#also that song is dark red for anyone wondering

[ch3rriiii-bunn]

I know I may have requested something like 12 days ago buuttt I just love your writing.

I will do ANYTHING for you to make a story of Kokushibo x Fem!Wife!Demon! Reader and it’s the readers birthday so Kokushibo has sex with her. So it’s just birthday sex.

I was listening to the song Birthday Sex by Jeremih when I thought of this.

I also FINALLY remembered to put “demon reader” in this request so, yay.

Birthday sex

Paring: Kokushibou x Fem!wife Demon reader

Synopsis: Your husband has a special birthday gift for you (🤫🤭)

Content: Birthday girl y/n, upper rank y/n, made up demon age for y/n, some romance in the beginning, French kissing, kokushibo's long tongue, tounge down throat, Dom kokushibo, squirting, anal & pussy fingering, finger fucking, anal sex, sexual inducing candles (a hc of mine of Canon knowledge from the manga aka how demons react to rare human blood).

Word count: 2.4k♡

A/n: Went a lil crazy with this kokushibo request 🤭 (yall I love writing smut on the (LEGAL) upper ranks omg)

"Happy birthday, y/n! You're 198 now!" Said Douma cheerfully while on a mission with Douma. He had randomly asked when your birthday was, and you told him without realizing today was the actual day of your birthday. Your birthday was something you didn't bother to care about and decided to leave something like that in your past life as a human.

After your mission with Douma was completed, you began to head home. You had a confused look on your face, wondering why the remembrance of your birthday was the only thing you could remember from your human life. Was there never a special moment on your birthday? Did anyone care? Maybe that's why you didn't care but still had the date remembered.

You decided to forget it once you entered your home. Before you entered, you smelt something amazing inside, and as you opened the door, you saw kokushibo, your husband already there waiting for you. "Happy birthday," kokushibo awkwardly said and handed you a single dark red rose.

Kokushibo wasn't always the romantic type. However, despite his silence and reserved nature, you are his wife, and he took a day like this very seriously. You smiled and hugged kokushibo. Before you could thank him, kokushibo took your hand, leading you to the dining room where there is a romantic human dinner waiting for you.

Your eyes widen, seeing the purple candles lit, two vintage golden cups for you and kokushibo, and overall, just looking at how well this was all put together. You look at kokushibo with a thoughtful yet surprised expression on your face. "Did you do this for me?" You asked and watched your husband nod his head.

"I was aware of your birth date before. However I was just planning to take you on a night walk that you like so much since it's our alone time together." Kokushibou admitted. "Then while I was searching for the blue spider lily, I noticed a human man with a human woman having a picnic. I was planning to eat them when I overheard how he did that for her since it was her birthday and I observed." Kokushibo explains.

"I couldn't eat them since what they were doing took my interest. I didn't plan on learning anything from a human but seeing how the man treated his woman made me think to myself, "maybe my wife would like this" but I did this differently since if we did this outside, other demons would be attracted to our food." Kokushibou said in a firm tone.

Hearing his explanation, you couldn't help but giggle. He made it seem like a mission in a way, but you couldn't help but feel flattered by what he's done for you. "Thank you, darling," you said, having the rose kokushibo gabe you between your fingers and held out your hands out for kokushibo to being his face into your palms. You kissed his forehead and then smirked.

"Wait a minute. So you left those humans alive? Very unlike you kokushibo," you teased him. Kokushibo's six eyes look away from you and have a slight embarrassed expression on his face. "I simply wanted to learn. Let's eat the food I've prepared before it goes to waste," he said and then gave you a passionate kiss.

You and kokushibo had a nice dinner. It was romantic. It was nice, and even after finishing the food, kokushibo decided to have you on his lap facing him while you talked about the mission you had with Douma. One thing your husband loved was hearing you speak and just listening to you. "We should head for bed soon. It's already 3am." You wrapped your arms around kokushibo and pressed your nose gently on his.

"I've already closed all the certains in the house. We can stay up until the sun rises," kokushibo said and grabbed your tighs. Kokushibo got up while holding you up as he took you to the bedroom you shared with him. "Kokushibo..." You whispered his name, resting your chin on his shoulder. "You don't think I couldn't feel how you are right now when you first came home?" He said.

A Male demon is bound to feel when a female demon is in heat, especially during a relationship. You had the intention of it, but sitting on kokushibo's lap made you excited, even more excited now that you could feel his sexual arousal as well. "I want you," you whispered in his ear, biting it softly as you felt kokushibo put you on the bed.

You noticed that rose peddles were spread on the bed, as well as candlelight brighting up the dark room. The smell of the candles smelled and felt similar. It's almost like a rare human blood you and kokushibo had before that caused you both to be more relaxed, not caring of your surroundings while lusting for each other. You felt the same feeling again, and you couldn't keep your hands off kokushibo.

Frist touching his face, sliding your fingers down his soft lips and his chest. You felt his muscles underneath his clothing, and you couldn't hold yourself back. You needed him. "You planned for this, didn't you kokushibo don't tell me you watched those humans fuck to get this idea?" You chuckled while undoing the front of his kimono. Kokushibo got his kimono off and pushed it off the bed.

"Human or not, I wouldn't dare look at another woman's body just to get an idea on how to fuck you right" kokushibo low, husky voice whispered against your ear as he kissed your cheek, then your jawline and then your neck. Your mouth opened slightly, letting out a soft gasp from his soft slips, kissing your neck, and his hands undoing your kimono.

You slide your arms out of your clothing and help kokushibo get it off and tosses it off the bed. Neither of you wore anything underneath, so it made things much easier for you both, especially kokushibo. His large hands slide up your stomach, feeling your soft skin on his palms until they reach your tits. Kokushibo moaned softly against your neck at the feeling and began to massage your tits in his hand.

Your back arched slightly, your head tilted back as you felt kokushibo's fingers twist and pull on your nipples while licking your neck. "Just like that," you told kokushibo, having your hands on his wrists as he continued to tease your nipples and neck. Kokushibo opened a pair of his eyes to see your thighs shut together while rubbing against each other.

He didn't want to keep teasing up for too long since he knew just how needy you get for him, and on a day like this, he didn't want you to forget this birthday. "Open up for me, love." Kokushibou said, his heavy breaths hitting your neck as his hand slides between your thighs to get in between. You spread your thighs apart, giving Kokushibou more access to yourself and you whimper at the touch his fingers make to your pussy.

"Good girl." He said, rubbing his thick fingers in circles on your moist clit. Kokushibo couldn't help the faint blush from showing on his cheeks as he watches you moan and react to his touch as he continues to rub your clit before sliding his fingers between your wet folds. "Is it the candle scent having you this turn on? Or is it just my touch" he asked as he slides two of his fingers inside your pussy easily.

"B-Both, oh fuck" you answered with your expression filled with desire and need. "Mmm" kokushibo hummed in approval with your answer and kept his eyes on you while he continued to finger you, thrusting his two middle fingers in deeper and loving the sounds of your moans and whines becoming louder. "You're getting so wet. What a mess your making on my fingers.." he said.

"Kokushibo.." You whined, a bit embarrassed at his comment. "It's even leaking down here.." he said and used his index finger to smear your gooey, wet arousal around your asshole. Kokushibo used his free hand to hold onto the back of your thigh to keep your legs from shutting close when you squealed softly.

"Don't be so shy, y/n. You loved it so much the last time I fucked you here. Can I fuck your ass again? Please?" Kokushibou asked. You felt your heart skip a beat at his. "Please." He sounded so needy at the thought, and you couldn't help your walls from clenching down on kokushibo's fingers when he asked. This caused kokushibo to now have a lustful smirk on his face.

"Is that what you want too? You're pussy won't let my fingers go when I asked... fuck.." kokushibo curled his fingers inside, poking at your g-spot. Your back arched, and you nod quickly. "I want that so bad, kokushibo," you said and gripped onto the sheets once you felt his index finger push slowly inside your other hole.

Kokushibo wasted no time. He got excited and watched how your mouth hung open from just having both your holes fingered. "That's it, relax for me. You're taking my fingers so good," he said, angling his hand to make sure his fingers thrust in and out of your holes properly. "K-Kokushibo, I want a kiss. Please~" you begged, cupping his cheeks again and bringing his face closer to yours.

Kokushibo felt drawn to your lips when you pulled him closer and placed his lips on yours. He felt your soft lips against his, your mouths opening slightly in between to take in a few breaths before kokushibo's tounge made it to yours. It was a heated French kiss, and your fangs accidentally brushed on kokushibo's bottom lip, causing slight bleeding.

