutes of crying. You were screaming into the couch pillows and clutching your chest. Nothing you did made sense anymore. Should you have gone to Bonten headquarters to tell Mikey? Should you have just stayed at his place until he came back and then asked for permission to leave? Would Ran have kept you waiting until it was too late? All the questions swirled inside your head and you felt like you were drowning. Your body was having a full blown panic attack when you looked at the messages from Mikey. Words could not describe his responses. His messages were as follows:

Thursday at 1236. From Manjiro: Did you book a flight back home?! The credit card pinged a large transaction with an airline. End.

Thursday at 1246. From Manjiro:  Where the hell are you? End. Thursday at 1301. From Manjiro: (Y/N), I’m begging you - pick up the damn phone. End. Thursday at 1305. From Manjiro: Angel, you need to tell me what’s going on. Please. End. Thursday at 1341. From Manjiro: I told you not to leave the house for a reason. Ran just came into the office with his pathetic heart in his hands. End. Thursday at 1403. From Manjiro: You should have come to me first… End. Thursday at 1459. From Manjiro: I know by the time you open these messages - you will probably already be home. Please, just call me when you can so that I know you’re alright. End.

Laying on that couch staring at the ceiling after your breakdown, your body felt numb. Your vision was coming in and out of focus, your hearing would fade in and out and your limbs felt like lead. Something inside you was screaming that you betrayed Manjiro. He trusted you and yet you didn’t even bother trying to confide in him. Everything was twisted and distorted in your eyes. Before you could even fade into the abyss, you heard your phone ping one more time. It was the unknown number and you didn’t even bother to open the messages - not until you looked closer at the phone number did you realize it was Ran’s phone number. The abyss swallowed you whole and you passed out on the couch - dropping the phone on the floor and could hear nothing more than your heart slowly beating. 

Morning came and the slivers of sunlight slowly crawled their way through your blinds. The sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks at a distance was like a lullaby that you couldn’t help but welcome. No more cars zooming and honking, no sirens and no people. Tokyo couldn’t compare to your little treasure cove. However, the realization of having to abandon this home came crashing down on you. Now that Ran knows where you are - what’s stopping him from coming here again? Hoping into the shower, you washed up and let the hot water cleanse your skin - almost burning away Ran’s touch. When the burn became too much, you stepped out and wrapped yourself in a towel - still dazed and confused. You didn’t know what you were doing anymore. Could you even afford to start over without Manjiro’s help? 

Walking into your bedroom, you stripped your bed of the sullied bedsheets. Ran’s cologne lingered in the sheets - fuck he stained anything he touched. When your bed had fresh sheets, you threw yourself face first into the mattress - his scent was gone. Reaching for your phone, you scroll to find Mikey’s name in your contacts and hesitate to call him. You were afraid of what he might say. You shut your eyes and tapped the call button and waited for him to answer. The lump in your throat was making it hard to swallow and you felt your hands tremble. It didn’t even take one ring before he picked up your call. “Angel?” His voice was as sweet as honey and you couldn’t help but feel tears prick your eyes. “Manjiro…I’m so sorry.” You sniffle and repeat your apology. “I’m sorry, I just-” He cut you off and spoke while keeping a sweet tone. “Can you explain everything to me after you open the door?” Huh? Your mind short circuited for a moment. “W-What?” You stutter your response and sit up. “I said open the door, (Y/N).” He chuckles and knocks on the door. The knock echoed in your ears and you ran to the door, swinging it open rather violently in disbelief.  

Standing on the other side was Manjiro. His soft smile made your knees weak and you dropped down, still in disbelief that he was standing here. You waited for three years for him to come see you and now he’s here. Though the circumstances could be better - he was here for you. Picking you up off the floor, he pulled you in and closed the door behind him. Burying your face into his chest, you sob and clutch his jacket. Between sobs you spoke, “Tell me this isn’t a dream…you’re here.” It felt too good to be true. When he pulled away to cup your face, you could see the pain in his eyes. “You left without saying anything…” He leaned in and brushed his lips against yours. His breath fanned your lips and he dove straight into them when you hiccuped. You began to walk backwards, guiding him towards your bedroom, there was fear inside you. You wanted to make sure that he was as far away from the door as possible, you were scared he’d leave.

He made Ran’s bitter taste go away. Plush lips continued to kiss you and ease your mind. He wasn’t upset nor reprimanding you. “Manjiro, I'm so sorry.” You cry and wipe the tears from your eyes. Admitting that you were out of line was hard, you were so angry that you couldn't see past his concern. In a way he felt that you might take his visit the wrong way and say that he was taking advantage of your damaged state. But you weren’t just damaged goods, you were human, a woman that deserved the world and more. If Ran couldn’t be man enough to tell you the truth about the pregnancy and ended up hurting you more than what he already has - maybe you would close your heart and no longer let anyone in. Mikey decided to risk it at all and depart Tokyo - he didn’t care how it looked to anyone else. Sanzu already knew, there was no hiding it from him anymore. Not when Manjiro asked Kokonoi to find him the next flight to Wakkanai. He gave no explanation when asked why he’s giving chase to someone who was meant to be already dead. However, he did tear Ran a new one before he left. 

You spoke and blurted out all the things that were ringing inside your head. “I flinched…I fucking flinched and he enjoyed every second seeing me squirm.” He let you continue your rant. “You must think I’m pathetic for allowing myself to falter not once, not twice but thrice.” He understood your position and also the risk you were taking when he gave the order to come back to Tokyo. However, he miscalculated Ran’s fuck up. The pregnancy threw everyone for a loop. “Leaving him was the best thing you could have done.” He tries to reassure you. No, Ran left you for a second time. He let you go, all you did was sit and wait patiently for him. “He’s a fool, even I could have told you that.” Mikey’s words rang true. He felt your body tense up and hiccup, you were crying. 

On the island, you thought things would have been different, that Ran would have changed - he was desperate enough to come find you. You thought it was out of love, but it wasn’t. He was only trying to convince you to love him again so that he could get even with you. His ego was bruised and he wanted nothing more than to put you in your place. You thought maybe, just maybe, that Ran would have at least lived a better life after your so-called death. Perhaps it would be a wake up call or something. Mikey gave you an update not long after you left for Wakkanai - Ran was distraught and hurting. Your death affected him more than you thought. All updates about Ran stopped after you begged Mikey not to talk about him anymore. Things just never worked in your favor. Stumbling upon his other women, the pregnancy and now his intimate moment with his mistress - you felt disgusting, you felt used and dirty. 

Looking up at him you realized that Manjiro gave you everything you ever wanted - love, affection, loyalty, sincerity and a sense of security. Not once has he ever given you a reason to distrust him or doubt your feelings for him. Even now, knowing that Ran claimed your body, he hasn’t left your side and hasn’t blamed you for being human. 

An overwhelming sense of longing and desire took over, making you guide Mikey to the edge of the bed, pushing him into it and straddling his lap. “A-angel…what are you-” He stuttered and couldn’t even finish asking his question when you cut him off by kissing him. Your tongue darted into his mouth and dominated him. He tried to get you to stop so that he could catch his breath, but you were making his mind go blank. It's as if you latched on to him for dear life and didn't want to let go. When he managed to get some space in between the two of you, you felt pain. Plaguing your very thoughts were images of Ran with other women, the woman who was expecting his child, the very moment he made love to you on Wakkanai… It burned. You wanted to get rid of Ran's touch and his memory, and there was only one way how. “...help me.” You whisper into his lips, breath shaky and heart pounding - your plea broke his heart. You were so desperate, you'd even sell your soul to the devil himself to get rid of Ran's memory. 

How could he deny your cry for help? Without hesitation, he rolled you over and devoured your neck - giving you open mouth kisses, bites and hickeys. No one else mattered at this point in time. If this is what you wanted then he will give it to you. Mikey sat up and looked into your eyes, the light was fading and he couldn't have that. “I’ll take care of you… I’ll love you and give you anything and everything…” He spoke with a bit of worry on his tongue. Your response would either make or break him, it was a confession. Taking in a deep breath and placing your hands over your heart you exhale slowly. “You’re the only one who can fix my heart, Manjiro.” Your words not only gave him the green light, but they also meant that you were giving yourself to him. 

Mikey removed your towel and drank in your nude figure, he ran his calloused hands on your chest relishing in the softness of your skin. Your body was heaven to him, you were beautiful and seeing you so vulnerable - he knew you needed him. His hands roughly rolled your nipple between his fingers, it made you mewl and screw your eyes shut. Your moans made his member throb uncontrollably, three years of waiting - it was too much. Dipping down to place his mouth on your nipple, he trailed his hand lower to your honeypot and into your wet folds. The warmth had him on cloud 9. Sucking and biting your nipple, he roughly massaged your clit and played with the slick that was pooling. Without warning, he thrusted two fingers in your core and made your back arch like a cat. His thick fingers were stretching you out and hitting that spongy spot that had you drooling like a whore in heat. 

“Mhn…Manjiro-fuck fuck!” You moan loudly and grip the back of his head. The silver stands were now tangled between your fingers, he enjoyed having you at his mercy. As your hips rolled into his touch, you felt him bite your nipple, the pain made your mind focus only on him. Your moans echoed in the bedroom and you could have sworn that the neighbors could hear you. The way your walls kept clenching around his digits, it only made him bite harder. Your plea to erase Ran from your skin, Manjiro took it literally. Soon, your chest was riddled in bitemarks. Withdrawing his fingers from your messy hole he turned you over on your stomach - leaning in, he slowly slid himself inside you. As he did, he bit down on your shoulder. The sensation made you moan into the pillows and clench the bed sheets. To feel you again, to have you beneath him, Mikey thought that he was about to blow his load when he bottomed out. 

“Ngh… I’ve missed you so much, angel-oh fuck…” He moans into your shoulder. His shaky breaths and tremble of his lips against your skin had you mesmerized and drowning in a maelstrom of emotions. With his hands on your hips, he raised them higher so that he could get a deeper angle and hit that sweet spot. His hips thrusted slow and deep, he was giving you every ounce of love that you deserved. To feel how passionate he was with you, there was no doubt in your mind that he truly loved and cared for you. More and more you felt your mind at peace, leaving Tokyo was the right thing to do. 

Mikey’s nails were digging into your hips and his feral grunts sounded like a sweet symphony to your ears. Heaven was knocking on your door the moment he thrusted his his cock into your fluttering walls. “Three years… Ngh-three fucking years… ahn…” He was almost whimpering as he spoke. “I've waited and waited-Mmm…” His thrusts were getting rougher and the pressure on your hips had you biting the pillow. Mikey's breath catches in throat as he feels you clench around his length. No one could hold a candle to you, you were everything and Ran gave it all up. “Manjiro!” You yell and moan into the pillow as he keeps hitting your sweet spots over and over again. “Y-you… Oh fuck…fuck…” He tries but he can't even form a sentence without stuttering or even cursing. This was beyond desire, this was love and devotion. His right hand searched for yours, lacing his fingers with yours and resting his forehead against your shoulder. This intimate moment meant more to Mikey than anything else in the world. 

The bed continued to creek non stop with each thrust that Mikey gave you. Your left hand was gripping the headboard, trying to keep it from slamming too hard into the wall and also to help brace yourself. His hips stuttered and he slowed his pace when he felt infinity beginning to claw its way out. When he pulled out, you felt your body shudder - his warmth made you feel alive and now it’s gone. Whimpering, you turn back to look at him and he’s panting. His lips are parted and his silver tresses are a mess, that endless void in his eyes began to show a glimmer of light. Sitting up on his knees Mikey rolled you over onto your back, raised your hips and lifted your leg over his shoulder. He slid his length between your folds teasingly and his hand traced circles on your bundle of nerves. Your body trembled when he put more pressure on your clit, that same hand pushed his cock through your entrance and made you raise your hips even more. Manjiro didn’t even need to tell you what to do next, you moved your hips closer - letting him sink in and gain more friction against your clit. He smirked. “Good girl…you want to cum, yeah?” You nodded and whimpered a yes. He controlled your hip movement and leaned back a little, causing you to lose friction on the part you wanted it the most. 

“M-Mikey…” You mewled and tried to sit up but his hand pressed you down into the mattress. He chuckled when you pouted. The look on your face was desperate, he enjoyed it - you were desperate for him, no one else but him. He tortured you just a little more before rolling over and placing you on top of him. The angle was beautiful, seeing you on top of him had his heart feeling full. “Make me cum too, (Y/N)...” Ohh that tone, it made your pulse race and your walls fluttered. Placing your trembling hands against his chest you began to bounce up and down his length at a slow pace. You could feel your thighs shake as he suddenly thrust upward as you came down, making you moan loudly - he was blurring your vision. Quickening your pace, you threw your head back and dragged his length through your velvet walls. Sounds of slick, moans and skin slapping echoed in that room - if you could make an NSFW ASMR video, this would be it. It all sounded so lewd and perfect. Feeling every vein, every throb and every twitch of his cock dragging inside you, you repeated his name over and over again.

Just when you thought you were going to float off into the abyss, Mikey reached for you - his hand was placed behind your neck and he pulled you in for a sloppy kiss. You paused for just a few seconds to try and catch your breath. He snatched the air out of your lungs when he dug his fingers into your hips and warned you. “I didn’t say stop…” Cupping his face, you lean into him and arch your back, the curved angle had his cock hitting that spongy spot with ease. His stomach was flexing with each move, Mikey was getting close - his raspy grunts were a clear indicator. Breathing him in you felt a high like you’ve never felt before. All you could think about was him. He made your mind go blank and pushed every other thought out of your head. Who were you crying about earlier? Whose lavender orbs were lingering in your thoughts? You couldn’t remember anymore.

Mikey held your body close, your clit was receiving so much friction that your thighs were starting to shake, “F-fuck…oh fuck…” You moan and close your eyes, floating off into the clouds as your orgasm crashes into you. The sensation had you going faster, to the point where he had to hold your hip in place or his cum would drip out. “Ahn, (Y/N)...” He moans and braces for his second - yes…his second orgasm. You were so caught up in Mikey’s scent and voice that you didn’t hear him say he was cumming the first time. It was already too late, your sheets were a complete mess by the time you both stopped moving. A mix of your juices and his thick cum stained the sheets. You were both left breathless and in a daze, this moment felt the closest to heaven than anything in the world.

These feelings were finally set free, he was the person who you wanted to be with, he was the person that made everything right and kept your heart at ease. Resting your head on his shoulder, you feel his heartbeat against yours. It sounded like a lullaby - one that you wouldn’t mind listening to for the rest of your life. This blissful moment came to an end when the sound of Manjiro’s going off made you both flinch. When he tried to move, you pinned him down and tears were beginning to prick your eyes again. You wanted him to just let it ring so that you could savor this just a little longer. Panting and coming down from your high, you leaned in to crash your lips on his, kissing him and devouring him.  “...stay.” You cry between each kiss. “Don’t leave…” For three years you waited for him to walk through that door and now that he’s here, you don’t want him to leave. You had absurd hopes, you are asking the head of Bonten to drop everything for you. Rolling you over so that you both were on your sides, he wrapped his arms around you and exhaled. His gesture told you everything you needed to know, he was leaving the next day - he only came here to see you one last time. 

“I know I can’t ask you to come back to Tokyo and I can’t ask you to wait for me…” He spoke and nuzzled his face against yours. Closing your eyes, you braced yourself - what was he going to say next?

*2 years later*

The sensation of someone touching your face woke you up from your nap. Dazed and confused, you open your eyes and see the culprit. Blonde tresses and dark eyes, yet their smile felt like the sun. Chubby little fingers were now poking your face and their face was now in your face. “M-ma…” Your one year old son babbles and smiles at you. “Akio…shouldn’t you be napping?” You say to your child as if he could understand you. Sitting up, you check the time and smile when you open the message notification. Picking up your kiddo, you get ready with them - shower and change. Going about your day, you caught up with errands and came home. It was already late afternoon, possibly around 17:30. In the kitchen you prepare to eat and feed the baby, midway into feeding and you hear the front door open. The sound of someone dropping luggage and footsteps coming closer makes your heart skip a beat, and finally… “Angel…I’m home.” The sound of Mikey’s voice echoed, you were just about to respond but baby Akio decided to respond for you by babbling loudly. He recognized the sound of his father’s voice. 

