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petitemistletoe · 11 months

Text

Presents of Mind

Pairing: James Potter x Reader

Warnings: smut, angst

Word Count: 5.2K+

A/N: Do wizards have grad school? What comes after Hogwarts? Also idk why but its canon to me that Sirius walks around naked

“Why are you moping?” Harry asked you, poking your arm lightly as he sat down on the couch next to you.

“I’m not moping.” You sighed and set your book down.

“You are. You’ve been moping since you got that letter last night.”

“That was my mom,” you sighed again, turning your body fully so you were facing Harry, “she’s going to the United States for Christmas to visit my brother and his wife and their new baby. It’s just going to be too crazy with the newborn so she wants me to stay with my weird Uncle Radolophus for the holidays. I told her I’d be fine here since I have about a mountain of work to finish for my advisor but she doesn’t want me to be alone.”

“Why don’t you stay with me for Christmas? This will be the first Christmas with my dad since my mom started dating Snape.” Harry had a disgusted look on his face. In Harry’s final year at Hogwarts, his parents announced they were getting divorced and his mother moved out of his house a few months later. Professor Snape had become even more insufferable as he tried to win Lily’s affection and luckily for everyone, Lily had waited until after Harry had been settled at university for his first year of a graduate program to start dating Snape. Harry had practically lost his mind and spent several weeks holed up in your shared apartment and you had to draw him out with chocolate frogs and butterbeer.

“Are you sure? Your dad won’t mind?”

“Nah, he’s nesting big time. He’s cooking a whole giant dinner and it’s going to be just me, Sirius, and Remus.” Harry shrugged.

“It won’t be weird? Me staying in your childhood home?” You asked, thinking about seeing Harry’s childhood bedroom.

“No, no, my dad rented a house in Cornwall. It’s a little tradition that him and his friends have. Come on! It’ll be fun. Cornwall at Christmas with my best friend. Snow on the beach!”

“Alright. I’ll come.” You nodded.

You and Harry had been friends since first year but you had strangely never met and had barely even seen Harry’s father. Harry’s mother had been more involved in all the school things and you supposed that’s why Lily and Severus had grown close again. It wasn’t that James was absent, quite the opposite, he was almost always at Quidditch tournaments and of course took Harry to and from Kings Cross every September but you just never seemed to catch him for more than a few moments since first year. You had heard from Hermione and Ginny, however, that apparently the man was supposed to be drop dead gorgeous.

“I’m leaving after my exam tonight. Meet you back here at seven?” Harry asked, getting up and stuffing his textbook into his bag. As Harry got ready to leave you heard a knock at your door. You got up off the couch to answer it and let Hermione and Ron in. They were bickering, as they usually were, and settled down in yours and Harry’s apartment like it was their own.

“Ron thinks that a vacuum cleaner is an appropriate Christmas gift for his parents.” Hermione sighed, pouring herself a cup of coffee while Ron flopped down on the couch next to you.

“It is! Mum loves to clean and dad’ll love that its a muggle invention.” Ron said, grabbing a throw pillow of the couch and burying his face in it.

“Your mother is a person beyond the face that she’s your mother. Why don’t you think of a gift that fits one of her interests?”

“She hasn’t got any interests!” Ron groaned and removed the pillow slightly to check his watch, “Harry let’s go! We got to be at the lecture hall in twenty minutes!”

“I’m coming! God, you two are so lucky you’re done with exams.” Harry said, shaking his head at you and Hermione.

“Oh Harry! Molly wanted me to ask if you’re coming to spend Christmas with the Weasleys?” Hermione said, finally taking her place next to you on the couch with her warm cup of coffee.

“No. I’m spending it with Dad this year. Plus, Ginny isn’t even going to be there, she’ll still be touring with the Cannons.”

“You don’t want to come to your best friend’s Christmas because your girlfriend won’t be there? We were friends before you even noticed Ginny!” Ron said, mouth open in shock.

“Ron, I’m spending Christmas with my father. You can bear Christmas with your own girlfriend and family.”

“Ugh, my family,” Ron sighed, “do you want to come?” He asked you.

“Spending it with Harry.” You shrugged. Harry rolled his eyes then looked at you on the couch. “We’re heading out! See you when we get back.”

You waved and then turned back to Hermione after you heard the door shut.

“So I’m spending Christmas with Harry.” You said.

“Oh my God. Have you seen Harry’s dad?” She asked excitedly.

“You know I haven’t! When was the last time you saw him?”

“I got tea with Professor Lupin a few weeks ago and Harry’s dad stopped by his flat to drop off his broom. The divorce is serving him well, let me tell you. He looks fantastic.” Hermione grinned.

“I don’t remember the last time I saw you this excited about Ron,” you joked gently.

“Ron and I have been together for almost five years now,” Hermione said with a bored shrug, “He gets to ogle Fleur and I get to ogle Harry’s dad. As long as we come back to each other there’s no problem.”

“Okay,” you laughed, “I get it. But isn’t this a little weird? That’s Harry’s dad. He’s our best friend.”

“Talk to me after you see him.”

You thought about Hermione’s words long after she left your apartment. You had a small bag packed and you were fiddling around waiting for Harry to come back. You practiced transfiguring different objects in your apartment into different animals. You figured you had to stop, however, when you transfigured your fireplace into a dragon and it took a few more seconds than you thought it would to transfigure it back. Your walls were a little soot covered but you were up on a chair trying to get the soot off the ceiling when Harry got back.

“What are you doing?” He asked with a surprised chuckle.

“Uh, had a little scuffle with a dragon.” You said sheepishly.

“Transfiguring the fireplace again?” He gave you a knowing look.

“How was your exam?” You asked, getting off the chair and pushing it back towards the kitchen table.

“It was alright. I’m ready to have a drink and not think about school for the next few weeks.” Harry said, setting his book bag down and grabbing his traveling bag.

“Yeah, real smart of us to go from Hogwarts to uni to grad school without taking a breath.” You rolled your eyes and grabbed your own bag, threading your free hand into Harry’s and waiting for him to apparate.

You stumbled onto a stretch of beach with a large manor that overlooked the water.

“So this is where we’re spending Christmas? I knew you came from money but I had no idea you were this well off. Sure you’re happy with Ginny?” You said, grabbing Harry’s cheek teasingly.

“Shove off,” Harry rolled his eyes and led you to the front door. The manor was cute, comfy, and warm. It was more chic than the Weasley home, with newer furniture and more modern decor, but it was still homey. It smelled like warm butterbeer and cinnamon and you could hear casual conversation in the sitting room. Harry walked into the sitting room and you took in the two men who were sitting in there. One of the men was familiar to you, your old defense against the dark arts professor Remus Lupin and the other man was around the same age, with longer dark hair, a chiseled jawline and cheekbones, and a smattering of tattoos that were visible on his chest through his thin shirt. That couldn’t have been Harry’s father…could it? He was beautiful. But he didn’t really look like Harry and everyone was always telling Harry that he was the spitting image of his father.

“Hello,” you said, greeting the two men.

“Ah! There’s my favorite student.” Remus said, standing up and giving you a quick, respectful hug.

“This is my godfather, Sirius Black.” Harry introduced you to the attractive man, Sirius, who stretched out his hand to you after giving Harry a tight hug.

“Pleasure to meet you.” He winked at you and you fought down a blush.

“So where’s my dad at?” Harry asked, flinging himself down on the couch and holding his arm out so you could sit down next to him. You obliged, snuggling up against Harry’s warm body and looking at the two men on the opposite couch.

“He ran out to buy a few things you for you and your friend. He wanted to make the place feel as inviting as possible and make biscuits for the both of you.” Sirius said with an eyeroll.

“How’s he been. You know, since it all with Mum and Snape?” Harry asked. Sirius and Remus exchanged a look before Remus shrugged his shoulders and exhaled deeply, his fingers rubbing his temples,

“It’s been hard. Have you talked to your mum recently?”

“No. Not really. She knows how I feel about her and Snape. We’ve gotten tea a few times since but she knows that I wanted to spend Christmas with Dad.” Harry said with a head shake. You felt a little awkward, like you were intruding on a private moment between Harry and his uncles, but you didn’t say anything, just stared at your hands.

“I have no idea what she sees in old Snivellus.” Sirius rolled his eyes and earned a slap on the chest from Remus.

“Sirius!”

“Come on, you think so too,” Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus, “You hated him just as much when you were teaching as we did when we were at school.”

“Even so-” Remus started to rebut but you heard the sound of the front door shut and you were sure that James was finally home. He entered the sitting room and you had to remind yourself to breathe. He was just as gorgeous as Hermione and Ginny had described. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes and those glasses. He had an easy smile and was muscular the way that Quidditch players were but he also had a distinguished dusting of silver in his dark hair. He immediately bound to Harry and hugged him tightly, his bicep pressing up against your own on the couch. He then pulled away from Harry and focused his attention on you.

“I’m sorry. Strangely, in the entire time you’ve been close friends with Harry we haven’t really made each other’s acquaintance. I’m James.” James wrapped you in a close hug.

“Hi! It’s great to meet you,” you nodded, not exactly hating the feeling of his body on yours.

“So, I thought we would have a little Shepard’s pie if that’s all right with you, love?” James asked Harry. It was clear that he doted on Harry and you thought it was very precious. You had seen the way that Lily had doted on Harry and while that was all well and good it was different from the way that James was doting and it was refreshing and beautiful. You smiled at the duo as you watched them.

“Yeah, Dad, sounds great.” Harry grinned up at his father. James touched Harry’s cheek affectionately and got up to head back into the kitchen. Remus and Harry got up to help James and you were going to get up too but Sirius sat down on the couch next to you and grinned at you with that crocodile grin he was so good at.

“So, darling, do you have any connection to the honorable House of Black?” Sirius asked you, his fingers tracing a shape on your arm.

“No. I don’t believe I do.” You responded. Sirius grinned even wider.

“Perfect.” He said, showing off his white teeth.

“Get off her, Padfoot!” James called from the kitchen. Sirius waved at James’ general direction and stretched his arms over your shoulders.

“You wouldn’t happen to have daddy issues, do you?”

“Are you asking me that because you want to know if I’m into older men?”

“So are you?” Sirius leaned in closer to you so your nose was brushing against his.

“I had a great relationship with my Dad. Right up until he died.”

“Oh,” Sirius’ smile dropped, “I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright,” you said, waving him off, “That’s all to say that I definitely have some daddy issues.”

“Silver lining, then.” Sirius said, smiling. You wouldn’t have been surprised if in the following moments, Sirius was going to close the distance between you both and kiss you on the Potter’s couch but Remus walked in and threw an oven mitt at Sirius.

“Sirius! You whore!” Remus said, feigning anger and walking over to punch Sirius in the shoulder.

“Ow! Get off me, you’re cramping my style.” Sirius glared at Remus.

“You know what else should cramp your style? The fact that you’ve been dating me since sixth year.” Remus rolled his eyes.

“So I’m not allowed to live?” Sirius shot back. You were laughing as you watched the match unfold and it looked like Remus was gearing up to shoot another smart remark back but Harry walked back in and said,

“Dad says dinner is ready and for you two to kiss and make up.” Harry stretched his hand out to help you off the couch. You all took seats at the table.

“If you wanted to watch us make out, Prongs, you should’ve just said so.” Sirius teased. James stuck his tongue out in return. You took a moment to imagine what it would be like to have that tongue all over your body. You promptly shook your head to rid yourself of the thought.

“So darling,” James turned to look at you and fought the urge to blush, “Harry told me your last name is Siphera. Any relation to Jack Siphera?”

“Uh yes,” you nodded, pushing around a pea on your plate, “he was my father.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. He was an excellent dueler. A strong member of the Order, you remember him don’t you?” James asked Remus and Sirius.

“Jack was a very kind man,” Remus smiled.

“Siphera…I didn’t know that he had passed. How did he die, if you don’t mind my asking.” Sirius asked. Remus was shaking his head but Sirius didn’t seem to notice.

“He was murdered by Bellatrix when she tried to escape Azkaban.” You responded.

“Bellatrix? My cousin Bellatrix? Bellatrix Lestrange?” Sirius asked, dropping his fork with a clatter.

“Do you know very many other Bellatrixes?” Harry asked. You started laughing and so did Harry until the two of you were both doubled over and gasping for breath.

“Alright,” James said, looking at you two warily, “I bought a bottle of firewhisky for us all, raise your glasses.” James poured everyone a generous helping of firewhisky and then raised another bottle of dark liquor for shots.

“To many holidays together.” Sirius grinned at you as you clinked glasses. You tipped your head back and took the drink, swallowing against the harsh burn in your throat. A small droplet escaped past the side of your glass and made its way down your chin and dropped between your breasts. You became acutely aware of the eyes that were on you. You rubbed your mouth harshly and took a large sip of firewhisky, averting your eyes to look at Harry. His cheeks were a bit pink from the shot and he shot you a large, easy smile.

The drinking continued and the evening ended with you and Harry stumbling into a free bedroom and falling asleep. You and Harry had often slept in the same bed, it started when you were in second year and you had both stayed up late revising for potions.

When you rose the next morning, your mouth was painfully dry and your head was pounding. You nudged Harry lightly and he groaned in response.

“What?”

“I need water.” You croaked.

“So get water.” Harry moaned, putting his head into the pillow and trying to wrap the edges of the pillow around his ears.

“I’m too hungover,” you shook your head.

“Fine, open your mouth I’ll use the aguamenti spell.” Harry shoved himself up on his forearms and grabbed his wand. You opened your mouth and Harry cast the spell. Unfortunately for you both, it was with much more intensity than Harry had intended and you choked on the intense stream of water that had assaulted your throat. You and Harry began to laugh as you were both drenched in water.

“I’ll go down and make some tea,” Harry said, changing his shirt.

“I’ll meet you down there, I’m just going to take a quick shower.” You stripped and wrapped a towel around you as you made your way to the bathroom. You let your body relax under the warm water and you thought about how Hermione and Ginny had been exactly right when it came to James. He was unbelievably gorgeous and you couldn’t stop thinking about when he hugged you, when his fingers bumped against yours as he was pouring drinks, as he brushed against you as he served dinner. It was intoxicating. There was also a detachable shower head that you grabbed and adjusted the water pressure. Once it got to a setting that was to your liking, you angled it so it was spraying a steady stream against your clit. You gasped softly at the pressure and let your head rest against the wall of the shower. You tried to imagine the old things that would get you going: the ripped quidditch players, the rugged wizards from romance novels, the occasional rockstar, but then James crossed your mind. The feeling of body against yours, how you imagined his lips felt against your neck. You imagined his cock entering you, the feeling of your body pressed against the shower wall as he pounded you from behind, his large hands on your waist, his breath hot against your neck. You came harder that you anticipated and you muffled your moans in the crook of your arm. You finished showering and changed into a fresh pair of clothes before descending the stairs. You felt your stomach churn in an unpleasant way when you smelled cooking from the kitchen.

“Good morning,” you said, sitting down at the kitchen table and accepting a cup of tea from Harry who looked just as queasy as you felt. James looked like he had fully rested after a long night of sleep. All around him potatoes were being mashed, green beans were being washed, and a turkey was being stuffed. James himself was charming a rolling pin to roll out dough for scones.

“Good morning! How did you sleep?” James beamed at you.

“How is it that even now in our old age, you still have never been hungover?” Sirius groaned, walking into the kitchen completely stark naked and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Sirius! Cover up. There’s a lady in the house.” James rolled his eyes.

“What you haven’t seen this before?” Sirius thrust his hips forward a little and pointed at his dick. You laughed and shook your head.

“Can’t say it’s my first time. Though it is my first time seeing a hickey there.” You and Harry both tilted your heads to get a better view of the large purplish bruise on the side of Sirius’ cock.

“Moony gets teethy.” Sirius shrugged, leaning against the counter and taking a long sip of his coffee. Remus walked in a few moments later and rolled his eyes at Sirius, throwing a pair of boxers at Sirius’ chest.

“Animals, the lot of you.” James shook his head.

“Dad, did you want to go for a round on the pitch?” Harry asked, accio-ing his broom into his left hand.

“Ah, I wish but I have to finish cooking.” James gestured to all the food around him.

“I can cook! Go, it’s alright.” You smiled. James gave you a grateful smile and nodded,

“I’ll only be a few minutes.”

“Take your time,” Remus waved him off, “I’ll stay and help too.”

“Cheers Moony!” James grinned, “Pads you coming?”

“Try and stop me.” Sirius laughed. The three boys scrambled outside and you could hear the chatter between them. You laughed to yourself and began to tend to the turkey.

“It’s sweet isn’t it,” Remus said to you, “the bond between James and his son.”

“It reminds me of me and my father. I never realized how close Harry and his dad are. I always saw his mother at school functions.” You said.

“Lily is an amazing mother, despite some of her most questionable actions as of late.” Remus sighed, “I do hope that her and James reconcile.”

“Oh,” you felt your heart do a flip-flop, “you think they might get back together then?”

“I certainly hope so.” Remus said with a sad smile.

“I don’t.” A new voice said. It was James. He was sweaty and panting as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

“You don’t? Not even a little bit?” Remus quirked an eyebrow.

“No,” James shrugged, “I think Lily is an amazing person but after so many years together I think we both realized that we can be better friends apart. There’s no harm in that.”

“I suppose only you and her would know.” Remus had a pensive expression on his face but he didn’t say anything further on the subject.

The rest of the day passed rather quickly, as you helped James prepare for the Christmas Eve dinner while Remus, Sirius, and Harry decorated the tree. After dinner you drank eggnog by the fire and listened to James tell stories about Harry when he was young and all the Marauders’ adventures. Sirius and Remus stumbled off to bed, thoroughly drunk with Sirius attempting to suck a dark hickey onto Remus’ neck.

“Silencing spell Pads!” James called.

“Cheers!” Sirius called back, the door slamming shut and the unnatural silence of the spell taking hold.

“It’s a little tradition in our household to open one gift on Christmas Eve.” James said with a smile. He handed a small wrapped gift to you and Harry.

“Oh, James, you didn’t have to get me anything. The invitation was enough!” You felt your face burn but you weren’t sure if it was from the egg nog or the gift.

Harry opened his gift first. It was a necklace with a silvery sword pendant.

“It’s beautiful.” Harry said, watching the way the pendant gleamed under the light of the fire.

“It’s functional as well.” James stood up and extended a hand to Harry as well. “Hold the necklace by the pendant and flick your wrist.”

Harry followed his father’s instructions and after the flick of his wrist the pendant expanded to a full sized sword.

“Whoa! Is that the sword of Gryffindor?” You asked, scrambling up and examining the sword up close.

“Yes it is. It’s been in the Potter family for generations. Flick your wrist again.” James instructed. Harry did so and the sword returned back to it’s pendant size. Harry put the sword around his neck and gave his father a tight hug.

“Open mine!” You urged Harry, handing Harry your gift as well. Harry opened it and laughed.

“Oh my God! This is great!” Harry grinned, pulling out a jumper that Mrs. Weasley had helped you knit. It was a dark red with a little design of a figure that looked like Harry whizzing by on his broom after a golden snitch.

“Thanks! It took a lot of yelling from Mrs. Weasley and some tears but it’s done!” You beamed.

“This is truly amazing. You’re very talented.” James was studying the jumper in adoration.

“I’m so glad you think so because after I did it once I was able to replicate it and make some tweaks so happy Christmas James!” You handed James an identically wrapped package. Inside was a jumper but the design was a man who looked like James that disappeared and a stag stood in his place. You had remembered the stories Harry had told you of his father’s animagi status and thought it would be sweet. James wrapped you in a tight hug and grinned at you,

“Thank you so so much.”

Harry gave James his gift and then handed you his gift to you. It was a gorgeous porcelain tea set that was enchanted so the bottom of each tea cup had a grim at the bottom, a silly callback to yours and Harry’s shared time in Divination. James had run out for a moment and then returned with a small box for you. It was a beautiful, dainty bracelet. James helped you put it on. You were absolutely speechless.

“Thank you so much, James. It’s absolutely lovely.” You excused yourself to the bathroom where you investigated it more. It looked like real gold. Why would James give you such an expensive and intimate gift. You saw there was a little slip of paper underneath the bracelet. You pulled it out and read:

To my one true love, my Lily

That made more sense. James had given you a gift that he had intended initially for Lily. You would give it back to him after Harry went to bed. You were about to round the corner to reenter the main room when you overheard a conversation between Harry and James.

“-Siphera is a lovely girl. Are you and her…together?” James asked.

“No, no,” Harry responded, “She’s my best friend in the entire world. I’m glad you got to meet her.”

“I am too.”

You took that as your cue to re-enter the room and you nestled back into your spot and wrapped your hands around your cup of eggnog.

“Alright, I’m going to ring Ginny before bed. G’night.” Harry gave you another hug before going to bed.

“So James, while I really appreciate the bracelet I don’t think I can keep it.” You said, handing James to bracelet back.

“Oh, you don’t like it?” James gave you a look of alarm.

“No, it’s not that. I just saw this note and…” You handed James the note.

“I, um, I am so sorry. I had gotten you a box of chocolates for Christmas but then I saw your gift and I panicked. I had bought that bracelet for Lily months and months ago and I needed to give you something better. You’ve been such a light in Harry’s life and honestly in these few short days I’ve loved having you here. I want you to keep the bracelet.” James looked at you with large imploring eyes and extended the bracelet back to you.

“Oh, thank you so much. You have to know that Harry is my best friend and he’s been amazing. Especially after everything with my father. And I can see where he gets his giving spirit. Thank you again for having me for Christmas this year.” You became aware of how close you and James were on the couch. His hand was on your knee and his breath was warm against your face. He leaned in and kissed you, his hand on the back of your neck. His lips were soft and he was gentle, warm. You pulled away and looked down at the ground.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I’ve just…been lonely. But that isn’t an excuse.” James shook his head.

“I think I’m going to go to bed. Good night.” You scrambled from the room. You reentered your room and tried to think about what had just happened. And then you thought fuck it, you deserved a little guilty pleasure now and again. And before you knew it you were knocking on James’ door, emboldened by the eggnog.

“I’m glad you’re here. I’m so so sorry-” James started but you wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him hard. He pulled you into the room and shut the door, pushing you up against the door and pulling your jumper over your head. He thread a hand in your hair and tilted your face up a little as he angled his tongue. His hand went down to the waistband of your jeans and fiddled with the button for a moment before sliding his hand down into your panties.

“So wet for me,” he whispered into your mouth. You were going to give back a smart remark but James pushed two of his nimble fingers into your pussy. You gasped and gripped James shoulder harshly. His thumb found its way to your clit and he started on circular motions as he pumped his fingers in and out of you. His lips made their way to your neck and he was sucking hickeys on your neck that you would curse in the morning but right now all you cared about was James keeping his pace as you approached your orgasm. It hit you like a tidal wave and you were moaning into James’ mouth and begging him for something you weren’t totally sure of.

He moved you to the large wicker bed that sat in the center of the room. You helped him out of his shirt and unbuckled his pants. You kissed down his chest, along his happy trail, and down to his cock. You took him in your mouth and he moaned lowly,

“Oh fuck.” He moaned, holding your hair back as you tried to take him as deep as possible. You grabbed his balls lightly and released a strangled,

“Okay! Okay, I don’t want to cum just yet.” He pulled you off of him and flipped you over so you were beneath him. He pushed himself inside you and you both moaned.

“You’re so big,” you moaned.

“You’re so tight,” he moaned back. He was fucking you at a relentless, unforgiving pace. One of his hands was gripping the headboard tightly and the other was alternating between your nipple and your clit. You were approaching your second orgasm of the night and with the way it was building you knew it was going to hit you even harder than the first one. James pulled out completely and slammed back into you and that was it. You orgasm hit you hard and your orgasm triggered James’. He came inside you, babbling thank yous and oh my gods. He pulled out of you and you both laid side by side, breathing heavily and fanning yourselves.

“We can’t ever tell Harry.” You said, the icy shock of sobriety making you realize the gravity of what you had done. You had slept with your best friend’s dad. That would kill him. James was going to respond when an owl started pecking at the window. James opened the window and untied the piece of parchment wrapped around the owl’s foot. You were able to read it over your shoulder.

James,

I made a huge mistake. Ring me in the morning?

Happy Christmas

Lily

#james potter #James potter x reader #James potter smut #bfd!James potter #harry potter #Aaron Taylor johnson #Aaron Taylor johnson smut #marauders #atyd marauders #sirius black #remus lupin

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darling-wendy · 1 year

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they made each other fathers

This has been staring us right in the face the entire time, but it's only just registering to me that Kazuki defaulted to "Rei-papa" when he could've easily just said "Rei-niichan" or "Rei-ojisan" or "Rei-san", some other form of honorific. A four year old is aware of the concept of an uncle, he could've gone with that to begin with. It's very interesting that Kazuki instinctively reached for the one honorific that tacitly implies a relationship between him and Rei. Like, somewhere in the back of his mind he said 'Well, if I'm her pretend dad then Rei, as my partner (and it's also interesting that the first time we first see him use the term, it's the ambiguous English loan word rather than either of the two Japanese equivalents), is obviously also her pretend dad'.

And, honestly, Kazuki doing this seems to kinda low-key incept Miri into viewing Rei as her second papa lol.

She was told by her mother that she had a Papa, singular, and that she was going to meet him at the Varint Hotel. Kazuki presented himself as such, and in the specific context of rescuing her, which is something that Misaki seems to have have told her is what a Papa does.

(The expression on her face and her hand gesture and the way she says this sounds like she's repeating something a trusted adult told her rather than something she came up with herself imo)

So, case closed. But then! her papa tells her to go play with this other guy, who is apparently also her papa? He says he isn't, but the seed has been planted, and it sprouts up later.

Kazuki is berating Rei for not just telling the neighbourhood watch guy that he was her dad, and Miri takes notice. Rei once again denies being her dad, but the idea seems to have stuck for her.