You can't say it was on purpose, but seeing his blood, you just had to have a taste. You moaned in response to his taste. Once your tounge licked his blood from his lips, it healed within seconds, and Kokushibo began to kiss you roughly. You moaned in the kiss as Kokushibo switched his finger movements to have two fingers in your pussy and two in your ass.

Kokushibo then deepened the kiss by using his demonic powers to extend the length of his tongue to go down your throat. Your eyes slightly roll with your eyelids flickering at his long tongue down your throat while gently massaging its inside. The feeling was very new. It felt like kokushibo was choking you while in a kissing you, yet it felt like your mouth was stuffed like his cock was inside your throat.

You weren't too sure how to describe the feeling, but you couldn't deny how it turned you on even more. You tried breathing through your nose as much as you could, you felt the water welling up in your eyes as his fingers kept hitting just the right spots and just as you felt your orgasm wash over you, kokushibo pulled his tounge out of your throat and you gasped, letting out a shaking moan.

Your thighs tremble as you cum on his fingers as your hole clenching. "Apologies.. I got too excited," kokushibo said through heavy breaths and revered his tongue back to normal. Kokushibo sat up and pushed your leg back to your chest, making your thigh squish down on your tit and grabbed your hand. "Hold it," he said, and your hand held your leg back.

Kokushibo pressed his tip on your hole and pushed it in. "Oh, kokushibo~" you moaned, trying to relax yourself but your walls so eager to clench down on his big cock. "Easy love. That's it, let me in" kokushibo said, his voice husky as he grabs his thick cock to help push it's way inside, while having his other hand grab onto your hip.

You let out a high-pitched moan as kokushibo made it balls deep inside your hole. "Don't hold your voice back. Let me- ngh, hear your pretty moans," kokushibo said, a sexual sigh mid sentence as he began to thrust his hips at a steady pace. Your tits kept jumping from kokushibo's thrusts and your pussy clenching on nothing while only your ass is being stuffed full.

You gave kokushibo a desperate look, wanting to speak through your loud moans, but kokushibo already knew what you wanted. "I know love, I know" he said, bring his hand from your hip to bringing three of his fingers to your pussy and putting three of them at once inside. Your brows raised as you mewl out from both your holes being fucked like this.

You felt the pleasure, the tingling through out your body, ready to cum as your husband fucks you. "Listen to those moans... it's just your about to cum already" kokushibo said, now slamming his hips, fucking you faster and harder. Your moans grew Louder, you gasped as you cum on his fingers and your hole cle clenching down on kokushibo's cock.

"Kokushibo~" you let out a long whine of his name as he continued to fuck you through your orgasm, knowing just how sensitive you are now. "You look so pretty. Even after cumming on my cock your still taking it like the good girl you are, My good girl." Kokushibou curled his three fingers inside your cunt as his thrusts became harder and feeling him deeper.

"I know you're going to cum again" he said, through heavy breaths and his deep moans becoming Louder. "I know you want to love, go on. Make a mess on me. It's your day, all about you," kokushibo said. "Yes, yes yes, yes-" your mouth hung open as your whole body jerks forward from his hard thrusts and feeling the right spots being hit repeatedly.

Your eyes roll back, and shutting tight as your hands grip onto the bed sheets tightly as you let out a screaming moan. "I'm cumming!" You said, "Me too, oh fuck-" kokushibo's mouth opened, his fangs showing as he moaned, made a final thrust and came inside your ass.

He watched your tears run down the sides of your eyes and drool leak down the side of your mouth. His eyes gazed down to see clear liquid gush out from your pussy and how your thighs couldn't help but desperately cling to him. Kokushibo leaned down to hug your trembling body as you whimper from your intense orgasm.

Your arms wrapped around kokushibo, embracing him in your arms and catching your breath. "You did so good," kokushibo said as the both of you embraced each other for a little longer. After a few minutes, you calmed down from your orgasm and eventually let go of kokushibo. He let go of you as well and slowly pulled his cock out of your hole.

Kokushibo felt satisfied seeing his cum leaking out and the slight wet puddle beneath your ass on the sheets from your squirting. Kokushibo continued to hover over you and kiss your lips. When he pulled away, you smiled. "Thank you~" you said softly and gave your husband a kiss back.

"Happy birthday~"

#demon slayer smut #kny smut #kokushibo smut #kokushibo x reader #kokushibo

[mochirimochi]

Somewhere Safe

William Afton X Reader

I wanna smash the pervy dilf in the rabbit suit ok?

-This is now officially part 1 in a series!-

p1 ● p2 ● p3 ● p4

-----

You just need somewhere safe to hide from your abusive ex. Unfortunately for you, you're about to stumble into the arms of something much, much worse.

18+ Minors DNI.

~3700 words, no use of y/n

-----

cws: abusive relationships, degradation kink, breath play if you squint, smut, rough sex, EXTREMELY dubious concent, a sprinkle of spanking

You can also read on ao3 if you prefer: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51567985

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Your arms shake as you push up the rusted steel door that separates the pizzeria from the outside world. Every clatter and rumble of the metal makes you flinch and sweep your eyes over the abandoned side lot. There shouldn’t be anyone out and about to catch you at this time of night, right? Regardless, your heart pounds as you force the heavy door up, inch by agonizing inch. As soon as you’ve made enough space for your body you toss your bag under and swiftly crouch to follow it. 

Breaking and entering is far from your typical Monday night activity, but circumstances have left you with little choice in the matter. You need somewhere you won’t be found, somewhere no one will think to look for you. A dilapidated former birthday attraction certainly fits the bill, you don’t think you’ve ever mentioned the place to your ex before and if you have he probably won’t remember anyways. 

You give the door a tug to close it behind you, flinching as it slams back down into the concrete, and pick your way through the broken glass of the entryway. The smell of mildew is heavy in the air, clawing at your lungs and making your eyes water. This place used to be so vibrant and full of joy once upon a time. You’ve attended many a birthday in the restaurant that stretches out in front of you, even had a few of your own. This place had always been a favorite of the local parents due to its… generous wine portions and the ability to outsource their children's supervision. As a result it had been a kids paradise, the ability to run wild while mom and dad got lost in the sauce on a Saturday afternoon? Few things could rival that sense of freedom for a kid. Ironic as it was considering what had come later, it had always been a place where you felt safe and happy. Maybe that was why you’d chosen the pizzeria when you needed to hide from your abusive boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend now you suppose. It wasn’t like you had any plans to go back to the man after tonight. 

You give yourself a shake, attempting to bring yourself back to the moment at hand. This isn’t exactly the time to be spacing out after all, you’re technically committing a crime. Actually, there isn’t anything “technical” about it, you’re definitely breaking multiple laws right now. You shoulder your backpack and cast a glance toward the stage, it’s concealed behind a dusty red curtain but you can practically picture the animatronics behind it ready to jolt into song and dance just like they did years ago. You wonder if the owner removed them when he shut the place down. If you pull back the curtain will you find the shabby remains of your childhood heroes? You shiver, maybe it’s best not to find out.

If you remember correctly, the staff always entered and exited through a door next to the prize counter, maybe you’ll find a staff room with a couch through there. It seems like as promising an idea as any so you flick on your flashlight and make your way past the dining area and through the arcade. Sure enough, you’re greeted with a “staff only” sign and an unlocked door to boot. 

The hallway beyond is dark, lacking any of the color of the show floor. Interestingly, flickering yellow bulbs hang from the ceiling sporadically. The emergency power must still be on in this part of the building, you reason as you cautiously move through the hallway. You round a corner and let out a yelp as you collide with something huge, brown, and strangely soft. The impact knocks you off balance and you land rather gracelessly on your ass. It takes a moment for your brain to comprehend what you’re looking at as your gaze travels upwards over pudgy brown legs and a round plush stomach.

“Fredbear?!” The exclamation comes out before you really have a chance to think. “How in the world did you get all the way over here?” Your heart, which has been about ready to leap out of your chest, slows as you take in the animatronic. It’s in surprisingly good shape considering the state of the rest of this place. You push yourself to your feet and take a few steps back. “I can’t believe they actually left you guys here, you’d think they’d have moved you. Poor guy, all this time stuck in this dingy old hallway.” 