When Mikey walks into the kitchen his eyes soften, seeing the beautiful sight in front of him makes his heart melt. You were sitting with the baby on your lap and when your eyes met his - he came closer to plant a kiss on your lips. You feel the baby being lifted from your lap, Manjiro picks him up and embraces his son - that child is all Manjiro, hardly even looks like you. His first born, his pride and joy that he only gets to visit once every two months. “You better not be keeping your mom up at night kiddo, I’ll kick your little ass if you are.” He whispers loud enough for you to hear him. “Manjiro!” You say and laugh. 

Manjiro’s proposal was to relocate to Okinawa as there were more available flights and you’d still be able to start a new life. That night he came to visit you in Wakkanai - he stayed only for a day but planned your futures together. No, he couldn’t leave Boten and is still head of the organization but gets about 2 weeks of leave every two months. He promised you the world and he gave it to you. Well, the baby was a surprise but still - they were your world. The others kept their same duties and their distance. There was only one other person who checked in with you and that was Sanzu - he couldn’t help but be elated that he was an uncle. Not to mention that it’s his King’s heir… 

The bitter feelings with Ran settled, you no longer held any resentment for him. If anything you felt sympathy, it turned out that his mistress’s child wasn’t his. He went through all that only to find out that it’s another man’s child. The truth came to light 8 months after the child was born. The underlings began to point out the difference in appearance when the baby got a little older. It looked nothing like Ran or even Rindou. Once the paternity test was done and the results confirmed their suspicion - you can say that he had lost his shit and threw them out, baby and all. He was trying his best to be a better person, to do right at least by you - he knew you’d never forgive him for forsaking his blood. Karma had other plans for him. Now he’s much more careful with who he sleeps with. When the rest of Bonten found out about your relationship with Mikey, it broke him. He couldn’t wrap his head around the thought of you being with someone else, even if that person was his boss. He begged to see you, but was only given a single phone call. He broke down and bursted into tears, apologizing to you and he let everything out. From the beginning of your relationship to the bitter end - it was a weight that was lifted off his shoulders. This call put out the fires in each other’s hearts. No, you didn’t forgive him but you both came to terms with everything that happened. Now you were just strangers to each other, nothing more and nothing less. 

Throughout the evening, Manjiro spent time with his son - allowing you to also catch a break from being a mom. Preparing your son for bedtime, Mikey takes him to his room and you can hear Akio coo at Mikey. “P-pa…papapa” Fifteen minutes roll by as you wait in the living room for Mikey to come back. Laying back, you see him tiptoe back, he looks a little worn out - putting a baby to sleep is hard. Collapsing into your chest, he groans and wraps himself around you. “You ok daddy?” You ask playfully and stroke his hair. Nodding and burying himself deeper into your chest, he hums and says yes. “Everyday Akio looks more and more like you. Are you sure he’s my baby? It’s like you gave birth to him or cloned yourself.” You chuckle and continue to stroke his hair. Mikey sits up quickly and stares into your eyes with a serious look. Perhaps this was not the right thing to say knowing what happened to Ran. He leans slowly, you were a little worried until he placed a tender kiss on your lips. “Yeah? Wanna try again?”  He says and wiggles his eyebrows up and down, the mischievous smirk on his face hints at making another baby. ❤️

END

TAGS: @rinrinfoxy @mor-pheus @no-signal  @namelessnikki2 @gabi-moureira @spookys-s @slvtmeow @jinii-desu @mmmaaannnsssiii @3xchooo @kokotakeomi @no-name-jack @barriesandcrem @reidsmexyconverse @waterfallsdown @1980losersliveinme @gabytodd @simp4ren @fffsksixj @whatsonthemirror @jcrml @reiners-milkbiddies @unr-u-1y @bakugosgf2005  @whoisneth  @bluephoenix908  @asmosslut @laurenzitaa @uniqueeggtoast @arlertsbaby @ilivefortheleague @mytaiyakeylover @niko-ash @anxious-chick

#tokyo revengers #tokyorevengers #tokyo revengers smut #tr smut #ran haitani #bonten #bonten ran #manjiro sano #bonten mikey #how long series #how long part 8 #how long finale #ran angst #mikey angst #ran haitani angst #manjiro sano smut #manjiro sano fluff #tokyo revengers fanfic #series finale #series end #tokyo revengers agnst #tokyo revengers angst

[ghostkennedy]

I’ve recently been obsessed with your mothers day headcanons, and I was wondering if u could possibly go more in depth with ada and a pregnant reader 😭 this is so poorly worded

Mom Times Two

~Ada Wong x fem! Reader~

Word count: 991

Content warnings: pregnant reader, lowkey marriage, throwing up, pissing pants, body odor, body changes, stretch marks, craving non-food items, all the nasty and fun pregnancy stuff, brief mention of sex

!!!!!!!!!!MINORS DNI! THIS CONTENT IS FOR ADULTS!!!!!!!!!

What’s always drawn you towards Ada is her independence and confidence. She’s not an overly affectionate partner unless you or her are needing the extra attention. Sometimes your relationship seems more like a close friendship, but it’s just the way things go when you’re so comfortable with somebody. She doesn’t require constant attention, she’s secure with what you have. And your need for attention fluctuates a lot more than hers does.

Sometimes you need to be close to her, needing a surplus of reassurance and affection. And she always gave it to you without question. Other times you’re happy to smile and wave at her while you do your own things, content with this going on for weeks on end. The work she did required so much of her, not just her time but her mind. When she came home from a trip, exhaustion radiating from her, you showered her in love and comfort. 

You two had been married for a few years now, but not many people really knew about it. She preferred to keep her personal life just that, personal–private. She also wanted nothing more than to protect you from the knowledge and danger of her job. Knowledge itself is dangerous. She doesn’t want you to know the extent, the gore, of what she does. She doesn’t want people to know she has someone so important waiting for her. You’re her weak spot and people would take advantage of this without a second thought. In order to be with you, she has to hide you.

It took Ada a long time to come to terms with the idea of having children. She has absolutely no interest in carrying them or birthing them. If she has children, she wouldn’t trust just anybody to take care of them. If you wanted children, Ada insisted on you leaving your job so you could be home with them. You were mad about this at first, but deep down, you sort of craved domestication. She made more than enough to support you and any children you decided to have, and you really wanted to be a mom, badly–desperately.

That’s how you ended up where you are now, in the third trimester of pregnancy being a pretty stay at home wife waiting for your baby to be born. The first trimester was awful. Ada couldn’t go on any jobs because you genuinely couldn’t take care of yourself. Things got easier as you got to the second trimester and Ada was finally able to start working again. She knew she would be taking a lot of time off of work when the baby is born, so she’s been working extra while you’re still pregnant.

But when Ada is home? You don’t lift a finger. She’s always been super protective, but your pregnancy has awoken a nurturing side to her. She held your hair while you threw up all of the time and made grilled cheese for you every single day, it was the only food you could seem to keep down and even sometimes you still couldn’t. 

She doesn’t listen when you insist you’re fine and that you want to take care of her when she’s not working. Ada isn’t one for much relaxing, her body is always in go mode. Plus, she can feel her heart swoon as you try new hobbies to pass the time of your pregnancy. She’ll never admit it out loud, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see it.

When you decided to try painting, there were always canvases and paints stocked in the office. When you tried journaling and scrapbooking, she always picked up cool stickers and washi tape for you. When you were on a reading kick, she filled the shelves with books on your to be read list. And she listens so intently whenever you gush about what you’re working on. She’ll praise anything you create and ask questions about the book you’re currently reading.

Your belly and breasts have swollen up, stretch marks littering your expanding skin, and you’ve never looked more edible to her. She didn’t think she’d be so obsessed with your pregnant body, but she’ll agree to however many babies you want just so she can worship your body. You radiate like a fertility goddess and any time you ever try to initiate anything sexual, Ada jumps at the opportunity, unable to contain her lust for you. 

Nothing is too gross or awkward to Ada. She encourages you to overshare and go into the gross details of what pregnancy has done to you. When you threw up so hard that you couldn’t stop from pissing yourself, she comforted you and helped you get cleaned up. She assures you that your body odor hasn’t changed and that you’re just imagining that you smell like spoiling deli meat. She lets you rant about craving to eat styrofoam as she helps you find things to satisfy the need to eat that texture. She’ll never be weirded out by anything, she finds you so fascinating. 

She supports any decision you make for yourself and the baby since you’re the one growing the thing, which is also fascinating to her. Your body is growing a person’s vital organs and bones and skin and nervous system, you’re a magic woman. She advocates for you so hard. Whatever birth plan you want or class you want to take to prepare, she’s there and encouraging you.

She loves you and your growing baby so much it overwhelms her sometimes. She’s been more needy with you than she’s ever been, she always wants to be touching you and never wants you to leave her site. She’s hoping and praying your baby looks just like you, they’ll be utterly perfect just like you. This wasn’t what she pictured for her life, but it completes her. Something within her is fulfilled that she didn’t know existed. She’s the perfect partner and you’ll want for nothing. 

~masterlist~

#ada wong #ada wong x reader #ada wong x you #ada wong x y/n #resident evil #resident evil 2 #resident evil 4 #resident evil 6 #resident evil fanfiction #ada x reader #ada x you #ada x y/n #ada wong fanfic #ada wong fanfiction #wlw #ghostkennedy

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

I am very soft for dad shinichiro, what kind of dad will he be like? In the good timeline where everyone is alive of course (ya got supportive uncles from 1st gen black dragons and toman, and pretty aunties Emma, Hina and Senju 😭)

Oh i love dad Shinichiro!

First off he's a very supportive father, he absolutely adores his kids.

He wants to attend every school show/ concert/ meeting, literally everything. Will be the dad crying over how proud he is of his kids and cheering for them.

The walls in your house? Covered in taped up kids drawings. He just finds it so hard so say no when his kids hold up their drawings for him.

Tries to kidnap sneak your kids out of the house to take to work with him. He has major nostalgia for when Emma and Mikey used to watch him fix bikes.

Is somehow amazing with babies, the baby master. No one knows how he does it exactly but just hand him a crying baby and it will stop.

Loves to give the kids piggyback rides.

Purposely loses any games he plays with his kids.

For about a solid month after his oldest newborn came home he pretended to actually like nappy duty (he hated it but wanted to be supportive towards you so pretended to like it).

Shows his kids off to everyone "hey have you seen my baby!? Look at my baby!? We made that!" He's just excited and proud.

100% cried the first time he held any of his kids.

Is supportive towards his kids future careers but secretly hopes they'll want to work at the shop with him.

Definitely goes overboard with kids birthday parties (tbf Mikey, Emma and Izana absolutely spoil his kids with presents and he refuses to be outdone by them).

The camera is practically glued to his hands, he wants to capture every moment.

I could probably say a lot about the pregnancy stage but to keep it short, he was definitely the type to talk to his baby before they were born. Happily getting on his knees to whisper to his kid.

Has learnt to keep his food far away from his kids though (he thinks they'll try to steal it like Mikey did).

Loves to tell bedtime stories to his kids (ok they're actually based on his old gang adventures but he switches the more inappropriate things out.....after you told him to).

Actually isn't always the best at dressing his kids though, will accidentally put t shirts on backwards.

Loves having conversations with his kids before they can even talk. They'll just babble along at him using made up words and Shin will happily nod and act like it's the most interesting thing he's ever heard.

Is the master of coming up with fun games for the kids to play, can keep them entertained for hours.

If his kids ever don't want to wear their sun hats or anything else that they have to then Shinichiro will take them from them and simply put it on his head to try and convince them. (After a bunch of giggles it usually works).

And finally he just loves hugs from his kids, is very cuddly and will chase them around as the "cuddle monster" while they giggle and try to "escape" from him. No wonder they grow up to be just as cuddly as him.

#tokyo revengers #tokrev #tokyo rev #sano shinichiro #shinichiro sano #tokyo revengers spoilers

[dumbslxtclub]

you're on your own, kid | e.m - part twelve

eddie munson x singlemom!reader

summary: set after the events of season four, Steve has disappeared and is presumed dead in the upside down. broken and now left to deal with your pregnancy alone, Eddie takes it upon himself to support you to the best of his abilities in Steve’s absence.

chapter summary: as your relationship with eddie blossoms, the weight of truth reaches it's breaking point.

content warnings: fem!reader, adult language, adult themes, unplanned pregnancy, angst, hurt/comfort, some canon divergence/au, mentions of death, reader is 20, anxiety, heavy angst, fluff, no use of y/n, slow burn, brief mention of vomiting

word count: 10.8k+

a/n: some of this was inspired was inspired by the poem ‘i wish i were two dogs then i could play with me’ by anne carson. I apologise for the long absence, life has been crazy but I’m very proud of this chapter and I hope you enjoy! sorry in advance for the angst it’s about to get real. as always, shoutout to @dickfics69 for helping me xx

taglist: @lezzy-bennet @harrypotteranna23-blog  @reidstea @sashaphantomhive  @bexreadstoomuch @audhd-dragonaut @littlepotatobeansworld @ches-86  @tlclick73 @fckyeahlames @gnocchey @astrolockley @sidthedollface2 @micheledawn1975  @3rd-conchord @eddiesbabe95 @taintedcigs @harry-bowie-mercury @micheledawn1975​

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Part Twelve: Lovely To Sit Between Comfort and Chaos

Who knew scanning video tape barcodes could be so fun? An inherently arduous task made tolerable thanks to the warming weather, every monotonous motion laced with sun-soaked dopamine. The stale interior of Family Video is washed in a stream of sunlight, the clear sky leaving no interruption for the desired warmth.

The chill of winter has all but dissolved, the new season budding in blossoms dancing in lush trees and children without jackets in the park. But, beneath the surface, something more has begun mingling in your blood. Your veins are laced with the giddy joy of a new beginning, something fresh and exciting. Like the first pages of a good book, popping open a fresh bottle of wine. As with all beginnings, they have their own tonality, an addictive vibrancy that makes them so elusively special. Ebbing with firsts, ‘what ifs’ and unadulterated hope. Leaving you behind the store counter with a schoolgirl grin, completing the most mundane of tasks with enthusiasm. With every video returned into the system, another mountain forms as Robin returns to the front desk. She picks up the two latest additions from the pile, examining them with scrutiny.

“Woof. 9 ½ Weeks AND Body Heat? Someone had a big weekend.” She places them onto the steel rolling shelves, beginning to categorize the sections. Monotonous doesn’t even begin to describe the store’s activities, Robin falling especially victim to their dullness today. “Speaking of, did you get up to anything interesting?”

“Well, Audrey’s learnt how to chuck her bottles across the room. So I guess you could say things were pretty wild around my neck of the woods.”

“Guess I’ll cancel her pee-wee baseball lessons then.” She quips back, busying herself with the tapes. 

It’s a funny thing, dishonesty. How it sits on the roof of your stomach, digging its heels into your gut whenever it sees fit. You’ve elected not to tell Robin about your date with Eddie, nor your second kiss, for a myriad of reasons. As your closest friend, you understand that she is just looking out for you, protecting your vulnerable heartspace. With your connection to Eddie growing, complication is bound to follow. And in such a budding stage, it just doesn’t make sense to make a mountain out of a molehill. 

When you’d first approached her about your potential date with Andy, she’d responded in a similar manner, driven by protectiveness. But you knew, she could see an innate craving for something more than she could provide. It was only natural. Your new identity was tied to being a mother, full stop. It had been a long time since you felt wanted, attractive, desired. A longing to be wined and dined, treated like so much more than milk-providing breasts on legs. And she wanted you to get back out there, into the real world and away from your comfortable nest of motherhood. You are strong, Robin is well aware of this, fighting the urge to protect you and Audrey from the big bad world. Of course, hindsight is a funny thing, and she should have ripped Andy a new one before he had the chance to do anything stupid. To assume he was capable of being a decent human being for an evening was clearly expecting too much.