Look at her hurt little face after she heard Rei outright deny being not just her father but also some other sort of family member. She's attached to Rei. She wanted to eat breakfast with him and later wants to sleep next to him. And I'm sure at least some of that is having had him introduced to her as another parent. Fortunately, it works out in the end.

(The voice Kazuki uses here kills me softly. There is genuinely no heterosexual explanation for it lmao.)

('All according to keikaku')

Don't look so smug, Kazuki. Aside from taking Miri into your shared home in the first place, you put the idea of 'Rei-papa' into her head.

So, within Rei's overall arc of changing to become a suitable parent, there's this first mini arc of him accepting identifying as her papa, and it's partially instigated by Kazuki. On Kazuki's end, he doesn't struggle with the label (despite and/or because of his past? Kazuki, you are fascinating), but he has his own unique arc around it.

Part of the reason that Kazuki is so fascinating to me is that he's very straightforward but also he masks as readily as he breathes. Rei isn't as demonstrative or expressive, but he doesn't really hide what he's thinking or how he's feeling. Rei's arc with becoming a father is pretty linear; he first denies then accepts being Miri's papa, he gets a bit involved with raising her, he learns the lesson of how he's not doing enough and needs to step up, then he gets more involved and becomes more confident, culminating in him declaring his desire to be her father in an outright permanent way and he continues growing after the main timeline wraps. His failings are mostly due to having no idea of what a parent is supposed to be like. His father wasn't his father, he was his boss. (Imagine being ~11 years old and having your father hit you in the face and tell you that he's your boss, not your father. This is immediately after he forced you to try to kill a rabid dog, arming you with nothing but a knife, and berating you for not finishing it off. Woof).

Kazuki's failings seem to come from him being too prescriptive or blindly using negative personal experiences as an anchor for what not to do. He also had a terrible childhood, but we lack specific details. He seems to have been abandoned when he was young, so young that he doesn't even remember his parents, and so lacked a real example of how a parent should behave. This undoubtedly would've come up as a stressor when Yuzuko was pregnant. I imagine that he would've gone through the beginner level stages of growth that we saw with Rei, if not exactly in the same way. We come to him at an intermediate level where he knows a lot of basics, but gets tripped up by more higher level concepts.

(Pre-school socialisation isn't about establishing dominance and young kids can have an understanding of right and wrong, Kazuki)

Over the course of the series (and especially in eps 7 and 9), we see Rei look to Kazuki for guidance, and there are also times when Kazuki asserts himself (often erroneously lol) as having the right idea of what to do in a particular situation.

Kazuki's papa arc is more about breaking down the ideas he had built in his head about what good parenting is supposed to look like and holistically feeling it out with respect to what Miri specifically--not some amorphous Child--needs. Rei kind of has the opposite problem, operating purely on vibes rather than structure lol, and that's why they balance each other so well.

Now for the reverse. By the midpoint of ep 3, Miri has been calling Kazuki 'Papa' for days now. It's just hitting me that he didn't try to gently let her down and reveal his lie after they got out of the gunfight. [Rei straight up asked her 'What about your real father?' and got a philosophical answer, so maybe that strategy wouldn't work anyway lol]. I guess he might think of it as easier to just lean into being 'Papa' until they got rid of her, but I'm gonna call it an inverse Freudian slip. Especially since it ties into the first moment I wanna highlight.

Rei is emotionally stunted but also very perceptive. He's read something in Kazuki's actions, tone of voice, body language, etc that indicates that Kazuki doesn't actually want to give Miri up. She's been a little torpedo that imploded two jobs back to back, she gets underfoot, she and makes lots of noise, she and breaks things...and yet. He knows Kazuki well and he saw, perhaps, what Kyu saw when Kazuki was having a moan about them in ep 7.

The rest of the episode plays out and ends with Rei, Miri, and Kazuki going home together for dinner, this time as a quasi family unit. They haven't made any declarations yet, they're just kind of feeling and fumbling their way along. They have some ups and downs as they settle into a dynamic. Then it all blows up in ep 10.

[I could write a whole screed about how ep 10 was a necessary--at least a highly valuable--story beat, but this post is already very long. Some other time, perhaps. ]

Misaki comes back for Miri thanks to Kyu, they are successfully convinced to give her up, and then their little unit falls apart. Another explosion comes in ep 11 with Misaki's death, and now Miri is officially orphaned. Rei, as per usual, asks Kazuki what they should do, and Kazuki reveals that he's in a deep, guilt-induced trough.

We see how Misaki's death is weighing heavily on his mind, and he's surely thinking that he got yet another woman killed due to his desire for a family. He processes her 'protect Miri' plea as needing to stay away from Miri--that that's what he has to do to prevent her from becoming the second child he has to bury. But Rei surprises him.

Kazuki's response is a bit cruel, though not entirely unfounded. He had to temporarily ghost Rei for him to realise all the work that goes into looking after Miri. And even though Kazuki left a fridge full of meals, Rei still ended up ordering pizza because he couldn't recognise them as such. He has a long way to go as a parent. But he wants to do it, and he beseeches Kazuki to make the jump with him.

Kazuki's talking back to himself just as much as he is to Rei. "It might not be too late. [for] Normal happiness" is what he said to Rei on the Ferris wheel. At that time he genuinely thought there was nothing else for them to do but give Miri back to Misaki. But that was when he, like the rest of them, thought that simply stepping back would be enough for Shigeki to be satisfied. It's different now. They both know that, but Kazuki is too raw with hurt and guilty to let himself be happy. It's that characteristic manner in which he gets in his own way. But Rei breaks through all that.

This is the moment. Rei, for the first time as far as I can recall, is shown to initiate physical contact with Kazuki in a way that's soft and not utilitarian. While he talks, he even gives Kazuki's hand a little squeeze. He is going way further than he ever has in expressing his emotions. Change has been a motif for both of them, and Rei says it's possible for them with such conviction--that they can make Miri happy--that Kazuki stops getting in his own way. He comes around in the most Kazuki way possible: transitioning their serious conversation about taking responsibility for Miri (and the implications of dealing with the organisation) into a comedic moment about Rei doing his share of the household chores and childcare.

And with that, they're over the finish line! There's still a lot for them to do in the final episode, but this is the climax of their respective papa arcs. Storming the Suwa compound, confronting Shigeki, and the 10 years later bit are denouement. The two of them approached fatherhood from completely different backgrounds and stances and levels of experience, but it was a journey they took together and one which was not possible without the other.

#kazurei #kurusuwa family #kurusu kazuki #suwa rei #unasaka miri #buddy daddies #buddy daddies meta #found family #this is my crack lol

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dragon-kazansky · 2 months

Text

Veil of the dreamless

Morpheus x Reader

A cursed Morpheus holds your father prisoner when he enters The Dreaming without permission. You, also able to enter the realm, take his place. Now a prionser to the Dream Lord, you do all you can to learn about the curse and hopefully break it.

{Masterlist}

{Next Chapter}

Chapter One - Village of the dreamless

☆☆☆

In a small village in the English countryside you lived with your father in his workshop. You had lived there all your life.

When your mother passed away your father threw himself into his inventions. The money he made from them was enough to keep a roof over your head, and it kept you fed.

You love your father. He is a wonderful man. There is nothing he wouldn't do for you.

You come downstairs and smile as you see him hunched over his desk. He's working on the clockwork of your cuckoo clock. The one he made you before you were born. Every so often, it needed fixing up.

"Is it going to work?" You ask, kissing his cheek softly and looking at all the parts.

"It will. Just needs some replacing."

You smile and grab your basket. "I'm going to head into town. Do you want anything while I'm out?"

"No, dear. I don't think so."

You chuckle softly and take your leave.

The village was alive today. People shopping, running errands, children playing games in the street. It was a lovely little village where everyone knew everyone.

Your dearest friend Robert, or Hob as you called him, was just opening his book store. He waves at you come over.

"Good morning."

You chuckle softly. "Morning, Hob."

"I have that book you asked for." He grins.

"Oh, thank you! I'll come get it on the way back."

"I'll hold it for you. How's your father?"

"He's well. Working hard," you tell him.

"Tell him I said thank you for mending my radio."

"Of course."

You wave at him as you walk on, a smile on your face. You pick up some groceries and some fresh bread from the bakery. You window shop at the tailor's and make a wish st the fountain in the square. On your way back, you pick up the book and leave Hob some goodies you picked up earlier.

As you make your way back home, you pass the tavern. It was early yet, but there was a woman waiting outside. She looked up at you and smiled as you walked past. You smiled back, trying to be friendly. The way she looked at you caused a shiver to run down your spine. You looked away to focus on the path, but risked a glance back. She was gone.

You shook it off and carried on walking.

Your father was still working away on his inventions when you returned. You put the groceries away and decided to start that book Hob gave you.

It's an old book about dreams. A rumoured realm called 'The Dreaming' or 'The Dreamscape'. Apparently, a long time ago, such a realm existed, and it allowed people to dream at night. Dreams were unheard of. Except for the kind which are considered wishes for the future, but as for Dreaming while asleep, they were not real. No one ever saw images or people or places while asleep.

You went to sleep, and you would wake up again later. That was it.

The concept of dreaming was fascinating to you. You recall a memory from your childhood. A memory of your mother. She once claimed she could dream, as could your father, but he always denied such a thing. People thought she was crazy. She would ask you every morning if you had dreamt, but your answer was always no.

She would smile and say "maybe next time."

Eventually, she got sick. They called it the Sleepy Sickness. She never woke up, and eventually, she died. Your father was distraught.

The idea of dreaming had played on your mind long after she passed away. When Hob opened his bookstore, you searched every shelf for anything on dreaming. He claimed to have nothing, but be knew of such a book.

It took him months to get it. Now it was in your hands.

A realm. A palace. A king.

It was hard to put the book down. This book was written long ago. The pages were handwritten. It was more of a journal than anything.

You're not sure how much time has passed. At some point, you fall asleep. When you wake, it's dark out. You find the book open on the sofa beside you. It had slid off your lap. You close it gently and grab it as you stand. You're about to make your way up to bed when you spot your father hunched over his desk. You chuckle.

"Father." You gently try to shake him awake. He doesn't budge. You chuckle and decide to just leave him. He has slept at his desk before.

You head on up to bed.

The next morning, you come downstairs, ready to make breakfast for you and your father. You reach the bottom stair and say cheerfully, "good morning, father!"

You are met with silence.

"Father? Good morning."

Still nothing.

You look around the house. He is not at his desk. He is not in the kitchen. He is not in the garden or near the vegetable patch beside the house. You see no sign of him along the patheading to your home. You frown.

There isn't even a note.

You grab your coat and decide to head into town. Perhaps you will find him at one of his favourite spots.

You pass the bakery, he is not there. You pass the tavern, too early to be open. You pass the tailors. He's only just unlocking the door. You reach the bookshop. Hob is open and awaiting customers. You pop in.

"Hello, Hob. Has my father come by?" You ask him.

"Haven't seen him. You're the first soul through my door today. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he's fine. He just wasn't at home when I woke up, and I didn't see a note. Perhaps he just went for a walk."

"He's probably already back at home." Hob offers you a smile. "How is the book?" He asks.

"Fascinating! Do you think it exists? The realm of dreams?"

He chuckles softly. "I do."

You catch the glint in his eye as he smiles. It's a cheeky smile, one that makes you wonder what kind of man Hob is. Despite knowing him for quite some time, there's still a lot you don't know about him.

"I'll try and finish it soon. I fell asleep reading it."

"Did you?" He asks curiously. "Did anything happen?"

"No. Well, except for my father leaving without a word. Though he's probably back at home, like you said."

Hob has a curious expression on his face. You're not quite sure what to make of it.

"Better head home and see."

You nod and smile softly. You can't help worrying, though. It's not like him to disappear without telling you. You head back home.

When you arrive at the house you find it juat ad empty as when you left. You sigh softly. Where had he gone? It wasn't like your father to leave without telling you. You peer out toward the shed. His wagon was still there, so he wasn't out on a job either.

Deciding to get something to eat and wait a while, you head to the kitchen. He would show up eventually, you were sure.

Hours passed.

Not a single sign of him. Hob came by to check in on you, but when he saw the look on your face, he grew concerned. He stayed with you until dark. He offered to sleep on the couch, but you told him to head on home. He left, telling you to contact him if you need him. You agreed.

The hour grew late. Your father did not appear. You become worried sick. Your worry eats away at you. You stay awake for hours. You try so hard to fight sleep, but you just can't leep your eyes open.

You fall asleep on the sofa.

You feel a gentle breeze on your face. You open your eyes and find yourself staring at a dark and cloudy sky. You take a few moments to ground yourself before sitting up. A small gasp escapes you as you find yourself staring at a palace. It's a tall, dark looking building, one in great disrepair by the looks of it. Windows were broken and a lot of the structure was damaged.

You're stand up and look across the long abandoned bridge that leads to the palace. You have no idea where you are, but suddenly, words from that journal come to mind. Descriptions of the palace that seem to match the one in front of you.

We're you... dreaming?

You look around. There is not another soul in sight. A caw can be heard from above you, and you look up in time to see a bird fly over you and into the palace.

You decide to follow it.

Passing over the bridge, you become filled with dread. There is no one else around. The place was dark and looked long since abandoned. This place was nothing the place you read about in that book.

You reach the doors to the palace and slip through the open crack between them. The main entrance is also empty and dark. Your footsteps echo through the room.

You only go in a few steps as you look around. "Hello? Is anyone home?" You called out. You get no response.

There is a fire lit nearby. You walk over and find an untouched glass of wine and an untouched plate of food. You look around cautiously. Something feels very wrong here.

You explore further into the palace. The sound of a bird flapping its wings echoes from down the hall. You decide to follow it. It almost feels like it's leading you somewhere.

You head down a dark hall and down a dark staircase. The whole place is poorly lit. However, venturing into the darkness proves to be worth it. You're lead to what looks like a cell. You rise over to the bars.

"Father?"

His head pops up, and he gasps. He joins you at the bars and grabs your hands.

"You can't be here!"

"What are you talking about? Where is this place? You've been gone all day!"

"A day...? Is that all?"

"What do you mean? Father, what's happening? Where are we?" You ask him desperately.

"You must leave!'

"Not without you. Tell me what's happening."

He looks at you with sad eyes. "I've been here for days... Time works differently here."

"What do you mean...?" You ask softly.

"We're in The Dreaming..."

You stare at him. "The Dreaming...?"

He nods his head. "Your mother did not lie to you when she said we could dream... her family has always been able to dream since the fall of the king. When I married her, her blessing was passed onto me, so it was inevitable you would gain this ability too."

"What are you talking about?" You plead with him to tell you.

"This is the Dreamscape. The realm of Dreams and Nightmares. The king of Dreams rules this realm. I didn't mean to come here, but I clearly wasn't strong enough to shut him out..."

"Father..."

"You're in danger just being here." He looks at you desperately. "You must go."

"I can't go without you! Come on, there has to be a way to get you out."

"No!" He yells in panic.

The sound of a door slamming open can be heard down the hall, and footsteps follow. You look into the dark.

"He's here..." Your father whispers.

"Who? Who is coming?"

"The Nightmare man..."

A figure lurks in the shadows, blanketed by the dark. You can just about make out someone standing there, but you can't see clearly what they look like.

"Another trespasser in my palace." His voice is deep and growly. He sounds angry. "Tresspassers will be punished."

You stand up tall and glare into the dark.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Don't." You are father begs you.

"I am the King of Nightmares, and you shouldn't be here, little one."

"Let my father go!"

A moment of silence passes as you stare into the dark eyes watching you. His eyes are narrowed. He shifts. You catch sight of a feather.

"Show yourself. Come into the light."

Your father begs you to stop, but you don't listen. The figure in the dark steps out into the light and you feel all air leave your lungs.

The monster is real.

☆☆☆

@littleblackcatinwonderland - @kpopgirlbtssvt - @missdreamofendless -

#veil of the dreamless #morpheus x reader #the sandman #beauty and the beast au #au #dragon writes

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strangersteddierthings · 1 year

Text

Bad News First, Eddie

Part One 🦇 Part Two🦇Part Three🦇FInal Part

Whew! I don’t think I’ve written this much in such a short amount of time ever in my life. The boys deserve a soft ending, I think. Enjoy!

It goes like this. While Eddie's been lost in his own mind, his body was living. Sort of.

Top secret government assisted living, kinda living. For a secret government hospital one would think the place would be fancier or something but it's just a regular looking hospital.

Eddie's in therapy, both for his body and mind.

He learns that the voice he heard when Eleven helped pull him from the depths of his mind was Mike Wheeler of all people, and he sounds different because he's nineteen and in college. Mike mocks him on graduating before Eddie. He regrets it when Eddie gets him into a headlock.

He gets to meet Eleven, outside of his mind. And he starts calling her El. Part of him can't stop thinking about Eleven as the entity he thought was going to lead him to the great beyond.

She is just a person. Sorta.

Dustin had told him there was a girl with superpowers and Eddie is glad she's real. Not that he thought Dustin would lie about this (actually, he might have thought Dustin was lying just to give him some weird version of a pep talk. Everything said before going through Watergate was suspect if he's honest).

When he's finally well enough to be able to leave, Doctor Owens tells him their plan.

They're gonna convince Wayne to fly to Tennessee. Eddie, El, and Mike Wheeler are gonna be flown there, too. There's a place for them to stay, to meet up with his uncle in private.

They'll stay there a month. Doctor Owens knows a doctor who can do Eddie's final evaluations before he can really go home.

That's the real kicker.

Hawkins fucking sucks. Small town, narrow views, non-conformity gets you called a Freak in the same way his Dad used to call him a fag. Like he said, fucking sucks.

But it's also the sanctuary he escaped to when he was eleven years old. It's the place where his uncle built a home for him.

So, back to Hawkins first. He can always go somewhere else later. Maybe a coastal city. See the ocean.

Eddie hasn't been afraid of a reaction from his uncle since that day in the hospital parking lot after he caught Eddie making out with another guy. He's got that same fear inside now, though, knowing that when El opens that door, he'll see the family he feels like he abandoned. It's not fair to himself to think that, his therapist would say, but he's allowed to have crazy thoughts right now. He's come back from being (not)dead and gets to see Wayne again for the first time. Knowing his feelings are justified doesn't make them fade, though, so he's not surprised his voice shakes when the door finally opens. “Hey Uncle Wayne.”

Wayne takes less than two seconds to reach Eddie, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. “I love you so much, you little bastard. Don’t you ever, ever do this to me again.”

It's all Eddie can do to remain upright and hug him back, clinging to his shirt like he's eleven years old again.

Wayne gives him an overview of what he's missed after the Upside Down came into their world (he heard that part from El and Mike, against the better wishes of Doctor Owens). Learns that Wayne and Steve live in Steve's childhood home because his parents just gifted it to him, apparently. That Wayne is only part time at the plant now due to an accident he had, and how that sparked his current living conditions.

Learns that Steve and Wayne became close because, unbelievably, Steve Harrington goes to his grave in the cemetery and cleans off graffiti on the regular.

Eddie feels a little hot under the collar because his brain reminds him of a fact he’d heard once; that the author of Frankenstein lost her virginity on her mother’s grave and a little voice in the back of his head whispers that it'd be hot for him to do the same thing with Steve on his own grave.

He has to scamper to the bathroom to scold himself in the mirror because he cannot be having these kinds of thoughts about Steve while talking to his uncle!

Wayne asks him, the night before their flight, “what’s something you want to do, once everything is settled and life starts to feel normal again?”

“I wanna go on a vacation. Like, a real, bona fide, family vacation.”

“Where you wanna go?”

“Think I’d like to see the ocean.”

Wayne smiles softly. “Alright. When you feel ready for it, we’ll go.”

“Just give him a chance, Eddie,” Wayne says randomly, as they wait to board their flight to Indianapolis.

“Give him a chance? As if I’d waste it,” Eddie feels breathless at just the thought. It's certainly not helping that stupid crush he's been harboring for years, knowing how Steve’s been treating his uncle. It was one thing to watch Steve defend Jeff that one time in high school; it's an entirely different ball game knowing he's watched over his uncle with care and devotion for years. “He took care of you when I couldn’t. He cares. I don’t think there’s a chance I wouldn’t give him.”

“How long have you had a thing for Steve?”

Eddie's brain screeches to a halt because he was didn't think anything he'd just said would give him away. He can't even think of a reply good enough to throw his uncle off his trail. “That’s not- why would you think- when have I ever!?”

“You think I wouldn’t know this about you?” Wayne chuckles.

No. No, Eddie thinks, of course you could take one look at me and know. His uncle had been able to know everything about him so effortlessly. But Eddie doesn't have to answer, so he won't. “So, we’ll be living with Steve Harrington? Will he… be okay with me being there?”

“Yeah. Steve and I had each other when we needed it. Now I need you, so Steve won’t mind at all," Wayne sounds so sure, so convinced, that Eddie is too.

Eddie smiles, pulling a strand of his hair to hide his face behind as he imagines getting to eat at the same dinner table as Steve fucking Harrington. He doesn't even mind that Wayne gives him a look at says 'you are being so obvious right now' because he is. He knows he is. He's allowed to be. Wayne's not going to mock him for his crush.

On the drive from Indianapolis to Hawkins, Wayne tells him the lie he told Steve. Apparently, Steve thinks Eddie's dad is coming to stay for a while. The mere thought of that sets Eddie on edge, even though he knows Wyatt Munson's still in prison. Will be for a long time, with the list of shit they got him for.

They roll into Hawkins shortly after, and while Eddie may have not been in Hawkins the last five years, and he's willing to admit that things might have changed things up since they did have to rebuild a lot of the town, he's certain that Steve's house is on the other side of it. “This isn’t the way to the Harrington house."

“Steve won’t be there. He comes here when he’s overwhelmed," Wayne says. It's still pretty jarring to hear Wayne talk about Steve like this. Like he knows him. Which, he does, obviously, because they've gotten to know each other.

Still mind blowing to think about.

“The cemetery?” is what comes out of his mouth, though.

Wayne knows what's he's really meaning to ask, though, because he shrugs and says, “we both come talk to you. Steve always starts with the bad news, you know. I think you should start with good news. Just this once." The car is slowing down, and Wayne is pointing out the front windshield, to a figure crouched down near a lone headstone. "Ah. See, there he is.”

Steve. He's too far away for Eddie to be sure sure but if anyone is still wearing bright polo shirts tucked into light wash jeans this far after leaving high school, it'd be Steve Harrington. Eddie's not even sure the car is fully stopped when he all but falls out of it.

He doesn't run to greet Steve, because that's a bit dramatic, but he's not too proud to admit he might be power walking. He slows down when he gets closer, coming to a full stop just close enough to hear Steve talking to his grave. Talking to him.

"Bad news, Eds. I'm too much of a coward to meet your old man. Afraid of what he'll sound like. Because I want him to sound like you so fucking bad it hurts. So instead of being home, I'm hiding here."

"Well, I've some bad news for you, too, Stevie. I got my voice from my mom," Eddie says, and almost instantly cringes because Wayne literally just told him to start with good news and he didn't. Eddie doesn't have much time to soak in his embarrassment, though, because Steve whips around so fast that Eddie's dizzy from the movement.

Steve looks older but it's in the way people who have seen more than their fair share of Hell look older, and less about actual aging. His eyes are wide and stunned. Eddie watches as his jaw moves but no words come out. He looks like he's seen a ghost which... ok, that's fair.

"Umm," Eddie says, a little worried he's broken him when Steve doesn't even seem to be blinking as he stares at Eddie. "Good news, Steve. I, uh, I lived. Kinda. El kinda pulled me back to the surface of my mind, or whatever, and Owens did a good job at patchin' up the goods here," he gestures to his whole body with a sweeping motion of his hand and wishes that a gate to the Upside Down would open beneath his feet and suck him back to Hell because could he be any more embarrassing?

"A-are you," he watches as Steve swallows and takes a deep breath. He's still not sure Steve has blinked yet. "real?"

"Yeah," Eddie nods, taking a few steps closer, "yeah, I'm real. I'm here and alive and real."

Steve launches himself forward then, meeting him halfway. It's so goddamn surreal be witness to how tenderly Steve actually reaches out to him, though, such a contrast to the flurry of movement he'd been just a second ago. Eddie stays still as Steve lifts shaking hands to cup his face with, pushing against his cheeks as if to test whether or not Eddie is solid. Those hands slide down, along his neck, across his shoulders, down his arms where Steve seems to need to pause and collect himself again, hands wrapped loosely around his arms just below his elbows while Steve shuts his eyes and a low, broken sound pulls itself from his throat before his eyes open again, wet with tears, and he releases Eddie just long enough to throw his arms around his neck and pull him into a hug almost as crushing as the one he shared with his uncle.

It's overwhelming in this moment. To see how much he means to Steve and not fully understand how he came to mean anything to him at all.

Doesn't stop him from wrapping his own arms around Steve's waist, though.

It goes like this.

He gets his own room at Harrington's house. Wayne has his own room, too. How strange it is, to not have his uncle sleeping the day away on the couch because the trailer had one room and he'd given it to Eddie.

They adjust to living together so seamlessly. Like they were always meant to be family.

They have dinner together. Real homecooked meals. Which isn't a novelty for Wayne and Steve anymore, but Eddie's memory ends five years ago, when his dinners consisted of microwavable meals or left over snacks from lunch. Wayne cooks on the days when Steve works, and Eddie helps. Gets to be taught how to cook.

For a while, Eddie is afraid to leave the house. Even knowing that Jason Carver bit the dust the same day he was supposed to also doesn’t help. He only goes places with Wayne and Steve, and even then, the double takes people send his way are enough to make him want to shrink into himself.

However, no one says anything to him. He's vaguely aware that everyone here lived through some sort of miniature apocalypse and maybe that's the kind of thing that has to happen to make a small town in Indiana change.

He and Steve dance around each other. He can feel it. There is something here, between them, that neither fully acknowledges.