It’s strange when you really think about it, who would leave him just standing in the bowels of the restaurant? It seems like an awfully strange place to just leave your star animatronic, rushed closure or not. After a moment, a distant memory of the animatronics being wired to wander through the pizzeria comes back to you, in fact now that you think about it you can remember getting a big warm hug or two from the Freddy animatronic. That would explain it, maybe his circuits got damaged over time and had triggered that unique function. 

“Sorry to bug you big guy, I promise I’m not here to cause trouble. I just… needed somewhere safe.” Not for the first time that night you feel tears well in your eyes. “Nope, I am not going to cry over this. Not happening, you didn’t see me cry as a kid and you’re not gonna see it now.” You blink the tears away and the absurdity of your situation finally hits you. Not only are you hiding from your psycho ex and breaking the law for the first time in your life, but you’re also talking to a decrepit old robot like it can actually understand you. You heave a shaking sigh to ground yourself and pull your shoulders back. This might be your lowest moment but you refuse to let yourself wallow in it. With a determined huff you give Fredbear an affectionate pat on the arm before moving further into the building.

Before long you stumble across the staffroom, a long cluttered room with an extended plexi-glass window looking out into the hallway. Maybe at another time the window would serve to make the room feel brighter and bigger but now the dust covered plastic is shot through with a spider's web of cracks that barely allow you to see into the room. The door is unlocked though, and after a few quick shoves the warped wood releases its hold on the frame to allow you entry. Luckily, the room seems fairly well preserved and you spot a few dusty but intact couches pushed up against the wall. Jackpot. The exhaustion you’ve barely been keeping at bay all night hits you like a freight train and you lurch across the room to the couches. You collapse onto the nearest one, sending a fine cloud of dust into the air. You can’t bring yourself to care as you curled into a tight ball, finally letting sleep take you.

–

William watches the security cameras with curiosity as you wind your way through the building. Normally the animatronics would have taken care of any intruders well before they got to this point. This is new, novel even. He leans forward at his desk, squinting at the video feed in an attempt to get a better view. His jaw almost drops when you collapse onto the couch and fall still. Even through the grainy monitor he can tell that you’ve fallen asleep. What in the world is your deal? Who in their right mind would break into an abandoned establishment of dubious repute only to take a nap? He clasps his hands in thought as he watches the slow rise and fall of your chest. This calls for a more… hands on investigation.

–

A tickling in your nose rouses you from your slumber and you begin to sneeze yourself awake with surprising force. You check your watch, barely 4 in the morning. You’ve only slept for an hour at most and exhaustion threatens to pull you back into sleep. It might too, if not for the insistent vibration of your phone in your pocket. You flip the cursed thing open without hitting the button to answer, bracing yourself for what you know you’ll see. 

Unsurprisingly, you’ve got 53 unread texts, 20 missed calls and 16 voicemails. You don’t need to check the contact info to know who they’re from. Against your better judgment you navigate to your sms messages and begin to read through the backlog when your phone finally stops buzzing. Some of the texts are pleading, others threatening. A few texts claim to “love you so much” and be “so fucking sorry”, while others rail at you “you fucking bitch” and “how dare you fucking run off like that?”. The messages paint a grim but unsurprising picture, a picture that’s unfortunately all too familiar. You raise your hand to the tender bruising that you know must be beginning to come to the surface on your neck before you navigate to your most recent voicemail. You flick on the speaker before staring into the green light of the screen. 

“Where the fuck are you, you fucking bitch?” You flinch as an angry voice fills the room. “You think you can fucking run away from me? You think you can fucking end shit? You’ve got another thing coming to you, used up fucking slut. The next time I lay eyes on you you’re fucking dead, you hear me? Run the fuck away from me again and see what happens. I’ll-” You don’t give the voicemail a chance to run its course. With a raw, frustrated scream you launch the phone across the room. It hits the wall with a satisfying clatter. The battery and casing skitter across the floor and the voicemail cuts out abruptly. Not satisfied with just cutting the bastard off you stomp across the room, still screaming, and smash your foot into the body of the phone. It gives with a satisfying crunch and you roar as you kick it for good measure, sending the now useless device across the room once again. All the fear and rage of the last few hours overcomes you and you let yourself scream until you run out of breath.

Suddenly a flash of something yellow through the hallway window catches your eye. You push your hair out of your face as you try to catch your breath, attempting to squint through the aged plexi-glass. A hulking, inhuman figure stands on the other side of the window, seeming to peer back at you. For a moment neither of you move, it seems to be taking you in as much as you’re taking it in. The strange standoff breaks when the figure, still indistinct through the dust and cracks in the glass, starts to move slowly and methodically towards the staffroom door.

Finally your brain springs into action. Shit. Whatever that is, it’s not good. You sweep your eyes frantically around the room, weighing your options. Any windows to the outside are boarded up, and the only door in or out is the one the massive yellow figure is making its way towards. The only viable option seems to be to take the defensive. There’s a tiny kitchenette against the wall, and you rush towards it in desperation. Frantically, you yank open the drawers in search of anything you might use to protect yourself. The best you can come up with is a wooden spoon. In another situation that might be laughable, but you can’t take a moment to consider how absurd you look brandishing a wooden spoon like a sword. The rattle of the doorknob tells you that you’re out of time.

Whatever you had expected to be on the other side of that door it certainly wasn’t a massive yellow rabbit suit. It’s huge, so large that it has to duck to get its ears under the door frame. As it tilts its head to take you in, your blood runs cold. You hold your ground as the thing stalks closer, its movements slow and deliberate as it moves towards you. 

In a moment of desperation you launch yourself forward, attempting to dodge around the looming figure and make a dash for freedom. You don’t have a chance. A pair of strong arms wrap roughly around your waist, jerking you back with enough force to knock the air from your lungs. Your makeshift weapon clatters to the floor. A dark chuckle rumbles from the depths of the suit as a hand drags its way from your waist and up your chest to grab your chin.

“What. Have. We. Here?” The voice that comes from the suit is deep, taunting, and undoubtedly mascuine. He punctuates the last word with a rough but controlled yank, pulling your chin up and your head back into his chest. You whimper as it strains your already aching neck. With your head tipped back you can see the yellow rabbit head looming above you and it tilts to the side again as if in curiosity. “I asked you a question.”

“I-I-...” You can barely get your mouth to move and you lick your lips in a desperate attempt to draw words from them. Your obvious fear draws a satisfied hum from the depths of the suit and the hand on your waist tightens noticeably. The hand on your jaw however, disappears. You pull in a shaky gasp and buck your head forward in an attempt to build up enough momentum to break free. The vice-like grip on your waist is unaffected and your captor grunts in amusement. 

A rustling above your head draws your attention and you look up to realize that the hand that had just been holding your jaw captive is running along the neck of the suit. With a single, deft movement the head of the suit comes off and your captors face is revealed. There’s an almost rugged handsomeness to his mature features, graying stubble covering his cheeks and eyes that in another life may have looked almost kind. The expression he’s peering down at you with now is anything but kind or gentle though. There’s a hunger there, and a barely suppressed rage. He places the head on a nearby table and returns his hand to your jaw. With agonizing languidness he leans forward and presses his lips to your ear.

“Who gave you permission to sleep in my restaurant?” 

You gasp as his stubble rasps against your jaw and his hot breath ghosts across your face. 

“I’m sorry. I just needed a place to stay. I’ll leave right now. I’ll-”

He cuts you off. “A place to stay, huh?” His lips are still brushing against your ear and despite yourself you feel a chill run down your spine that has nothing to do with fear. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with that absolute delight of a man on the other side of the phone, would it?”

“He’ll kill me.” As soon as the words come out of your mouth you know they’re true. Honestly, you’re lucky to have survived him this long.

“Oh, little mouse, what makes you think I won’t?” The grip on your jaw releases for a moment and you hear something fall to the floor. When it returns it’s a very warm, very human hand that takes its place. His other hand briefly lets go to do the same and you can feel his nails digging into your flesh as he presses you against him. 

“Please.” It’s barely more than a whimper as the hand at your jaw dips to circle your neck. “I just needed somewhere safe.”

“And you chose here? Bad luck.” He presses his nose to your jaw and draws in a deep, ragged breath. “But you know, we might be able to work something out.” The hand at your waist begins to travel, burrowing its way under the hem of your shirt before splaying wide across your stomach. His long fingers barely brush the underside of your bra but you feel the heat of them as if there’s no fabric to separate you. “I’d hate to see a pretty thing like you put out in the cold.”

“Anything.”

–

William can barely contain himself. The feeling of your trembling body in his arms is oh so delicious and your intoxicating scent floods his nose, every breath sending a thrill through him. You’re so soft, so malleable, so utterly breakable. It’s brilliant. 