But with Eddie, it’s so different. Comfortable in ways you couldn’t articulate, you felt a sense of consistent safety you hadn’t experienced in a long time. Life has just become easier with him around, day to day tasks much more enjoyable in his company. And so, you’ve resolved to just dip your toes into the idea of it evolving into something more. It’s not so much lying as it is withholding the truth. 

With the final tape scanned in, you toss it onto the shelf, nearly bowling over Robin’s efforts in the process. She shoots you a warning glare before sighing, glancing melancholically at the clock.

“Ah, all that stands between me and a turkey sandwich is…” She picks up a video at random and glances down at it. “... Xanadu?! Oh my god-”

She drives the cart around the corner, cussing out the poor customer's choice in film. Smiling at her antics, you busy yourself tidying the cluttered desk. Taped to the monitor is a curated collection of film pictures Robin had Jonathan develop. The ultrasound photo still sits in prime position, with a copy of the hospital image below it. Another picture is tacked to the corner of the screen showing you and Robin cuddled up in bed with Audrey sandwiched between you, all in accidentally coordinating shades of blue. You remember that night, Eddie had dropped by after work and lost it laughing at the three of you perched in bed like the grandparents in Willy Wonka, quickly racing to the kitchen to retrieve Jonathan’s camera. Moments immortalized in stillness, energetic happiness radiating out of them.

So lost in the memory, you barely register the sound of the bell above the front door ringing.

“Late return charges got you grinning like that, sweetheart?” Averting your gaze, you watch as your babysitter of choice enters the store. Eddie shoots you a warm smile, one hand gently supporting the black carrier strapped to his chest. Audrey, pacifier in mouth, faces outwards with limbs dangling aimlessly in the confines of the holder. It’s hard to miss the small purple bow clipped to the crown of her head, something that was not part of her ensemble when you dressed her this morning. Like maneuvering his own personal puppet, Eddie picks up her limp wrist to wave it in your direction. The docile baby glances up at the metalhead with curiosity, seeking out the phantom manipulating her arm.

“I can’t rent you R-rated films with a minor present, I’m afraid.” You quip with a smile, pressing your palms into the counter.

“Shit.” Eddie points to the door, backtracking a step and glancing down at Audrey. “Let me just go and tie her up out front real quick, alright?”

“Please don’t tie my daughter up on the street like a dog.”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about her.” Eddie grins. “But maybe we should lock in that date before we break out the ropes and collars, hm?”

His comment immediately causes your cheeks to flush, suddenly feeling stifled in your sickly green vest. Images of compromising positions flood your mind, notably featuring the handcuffs strung up in Eddie’s bedroom. An awkward chuckle escapes your throat, Eddie’s smile faltering at the sight.

“I- I mean… fuck, oh-” His hands quickly fly to Audrey’s ears, protecting her from his cursing. “- just, pretend I never said that, okay?”

“Not a chance. You’re never living that one down, Munson.” Your melodious laughter sets Eddie free. “Where’ve you two been today?”

“Y’know, just all of her favorite places. Had to head into the shop to pick up my paycheck, the guys couldn’t get enough of her. ‘Specially Bob, or Ed, I forget- he’s been going on about her for weeks so I thought if she visited he might shut up about it.”

“Using my daughter as bait? Classy.”

“You know me all too well, sweetheart.” He’s quick to catch the pacifier as it tumbles out of Audrey’s mouth, her face screwing up in disgust while he tries to feed it back to her. “Oh, and she met a dog today. It was a beast of a thing, a Rottweiler or something. Don’t think I’ve ever seen her so excited, she grabbed its ears and everything. Thought it might bite her head off. It did lick her on the face though, but I suppose that’s good for her immune system.”

“Sounds like you two have been on quite an adventure.” With Audrey now within arms reach, you lean over the counter to give her a kiss on the forehead. Her eyes light up at the sight of you, giving Eddie enough time to quickly shove the pacifier back into her mouth.

“Speaking of which… what are the chances of you getting work off this Friday afternoon?” His voice is hushed, and laced with an edge of the cheekiness you’ve come to adore. With a quick survey around the shop, you inspect to make sure Robin is out of earshot.

“I think I could pull some strings.”

“Good, good. I might have something fun planned for us.” Eddie smiles sheepishly, readjusting the weight of the carrier. “And, as much as I hate to admit it, I think Henderson might finally be ready to go solo with Squid.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, I mean- I didn’t see anyone chewing on the electrical cords so that’s an A in my books.”

“Glad to see you’ve got high standards.” You tease, the grin on Eddie’s face only growing..

“I sure do.” 

-

Quick question, what the hell does one wear on a date? For your outing with Andy, Robin took charge of your wardrobe and crafted an outfit with complete ease. The stakes were lower, you suppose, not overly concerned with your appearance. But for today’s mystery date with Eddie, you’re finding yourself digging into the deepest crevices of your wardrobe for something that screams I’m trying, but not too hard. And, as fate would have it, nothing is jumping out at you. That shirt? Too old. These pants? Don’t fit anymore. Those socks? They’re Audrey’s, not sure how they got in here…

Huffing, you plant yourself on the floor in a nest of unacceptable garments. Your daughter sits peacefully in her bouncing recliner, gaze contently following your every move while she gums at her caterpillars antennae. Grabbing two half decent short-sleeve tops, you hold them up in the baby’s direction.

“What do you think, little miss?” Audrey continues her chomping assault, not at all interested in your predicament. You sigh, tossing the shirts into the pile of mediocrity. “God, it’s easy for you. You look cute in everything.”

Articulating your last word with a tickle, you drink in the way her mouth spreads into a toothless smile. She’s really beginning to grow into her own looks, her features forming beyond the universal blob baby look. Her hair is getting a slight wave to it, still comedically thick on her head. Pouty lips combined with her chubby cheeks give her maximum squishability factor. And as you look down at the mess of clothes covering the floor, you can’t help but cast your mind 16 years into the future. Rummaging through your daughter’s wardrobe in search of the perfect first date outfit, taking her to the mall just outside of town hunting down the dreamiest of prom dresses. It’s all racing by before your eyes. A spiral begins to form if you think about it for too long, so you quickly dedicate yourself to the task at hand.

In the end, you decide to keep it simple. A boxy button-up paired with some acid-wash mom jeans and a leather belt. Your hair is on its last legs before wash-day, so you elect to tame it with a bandana wrapped at the nape of your neck to hide the greasy mess. And Converse to complete the ensemble, because, you know, you don’t have all day. Your babysitter will be here any minute.

Dustin is smilier than usual, if that’s even possible. Grinning from ear to ear, watching you dart across the room with his hands on his hips. Making no effort to help you find your keys, but rather engaged watching your one-man Monty Python sketch.

“All ready for your big date?” The teenager articulates the last word with a suggestive raise of his eyebrows. It stops you in your tracks, shooting daggers his way and doing little to wipe his smile away. 

“For the last time, it’s not a date!” You lie through your teeth back to him. “I told you, we’re just going to hang out as friends. Adult friends. You know, without the presence of a baby.”

“Sure, sure. So, you got all glammed up for nothing?”

“Oh my god, I am not glammed up!” Glancing down at your outfit, you subtly worry that you may come off as trying too hard.

“I’m just saying…” Dustin throws his hands up defensively, the traces of a smile still playing on the corner of his mouth. “... you do look really nice, though.”

A humble grin makes itself known, abandoning your fruitless search to cross over to the younger boy. With figures like Steve and Eddie in his life, it’s easy to see where Dustin gets his chivalrous manners from. 

“Aw, thanks, Dusty.” Flinging your arms around his shoulders, you pull him in for a tight squeeze with the explicit purpose of embarrassing him. The teenager relents quickly, giving your back a firm pat as you hold him to you in a vice grip. Giggling at the way he squirms in your arms, you take a few wobbly steps to keep him locked into place.

Burrowing your face into his mess of curls, you allow yourself to indulge in the comfort of his embrace. He’s always been a cuddly kid, and perhaps you weren’t aware of how much you needed this until now. The pair of you stand there for a beat, allowing the moment to morph from playful teasing into genuine support. Two kids, sharing a history of pain, guilt and loss. Finding solace in one another, the older enveloping the younger and soothing whatever lingering ache burns beneath their collective sorrow. He misses Steve. God, how he misses him. 

It seeps through the pores of his fingertips, gently caressing your spine in small circles. As if, if you were to listen closely, beyond the dull hum of the refrigerator and the scattered bird calls outside, you could hear it. The tiniest voice, buried beneath unkempt curls, asking will it ever go away? And you both know the answer. It won’t, but you’ll learn to live with it. Together.

Biting back the swell of tears wetting your tongue, threatening to make themselves known, you refuse to crumble before him. Not today. Not on a day as happy as this. 

If it’s true that Eddie has little experience with dating, he sure as hell masks it well. With a handful of daisies clutched in his fist, he’s the epitome of confidence as he raps on your door three times. Claiming the flowers were for Audrey (and definitely not for you), he quickly shuts down Dustin’s insinuations before shuttling you out the front door to his chariot. He always opens the door for you, but the small gesture makes you giddy with girlish excitement. And as soon as he joins you in the dingy interior, positive the pair of you are out of Dustin’s prying eyeline, he leans over the center console to press a chaste kiss to your cheek. The brief contact causes your heart to skip, chapped lips meeting soft skin so casually it’s disarming. A calloused thumb brushing your chin, edging your face in the direction of him, drinking in every imperfection dancing across your skin in the fading afternoon light. Noses lingering inches from one another, wrinkles forming at the edges of his eyes preceding a Cheshire-cat grin.

“Ready for our next adventure?”

With a nod, clicking the gears into drive, the van rolls out of the sun-bathed trailer park and onto the winding roads out of town. It’s easy, the silence that exists between you while you tune out to the sound of whatever metal cassette is shoved into the car’s stereo. Pulling further and further out of the small town, away from the noise. The bustle of life, the judgemental whispers. To some unknown destination, where the two of you will be free to just be.

It comes into view around half an hour into the drive, sticking out like a sore thumb against the lush forest surrounding you. A kitschy, neglected sign with what appears to be a beaver toothily smiling down at you, waving its unoiled, mechanical arm at passers-by. Silly Putter Mini Golf. Pulling into the tiny parking lot, you study the loud canary yellow clubhouse building while Eddie clambours out of the driver’s side. It’s totally cheesy, down to the pathetically flickering lightbulb on the welcome sign. And you couldn’t love it more.

Swinging the passenger side door open, your date extends his ringed hand outward.

“Ready to get your putt on?”

With utmost ease, Eddie sinks the ball on his second shot. You could be mad at his seemingly god-given talent, but it’s hard to stay upset watching his hips sway like that in those dark jeans. Even at a children’s putt-putt course, he’s shown no interest in dressing more family friendly. Under your breath, you mutter praise to the inventor of muscle tank tops, now privy to the way his sinewy muscles flex with each stroke of the golf club. Occasionally, the handle of the club would clink against his wallet chain draped out of his pocket, drawing your attention back to his narrow hips. As far as you were concerned, you were a winner tonight, regardless of the scores.

“Yes! Gotta catch up, sweetheart. I’m beating you by…” He pulls the small scorecard out of his back pocket and grins. “... five points.”

Shooting a distrusting look in his direction, you pace to meet him on the prickly astroturf. 

“What?! I thought you said it was three?” 

Snatching the page away, Eddie holds it tauntingly above your head. He swings it around like a kite, mocking your stature while the only other family here passes by you with milkshakes in hand.

“That was before you hit the windmill twice on the last hole. Bit embarrassing, if you ask me.” He pokes, a shit-eating grin still plastered on his face. “Tell you what. You make this in less than two shots, I’ll call it even. Even throw in some fries afterwards, as a sign of good showmanship.”

A competitive energy charges through your body, a daring smirk playing on your face. Through your lashes, you challenge the metalhead’s smug demeanor, flirting with the notion of friendly competition.

“Deal.”

With a newly confident stride, you make your way to the fluorescent pink tee you’d picked out for yourself, placing the equally obnoxious green ball atop it. It’s a fairly easy set up, two small hills creating a valley that would lead you straight to the hole. A mechanical crocodile snaps out of the wall sporadically, directly in line to your goal, hinges chomping at nothing. You assume the stance, needing to bend over slightly to accommodate the child-sized putter you were gripping. The crocodile seems to be popping out every five seconds, and so you brace yourself until it begins its certain retreat. Drawing your putter back, you hear it click against the ball, knowing immediately you overshot it. The ball rolls over one of the bumps in the turf, into a direct line with the crocodiles elongated snout, sending it back in your direction with a pathetic tumble. 

“Shit.” You groan, attempting to tune out the smug laughter behind you. A tattooed arm comes into view over your left shoulder, pointing to the red flag sticking out of the ground.

“The holes over there, sweetheart.” Eddie quips matter-of-factly.

“Gee, thanks. What would I do without you?” Shooting daggers at your entirely too-smug date, you elbow him in the ribs before setting off in the direction of the ball. It seems your jab did little to quell Eddie’s laughter, who quickly catches up to you.

“Think you need to work on your form.”

“There’s a form needed for mini-golf?”

“Mhm, form I possess by the bucketful.” God, he’s a smug little shit sometimes.

Incredulous, you welcome his challenge with wide-open arms. “Alright then, genius. Enlighten me. Show me how it's done.”

Eyebrows disappearing into his messy bangs, Eddie’s doe eyes twinkle with boyish mischief, a prominent dimple playing deep into his cheek.

“Here.” Placing his hands on your shoulders, he maneuvers you in the direction of your goal, now partially obstructed by the protruding crocodile snout. “Line ‘er up.”

He angles himself around you, back pressed to abdomen, warmth emanating from the thin cotton of his shirt against yours. His feet shuffle to either side of yours, boxing you into his cradling hold. Snaking his bare arms along yours, starting at your elbow, each finger wrapping gently around the girth of your forearm. He lingers a moment too long, you don’t complain. Slowly working his way down to your wrists, locking his digits around the boney flesh. Breath on the nape of your neck, adrenaline pumping too fast for you to look anywhere but the lime-green golf ball at your feet. 

“That’s it…” His chest rumbles against your ribcage, coaxing vibrations of praise causing your fingertips to go numb. “Nice and gentle, okay?”

One slow nod is all you manage, feeling his gaze burning into your profile. You watch as the rusting reptile makes itself known against the fake grass, gaping jaws ready to foil your next putt. As it begins its retreat, you take a deep inhale, feeling your ribs expand against the comfort of Eddie’s sternum.

“Go.” Barely a whisper is required, his lips so close to your ear you can practically feel their plush sanctuary. In tandem, Eddie gently pulls your wrists sideways before encouraging you forward with perfect momentum. Metal meets plastic with a firm thud, propelling the ball forward. It rolls, and a collective breath is held. As if the future of the world hinges on this single stroke. Picking up sand and debris along the way, the bright sphere travels across the turf towards its goal. It hits the lip of the hole before tumbling in with a clatter, sending your arms skyward in celebration as you discard the putter.

“Yes!” Gleaming with joy, you spin on your heels to press a firm finger into Eddie’s chest. “In your smug, stupid face, Muns-”

Victory is swiftly cut short as an arm wraps around your hip, grip settling in the groove of your waist. You slot perfectly into the crook of his lean body, softness meeting strength entirely channeled into closing the gap between you. The sheer momentum of it knocks a sigh loose from your chest, clinging to the anchor of his chest with bunched fists entangled in his shirt. His free hand nestles beneath your chin, a firm thumb pressing and guiding your eyeline up to his. Eddie shines with pride. Smiling from ear to ear, shaking his head at your antics with pure amusement, feeling the contagion of your joy. 