He tries to talk to Wayne about it, but he won't give him much to go on.

"I won't be the one to say anything about what Steve thinks of you. That's gotta come from Steve. I will say this. He's waiting for you to bring it up first."

"Why does it have to be me?"

"He's had five years to gather his thoughts and emotions," Wayne levels him with a Look, "you gotta have the time to figure yourself out, too."

Well, fuck.

Steve waits until it's almost summer break for the kids (they’re not really kids anymore, though, but Eddie’s adjusting to that still) to ask if he's ready to face them. "It'll be a lot to handle," Steve says as he sits next to Eddie on their couch (their couch. He can't believe that's a truth in his life right now). "Eleven and Mike haven't told anyone yet, but they want to. It wasn't just Wayne and I that grieved for you."

"I know," Eddie says, "I know. I'm good. I'm alive and here and I want them to know about it."

Steve nods slowly, not fully focused on Eddie. Eddie's come to know that means he's thinking, so Eddie waits for him to speak. "Would you prefer to meet with everyone... one at a time?"

"What's the other option?"

"Well, I always host a barbeque when they all come back. Could tell everyone all at once. Like ripping off a Band-Aid."

Eddie crooks a smile because he's a bit mischievous and his mind instantly plays a scene where he walks into a backyard full of all the people he's come to care for, and who care for him, and he's trying to best to be casual about it in this fantasy. "Yeah. Let's do the barbeque thing."

"Bad news, Stevie," Eddie whispers as he leans against the wall next his closed door, trying not to hyperventilate. "I don't know if I can do this."

Steve reaches out and takes one of Eddie's hands in his own, linking their fingers like it's a casual thing they do all the time when it's most certainly not. "Good news, Eds. You don't have to. We didn't tell anyone you're here. You can stay in your room until they're gone, and we'll figure out another way to tell them."

Eddie squeezes his eyes shut and thinks he might be crushing all the bones in Steve's hand with how hard he's clenching it. "What if they're mad at me?"

Steve understands the real question Eddie is asking, the one he doesn't know how to phrase. "You were dead, Eds, and no one out in that yard is going to be 'mad' about any time they'd spent grieving over you. There's gonna be a lot of tears, man, like a lot. Maybe even some shouting. None of it done in anger."

"How're you sure?"

Steve lifts his unoccupied hand and cups Eddie's check. Steve’s eyes are watery and his voice is a bit choked, but he says, "because I was there. I saw them through their grief. Everyone in the backyard either loves you already, or they will."

It's so fucking intimate, how close they are, how tenderly Steve touches him. Wayne had said he'd need to take the first step, so he blames Wayne when he blurts out, "what about everyone in this room? They love me, too?"

Steve's eyes go wide in surprise before his whole face lights up in a way Eddie has never seen before. It makes Steve look younger, less haunted, and then Steve whispers, "of course I love you," like there is no other answer Steve could have given.

Eddie grabs a handful as Steve's polo shirt and pulls him close enough to kiss.

Butterflies and fireworks erupt within Eddie. Kissing Steve is so much better than he's ever let himself imagine. They're still holding hands and Steve's still got his other hand resting so softly on his cheek and Steve's lips are kinda chapped but fuck does the briefest touch of their lips together make Eddie lose all his breath.

It's not deep, or all consuming. There's not even an exchange of tongue. Steve kisses him softly, gently, pulls back to pepper little kisses all over Eddie's face that has him blushing more than he's ever done in his life, and Steve places one, two, three more kisses to his lips before pulling back to look at Eddie like he's the answer to every prayer Steve's ever had. It makes his knees weak.

"I think," Eddie pauses to lick his lips, "I think I'll be brave enough to do it if you're holding my hand."

"Just try and pry yourself away, Munson," Steve teases. "Whenever you're ready."

Steve was right about the tears and shouting. He was also right that no one is mad at him.

Dustin hugs him so hard they fall over in the yard and Eddie finds himself part of a dog pile that starts with crying that turns into laughter that leads back into crying, everyone grabbing at him and him grabbing back.

It's emotional. It's overwhelming. It's the best fucking day of Eddie Munson's life.

Doctor Owens reaches out towards the end of summer to let him know they're issuing him a new social security card. Eddie asks if he's allowed to change him name. Owens says yes.

"Bad news first, Eddie," Eddie says to himself as he kneels in front of his own headstone. "You've become so boring and normal, no one vandalizes your grave anymore. Good news, though. Means I can do it myself."

Before him is his headstone, a thick red line painted through his death date. Another more carefully applied line is struck through his middle name. Above it he's painted in block letters 'Wayne'.

"Eddie, come on! This road trip's gonna start without you," Steve calls from where he's leaning against the side of Wayne's pickup.

Eddie is satisfied with his work, so he abandons the paint and returns to the pickup. He slides across the bench seat, one leg pretzeled under himself to be out of the way of the gear shift. Steve follows in after, shutting the door and reaching for Eddie's hand automatically.

He's got Wayne to his left, Steve to his right, and the first family vacation he's ever taken in his life ahead of him.

Good news, Eddie Wayne Munson. Maybe everyday going forward can be the best fucking day of your life.

#steddie #my fic #bad news first eddie #its complete!!!#thank you for all the wonderful comments #i tried to tag everone so im sorry if i missed you!

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strayflowersstarsandlove · 6 months

Text

Childhood videos (leeminho)

His laugh hadn't changed one bit. The cute little giggle and shy smile that graced his lips every time he laughed had remained exactly the same. Much like those big sparkly doe eyes and that cute bunny face he made every time he was either amazed or surprised or just plain confused which only added to how irresistible he looked. Baby Minho and adult Minho were the exact same, he just grew taller and stronger. And his arms and hands got veiny. And his thighs grew thick and beautiful and strong. Oh. His thighs. Oh.

You were SNIFFLING at how cute your boyfriend was as a baby a second ago and now you suddenly could not shake the recurring image of him just sitting anywhere with his legs spread apart in that manly, gruffish way from your head. You knew pretty well how nice it felt to randomly sit on him just to get him flustered and also how he secretly loved it since he would sometimes just openly invite you to sit on his lap "just for fun" cause you apparently "looked nice in that skirt".

Something like a mild pang hits your lower abdomen as you feel a little hot rush pervading you but you just shrug and deem it down to you being all wrapped up in the blankie despite it being late March and not too cold at all outside, "it's so hot outside, damn it". Minho barges in, quickly taking off his jacket and breathing heavily as he presses the back of his hand over his sweaty forehead and pinches his shirt away from his chest as if to ventilate himself with the movement. And you just stare at him in awe cause how could you not? Back from practice and clearly bothered and he still looked stunning.

"Well, hello to you too", you mumble as you watch him drop on the couch right next to you, his head resting on your shoulder as an exasperated sigh leaves his lips. He sprawls on the couch and mumbles something incoherent as you gently brush his hair away from his forehead, "long day at dance practice?", you ask softly, looking at the way his eyelids slide down and his long lashes almost touch his cheek underneath his closed eyes, "6 hours. Followed by a jogging session with Chan hyung. I feel like fucking jelly", "oh dear, why didn't you just come straight home? I'm sure Chan would have understood", you coo, loving the way he's just so unfiltered and raw and comfortable with you, even a little cuddly as he tucks himself closer to you on your lap and reaches for your hand and places it on his chest just to pat it gently. "it's alright, he wasn't feeling his best at practice and said he wanted to go outside for a run to clear his head a bit so I figured he needed a running buddy".

Hearing him being so caring and sweet natured tugs at your heart strings and you realise you're once again on and off about your emotional response to anything Minho related today. Which is weird but also is it really? He had this duality to him that made him so hot and so cute and so cool but warm hearted at the same time and you absolutely loved that about him.

"Were you watching my childhood homemade videos again?". Busted. You smile at him sheepishly as he grabs your phone that has been idle and indefinitely paused on his very cute baby face giving the camera a kiss, "uhm... Maybe?", you scratch your arm nervously but Minho just chuckles, "this is the third time this month I need to tell my mom to stop sending you such compromising material", "but you were so adorable. Look at that face!!! You were the cutest little kid ever!", you protest as he locks your phone and places it on the coffee table away from you, "I know. I was born pretty",he smirks and you playfully poke his cheek which makes him giggle IN THAT WAY and you swear he hasn't aged a single year and you literally choke on a strangled noise coming from within you.

Minho studies your face from his upside down perspective for a bit and then immediately sits up straight, "you are on your period", he declares. Just like that. Deadass. "No? No I'm not", you reply firmly though you have a really hard time holding back your giggles, but he ignores you and fishes a hand right underneath your shirt, squeezing at the softness there, making your breath hitch, "you are about to be then. Your boobs are bigger and firmer. One minute you're ogling me like I'm a piece of meat and the next you're choking on your tears over baby me. Clearly your hormones are going haywire. Now the question is: are they the overly emotional kind or the overly horny ones?". It takes you a full minute to register all that and put two and two together along with the fact that you have been experiencing some body temperature fluctuations and your tummy does feel kinda funny:" uh... Both?".

"Okay. Let's go make a baby then",he deadpans and springs to his feet, grabbing your hand in the process so he can pull you upright, "WAIT WHAT? Minho what the fuck", you start laughing just at how random he is and how you wish you could take a peek inside his head sometimes, "come on. I'll be gentle. I don't have much body energy left for today anyway", he grumbles, sighing as his legs ache a bit while he drags your giggly mess upstairs and into your bedroom.

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moonlightspencie · 4 months

Text

Two Headlights

Chapter 1 of ‘treacherous’

Pairing: Remus Lupin x fem!Reader

Word Count: 5.7k

You sighed, screwing the last leg of the coffee table on before setting it upright in front of your couch. Your new flat wasn’t anything special, but it felt like a whole new start. And, most importantly, it was yours.

After years of childhood lived with your parents or spent at Hogwarts, and then living with your grandparents in America for months after you’d graduated, it was a nice change of place to have somewhere that was entirely your own. Your parents had helped you move in for the most part the day prior, but you’d been working on some of the finishing touches yourself since you’d woken up that morning. It was nice to be alone, listening to music and setting everything just how you liked it. Your cat, Dumpling, was also quite pleased with the new space. He made himself at home immediately, especially once you set up his favorite cat tower.

You stood up from the ground, looking over everything you’d done with a proud smile. It was coming into place nicely, you thought.

You were also joyful for another reason: you’d promised yourself that as soon as you were finished with the living room you’d finally go and see what Fred and George Weasley were up to in their new store. You’d been in the year ahead of them, but they were some of your closest friends in school.

The past few years had been a mess, to say the least, but leave it to them to open a joke store. A successful one at that, from what you’d heard.

Nobody but your parents knew you were back, and you were looking forward to seeing friends you hadn’t seen in almost a year. You took a drink of water in your kitchen, pulled on your shoes and jacket, and set off for town after a brief goodbye to Dumpling.

You’d apparated into a nearby alley, not needing to walk far before it came into view: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. You chuckled to yourself at the huge red-headed statue coming out of the top of the store.

Walking in was a bit overwhelming, to say the least. Business was clearly booming in the space, and your attention was drawn every which way by various items. You started looking at a wall filled with chocolates that promised less-than-exciting results if you ate them. It reminded you of the products they’d bring to school when you were all there. Nosebleed nougat and puking pastilles were never something you were terribly interested in trying, but from the looks of the picked-over area, they were quite popular.

You startled at the sound of your name being called out in stereo. You whipped around, a smile on your lips as soon as you saw the two familiar faces grinning back at you.

“Hey,” you greeted simply.

Fred was the first to step forward, crushing you in a hug until you were sure you’d been nearly squeezed to death.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, just barely letting you go.

“Heard you two opened a shop. Did you think I’d miss out on this?”

George pushed his brother away, wrapping his arms around you in a much less bone-crushing way.

“Thought you moved to America,” he mumbled, not yet letting go.

“Yeah, went ahead and ditched us as soon as we were out of school,” Fred added in.

You detached yourself from the second twin, taking a step back.

“Well, I’m back,” you stated with a shrug and a small smile.

“For how long?” George asked.

“The foreseeable future,” you stated. “I really only went to stay with my grandparents, but they’re doing well. I think I can get by with vacations whenever possible rather than staying there.”

“You’re staying?” Fred asked with wide eyes.

“I’m staying.”

“Wicked,” they said in unison, matching smiles on their faces.

You laughed, about to ask how business had been since they’d opened, when another familiar voice cut in.

“Fred, George, if you sell Ron one more—” she started, though she paused soon thereafter. “Is that who I think it is?”

You smiled when she recognized you. It had been quite a while since you’d last seen Mrs. Weasley, but she had always been a favorite of both yours and your parents. She was practically a second mother to you whenever your parents were gone. It was just her nature, you supposed, but she always went the extra mile when it came to being kind and nurturing. She wrapped you in a hug not dissimilar to Fred's; if the red hair didn’t tip you off to the family resemblance, the surprising strength certainly would have.

“Oh, dear, I haven’t seen you in ages,” she gushed.

“Ah, Mrs. Weasley,” you said back, arms wrapped around her nearly as tight. “I know, I’ve been away for a while, but I’m back now! I was just telling Fred and George that I’m going to be staying around again.”

She pulled away, though she kept her hands on your arms. “What have I told you? You call me Molly, love. Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you. We’ve missed you.”

“Right, sorry,” you laughed. “I’ve missed you all too. It’s been far too long.”

Just as she was about to reply, she heard a crash behind her, noticing that the boys were showing off some destructive gadget to a girl who looked vaguely familiar.

“You boys,” she started scolding, then shook it off, turning back to you. “They get older, but they never grow up.”

You laughed. “That’s why this is the perfect place for them, isn’t it?”

She smiled softly, shaking her head as she watched her boys now crowding a young boy looking at some contraption.

“Yes. It is.”

You looked after her in the direction of the twins, your own smile forming as they hammed up the product, making the boy laugh at their silly jokes. If anything, they sure knew how to bring a sense of joy into even the worst situations. They always did.

“Well,” you started, letting out a breath. “I should really be off. I’ve got to feed my cat before she starts going crazy. I only dropped by to say hello since I’ve gotten all settled in my new flat.”

Molly turned back to you with wide eyes and a hand on your arm to stop you from getting away so quickly.

“Oh, dear, before you go,” she said, giving another smile to you as she spoke. “We’re having dinner at the burrow tonight. I would love if you could drop by. I’m sure Fred and George would love to have you, Ron will be around, and Harry and Hermoine will be coming along as well.”

You lit up a little. “Oh! I would love to. I haven’t spoken to them since I left for the States.”

“Then it’s settled. You just come by any time tonight. I’ll be serving dinner at six, but we would love to see you before then,” she nodded along as she spoke. “Any time, dear.”

“Wonderful,” you grinned. “I’ll see you in a few hours, after I feed my cat and change out of these clothes.”

She pulled you in for a brief hug, wishing you well before you left the shop. You smiled to yourself on the way out, excited to see everyone again and even more excited for Molly’s cooking. She made the best desserts, especially.

You arrived home to a meowing cat, as expected. You couldn’t leave for more than ten minutes without him getting all riled up.

“Dumpy, you’re insufferable. You know that?” You told him, receiving a loud meow in response.

You shook your head, fixing him some dinner as he rubbed up against your legs. You scratched his chin, then set down his bowl of food next to his water dish.

“You ought to be jealous,” you began, watching him eat. “You’ll be stuck here eating this slop, meanwhile, I get the treat of eating with the Weasleys.”

He ignored you with his little head buried in the food dish, as per usual, and you walked off toward your bedroom with a shake of your head. A warm shower was altogether too tempting to deny, so you took a quick one before getting ready for dinner. You changed into a clean pair of pants and a comfy sweater, spritzing on a little perfume for good measure. You certainly didn’t need to impress anyone at the burrow, but it still felt nice to get ready to see anyone besides your own family for the first time in a while.

You tugged on your favorite boots at the door, double checking that Dumpling had plenty of water, and then you were off once again.

You knocked on the front door, waiting with baited breath to see everyone. A cheery, rosy-cheeked Mr. Weasley smiled brightly as he opened the door.

“There she is,” he said, opening his arms.

“Mr. Weasley,” you greeted warmly, stepping into his embrace.

His hug was brief and as fatherly as ever. He ushered you inside immediately, helping you out of your jacket.

“Molly has been going on about your arrival since she came back home,” he said with a laugh. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Great to see you, too. How’s work been?”

“Oh, just fantastic,” he said, nodding along. “You know, I still haven’t quite been able to wrap my head around the idea of zip ties.”

“Well, it’s really just a tool used to fasten things,” you said, looking around the space. Nothing had changed, not even a smidge.

“Hmm,” he nodded thoughtfully. “I’m still curious—”

“Arthur, leave the poor girl alone,” Molly said, stepping into view. “Hello, dear. I’m so glad you could come by.”

“As am I. Thank you again for the invite,” you said, giving her a warm smile as she ushered you towards the living room.

“You know I love to have you,” she said, waving you off. “Plus, we have a bit of a full house tonight. A few extra guests have decided to come along.”

“Oh?” you questioned, though you went without an answer as Fred and George approached.

“Left us in the dust again,” Fred started.

“At our own store…” George continued.

“And now, you show up at our home.”

“It’s a shame, really.”

“Terrible shame.”

You quirked a brow, giving them a mockingly disapproving stare. “If you want me to leave..."

“No!” they exclaimed together.

“Come on,” Fred said, slinging an arm around your shoulder to usher you ahead.

“You know we love to see you,” George said with a smile from your other side. “Even when you’ve snuck off in the middle of a visit.”

“You two are just as delightfully ridiculous as always,” you said with a sigh.

“You hear that, George?”

“I did. She thinks we’re delightful,” George responded to his brother, nudging your shoulder.

“Funny, you seem to have forgotten the ‘ridiculous’ I threw in right afterwards,” you replied with a laugh.

“Didn’t forget,” Fred began.

George picked up where he left off, “Just didn’t care for it.”

You laughed again, glad to be back in their company, despite yourself. Though, once they got you to the couch and tried pulling you down to sit between them, you finally got a good look at everyone else. A few of them broke away from their conversations to recognize you right back.

"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, popping up from his spot on the floor and launching himself at you. “When did you get back?”

“Just a few days ago,” you said, breaking away to accept another hug from Hermione.

“We had no clue,” she said, smiling widely at you.

“Molly invited me this afternoon,” you explained. “She convinced me by telling me you lot would be here.”

Harry smiled, opening his mouth to say something else, when Ron interrupted with a call of your name and yet another hug.

“What are you doing back?” he asked you, prompting you to explain your situation once again.

They all listened intently as you told them all about your time in the States and what you’d been up to since deciding to move back home. It wasn’t until you felt a tap on your shoulder that they stepped back to allow you a smidge of space again.

“Darling,” he said, and you could hear the smirk in his voice.

“Sirius,” you responded before turning around.

He smiled softly at you, pulling you into his chest. You rocked along with him as he took you, smiling when he pulled away briefly.

“What happened to you?” he asked, a joking tone in his voice. “Last I saw you were just a girl, walking around Hogwarts and causing trouble. When did you turn into a beautiful young woman?”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Always the charmer. It's only been…”

“Well over a year, now,” he said, raising a brow. “Letters don’t count.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, nodding. “How else will you tell me about all your adventures?”

He chuckled, tugging you into his side, looking at the others.

To be fair, it had been quite a long time since you’d seen him. After his escape from Azkaban and the resulting relationship he’d formed with Harry, you’d also become somewhat close after your parents had taken him in for a while. They weren’t officially part of the Order, but Dumbledore trusted them well enough to keep Sirius hidden under the radar when he needed someplace to lay low.

It had been over a year since he was around often, and almost as long since you’d casually seen him.

“My point is that letters aren’t enough, sunshine,” he said, placing a kiss on the top of your head. “I hear from Molly that you’re back to stay?”

You nodded. “I am.”

“Then we’ll have to see one another more, yes?”

“Absolutely,” you reply with a smile, squeezing his side a little. “So, I am terribly curious…”

“Oh?”

“Molly said there’d be a full house tonight. Obviously, you’ll be my favorite surprise guest…”

“Obviously,” he smirked.

“But,” you continued, a smile on your face, “who else is coming around?”

“Well, I think the eldest Weasley boys will be coming home tonight. At least Bill,” he starts. “You’ve already seen Harry and Hermione, so I think the only one left will be Remus.”

You stood up a little straighter. “Professor Lupin?”

He quirked a brow. “Professor Lupin? Remind me, how long has it been since you’ve had him as a professor?"

You roll your eyes. “That’s the name I came to know him by, you can’t blame me for it.”

He hummed, tightening the arm around you a little. “At any rate, I believe Professor Lupin will be our last guest.”

“Well, alright,” you nodded. “Seems like a good group.”

“All the better for you being here with us, darling.”

You pulled him along with you as you finally took your place on the couch, scooting Fred to the side with your hip to make room for Sirius. Fred, of course, playfully protested but ultimately gave in. You nudged Sirius’ shoulder as he watched his favorite young trio talking animatedly with one another. He looked at you with raised brows.

“How have you been?”

He sighed softly. “Just fine. We’ve been spending a lot of time with the Order.”

You hummed. “Right. How has that been?”

“Well enough, but knowing what is to come has started putting many of the members a bit on edge,” he said quietly. “Harry has started taking an interest. He wants to be more involved, and I agree that he should be, but…”

“He’s still a kid.”

Sirius nodded. “He’s a strong kid, but I know that the others aren’t very keen on his involvement.”

“I understand why. They don’t want to put him in harm’s way.”

“He’s already in harm’s way simply by existing,” Sirius retorted. “I want him to be safe as much as anyone else, but we can’t leave him out of something when he’s really been involved his entire life.”

You nodded wordlessly, leaning your head against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I wish things could be easier.”

He sighed. “So do I. But it will all work out in the end, won’t it?”

You lifted your head, giving him a sure smile and a brief nod.

“Absolutely.”

He was quiet for a moment, then perked up again, tossing his arm around your shoulders.

“Have you been to Grimmauld Place since we started operating from there?”

“Where you grew up?”

He nodded.

“I don’t think I have, no,” you said, shaking your head.

“I’ll have to invite you soon. Being in the States didn’t change your tastes, did it? You still like your lavender earl grey?”

You snorted. “I wasn’t even there for a year, Sirius.”

“You never know,” he smirked.

At that point, you heard the door opening and closing and Molly emphatically greeting someone. Curious as to whether it was Bill or Lupin, you turned your head over your shoulder and waited.

Though, as soon as he walked into your field of vision, talking with Arthur, you sat up a little straighter.

Professor Lupin had been a favorite when you were still in school. He was always quite kind, a bit funny, and a phenomenal professor. But you’d always seen him as a professor, never as a man, regardless of Sirius’ stories about their younger days. Now, however, you became acutely aware that you weren’t looking at Professor Lupin. You were looking at Remus. Remus, who is still kind and funny and likely as caring as ever, but who is also shockingly handsome.

You didn’t realize you’d been staring until you felt a poke at your side, turning to Sirius, who stared back at you with a raised brow and the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

“What?”

He snorted. “I should be asking you that question... ‘What?’ she says.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m not doing anything.”

“Right,” he replied, not convinced. Then, his smirk only grew as he waved at his dear friend. “Remus!”

“Sirius,” he greeted with a smile, politely excusing himself from the conversation with Mr. Weasley.

Sirius stood, hugging Remus as he drew nearer. You watched their interaction with a small smile, noticing how they both looked entirely comfortable together. It was nice to see them look so at peace.

“Of course,” Sirius began, “you remember my sunshine girl.”

Both men turned to you, though you snorted at Sirius’ title for you. Remus greeted you with a soft call of your name. You smiled, though you tried to reign it in as you were acutely aware of how Sirius was watching you now. You were already overdue for some teasing, no use in making it worse.

“It’s good to see you again. It’s been a while,” you said, leaning over the back of the couch.

“It has. Though I’ve heard a lot about you from Sirius. You know, he really enjoys those letters you send.”

“Aww,” you cooed, laughing. Sirius looked on, trying to put on his unamused face. “You tell all your friends about my letters, Siri?”

“Merely to make fun of you, don’t take it to heart,” he said, a barely contained smile on his face.

“To be fair,” you started, looking back to Remus, “I’ve also heard quite a lot about you from Sirius as well. Though for some, it has been quite hard to believe, I must admit.”

“Oh? Why is that?” Remus asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Well, the differences between ‘Professor Lupin’ and Siri’s beloved ‘Mooney’ are pretty significant.”

He smiled softly, nodding his head slowly in response. “I see. So, you know of all my sins, now.”

“I didn’t tell her the worst of it,” Sirius responded. “Only the times you embarrassed yourself.”

“And I’m not sure how much to trust out of hismouth, so who’s to say I even believe what I’ve been told?" you added.

“If you knew Remus better, you wouldn’t doubt the things I’ve told you for a second,” Sirius said, leaning next to where I was on the couch. “I think you would have liked him back then.”

Remus laughed quietly. “Right. I’m afraid I might be too boring to stand a chance, now.”

“Oh, so you’d like a chance?” Sirius teased.

Remus’ smile faded slowly, his cheeks tinting pink when he realized his mistake. You huffed out a laugh, feeling a little shy yourself after that particular line.

“Quit teasing,” you said, gently slapping Sirius’ arm. “He just got here.”

“He’s been dealing with me for years, he should’ve known to be prepared,” Sirius said, then leaned in to speak only to you. “And don’t think I didn’t see how you looked at him. I won’t say anything now, but be ready to have a storm come later.”

“I’m not coming over for tea.”

He scoffed, hand over his chest in mock offense. You shook your head, then looked back at Remus.

“How on earth have you dealt with him for as long as you have?”

He sighed, clearly a bit grateful for a slight change in topic, though staring daggers at Sirius.

“Unfortunately, the good of being around him usually outweighs the bad. Can’t lose that, now.”

You laughed. “Usually?”