Using one hand to keep you pinned against him he uses the other to work his way out of the suit with practiced skill. Initially he’d just wanted to watch you, figure out the enigma that was your survival after breaking into his restaurant. Normally people don’t last for more than a few minutes. But you’d dithered around, chatted up his ace in the hole, and then taken a nap? He couldn’t contain his curiosity.

The phone call had derailed his plan and given him an idea. Sure, he had planned on killing you once he’d solved your mystery but maybe there were other things you could be useful for. There was something captivating about you, and the perfect leverage had just fallen straight into his lap. 

He makes quick work of the suit, and soon he’s reveling in the feeling of your body against his. 

“Anything?” He asks, stroking his thumb gently over your jugular before giving your throat a controlled squeeze. Your startled gasp is almost enough to send him reeling. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, little mouse.”

–

This is wrong. Everything about this situation is wrong.

And yet, your body seems to have some of its wires crossed because it is not getting the message. The only thing you should be feeling right now is fear, and sure, there’s a very healthy dose of that tying your guts in knots but beyond that there’s an underlying current of heat. None of what’s happening should be causing your core to tighten, and the goose bumps forming on your neck should be from terror.

But they’re not.

His hand drifts up even further, pushing your bra up and out of the way to capture the smooth skin of your breast in his hand. You can’t help it, you roll your hips back into his, pushing against the hardness that’s growing there at an almost alarming pace. He growls behind you, pulling you even closer to grind against your ass.

“So that’s how it is?” His voice in your ear is even deeper now, heavy with lust as he gives your breast a hard squeeze. Even you’re surprised when you let out a wanton moan. “Imagine such a dirty fucking slut falling right into my lap.” His words have you clenching around nothing and you don’t even have the presence of mind to feel conflicted about your body's reaction. He releases your breast and his hand burns a trail down to the top of your jeans, he flicks the button open with ease and slowly undoes your zipper. Then he stops, his hand ghosts over the crotch of your jeans before it stills. You let out a needy whimper that you barely recognize as your voice.

“Beg for it, little mouse.”

You groan, canting your hips forward in a desperate search for pressure. “Please.”

“Please, what?”

“Please, fuck me.”

His control seems to snap and he spins you around before shoving you across the room and face down into the couch, barely giving you time to yelp in surprise. He pulls your hips into the air before yanking down your jeans and panties in one harsh motion. The animalistic groan that escapes him at the sight of your dripping pussy sends a shock of arousal through you. He grabs a globe of your ass in each hand, digging his fingers in so hard that you gasp. His nails bite in deep enough that you’re sure they’ll draw blood. 

“God, look at you.” He grunts, releasing your ass and stepping back as if to admire the view. You hear the clinking of his belt buckle and wiggle in anticipation. “What a fucking freak you are, so fucking wet and ready for a strange man in an abandoned building.” He lifts his hand and lands a stinging blow on your ass. You flinch and yelp at the unexpected pain and he does it again on the other cheek. “Dirty slut.” The sting brings tears to your eyes, but it also causes your arousal to coil even tighter in your abdomen. 

Suddenly and without warning he grabs your hips and slams into you, burying himself to the hilt in one fluid motion. You scream as he stretches you, your channel burning around his thick cock. “Take it.” He grunts, slamming into you. All you can do is whimper in response as he sets a punishing pace, thrusting into you again and again. The burn eventually melts into a building and rising heat that threatens to sweep you away. 

Your scalp stings as he tangles his fist in your hair and yanks your head back, changing the angle so that he drives impossibly deeper into you with every stroke. Any train of thought you may have been able to carry is lost as he bombards you with pleasure. Your eyes roll back as your hands desperately grip the couch cushions. A few more thrusts and you’re coming undone, screaming out your release. He follows close behind you, letting go of your hair to grab your hips again. His fingers bite into you as he pulls you back against him, trapping you to him as he fills you. 

“Fuck.” He grunts, his voice raw and his hands trembling at your hips. You both still for a moment and your brain finally starts to realize what you’ve just done. But in the throbbing, warm throes of your afterglow you can’t seem to bring yourself to care how truly fucked up this situation is. When he finally releases his vice-like grip on your hips you groan at the loss of contact.

The chuckle that he gives is warmer than any of the others so far, and he gives your ass a final squeeze that you could almost consider affectionate before he steps away.

“Yes, I think we’ve come to a satisfying agreement.”

-----

I don't know what came over me last night, but this was the result. I've never written smut before, but I sure have read a lot so hopefully it's enjoyable.

#william afton is a pervy old man and that's how i like him #look im not here for the serial killer to be nice to me #william afton x reader #william afton x you #william afton smut #fnaf smut #fnaf #fnaf movie #five nights at freddy's #springtrap #william afton #matthew lillard #fanfic #fnaf fanfic #mochi writes

[padfootdaredmetoo]

Hey, could you maybe write something with Tommy where the girl he likes is a bit of a party girl? How would be react to her wild behaviour? 🥂

Hey Anon,

I LOVE this idea! Thank you for sending it in! Hope you enjoy it!

Warnings: heavy drinking, fluff, murder, all the good stuff

He sat there watching her dance recounting all the times he’d been black-out drunk. None of them resulted in him dancing like a whore in public. Or laughing so loud it carried over the music. 

He didn't understand how the same woman that had single-handedly got him out of a bind with not only another crime family but also the police, was the same woman here dancing on a table. 

Just hours previous to the celebration she had shot a man and now she was here dancing like she always did. 

The club was dark but the pink dress she wore would glow even with the lights out. Her hair was messed up and somehow looked even better that way. 

When she got like this he wondered somewhere in the back of his mind if she was worth pursuing. Parties were her thing. He’d met her as an event coordinator and while she complained about how boring his events were they had got along very well. 

Too well. 

She was always bombarded with men offering her drinks, expensive trips, and houses in tropical lands, and yet she always came back to him. She wanted to be by his side even in the cold British rain. 

She danced until the song stopped then let out a loud squeal when Esme poured more champagne into her mouth. 

“WE WONNNNN” She called out with her bejeweled fist in the air. Everyone erupted into loud cheers around her. 

Getting into clubs to celebrate wasn't an issue for a Shelby, but she had an even easier time. She once got dared to leap off a loft railing onto a chandelier. Not only was it official lore woven into the fabric of London, the owner just shook his head and laughed when she did it. 

She was a friend, valuable business partner, excellent lover, but could she be a wife? His stomach twisted at the thought of being with someone else, that was a feeling he hadn’t felt since Greta. A frown fell on his face. 

Would that be something she wanted? He looked for her again dancing and singing her heart out. Would she feel trapped? 

The night wrapped up and she crawled across the backseat of the cab. She slumped against him and smiled up at him brightly. 

“I saved you today.” She slurred happily.

“Yes, you did.” He answered with the slightest bit of a smile on his lips. 

“You owe me.” She said bringing a well-manicured finger up to push his nose.

“Is that so” He grabbed her jaw gently keeping her face tilted up towards him. Her eyes flared and he didn't know what he would do without her. Even if she wasn't incredible at her job, and networking, even if she was just a party girl, he wouldn't want to be with anyone else. “How can I make it up to you?” 

“Stay with me?” There was a deep sadness in her eyes that took Tommy by surprise. 

“That’s the plan.” He whispered.

“Stay with me forever?” She clarified and he smiled. 

“Forever.” He kissed the top of her head and handed her the box that had been on fire since he started carrying it weeks ago. He felt like he shouldn't give it to her when she was drunk. It should be some grand gesture, a proper event with people around. That’s what she would want, but he felt like it was the moment. 

Her eyes went wide. 

“SHUT UP” She took the box and gave him one last look before opening it. 

“Would you -” 

“YES -” She let out another squeal waving her hands animatedly. After lots of hugging and screaming she rolled down the window to shout at the people on the street.

“I”M GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!” She pointed to her finger and laughed as random people waved and cheered for her. 

Tommy just leaned back into his seat and enjoyed the pure joy that radiated off of his soon-to-be wife. After shouting at a few more people when stopped at red lights she rolled the window up and climbed onto his lap. 

She pressed her lips onto his and they enjoyed the rest of the ride back to their London apartment.

#tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby #thomas shelby imagine #peaky blinders x reader #tommy shelby #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby one shot #peaky blinders #Peaky blinders request #peaky blinders oneshot #peaky blinders imagine

[shepherds-of-haven]

Happy New Year, everyone! I thought it would be fun to do a little retrospective on the game's progress over the last year... Shepherds of Haven has grown so much from the little demo I posted in January 2018, and it continues to steadily build and flourish in so many different and exciting ways! Here's a look at just some of the things we accomplished in 2023!