Angling your chin slightly higher, Eddie presses his lips down onto yours with fervor. A blend of your two previous encounters, it’s passionate yet careful, a marriage of wanton desire and delicate care. You lean into it, drawing him closer by the cloth adorning his torso, chasing the taste of his kiss. As if to commit it to memory, to learn how it sits in your mouth and if the needy aftertaste ever dissipates. Muscles not just for decoration, but with the greater use of keeping you pressed intimately to his body. His thumb brushes against the groove of your jawline, dancing across the expanse of skin he is yet to be acquainted with. But there will be time for that later. Eddie is the one to pull away, a proud grin still plastered on his face.

“Good job, sweetheart. Ready for your prize?”

Food always tastes better when someone else is paying for it. The fries have the perfect crunch to them, the outer a golden brown against the fluffy white potato now filling your mouth rapidly. Eddie claims that they only came in a package deal with two cans of soda, but you have an inkling he may be lying about that. Your date watches as you shove the greasy food into your mouth, taking a long sip of his Coke.

“Looks like you’re enjoying your winnings over there.”

“Mmm-“ You mumble through a mouthful of starch. “Feels like there’s a birthday party in my mouth.”

Eddie’s brows furrow with amusement at your choice of words, shaking his mane of curls.

“Shit, actually, there’s something I don’t know about you. When is your birthday?”

Swallowing the thick mass of carbs, you slyly redirect your gaze to the quickly-emptying plastic basket before you, picking at a few deep-fried crumbs.

“Next week…” You pray to the heavens your admission was mumbled low enough for Eddie to catch it as some ambiguous month in the distant future. But it seems the years of heavy metal assaulting his ear drums has done little to subdue his sense of hearing.

“Next week?!” Theatrically, Eddie slams his soda down on the picnic table, likely taking off some of the tragic peeling paint in the process. He looks positively incredulous, brows raised to maximum height behind his bangs. “And you’ve been keeping this a secret, why?”

“I wasn’t keeping it a secret! I just didn’t think it was that big of a deal-“

“Not that big of a-“ Fingers splayed on the periwinkle blue wood, he braces himself forward with a deep inhale. “Sweetheart, now I’m gonna have to plan a big bash in less than a week. How could you do this to me?”

As if it’s the biggest inconvenience he’s ever encountered. Chuckling nervously, you wave your hands in a flurry before his deadpan expression.

“Oh no, absolutely not. Uh-uh, not happening.”

“But-”

“Eddie.” Your tone is firm, gaze boring into his. “I’m turning twenty, it’s not even an exciting number. Plus, I have a baby, in case you forgot. Not sure how many nightclubs would let the pair of us in. If it means that much to you, I’ll have you and some of the kids over for a movie. That’s my limit, though.”

Eddie huffs, resolving himself to defeat. “Fine. No strippers, then.”

“Oh, now that you mention strippers…” A grin takes over your face as you waggle a fry in his face, likely sending salt fragments onto Eddie’s shirt. Before you can bring it to your awaiting mouth, he swats the perfectly good fast food out of your hand, sending it catapulting to the ground for some poor, underpaid teenager to clean up later.

“Party in your mouth, huh?” He quips, stealing the larger of the two potato sticks stuck to the paper lining the basket. He pops it into his mouth with a grin, shooting you a suggestive look.

“You’re the worst.”

“I know.”

The energy between the two of you is so, so easy. You sip your cool soda, indulging in the sugary carbonation clinging to your teeth. Eddie does the same, studying a terribly constructed pyramid situated on one of the holes. No pressure to speak, or not speak, just basking in the glow of one another’s company. The air is cool under the downlights, a mild spring evening setting the scene for what a true date night should look like.

“I’ve gotta ask-” You begin through a mouthful of food, somewhat unceremoniously. “- how’d you get so good at mini golf? I just wouldn’t expect you to be the kind of guy to spend his free time at a place like this.”

“Ooft, judging a book by its cover, are we?” Eddie places his drink back on the picnic table, grinning beneath the fluorescent snack bar sign. 

“Oh, never. Heavy metal and putt-putt go hand in hand, as far as I’m concerned.”

Eddie shakes his head, grinning while he peers down at the condensation accumulating on the metal can.

“I, uh- I used to bring Dustin out here.”

“Dustin? Really?”

“Yep.” There’s a loaded silence between the pair of you, something that isn’t uncommon as you exchange stories of your past. “After, um- y’know, everything happened. He kind of… shut down. A bit like you did, for a while. Didn’t want to play DnD, or see anybody, really. So this one day, I just drove over to his place and dragged him out of bed saying ‘C’mon, butthead. I’m taking you outta town’. He kicked up a bit of a fuss, but I just sort of army-marched him out the front door. We drove around for a while, not really talking and stumbled on this place. He shot me that stupid grin of his for the first time in forever, so we came in. It sort of became a weekly thing after that, and I hate to admit that I actually enjoyed it after a while.”

Swirling a fry around in too much ketchup, your meal is all but forgotten as you find yourself enthralled by Eddie’s recollection. That all too familiar pang of sadness returns, regret manifesting quickly in your body. You wish you were there for Dustin. You should have been. You wish you were stronger earlier, able to provide him with the care he so desperately needed. In the past few months, you’ve watched the teenager really step up, busying himself with baby books in order to be the best ‘uncle’ he could be. He’s a close second behind Eddie when it comes to making Audrey smile, lapping up every second he gets with her. God, Steve would be so proud of him.

“He’s a good kid, even if he’s an annoying little shit sometimes. And Steve…” His thought trails off, running his finger around the edge of the soda can. “... Steve was good for him. Gave him someone to look up to, a role model sort-of. Almost like a big brother, I guess. So I didn’t mind running around a shitty mini-golf course with a creepy beaver sign if it made him happy.”

Abandoning your meal, you reach across the table to take Eddie’s hand in yours. The tips of his fingers are cold from the refrigerated beverage, and you wrap your palm around the icy skin with warm reassurance. 

“You’re a good man, Eddie.”

Eddie’s lips curve into the most imperceptible smile, humble and felt almost entirely inward. For a fleeting second, he wonders if that could be true. 

Eddie was meant to drive you straight home. The roads were quiet at this time of night, no traffic bar the occasional truck making its way in the opposite direction of the small town he unfortunately called home. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this full. Not literally, of course, given you guzzled down the majority of hot food before he had a chance to get to it. But it didn’t matter, not the slightest. 

He felt proud. 

Proud while he watched you dig through the bucket of tees, looking for the perfect Barbie pink one that wasn’t chipped or dirty. Proud of his excellent golfing form, thankful for all the practice he’d gotten through restless evenings with Henderson. Proud of the way you jumped up and down, hands raised to the heavens as you sank your shot in half the time it had taken you on every other hole. Proud of how he scooped you into his arms, like every cheesy rom-com he’d had the displeasure of watching. Proud of the part he had to play in your happiness. Proud to be seen with you.

He was meant to drive you straight home.

He had every intention of doing so. 

Satiated with pride, he could resolve to spend the remainder of his evening grinning stupidly to himself in the isolation of his room. The humble home across the trailer park suddenly feels closer, anyway. Until, your hand snaked its way across the center console onto his thigh, your touch feather light but the weight heavy. For a brief moment, he wonders if you reached for something but overshot, a simple mistake. And then, you linger. Fingernails scratching the course denim clinging to his legs, shockwaves sent down his skin with every delicate stroke. Absent-minded. Loaded.

He knew the stakes had just been raised.

The two of you had been close like this dozens of times before, particularly in your pregnancy. Eddie never saw the need for one of those pregnancy pillows advertised on late-night infomercials, when you apparently saw him as the perfect substitute. Back then, those exchanges meant almost nothing. A tiny back scratch here and there, drawing small circles on your forearm while you dozed off with your entire body weight pressed to his shoulder. Thoughtless interactions, designed purely to comfort and set you at ease. The familiarity that has perhaps always existed between the pair of you, now morphing into something new.

Thumb smoothing the faded-black material, tiny rotations etched over and over.

Hypnotic.

The bravery that overtook him was phantom, ghostly desire edging his knee ever so slightly further in your direction. As if to say please, don’t stop. I’m right here. His eyes remain firmly locked onto the dark road, using only the occasional streetlight to guide his path. Besides, he doesn’t need to look at you to feel your gaze on his cheek. Not that he could bring himself to, if he tried. He wonders if he blacked out earlier. Got hit in the head with a rogue club and passed out, ascending to a heaven in which he would be fortunate enough to experience such a sensation. Heart pounding in his chest, he lets out an unsteady exhale as your fingers snake deeper into the groove, caressing at more sensitive flesh. Inward, where the skin is far more sensitive. 

Eddie isn’t a greedy man.

Until he is.

“Baby…” The foreign pet name slips out as a moan, barely perceivable beneath the soft hum of the cassette’s tune filling the car at a low volume. Somehow, in those two syllables alone, he crosses a line. Bares his soul to the wolves, knowing well the potential ramifications, the bloodshed that follows vulnerability.

The digging of your fingernails into the meaty flesh at his utterance is his breaking point. The green light he sought out. With cautious fervourency, he pulls off the road quickly, wheels clattering along the asphalt excuse for a truck stop. The car is quickly clicked into park before the metalhead can cognise it, tearing the constricting seatbelt off his body. Your hand never leaves its spot.

Turning to you, wide-eyed with want, he pauses. Gives himself whiplash from the flurry of activity leading to the sudden stillness. It’s intrinsic, no need for words anymore. Redundant wastes of breath.

His lungs hitch, adrenaline pulsing in the tips of his fingers. 

Can we?

Lips parted ever so slightly, a rise of your chest and dazed fluttering of eyelids answers.

Yes.

It’s not clear who lunges first. What is clear is how your bodies instinctively shape around one another, quick to absolve the space between you. Lips collide with lips, desperately seeking respite. Wanton moans are pulled effortlessly, fistfuls of hair tangled in clammy fingers drawing the two of you impossibly close. Imperfect fumblings as shirts are clutched desperately, fueling the fire burning in the pits of Eddie’s stomach. The pace is entirely unsteady, soft brushes bleeding into firm tugs of teeth piercing tender flesh with just the right amount of force. Embarrassing, unadulterated need at the forefront of every motion, and neither of you cared. God, it’s almost perverse. How Eddie corrupts something so soft, so sweet, with every fevered kiss. Like he’s tainting you with his taste, as if he could lap enough of you up and absolve his unworthiness. The likelihood of that working is slim, but god damn Eddie is willing to try. 

It’s still not enough. 

The plastic console separating you is driving him mad. He needs to be able to grab, clutch, caress every square inch of you with no obstructions. You make him bold. 

Bold enough to slip his wandering hand beneath your far thigh, the smallest hithering motion enough to feel the weight shift above his palm. Unceremoniously, you clamber over the glove box after unclipping your seatbelt, haphazardly swinging your foot into the horn. The beep echoes through the isolated rest stop, a mumbled apology being quickly swallowed by Eddie’s lips. Blindly guided, he directs your knees to either side of his hips, showing no qualms with the limited driver’s side legroom. His hands find your hips, tentatively hovering above his lap, shaky thighs taking the brunt of your weight. With small, caressing circles of your hip bone, he soothes you as he always has. Encourages you to share the pressure, begging to be the bearer of it. No wrong answer, only whatever you’re comfortable with. Perfect the way you are. 

Ringed fingers press gently into the small of your waist, drawing you closer still to his body. This seems to encourage you to relent to your tiring muscles, finding solace on Eddie’s tense thighs. A safe distance, but so close to danger. To unbridled want. Neither of you care.

Eddie’s eyes flutter shut as you speckle kisses along his cheek, dancing down his jawline and finding sanctuary on his neck. Nipping slightly at his pulse point, he can’t help but squeeze a bit tighter. Relishing in your exploration, mentally mumbling Hail Mary’s for his good deeds from past lives that lead him to this euphoria. A gasp escapes his throat as you latch onto a particularly sensitive spot, causing his hands to seek refuge on the meat of your hips. He squeezes, eliciting a similar wanton moan that vibrates against his stubbled skin.

“Is- is this good?” A sentence loaded with various meanings tumbles out, his grip loosening slightly. 

“Mmm.” You murmur, tracing the familiar trail back along his jaw and to his aching lips. “So good. So good to me, always.”

A knot forms in the pit of Eddie’s stomach. So good. So good. For you. That’s all he’s ever wanted to be. It fucking underscores every day, trying to do right by you. Constantly trying. He lives for it. For the smiles, the exhales of safety, the reassurance, the comfort…

It’s gotten him more hooked than a drug ever could.

So why. 

Why can’t he accept it?

The praise, the love, everything you dish out effortlessly. But to want and to deserve are very different things, the latter being something that Eddie factually knows he is not entitled to. 

It returns, a tidal wave of despair crashing over his heart, encasing it in a riptide of emotional debris and darkness. The taunting ticking of the second hand that haunts him constantly, the grip on his happiness slipping…

“Hey.” He gasps out, ringed fingers grazing your cheek as he pulls away. So close still he can see the flushed-red outline of your lips, the blissed out expression in your eyes quickly morphing to concern.

“Shit, you okay?” You pull back, brushing a loose curl out of the frame of his face.

“Yeah, ‘m fine.” A stabilizing breath does little to quell the erratic beating of his heart. “Just- maybe we should, like, take things a bit slower? I- I just don’t want all this to be too much, too fast.”

Brows furrowing slightly, it’s hard to miss the minute disappointment reflected across your face.

“Oh. No, yeah, of course.” Letting out an awkward chuckle, your unoccupied hands take to fidgeting with your now-loose blouse. “Sorry, didn’t mean to get carried away…”

“No, no-” Eddie reassures, a smile growing on his sore lips despite the gnawing ache in his chest. “Fuck, you were- it was perfect.”

A bashful grin cuts through the nerves etched into your skin. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” God, you make him too bold. Cradling your chin between his thumb and forefinger, he dips forward to steal another miss from you. “Just want to do things right. Be a gentleman and all that.”

“You? A gentleman? Since when?” You poke.

“Since always.” The tone returns to easy as always, if not charged with a certain afterglow of electricity.

“So, what’s the next step in the courting ritual then?”

“Dunno. Guess I’ll have to pull off a grand gesture of some kind.”

Thursday afternoon, counting down the minutes until the clock strikes 5pm and frees you from this grind. Happy fucking birthday to you. 

Robin has been fussing over you non-stop for the past 24 hours. Apparently, a little birdie told her about your upcoming birthday (something you’d diligently kept private), sending her into a frenzy. She insisted on at least taking you out for dinner to celebrate your birthday at Benny’s, and practically stuffed her version of appropriate birthday attire into a duffle bag this morning for you to change into post-shift. In all her festive glory, she returned from her lunch break with a pink-frosting covered cupcake and tried to involve no less than three customers in a group rendition of Happy Birthday that was less than successful. And despite the unwarranted theatrics, you can’t deny your gratitude. Seeing how she dotes on you, dedicating her every movement that day to your happiness. And frankly, it’s not dissimilar to every other day. The love, the care that the two of you feel for eachother simply heightened for your first day of your twenties. Luck has never been a word you’d use to describe your life, but today, it feels fitting.

Keith has been goaded into closing the shop up solo tonight, Robin sparing no detail of the utmost importance to this diner dinner. She’d also arranged for Eddie to bring Audrey along, clocking in around 12 total hours of unpaid babysitting and a bushel of brownie points. Then, once the grown-ups have hung out, some of the younger kids will bike to the trailer park for a late-night movie. Spending the remaining hours of your birthday with everyone you love.

The small bathroom cubicle adjoining the workroom is cluttered with makeup and clothes, the two of you primping yourself in privacy. Tonight’s outfit of choice appears to be a band tee, tied at the waist with a flowing maxi-skirt, clashing in your mind but makes sense to Robin, apparently. To level the playing field, she dug out some of your nicer boots for the occasion. Internally, you worry for Audrey, and how it’ll be once Robin realizes she has two life-sized Barbie dolls to dress up. But secretly, you like it. It feels very you, whatever that means now. Comfort meets expression, an identity crafted beyond Mom.