“I’m hurt, Mooney,” Sirius said, the smile on his face saying something else.

“Well, how have you been?” Remus asked, turning his attention to you as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Are you just here for a visit?”

“No, I’m back for good now. I wanted to be back home, so I just started renting a flat in London.”

“That’s wonderful. How is it so far?”

“It’s only been a couple of days, but I love it,” you smiled. “It’s nice to have someplace that’s completely my own. I’ve also started considering what I’ll do for a job now that I’m back, but I just don’t quite know yet.”

“How are you affording your flat, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Of course not." You waved him off. “My grandparents on my father’s side of the family passed away a few years ago. I never knew them very well, but they left me an inheritance. It should help me get by for the next year or so."

“I see. Have you considered becoming a teacher? You were always a phenomenal student and a tutor, if I remember correctly."

You nodded. “Yes, I did some tutoring. I have considered teaching, but I probably need some more experience before they’ll accept me. I have always loved herbology, though, so I’m hoping I might find something in that field.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Whatever you choose, I’m sure you’ll be brilliant. Always have been.”

You felt a heat in your cheeks. “Thank you. I can only hope others will hold the same opinion.”

Sirius cleared his throat at that, and you glanced up, catching his eye. He still wore that stupid smirk.

“I’d love to stick around, but I think I’ll go see if Arthur needs any help with anything.”

“Oh, I should probably see—” you started, though you were quickly cut off.

“No, no,” Sirius said, shaking his head. “Stay and catch up. You two seem to be having a good conversation, yeah?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, knowing the game he was playing. He’d do just about anything to get a reaction. He patted the couch next to you as he stood straight.

“Take a seat, Remus. She doesn’t bite,” he said, ushering his friend towards the couch seat he’d previously vacated. “Hard.”

You opened your mouth to snark back at him, but fell short as he scurried away. Remus slowly lowered himself into the seat as you turned back around.

“Sorry about him,” he said quietly.

“I’m used to it by now. I think one of his greatest joys in life is messing with people he claims to love.”

He laughed at that. “You do know him well, don’t you?”

“I do,” you confirmed. “Practically lived with him for a few months a while back, you know?”

“I know,” he nodded. “He really does speak highly of your family. Especially about you.”

“He better. I’m a delight, and he knows it.”

He laughed, his eyes crinkling as he looked at you. You had to remind yourself not to stare too long.

“I don’t doubt it,” he said, still smiling. “You were always one of my favorites to teach, which comes as a bit of a surprise in hindsight.”

“How so?”

“You’re friends with Sirius, and Fred and George. How were you not a terrible troublemaker?”

I snorted a laugh. “I could ask you the same thing, ‘marauder’. You don’t seem like the type of person who would be relatively mild-mannered as you were as a professor.”

“Time changes things.”

You hummed. “I suppose. There has to be some of that wild streak left in you, though. I’m sure of it.”

He adjusted in his seat, facing you a little more to give you his full attention. He narrowed his eyes slightly, though it couldn’t hide the amused sparkle in them.

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m not. Just taking a guess,” you said with a self-satisfied smirk. "But the fact that you still hang around Siri, and he certainly has a… robustpersonality, tells me that you must be more than a kindly professor.”

“You’re very wise.”

“Comes with age, I guess,” I joked, stretching my legs.

“Age,” he repeated. “What do you know about aging?”

“I’m twenty-three years old, I’ve practically got one foot in the grave already.”

He groaned. “If you’re old, then I ought to be dust by now.”

You laughed. “Oh, come now. You’re not so old.”

“You just said you had one foot in the grave at twenty-three,” he said, his voice raising in a way you’d never heard from him. It made you laugh again.

“Maybe I was exaggerating a bit.”

“Maybe,” he nodded along.

You let a silence fall over you for a few minutes as you observed the others around you. Everyone seemed so happy despite the heavy circumstances everyone was living under. It was nice to see. You let your eyes drift to Fred and George, who spoke with Harry about some silly product they were developing. Then, you saw Ron and Hermione, still pretending they weren’t interested in one another despite the ever-obvious signs of young love. Finally, you settled your gaze back on Remus. He was looking over his shoulder at some of the photos laid out around the room. You took a moment to really study him. The scars on his face that somehow only made him look more handsome, his hands, the way he relaxed into the cushions so casually, the way he looked at you—oh.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to…” You drifted off, feeling embarrassed at getting caught staring. “Just haven’t seen you in a long time. You look a little different, you know?”

“I do?”

“You do,” you nodded.

“Tell me,” he said with a brief nod. “What’s so different?”

You shrugged. “Well, the way you carry yourself is a bit different. You’re more… relaxed, I suppose. You look less worn-down and more comfortable. Your hair is also different. It’s a bit longer now. Obviously, your clothes are different from how I’m used to seeing you, but they look nice.”

He quirked a brow, hiding a smile. “I see. I suppose I have changed some, haven’t I? Though, so have you.”

“Yeah?”

“Definitely.”

You paused a moment, then, “Well, if I told you what I noticed, I think it’s only fair that you do the same for me. I’m curious.”

“Well, you’ve obviously moved up in life. You’re a full-fledged adult now, living on your own. You seem more confident than you did a few years ago. At minimum, you’re speaking your mind more than you did back then,” he said with a smile. “Physically, you’ve changed as well. Your face has changed a little, though I can’t quite place how. I just know that it has. You carry yourself in a way that feels more... Like you.”

You smiled to yourself a little at that. “Alright, I’ll take it.”

“Are you two all done with your flirting, now?” Sirius’ voice came from behind you.

You let out a sigh. “If you think this is flirting, I feel sorry for the women you talk to.”

Remus laughed, his eyes widening at the comment. Sirius merely looked shocked, an amused look on his face.

“Sassy,” he said, still a little bewildered.

“You should expect it at this point.”

He snorted, looking to Remus. “And you’re not going to say anything?”

“She seems to have covered it quite well,” Remus responded, nodding towards you.

“Hey,” you heard a voice behind you call, and turned to see Fred. “Can I ask you a question?”

“What about?”

“I’ve… I’m thinking about a birthday gift for Angelina. Do you think you could help me?”

You smiled, nodding, then turned to the other two you’d been talking to.

“If you two will excuse me, I have some productivethings to do now.”

“Ouch,” Sirius said, still grinning. “We’ll see you soon. Watch your back, because I do plan on getting you back for all that snark of yours.”

“I’d like to see you try, Siri.”

He hummed, moving to take your spot on the couch as you walked off with Fred to discuss his ideas away from prying ears. You conversed about it for a while before you’d ultimately convinced him to get her the nice necklace he’d been considering. He let out a sigh of relief after finally voicing that he knew what he was going to do, thanking you profusely.

You smiled to yourself, always finding it so strange and sweet any time either of the twins were entirely unsure of themselves. They usually had a grip on who they were, but watching Fred have a small crisis over making the right decision for his girlfriend was oddly heartwarming.

You hadn’t realized how much had really changed in the time you were away from everyone, but being around all of them at once certainly highlighted it. It was odd. But nice. Like remodeling the kitchen of a childhood home. It’s still home and still what you knew best, but things were new and exciting to discover. Mom got a new rolling pin for the old family cookie recipe, and you were cutting carrots on a new counter as you looked out the window at the tree you’d climbed as a child. You figured you could get used to it all easily.

Even going back into the living room and seeing Harry and his dear friends talking showed it. They were still young and still silly, but they were noticeably older and more mature than they’d been even two years ago. Your heart felt entirely full.

Before long, your stomach was even more full. Molly had called everyone to sit for dinner, and she went above and beyond for the meal. You were certain you’d explode if she put another tart on your plate for dessert, and had to adamantly tell her so when she tried for the third time. She laughed, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of your head, moving on to do the same to Ginny and George, who shared the same sentiment. Ron, of course, took another.

“Do you think you’ll be around more often, now?” Hermione asked from next to you.

You nodded. “Yeah, I will be. I’ll have to invite you over to my flat sometime. Maybe our cats can have a play date.”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

You sat another half an hour or so before everyone started to stir from their places. You stood from your seat, saying goodbyes to everyone with the note that you probably needed to get back home to your cat before he started to throw a fit.

“He can’t stay alone for a few hours?” Ron asked.

“He’s still adjusting to his new home. Things should be back to normal for him in a week or so, I’m sure,” you said, giving a slight shrug.

"But you’ll come visit me real soon anyway, won’t you?” Sirius asked, nudging your side with his elbow.

“You bet,” you said with a laugh. “Owl me about it, yeah?”

“Mhm,” he hummed his response, pulling you into one more hug before you started away from the group.

“Thank you again, Molly,” you stated, a hand on her shoulder. “It was delightful, as always.”

“I’m so glad you could come, love,” she said, holding your hand with a warm smile. “I hope I’ll get to see you again soon.”

“As do I. We’ll have to make plans soon.”

“We will,” she nodded. “You let me know if you need anything at all, okay?”

“I will.”

You said your goodbyes, then started towards the door, almost making it before one more person stepped in your way.

“It was nice to see you again,” Remus said, giving a soft smile.

“Nice to see you, too. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other, what with Sirius being so sappy and wanting to hang around me more, now,” you noted with a snort.

“Right,” he nodded. “Well, I hope we do. You’re great company, you know?”

“Thank you.”

He nodded, then perked up. “Oh! You said you’re interested in herbology, correct?”

You tilted your head. “I am.”

“I might have a job opportunity for you, if you’d like me to pass on a good word for you. An old friend named Nemora is a great herbologist. She works with all sorts of plants, but really has an interest in the health-related aspects of herbology,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Wow,” you said, delighted. “Yes! I mean, I would love if you could talk to her for me. That sounds incredible.”

“I can’t make any promises it will go anywhere, but I can have her contact you if so.”

“That’s incredible. Thank you so much,” you smiled brightly.

He nodded. “Well, it’s been a pleasure. I hope to see you again soon.”

You said your goodbyes once more, then finally headed out the door and back to your flat. You’d expected a good time, but for your first week back home, you decided it couldn’t have gone better.

Chapter 2 ->

#remus lupin x fem!reader #remus lupin x you #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin fluff #remus lupin angst #remus lupin fic #remus lupin fanfiction #remus lupin series #remus lupin #luna still hates jk

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nattinatalia · 5 months

Note

Jack and the reader getting matching pajamas for a family photoshoot with Jacks family (maybe early stages of their relationship.)

A/N : It was supposed to be something short and simple, but once I started I couldn’t stop and now well, see for yourself Lmao I took it places it shouldn’t have but oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️ enjoyyyy 💕

It was always nerve wracking meeting your significant other's families and close friends, but it was more nerve-wracking when you were going home with your significant other for the holidays. It’s more intimate and it makes you know this was the right path into being in a serious relationship.

You and Jack have been dating almost a year now, even though you had already met his parents, grandparents, his brother and his close friends- the one’s that matter that is- it was still worrisome because it wasn’t just any holiday, it was Christmas Eve and if this isn’t as serious as it gets, you don’t know what was.

“Baby, seriously, relax.” Jack rubs at your shoulders, “You’ve met them all before and they love you.”

You sigh, “I know but I've never done the whole family picture thing.” you lift the pants to show him, “Nor the matching pajamas.”

“It’s just a picture and clothes.” he shrugs.

You raise your eyebrows at him, “It’s not and you know it. Unless you do this yearly with every other girl you bring home.” You shrug “I’ve heard the stories, thank you Grams Harlow.”

Jack chuckles, “Look at you showing your jealous side, I like it.” you roll your eyes and swat his arm, “Nothing to worry about baby, I promise you it’s just my parents and Clay, but also remind me to have a word with my grandmother, she needs to be on my team and tell you how much of a good guy I am.”

You snort, “She loves me more.”

There’s a quick knock to Jack’s childhood bedroom door, “She’s right you know?” his grandma yells, “I’m team YN, and if you ever hurt her, I’ll hunt you down.”

Jack shakes his head, “I believe you grams.” he goes to open the door for his grandma.

“Good” she nods and faces you. “Come on, Maggie and I did something and we want to know what you think of it.”

“Grandma, you can’t steal my girlfriend from me.”

You smile and head towards her, “It’s okay, I’m stealing her from you.”

********

Jack's mother and grandmother had made you hot chocolate, but just not any hot chocolate. It was your entire childhood, chocolate abuelita. They definitely made you feel all kinds of emotions since your grandmother would always make it for you during the cold weathers or the holidays.

“Is it good? Jackman called your grandma for us and she gave us some steps to follow.” Maggie asks you.

You blow on the mug, take a sip and sigh. “Oh yeah, this is definitely good.” You smile, “You ladies did a wonderful job.”

Making hot chocolate shouldn’t be a big deal to make right? Well in this case, not everyone makes their chocolate abuelita the same, some just add milk or water. But your grandma? She adds a whole lot of other things that make it one hundred times better.

“Alright.” Clay announces, “Let’s get this photoshoot out of the way.”

Maggie raises her eyebrows at her youngest “What’s the rush?”

“Jack wants to keep Y/N tradition of watching movies and playing board games. Apparently she does this with her siblings and parents.”

You blush and throw a glance to Jack, “We’re in your parents home, I have no problem doing things differently. Let’s have Christmas the Harlow’s way.”

Jack shakes his head “You’ll regret that.”

“JACKMAN.” Both his mom and grandmother yell.

You chuckle and take another sip of your hot chocolate.

Clay then whispers in your ear “We sing carols all night long, so let’s do Christmas your way.” He looks at you with a pleading look.

You shake your head, “We compromise.”

“Excellent idea.” Maggie says. “We’ll take the photos, then before each movie we sing our songs.”

Both Clay and Jack glare at you, “That sounds like a great idea.” You stand up and grab Jack’s hand, “Come on, let’s take these pictures.”

You guys spend over two hours taking pictures, only because Jack and Clay kept whining about their spots in each set.

Urban was getting annoyed, simply because he had his girlfriend- your best friend, waiting for him back at his apartment. He wanted out immediately and he kept throwing glances your way to help him out.

“Okay, I think we got plenty of pictures.” You say, “Urban has plans and we’re sort of keeping him from them.”

Maggie gasps, “Oh my, I’m sorry son, why didn’t you bring her with you?”

Jack, Clay and yourself chuckle while Urban goes red in the face “W-who?”

Maggie raises her eyebrows, “You think I don’t know all about you and miss trouble maker? Y/N’s best friend?”

Urban scratches his neck “I- I didn’t think I could bring her over.”

“URBAN WYATT.” Jack’s grandmother snaps, “How long have we known you? Aht, don’t answer that, you bring over whoever is keeping you company. You are family end of the story.”

“Yes ma’am”

You smile and feel a tug to your hand. You look to your left and notice Jack is pointing to the hallway.

You follow him quickly “Jack, we’re not having sex while your family is out there getting ready to sing Christmas songs.”

Jack chuckles, “That’s later tonight baby.” He wraps his hands around your waist and pulls you in close, giving you a few pecks.

You look up at him, feel him getting hot and fidgeting. “What’s going on?”

“I have a surprise for you, but I don’t know how you’ll react.”

You furrow your eyebrows, “Okay?”

“This is our first Christmas together.” He starts.

“Yeah?”

He takes a deep breath, “I love you, there’s no denying that.”

You smile, “I love you too.”

“But-“

You cut him off immediately “But? But what?What’s going on right now?” You push back and lean against the wall.

Jack goes wide eyed “Babe no.” He goes up to you. “This isn’t a breakup speech.”

“Can you just tell me then?”

“You told me you always spent Christmas with your family, even with your busy schedule, you would make time to go be with them.” He says.

You nod, letting him continue “So if this relationship is going to work, we both have to put one hundred. I don’t like the fifty-fifty, it’s all in or nothing. So, I called your brothers and they immediately said yes.”

You start getting emotional, “Y-yes to what?”

He smiles “We’re spending Christmas Eve here, and tomorrow morning we’re going to your family. I know for you it’s traditional to celebrate on the 24th but since we’re here, I couldn’t change it last minute.”

“Babe.” You whisper and shake your head. “What about your family?”

“They understand and it was actually moms idea. I couldn’t keep you away from your siblings. I know how much they mean to you.”

You jump on him immediately and start peppering him with kisses. “Wait.”

“What?” He laughs.

“You’re going to spend Christmas with my family?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

“We’re going to them?”

He chuckles “Yes.”

“Sooo, you’re going to Mexico with me to be with my family-my entire family?”

“Uhh, yes?”

You chuckle “Oh they are going to eat you alive gringo.”

“Wait what? I’ve met your dad and brothers.” He asks, confused.

You nod, “Yeah but all my tíos and cousins will be there. You’re meeting the entire family.”

“N-nooo, your brothers didn’t mention any of that.”

You smile, “Baby, we’re Mexican, there’s a tío and cousin in each corner. Plus, the 25th is usually a recalentado and drinking, so my entire family will definitely be there. This is why I make sure I’m there on the 24th, only spend it with my parents and siblings.”

Jack nods, takes a deep breath “I can handle that.”

“Are you sure? We can back out.”

He shakes his head “We’re going, plus, I need to meet all of your family if I plan on marrying you one day.”

“I- you can’t say things like that and not mean it.” You glare at him and start walking back to the living room.

“I do mean it.” He stops you at the entrance of the hallway, “I promise you, I’m going to make you my wife one day and then we’ll have mini versions of us running around the house wanting to bake cookies and cakes because you make the best desserts ever.”

You let the tears flow, “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“It’s a promise, now look up.” He says, and you notice the mistletoe hanging there. “Give your future husband and baby daddy a kiss.”

You chuckle and do just that.

It wasn’t an easy road, but Jack definitely kept his promise and you were the happiest person on planet earth.

******

TAG LIST

@heavyhitterheaux @harlowsbby @arination99 @cmalass @jackharloww @minkookie95 @deannaard @harlowcomehome @fdl305 @httpkoylinnn @xoxokiaraaxoxo @hoodharlow @automaticpeachsong @amethyst09 @aliciacat20 @allyson15 @gabbylovesreading @stefansalvatoresgf @violetdreamsworld @carma-fanficaddict @jasminxts @itsaaliyah2 @itsyagirljaz @harrycanyonmoonn @neon-lights-and-glitter @awhore4moree @toocriticalharlow @thefemalestorywriter @lightsoutstyles @violetslays818 @fantasywritersstuff @vanwritesfan-fiction

#jack harlow #harlowcomehome #concept request #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow x y/n #jack harlow x you #jack harlow x oc

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farahtissaiamyloves · 8 months

Note

Hey I have another idea for lady lesso-arranged marriage again.so let's say there kid grow up and she's a teen right. Remember y/ns ex's sister, ya her let's say she'd had a kid of her own but is a little younger than lessos and y/ns daughter but they knew who she was and bullied her cause of her mom, leonora Lesso. Y/n finds her beaten up and conforts her, lesso soon fines y/n and her daughter and conforts them first before killing y/ns ex's sister and kid...

Maybe later on they go relax in the lake and there daughter revenges y/ns lost from when lesso and y/n had a water fight in the tub when y/n was pregnant. Yknow from the 2nd arranged marriage

-also you can call me rose 🌹 if u you'll like

Arranged Marriage - part 4

Part 3

For everybody's surprise, your precious baby was actually sorted into the good side of the school; sides still existed even if the schools were united.

Your daughter was dressed as an ever princess, with the only difference being that the colors of her dresses were dark.

Surprisingly, the notorious dean of evil accepted her daughter's situation and did nothing to make her feel bad for it.

Many were the people who were sure about your daughter's disownment, including your ex's annoying sister, who apparently got jealous about you having a baby and not her.

So, in no time, she got her parents to marry her off and had a baby daughter two years younger than yours.

Leonora was quite unnerved when you informed her about the whole thing.

Choosing not to act on instinct and waste her daughter's childhood in prison, the dean did not proceed into murder and was left burning in rage at Smaragda's (Phillips' sister) childlike jealousy.

Little did she know how poorly she would regret this decision.

꧁☾︎❥︎☽︎꧂

You returned to your shared little home (because after your daughter reached a significant age, both you and your wife agreed to a new place with bigger space) before Leonora, who was busy torturing a young never in her Doom Room.

Apparently, the kid tried to do a little prank on the dean but failed miserably.

You shrugged it off, kicking off your heels with a sigh of relief.

The beginning of the year was equivalent to new students thinking that the world was theirs for the taking.

You remembered your daughter's first day at the school and how proud she was when Professor Anemone congratulated her for the perfect smokey eye that Leonora taught her how to achieve.

With a smile on your face, you walked to your bedroom so you would finally get rid of your corset after a whole day of work.

However, passing outside the closed door of your daughter's room, you heard sniffing.

Forgetting about your corset, you immediately opened the door and looked at your daughter.

She was lying on her bed, with her back facing you, silently crying.

Like every normal mother, you approached your daughter and sat next to her on the bed.

" Darling, it's okay. Everything is going to be alright. " You assured her taking her in your arms.

The girl shook her head. " No, mom. You don't understand. "

You started caressing her red locks, a movement that never failed to soothe her. " Then explain to me what happened. "

She took a deep breath, pulling herself slightly away from you. " I am a freak. "

You froze, your brain running miles per second. " Excuse me ? "

She swallowed hard, staring dead serious at you. " You heard me. "

You were beyond confused, and like her mother, your daughter wasn't explaining her train of thoughts. " What made you think so ? "

" Philippa. "

A single name. Yet one that filled you with unexpected rage.

Smaragda did not only give her brother's name to her daughter but also brought her here to torment yours.

" What did Philippa do to you, my dear ? " You asked, feeling concerned.

She shrugged. " She and her friends tried to beat me up but were too slow. The thing is that they said some really bad stuff about me being a freak and you - "

Your daughter stopped herself by putting a hand on her mouth.

" What ? What did they call me ? Darling, you know that I don't mind being called things by some stupid teenagers, right ? " You tried to make her talk.

" Maybe you don't, but I do. " A voice sound from the entrance of the room.

You both turned to see Leonora Lesso's hardened gaze set on the floor.

She was thinking. Planning.

You didn't want to learn to what for.

" Mooooom.... For how long had you been standing there ? " The girl stuttered.

" Long enough. Now, spit it out. You know, dear, I have no patience. " Leonora took a step inside the room, staring at her daughter, titling her head to the side and giving her signature evil smirk.

" No. No. No. If you do anything, they'll keep calling us even more horrible names. " The girl defended.

Leonora's eyes sought yours, finally understanding where the 'freak' term came from.

" If you don't want people to annoy you, you can simply murder them in their sleep. " The dean stated.

Your daughter's pupils dilated at the implication. " Mom. You.... You can't just kill people, can you ? "

The evil professor crossed her hands over her chest and gave her a stern look. " I can do everything to ensure the safety and the happiness of my family. "

She gasped and turned to you. " Mom, you can't support this. Philippa is a fellow ever. "

You smiled sadly, patting the young woman's back. " Some people are way too toxic to let you go. You may think that you can ignore them, but they only seek and find happiness in your misery. Believe me, darling, sometimes the best way to ensure your peace is by.... letting your mother handle it. "

The girl was beyond shocked. " So, you are fine with murder ? But. But you are good. "

" And way too innocent for my liking, but surprisingly opposites appeal to each other. " Leonora cut in.

You chuckled as Leonora walked to you and bent down to kiss the top of your head.

Your daughter was speechless. She awaited such behavior from Leonora, but you too ?

" Back to our business, now. What did that bitch call your mother ? "

The young ever looked at the ground, feeling ashamed. " Whore. " She whispered.

" Oh, darling... " You said, taking your daughter in your hands as she started crying once again.

Leonora's fist clenched at the sight of her child at that state. " Just give me a week, and I'll take care of it. "

The teen's head left your shoulder to look at her furious mother. She threw the best puppy eyes she could muster in her direction.

The dean sighed, joining the two of you on the bed and wrapping her hands around her family.

" Listen, girls. You are the most amazing and important thing that has ever happened to me. I love you more than I love myself, and I'm willing to do everything to keep you safe and happy. " Leonora caressed the back of her daughter's head and kissed her forehead.

" Mommy will handle both of them. She promises that. "

꧁☾︎❥︎☽︎꧂

Once again, you were wearing black, this time, though, you were not pregnant.

Apparently, both mother and daughter went through a horrific accident. They suffered a tiny bit before eventually dying in the hospital.

Nobody really knew what happened. One time, Smaragda was driving on her line. The next, she got the car stuck at a tree.

Nobody knew about Leonora fabricating a whole operation just to make sure that she would have them both at one spot, successfully taking care of them, and not being seen at all.

However, Leonora completed her mission as the professional everyone knew she was.

Everybody suspected, everybody knew, yet nobody could prove anything.

Leonora was innocent in the eyes of justice, and it was officially proven.

You said your condolences to Smaragda's parents, the only people you partly petied.

Losing a son, a daughter, and a granddaughter to the same woman.

However, if they were as good as they claimed, their children and grandchild wouldn't have been such bitches, would they ?

Your daughter may have been a tiny shaken but after realizing that she no longer has to fear of being bullied while walking around the school, she felt liberated.

The wonderful day ended with your family paying a visit to the lake.

You spent the time mostly in your wife's embrace as your little girl swam around.

Then, out of the blue, the young redhead emerged from the water and started splashing water at both of you.

Gasping and realizing what's about to take place, you swam away from both of them and watched the biggest fight happening in front of you.

After what felt like ages, your wife gave up, resulting in your daughter finally avenging your loss.

Leonora shook her head playfully and hugged her daughter, telling her congratulations.

What a happy family you had.