I added 143,151 words to the game (2.5 main chapters, 8 new character interludes) in 2023: the equivalent of writing the longest Lord of the Rings book in one year! We also broke our huge 1 million word milestone—without including code—meaning Shepherds of Haven is now officially twice as long as War and Peace, and almost as long as the entire 7-book Harry Potter series... and all in a single game!

A lot goes into game creation behind the scenes, including the coordination and creation of visual assets for the game—like character cards, codex entries, maps, portraits, and backgrounds—fun stuff for the fans (like the MC info template we created), and songs for the official soundtrack. As the game creeps slowly and determinedly towards its initial completion, that also means learning new things as a solo developer to prepare for the future, like learning to build an official website, researching business and tax practices, and beginning to think about how to conduct testing, publishing, and marketing down the road. Much of what I enumerate here hasn't been made public yet and will continue to cook in the background for a while, but I'm very proud of the work I've gotten done this year and will be excited to unveil more in the future!

And of course, for even more Shepherds of Haven content, I've added and completed even more stories for our little library on Patreon (which also has sizable word count at this point): The Bridge of Bones (a Trouble and Riel murder mystery), O Happy Dagger (a dark adventure featuring Briony, Chase, and Red), and The Hunt (a wild tale involving Tallys, Halek, Shery, and new kinds of spirits, fey magic, and Elves) were all serial stories completed in 2023, while Some Kind of Virus is a cyberpunk zombie apocalypse AU that will continue to be updated with new chapters monthly.

A full list of the Shepherd short stories and serial novellas (with links) can be viewed here!

I hope you enjoyed this session of Shepherds of Haven Wrapped! Honestly, this doesn't actually cover everything I've been working on, but some things can't be packaged and listed out neatly, or otherwise won't seem very interesting to anyone else but me! 😂 As we inch through Chapter 9 and get more interludes done (only a few more main chapters to go), I'm hopeful that I'll also be able to find time to work on my next novel, but we'll see if the Shepherds schedule ends up ramping up or settling down as we work steadily towards finishing the main story!

One important thing before wrapping up is to acknowledge your guys' role in this wonderful, wild journey. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable contributions to the development of Shepherds of Haven. Whether you took the time to share links to the game, supported its growth on Discord or Patreon, left encouraging messages or asked interesting questions, reported bugs, or showcased your remarkable works of fanfiction or fanart, I am sincerely thankful for the unwavering support from this amazing community! Your collective efforts have played a pivotal role in shaping the world of the game into what it is today. Words cannot adequately convey my gratitude for your support, and I am truly blessed to have such a passionate community surrounding this project.

As we step into 2024, I am filled with anticipation for the developments awaiting Shepherds of Haven. Big things are on the horizon, and I am so excited to share these experiences with you! Thank you for being an integral part of this journey, and here's to the continued growth of our shared little world. Cheers to 2024—may it be a year filled with creativity, adventure, and joy! 🎊

#Shepherds of Haven #milestone #update #short story #short stories #Patreon #alpha build #alpha preview #year in review #wrapped #recap #2023 #master post #master list #happy new year #long #long post

[undead-supernova]

HIGH TOLERANCE

Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

Masterlist

warnings: so much angst, a night gone wrong, more (derogatory) Steve, Gertrude (extra derogatory), Delta-9 gummies

pairings: modern!bestfriend!Eddie x bisexual!fem!reader

plot: dates aren't always what you want them to be...let alone with people who you don't really want to be on dates with

wc: 4k

song inspirations: VOID by Melanie Martinez, We Are Nobody Else by Lady Lamb

Part 4: "Only 10mg"

“What do you mean you haven’t seen any movies this year?”

“I mean, I’ve seen movies. I just haven’t found anything I thought was interesting in the last eight months.”

“What do you watch then?”

This morning you actually found someone on Hinge named Gertrude and by the afternoon you were on a lunch date. And you’d thought they were cute when you met up at Grub Burger, like really cute, with thin-rimmed rectangular glasses and a long dark braid down their back. They had a soft voice and an even softer smile…but it was quickly starting to go downhill.

Every question they threw at you felt like an investigation where you were wrong every single time, as if your preferences weren’t good enough. Even the lack of movies you’d seen.

In your defense, you usually went to the movie theater if Eddie asked. He was really good at guessing when a movie’s going to be worthwhile (and you weren’t). He never once disappointed. He’d also never taken you to a movie without at least giving you something of the cannabis persuasion and buying a large popcorn for you to share. 

Sometimes he even bought your ticket.

Which you always pretended were dates like the desperate woman you were.

“Yeah, I really like 2000s movies,” you replied, shrugging. “I’ll pop on a Seth Rogan film every once and a while. Like, I know they’re a little outdated or whatever, but they’re fun. Oh, especially if you smoke some weed. Then it’s super funny. Like, This Is The End? It’s just cool to see all these actors—"

“I mean, they’re, like, super problematic,” Gertrude interrupted.

You nodded. “No, I know,” you agreed, scratching at your neck. “I know. It’s not the best, but like, I recognize that. I don’t think it’s all funny. And it’s not just Seth Rogan, there are other genres like dramas and fantasy and horror. Have you heard of the movie The Invisible? It’s about this guy who dies and is a ghost and can’t talk to anyone and finds out he—”

“I just thought because you’re queer, you’d have better standards for the media you consume.”

Pausing, you felt yourself deflate. You shrugged again, wondering how this conversation was turning into something else entirely. “I mean, I think you could argue that every piece of media is problematic, depending on the way you look at it. If you acknowledge that the media you like is flawed, you’re still allowed to enjoy it. It’s not that hard.”

Gertrude gave you that judgmental look again, pushing their fork around their French fries. “Agree to disagree. Anyways, maybe you should ask me a question now.”

As if I had had any chance to ask anything since we sat down.

“Uh, okay. What’s your favorite color?”

Gertrude finally smiled for the first time since you’d greeted each other. They really were pretty. There was just something so grating about their attitude…

“I think I like a soft yellow, something bright and cheery.”

You nodded, trying to seem more interested than you were. Some part of you even felt like laughing. “Yeah, yellow’s a good color. Very vibrant. Makes you happy.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe black? Red?”

Steve sighed, scratching his bare thigh before going back to his cherry and goat cheese ice cream. Eddie merely stared down at his cream puff flavor, unsure as to why he thought this date would be a good idea. He’d suggested they go out to get ice cream (definitely not to distract himself from what was probably happening across town with someone who he definitely wasn’t thinking about). 

But Steve didn’t remotely hesitate, making Eddie think that maybe that was a sign. He was in it now. They were getting somewhere…

If only it hadn’t started going downhill just from asking basic questions that they somehow hadn’t thought of in the last however many years of knowing each other.

“Ah, come on, Eddie. You can’t say red!”

Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed, trying not to get irritated. “Why not?” he asked. “It’s a color. That was part of the assignment.”

“I just feel like it’s a little stereotypical for you.”

“Why, ‘cause I like metal?” Eddie guessed with a sigh sitting in the back of his throat. He was careful not to release it.

“Uh, yeah,” Steve replied. Like it was obvious. Like it was stupid. “Precisely.”

“Okay, then what’s yours, big guy?”

“Probably red or green,” you answered. “Not a soft green. More like a deep emerald?”

“Like Christmas?”

You shook your head. To give them credit, it was a common question you got whenever anyone cared enough to ask.

Well, except for one person...

“Well, no. I wouldn’t consider myself someone who likes Christmas all that much.”

“Let me guess, your favorite holiday is something weird, like St. Patrick’s Day.”

What the hell was this person even talking about? Were they hearing themselves talk?

You successfully suppressed your sigh before you decided to answer honestly. “Uh, my favorite holiday is Halloween.”

“Next you’re gonna tell me your favorite holiday is Halloween.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Uh, because it is.” What was Steve even talking about? Why was he suddenly being so fucking judgmental? “Let me guess, your favorite is Christmas,” he bit back.

Steve laughed, oblivious to Eddie’s venom. “Yeah, the lights are cool. The hot chocolate with the peppermint in it. Oh, and the snow. You can layer everything. I mean, it’s cute. Plus,” he stopped, clearly trying to make his next sentence sound less rude. “I just think Halloween is a little…meh.”

“Meh?”