Smiling at yourself through the rusty bathroom mirror, Robin swipes on her mascara.

“How do you feel? Older and wiser yet?” Robin asks, eyes bugged out in concentration.

“More of the former, I’d say.” You chuckle.

“What about the outfit? I felt pretty proud of it, very rocker-chic meets fairy princess.”

“It’s great, Rob. All of it.” Lips pursing together in an emotional smile, you drink in the image before you. You look your age. No dark circles or fine lines present, concealed under just the right amount of makeup. Hair just the way you like it, not confined to a three-day-old ponytail. You recognise her, from another life. The girl you used to be. And she’s so happy to see you.

Robin shoves the mascara tube into her tote bag, throwing it over her shoulder. “Ready to hit the road?”

With a nod, you hold the door open for her, the imposing fluorescents of the video store coming back into view. 

“Oh, nearly forgot. We’ve gotta make a pit stop along the way, if that’s alright with you?” Following her trail, the two of you burst out the front doors and into the brisk evening towards your Pinto.

“Sure.” You reply. “Just lead the way.”

“Robin, where the hell are we?” Glancing around one of the seedier streets of Hawkins, you shrug your handbag a little closer under your armpit and remind yourself that you did, in fact, lock your car. It’s fairly innocuous, an assortment of goods shops and a vintage record store, but you’ve never ventured this far into the heartland. Robin is a few paces before you, studying the signs of various closed businesses along the road. Her face lights up as you approach one particular building. 

“Bada-boom.” She announces with a proud grin, stopping in front of a large, black building. The paint is sun-faded, lined with scratched-off band posters graffitied with lewd scribbles. Against the dark sky, your only indication of the name etched into the doorway awning comes in the form of a passing car blaring its lights.

“The Hideout?” It rang a bell, yet you could not work out for the life of you what the two of you were doing here. “Dude, is this a nightclub? It’s a Thursday!”

“Not exactly…” Her brazen smile makes you slightly nervous. “More of a live music venue. I’ve just gotta pick something up from here, then we’ll be off to dinner. ‘Kay?”

“Alright, maybe I’ll just wait outside-” “No!” Robin quickly clears her throat. “I mean- I’m not leaving you out here on these mean street all alone without me to protect you.”

Shooting you a bright smile, you have to take at face value that she’s being entirely serious right now. Locking her arm through yours, she urges your unwilling feet further to the entrance.

“Is it even-” Answering your half-finished question, Robin pushes open the door to the venue, the interior pitch-black. “Are we even allowed to be here?”

“Yes, dingus! Just c’mon…” Once again, you’re placing literal blind faith into your closest friend. She might as well have tied Eddie’s bandana over your eyes as she did at Christmas, nothing but the slightly sticky floor beneath you to guide you forwards into oblivion. Her arm is your liferaft, swimming through pitch-black waters towards god knows what. In the distance, you hear a strange scuffling of feet, not belonging to either you or your co-worker. It sends chills down your spine, suddenly feeling very out of your depth. It’s disorienting, and totally alien.

“Seriously, Robin. Can we-” Your hushed tone is directed to the girl beside you, who stops in her tracks. You plant yourself beside her, the strangest feeling of being able to make a figure out through the void before you. A fleeting moment of movement, another shuffle of shoes on tacky wood ground. 

And in the flash of an eye, brightness burns your retinas, momentarily blinding you. It forces you to squint, a desperate attempt to identify these unfamiliar surroundings. A spotlight of sorts bears down on you before Robin quickly releases you from her vice grip and jumps to the side. But as one sense is returned, another is quickly abused, a raucous sound brutalizing your eardrums.

“Surprise!” Numerous voices call out at the top of their voices, unable to be individually dissected amongst the barrage of confetti poppers bursting into the sky. As your eyes grow accustomed to the warm spotlights around the venue, you make out familiar shapes. A mess of scruffy curls buried beneath a baseball cap. Two young boys with arms slung around one another jumping up and down, perfectly manicured bangs flinging haphazardly. The flash of a camera you’d borrowed months ago. There’s only a few of them, but their energy fills the space tenfold. 

And, at the center, you see a lean figure with a Kirk Hamlett haircut raise a squirming lump high above his head, not unlike a certain Disney movie that wouldn’t come out for another good eight or so years. Eddie, in what can only be described as his best cut-off band tee, proudly holds Audrey high above the group, her chunky legs bunched up to her body as she looks around entirely confused. As the last syllable of their celebration dies off, as if on cue, Audrey’s face screws up in a dramatic pout, a loud cry echoing through the venue at a volume the others only could hope to have achieved. Eddie’s face quickly transforms to worry, eyes squinting with embarrassment.

“Oh, fu-” Eddie quickly lowers her, cradling her head towards his collarbone. “Shit, didn’t mean to scare you, Squid.” 

Shushing her and pacing a step towards you, he bounces your baby from side to side. Her cries begin to lull, her fist tucked tightly at his clavicle for emotional support. Likely giving his neck a few scratches from her razor-sharp fingernails, she clings to the neckline of his shirt like a spider monkey, pulling it down with a subdued whimper and revealing one of his tattoos.

“Eddie? What-” You’re stunned. Shell-shocked from the sudden onslaught of sensation and attention, closing the space between you and the metalhead.

“How’s this for a grand gesture?” Spinning on his heel, Dustin rushes over to present a frosting-covered monstrosity on the bar. The icing is baby pink, with large globs that could be letters on top, with a handful of mismatched candles shoved into the floury concoction.

“Ta-da!” The younger boy grins, fixing one of the especially lop-sided candles. “Sorry it’s nothing special, I didn’t have much time to work on it…”

“You- you threw me a birthday party?” You ask, wide-eyed to Eddie.

“Ah-” He raises a finger, readjusting the subdued baby in his arms. “A surprise birthday party. In case you missed the keyword over the little hellraiser's scene-stealing cry.”

That familiar feeling returns. Overwhelmed by love and eyes solely on you. A small pile of presents sits on one of the bar tables, along with a few cards. Far more modest than the endowment you received from the group months earlier. Smiling faces, slightly tentative as they attempt to interpret your expression. But that thumping in your chest is not from anxiety this time. It’s from an overflowing sense of gratitude. 

A teary smile takes over your face, rushing to embrace Eddie and Audrey in a tight bear hug. The baby nestled between you burbles and squirms, and you raise your lips to the shell of Eddie’s ear to whisper a heartfelt “thank-you”.

The party is in full swing. Of the faces huddled in groups around the intimate venue, you initially only recognise half of them. Mike, Lucas and Will order root beer from the bar under Eddie’s strict supervision, not wanting any wasted minors on his track record. Dustin and Erica are engaged in a heated conversation with a few older boys, each of them wearing shirts printed with the name Corroded Coffin. You’d only crossed paths with them a handful of times at campaign nights, but they shared Eddie’s welcoming nature, trying to involve you in their conversation about elves or something. Nancy and Robin were trying to liven up the dance floor, which mostly involved Nancy swaying to the beat and Robin putting on a full-scale musical number around her. With Audrey not in the arms of any of her allocated babysitter’s arms, there was only one place left to search. Jonathan was taking a picture of the group in the adjacent booth, El and Max grinning either side of an unfamiliar face. His long, dark hair proved most entertaining for the infant on his lap, a glazed-over expression dancing in his red-rimmed eyes. 

“Woah, woah! That’s not for playing with, little dudette. Try this instead, I know it keeps me entertained.” From his Hawaiian shirt pocket, he pulls out a small set of keys, passing them to Audrey’s greedy fingers. She squeals, flinging the keys up and down in delight.

“God, she’s so cute.” El gushes, smoothing her pint-sized overalls over her legs.

“I know, right. She looks so much like Steve, it’s insane.” Max affirms. “Alright, Argyle. Quit hogging her.”

The redhead scoops her hands around Audrey’s waist, bringing her up to eye level with a cooing expression. 

“You know they’re born without kneecaps? How gnarly is that?” Argyle states, turning to El with complete sincerity.

“No way that’s true.” Max shoots the older boy a signature dead-pan look, readjusting Audrey in her arms, who is now getting a good amount of drool on the keychain.

“Swear on my life! I read it somewhere, they’re born without propellers.”

“You mean patellas?” El corrects.

“Yeah, that’s the one! Or maybe it’s dogs I’m thinking of…”

It’s beautiful, watching over your own party as a voyeur. An event that has brought together all of the closest people in your life, the common thread being you. It makes you sick with love.

“How’re you enjoying the event, sweetheart?” Eddie’s voice reaches you before he does, a glass of tan-colored liquid in hand.

“It’s perfect, really.” You reply with a grin. “All that’s missing are the Jell-o shots.”

“Gonna treat us to another Flashdance number?” Cheeks flushing over his statement, you stammer a response.

“How- how did you…”

“Don’t think I’d forget a spectacle like that.” He winks, a devilish grin spread across his lips. “Livened up that night’s dealings, that’s for sure.”

It’s strange, remembering a time before this. A time when Eddie was just a face in the crowd, Steve the undisputed King of Hawkins, and you with no clue what the coming years held in store. It feels like a lifetime ago, and simultaneously feels like an eternity you’ve spent with this eclectic family by your side.

“Getting on the beers tonight, Munson?” You tap a nail against the edge of his glass teasingly.

“Nah, confiscated Henderson’s root beer for my own selfish purposes.”

“You’re not gonna have a celebratory drink with me tonight?” Eddie shakes his head.

“Don’t think so, sweetheart. Sounds a bit cliche, but I feel weird drinking around Squid. Just don’t want to be the kind of guy who does that around a baby, makes me feel like my dad or something.”

You swear your heart swells to three times its normal size. He might be the most considerate man you’ve ever met.

“Besides…” Eddie continues, pointing to the Hellfire boys. “... don’t want to be a mess on stage for the grand finale of the night.”

You gasp, mock excitement written all over your expression. “Strippers?!”

Eddie shakes his head with a laugh, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

“Maybe later, if you ask nicely.”

He did it.

Eddie pulled it off. From the house-shaking rendition of Happy Birthday, to the (in his humble opinion) absolutely killer set courtesy of Corroded Coffin, to shuttling the younger kids home before the bar opened to the public. He fucking did it. He did good.

The dingy bar is now filled with the usual patrons, the bouncers not bothering to check the ID’s of the occupants inside who could pass for being over 21. Last he saw you, you were dancing arm in arm with Robin and Nancy, screaming Everybody Wants to Rule The World at the top of your lungs. He’d never seen you so free, so vibrant. Moving like no one was watching, twirling and laughing and holding your friends. Just as you deserved to be. A twenty-year-old for one night, before another 364 days devoted to being a mom.

The cool breeze is welcoming, soothing his warm skin under the clear night sky. Stars swimming in the endless expanse of night, delicate kisses of light kissing the pitch-black veil. He can breathe. It used to be suffocating, looking up at the infinite nothing. It would clog Eddie’s throat, choking him in bleak nothingness. Wrap him in a coat of terror, a black mirror designed to play back every fateful mistake of his miserable life. Now, it welcomes him. And he isn’t afraid to embrace it. Baby steps, learning to love the dark parts of his being.

In his arms, he rocks Squid back and forth gently. She’s long since dozed off, the burden of being the life of the party clearly hung too heavy on her tiny shoulders. On her ears sit the smallest fluffy earmuffs, an investment courtesy of Dustin just for tonight. She was the best little groupie he could have asked for. At one point, Robin brought her onstage and placed her feet on the ground, bopping her up and down to the music. The crowd roared, and she giggled and squealed like she was the headliner act. Might have shown the band up, honestly. Eddie didn’t mind.

He’s getting better at stealing moments with her. Giving into his need to dote on her unabashedly. He could stare at her for a lifetime, and that wouldn’t be enough. He needs to imprint in his mind the way her eyelids flutter when she sleeps, commit to memory the O-shape of her mouth when she lets out a sleepy yawn. He wants to record her laugh, keep it forever. He wants every waking second to be dedicated to her.

“Have a good night, Squid?” He mumbles, lightly stroking the bridge of her nose. “Not bad for your first party, eh? Just you wait until your birthday. All of this will look like child’s play.”

Squid wriggles restlessly, burrowing into Eddie’s chest. Against his sternum, he can feel the rhythmic rise and fall of her breath, the tiny grunts of sleep deep in her lungs. It makes him grin like a mad-man.

“Y’know, I’m gonna let you in on a secret.” He readjusts her carefully in his arms, hushing his tone slightly. “I think- I think you and your mom are the best things that have ever happened to me.”

His words hang heavy in the still air, the empty alleyway the only recipient to his confession.

“Can you believe I was scared of you? Of these tiny hands-” He tickles her palm with his pointer finger, the baby clasping around it instinctually with unbridled strength. “- and these little feet. God, I’m pretty stupid, aren’t I? You can tell me, I won’t be offended. But, I’ll tell you something, just between you and me. There are much scarier things out there. And I’m not talking about monsters or alternate dimensions, although I do promise to protect you from that, cross my heart.” He raises his free hand to his heart, as if the sleeping infant would know any different.

“In this big, bad world, I think the scariest thing is to be alone. And I’m gonna make sure you never feel that way, if I can help it.”

Eddie is rambling, word vomit spilling past his lips faster than he can contain it. No scapegoat of weed or alcohol to blame his honesty on. He gently rocks Squid back and forth, the motion soothing both of them. 

“Y’know, I know you’re not mine. But-” Teeth bite down on the inside of his cheek, fingers pulling down her overalls. “- I dunno, it kinda feels like you’re mine in my heart.”

With a deep exhale, Eddie allows his honesty to wash over him in all its brutal glory. Knee-buckingly raw, and he leans into it, for once. Allows the love to pump through his veins with every beat of his cynical heart, waking up parts of him he thought were gone for good. But the moment of solitude doesn’t last long before Robin comes barreling out of the back door, almost crashing into the nearby trash cans.

“Shit, sorry. Did I wake her?” She apologizes, sloshing her half-finished gin and tonic onto the pavement.

“Nah, you’re in luck. Squid’s out like a light.” He pulls out another milk crate, beckoning the tipsy liability over. “Having fun in there?”

“Yeah, yeah- I am.” It’s a half thought, words dancing on the tip of her tongue not ready to be spoken yet. “The kids get home alright?”

“Eventually, had to drag most of them out by the end. Henderson wanted to hide in the bathroom and then ‘blend in with the older crowd’.”

“Wonder where he learnt that one from.” Robin smiles, nudging the metalhead.

“Hey, don’t look at me. Wasn’t my doing, for once…”

“Mmm…” She replies, taking a swig of her mixed spirit. Staring down at the lime slice, she swishes the glass around as if deep in thought. Glazed eyes laced with melancholy, radiating off her being.

“Something on your mind?” Eddie asks, angling his body more in her direction.

Robin’s mouth screws up as if she’s tasted something bitter, unable to bring her gaze to meet the man before her. But he doesn’t need to look her in the eyes to see the tears swelling on her waterline, quivering with her next sentence. 

“We have to tell her…” Her voice is barely louder than a whisper, suppressed anxiety trickling in with every syllable. 

Eddie feels his blood run cold, the familiar pang of dread hanging low in his stomach. He shakes his head defiantly.

“Not tonight, Rob. Please…” The plea is firm, fraying at the edges. Not ready to face the inevitable.

“No, no. Not tonight, but it needs to be soon.”

“Can we please not do this right now?” Eddie doesn’t mean to be so forceful with his words, but fear is a powerful thing. It poisons his blood, pushed further through his system with every erratic beat of his heart.

Robin’s eyes continue to well up with stinging tears, her grip on the glass tightening. “The guilt is eating me alive, Eddie. I just… I don’t know how to do it.”

Eddie sighs, desperate to keep what little control he possesses. 