#lady lesso x reader #charlize theron #school for good and evil movie #the school of good and evil #lady leonora lesso #lady leonora lesso x reader #leonora lesso #lbgqt #leonora lesso x reader #school for good and evil

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saikokirakira · 10 months

Text

Part 2 of 2: Pagtingin (Feelings) [Steve Harrington x Reader]

a/n: hello. it me. i definitely did not forget to post part two. if you would believe it, i was actually getting sick every week the past month because of the insane hours and workload of my new job. so, umm, probably not lasting long there... i wanna be pretty again and lose all the stress hives all over my body.

summary: based on this blurb on a hanahaki au/flayed!reader

word count: 12k words (big boi over here; i definitely bullied our girl throughout this entire chapter)

warning: barely proofread, only edited twice; no use of y/n; steve is an oblivious himbo (but i'll excuse it because he was the ultimate bbg in s3); ANGST TRAIN, hurt no comfort; moms of hawkins summer '85 (i have 911 on standby); billy "walking red flag" hargrove; unrequited feelings / pining; minor violence; body horror (it's hanahaki, what'd you expect?); writer's torture of a self-insert character; stranger things season 3 canon, but Alexei lives fyuck canon actually; metal goodboi cameo

You despised summer. You didn’t used to hate summer, but working in the summer heat when your recently recurring childhood asthma gets triggered by intense heat wasn’t the best option for you. While you couldn’t pass off as a lifeguard at the Hawkins Community Pool, your neighbour and acquaintance, Heather Holloway, pulled some strings to have you manning the snack bar.

It wasn’t ideal, but it certainly opened up the opportunity to listen in to a lot of gossip all around town. Not your favourite pastime, yet Heather enjoyed the very juicy ones, something you noticed she most likely inherited from her father, the chief editor for the town’s paper. Every time her shift ended, so did yours and either you share interesting stories of the day while you drive home or to the newly opened Starcourt Mall.

“Ew, those women are either married or divorced,” your nose wrinkled in disgust at Heather’s favourite gossip topic, Hawkins group of moms. Specifically, their scheduled visits to the pool whenever Billy Hargrove would be on duty as lifeguard.

“He likes the attention, I guess,” Heather shrugged, “and the moms get to ogle eye candy.”

“Still a minor, Heather.”

“Uh-uh, he turned 18 a few months back,” Heather argued, though the distaste was apparent on her face. “The term is barely legal.” Then she suddenly giggled. “I’m still calling the police when they make a direct move,” she half-joked. “I know they call me a bitch behind my back.”

“You’re a menace.”

“And you’re a sissy,” Heather shot back. “When are you going to ask Steve Harrington ou— JESUS!” She clung at the grab handle when your foot landed too much on the gas pedal. “No need to take me with you to hell just because you can’t get a date.” Then with a cheeky grin, she added, “I heard Steve can’t get a date either, and he talks up anyone at that ice cream place.”

You slammed the brakes. “That’s it!” you exclaimed. “You’re walking the rest of the way to Starcourt!” The only reply you had was Heather’s maniacal giggles at getting you so riled up.

You and Heather parted ways when you arrived at Starcourt after telling you that she’d be getting a ride home with her date. You waved her off and headed to Scoop’s Ahoy. A group of girls were giggling as they were leaving when you got there. You also noticed the whiteboard that Robin, Steve’s co-worker, held up, adding another tally on the “You suck” scoreboard.

“See what I have to deal with?” Steve immediately ranted, jerking a finger at Robin’s direction. “If you worked with me, I don’t have to be subjected with workplace abuse.”

You and Robin snorted in sync. “You poor baby,” you cooed teasingly while pinching Steve’s cheek. “How can I ever live without the longer shifts, ridiculous uniform, and being your wingman?” You earned another laugh from Robin while Steve scoffed before shooting you a pout.

“Well, you certainly miss me since you constantly visit as soon as your shift ends,” Steve shot back.

“Sure, I’m definitely not here as Heather’s chauffer to her movie date,” you said, “or just hanging out at the comic book store.”

“You want me to come wi—?”

“Bye, Robin!” you ignored his offer yet still blowing Steve a raspberry to which he rolled his eyes at. Exiting the ice cream shop, you made you way to the pharmacy first before the comic book store. It was mostly empty when you got there, so it was a breeze in getting your prescription inhaler.

It’s been forever since you had asthma, the last one during your elementary days. Your wheezing fits had only come back since that occurrence in those tunnels that you still see in your nightmares. However, after the countless tests and screening from military scientists, they cleared it to just “your body shifting from all the trauma.”

You’d think after opening gates to other dimensions with monsters, they’d be able to create a cure for asthma.

The thought was highly amusing to you that you almost missed the fiery redhead that just entered the pharmacy. Your eyes watched Max Mayfield carefully as she walked through the aisles with her head low, trying to be inconspicuous. Grabbing your bag of prescription, you slowly followed where Max wandered off, which happened to be a shelf of bandages.

You almost let it go, knowing that her skateboard hobby always led her to a number of scrapes and bruises. But when she reached for the bandage wrap on the high shelf, her shirt sleeve revealed a hand-shaped mark wrapped around her pale wrist. Trying to be nonchalant as possible, you approached her and grabbed the bandage for her, ignoring how Max quickly put her arm down and tugged at her sleeve.

“Skateboarding mishap again, red?”

Max’s signature cocky smirk covered the surprise on her face. “It’s one of my better falls,” she said. Then her eyes wandered to the prescription bag in my hand. “Still have those? They said you’d be better in a couple of weeks since the incident.”

“Well, I didn’t, so here I am,” you shrugged. “Hey, listen, I’m heading out to the comic book store if you want to tag along. My treat.”

Once you were at the community pool. Though you resorted to buying your carefully as she skimmed through the new arrival stack. You didn’t really have anything worth buying since most of the comics you read are from Dustin’s collection that he recommends and lends to you every other week. Sometimes you get the appeal, sometimes you didn’t. Still, it was a great way to pass the time when things are slow from working the snack bar at the comic book store if you want to tag along. My treat.”

Maybe you should’ve offered to buy Max a cone from Scoops Ahoy instead.

“You got any good recommendations?” you randomly asked the guy who just walked in. You seem to have caught him off-guard, the look of surprise that you were talking to him. “Munson, right?”

“Yeah, Eddie,” he said after a brief pause. “Didn’t think you’d be the type to read comics.”

You thought so too. But you also didn’t think that monsters that live in an alternate dimension exist.

You shrugged. “I read almost anything to pass the time,” you said. “Henderson lends me a lot of X-men.”

Eddie was about to reply when Max approached you with two Wonder Woman comics. “I can pay for the other one,” she offered.

You scoffed lightly and ruffled the top of her head. “Don’t be ridiculous,” you said. “Didn’t I say it was my treat?” Before she could argue, you snatched both copies from her hand and headed to the counter with her trailing behind you. “See you around, Munson.”

You and Max wandered aimlessly around the mall. You offered to go watch whatever movie was in the cinema, but Max turned you down, saying that she had plans with the party later that week once their campaign planning was through. After you ran out of things to do, you offered to drive her home, which she sheepishly accepted.

Before you could even pull out the parking area, Max said, “I know you saw the bruise. You didn’t have to do all that to make me feel better.”

A surprised smile tugged at your lips, impressed on how quickly she caught up on your intentions. “I don’t really have any sisters to dote on,” you said, “so it isn’t entirely on pity. I know you can stand up for yourself, red.” You continued, “But promise me one thing?”

Max nodded.

“You tell me when anything gets too much, okay?” You held her hand to show your support. “I’m always going to be here for you.” Trying to lighten up the mood, you added, “Billy is a prick anyway.” Then you pulled the car into drive.

“He has it worse than me.”

You tried to hold in your composure, but you couldn’t help your eyebrows rising up at the unexpected information. You always suspected something going on with Billy. No one suddenly becomes an asshole overnight. That you knew from being friends for a long time with Steve. Aside from the horrible friends he used to have, Steve grew up with his parents barely around, and even if they were, his father was always either hard on him or emotionally absent.

“Well, it doesn’t give him the right to take it out on you.”

“I know.”

Later that week, you were at your usual spot at the snack booth. The heat was especially brutal that day at it almost felt that your lungs were constricting every time you tried to breathe out. Not even ice water seemed to help, and when the thin clouds cleared, the blaring sunlight only made it worse, even though you were under the shade of the booth.

“Hey, watch the stand for me?” you said to your co-worker who mostly just tried to look busy by restacking cans of soda and rearranging the chips as a way to avoid kids yelling out their orders. He sighed but nodded, getting up to man the counter. On your way out of the booth, you pulled out your inhaler out of your backpack and staggered into the searing sunlight to make your way to Heather.

As you took a blip of your inhaler, you didn’t notice the person near you and collided into them, sending your inhaler flying. “Shit,” you muttered, picking up the plastic case. “Sorry about that.” You looked up and paled upon the realisation that you bumped into Billy Hargrove.

Billy didn’t seem to mind and just grunted before brushing past you. If anything, he looked as disoriented as you, dishevelled and profusely sweating. He had an obvious stumble to his step on his way to the locker room to what you assumed was to get ready for his shift.

You had half a mind to approach him when you heard “Hey! No dunking, Curtis!” from the pool area. You were suddenly reminded of your current task and shrugged off the Billy’s concerning state. For all you know, he was still probably drunk from whatever party he was at last night. It was summer break after all.

You carefully avoided being splashed near the poolside as you circled over to where Heather was stationed at the lifeguard post. Unfortunately, you almost tripped from another dizzy spell again and collided with another person. Just your luck.

“Oh, dear,” a woman this time voiced her concern. “Are you okay, hon? Maybe you should stay out of the heat.”

You steadied yourself and stared into the eyes of Karen Wheeler. “I’m okay, Mrs. Wheeler,” you wheezed. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Drink some water!” Mrs. Wheeler called out before walking off.

Finally, you were able to tell Heather that you were cutting your shift short and that you couldn’t drive her to her dad’s office as you agreed on earlier that day. She waved you off and told you to drive carefully, assuring you that she could always call her mom to pick her up later.

On your way out, you noticed Mrs. Wheeler coming out of the locker room looking distressed and teary-eyed. She didn’t seem to notice you staring at her as she made her way back to the pool area. A few moments later, Billy came out of the same room, still looking as physically uncomfortable as before.

For the past weeks of working at the pool, it was no secret that one of Billy’s favourite moms was Mrs. Wheeler. But was there really some illicit affair between them? You probably wouldn’t put it past Billy, but the woman had three kids, for goodness’ sakes. You made a mental note to ask Heather what she knew about it tomorrow.

After a gruelling half hour drive while cranking your A/C up to full blast, you finally got home. You barely got a mouthful of ice water when your door rang. You wondered who it could be when the neighbours knew that you and your parents were usually at work during the entire day.

“Hey, can you drive us to Starcourt?”

You stared into the wild grins of El and Max, standing excitedly on your doorstep. Fifteen minutes later, you were back in your car, playing chauffeur for the two girls giggling from the backseat of your car.

“I’m telling you, El, boyfriends lie,” Max insisted. She poked you. “Tell her.”

You chuckled dismissively at their tween antics. “I wouldn’t know.”

Both El and Max paused and focused their attention on you.

“You haven’t dated anyone?”

“I’ve been on dates,” you clarified, “but I never really dated anyone.”

“Why?” El asked. It was more inquisitive than mocking or accusatory. She was very curious, that one.

“Because she has the biggest crush on Steve.”

“Oh, my God!” you exclaimed. “Does everyone just know about that?”

“Well, anyone with eyes, yeah,” Max said, rolling her eyes for good measure. “The only reason why he hasn’t caught up is because boys are dumb.”

That made you laugh out loud despite the discomfort in your ribs.

When you arrived at the mall, you expected to have them run off to who knows where while you hung out at the waiting area, taking advantage of the air conditioning, but those two dragged you to every clothing outlet at the mall. You tried to not exert yourself, but it was hard not to match their energy when they were clearly having so much fun. It was even so endearing to see El emerging from her shell, trying out outfits that she genuinely liked and not those lumberjack fits that Chief Hopper had her on all the time.

By the third store, you insisted to sit that one out and merely watch them try on a bunch of different hats. You giggled at them posing at the mirror as if they were at a fashion show. However, you only had a moment of peace before Max approached you with a sundress that looked way too close to your size.

“No,” you stood your ground.

“Yes.”

“No!”

“Yes, then we’re going to Scoops Ahoy to get cones after this.”

“Ask Steve out on a date,” El urged, smiling encouragingly.

“What happened to ‘boys are dumb?’” you said, raising your brow.

“He’s not going to ask you out first, so you will do it for him!” Max said. She and El both grabbed each of your arm and pulled you to your feet and into the dressing room then tossing in the dress and pulling the curtain shut.

You stared at yourself in the mirror and the dress you held in front of you. You hated to admit it, but it was a pretty dress. Even if you couldn’t score a date with Steve, at least you had a great addition to your wardrobe. With that positive thought in mind, you pulled your shirt over your head and hung it on one of the clothing hooks.

You carefully pulled down the zipper on the dress when you noticed something odd on your reflection. Peering closer on the mirror, you stared at your ribs, noticing the almost black veins that almost seemed to be moving underneath the skin. What the…

“Are you done?!” Max called out from behind the curtain.

You snapped out of it and quickly pulled on the dress. All your initial worries faded once you saw yourself in the mirror. For good measure, you pulled your hair out of your scrunchie and let your tresses fall out in waves over your shoulder.

“Wow,” El and Max chorused.

You didn’t even notice them pulling the curtain open.

When you made your way to Scoops Ahoy, Max and El apparently had already made plans that you don’t come in with them. “Let it be a surprise,” Max had said. It was almost ridiculous that you were letting 14-year-olds dictate you on how to get a date from your crush.

“Okay, here you go, you got a strawberry and then a vanilla with sprinkles, extra whipped cream.” Steve paused and looked at the two girls suspiciously, especially at El. “Wait a second,” he thought out loud, “are you even supposed to be here?”

The two girls giggled, and El said, “A pretty girl drove us here.”

The words ‘pretty’ and ‘girl’ caught Steve’s attention. Predictable. “Yeah?” he grinned, leaning forward as if asking for more details. “She still with you?”

“You know her, silly,” Max giggled before running off with El. On their way out, they both flashed you a thumbs up and mouthed, “good luck.”

You stepped inside Scoops Ahoy with a newfound confidence. It was definitely the dress, and you hope it paid off. When Steve caught sight of you, his eyes brightened up and flashed you his charming smile.

“Hey, stranger,” Steve greeted. “I see the girls made you their babysitter and chauffer.”

You tried not to let your smile falter when you didn’t get the reaction you hoped. You laughed, trying not to give off the fact that your confidence was quickly crumbling. “Yeah,” you said, “my shift ended early at the pool.”

“That’s great!” Steve cheered. “Listen, Dustin just caught Russians on his new radio thing, and we’re trying to translate it. Spy shit and all.”

You blinked. “Dustin’s back?”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded animatedly, “he’s at back with Robin translating the tape. Well, mostly Robin. Didn’t even know she’s amazing at languages.” He continued, keeping his excited energy, “She already knocked down a couple phrases. Isn’t that cool?”

Then it clicked.

Steve liked Robin.

Too late again.

“Listen, we can use your help because there’s this music at the end that I couldn’t remember where it came from,” Steve said. “Robin and Dustin say it’s stupid, but you can back me—”

“Um,” you breathed out. You cleared your throat, wondering why you started to get out of breath again. “I still have to drive the girls home before dark,” you said, gently turning him down.

“Oh.”

“Um, call me if you find something cool?” You didn’t wait for him to reply and turned your back on him. As soon as you left Scoops Ahoy, you pulled your inhaler out your pocket and took a blip, but it seemed to only make your lungs angrier and cramp even more.

As agreed upon earlier, you found the girls at the main doors of the mall, but they were in a heated conversation with Mike and the rest of his party. You sighed and quickly approached them before it turned into a full argument.

“I dump your ass!” El declared, making you stop in your steps. Lucas and Max were flabbergasted at the outburst, except Max looked somewhat proud. Mike just looked lost and was clearly at a loss for words. Will just looked uncomfortable enough to be witnessing the entire thing.

“Okay, that’s enough,” you interfered. “We’re leaving, come on.” You looked at Will who seemed to be the most aware among the boys at the moment. “You guys need a ride?”

He shook his head.

“You take care, okay?”

Will nodded.

The walk to your car between you and the girls was quiet. Though Max decided to break the silence when you pulled out of the mall compound. “What happened?” she asked.

You simply shrugged, ignoring the burning in your ribs from the simple motion. “Boys are dumb.” Then the car ride was silent again.

Later that evening, you laid in your bathtub in cold water, finally relaxing when you can breathe easily again. The summer heat fatigue really got you today, you thought. Suddenly remembering what you saw in the fitting room, you looked at your ribs again and was relieved when all you saw was nothing but your usual skin.

You were pulled back to your thoughts and remembered the beautiful sundress that was now laid discarded on the bathroom floor. You groaned at the memory of what just occurred this afternoon. You sighed and slid down to submerge the rest of yourself in the almost freezing water, leaving all your worries for the few seconds you had underwater.

Don’t be afraid. It’ll be over soon. Just stay… very… still.

You were scared. You couldn’t open your eyes, and the water suddenly felt too thick. The searing pain that was becoming too familiar in your lungs felt like it was begin to crawl out of your chest and into your throat.

But it was all gone in a split second.

Panicked and scared out of your wits, you immediately crawled your way out of the bathtub, not caring if you were curled up naked on the bathroom floor. You reached for the first thing you could grab to cover yourself, until you realised that it was still the same damn sundress. Suddenly, all the air just left your body, and you were starting to wonder if it was still an asthma attack.

You hoisted yourself up on the sink, both coughing and wheezing, trying to do everything you can to get yourself some oxygen.

“Sweetie? What’s going on?” the familiar voice of your mom came muffled from the other side of the door. When you replied with nothing but aggressive and painful coughs, the knocking became incessant, and her calls turned to worried cries. “Open the door!”

The same sensation of something crawling out of your throat came back. This time, you were more aware than your paralyzed state a few minutes ago. You stuck your fingers in your throat, feeling for any obstruction.

And you did.

With one forced cough, you were able to pinch out something smooth but foreign. You yanked it out, clenched it in your fist, and spat whatever fluid it brought out. You were initially worried that it was blood, but as you looked at the white ceramic of the bathroom sink, it was black.

When the bathroom door burst open, you quickly opened the faucet, flushing down whatever it was. Your mom rushed over to you and covered your hunched figure with a bath towel before pulling open the medicine cabinet behind the mirror to fish out your emergency inhaler.

“Come on, sweetie,” she carefully urged the inhaler in my mouth, pressing down to dispense a dose, but you could barely bury it down. “Let’s go to your room. You’re freezing.” She led me step by step to my bed and laid me under the covers, but the warm blankets only made me feel worse. “Your dad is coming with the nebulizer. Don’t worry. Just careful breaths.”

You didn’t remember how long it took for you to fall asleep that night, but you woke up the next day to your mom entering your room, already dressed in her office attire. She must’ve seen the panic on your face when you realised that it was way past your alarm.

“I called you in sick at the community pool,” your mom said. “Your dad will be picking you up after work to bring you to the hospital. In the meantime, just rest, okay?” She pressed a kiss on your forehead before she left the room, and you were alone again.

Then you felt the soft thing that you had in your fist the entire night. You raised your hand and held the foreign object over your head.

A black petal.

Panic bubbled up at the base of your spine, and you wasted no time in getting out of bed and getting dressed. You needed to tell Chief Hopper or Mrs. Byers. Or even just any one in Mike’s party.

And Steve.

Suddenly, it hit you. Dustin would still be around Steve decoding whatever Russian code they were on. The kid can easily call a code red for your situation. You grabbed your keys with the intent of going to Starcourt.

Just as you locked the front door, Max and El came rushing in their bikes, looking as alarmed as you are. They rushed to you, especially El who gave you a pleading look.

“It’s Billy.”

“As much as I appreciate you calling a grown up to investigate, this seems highly unnecessary.”

You were clearly uncomfortable as you turned the corner to Cherry Lane. You already gave them an earful when they admitted that they were spying on random people during their sleepover last night. Personally, you didn’t think that Heather would suddenly go for Billy when she just went on a date with someone else the other week, but maybe Billy was just that convincing.

“But the screams,” El reasoned.

“When Billy is alone with a girl, they make, like, really crazy noises,” Max argued, making you laugh at her words. Case in point.

“That’s surprising,” you noted. “I assumed that because he’s such an asshole he doesn’t…” you trailed off when you caught El’s clueless look from your rear-view mirror. “Never mind.”

“They scream?” El voiced out her confusion.

“Yeah, but, like… happy screams.” Then Max turned to you. “Oh, just that house right there.”

Your laughter came out in breathless snorts at this point. You pulled the car in park around the curb. “Okay, that’s enough,” you interrupted. “You don’t need to know about that yet, El.” You watched the house and hummed in thought. “His car’s not there. This’ll be easy.”

The three of you went inside the house and headed to his room. You knew that their family was very far from a loving one, but you tried to wrack your head for a reason as to why Billy’s bedroom door had a hinge lock from the outside. You barely had any thoughts about that little detail before Max pushed the door open.

“Why do I get the feeling we’re gonna find all sorts of wrong here?” Max said.

“Well, his tastes in music aren’t half bad,” you commented, flicking through his stack of cassette tapes by his stereo. You pulled open his bedside drawer and laughed at its contents. “Jackpot.”

Max rushed over to peek, only to see his collection of ‘printed ladies.’ “Ugh!” she exclaimed. “Gag me with a spoon.”

Then we heard El calling us from the bathroom.

We followed her to see empty ice packets around his tub. The unsettling feeling crept in again as you remember that you were also trying to keep yourself cold last night. But you weren’t the only one who was unsettled.

El, who was breathing heavily, stared off into the corner, and when Max and you followed her line of sight, there it was. Blood. You carefully opened the trash bin and pulled out a utility bag from Hawkins’ Community Pool.

“Let’s go.” You didn’t waste any time leaving the house and getting into the car.

Despite the darkening skies and thunder rumbling, you got there in record time. You ran to see a co-worker of your closing the pool area. Protocol. But he definitely wasn’t pleased to see you.

“Didn’t you call in sick?” he said, sounding annoyed. “You’re the second person to bail today.”

“Heather didn’t come in?” Max asked.

“Obviously. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing thi— Hey!”

The three of us ran back to the car to figure out what to do next.

“We can go back to my place,” you suggested. “Wait out until Heather comes home next door.” Then you remembered. “Shit,” you cursed, turning on your car before the girls agreed. “My dad is supposed to pick me up for a doctor’s appointment.”

Luckily, your dad wasn’t home yet when you got back. Probably due to the storm. However, the girls already had their own plans in mind when they walked over next door to the Holloway’s.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you hissed, jogging over to them. “Don’t go running off without me.” You looked at the now open front door. “Did you just unlock the door? This is trespassing!”

“She’s inside,” El whispered. She and Max entered the house, and you had no choice but to follow.

The three of you carefully treaded towards the voices in the dining room. There you found Billy with Mr. and Mrs. Holloway chatting away. The sight of your three by the hallway halted their conversation.

“Um, hey, Janet, Tom,” you greeted. “We tried to knock, but you probably didn’t hear us over the storm.”

“What on earth are you doing here?” Billy cut in, his eyes trained on Max and El.

“Where is she, Billy?” you asked firmly, staring straight into his eyes.

“Where is who?” Billy smiled innocently, but it didn’t give you any ease.

“Well, they’re a little burnt! I’m sorry.” Heather walked in from the kitchen, carrying a tray of cookies. “Oh, hey, girl! Is your shift over?”

“Heather!” Billy called. “This is my sister, Maxine.” He gestured to Max before his eyes landed on El. “I’m sorry. I did not quite catch your name.”

“El.” Eleven responded with her eyes pointedly trained on Billy.

“El,” Billy echoed, his polite smile turning into something menacing.

It definitely unnerved the three of us. Your hands held onto their shoulders and pulled them behind your back, leaving you to face Billy. “You guys weren’t at work, so we got worried,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady.

“Heather wasn't feeling so hot today, so we thought we'd take the day off to nurse her back to health.” Billy turned to Heather. “But you’re feeling just fine right now. Aren’t you, Heather?”

“I’m feeling so much better,” Heather smiled, but there was something about it that didn’t seem right to you.

Max and El tugged at your hand. You looked at them to see them silently pleading at you with their eyes. You gave a brief shake of your head before turning back to Billy. “I’m sorry to disturb you,” you said carefully. “I’ll take the girls home.”

“Thank you for looking out for my sister and her… friend.”

You made sure that the girls walked ahead of you, and right before you passed the front door, Billy pulled you to him. You barely could get a noise out as he pressed his hand over your ribs.

“You’re one of us,” Billy whispered before he shoved you out and shut the door.

It all happened in a split second that the girls didn’t even notice the exchange. The fear stabbed you deep in the gut that you basically dragged them back to your house, forcing them not to look back. Only when you got inside your house that the tension released from your body but only just.

“I’m taking you guys home, and tomorrow, we’re meeting up with the party, okay?”

“You’re not going anywhere, young lady.”

You winced and found your dad staring you down with his arms crossed.

Damn it.

“As soon as we’re done here, you’re grounded for a week.”

You groaned and held back the urge to roll your eyes. You were in the hospital waiting area for your family physician, but because there were a handful of minor accidents because of the storm, the wait was a bit long, especially when you were not priority. It was fine during the first ten minutes, but after half an hour, you were starting to get cranky.

“I’m going to the restroom.”

Your dad made a move to get up, but you stopped him. “There’s literally a storm out there, and you drove me here,” you pointed out. “Where else can I go?”

Your dad just scoffed but leaned back in his seat, waving you off. “Bring me back a coffee then,” he said.

You walked down the hallway but turned to the payphones instead of the restrooms. You dialled in the number you were so familiar with and hoped that he’d be home by this time.

“Hello?” Steve’s voice rang through the speaker, sending relief through your body.

“Pick me up at the hospital,” you said.

“Wait, what?”

“Oh, and do it in half an hour.”

“There’s literally a storm outsi—”

“I’m also staying at your place tonight.”