Steve shrugged. “Yeah.”

“What beef do you have with Halloween?”

“It’s just a little overdone, don’t you think?”

You shook your head, appalled as to why they didn’t get how important the holiday was. 

“No, I think it’s about expressing yourself and becoming something more than what you are. It gives kids a moment of exploration of themselves and creativity. Not to mention its importance for queer people and how they can have one night where they can be themselves—"

“—without the scrutiny of the public. We could walk out in drag or anything feminine whatsoever and it’s not considered threatening, even if that’s shitty in and of itself. But it’s still that opportunity.” Eddie smiled to himself. “That chance. It’s bringing a sense of fucking safety that’s otherwise missing.”

Steve nodded before he shrugged, scraping at the bottom of his cup. “Yeah, you make a good point. I guess I haven’t really thought about it like that.”

Eddie forgot that he and Steve never really had conversations like these. It was usually you who he could talk to for hours on end, deconstructing what it meant to live and how everything was about perspective. Inebriated, sober—it didn’t matter. Like those days at the aquarium, you were able to see the bigger picture at the end of the day. You talked about stuff like this without even having to be asked.

That ticket still sat in his wallet. He always took it out whenever he needed a pick-me-up. It gave him a spark of hope that life could change for the better if someone like you existed.

Steve kept talking, but Eddie was pulling out his wallet and running his fingers over the ticket like it would bring you here and he could have you here instead. 

As you and Gertrude fell into silence, you put your hand in your skirt pocket, feeling the smoothness of Eddie’s yellow pick. Tracing the edges, you wondered what it felt like for him to run it down his strings. How it fit in his fingers. 

How he was doing.

Where he was.

If he was available.

You looked at Gertrude, watching them scroll through their TikTok feed, volume up, before you stood and grabbed your purse.

“I have to go.”

Eddie watched Steve reach the very bottom of his cup, hoping there was a way for him to slip in a reason to leave. Because, holy shit, this was a piss poor excuse for a date.

He looked back over at the long line forming at the door, knowing you would die to have a cup of the wildberry lavender flavor. You were a big fan of Jeni’s Ice Cream and always gave him grief whenever he went without you. It was kind of funny how your face would screw up as you yelled at him for being a traitor. He nearly chuckled at the memory. 

And it suddenly hit him that he was way more concerned with his thoughts of you.

How your date was going.

Where you were.

If you were available.

Fuck having a good enough reason to leave.

“Can we go?”

You basically sprinted to your car, barely registering how rude you had just been. You didn’t say goodbye, didn’t even give them an excuse. But you argued to, well, yourself that telling them some shitty excuse would be ruder than not saying anything at all. 

All you wanted was to talk to Eddie and tell him about how awful your date was. How mean Gertrude was and how confused you were about what the hell you’d done to deserve their scrutiny.

Sighing, you scrambled into the front seat and tossed your phone onto the passenger seat.  Pulling out Eddie’s guitar pick, you tried to calm yourself down. You studied the brand, the tiny tortoise outline with the shell replaced with the Tortex brand name. It read that it was a Dunlop, 50mm. Smooth. Thin. The kind Eddie always said he preferred, always said it hit the strings so magically. Said it rang out the bottom E string, like it was trying to reach the heavens and got there every time. 

And there was your eyeliner, ruining it.

You shook your head, resigning to the fact that you probably should just go home and isolate yourself for a while. Try and figure out how the hell you were supposed to be normal around Eddie and Steve the next time you saw them together.

Is that how it’s going to be now? you wondered, feeling nausea pool in your stomach. Are they going to be a package deal? Is that something I could survive?

For how long?

Before you could even start your car, your phone started going off. As soon as you saw Eddie’s picture pop up, you let out a sigh of relief.

“Hey,” he breathed, sounding as exhausted as you felt.

“Hey, hello,” you replied, trying to calm yourself down. “Hi. I was actually about to call you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. I just had the worst date ever,” you grumbled, trying to rub the eyeliner off the pick.

“Me, too.”

You sat up straighter, shoving the pick back in your pocket. “Really?”

“God, yeah. I’m never going to Jeni’s without you again.”

“You went to Jeni’s without me?” With Steve, you felt like adding. 

But you were going to be good. Just this once.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Like I said, I’m never going without you ever again.” You let out an irritated huff. “Listen, Weirdo, would you mind if I came over and we took some edibles and, like, watched a movie?”

Thank God.    

“Yes, please.”

“See you in twenty?”

You smiled. “See you in twenty. Traitor.”

Eddie had gotten back to your apartment at the same time as you, both fighting for the closest parking spot with playful honks. You may have almost hit his van. And he could (maybe) admit that he almost deserved it.

“That’s rude,” he said as he hopped down from the van. “That’s just—”

He stopped as he finally got a look at you. Because it wasn’t even fair anymore, the way you just being you flustered him. Just standing next to your car with a simple Joan Jett t-shirt tucked into a short skirt and black Converse. Some sword earrings. And fishnets. Fucking fishnets.

Did he mention that you were wearing a different pair than the night before?

How many do you fucking own?

“That’s just what?” you asked, looking confused.

Eddie had to get a grip. He couldn’t keep doing this, couldn’t keep losing his focus whenever you were around. Hell, he was already losing his focus when you weren’t. When you were looking like this, it made everything worse. Much, much worse. 

He shook his head before poking your shoulder. “Extremely rude.”

You rolled your eyes and swatted his hand away, starting the short walk up to your apartment. “Hey, you asked me to hang and then you tried to steal my favorite parking spot? Where are your manners?”

“I think we both know I lost those years ago.”

“Okay, weirdo,” you said.

“Uh, what did you just call me?” Eddie asked playfully, clasping his hand over his chest. 

A giggle escaped your lips as you ascended the stairs, making his smile widen.

“You heard me!” you exclaimed as you quickened your pace up the steps. “And I will not be taking it back!”

The two of you bickered like always, going back and forth with seemingly no end to each bit that you started and never truly seemed to finish. Sometimes it felt like he couldn’t help himself around you, always excited to hear what you had to say or what you wanted to do. Anything you wanted, because any opportunity to be around you was an opportunity worth taking.

You decided to heat up leftover soup for you both, maneuvering around the kitchen while you complained about the weather and your upstairs neighbor who was taking all the warm water these days despite the scorching heat.

Eddie wouldn’t admit it, but he was having a hard time paying attention to your words. How could he when your hands were waving around the air and putting your hair up? How in the hell was he supposed to pay attention when you decided to run chapstick over your lips? Or when you bent down to take your shoes off, skirt riding up just enough to reveal the lining of red underwear? And how was he supposed to feel normal when you were wearing the cutest fucking socks, with black cats sporting witch hats next to a brewing cauldron? 

“I’m gonna go pick out a movie,” Eddie said suddenly, backing away from the kitchen.

“Oh, yeah,” you said absentmindedly as you fiddled with the microwave. “That’s a really good idea. What’re you gonna put on?”

“No idea,” he lied. “Absolutely no idea.”

After you finished the chickpea and sausage soup, you and Eddie popped 10mg Delta-9 gummies and decided to chill on the couch. As soon as Eddie pressed play on your remote, you immediately knew it was the opening to When Harry Met Sally. Like always. 

But it wasn’t like you were paying attention. If anything, you were talking over it like you were in a crowded room. Small talk here and there until you were unable to keep your questions to yourself.

“So, you said your date with Steve didn’t go well,” you said. “Do you want to maybe talk about it?”

Eddie groaned, throwing his hands over his face. You may have taken the opportunity to stare at him, how his tattoos were visible. He’d shown up in his jean jacket but discarded it as if he was taunting you with only a black tank top and jeans. His guitar pick necklace around his neck. Rings. Threaded bracelets and watch. That fucking nail polish…

Focus, you told yourself. Just focus.

“I don’t know…” he trailed, biting his lip.

“I’ll share mine if you share yours,” you suggested.

A sigh left his lips before he gave in. “He thought it was predictable that I liked black and Halloween.”

“Has he even met you?” you asked, scoffing. “Of course you do. That’s, like, your whole thing. It’s not predictable, it’s just who you are.”

“I know! It was so weird. We’ve known each other since high school. I don’t know how he didn’t know that already. Rob knows more than him, apparently.”

“She’s extremely observant,” you noted.

Too observant.

“That’s a good...observation.” Now it was your turn to groan, making Eddie laugh before he added, “Now’s your turn, Weirdo.”

Well, I couldn’t stop thinking about you the entire time. So what does that say about me?