“We need to do it the right way, got it? You, me, Henderson and her. We can all sit down and…” Robin runs her hand through her hair with exasperation at Eddie’s suggestion. Even the gentlest of options sounds like a monumental task. “Just give it a bit more time…”

“There is no more time!” She retorts, her volume loud enough for her to quickly glance down at the sleeping baby to make sure she didn’t wake her.

Eddie stands up, readjusting Squid in his arms. He’s doing his best to stay calm, and not let the inevitable spiral begin, a fruitless battle. “I’m not doing this right now, okay?”

The liquid courage is working wonders on Robin right now, standing up to face the metalhead eye-to-eye. “Don’t act like you don’t feel the same way, Eddie. You know as well as I do that she has a right to know.”

Eddie’s mouth is open and ready to voice another stern reply, when it’s interrupted by a meek voice behind him. The soft tone does little to soothe the ache growing in his abdomen, not daring to look over his shoulder at the source. 

“I have a right to know what?”

Haze. 

Disorder. 

Stumbling your way through the overbearing smog flooding your consciousness. Gripping to the worn sofa in your living room like it’s a buoy, the only thing grounding you in painful reality.

It’s fragmented, the onslaught of new information cluttering your mind, unable to be sifted through logically.

Owens.

Lowering yourself to the ground, you’ve lost all faith in your legs to keep you upright. Sea legs giving out beneath you, collapsing under the weight of a burdened mind. You quickly put Audrey in her bassinet the second you arrived home, stepping back from her small body like she was made of fire. Delicate, precious, amidst the crumbling ruins of life.

Found.

No. 

No, you need someone to cling onto. Polyester beneath your fingernails can never compare to flesh and blood, pumping with life and hope and comfort. Oh god. Craving arms, muscle and sinew engulfing your body, soothing and shushing like you’ve done with your baby countless times. Desperate for the luxury of kindness.

No one to dote. 

No one to care. 

No one to witness the mortifying pain of existence. 

No one to observe the torment they cursed you with in the first place.

Steve.

Crawling up your throat like bile, burning your esophagus as hot lava. You’d welcome the respite of vomit, the substance of it, the satisfaction of exorcism. But no, the painful tar claws its way through your tract, bringing biting tears to your eyes. Hell manifesting in your being. Truth collapsing with a heavy hearted I’m so sorry, bouncing off the walls of the narrow alleyway while you retreated. Words spilling out helplessly from your loose tongue, rage of betrayal driving every consonant and syllable. To never see you again, let alone speak to you. 

The loss of everyone, everyone. Robin, Dustin, Nancy, fuck- Eddie. They all knew. They coaxed you through the loss, never allowing for hope to breed. Lies built on mountains of lies, a shamble foundation of friendship. Arms that held your daughter with gentleness and altruism, seemingly all fabricated. Tainting her with every touch, every smile, tongues bleeding as they bit back the truth. Too numb to cry, to even indulge in the agony of feeling.

Beginnings are special, because most of them are fake. Artificial and man-made, entirely composed of brain chemistry and justifications. The person you become after your first glass of wine was already there, fretting below the surface of your facade, chipping away at the mask you present to the world. They never left.

You are at the end of beginning.

#dumbslxtclub #eddie x reader #eddie munson x reader #stranger things fic #dad!eddie #eddie x you #eddie munson x you #eddie x fem!reader #dad!eddie munson #eddie munson angst #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x y/n #singlemom!reader

[evenfall-au]

Between The Ones I Love

Rating: T TWs: Wholesomeness Prompt for Frans Monthly November: [Cuddles] Word Count: 1,422

Cross posted to Ao3 here!

@frans-monthly

Frisk’s feet ached, and her back felt as tight as a violin string. 

Night had fallen, but Frisk found herself content to stay in bed or rather compelled to. Golden cast irises darted up to the blood bag currently suspended above the edge of the bed and trailed down along its length as they finally followed a thin tube down to her wrist where Alphys had so delicately taped it to her skin.

Frisk was in the second trimester of her second pregnancy, however it was no better than the last. Sans had said as much—had warned her that it would be another risk just as Elys’ had been, but she’d not listened. They’d spent hours, weeks going back and forth on the issue.

She’d never seen him lose his temper before…

The way his eyelights had terrifyingly flared, the viciously crooked downturning of his grin as he’d shattered what had been considered a valued treasure in his bare hand.

Frisk had trembled, scared.

But then he’d taken a moment to close his sockets, to breathe, before smiling again as he always did. Only, she’d then seen the sadness in his expression, his concern as he’d finally agreed and pulled her close to hold her while listing off all the precautions they’d need to take—fully supportive. 

That small, monumental, interaction was what made her certain that she’d been making the right choice. Because the more they’d talked about how to handle it, the more he’d softened, and even arrived to the point where he’d cracked a good joke or two about future plans together as a family.

Sans had been so worried…

Frisk stared at the IV rather grumpily and the crimson liquid inside it.

He still was.

Despite that, she still so desperately wanted this child. 

Not just for her to dote on, but for the look on Sans’ face…he so enjoyed being a father. She never would have believed it from how everything had gone before Elys had come along, but she ended up loving the effect their little girl had on him almost as much as she loved the skeleton herself. She knew this would be worth it, and they’d love this one just as much as Elys, and Elys would have a friend, someone she could hopefully play and grow with through the years.

Frisk had so many hopes and dreams for this.

Ultimately the aches and pains she currently felt were nothing in the grander scheme of things. She didn’t regret all the hard work they’d had to invest into making this happen, especially so soon after their first when compared to other vampires who’d take centuries at a time if that at all to produce offspring. 

She just wished she could’ve been spared the complications that came with it.

Knock

Knock

Slowly she lifted her head, curious and a bit excited at the prospect of company. Whereas normally she would’ve asked who it was as a preemptive measure of setting up a joke, she was too eager to see who had come to pay her attention, and so gave a happy, “Come in!”

The creaking of the door as it opened echoed around the room as a sliver of darkness exposed the shadowed hall beyond in a thin slit barely large enough for a mouse to prod through.

Frisk blinked, confused.

And suddenly the crack opened wide and a snowy white head of hair popped in.

“Mom?”

Instantly Frisk grinned as she met the cool blues of her daughter’s eyes. Gently she eased herself up to lean against the headboard of her bed, trying her best to ignore how dizzy the action slightly made her, and waved Elys on in with a small pat to a spot on the bed beside her.

That was all that was needed as the little girl’s own smile widened—so similar to her father’s—and she padded in with happy steps until she was swinging herself over the edge of the mattress and tucking in beside her mother. Frisk made a joyful sound as Ely’s arms came around her and returned the embrace.

“Dad said you couldn’t come down to eat.” Elys huffed.

Frisk felt a drop of sweat on her brow. “Yes, I was a bit light headed this evening and out of concern your father fetched Alphys. I’ve been ordered to spend the next two days in bed to make sure I have enough blood for the baby.”

At that Elys glanced down at the slight protrusion of her stomach and hummed. 

“Brother eats like Uncle Pap.” 

Frisk raised a brow as she chuckled. 

“Brother? Why do you say that? For all we know it could be a sister.” 

Elys shook her head as she nuzzled closer, content in her mother’s arms. “No, brother.”

Frisk decided to not speak further on the assumption. She never understood how children could sound so confident in what they thought or felt, she could barely remember how she was at such an age. The idea that Elys wanted a brother of all things rather than a sister to sow or learn to cook with actually sparked warmth in Frisk’s soul. It wasn’t common to see a child wanting a sibling of the opposite sex. 

But then again…

Children did have an uncanny ability when it came to making predictions…

“A brother then,” Frisk giggled. “And yes, he has quite the appetite.”

Another knock, and this time Frisk looked up to spot her husband standing in the doorway with a cheeky smirk across his teeth. Elys beamed as she stuck her tongue out at him before making a show of wiggling impossibly closer into her side.

“i’ve been beaten to my own room, the shame.” His baritone rolled as he entered and walked up to the side of the bed.

“You were racing?” Frisk asked as Elys snickered. 

“no, i was finishing an important discussion. elys was racing, by herself, after declaring there was a race to begin with.” Without preamble Sans slid onto the mattress at Frisk’s opposite side and wrapped an arm around her waist, tucking her close against his chest. Even now the contact still sent a flush to her cheeks.

“Hey!” Elys cried. “I won! I get the cuddles!”

Frisk bit her lip as she did her best not to laugh at the girl’s outrage. Sans on the other hand openly chuckled as his brow creased in an uptick and his eyelights flashed briefly with amusement as he purposefully nuzzled Frisk’s cheek, turning her primrose blush a deeper shade of scarlet.

“you forget, there’s such a thing as a consolation prize.” Sans winked. “and that prize is that i get to cuddle both your mother and the winner.” 

Elys’ expression dropped into a deadpan as Sans’ other arm came around and encircled her as well, completing the collection of their immediate family as he placed a light press of his teeth to the top of her head.

“That sounds more like a first prize.” 

“maybe~” He drawled. “but surely you don’t want to run over my feelings by denying me the cuddle pile, do you?”

There was no hesitation as Elys shouted, “Yes!”

“the betrayal.” Sans huffed. 

Frisk sat happy and silent as they both went back and forth; Sans with his teasing and Elys with her indignation. This went on for sometime before the three of them had migrated to fully laying down beneath the covers and Elys fell asleep against her mother’s side. 

Smiling gently she ran a tender hand through her daughter’s hair. 

At the same time a warm hand glided up and down her arm, slow, unrushed as it came to a stop and a thumb brushed over her shoulder. 

Sans’ voice was a whisper against her ear. “how are you feeling?” 

Frisk took a second more to stare at Elys' sleeping expression, content and warm between the two greatest things of her life. She couldn’t help smiling as she pressed further into him and pulled Elys closer.

“Better than ever.”

And it was true.

These were the moments Frisk lived for, and what she so desperately hoped to have so much more of when their family grew. Sans didn’t say anything, merely moved his hand to her stomach and gave it a gentle stroke with a low hum on his teeth, just as he’d been doing from the start, and let his gloved phalanges rest there as he pressed a slow, lingering kiss to her temple.

“pleased to hear it love.”

#undertale au #evenfall #sans x frisk #fransmonthly

[rainbinni]

BTS ff recommendation

If you already saw that post it’s because my account accidentally got deleted and I had to right everything down again, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. So here are some of the best BTS ff I’ve ever read. I’ll probably made other posts for when I find more ff. Please go check the authors account to support them. Let me know your best ff so I can read it ;)

!! All of those stories content strong and mature language, please do not read them if you’re under 18 !!

e2l : enemies to lovers fwb : friends with benefits s2l : strangers to lovers frienemies : friends-enemies

Post last update : 2023/01/24

Oneshots and Drabbles :

Belissima - @personasintro [8.1k] (fluff, smut, parents, insecure!oc)

Pardon? @jjungkookislife [2.4k] (bff2l, fluff, smut)

#SaveOurCommunityCenter - @taleasnewastime [15.2k] (fluff, angst, e2f2l, "coworkers")

Either way - @personasintro [5.5k] (e2l, coworkers, smut, angst)

News Guy - @kithtaehyung [5.5k] (smut, fluff, fuckboi!namjoon, campus au)

July kiss - @personasintro [5.9k] (single dad!namjoon, babysitter, smut, fluff)

Wattpad :

Prohibido - @personasintro [15/15] (fluff, smut, angst, brother best friend!namjoon, coworkers, secret relationship)

I haven’t read any yet…

Series :

Look down on me like that - @here2bbtstrash [10/11] (Ongoing) (angst, smut, fluff, e2l, fwb, coworkers, producer!yoongi)

Dating advice - @taleasnewastime [20/20] (fluff, angst, smut, bartender!yoongi, f2l)

Love lockdown - @personasintro [7/?] (Ongoing) (angst, surviving, zombie, e2l)

Away from you - @personasintro [16/?] (Ongoing) (angst, married couple, divorce topic, parents, dad!yoongi, smut, fluff) (you can find it on Wattpad too)

Three tangerines - @kithtaehyung (Ongoing) (+drabbles)(brother best friend!yoongi, smut, fluff, fuckboy!yoongi)

Oneshots and Drabbles :

Next door - @personasintro [10.3k] (e2l, neighbor, smut, angst)

Till the end of the line - @kimvvantae [11k] (s2e2f2l, angst, fluff, surviving, death, zombies)

Drip - @here2bbtstrash [4.8k] (smut, squirt)

Cybersex - @gimmethatagustd [14.6k] (smut, fluff, brother best friend, phone sex)

Carpool - @leewriting [17k] (frienemies2l, angst, fluff, neighbor)

Wattpad :

You, among the other - @inkofyoongi [13/?] (e2l, angst, best friend ex!yoongi, ex!taehyung, tutoring, smut, fluff)

Drabbles :

Blue side - @personasintro [4.3k] (exes2l, fluff, reunion)

Series :

The misadventures list - @kimvvantae [4/?] (Ongoing) (s2l, fake dating, fluff)

Oneshots and Drabbles :

Adaywithoppa - @personasintro [16.5k] (s2f2l, fluff,smut)

Only you - @personasintro [11.4k] (bff21, angst, fluff, smut, single dad!jimin)

Meet me at the finish line - @parkdatjimin [21.3k] (frienemies2l, "angst", fluff, smut, competition, racer, cars)

In too deep - @parkdatjimin [2k] (party, slight smut, fluff, swimming pool)

The shape of your body - @here2bbtstrash [24k](s2l, fluff, smut, cute af, communicating relationship, slow burn, art student, New York)

Series :

Comeback home - @another-army-spot [3/3](exes2l, co-parenting, unexpected pregnancy, teen parent, fluff, smut, angst)

The wannabe photographer chronicle - @gimmethatagustd [2/3] (Ongoing) (e2l, smut, party, nude, “one night stand”, sex tape, fluff)

Oneshots and Drabbles :

Midnight snack - @sparklingchim [4k] (e2l, smut, jimin and hobi roommates)

Busted - @personasintro [1.6k](established relationship, smut, them being caught)

Series :

For me - @personasintro (Knock for me, Jealous for me, Apologize for me, Date for me) [4/4] (e2f2l, neighbor, fwb, smut, single dad!jk, angst, fluff)

Tongue tied - @jeonqkooks [7/19] (Ongoing) (fluff, neighbor2l, really cute, established relationships)

Her - @jungk0oksthighs [6/6] (fluff, bff2l, childhood friend, smut, established relationship)

Long way home - @sparklingchim [26/26] (bff2l, single dad!jk , untold, feelings)

Oneshots and Drabbles :

Paint me naked - @gimmethatagustd (+1 drabble)[16k] (fluff, healing reader, oc ex!taehyung, jk best friend!taehyung, smut)

Can I sleep in your bed - @ddaeng-181338 [4k] (roommate2l, fluff, smut)

Zipper - @taeshobipop [5.4k] (little angst, fluff,smut, campus au, e2l)

The spins - @here2bbtstrash [10.3k] (f2l, campus, frat!jk, smut)

Sleepover - @personasintro [10.4k] (best friend brother!jk, age gap, smut, fluff, secret relationship)

Wattpad :

Mutual Help - @personasintro [57/?] (bff2l, fake dating, angst, slow burn, smut, fluff) (+Drabbles +jk pov [5/?]) (Drabbles available on tumblr)

#bts #bts fanfic #bts fic #bts smut #bts x reader #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader

[star-going-supernova]

Heyo Star, i want to request a AU where Audrey (Batimtdr) is Gregory's mother or sister (your choice) Thank you for reading this

A crossover for tumblr generated prompt number 20! But only barely, whoops, because while Gregory is technically in this ficlet, he’s also not really in this ficlet. You’ll see what I mean. Standard BatDR AU rules for me apply: Henry isn’t an ink copy and was actually trapped in the studio, there was no reset via The End tape, and now that the inky realm is free, everyone’s healing and Audrey comes to visit a bunch. 