“Hey! What is going—”

“Thanks, Harrington.”

Steve arrived at the hospital in twenty, still dressed in his sailor uniform. With your dad still busy with his coffee and a random medical pamphlet, you cocked your head to the side and sent Steve a signal where to wait while you made your escape. For the second time, you got up to your feet.

“I think I want a coffee actually,” you said. “Be right back, daddy.”

Your dad hummed, not even lifting his eyes from the pamphlet.

For a split second, your heart seized at the sight of your clueless father. You wanted to tell him and mom about the monsters and how they were this close to taking you, but they were better off not knowing. It wasn’t worth risking their lives when it could be just you.

With a heavy heart, you kissed the top of his head and walked down the hallway, heading for the exit and into Steve Harrington’s getaway car.

“Okay, but what the hell is going on?” Steve asked, pulling the car in drive.

You didn’t answer and just hugged your knees to your chest while crying silently. You’re one of us. You squeezed your eyes shut and tried to level your breathing, which now felt like such a laborious task. Now that you knew the truth, it was almost like you could feel it all inside you. Taking every piece of you.

You were quickly pulled out of your thoughts by a warm hand clasping yours. You raised your head and looked at Steve, who kept his eyes on the road, but continued to squeeze your hand. You managed to stop crying and thread your fingers through his and bask in his warmth.

You knew it was just temporary. You knew who he really liked. And as if the universe was aware of your feelings, they decided to cut the moment short by sending your chest squeezing and blocking your airways again. You dropped Steve’s hand and clutched at your chest as you exploded into another coughing fit.

Steve panicked and quickly glanced between you and the road. “What’s happening?” he asked frantically. “Should I take you back to the hospital?”

You violently shook your head. “N-no,” you managed to wheeze out. “Dr-drive.”

“Where’s your inhaler?” Steve asked to which you left unanswered.

Finally, you managed to cough out a chunk of something, freeing your airways. You quickly shoved it in your pockets without checking before Steve noticed it. You exhaled in relief and leaned back in his seat.

“It didn’t use to be that bad,” Steve pointed out.

“Yeah.”

“Was that why you were at the hospital?”

“Mm.”

“We should go back.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re near your place anyway.”

By the time you got to Steve’s house, he rushed to his parents’ room to find you something to wear from his mom’s closet. “Go take a shower and warm up!” he called out from the second floor.

You dragged your feet into the downstairs bathroom and rinsed your mouth. As you spat out the water, swirls of blood and black goo circled around before disappearing down the drain. You pulled out the clump that you hid in your pocket and teared up at the sight of a fully formed flower.

It was cruel that something as hauntingly beautiful as this was killing you from the inside.

When you flipped the flower over, you noticed thin tendrils from where the stem should be. You were horrified that the tendrils were actually moving like tiny tentacles. It reminded you of that day when you were in the tunnels under the pumpkin farm.

Without any more thought, you dropped the flower in the sink. Remembering that they were susceptible to heat, you immediately turned on the faucet to its hottest setting. As the water hit the flower, your lungs were suddenly set on fire.

Out of instinct, you turned the faucet off, relieved that the flower immediately dried out and broke off into ashy flakes. The burning stopped as well but still lingered under your skin. Almost tripping over your own feet, you staggered over to the shower, stripping yourself of your drenched clothes and turning on the water to its coldest setting, and only then did you find relief.

You’re one of us.

It took over almost half an hour to compose yourself and figure out what to do from here on out. You put one of the fluffy robes in the bathroom and headed out to the living room where Steve was already lounging on one of the sofas, shirtless but with a towel hanging over his neck. He only seemed to notice your presence when the sofa dipped beside him under your weight.

“You okay?” Steve asked when you rested your head on his shoulder, not minding that his hair was still dripping wet. “Jesus, you’re freezing.” He moved to grab the throw blanket and pulled it over both of you then rubbed his hands on your arms to warm you up.

Meanwhile, you wrapped your hands around his waist and just closed your eyes at the sound of his heartbeat. You were mad that his was steady when you couldn’t even control the fast drumming of your own heart whenever you were near him. Still, you held Steve as if you were afraid to let go, as if he was your only reminder that you were still you. But why did it hurt, even physically, so much to hold on?

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Steve whispered, stroking the back of your head. “I don’t think we held each other like this since middle school,” he chuckled to himself at the memory. “When Vicki Carmichael took stole your partner for the Snow Ball and kissed him in front of everyone? You slept over and cried in my bed, telling me you hated her for it and me for going with Tammy Thompson.”

You wracked your head trying to remember what Steve was talking about. Maybe because it was a long day, but you couldn’t remember him holding you like this in middle school. Still, it must have been a beautiful memory if even Steve remembered it.

Sometimes it felt like you were the only one holding on so tightly in this relationship with him.

“Don’t you remember?”

You just hummed and snuggled closer to Steve.

“Okay, how about when Lewenski and I got into a fight because his girlfriend tripped you up and you skinned your knee pretty bad?”

This one, you remembered. “Your dad grounded you for a month, and you got benched for two games,” you chuckled softly.

“And you still cheered for me in the sidelines,” Steve said, sounding relieved that you were finally talking. After while a long pause, he said, “What happened? You used to tell me everything.” He continued, “I know I joke about it a lot, but I was really worried when you didn’t sign up with me at the mall. And you being sick all the time now?”

“Steve, just drop it,” you said, almost in a plea. “We’re okay. You never have to worry about me.”

Steve scoffed playfully. “That’s never going to happen,” he argued. “I’m always gonna worry about you. You don’t even notice how much trouble you get yourself into without realising.”

You tried not to think about it, but for the rest of that night in Steve’s arms, you almost felt like the vines were moving inside you, growing and taking up what was left of you that you haven’t already given to Steve.

“So, basically you’re a fugitive now?”

You chuckled and tiredly patted Dustin’s back. “Man, I missed you, kid,” you said. “And to answer your question, technically yes. I’m facing a lifetime of being grounded if I’m caught.”

“Let me get this straight,” Dustin began, his eyes trained on your plain black shirt that obviously belonged to Steve, “Steve snuck you out of the hospital, and you stayed in his house the entire night?” He leaned close to you. “And nothing happened?”

“Jesus, Dustin,” you wrinkled your nose at him. “People serve food here.” You gestured at the small cup of ice cream you were eating as breakfast slash brunch. Though you were wallowing your sorrows in cold, cold sweets, it did make you feel like a kid again.

“Steve is so stupid sometimes it amazes me,” Dustin thought out loud.

“I’m surprised you caught on. Seems like everyone in the world knows except him.”

“That’s because I’m me,” Dustin grinned proudly. “I bet the rest of the party doesn’t even know.”

“Who doesn’t know?” Steve entered the backroom with Robin in tow.

“Probably that you’re a dingus,” Robin snickered. Then her eyes trailed over to you. “So, we have another addition to the team,” she pointed out. “Who’s bringing her up to speed?”

“Dustin,” Steve said the same time that Dustin also said, “Me.”

Of course, it was Dustin.

While Dustin explained to you that the Russian military was most likely running a secret base right in the Starcourt Mall, you worried about El and Max, especially with not-Billy on the loose. Though they probably were already with the rest of the party right now and alerted Chief Hopper and Mrs. Byers. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.

Right?

“Got it?” Dustin finally said before narrowing his eyes at me. “Were you just zoning out the entire time?”

You snorted. “What do you take me for?”

“Fine, what did I just say?”

“Okay, I probably zoned out halfway through,” you admitted. “But your problem is pretty simple.”

Steve, Dustin, and Robin waited for you to continue.

“You just need the blueprints for the mall.”

“Why haven’t you called her the moment we were cracking the code?” Robin said, rushing outside and grabbing the tip jar. Ignoring Steve’s calls for her, she was off leaving us three at Scoops Ahoy.

“Touch my butt! I don’t care!”

“Can we keep it PG in here?” you frowned at the ridiculous show Steve and Dustin were putting by trying to get into the air ducts. “Just pull the boy down before someone gets hurt.”

“He can’t get hurt. He’s missing bones like Gumbo.”

“Like what?” you tilted your head.

“He means Gumby,” Dustin corrected, grabbing hold of Steve’s shoulders as he got hoisted out of the vent, “and that’s not how cleidocranial dysplasia works, Steve. I’m missing collarbones, not nerves.”

“Whatever,” Steve said. “We just need some else who could fit in there.”

Just as Steve said those words, Robin burst in the backroom, looking like she had an epiphany for the second time today. You were beginning to think she was the reason how Steve and Dustin had gotten this far. Behind her stood Lucas’ younger sister, Erica. Ah, the epiphany.

It only took the rest of the day of convincing her. The kid knew how to play hard ball. You’d give her that. She wouldn’t take anything less than ice cream for life. Frankly, you’d do the same.

You waited until the mall closed, though Robin and Steve cleared up Scoops Ahoy a few minutes early. So far, your parents were a no show, though you assumed that they didn’t think you would be hiding in the backroom of a very crowded mall. Frankly, they probably wouldn’t even believe you that you were infected with a monster from an alternate dimension and would rather help your friends with a Russian invasion than go to the hospital.

“Free ice cream for life,” Erica smirked smugly as soon as the thick sliding doors – actually odd for a simple storage room – slid open for us.

It didn’t take much snooping to find vats of glowing neon green vats of unknown substances hidden in regular delivery boxes. Without much thought, you grabbed one and made your way to the door. “Let’s just go before someone catches us.”

Again, the universe… just hated us.

“Uhh, which one do I press, Erica?” Dustin asked, insistently pressing the “OPEN” button.

Panic began to rise among all of us as mechanical whirring buzzed between the walls. Between that and the fact that we were trapped, we definitely knew we were screwed. While all of them fussed over the buttons that were no longer working, you stepped back, feeling something prickle under your skin.

“Just open the door!” Robin cried out, echoing into someone… something different.

Open the door.

Open the door!

Open the goddamn door!

Suddenly, you were on fire. You barely noticed your screams rising over everyone else’s. You fell to the floor, convulsing in agony as flashes of different people appeared in your head as if you were them. An old lady in a hospital bed, Heather, her parents, so many people who barely even knew in Hawkins… then Billy.

It was quiet with him. You saw flashes of a beautiful blonde woman calling out to him, her face concealed in a sunhat, then the beach with sand in between your toes. There was a moment of peace and tranquillity, and like someone playing a sick joke, you were in a dark place, standing in Billy’s place in front of people who were lifelessly standing still right in front of something. Something that you didn’t recognize but was so familiar to you, inside you.

He made me do it. It’s like a shadow, like a giant shadow. Please believe me, Max.

“Billy, it’s gonna be okay,” Max’s voice echoed in his head as if it were yours.

“It’s gonna be okay,” a different voice filtered through from all the noise.

“She’s unconscious. How is her inhaler going to help?” “I’m pretty sure that’s a seizure, nerd.” “Check for a pulse, Steve.”

Your consciousness fell right back on you like a pile of bricks. Your eyes fluttered open to see Steve hovering over you with your inhaler tucked between your lips. Once your eyes locked with his caramel ones, a huge wave of relief washed over his face as he pulled you into his arms.

“Oh, my God,” Steve gasped, clutching on to you for dear life. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Get… out.”

Steve tensed and pulled away to look at you. “What?”

You weakly pulled up your – actually Steve’s shirt up to your ribs, revealing angry black veins that were now crawling over your torso. You cried out and clutched at you. “Get it out!”

“Holy sh– what the hell is that?!”

You rolled to the side and fell into a coughing fit, your back hunched over. Your nails clawed at your throat, feeling something trying to crawl itself out. Whatever happened somewhere in Hawkins pissed off the plants inside you, and you can feel them twisting and curling throughout your torso.

With much straining and the remaining oxygen in your lungs, you managed to pull out the parasite from your oesophagus. The action made Dustin and Robin gag in the corner, while Steve and Erica warily looked at the slithering vine with a fully bloomed flower you dropped on the floor, leaving a trail of blood and black goo.

“You guys, by any chance, have a lighter?” you panted, pressing your cheek against the cold metal floor for any cool relief you can take.

Silence told you no. You hoisted yourself up with much difficulty and leaned back into the crate then immediately had an idea. Albeit, a bad one. With shaky knees, you got on your feet and lifted the vat of green goo that rolled away when you dropped unconscious. You looked for the right twist to open the container when Dustin stopped you.

“What are you doing?”

“We have to kill it,” you said nonchalantly. “I mean, I could just drink this to get it over with, but I don’t want to die that quick.”

“Are you…?” Then Dustin’s eyes widened. “That day. You were… because you saved me.”

“Wait, wait, are any of you nerds explaining what’s going on?” Erica interrupted.

You sighed. “Monster,” you pointed at the vine. “Infected,” you pointed at yourself. “Must kill monster with something. Preferably fire.”

“You killed one of those before?” Robin asked.

“It was smaller last night,” you shrugged, finding the latch to open up the vat. “Hot water took care of that sucker easily.” Twisting the lid a certain way, it clicked and released. “Aha!” you exclaimed. “This is gonna hurt.” You eyed the goo apprehensively.

Then Steve snatched the lid and sealed back the vat. “There has got to be a way to do this without you in pain,” he said.

“We don’t have time, and we’re stuck here in a metal box with a monster crawling towards Erica’s sneaker!”

“Why are you yelling?!”

“I’m not yelling!” you shouted. Then you turned to Dustin with a much softer voice. “How did Will get rid of his the last time?”

“Space heaters, a lot of them,” Dustin answered. “Anything from the Upside Down hates the heat, including D’Art.”

“Well, we’re not waiting until you cough all the flowers out, so I say we dump you into a hot tub and crank the heat to full,” Steve suggested, keeping the vat out of reach. “Once we get out of here, of course.”

“Boiling her alive,” Dustin scoffed. “That’s genius, Steve.”

“Or,” Robin interrupted, “we just use the same space heaters. It worked before, so it might work again now.”

“Thank you,” you said, pointedly looking at Steve. “At least someone is trying not to kill m—” Suddenly, your lungs were set aflame as you dropped into a heap on the cold floor, convulsing in agony with your mouth open in an open scream. You briefly heard Erica speaking before ultimately passing out.

“What? You only kept one of that green acid away from us. At least the monster’s dead.”

After passing out for the second time that night, you seemed to be sleeping much longer, but when you woke up, it wasn’t much of a surprise to hear Dustin and Steve still bickering. You opened your eyes to see Steve’s legs hanging from the ceiling. Again, not a surprise.

Probably nothing else would surprise you at this point.

“Shh! Jesus Christ!” Steve hissed before disappearing entirely to the top of the elevator.

Now that spiked your curiosity.

Robin was preoccupied with Erica, and both of them didn’t even notice that you were awake. You sat up and climbed on the stacked boxes leading up to the opening on the elevator ceiling. The burning in your ribs and your shortness of your breath was easier to ignore now that you were too lightheaded to actually feel the discomfort. Still, you managed to poke your head out the opening, accidentally ending up eavesdropping.

“I heard you guys talking all night,” Dustin whispered to Steve before his eyes landed on you. He winced and shot you an apologetic look.

Steve turned and saw you by his feet, making him jump in surprise. “What are you doing up?!” he scolded. “You scared all of us last night. I thought Erica killed you.”

“Gee, your welcome!” Erica called out from inside.

“’Last night’? It’s morning?”

Dustin smiled emptily. “Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been trying to reach anyone on the radio since the mall is open. I think we’re too far down though.”

“Okay, take Dustin down with you please,” Steve said, facing the wall. “I’m gonna take a leak.”

“First of all, ew. Second, good morning,” you said, hopping back down with Dustin right behind you.

“This is one looong sleepover,” Steve called out before the sound of a stream hitting the ceiling echoed inside the elevator. “Two nights of being your personal pillow!”

“Two nights?” you muttered to yourself. “Was I with Steve the other night?” you turned to ask Dustin, who gave you a weird look.

“You stayed over his place, and he drove you to the mall, remember?”

“He did?”

“Hey!” Robin called out. “We have company.”

One fight with a Russian later, which Steve won – finally – you and the rest of the group snuck into the comms room of the secret Russian base and found out why your lungs had been reacting different once you walked further down that tunnel.

“The gate.”

You, Steve, and Dustin looked at each other in horror before turning back to the machine that was trying to pry open the gate that El had shut down last year. It was your first time seeing it, but the same dark familiarity was tugging from the deepest part of your mind. There was no reason to dwell on it, so you tugged Dustin and Steve, urging them to leave and quickly warn the others as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, leaving was harder than getting in. Guards were alerted, and all of us were sent into running. It ultimately sent us to the direction of the gate itself with Dustin almost running into the laser machine that was opening the gate if it wasn’t for you tugging the back of his shirt collar.

You didn’t like being that close to the gate. Between the soldiers yelling and Steve barking which way to run, a louder voice was whispering crystal clear voices inside your head. You surrendered to the voices for one second to try and understand what they were saying, which proved to be your mistake.

In that one second, you were teleported to an incredibly vivid memory of meeting Steve for the first time.

“Sweetie, say hi to Mrs. Harrington and Steve.”

Your hand curled into a fist on the hem of your mother’s dress. It wasn’t the first time you saw Steve Harrington. Your classmate pointed who Steve was when he passed you at the hallways of Hawkins’ Elementary. She boasted that her older sister was Steve’s “girl friend” after he kissed her during recess yesterday.

You didn’t know what any of that meant, but when you glanced at Steve Harrington, you thought he was the prettiest boy you ever seen. Steve Harrington was exactly what you imagined the princes looked like that your mother read to you at bedtime.

And now, you were at their front door because your mom worked with his mom, and Mrs. Harrington thought it would be nice to have her and you over for tea.

And Steve was still the prettiest boy you ever seen.

You were catatonic while staring up into the gate opening.

While the rest of the guards were chasing after Steve and the others, the scientists urged that the guards don’t touch you, seeing that your pupils had turned entirely black. Your exposed neck revealed raised veins that they could tell were black even under the dim, unsteady lighting in the lab.

Your blank state was finally broken when the Russians took you in a secluded room, further away from the gate. Your mind was wildly fuzzy as if you were in the middle of sinking badly in your own subconscious. You inner daze didn’t last long when the door opened again, and Steve and Robin were dragged in and also cuffed like you were.

“What happened to you there?” Steve said in a low tone. “You just froze.”

The soldier didn’t like the chit-chat and struck Steve across the face. The sound was loud enough to echo in the room that you winced upon impact. “No talking!” he spat in a thick accent. “Now, who do you work for?”

“I’m confused,” Steve said, trying to sound unphased from the hit. “Do I not talk or do I tell you who I work for?”

That earned him another hit.

“We have many stories of monsters from where I’m from.”

“So do we,” you groaned at the man pacing the room. “You’re not that special, dude.”

Robin and Steve were taken away over half an hour ago, mostly likely for their own interrogation. So far, on your end, this soldier has done nothing but talk your ear off about stories from where he grew up while you were strapped in an examination chair.

“I suppose you know about flowers that grow on lungs?” The surprised look on your face told him everything he needed to know. “No one knows where they come from,” he said, “… until now.” He leaned in close to you. “You are very important test subject.”

“Not for long,” you said spitefully. “I’m dying anyway.”

“Well, I suppose you will be buried in Russian soil by then,” he said, sending chills in your spine. “But now, I need to see the flowers itself.”

Your breathing quickened at the thought being sliced open.

But…

They wanted you alive enough to bring you to Russia. That meant…

“Steve!” Your eyes widened at the sight of him as they dragged him inside the room and dropped him in a heap on the floor. Your heart clenched at the blood streaked all over his mouth and his eye swollen shut. “What did you do to him?”

The soldier and the rest of the guards merely looked at you struggling from where you were restrained while Steve remained unresponsive on the floor. The soldier looked displeased at the results before him and barked out another order. Soon enough, Robin was also dragged inside the room, and similar to you, she was as distraught at the sight of him beaten up.

Then… they just left the three of you in the room alone.

“What do they want?” Robin asked. “We told them everything, and you’re the only one not strapped with us.”

You gulped. “They, uh, they know what’s wrong with me.”

That gained Steve’s attention. With much difficultly, he raised his head and slurred out, “They’re not taking you, and we’re getting out of here.”

“Right,” you snorted. “Unless you have a way of getting to those scissors and cutting yourselves free, I’m on the next flight to Russia by the end of the day.”

“Those morons. They left scissors here?” Steve scoffed.

“I think that if we move at the same time, we could get over there, and then maybe I could kick the table and knock them into your lap,” Robin said, her voice rising with desperation. “So, on the count of three, we’re gonna hop.”

You smiled as hope bubbled when they succeeded the first two swivels. But on the third, the chair legs slid, knocking them both on the floor. Robin, who had her back to you, began shaking. At first, you and Steve thought she was crying, until her quiet giggles turned into full-on laughter.

“I’m sorry,” Robin laughed, trying to contain herself, “but I just can’t believe I’m gonna die in a secret Russian base with Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington, while his girlfriend gets shipped off to another secret lab in Russia.”

“We’re not gonna die,” Steve huffed, “and she’s not my girlfriend, okay?”

“Gee, we’re tied up and have no hopes of escaping, and you choose to correct that?” you snarked at him.

There was a moment of quietness, mostly just to collect our wits, but Robin was the one to speak up again. She talked about Mrs. Click, our history teacher. Turns out she had been in the same class as Steve for the longest time, remembering every detail about him.

Just like you.

“Do you even remember me from that class?” Robin said, her voice lowering into a whisper. “It didn’t matter that you were an ass.”

And her next words just crushed you.

“I was still… obsessed with you.”

There was nothing else to do but watch as Steve’s eyes — well, eye — softened. In that moment, you felt like you were in someone else’s moment, just an audience. But wasn’t that what you always have been in Steve’s life?

“You know, I wish I’d known you in Click’s class,” Steve said, a fond smile growing on his lips. “Maybe instead of being here, I’d be on my way to college right now.”

Last semester, you wrote two of his history papers just so his grades would be high enough for him to play during the basketball playoffs.

“And I would have no idea that there were evil Russians beneath our feet,” Robin chuckled, “and I would be happily slinging ice cream with some other schmuck.”

“Gotta say, though, I liked being your schmuck.”

And there it was…

The burning in your lungs intensified, sending you in a painful fit of coughs. It was hard enough not to curl over because of the restraints on your chest. There was no way to claw at your throat or to grasp at your chest from the twisting pain.

You were too engrossed in trying not to choke from blood and black goo that you didn’t notice the door open. A different scientist came in, this time more sinister-looking, and leaned over you. “I knew it,” he smiled. “He feeds the flowers inside you.”

“W-wha…?” you managed to gasp out. “P-please… can’t… br-brea-eathe… In.... inhal-er.”

In the midst of the black spots tinting your vision, you barely made out a jet injector and something bright blue before you heard Steve yell out and everything went dark.

“… up. Wake up!”

You opened your eyes to see Dustin’s face. “Am I dreaming?”

“Come on! We have to go!”

You were so groggy that you followed Erica and Dustin to a hijacked mini-truck with Steve and Robin giggling along. Both their antics only heightened when we finally ascended back up to the mall. Steve couldn’t stop booping Dustin, while Robin was saying stuff about food and death.

“Did they give you something too?” Erica asked me.

“They probably took something instead,” you rasped out, feeling your throat. “They baited one out and pulled it out while I was trying not to choke to death.”

“Where is it now?” Dustin turned to me, smacking away Steve’s finger from booping his nose again.

“How the hell should I know? I was tied up!” you scowled at him.

“We just saved your asses!” Erica and Dustin chimed back at your tone.

The bickering didn’t end until you were all forced to be quiet as you hid in a cinema that was showing ‘Back to the Future.’ Once upon a time, it seemed to be a fun movie to watch with the kids, maybe even with El, but now, you could barely keep your knees from fidgeting as your eyes constantly watched between Michael J. Fox and the cinema doors for any evil Russians.

It wasn’t long when your lungs began burning again. You didn’t feel the need to cough this time, but it didn’t stop for a metallic taste bursting in your mouth. You grabbed an empty popcorn bag nearby and spat into the paper. Even under the dark theatre, you could see that it was mostly blood now.

You were out of time.

“Jesus, you look far worse than El.”

You shot Max a very unfriendly look. “The girl who just pulled a monster out of her leg using your mind powers?” You glanced at El who was cuddled up with Chief Hopper while Mrs. Byers attended to the open wound on her leg.

“Well, both you are bleeding out of your noses, and you are also growing monsters inside you.”

“ERICA!” you screeched while furiously wiping your nose.

“Just the facts!”

“What?!” Everyone else in the party, including the adults, chorused.

“You’re dying,” Will said as if he could still tell. He gave you a look of empathy and a little bit of familiarity. You knew he went through a similar thing last year, and it somehow made you less scared that he was here with you.

You nodded solemnly. “I don’t have much time,” you admitted. “It grows faster the closer I am to the gate… or when I feed it.”

“’Feed it’?” Max asked.

“We don’t have to talk about that,” you waved her off. At this point, you were just desperate to stay alive. All of you were so, so close. “If we close the gate, we can cut off all connections, right?”

“Theoretically,” Lucas added.

Since there was no other option but that, we all based our plan on that ‘theory.’ A man named Murray, who also got into a tiff with Erica, came in with a map of the underground Russian base from a guy named Alexei. With the goals in place, everyone began splitting off into groups.

“You’re coming with us, right?” Steve asked.

You bit your lip as you shook your head. “I’m staying with the girls,” you said. “You go with Dustin and Robin to Cerebro.” At the sight of his worried look, you added, “I’ll be okay.”

Steve shot you a scowl. “Don’t die without me.”

“Hard promise to keep,” you smirked, smacking his hand away from ruffling your already messy hair. Your fingers tangled with Steve’s, and he ended up holding your hand completely. “Don’t die first, Steven.”

Steve chuckled and was about to pull away when you tugged his hand back.

“Hey, Steve.”

“Yeah?”