“I got absolutely slammed for my shitty 2000s comedies.”

“But Michael Cera is a visionary…” he trailed, confused.

“Well, apparently they’re all problematic and I’m damaging our community.”

Eddie shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Whatever. So is everything else. Besides, you don’t even laugh at the bad stuff. It’s like eating around a bad food you like. It’s not like the whole plate is bad, right? Most of it’s good.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” you exclaimed, throwing your hand up. “It’s like eating at Waffle House. You know it’s not going to be the best meal you’ve ever had, but damn if those waffles don’t hit the spot every time. Especially when you’re fucked up.”

“You get it! You may be the smartest person I’ve met.”

“Or maybe the dumbest.”

“Nah, you’re pretty intelligent…when you want to be.”

“Ouch!” you said, grabbing one of your throw pillows and whacking him with it. “Take that.”

Before you could take another shot, he took the pillow from you and hit you back. “You deserved that one, Weirdo.”

You fell into gentle laughter, shaking your head at him before you sighed and leaned your head on the back cushion. Eddie readjusted, also leaning his head back so he could make eye contact with you. He wrapped his arms around the pillow, hugging it to his chest.

For a moment, you just kind of sat there and looked at him. Watched his eyes flicker back and forth between yours while you did the same. Studied the brown, the way his pupils dilated as you kept staring at each other. You couldn’t say how long that lasted before you finally said something.

“I just don’t think it’s supposed to be this hard.”

 “What, dating?” he asked, tightening his grasp on the pillow.

“Yeah.”

He nodded, letting out a hum. “I don’t think so, either.”

You looked away from Eddie’s gaze to find him fiddling with the pillow’s black fringe, clearly anxious about something. It was exactly how he played with his lighter or tapped his leg. Rapid, incessant. Finding his bearings through the texture as if it could keep his attention longer than a few seconds.

And then he said your name, bringing your eyes back to his.

“Should I keep seeing Steve?” he asked.

This time you were the one readjusting, feeling yourself scoot even closer to him. Your legs were touching, the blanket seeming to slip halfway off you two. But neither of you moved to fix it. 

“Does Steve make you happy?”

“I…I don’t know.” He let out a staggered breath. “I think so.”

And you tried not to, but your leg was slipping further down his calf. Blanket be damned—you were already starting to burn.

“Tell me something. Why do you always put When Harry Met Sally on?” you asked, trying to steer away from the subject of Steve Harrington. Trying to distract yourself from the heat building inside you. Trying to distract yourself from thinking something stupid. “I thought the second Lord of the Rings movie was your favorite. The Two Towers.”

He shrugged. “No, yeah. The Two Towers is my favorite. I just think I’ve just always related to When Harry Met Sally. Always missing my chances, opportunities. Always just one step away from getting what I want.”

Was Eddie getting…closer?

You raised an eyebrow. “Missing your chances?”

And why was he staring at your mouth?

“Yeah.”

But weren’t you also staring at his?

“Are you, um, Harry?” you asked, trying to keep yourself from doing something stupid. “Or are you Sally?”

Why was he so close to making you do something stupid?

“Depends on the day,” he said, softer this time.

And why was he leaning closer, searching your eyes for some kind of confirmation that this was okay?

And why were you about to let him?

“What do you want?” you asked, barely above a whisper.

Eddie didn’t answer, the hum of Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal being the only sound left in the room other than your shared breathing. 

“What has she done? She makes desserts.”

It was growing heavier the closer he got to you, maybe the closest you’d ever been since you met. And it was so strange, the way he affected you.

“You all went to a Met game together?”

Your fingers reached out, searching for his. Found it on his thigh, also reaching for yours. Fingers touching, itching to twine. And it was so strange, the way he moved you.

“But Sally hates baseball.”

And there Eddie was, leaning in more and more, his breath seeming to intoxicate you the more it fanned over your face.

“Harry doesn’t even like sweets.”

But it was dangerous, the way he could break you.

His lips just barely brushed yours before you pulled back.

“No,” you said.

“What?” Eddie asked, leaning back. “Are you okay?”

All you could think about was Steve. Eddie literally just told you he was happy with Steve and then he was going to, what, kiss you? What business did he have doing that? And what business did you have being a homewrecker?

“I think you should go,” you said sternly, throwing the blanket off and standing.

Eddie looked up at you like he was confused. As if he wasn’t just trying to do something incredibly stupid.

“What? Really?”

You walked over to the opposite end of the living room, desperate to stay the hell away from him. Because there was some part of you that was wondering how stupid kissing him would really be. But maybe if you stayed as far away from him as possible, you wouldn’t be tempted. You couldn’t be. 

“Yep.”

Eddie shook his head, standing. “What just happened here?” he asked. “Like, seriously.”

You shook your head. “I just want you to go, Eddie. Okay?”

“No, not okay. Jesus H Christ,” he huffed, throwing the pillow on the couch. “You can’t just kick me out and not even tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

“You should figure that one out for yourself. You’re probably too high anyway,” you said, maybe a little too bitterly.

“It was only ten milligrams,” he emphasized. “And maybe, just maybe, I need to be given some clear fucking communication.”

“You’ll figure it out.” 

He gave you a hard stare. “Really? Is this really what you’re doing right now?”

“What?” you pushed. “What am I doing?”

Say it, you thought. Eddie, please just say it.

“Maybe you should figure that one out for yourself,” he mocked.

And before you could figure out how to respond, Eddie turned away from you. He stomped over to the kitchen counter, grabbing his keys and wallet before walking towards the door.

“For the record,” he said, turning back to look at you in the eye. “I’m completely sober. You of all people should know I have a high tolerance.”

Eddie opened the door and slammed it right behind him.

Eddie couldn’t stop his thoughts firing at a rapid pace as he nearly sprinted to the van. He was going to pass out, he was so sure of it this time. Hell, he was dying. He had to be dying. There was no way he was going to survive this.

The kiss. The fucking kiss. He was going to kiss you. He was actually going to do it.

Eddie’s fingers trembled as he tried to unlock the driver’s side. But the keys slipped from his fingers, clanging onto the asphalt. 

“Fuck,” he whispered, barely able to fight against whatever was grabbing hold of his throat and tightening its grasp. Shaking his head, he leaned his back against the driver’s side door. “Shit.”

Eddie clutched his chest for real this time, feeling his heart race. The panic was flooding his system, tears pricking at his eyes as he tried to focus on the breeze. The white noise of it moving through the trees. The stupid fucking squirrel nearly getting run over as someone barreled through the speed bumps. Your fucking Halloween socks.

This was going wrong. All of it. Every single last scrap of dignity he had was gone. He blew it. He fucking blew it.

If he was stronger, he would turn back around and bang on your door. Demand that you talk about this and tell you how your shared avoidance was going to be the death of any and all chance at a relationship. Kiss you the way he knew he could, knew he would. 

Because there was no way, no way, that nothing was happening between you two. 

He knew it. You knew it.

If only he was strong enough.

And it was occurring to him that he didn’t feel this way about Steve. If anything, he could never feel this way about him. And, frankly, he was starting to truly understand that it had nothing to do with Steve. It was everyone. He would never be able to feel this way about anyone else.

This time, Eddie couldn’t shake that off.

This time, Eddie knew that something had to change.

You couldn’t help but hope he’d turn back. That he’d walk right back in and kiss you the way you knew he could, knew he would if he wanted you like that. And maybe he did want to kiss you, you couldn’t say. But why would he continue to see Steve, bringing him up in nearly every conversation if he wanted you? What would be the point of that?

You were more confused than ever, finding yourself haunted by the scene playing on the TV behind you.

“What’s the matter with me?” Sally exclaimed.

“Nothing,” Harry said softly.

“I’m difficult!”

“You’re challenging,” he countered.

You fell back on the couch, sobbing as you listened to Harry and Sally go back and forth, nearly taunting you with how fucking accurate it was. How fucking accurate everything around you was, from music to movies and back again. 

“No, no, no! I drove him away!”

This was your fault, and now you had to live with those pesky little consequences you hadn’t thought of. You drove Eddie away and now you had no idea how much longer you had before he would fade into a stranger, a fever dream of what once was. And a reminder of what could’ve been.

Taglist: @mrsjellymunson

#Eddie munson #Eddie Munson x you #Eddie munson fluff #Eddie munson angst #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x reader #best friend!eddie #modern!eddie munson #modern!eddie x reader #best friend!Eddie x reader

[bobfloydssunnies]

there's a hole where something was...