Expanding the Family Tree

Audrey knew she probably hadn’t been very subtle in her distraction—she was a fidgeter, and a lip biter, and often completely missed what other people said when something was troubling her—but she was still somehow surprised when Henry asked, “What’s bothering you, kid?”

“Not a kid,” she replied by rote, but considering Henry was made semi-immortal by the inky realm and was probably approaching his nineties at that point, she was never truly offended. Everyone in the studio probably felt like a kid to him, human or otherwise. 

He chuckled. “Yes, yes, you’re nearly thirty, I know. You’ll always be a kid to me.” 

Her anxiety surged to the forefront, but it was too good an opening to let her nerves get the best of her. “Even when I have a kid of my own?” Audrey blurted out.

Henry fell still before turning to face her on the bench. His left eye, the iris finally fully gold after years of a slow change in color, glowed brightly in the dark. The night sky above them was full of colorful stars, and sitting there on the top of a building’s roof with Henry was one of Audrey’s favorite ways to relax for a while. 

“Is that your way of telling me you’re pregnant?” he asked, audibly torn between amusement and incredulity. 

Audrey bit her already gnawed-on lip, excitement quickly replacing her apprehension. She nodded vigorously, unable to contain her smile. 

He laughed gleefully, and she quickly found herself tugged to her feet and into an all-encompassing hug. She burrowed into his shoulder with a happy sigh; Henry’s hugs were her favorite. 

In reaction to their Creator’s surge of joy, a handful of shooting stars streaked by overhead. 

“I wanted to tell you, obviously,” Audrey said, not pulling back. “But I, I also wanted to ask if… well, I never really knew Joey, even here,” she’d never even gotten into the habit of calling him her dad; it felt too strange, “so I was hoping, wondering, if my—if you would be their grandpa?” 

It was stupid to be so nervous all over again, like she was on an emotional rollercoaster. It was especially stupid because she was also already 99.9% sure she knew what Henry’s answer would be.

Predictably, Henry squeezed tighter. “I’d be honored, Audrey.” 

“That’s great,” she breathed, relieved. She sank more heavily against him, fully confident that he would support her. “That’s really great, I—I’m so excited,” she admitted. 

“Good!” he said, laughing. “Oh, that’s wonderful, Audrey.” 

“I’m a little nervous too, though. I mean, what if me being… not fully human affects them? What if something goes wrong?” 

“Three things,” Henry said, finally releasing her so he could make sure she was paying attention. “One, you may not have been made the human way, but you are human where it counts, including your general health and bodily functions. Whether your kiddo ends up like you or not, I don’t see your nature complicating things. Two, listen to your doctor. Do what they say, get the tests done, and don’t pay any mind to all the people who are going to want to tell you pregnancy horror stories as soon as they find out you’re expecting.” 

Audrey remembered quite suddenly that before he’d been trapped here, Henry had had kids of his own. She nodded along. 

“And three, if—and I mean if—there is any problem, you’ve got something of an expert on all things ink at your disposal,” he said, gesturing to himself with a grin. “I know that worry is a monster not so easily killed with words, but I hope it’s of some comfort to at least know that whatever happens, you won’t be facing it alone.

And that, that actually helped a lot. Audrey’s main concern was that her child couldn’t be helped by human doctors, that they would be too other for it to even be a safe avenue of care. But Henry was right. The studio full of happy and healthy restored toons said plenty about his experience and skill in treating ink-related injuries. Audrey’s own legs were a testament to that. 

She felt a little silly for forgetting, but anxiety was rarely rational, and she was pregnant to boot, so she gave herself a pass on that one. 

“Thank you, Henry,” Audrey said. “I’ll keep that in mind. All of it.” 

He smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Good. I look forward to meeting my grandchild.” 

• • •

Months later, Audrey carefully made her way into the inky realm. She kept one eye on the precious cargo in her arms, wary of his reaction to the jump between worlds. She didn’t remember the first one hurting, for all that it had been frightening at the time. And he was sleeping besides, so she had her fingers crossed that he wouldn’t even notice. 

Her son had, so far as she could tell, only very slightly taken after her. And since Audrey herself hadn’t known she was anything but human until adulthood, a great deal of worry had fallen from her shoulders. Gregory would live an almost entirely normal life, and that almost was due entirely to the fact that the inky realm was open to them. 

As she’d hoped, he slept through the change from one world to the next. Her ink stains came back, as they always did, though they weren’t the same mess of splatters and drips as they’d once been. On her arms, the ink formed elbow-length fingerless gloves, and Flow still glowed brightly on the back of her left hand. Thick ink “scars” showed where her legs had once been torn from her body, and much like most of the human-like inhabitants, her pants and shoes constantly looked as though she’d gone wading through ink, whether or not she had. 

Her eyes were still that eerily blank gold, and the marks akin to tear tracks had remained too, though they were far neater and were only on her cheeks these days. 

Gregory, though cleaner than her by far, had his own stains, she saw when she carefully peeled back the blanket he was swaddled in. Instead of tear tracks, ink was splattered across his nose and round cheeks like freckles. His tiny hands were dark from fingertips to just beyond his wrist, and Audrey wondered with amusement if that was the equivalent of her feet always being marked, him being a baby who would crawl sooner than he would walk. 

She didn’t check his eyes or legs, not willing to disturb his rest. Instead, she set off to find Henry, who had probably been worrying about her since her previous departure, when she announced she regrettably wouldn’t be returning until she’d given birth, increasingly nervous about being so far away from medical assistance if labor started at the wrong time. 

Audrey put her limited experience with her powers to the test, evading and avoiding everyone who might have crossed her path. Maybe it was silly, but she really wanted Henry to be the first to meet her son. 

“Shhh, shhh. Almost there,” she whispered when Gregory began to squirm in his blanket, on the verge of waking up. A wailing newborn would give her away like that. 

Henry had a few favored places to be when he wasn’t needed elsewhere, and Audrey found him on that same rooftop that they’d been on when she first told him she was pregnant. It felt poetic as she quietly crept up behind him—an ultimately futile endeavor. 

No one could sneak up on the Creator, after all, and she caught his indulgent chuckle as she got close to the bench. He was at least kind enough to pretend, she figured with a wry smile. 

She was impressed with his restraint, actually. It’d been nearly three weeks since she’d last been by, which was the longest stretch since the first, when she had a lot to work through before coming back. 

He turned his head when she drew up even with the bench, and his relaxed smile immediately turned to awed realization. 

“We have a new visitor, I see,” he said, remaining seated as Audrey joined him. 

She beamed. “And about time, too. Henry, meet Gregory. Gregory, meet your grandpa.” 

Audrey held her son out, and Henry very carefully accepted him into his arms. Gregory’s fussing went silent almost immediately, and he blinked his eyes open and stared up at Henry. 

To Audrey’s delight, his eyes weren’t solid and blank like hers, but rather, his otherwise ordinary eyes had fiery gold irises, exactly like Henry’s one. 

He flailed his little fists with a happy gurgle, and Henry laughed. He nudged his pointer finger against the side of one of Gregory’s hands, and the teeniest, tiniest fingers Audrey had ever seen wrapped around Henry’s as best as a newborn could. She cooed, leaning against him. 

“He’s adorable,” Henry told her. “And he already looks a bit like you.” 

“Is it awful that I’m glad I don’t see any Joey in him?” 

“Not at all,” Henry assured her. “I think that’s entirely reasonable.” 

Upset by the lack of attention, Gregory shook Henry’s finger and let loose a little war cry. 

“Yes, hello,” Henry said, soft and gentle but not quite a baby voice. “I’m so pleased to meet you, Gregory.”

Gregory burbled, settling again. 

“Your mother’s going to do an excellent job raising you,” Henry continued, and he allowed Audrey to bashfully press her face into his shoulder without teasing. “And I’ll be here to help if either of you needs it, all right?” 

He got a plaintive ahh in reply. 

“I’m glad you’re here, Henry,” Audrey whispered. “Thank you.” 

Carefully adjusting Gregory in his lap, Henry wrapped his arm around her. She reached out to tickle Gregory, and he burst into peals of happy baby laughter. 

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Henry said. 

#i answered a thing #anonymous #batim fic #batdr #star's stories #life and times of star

[secularprolifeconspectus]

Radfems genuinely radicalized me into being pro-life. Like I would never considered myself really that pro choice, the closest was "I would never have an abortion but bodily autonomy or whatever", but it was the consistent vitriol I saw against pro lifers and any good-faith neutral party that actually made me change my mind.

Time and time again I saw pro-lifers sympathize and understand pro-choice arguments and women, but the same is never with those ladies. They refuse to even believe that anyone is truly pro-life. They consistently exercise intellectual stupidity with their reverse No True Scotsman.They insult them, call them women haters and compare them to rapist ,(ironically) murders and every dirty word in the book. They cheer when their pregnancy centers (both religious and secular ones) are attacked and bombed, and wonder why people think their sickos.

They are anti science. The statement 'Fetuses are human beings' isn't a pro-life 'arguement' it is literal fact. The fact they read it as some charged statement says much about them. It's really rich for a group of people that constantly tell trans people they are ignoring 'basic biology'

Their ideology also supports femicide and eugenics. Do you know the amount of times I've seen radfems on this god forsaken sight say "pro-choice always!Even that means ableist women who were a 110% willing to have a child until they found out they might have down syndrome"? Like newsflash, that's Eugenics! Systems of oppression are built off individual actors, and a society that normalizes killing the disabled, even if unborn, is an Eugenicist one. If that makes you uncomfortable, then good! One even defended sex selective abortion against girls "if that what the mom really wanted". It's so funny to see a group people that constantly hammer that people's individual actions do not exist in an apolitical vacuum, but to even imply that a country that encourages people to kill their disabled fetuses will have some negative societal consequence on disabled people as a whole will make them explode.

These women are some of the most morally spinless and heartless people I have ever encountered on the internet. They think killing the unborn is a flex tape for women's oppression. They fully support genocide as long as it's women doing it. They are as violent and bloodthirsty as the men they piss and shit about constantly. It takes so much strength for me everyday to realize that they are not representative of the average pro-choicer.

Pro-lifers have genuinely given a more understanding and rational look upon the abortion debate for both sides of it, than any pro-choicer, let alone radfems,has.

So this is a really long about way of saying thank you. Both to you (as well as Pro Birth and Life Advocate Feminist! Those two were literally eye opening!) and to Radfems. So sorry for dropping all of this on you, it has just been eating me on the inside for weeks and I think I finally just hit my breaking point.

Right on! The preborn are people and that fact is a threat to the people who wish to hold power over them. Thanks for the submission!!

#answers and submissions #hide

[sickybubbies]

A/n: lil drabble since i’m a sucker for mpreg and sope ahahaha 

I think my writing has improved? Please let me know if it has/hasn’t! 

Tw: slightly graphic depiction of vomit, male pregnancy 

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

Yoongi hums to himself, absentmindedly as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. His fingers wring around Hoseok’s, giving them a generous squeeze while he’s at it and bringing it up to his pouty, pink lips. He purses them, a bit retaliated as it colides with the medicinal tape wrapped over the top of his hand. “My poor baby..” He coos and yawns again. 

It isn’t his fault that they’re camped out in the dim, plain and bleak hospital room and Yoongi had no right to complain. In fact, they were there for good reasons. Hoseok was finally in labor, the two just hours away from greeting their miracle baby that the two desperately hoped and prayed for.  The man shook off the slumber that’s threatening to overtake him, replacing it with some comforting and doting actions instead. Yoongi leans down, his lips pressing into the baby bump whilst his hand cups under it. “So proud of you.” He whispers, feeling it tense and contract from under the hospital gown. 

It makes Hoseok stir, a small groan escaping from his lips as his eyes begin to flicker open. His head is fogged, he can’t register anything but a familiar pain that gradually intensifies. Instantly, his eyes dart for Yoongi and squint in a helpless, sad manner. Yoongi is quick to console. “Hey, hey bug, it’s okay” His voice is calm, smooth and velvety while Hoseok reaches for him.  Arms are strung around shoulders, Hoseok pressing his cheek firmly into Yoongi’s bicep as he squeezes him with a whimper. “I-It’s happening again..”  Yoongi lifts his head, whilst propping his chin against the younger’s matted hair his eyes steer over to the machine a couple inches away from the hospital bed. Gridded paper is scratching out in steady beats, stiff peaks forming along the chart and measuring the contraction from the belt strapped to Hoseok’s engorged belly. “I know, I see it” He assures his boyfriend, pulling him closer and rubbing gently along his spine. “You’re okay, deep breaths, Count to 10 with me” 

“1..owww!” Hoseok cries, his stomach seizing more. He pants, heavy and laboured against Yoongi’s support. “Agh fuck, fuck!” He hides his face into his boyfriend’s chest, muffling the pained profanities as the fiery sensation soars across his stomach and makes it spasm. His belly grumbles lowly, breaking into a thin layer of sweat as he feels nausea coil around his insides because of all the discomfort.  “I’ve got you, jeez Hobi, I thought it couldn’t get any worse than the last one you had.” Yoongi spurts aimlessly, holding his lover in his arms and cringing at the sounds his laboring boyfriend was projecting. He cares less about dignity, pulling apart the curtains of behind his gown and begins to rub circles into Hoseok’s bare back going as low as where his rear begins. “There’s still ice, do you want any ice, love?” He offers. 

Ice does seem like it would sooth Hoseok’s stomach, if he wasn’t met with a splurge of acid when he burps silently. The nausea hits him like a thunderclap, drool threatening to spill out of his mouth. He shakes his head. “I’m gonna vomit.” He responds thickly.  Yoongi frowns, pulling away from Hoseok as he stays upright and stiff. He reaches for the bowl on the nightstand next to his stool, tucking it under his chin. “Here, get it all in this Hobi.” His fingers splay around the side and bend under the bowl, holding it close for him and sweeping any hair back. 

Hoseok’s face contorts, saliva layering his tongue. “H’Argh!-” He belches, vomit spilling into the tub with his head ducking inwards, Yoongi remains rigid, on the inside his heart is clenching. Hoseok looks like he’s had an out-of-body experience in the brief moment, his eyes wide and dazed as it trickles out of his ajar mouth.  “Let it all out, nice and easy” Yoongi interjects, even though it isn’t looking that easy at all. He pats between Hoseok’s shoulder blades, which are riling up for another round. Yoongi watches as his tounge juts past his bottom lip, curling inwards like a shovel and vomit begins to pour out of it alongside a deep gurgle from his throat. “That’s it bug, good job. You’re doing okay”  He stretches for a wad of napkins, they rest against Hoseok’s shoulder as he gets steadied and doesn’t dive into the vomit with how harshly he’s lurching forward. Yoongi was now desensitized because of Hoseok’s morning sickness throughout the pregnancy, he could stand and watch the gore unphased.  “Hrrph!-” Hoseok retches again, more stomach liquid spraying out of him, he’s convinced the contraction is pushing up more than needs to come out towards his esophageous and hopes it stops soon. The vomit tapers into small streams, resorting in his stomach twisting as he dry heaves over the bowl. “Are you done?” Yoongi asks beside him.  “I-I think so..” Hoseok coughs and splutters, choking on a dry heave. He draws in a breath, lungs no longer feeling robbed of it’s function like it was with the vomiting. He feels Yoongi press napkins against his wet, sticky lips, wiping away any residue and starts to lean back into the pillows again.  Yoongi stares at the stomach contents, it’s mostly water and stomach bile that’s been brought up. He can’t wait to give him real food soon, which hopefully wouldn’t make an appearance hereafter. “I’ll go tip this out, how’s the contraction?”  The reciepient nods, leaning into Yoongi as he places a gentle kiss to the crown of his head and twindles some of his hair. “Better,” He hums, arms caving around his baby bump as he watches the older leave to the adjacent bathroom and Hoseok sighs. He anticipated a baby in his arms and no more vomit spells in just a while. 