“I know you and Robin…”

When you trailed off, Steve raised his brows at you, urging you to continue.

You shook your head, waving it off. “You guys just got drugged,” you reminded him. “Drive safely.”

“You say that as if I don’t have any experience from partying.”

“That isn’t comforting at the very least.” Then... you let go.

Turns out that it wasn’t just the gate that was triggering the growth.

When the Spider Monster burst through the glass ceiling for Starcourt Mall, the flowers in your lungs reacted the same way when Billy had grabbed you at the Holloway’s. It was one thing to lead the monster away from El, but it was another thing to be hunched in the trunk space of the Wheeler’s hatchback with said monster chasing you down the road.

“The answer to a never-ending story…”

You laughed at the song number from the radio in between coughs. “That definitely takes the sting out of dying,” you said. You can only imagine Erica’s face during this whole ordeal.

“Don’t say that.”

You looked at Steve in deadpan. You kept eye contact as you spat blood and body matter into an empty soda cup you found discarded in the car. It was a low-blow towards him, you knew that, and he didn’t deserve it.

But you were so tired, and you were so mad at yourself for always being late, for being cowardly.

So, when Jonathan turned the car to follow the Spider Monster that turned back to the mall, you immediately hopped off and went looking for El instead of going with them to set off the fireworks. Steve, as expected, put up a fight, insisting that you all stick together.

“I won’t go near it,” you reasoned. “I’m finding El and getting her out of here, while you keep it distracted.” When he looked unconvinced, you added, “The fireworks will also distract Billy. It’s going to be okay.”

“That isn’t comforting at the very least,” Steve said, making you laugh at your early words being thrown back at you.

“Hey!”

You turned to see Nancy Wheeler toss a bundle of fireworks at you. At your raised brow, she shrugged, “Just in case.”

Following a broken gate not too far from where Steve rammed Billy’s car, you found an employee’s corridor where Max and Mike passed out nearby with angry bruises on their faces. You rushed over for Max and shook her awake. Her eyes immediately shot open.

“Billy, it was Billy,” Max said, panicked. “He took El. You have to go. I’ll take care of Mike. Go!” She staggered to her feet, gripping the pipes for stability.

“I can’t go near him or that thing.” You hesitated leaving Max, but when she yelled at you again to go for El, you turned your feet and broke off into a run. Then the fireworks began…

“Fuck!” you screamed, falling to your knees. Every corner of your body was set ablaze. You cried out as the flowers inside you constricted with every blast.

Max and Mike quickly caught up to you, pulling you to your feet. Suddenly, it was quiet, and a wave of calm washed over you. You saw a beautiful woman in a sundress and a hat by the beach. It wasn’t your memory, but it was being returned to someone after being taken away. Billy.

“She was pretty,” you could hear El cry in your head. “She was really pretty.”

Taking advantage of the situation, you sped through the corridor and into the mall. You found Billy beginning to stand up to the Spider Monster. “When I make a run for it, you grab El and get her out of here, okay?”

“What? You just said you can’t face that thing!” Mike told you.

“Just do it!” You pushed your feet as fast as you could to face the monster.

“No!” Billy roared, grabbing the monster’s tentacle mouth to stop it from reaching El.

Seeing your opportunity, you quickly pulled the taped matchstick from the bundle and ignited the fireworks. Swinging your arm back, you flung it as hard as you could into the monster’s mouth. Right as soon as the explosive left your hand, you caught incoming smaller tentacles headed for Billy’s side, slinging two of them to your side from the crook of your elbow.

“I got you,” you said out of breath, seeing Billy’s surprised face. However, your fight had the monster targeting you, sending two other tendrils to your side instead. You barely felt it, even as its sharp tongue stabbed into your abdomen.

Touching the Spider Monster was as worse as looking straight into the Gate. You cried out as flashes of memories of you and Steve, growing up through the years, bombarded you, while the flowers inside you began crawling outside your ribs instead. You barely heard the last firework go off as you felt the vines throbbing under your skin.

An arm wrapped around your waist and pulled your unmoving feet, dragging you away. Your spotted, blurred vision could only see a head of dark blonde curls with a massive dark mass in the background screeching in agony.

“It’s over. It's supposed to be over!" you heard Max’s muffled voice say. “What’s wrong with her?!” You felt hands on your shoulder, shaking you to snap out of it.

“Steve,” you breathed out. You tried to focus on Max, but with a blink, you were trapped back in your memories. Steve telling you to go home every time as he led a different girl up the stairs to his room. Steve dropping you off while thanking you for picking out a gift for Nancy. Watching him smile ever so fondly at Robin. Seeing the smile that you so desperately desired every time.

All the memories of Steve breaking your heart, you felt all at once.

You continued to unconsciously call out Steve’s name. Even when the paramedics began wheeling you out in a stretcher. You vaguely saw them cutting your shirt open, exposing the gore that was concealed by the fabric.

The black vines had reached out on the surface of your skin. The outline of your ribs was exposed, threading black and purple angry bruises over your torso. The right side of your ribcage had completely sank, one rib twisting outwards and leaking a mix of blood and black goo. The damage was extensive, but the monster you grew and fed inside you seemed to be finally lying still, only remaining dormant once the gate was sealed once again.

“… -eral broken ribs and possible internal bleeding!” a paramedic called. “One of her lungs has collapsed. She's in shock!”

Then Steve was there. You couldn’t tell if it was a memory or if it was happening at that moment. He was struggling against two firemen, trying to get to you with one hand reaching out. With the last bit of energy left, you raised your hand, reaching out towards him too.

“Steve…”

#stranger things fanfic #steve harrington x reader #hanahaki au #flayed au #stranger things angst #steve harrington fanfic

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cloveroctobers · 6 months

Text

OCTOBER PROMPTS 🎃 — 12. Richie Jerimovich

PROMPT is from here and I’m using: “What do you mean you’ve never gone trick-or-treating?!”

A/N: it’s canon in my head that when richie is ready to find a new love interest that they will be plus sized idk that’s just what my brain tells me. This reader is also plus sized and could be a potential love interest but this falls in line of somewhat platonic?

WARNINGS: language, triggering matters such as ED, plus-sized reader, + some childhood verbal bullying.

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊

Halloween or fall season wasn’t really Raquel’s joy. She was more of a Christmas girlie by all means but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t attempt some fall things. Take right now for example: she had her hands deep into the guts of a pumpkin, the stench of the vegetable almost made her gag and it happens every year where she’s reminded that she prefers dealing with squash much more. Yet here she was, scooping out the insides and allowing the stringiness to get caught underneath her tortoise nails; zoning out after browsing dreadful Facebook.

Raquel’s tunnel daze is dragged away after harsh kicks are sent right to her door. She’s blinking rapidly as she comes to terms that the sound is coming from outside and not from her head. The 5’10 woman pulls her hands from the pumpkin, ready to move over to the sink to rinse her hands quickly but settles for wiping them on her half apron, then jogs over to the door.

“Who is it?” Raquel questions, disliking that she doesn’t have a peephole but is aware that she could lean over her couch to peer out the window.

The reply is instant but muffled, “your best dream come true! C’mon it’s me, open up!”

Raquel smiles at this, “sorry. I don’t know anyone by, ‘c’mon it’s me!’ Maybe you have the wrong house?”

“The same house that I’ve been over a jillion times before?! I don’t think so sweetheart.”

“If you been here before, how come you don’t have a key?” Raquel continues to play along.

Richie huffs, “I can barely keep up with my own keys so we both know giving me another would probably be a lost cause.”

Raquel unlocks the door soon after and welcomes the fresh 62 degree weather of the early afternoon in before her friend. “Richard, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

In richie fashion, he barges into the condo, kicks squeaking against wood laminate floors as he enters, holding a plastic bag up in the air for the dark haired woman to see. Closing the door behind him, Raquel spins on her fuzzy socks to follow richie right to the eighty-eight square feet modern kitchen.

“Those stools still haven’t come in?” Richie states the obvious as he eyes the outside of the bare counter.

Raquel sighs, “they’re now apparently on back order but it took me to contact them in order to get that information.”

“Shit,” Richie comments, “told you just to cancel the order, get your money back, and we can go down to TJMAXX to get a way better steal than what you probably paid for two of those chairs.”

It’s funny how richie used to give Raquel crap for her weekend errands and now he didn’t mind attending when he could.

Raquel leans her elbows against the counter with a smirk, “that maybe true but I wanted quality over bargaining.”

Don’t take this the wrong way, she had plenty of decor pieces that she just purchased from that exact store but she wanted something a little more upscale since she didn’t exactly have the space in this condo to make a formal dining area. A friend suggested getting a round table to place towards the path of the walkway from the entrance but Raquel decided against that since she didn’t want the second bedroom to be blocked whenever company exited.

Although it was only Raquel and her gray hairless Sphynx, Archibald. Majority of the time Raquel was traveling to other events and her friends’ home and rarely had gatherings at her place. Perhaps it had to do with her own trust issues after facing a break-in last year at her old apartment prior but Raquel was fine with forming a shell around herself.

It was necessary yet that shell came down a bit whenever Richie was around.

“Ah, Suit yourself!” Richie pulls out the items he’s brought with him, “anyway! I brought over some goods for your Sunday dinner.”

Raquel quirks up a brow, “you did?”

“Oh please, don’t look so shocked.” Richie peers over at the woman who grins at him, “it’s nothing big just some shit I got on my evening with Chef Terry, Garrett, and Jessica.”

Raquel sat up some, reaching to move the empty bag to the side now to eye the objects near by. She picks up a jar first and nods, “mint-jelly? Let me guess, some if not all of these things are things you tried but ended up hating.”

Richie rolls his eyes, knowing he’s been caught. “Whatever! I asked Syd what the purpose of that shit was after Chef Terry recommended it and Syd said it pairs well with certain meats and I know lamb is actually one of your favorites so I thought of you.”

Raquel bares her teeth into her bottom lip as she cracks the jar open, sniffing at the sweet but tart aroma and shrugs, “well thanks for thinking of me, rich. I’ll definitely try this out next time I make lamb.”

She steps towards him to peck him on the cheek and Richie fans her away as she goes back to look at the other objects.

“What’re we having tonight then if it’s not your best dish?!” Richie starts swinging his hands back and forth, then scrunched his nose up after noticing the pumpkin, “please don’t tell me it’s that bullshit over there?”

Raquel glances at the pumpkin and laughs to herself, “no. That’s solely for decor purposes only.”

“Oh thank fuck, I thought you were gonna tell me you’re obsessed with all things pumpkin now and then I was gonna have to cancel your ass.” Richie wiped the faux sweat from his brow as he turns, arms hunched behind him as if he’s ready to launch himself up onto the counter.

Raquel sends him a warning glance and Richie scoffs, choosing to pick the charcoal gray sectional in the adjacent living room instead.

“You could never cancel me, Richard.” Raquel informs as she places the new items into their designated spots before turning back to wash her hands, “you love me too much.”

Richard tilts his head before reaching for the remote, “yeah I do, so don’t you forget it.”

Raquel sends him a soft smile which Richard holds dear to his heart with his wide blues, before flicking the tv on, making himself right at home.

And it’s just like any other typical Sunday, with Richie coming over to watch some game Raquel didn’t care about but would still be near, either doing her “grandma activity,” which was cross-stitching or commenting here and there (while cooking) after finding out which team they should be rooting for. When commercial breaks start, Raquel is just finishing up the last pumpkin she’s been working on to place on the outside of her front door.

She waves at a neighbor, Antanios who lives on the top floor and lived here the longest with his teenage grandson (after his mother passed), who’s sitting on the shared patio set reading the newspaper.

“Looks nice, Azizi. Can’t wait to see what you do for Christmas.” The elderly man comments with a wink, playfully glancing upwards towards the second floor, where your other neighbor, Clarise—who was in her mid-fifties; who Raquel playfully called her auntie—liked to battle her with the outdoor decor whenever Christmas came around.

Thankfully Raquel found peace in this neighborhood and with solid neighbors. Although she was youngest here—not counting Antanios’ grandson Elias, she found a sense of belonging here like she never did before.

Raquel smiles at the man, “and I can’t wait for your review.”

Antanios dips his head, turning his attention back to the newspaper. He was always the one to settle the score and was always fair, which was humorous in a way considering he was a retired district attorney. It was only right in Raquel and Clarise’s eyes to have Antanios tell it to them straight.

“Tell Richard I said hello.” Antanios said, keeping his eyes on his paper.

He was a quiet but observant man who noticed it all. However it was no secret that Richie was one of the main ones that always kept coming around to visit the tenant on the last floor.

“Hey Antanios!” Richie yelled from the couch before Raquel closed the door, but not without seeing the man smirking to himself.

“Uh hello! I was just about to have a conversation with my favorite person at this place.” Richie frowned as Raquel laughed at him.

“I’ll save him the trouble,” Raquel stated as she went back into the kitchen, “and Archibald and I definitely take offense to that.”

Richie doesn’t flinch as the mentioned cat jumps onto the arm of the chair by his head, arms making room for the gray cat to make themself comfortable right on his chest.

Richie scratches the animal, “Why? Antanios is my guy! I have real conversations with that man when I crash here and you fall asleep on me! It’s like you always think he’s not listening but he’s got wisdom like he’s fucking buddha or something.”

Raquel nods at that but can’t help but to snort, “is this your way of telling me I should get you a Buddha necklace for Christmas this year since you found your calling and all that?”

Richie thinks about this, “I mean shit, I’d wear it but don’t think I’m gonna be out here bald like this uncooked cat here.”

“Don’t talk about my baby like that.” Raquel warns.

Archibald meows and Richie laughs, “he knows it’s all love but he’s definitely given me a few heart attacks sneaking up on me during the night.”

Richie’s never had a pet before in his life so he really didn’t know what he was missing. Now he has Raquel in his life and Eva’s been over a few times before which sparked her interest in getting a hamster or bunny. Tiffany was against it because she felt that would be more work for her but richie just wanted to make his little girl happy and believed if you taught Eva how to tend to it, she would do a good job. She just had to find her footing is all and Richie felt there wasn’t anything wrong with that. Which is exactly why he was setting some money aside to get whichever one Eva chose.

“Bacon and spinach stuffed chicken or honey glazed salmon,” Raquel clapped to get Richie’s attention after he dived back into the game.

Richie took his time answering, “huh? Uh, the chicken.”

It’s Raquel’s turn to hum at him but soon another commercial comes on, making Richie annoyed as he jumps to his feet. When he faces Raquel he notices that she’s got her attention on her phone while still holding the packages of meat.

“Fucking commercials are killing me!” Richie hisses as he makes his way into the kitchen to raid the fridge for a beverage.

He cracks open the soda and sips from it, then plucks the salmon from Raquel’s hand to place back into the fridge. Which was always fully stocked despite the fact that she was constantly traveling every other weekend being a web designer. It wasn’t unusual for Raquel to get quiet on Richie but the zoning out was what become concerning, especially when he snapped his fingers in front of her face to not receive any answers.

It wasn’t until he yanked up her phone to bring it to his attention. Richie looks at the photo of some lady named: Brooke Weisel-Heeni who has her hand resting on a very large baby bump in a wedding dress followed by a large sized wedding ring and another set of hands covering her’s. Richie didn’t have time to read the caption before Raquel snatched the phone back to place face down.

“You never told me how dinner went with the michelin crew? Any progress with Jess?” Raquel says, suddenly back down to earth as she moves to search the kitchen to cut open the package of chicken.

Richie blinks, “we can get into that later. Who’s this Brooke lady that you were cyber stalking?”

“If I wanted to stalk somebody, she would be my last choice.” Raquel retorts making Richie quirk up his brows.

Richie silently thinks to himself on how to approach this. Clearly there was something touchy about this Brooke person and he didn’t like how Raquel was moving about it either.

“Okay…then…how do you know her?”

Raquel shrugs her shoulders, “we went to middle and high school together and remained friends—Facebook friends.”

Richie sips from the can, “just Facebook official, I get it. So…was there beef I need to know about? Do I gotta hate the lady too?”

That earns a crooked smile from Raquel.

“I’m thirty-three years old! What am I doing being still hung up about how she treated me back then?! Especially since I considered her a friend in middle school. Yes, kids can be some motherfuckers but I mean people can change and you grow right? But I don’t like that I’m feeling a way seeing this hard launch of a wedding and pregnancy.” Raquel starts to vent but Richie feels he’s still missing out on the context.

One thing about Raquel is that she only lets, “motherfucker,” slip out is when she’s highly frustrated about something. So richie knew this was serious business.

“Hey, I’m not judgin’,” Richie raises his hands, “I’ve got, I think two assholes that neither Mikey and I were cool with back in the day on my page but that other assclown? Griffin Georgiou?! Yeah! He tried to add me, ripped him a new one and blocked him immediately after he kept trying to go back and forth wit me.”

Raquel sighed with her head thrown back, making Richie nudge her with the back of his hand, “if you wanna talk about it, lay it on me. If you don’t, then we move on but I’ll lock in that this Brooke lady is on my shit list.”

It’s the fact that she’s getting choked up talking about this, that doesn’t sit right with Richie. However he knows boundaries and realizes not to push them when they came to Raquel. So he eyes her as she’s on autopilot, getting ready to prepare the Sunday dish. It’s silent besides the football game on the tv and he moves beside her, watching her and picking up on what he can do to help prepare dinner.

“…what’s on the agenda for Halloween?” Richie changes the subject, “I hope you got the good shit for the little rascals and also for me because I’m definitely coming over later to eat your stash!” Richie tells the friend beside him as he works on cleaning the spinach.

Raquel lifts her shoulders, “I uh—haven’t thought much about it? Probably get off work just to head over to the bar or go to the bar after work and come home to have a chill night in or give to the kids.”

“Sounds good to me,” Richie replies, “let me know if you decide to give candy because Eva and I will definitely roll through.”

Raquel let’s a small smile greet her lips. She was glad that richie was making the effort to be a better parent to his child and attempting not to create the same disruptive pattern his parents had him in. Eva’s a bright girl, a little on the shy side but as soon as Raquel brought out a mini water color kit that she had stored away for traveling purposes, Eva seemed to lighten up.

“Aw! Let me guess? She’s going as Taylor Swift?”

“BOOM! You got it!”

“Which era?”

“The fact that you know that’s a thing when you’re not a swiftie is impressive.” Richie comments, making Raquel roll her eyes.

Richie laughs a little, “Eva’s doing the lover era. Lots of colors, which I’m not surprised considering I have a little artist on my hands. Tiff’s going for—I think she said evermore.”

Raquel nods, a smile twitching on her lips as if she knows much about either, “and what’re you going for?”

“Do I go with fearless or 1989? But make it manly since I got to keep my street cred high,” Richie puffs out his chest which makes Raquel pull a mocking face, “and risk the chance of scaring my child with adding horror elements to that theme while potentially pissing her mother off? Or do I not dress up for trick or treating?” Richie rambles, which means he’s given this some thought.

Raquel speaks, “I don’t know…isn’t one of the points of trick or treating supposed to be getting dressed up? I’ve never been.”

Richie almost drops the bowl of cream cheese, spinach, mozzarella, and spices mixture that the chicken is supposed to be stuffed with, “What do you mean you’ve never gone trick-or-treating?!”

Raquel glances over her shoulder hearing the oven beep, signaling that the oven was set at the right temperature. “It wasn’t something that was encouraged for me. I didn’t really get to celebrate Halloween like the other kids or even my older brother, who was the popular kid.”

“Why?”

“A combination of things: Brooke, my Bulimic mother, my weight.”

Richie deeply exhaled.

“Sixth grade. I was always heavier than everyone else, always at the doctor to make sure I didn’t have any medical conditions that contributed to it but my pediatrician always reassured that it’s just baby fat and that it would fluctuate once I grew, story of my life!” Raquel humorlessly laughed, “as if my father didn’t come from that same body type. I was never overweight but the minute you’re not petite or shaped like a pencil in anyone else’s eyes, you’re fat and disgusting. Anyways the short story? Brooke and I were friends in middle school, she was having a Halloween party after going trick or treating. She said she forgot to give me an invitation and was about to give it to me in class but the other girls that she already invited said they wouldn’t want a piggy to eat all of their candy if I came. Know what Brooke did? Laughed right with them and kept my invitation in her backpack. I cried about it for the rest of the day and when I got home to tell my mom about it she said to me, ‘well if you wore clothes that actually fit then maybe they wouldn’t say those things to you.’”

Richie clenched his eyes shut, “that’s so fucked up and I’m sorry those turds made you feel that way! You know none of that negative bullshit is true then or now? They’re the ones who missed out on having a good person in their lives. Screw ‘em!”

Raquel rolls the tension from her shoulders, “Thanks for saying that. It’s something I’m always working on and loving this body that’s been given to me. And this isn’t some pity thing I’m trying to throw out there because I love who I am. It’s just seeing her face after all this time—I’m hardly on Facebook—pop back up on my feed caught me completely off guard.”

“Trust me, I get it.” Richie reassures, “…did she ever apologize?”

“Yup when we were both in our second year of college. Two Ohioan girls in New York, me in NYU and her at Brown University. She felt the need to update me about her college experience in the DM by the way, I never asked. I feel like she only apologized because of my friend Tommy though. He’s…unhinged. But I left her on read too which didn’t make me feel any better…but enough of my childhood trauma! Tell me about Michelin.” Raquel used the back of her hand to wipe at her damp eyes.

Richie ignores this and questions, “you wanna go trick or treating with me and Eva?”

“Huh?”

“You’re going!” Richie decides for Raquel who frowns.

“I can’t do that,” Raquel quickly shakes her head, “don’t know if you noticed but I’m grown now.”

Richie scoffs after eyeing Raquel’s profile, “oh I’ve noticed sweetheart…but Isn’t that what they say about adulthood, that you’re supposed to heal your inner child or whatever?”

“Where’s Richie and what have you done with him?” Raquel scanned the room with a hand above her brow.

Richie elbows her as they both share a laugh.

After awhile Raquel claims, “I don’t even have a costume or idea.”

“I mean…you could always join the era’s tour.” Richie kept a straight face as he peered over at Raquel who scrunched up her nose, “C’mon Rocky! Be one of us! There’s even friendship bracelets.”

“No, thank you.”

Richie began to move in a body roll as he screams, “'Cause we nеver go out of style, we nеver go out of style!”

Raquel widens her eyes in horror, “Oh god, what are you doing? Stop that and please sing anything else!”

“Okay.” Richie thinks to himself before belting, “Cause when you're, fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them!”

Raquel flinches as Richie’s voice booms off the walls of her condo, “I think we found which era you should really be. You felt that in your soul didn’t you?”

Richie clears his throat, “yeah, I think so but I don’t want anymore of your haterade when we come scoop you up. I’ve been growing out my hair too so maybe fearless is the best era to go with after all.”

“Did Jessica convince you to dye it blond too?” Raquel teased, peeking at Richie’s hair that did look a bit fuller compared it’s usual buzzed cut—now that he pointed it out.

Richie frowns over at Raquel, “damn you’re being nosy about Jessica!”

“Hey no need to get defensive,” Raquel smirked, “I’m just trying to see if you picked up on any vibes.”

Richie sucked his teeth, “I’m picking up on you scrambling around from choosing a damn costume!”

“I really don’t want to impose on you and Eva’s quality time.”

“What?! That kid loves you. Not as much as her old man but she likes you because she knows you and I are great together—the best of friends!”

“Don’t tell Fak that, he might get jealous.”

Richie scoffs, ready to toss a spinach stem her way, “as long as you don’t tell this Tommy person that.”

Raquel snorts, “believe me, Tommy does not give a damn who I keep around as long as they don’t mess with me or his business.”

It was apparent to Richie that Raquel only casually mentioned this Tommy person from time to time and he’s met her other friend, co-workers, and even her arrogant older brother but Tommy seemed to be this sort of invisible force that Richie never had the chance to meet.

Richie could live with that as long as he didn’t bring any trouble to Raquel’s door.

She already had Richie right by her side for some good trouble whenever she needed him and it had to be vice versa on Raquel’s end too right?

Well…a decade of friendship regardless of their age gap solidified that as Richie tossed a wrist over Raquel’s shoulder to place a kiss to her temple which she leaned into.

Her own personal safety net, which was never too far from her reach.

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ. ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚

Read my final 2023 fall prompt here.

#the bear #the bear season 2 #the bear s2 #the bear fx #the bear hulu #richie jerimovich #richard jerimovich #Richie jerimovich x reader #queued #fall prompts #ebon moss bachrach

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thyme-in-a-bubble · 1 year

Text

sunflower, chapter sixteen

A/N: this chapter is a lot, I highly recommend thinking about reading this at the best time for you or just skipping it all together. Take care of yourself, judge if this is the chapter for you ♡

summary: to say that the art gallery went worse than expected is a bit of an understatement…

warnings: TW ableism, use of the R slur, references to childhood trauma, attending an art show (written by someone who is not a professional artist, so it’s probably not accurate at all), anxiety, crying, meltdown/shutdown, going nonverbal, (it has a comforting end, just fyi) (and if I forgot any warnings, please let me know! I don’t want to jump scare anyone.)

word count: 2814

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

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You kept on having to redo your eyeliner because your hands wouldn’t stop shaking. But finally, after maybe 4 tries, it turned out looking somewhat passable.

Taking a step back to look at the final product, you tugged your hair behind both ears. Adjusting the straps of your red dress, you smoothed your hands down the silky fabric. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been this dressed up. It felt both kinda fun but also extremely unnatural.

Turning around, you exited the bathroom and called out with a loud exhale, “okay, I’m ready.”

Stopping in the doorway of the bedroom, you saw Spencer look up from his book, eyes immediately growing wide. The expression made you slightly worried, maybe your dress was see-through or something and you just hadn’t noticed, so you asked, hands instantly shooting to cover yourself up a bit, “what? Is something wrong with it?”

“No, no, no, no,” he rushed out, “you just-… you look amazing,” relaxing and letting your hands fall down to each side of your body, “not that you don’t always look amazing, my opinion of the way you look doesn’t change by what you’re wearing, it’s just-,” he rambled, but you cut him off.

“Thank you.”

Closing the book and setting it down, he stood up. “You sure you’re ready? We can take a little extra time before we go.”

“No, I don’t think I’m magically gonna get more ready than I already am,” you shook your head, “thank you though.”

Holding onto each other’s hands, you headed down to Spencer’s car, yes, he apparently had a car, that was news to you. He didn’t drive it often, but he did in fact own a car.

The ride there was quiet and full of nerves. Spencer kept glancing over at you, keeping a close eye on how you were. You fiddled with the edge of your skirt, folding and twisting it. Your head maintained low the entire time, so once the car stopped it came as somewhat of a surprise to you. Not daring to look out the window, you just blinked over at Spencer as he removed the keys.

“It’s still not too late to go home,” he laid his hand on top of yours.

“I know, it’s okay, I can do this, I just- need a moment,” you grabbed a hold of his hand and focused on it.

“Take all the time you need.”

After a thorough dance of your fingers over all of the veins that littered his hand, you took a deep breath and nodded, “okay, let’s go.”

Out of the car and onto the street you went. The car was parked fairly close to the gallery, so the walk wasn’t too long. Once you reached the door, Spencer looked down at you for confirmation one last time before opening it.

The wall of sound and life that hit you at once made you dizzy. Switching to linking your arm with Spencer’s for the extra support, you walked in. There were loud music and people everywhere. A server walked by with a tray, and you immediately snatched up a glass of champagne.

Placing a hand over your arm, he suggested, “how about we try and find Stevie?” humming in agreement, you downed half the glass, the carbonation made your eyes water.

Spotting them was easy enough since they were wearing a long colourful dress that stood out against all of the others. Beaming as they saw you, they planted a big smooch on your cheek, “you’re here! Hi!”

Having never officially met Spencer in person, they turned to him and said, “and you are just as cute as she told me. It’s nice to finally meet you,” they stuck out their hand, “I hope you’re feeling a bit better after that drama.”

“I am, thanks to Y/n, she’s been the best nurse-, um, I’m sorry, I don’t really shake hands.”

“Oh, that’s totally fine, I’m sorry, it’s just a habit.”

A small man then rushed over to whisper something in Stevie’s ear, and they quickly added, “um, I’m just gonna go take care of this real quick, just relax, I’ve got everything under control, I’ll be right back,” and with that, they were whooshed away.

Following their frame until they disappeared from your vision, you then let it fall down to focus on your shoes.

“Hey, how about we look around a bit? I know I’ve already seen all of the paintings in here, but I would love a refresher from the artist herself,” Spencer asked quietly in your ear.

Fighting the small smile it brought to your lip, “Spencer, you have an eidetic memory, I don’t think you need a refresher.”

“I didn’t say a needed one, just that I would like one,” he smiled, “I don’t know, it might be a nice thing for you to focus on.”

“Yeah, thank you, it would actually,” you swallowed down the last of your champagne and put it on a nearby table.

“Why don’t we start with that one?” he nodded to somewhere off behind you.

Turning to decipher which one he meant, you shot him a curious glance.

Smiling he walked you in front of the one in question and looked down at you.

“Oh,” you breathed out, feeling a warmth seep through you, “It’s called a gift from my therapist and is one of my personal favourites. Not because I think turned out in some extraordinary way, but because of the memories attached to it,” looking up at him, “it’s the one I painted the day I met you.”

“Yeah, I remember seeing you, arms full of sunflowers,” he reminisced, studying the warm strokes of paint, “you looked like the walking personification of light. I quite literally lost my breath,” he then looked back at you, “still do.”

You were about to pull on his tie so that you could give him a kiss, but a booming voice caught your ears and sent a shiver down your spine.

“-oh, yes, that little thing? She’d be nothing without me, you see.”

The sound made hundreds of repressed memories start to resurface, trying their best to see the light of day. Your heartbeat quickly turned into a hummingbird and your breathing followed suit.

Alarm was written all over Spencer’s face as he lowered himself a bit and held on to you, “what’s wrong?”

All you could do was stand there, frozen, and wildly stare into his eyes.

Coming around the corner, surrounded by a group of people, the balding man caught sight of you, “oh, you are here, what a surprise!”

Turning around, Spencer kept holding onto you in a protective manner. Fuck. Why on earth was he here? How did he find out about it? Why the fuck was he here?

“I wasn’t aware that was something you could be capable of. And you made a friend, or is he just a nurse or something?”

When Spencer noticed that you weren’t answering, he quipped up himself, “no, I’m her boyfriend-“

Cutting him off, he bellowed, “boyfriend? Yeah right. Sir, you don’t have to feel sorry for this little girl. Why don’t you go out and find a real woman? We all know my niece doesn’t meet those requirements.”

“Excuse me?”

“Or is it because you have some fetish for that sort of thing? You like them slow, huh?”

Spencer didn’t even know how to answer that, just stood there, tight-lipped and completely gobsmacked. Even if he knew exactly what to say, he didn’t get the chance, your uncle Richard was like a tornado.

“And just where is my thanks? Did I get an invitation? No! Me! I am the only reason you somewhat resemble an ounce of someone passable. If it wasn’t for me, you would have been nothing, no one. I took you two in out of the good of my own heart and what do I get? Not a single thing. Tell me, do I have to put you over my knee again, right here in front of all of these people for your retarded little brain to understand?”

Clutching onto one of your hands, he stepped in front of you and roared, “how fucking dare you say something like that?”

“I’ll say whatever I want, boy,” Richard spat out, “and it isn’t you I’m talking to, it’s Y/n,” catching your eye, he laughed, “oh, you can’t speak, huh? Can’t fucking do anything, you useless little thing.”

Tears were streaming down your face, and you felt like you were gonna pass out. Seeing Spencer clench his other fist, you feared that he was about to punch him, but before you could find out, Stevie came rushing in between the two men.

“Okay, alright, Richard, back off,” they hissed, then turned to Spencer, “I am aware that you are a big scary FBI man, but this isn’t your problem. Please take my sister home, take care of her and let me take care of this,” they said sternly and then turned back to their uncle.

“Well, if it isn’t Stevie.”

“Richard, I greatly advise you to stop talking immediately,” they said, trying to sound calm, almost as if they were talking to a small brat.

“No, no, you don’t get to tell me what to do, I’m-“

“No! you don’t get to talk to anyone in that way and especially my little sister. I am well aware of the fiend you are, but just because you sadly have these terrible opinions doesn’t mean you get to share them-“

You didn’t get to hear any more of Stevie’s rant as Spencer had ushered you out and closed the door behind you. You didn’t even register that you’d moved until you were out on the street again. Holding a tight grip on you, helping you to the car, he made sure you didn’t lose your balance. Once you reached it, he opened the car door for you and gently helped you sit down, moving you almost like a doll. Quietly closing it behind you, he soon entered on the driver’s side. Grabbing a hold of both your hands, he commented, “god, you’re freezing,” then shrugged off his suit jacket and enveloped you in it, “here.”

Trying his best to catch your glossed-over eyes with his, he promised, “20 minutes, and then we’ll be home, okay?”

You tried to answer him, to nod, anything, but you couldn’t. Just sat there, tensing and hyperventilating. It only got a little better during the ride home, or your breathing did, ever so slightly, but your body was still not getting the message that the danger was over.

When you returned home, the walk up the stairs was so slow that a snail could have won the raise. Spencer didn’t seem to mind the pace, he didn’t say anything either, just stood there, purposely making his own breathing clear enough for you to hear and try to copy.

Once you made it inside, you just stood there like a zombie, tears still slowly rolling down your face. Walking over to get a chair from the dinner table, he brought it to you and cautiously sat you down on it. One by one, he took off your pretty shoes, almost making you feel like a reverse Cinderella.

Your eyes couldn’t focus on anything really. The only thing that seemed somewhat clear was the hardwood floors, the swirls and dots all around it. Keeping your eyes locked on it, he helped you up and out into the bathroom where he promptly sat you down again.

After a bit of rustling in a cabinet, he came closer to your face with a wet cotton pad. Gently tugging your hair back behind your ears, he whispered, “close your eyes.”

When you did, a few heavy tears rolled down your cheeks.

Even though you knew what he was about to do, you still jumped ever so slightly when you felt the cool cotton swap gently sweep over your face. When he stopped, you fluttered your eyes open again. Looking up at him, mid toothpaste application to your blue toothbrush, he caught your eye and asked gently, “do you want some help?”

Turning your palm up to him as an answer, he gave it to you and watched as you very slowly brushed all of your teeth. In the meantime, he brushed his own, removed the contacts he was wearing, put on his glasses and when you’d finished, he helped you up to spit the excise out into the sink. Laying the toothbrush down, you looked into the mirror to see him standing behind you. Gently running his fingers through your hair before fishing out a hair tie and putting your mane in a low ponytail.

Catching his eye in the reflection, his lip trembled ever so slightly, “let’s go to bed.”

Nodding just the slightest, you slowly stumbled off to the bedroom, stopping in the middle of the room. Turning to see him, with a glass of water in hand, he swiftly set it down on one of the nightstands.

Turning to see you just standing there, he inched closer and asked, “can I help you?”

Nodding, you watched him open a drawer and pick out one of his soft t-shirts that you’d grown so fond of sleeping in. Dropping it onto the edge of the bed, he moved to slowly pull down the zipper of your dress. Once it was all the way down, he pushed the straps off your shoulders and let it drop to the floor.

The neckline hadn’t lent itself to being able to wear a bra with it, so you were now left in just your underwear. Normally he would have a very different reaction when seeing you this exposed, but he didn’t for a second look at you in that way.

Picking up the shirt, he cautiously stretched it out so that it could easily slip over your head. Fishing your arms through, he lastly pulled it down to cover you completely.

With both of his hands in yours, he helped you to sit down on the edge of the mattress. Not noticing before that he had also procured this item, he conjured a pair of thick socks and kneeled down in front of you.

Slowly, he put them on your cold feet, and then looked up at you with glossy eyes. He was still in his suit, or most of it at least. A few of his waves had fallen over his eye, so you gently pushed it out of the way. As you did, you saw him exhale shakily, trying his best to keep it together.

You wanted to tell him that it was okay, he had every right to feel everything as well. You wanted to tell him how sorry you were and just how much you loved him, but when you opened your lips, nothing came out.

Holding onto his cheek, you tried over and over again, but with no success. A few fresh tears rolled down your face as he muttered, “it’s okay, it’s okay. I know,” seeing a few tears escape his eyes as well, he placed his palm above your hand on his cheek, he continued, “I know, I know. I love you so much.”

Squeezing your eyes shut you nodded hard as if to say that you loved him too.

His voice was small and shaky, the emotion ringing clear, “I’m so sorry that he said that,” running his hand down your arm, he made you look at him as he told you, “you are not useless, you hear me? You are the strongest, bravest, most remarkable woman I’ve ever met. I promise you, that I will do everything in my power, for the rest of my life to make sure that you will never run into him again and that you never forget just how wrong he is.”

Before he could say anything more, you slumped down on the floor and pulled him into a tight hug. Feeling his body shake as he let go, he kept on whispering into your hair that he loved you.

You both just sat there, sobbing in each other’s arms for a good 10 minutes. You were so exhausted that you almost fell asleep right then and there.

Like a ragdoll, Spencer picked you up and helped you to bed. Tugging you in, his eyes didn’t leave your half-open ones as he peeled off the remanding of his suit, not caring where the pieces fell.

Crawling in behind you, you immediately seized his arm and wrapped it around you, pulling him as close to you as possible.

As you drifted off to sleep, you kept on hearing his sporadic love confessions whispered in your ear and every time until you fell asleep, you’d give his arm a light squeeze in return.

next chapter

#sunflower #lea’s writing #spencer reid #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid series #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fic #spencer reid x you #spencer reid headcanon #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid hurt/comfort #spencer reid angst

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persage · 2 years

Text

DIFFERENT - S. HARRINGTON

Summary: When you and Steve Harrington find yourself partners on a school project, you quickly realize that maybe he's not the jerk you thought. But that's not enough for you to let go of your fears.

Words Count: 2.5k

Tags: Mostly Fluff. Jealous!Buckley Reader x Insicure Steve Harrington. Family Trauma. Set Before S1.

After a huge writer block, here I am again hope you like it!

3 weeks ago

"Here we are" When you reach the Harrington residence, it's as big and rich as you've always imagined. Steve throws the door open and sets his keys on the table while he watches your eyes drift around the house as you walk further inside. He gestures to the stairs and when you walk in his room you are impressed by the lack of object, photos and posters: it's so simple and plain that it doesn't even feel like someone's room, least of all Steve Harrington. Also you notice that there are no pictures of him in the house, not even family pictures, just an old photo of his parent's wedding where they don't even smile and you know you must not jump to conclusions but you can't help but find it sad.

Steve feels suddenly nervous, it's not the first time he has a girl in his room of course, but the way you study the space around you, as if you really care, is something new for him. It's oddly intimate, even if he feels like you don't like him at all and you he's an idiot and -also- you are here only cause you have to work on a project.

"My parents won't be home till late so we've got the place to ourselves," He says to distract himself from the fact that y/n Buckley, Carol's Perkins's cute childhood friend, is standing right here in his room. The silence puts him on edge so he keeps talking. "Good thing my parents aren't here to be honest."

He notices your confused - and maybe even a little disgusted- face.

"Oh don't get me wrong it's just that they are so loud, they scream so much, it's annoying." He sees your face fall, pity written all over your expression. Why doesn't he know when to shut the fuck up? Why did he tell you something so personal? You smile at him, trying to hide the embarrassment and gesture to the bed.

" Can I?" You ask. He nods and he thinks that for some reason it's nice to have you here, within the walls of his room.

"I like your room." You say. "Except for the wallpaper"

He laughs "It’s the only thing I actually chose actually. You know, my mom is obsessed with this house, no pictures, no posters, no paintings. Especially not chosen by me. I ruin everything apparently."

"And she lets you keep this horrible wallpaper? Absurd" He smiles. "You know, I've always wanted a Tears For Fears's poster"

"That's better Harrington."

Present Day

You are chatting with Carol in front of your locker though you are not really listening to her, it's same old story: something about dumping a boy or shit like that. You don't want to be a bad friend, but with Carol it's getting more and more difficult to maintain a good relationship. Being one of the cool kid has gone to her head and sometimes you've got the feeling you're losing her for real.

"And I said no, I mean, he has to fight for me... "

You spot him at the end of the corridor, he's coming towards you. Brown eyes, perfect hair and a big smile on his stupidly handsome face. You roll your eyes, trying to sound more annoyed than you actually are. "Please, not again. "

"What?" Carol turns and see him. "Oh..." She bits her lip as Steve Harrington passes by and winks at you. "Hi Carol, hi y/n" He stops, looking at you "You're really beautiful today"

You lift your eyebrow. "I always am, Harrington" You fake a smile, taking Carol's hand and carrying her away towards the cafeteria, before he can add anything You hate the fact that he’s a completely different person in school than he is in private, that he’s so cheeky and stupid, like he always needs to prove something to people.

"I don't understand why you keep rejecting him, he's hot and he seems really into you" Carols comments, struggling behind you. "He's an idiot" You reply. Liar.

"Well, he is my friend and he' s cool guy".

You shake your head. You don't wanna tell her the truth, 'cause even if Carol has been your friend since you were three years old you don't really recognize the sweet girl you've known anymore, and you don't trust her with your secrets. You can't tell her how you have grown to like Harrington, to care about him, cause the person you've feelings for its completely different from the one she knows.

"You're becoming so boring y/n"

"What are you staring at?"Steve asks, laughing as he throws you a pillow.

You throw it back at him, flushing as you look away, "Nothing."

"You looked like you were spacing out."

"I was."

"About what?"

Shit. You certainly can't tell him what you are really thinking. He's cute. And smart in his own way.

He is gentle, attentive to your needs: that you are warm but not too much, that you are comfortable, that you don't take the burden of the work only on your shoulders even if you are better and faster than him. He's even bought your favorite cookies and you don’t even remember telling him how much you like them. He's a total surprise, like a ray of sun in the clouds.

"I was thinking about our project, maybe we should change something." You say

"You're a bad liar. It's already perfect, you have thought about every detail." Steve looks at you like he knows and it makes your hear jump in you chest. What is happening to you?

"Focus on studying Harrington! You are the worst project partner ever."

"But you are the best y/n" He replies, seriously, moving to be near you. "I'm glad you are here" Although you try to pay attention to what he is saying, you can't help but be distracted by the way he tucks your hair behind your ears. You want to say something clever, or even sweet, to tell him that he is different from the guy he appears at school. Before you can, there's a ring on the doorbell. "Oh, that must be the pizza"

"You've ordered pizza?" You ask, speechless.

"Only for you, partner"

Eyeing him as he sits across the cafeteria with Tommy and other friends, you can't help but think how Steve Harrington shines like nobody else in this room and you hate yourself for such a silly thought. Carol has just finished telling Tina about your exchange with Steve this morning.

"I don't understand you y/n" Tina says.

"I mean... He is a well famous knob, I don't wanna be just another name on his list." You reply gazing at him as he laughs at something. That's the fact: you hate Steve Harrington cause he is not an asshole, not at all. He is kind, careful, nice and sensitive and a whole amount of adjectives that you wouldnt have attributed to him if you haven't find yourself spending so much with him for the stupid literature project.

Still in front of the rest of the world he changes completely, no more a good guy just another douchebag.

"Yes but, you know I've slept with him and he's... So. Good. " Tina winks at you.

Steve caughts your gaze and smiles at you before you can tear your eyes away from him muttering an "I don't care, Tina." Blushing.

In spite of everything in his eyes, in his smile, you don't see the person he pretends to be. Also you know perfectly well that If you allow yourself to give in to his compliments and jokes, you will find yourself heartbroken.

Oh how you wish to be touched by those hands

"If you don't care then I'll go out with him" Tina states, drinking her coke. "He's asked me out a week ago"

And that's it, the final crack in your heart. "You go girl" You reply casually, playing perfectly your part.

By now Harrington's house is familiar to you, you know the smell and the sounds, the floor creaking in some places, the lights that occasionally jump, the garden. You know how Steve drops himself on the bed and how he sits at his desk, but you’re still nervous at the door. And you realize there’s still a million things you need to know about him, about his childhood and his family, and you’re shocked because you care, you care about everything that it's his, actually. You’re afraid you made a mistake, while waiting for him to open up and holding a poster and a vinyl that maybe you shouldn’t have bought. Maybe you’ll make him fight with his parents . "They are strict" He has said once, without adding any details, leaving you with bad sensation. The way his gaze darkned, which lasted only an instant, made you think the situation must be worse than you have imagined. Maybe for this stupid poster, you’ll get him in trouble, but when you have walked past the music store you saw it, you have thought of him as a child, the most innocent creature on earth. He wanted a poster, and you have got him. The Vinyl, that’s an extra. When he opens the door you don’t even realize it, lost in your thoughts.

"Oh y/n, sorry I expected to see you later. I'm still cleaning up." Steve says, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Excuse me, it’s... I haven't realized, you know... timing."

Lie, the truth that you couldn’t wait to see him. His big dark eyes are on you, he smiles as lets them slide on the objects you hold in your arms. "What do you have there? Things for the project? " He question, leaning towards you to peek. You walk away, laughing. "Why don't you let me in first?" He steps aside. "Sorry again for the mess" But there’s nothing more than a few out-of-place items to say the least. "When my parents are out, I always leave a mess."

"It is more tidy than my house, imagine... My sister Robin is a disaster and I am not less."

"I didn’t even know you had a sister. How much more do I have to find out about you?"

"I’m a mysterious girl Harrington," you chuckle, but he stays serious as he watches you carefully. "You are." You clear your throat. "Let’s start solving the first mystery." You hand him the vinyl and he his mouth, surprised and happy.

"Oh my god y/n, but...." He stutters something meaningless, a mixture of agitated and festive verses. The truth is that for years no one has given him a spontaneous gift, even his parents, and when it happens that a gift is given to him on his birthday or for some occasion it is never something that is really for him. They are anonymous gifts, made without thinking about him, without taking into account what he wants or likes, without knowing him. He doesn’t care about something expensive, no, Steve loves small gestures.

He loves your small gestures.

"There is more" You open the poster in front of your body so that he can see it well and Harrington’s expression is priceless, he looks like a child on Christmas Day.

"I can’t believe it" He whispers. He gently grabs the poster from your hands, incredulous and you notice a slight flicker. With a quick gesture he rests it on the sofa next to you and now there are you hips hin his hands and Steve Harrington holds you in a warm and strong embrace, which makes you feel more at home than ever before in your life. "No one has ever done so much for me." He whispers to your ear.

"I didn’t do anything." You reply.

"You heard me y/n, for real"

He is in the yard, joking and laughing with his friends avoiding to look at you on purpose. On the contrary, your eyes never left his figure. The truth is that Steve doesn't understand, sometimes he feels like he has hope with you, other times he see a wall between you two even during your project it was as clear as sun that there was a spark, despite your initial coldness. He felt like you liked him. Not like, like him. Like him just as a person, in short, he' has believed for a moment that you could see something in him. The gift is a final demonstration, or so he thought. Things got worse at school, until you ended up ignoring him. And part of him just wants to run up to you and ask you what’s changed, the other part is terrified that Tommy might make fun of that. And in his heart he is aware that it is precisely this need of him to have to please everybody at all costs that has driven you away. But he can’t crawl to you, not in front of Tommy, its not something King Steve would do.

"I know you want him dead, but glaring at him isn't the right way to kill him" Robin Comments. She is sitting next to you, not looking up from her book. It's not common for you and your sister to spend time together being so different from one another, but here you are, watching the basketball team's practice.

Watching Steve Harrington.

"Then why calling it a death stare if they don't die?" You ask annoyed, finally taking your eyes off of him to look at your sister.

"'Cause it doesn't work if you switch from an I wanna kill him type of look to an I wanna fuck him hard type of look, don't you know? " She explains. You don't answer, words don't come up at your mind and also you didn't think Robin could really notice your little, silly annoying crush on Steve. Not once.

"Why are you so upset, anyway?" She asks.

"Isn't it clear? He has slept with all my friends and... And I'm just the one who's missing he keeps insisting being so... I don't know... Sometimes it's a douchebag, sometimes the sweetest boy on earth. Oh God, I'm going crazy"

"Look, Y/n we are the ones sitting there, observing him like perverts, not him. From what you told me he hasn't even tried that hard, in short, he could have done a lot more, if a compliment every now and then is enough to make you want to jump on a guy ... Maybe it's because you like that guy more than you you want to admit. "

You shake your head.

" He is Steve idiot Harrington, I can't like him"

"Oh yes, you totally don't."

"Bullshit, I don't like him, he is an asshole" You say once more.

She sighs at your stubbornness but before she adds something, you continue. "Also he has asked Tina out."

Robin smiles. "Smart move Harrington."

"What?"

"Y/n he's been avoiding to look since we arrived and he's totally failing. I don't like him at all, I think he is an idiot but you are not and if you really like this douchebag that much maybe he's something more than what I think, I also really really doubt it but that's another problem... I mean I believe you are clever enough to understand if he's just using you, but you will never know for sure if you don't give him a chance. "

You quickly realize it's true, you give your sister a smile and without saying another word you take your backpack and head quickly towards him. He spots you and bite his lower lip to hide a smile, while he walks in your direction too.

You take him by his arm and you drag him to the locker room, while his mates call him back and Tommy yells "Get in Harrington" you remember why you wanted to avoid Steve in the first place. You have learned one thing in life: to really understand someone observe the people they surround themselves with. Under this assumption Steve should be a bad person, yet he looks at you with eyes full of something you can't define and apologizes with disarming sincerity. "They are not so bad" He says referring to his friends. "It's that sometimes they forget respect"

"Isn't it the same?" You ask. He smiles. "Would you ever get angry with a monkey because it's rude or stupid? That's the same thing with them. "

"Monkeys are not stupid" You reply.

"You always have to have the last word don't you? " He chuckles, but he doesn't seem nervous. You stay silent. "Do you need something for the project or... Something else?"

"Stop it" You demand.

"Stop what?"

"You know what I mean" You say frustrated.

"No, please, really tell me. " He is lost and sincere.

"Stop... Acting like you care about me, like you really like me and then asking Tina out." And you know it's not fair, the Tina part, but you can't help yourself.

"Oh so you are jealous!" He exclaims as he suddenly realizes it and he is happy, like genuinely happy. You don't know how to react.

"What?! No, I'm not jealous! I'm angry because you're a asshole and you are using my friend and me" You reply, more frustrated by the minute.

"I'm not using her, I know Tina well enough to understand what I can do with her. We are friends too also I have never done everything wrong to you, Y/n." He seems hurt, he is biting his nails in anxiety and he has a disappointed expression on his handsome face.

" I... " He starts to leave, but you grab him by the arm. "What's up?" He asks. "I'm an asshole, mh? You've been repeating it for as long as I've known you."

"You confuse me. But I don't think you are ... but you act like one, often."

"Not with you. never with you."

You look in his eyes. "I know, but... I'm scared." He caresses your face, his soft finger tips between your h/c hair.

" So I better not fucking this up"

You nod. "I wanna know you better Steve Harrington."

"I'm honored" After a moment of silence he continues, his voice firm and low. "I'm serious, I've never been so serious in my life" He takes your face between his large hands, his finger on your burning cheeks.

"Also I asked Tina to lie to you." He whispers leaning his forehead against yours, laughing while you punch him on the chest. He join your lips in a wet but sweet kiss. He had waited so long to taste your red lips, he can't believe this is really happening, from the moment you have walked in his house showing sincere interest in him, he has known you were different and he has fallen for you quickly. He smiles against your mouth.

"You're an idiot Harrington "

"I agree."

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