#bts sickfic #tw: vomit #tw mpreg #sick!hoseok #caring!yoongi #bts emeto

[hellfiremunsonn]

This Godforsaken hell of a dimension. Eddie Munson x Reader

This Godforsaken hell of a dimension. 

Summary: Reader runs to Eddies side after the demo bats fall around him. She’s not going to let him die here. 

I do not allow my writing to be republished anywhere other than my own blog without my consent

(this one is suitable for younger audiences, but all my work is labeled 18+ and will be titled otherwise if it is suitable for younger audiences to read)

18 + IF YOU ARE NOT 18 OR OLDER DO NOT READ OR INTERACT WITH MY WRITING. IT IS NOT INTENDED FOR MINORS. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MEDIA YOU CONSUME.

Word count: 1440

Warnings: pregnancy, blood, comfort, hurt, fem reader, no smut

Screaming and falling to my knees as I watched the boy I love get attacked by the swarm of demobats. I couldn't get close enough without risking my own life and knowing Eddie, he would do everything in his power to keep me away from him. "Eddie" I choked out, heavy sobs escaping my chest. Clutching my stomach attempting to hold myself together. Hold together the small bit of hope growing inside, that gave me the courage to run to him when the bats suddenly dropped. Just as quickly as they swarmed they all suddenly dropped. Every single one of them just fell to the ground. Rushing over to Eddie as quickly as I could I dropped to my knees a second time pulling his head into my lap. "Eddie, are you okay?" His smile was weak but he reached a hand up to caress my face. "I didn't run away this time right?" He choked, small spits of blood coming out of his mouth.

"No baby you didn't" I cried, tears rolling down my cheeks. "You're going to be okay, I won't let you die on me"

"I don't know (Y/N) they got me pretty good" He said glancing down at this stomach which had been bitten multiple times.

I shook my head. "No, it's your year Munson, I'm getting you out of here, even if it's the last thing I do, I will not let the man I love, die in this godforsaken hell of a dimension before I tell him how much I love him"

"Love?" Was all he could say. A single tear rolling down the side of his temple and into his now frizzy curly hair. His eyes began to flutter and I knew I had limited time to get him back into the trailer and somehow back up through the gate in his ceiling. "C'mon baby, let's go, you can do it" With all of the strength I had I lifted him forward so he was sitting, and he limply got to his knees groaning when he fell into my side. Staggering a bit to keep his weight elevated I started walking, attempting to keep him held up as best as I could.

We only made it a few feet before I noticed Nancy, Robin, and Steve emerge from the forest. "Steve!" I yelled and his attention snapped towards me. "I need help, Eddies hurt!" Steve ran towards me and onto eddies other side, supporting him more than I could and we walked a bit faster towards the trailer. "Where's Henderson?" Steve asked grunting slightly.

"I made him go back up, I didn't want him to get hurt" I said and Steve looked so relieved.

After making it back up into the real world we rushed Eddie to Steves, the closest and safest place we could get him to. It was a rush of towels and bandages as we essentially taped him back together as best as we could. I wanted to take him to the hospital, but I couldn't risk the cops trying to take him away, or one of Jasons goons trying to kill him. They all still thought he was this murderer, this 'freak', when he was the farthest thing from it. He was kind, and gentle, smart, and funny. Sure he was loud and a bit eccentric but he was the most loveable and least judgemental person I knew. His heart was too big for his own good, and he used it in every way that he could. Including when he ran, with those stupid bats chasing him, even when they swarmed him and knocked him to the ground. I knew every minute of it, that his heart was right there with him on his sleeve like it had been every day since the day I met him.

I had pulled a chair up as close as I could next to the bed Eddie was laying on. Checking his pulse every five minutes, just to make sure he was still alive, and never letting go of his hand. I knew he would been unconscious for a while, and I hope to god that he would wake up eventually. I could feel my heavy lids threatening to close, but the alarm I continued to reset every five minutes, kept me from sleeping. A soft knock at the door tore my eyes from Eddie. It was Robin. She stood in the doorway, hugging herself with a sympathetic look on her face. "You need sleep" she said softly. "I don't care" I said looking back towards the beautiful man, who looked calmly asleep if I ignored the dirt and blood he was covered in. "The unborn child growing in your literal uterus will say otherwise" she said gesturing to my stomach, my other hand gently placed over it.

"I can't leave him" I said but it came out as almost a whisper.

"I'll stay with him. You shower and come back, and then you can sleep next to him and I'll stay awake watching him" She came to kneel in front of me. Taking the hand from my stomach into both of hers and squeezed it. "I'll keep him safe, I promise" she said reassuringly.

I showered as quickly as I could returning to Eddies side. His side I didn't leave for days. Nancy somehow acquired IV fluids and had him hooked up to it for a few hours and he stirred every so often. The gang came and went every so often, checking on Eddie but also checking on me. Steve constantly made sure I had something to eat, and something to drink, whether it was water, or something sweet to keep my blood sugar up. He seemed to be the most concerned about my pregnancy and wanted to make sure I was keeping myself and the baby as healthy as I could, especially over these past few days.

Leaning against my hand I could feel myself starting to doze off, but a cough from Eddie snapped me back to reality and I sat up holding his hand tightly. "Eddie?" I whispered. His eyes fluttered slightly and they opened, he squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Eddie!" I gasped. I stood from my chair to kneel next to him on the bed cradling his face in my hands.

"Baby" He said hoarsely. "I'm not dead am I?" He asked weakly reaching a hand towards me.

"You are very much alive my sweet boy" Tears began to fall and I buried my face into his hand, fearing the pain he was probably still in. "I was so scared you weren't going to make it"

"No way in hell would I leave the woman I love behind" He said repeating my words from the ground of the upside down. "Women" I corrected him.

He smiled lightly. "Yeah I guess Nancy, robin, and max have some of my love as well, but not as much as you"

"No, I mean" I took a deep breath. Shakily taking one of his hands and pulled it up to my stomach. The small bump of my stomach unnoticeable to anyone other than people who knew, able to pass it off as bloating. "Women" I repeated. "I uh, I'm pregnant..." I said quietly.

He removed his hand to attempt to lean up slightly, groaning and wincing as he did so. "No baby stay still" I said reaching towards him but he slapped my hands away.

"No I want a better look at my girls" Sitting against the headboard he motioned for me to come closer to him and with both hands he placed them on my belly, smiling.

"I'm thinking of the name Hope... If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have had the courage to continue after watching those bats..." I trailed off not wanting to reminisce again on what happened.

"Hope" He said again, a toothy grin spreading across his face. "Hope Munson?" He hesitated.

"I'd want her to have your last name, so she can grow up with the same name as the hero who saved his friends"

"And the woman he loves" he added.

"And the woman he loves" I repeated. Leaning forward I gave him a light kiss.

"He's awake!" A voice screamed from the doorway and I turned to see Dustin rush in and to the other side of the bed grabbing hold of Eddies arm. "Holy shit I thought you were a goner Munson" tears filled both their eyes.

"Nah, it's like I told you Henderson, this is my year, I can feel it" He looked back at me, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

#Stranger Things #Stranger Things fic #Eddie Munson #Eddie Munson fic #Eddie x reader #Eddie Munson x reader #xreader #Stranger things season 4 #season 4 spoilers #Steve Harrington #Robin Buckley #Nancy Wheeler #Dustin Henderson #hellfiremunsonn

[legallydragonic]

BREAKING BAD SEX SCENES ESSAY (1,953 words)

There are many sex scenes within the show Breaking Bad. Most, if not all of them have some level of significance to the plot and/or give us insight into the psyche of the characters. In this essay, I will be analyzing the significance of each and every sex scene in Breaking Bad. I will not be covering Better Call Saul sex scenes in this essay, though I may cover them in a follow up if I get really bored or it is requested. Obviously, spoiler warning for basically all of Breaking Bad.

In S1E1 of Breaking Bad, Skyler gives Walt a very lackluster and comedically awkward hand job for his 50th birthday. This scene is put in basically to show the audience how much of a loser Walt is at the start of the show. There is no passion in his sex life, as further exemplified in a conversation between Skyler and her sister Marie that takes place in the same episode. In this scene, Skylar confides in her sister and tells her that she thinks Walt has been seeming very distant lately. Marie then asks "How's the sex?" to which Skylar (honestly quite reasonably) responds with "Marie, Jesus!"

Marie ends the conversation with a "I guess that answers that..."

Contrasting the previous sex scene (if you can even call it that) between Skyler and Walt, in S1E1 we see Jesse crawling out of a window half naked as a topless woman throws his clothes out of said window, signifying to us the viewers that Jesse just had sex with his (now former) meth partners neighbor. This tells us that Jesse is a thrill-seeking young lad and possibly a bit of a player with a lively sex life. Very much the antithesis of Walt.

In the same episode, Skyler questions Walt about where he's been all day. Walt, in response to this, engages in sexual intercourse with her, presumably to avoid the questions. This scene directly contrasts the handjob scene as there is clearly some passion with this one, especially compared to the sex life between them that we are shown previously. In my opinion this shows that Walt is growing a certain level of disregard towards taking risks, seeing as Skyler is several months into her pregnancy at the time of this scene. The scene may also show us that Walt is done being a loser and that, with his cancer diagnosis, a flip has been switched. He will no longer be the lame milk toast man that he has been his entire life. S1E2 starts where episode one left off.

In S1E3, there is a brief scene where Jesse has sex with a prostitute in a motel. This scene again shows the audience that Jesse is a bit of a thrill-seeker, but that he's also kind of just a young adult male trying to get his rocks off. (He's supporting sex workers, what a king <3)

S1E7 has two back-to-back sex scenes, the first of which shows Walter rubbing his wife's thigh and crotch area during a school board meeting. This scene continues until Walter's name is called out and he is made to comment on recent events pertaining to equipment from his lab being "stolen" to be used in methamphetamine manufacturing. This scene is followed up with another sex scene where Walt and Skyler passionately have sex in the back of their car. After the deed is done, Skyler asks "Where did that come from? And why was it so damn good?"

To which Walter replies "Because it was illegal." and holyyy shit there's a lot to unpack there.

This is exactly what I meant when I said that the sex scenes can give us insight into the characters psyche because the Walter we see at the very beginning of the show would never even think of doing anything like this. Walter is not only more comfortable with taking risks now, but he actively enjoys it, possibly to a sexual degree. This is only the beginning of his transformation into becoming the monster we see by the end. Bravo Vince. 

The next sex scene actually comes from a minisode called "Good Cop, Bad Cop" that is set before the events of Breaking Bad. This comedic mini-episode is actually a sex tape of Hank and Marie Schrader engaging in erotic roleplay where in Marie is dressed as a police officer and Hank is handcuffed to the bed frame. As the role-playing proceeds, Hank breaks character several times to nag Marie about her lack of authenticity, such as not reading him his Miranda Rights. Marie eventually gets sick of Hank's antics and complains to him about wanting just a little creativity in the bedroom before leaving the room with him still hand-cuffed to the bed. This scene gives us more perspective into the relationship between the Schrader couple while also giving us more insight into the characters individually, especially Hank. Hank is a man that is very concerned with keeping up his macho-man appearance, but I think it's sweet that he's not afraid to let his guard down around his wife.

TW: Sexual Assault

The next "sex" scene occurs in episode 1 of season two. In this scene, Walter is in a state of minor delirium, probably due to the events that he witnessed just prior to coming home, along with the numerous medications that he's on because of his cancer. Walter walks into the kitchen where Skyler is, and starts to engage interocourse with her. Skyler tries to reason with him and get him to stop, but he continues until Skyler has to scream at him to stop, then he finally does. This scene not only shows us the kind of stress that Walt is under, but also the dangerous effects that getting into the meth business is having on him as a person. He is on a slippery slope and it is starting to seep into his personal life and affect the innocents around him. 

Throughout season two, there are multiple pre sex and post sex scenes between Jesse and Jane. Throughout the season we get to see their relationship develop as it eventually builds up to Jane's demise. In all of these scenes, you can really see how much Jesse loved her. He really loved her 😿

The last sex scene of season 2 is shown briefly during episode 13. Jesse is dealing with the death of his girlfriend and he is not coping very well. Walter finds him sleeping in a crack den. Graffiti and trash litter the whole place and two people can be seen having sex on the dirty floor. The purpose of this "sex scene" if you can even call it that, is of course to show the audience how fucked up and vile the place that Jesse's in really is, both physically and emotionally.

In S3E4, Skyler White has sex with her boss, Ted Beneke. At this point in the series, Walt and Skyler are pretty much estranged, much to Walt's dismay. This scene shows that Skyler is, for lack of a better term, done with Walter. She doesn't really want anything to do with him and is sleeping with Ted either out of revenge for how Walt has been making her feel, as a way to distract herself from/relieve the stress that she's under, or just because she is over Walt. Or, maybe a combination of these reasons. Earlier in the same episode, Walt tries to kiss his boss, the principal at the school he works at, for what I suspect to be similar reasons to Skyler's. Though, he is obviously not over her whatsoever. 

In S3E11, we see a post-sex scene between Jesse and Andrea. Andrea asks Jesse if he's carrying any meth on him, to which Jesse responds by scolding her for wanting to get high when her kid will be home in just a few hours. Jesse is shown many times throughout the series to have strict moral boundaries when it comes to the mistreatment of children, this being one of them. This is also an integral scene to the progression  of Jesse and Andreas relationship, as this is where he learns more about her story and the truth about what happened to Combo.

Episode 12 of Season 3 starts with a montage of Wendy, a prostitute, going down on several customers in their cars, as well as kind of just taking us through "a day in the life" with Wendy. This montage basically just serves as a re-introduction to Wendy since she plays a prominent role in this episode. 

The last sex scene of season 3 is a comedic segment in which Marie bets Hank that she can get him hard, and if she does, Hank has to leave the hospital and come home. Now remember, when Hank was first admitted to the hospital, he had next to no feeling in his lower body, yet he was determined to stay in the hospital until he could walk out of there on his own two feet. Hank does end up losing this bet and leaves the hospital in a wheelchair.

In S4E3, a scene takes place that is similar to the one in S2E13 in that two people are shown briefly having sex on the dirty floor of a crack den, the only difference is that this time Jesse's house is the crack den. This scene serves practically the same purpose as the one in S2. Jesse has been feeling an extreme guilt after killing Gale and is keeping a bunch of drugged-up strangers partying at his house as a way to distract himself from the crushing guilt of what he's done. 

Episode 5 of Season 4 shows a sex scene between Walt and Skyler. This was possibly put in to show that their relationship is being rekindled now that they are working together in Walter's slew of crimes. After this scene, Skyler recommends that Walt move back in with her and the kids to "hold up the story" to the IRS of them being happily married.

The last sexual scene in the show takes place during the final minutes of S5E2. In this scene, Walt climbs into bed with Skyler, who has been feeling a heavy guilt over the life-altering accident that she indirectly caused Ted Beneke, her former boss and sexual partner, to get into. Walt tries to manipulate her into not feeling so bad about it by telling her that "When we do what we do for good reasons, then there's nothing to worry about.. and there is no better reason than family."

He tells her this while kissing and rubbing her up and down very intimately. Skyler is visibly uncomfortable as she lays very still in the bed that they now share once again, though she does not explicitly express her discomfort. 

It is implied that they have sex after this, though it is not shown.

The words that he says to Skyler during this scene are very similar to the lies that we know he has been telling himself throughout the whole series to try and justify his own actions to himself. 

These moments of intimacy (or lack thereof) in Breaking Bad carefully demonstrate the interpersonal relationships between characters as well as giving us a look into the psychology and state of mind that the characters are in. These scenes are also seen being used as plot points as well as character introductions. The sex scenes in Breaking Bad, even though 70% of the time it's just old people banging, do serve purpose, and they do make the audience feel. Even if that feeling is usually discomfort. THIS is what television is about.

My friends @tobieasgrey and @jailaffinity told me to write this.......

#brba #breaking bad #jesse pinkman #walter white #brb #skyler white #this took way too long to write......... #pls enjoy #legality rambles