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Reader (its not a main focus really)

Rating: PG they make some jokes but nothing crazy

Summary: The daggers find out about a couple little secrets Bob has been keeping

Word Count: 2k

Note: This was born from me talking about fall out boy songs I think Bob would listen to and then turned into this wonderful idea after talking about it with @bobgasm and @pinkdaisies9285

I am also posting this before I can talk myself out of it because I've reread it so many times in the last few days I'm starting to hate it just a little

(I may have hidden a couple fall out boy reference into this as well)

Since the mission months ago and the daggers getting stationed closer together more often than not this meant they would meet up and get drinks together. Every night out usually ended up with tipsy games of pool or just talking about life outside work and learning things about new friends. 

Somehow on this particular night out at the hard deck the topic of what everyone looked like when we were younger before their navy days had come up. Which is how we all ended up seated at the tables not far from the pool tables swapping phones around with everyone  showing off pictures of them at various stages of childhood and adolescence and everyone laughing at the questionable outfit choices or bad haircuts. Slowly everyone else had their turn and had left Bob to be the last one in the usual fashion because he had hoped staying quiet would save him from having to show off his own photos. “Alright Bob you are the only one left who hasn’t shared pictures so are we gonna see you in those dorky glasses as a kid of what” Jake threw out across the tables that had been grouped together for us. “No one wants to see them, trust me they are pretty boring compared to everyone else” Bob stuttered out avoiding looking at anyone at the table. Slowly everyone started begging to see pictures and poke fun at him for now wanting to show pictures of himself saying they couldn’t be as bad as some of the others we had seen from the others tonight. Eventually, Bob decided he had enough of the teasing and pulled his phone out, unlocked it, and started scrolling. After a bit of time he seemed to pause and look up at the table and he seemed nervous like whatever he was about to show us would change something. Jake caught on that he was hesitating to show the group his phone and snatched it out of his hand, “No way this is you” he exclaimed looking at the photo causing everyone to flock around him and the phone in his hand. Suddenly everyone was freaking out and throwing questions about his hair and the piercings on his face. “Is that really an eyebrow piercing?” Phoenix asked looking at her wso, Bob shrugged not knowing how to handle everyone asking things at the same time. 

The picture in question showed a younger bob with a lip ring on the left side of his mouth, a silver barbell eyebrow piercing on the right, and his hair outside his normal look with it the top being longer and dyed dark with the ends of his hair being dyed red while the sides were cut shorter. “Who knew the little wallflower had an emo phase”, Bob laughed at that knowing there were other things about him that would surprise them more like the tattoos he has hiding on his ribs and upper thigh or the 3rd piercing he’s still got but managed to keep hidden all these years. I smirked after seeing Bob’s reaction knowing exactly what he was thinking.  “What else are you hiding from us?” Bradley asked, noticing both our reactions. Bob gave me a look and I just shrugged back as if to say the ‘choice is yours’. “Let’s just say those are the only piercings I got done” he replied with a smirk, Bob was just messing with them now. Natasha watched you both like she was waiting for one of you to spill exactly what it was or where it was. 

The others seemed to have calmed down from the news that their quiet wso had a secret past and were now making a list of different piercings that they thought he could have. You both knew they wouldn’t guess correctly because honestly, they wouldn’t expect Bob to have his nipples pierced. Bob looked good with the lip ring and eyebrow piercing, but him shirtless covered with a little sweat showing off the little collection of tattoos on his ribs and the nipple piercings was a whole other vision to behold. The list of piercings and where they had been/are included his ears (varying types for this one), his tongue,his nose, someone suggested a belly button piercing and they didn’t seem serious about it but someone joked about having a dick piercing.

As the others broke off into little side groups dropping the discussion of what other secret their friend has, Bob took it as a chance to go get drink refills up at the bar and leave me to my own thoughts. It would be easy to show off the piercing Bob has hidden away just not in the current setting we were all in because there is no way to really do it without Bob taking his shirt off in the middle of the bar and Penny probably wouldn’t appreciate that. But since hearing the list of piercings and the theories that up from the discovery about their teammate I could stop looking the general direction of Bob’s chest and how someone hadn’t caught on to the not so subtle staring was amazing because Bob was dressed in a loose button up outside his usual casual t-shirt and some nice jeans. And since talking about him I couldn’t stop thinking about what he has hidden under his civvies and uniforms. Near me someone cleared their throat breaking me from my thoughts and making me look away from Bob while he leaned up against the bar waiting for our drinks , I looked over to see Fanboy who seemed glad to have caught me looking at Bob “any thoughts to share with the group” he asked with a grin “ these aren’t ones y’all need to know about Bob” I reply feeling a heat creep onto my face “oh having some fantasies about baby on board” Jake jokes “at least someone thinks about me like that” Bob shot back as he returned from the bar.

After that it went back to being a normal night out just having drinks and catching up and playing darts, singing at the piano with Bradley and of course taking over the pool tables. When they eventually started up the games of pool it let you pick the best spot to watch Bob as he leaned over the table to take shots. He seemed to have caught up to why you had exactly picked the spot you had or had caught you staring earlier before rejoining the group because he seemed to have no shame in trying to find way that made sure his shirt moved just enough to show more of his chest of than necessary or he’d move just right to have the shirt rise up a bit had show off just a sliver of his stomach. 

The current game was maybe half way through when a gasp fell from someone's lips you were unsure who’s but it seemed to silence the group and got Bob to look up from the shot he was about to take. A confused “what” came from the group but wasn’t answered instead I noticed Natasha staring at Bob from her place opposite him as the pool table “So nipples piercings is the other one you got'', Bob grinned “surprised Tash” he asked while pulling himself away from the table. “Gonna be honest, had you pegged more as a guy to go for a nose ring or maybe your ears” she replied smiling “I gotta keep y’all guessing I wouldn’t want to come off too boring” he joked. The others joined in joking about his choice of piercing and started asking a bunch of other questions about them. “Are you even allowed to have them like does it go against regs at all” Bradley asked “ I mean maybe but I’ve had them for awhile now and no one has said anything it's not like I can hide them really during physicals and med evaluations” Bob replied before standing next to you. “Why didn’t you get rid of them when you stopped wearing the other two?” Fanboy asked “Oh I got them after I joined and was done with basic and most of the training like I had a decent amount of leave saved up and just decided to do it one day” Bob explained like it was obvious. “Why are we just now finding out about them though like it’s not like its something easy to hide I mean I’m pretty sure we’ve all seen you change at some point at time in locker room or ready room at work” Payback asked from his spot beside Fanboy “I cover them up usually when I’m on base just to avoid people seeing them or any other problems like them getting caught or me forgetting to put in the right jewelry I’ve learned its better to prepare for a possible problem than to be unprepared and hope one doesn’t happen plus it make it easier for myself that’s some of why I wore my shirt that day during dogfight football before the mission” everyone was silent like they were trying to picture it or just come up with something else to say “you know I don’t think we’ve ever actually seen you shirtless” Jake said “thinking about Bob shirtless now Bagman” I joke “no, pretty sure that your job” he shot back “hey I don’t blame you I mean between the piercings and the tattoos it’s a nice view” I say looking at Bob, who had a flush to his skin after my comment. “Tattoos too!” “Oops” I said sheepishly. “It’s just like 8-10 small ones that are random little things on my ribs, and some on one of my thighs. It's not like some big piece," Bob said, shrugging it off. I felt a little bad letting it slip, he had tattoos but Bob didn’t seem to be upset with me and was just more uncomfortable to still be the center of attention.  

The pool game was long forgotten at this point and the conversation had moved to everyone talking about their own tattoos and what they were getting next or already had ( everyone learned Bradley has a little goose on his ribs for his dad). I pulled Bob a bit aways from everyone to let us both have a moment together away from your friends “I’m sorry for telling them about the tattoos babe” I say holding his hand. “It’s alright darlin they would have found out eventually plus all this coming out makes it easier to add the new stuff we’ve been talking about” he smirked. You and Bob had been talking about him getting new tattoos and maybe looking into some other piercings (once you find the time to look through the navy regs to make sure it wouldn’t cause any problems for him at work) and the more time you had spent talking about it the more excited you both got it was probably for different reasons but you both wanted to see the art on Bob’s body grow. After a bit of time alone Bob takes us back over to our friends who are still stuck on talking about tattoos and what they can and can’t get done because of the navy rules. Natasha notices us both and pulls me to the empty chair next to her making me drag Bob along with me “Hey Tash” I say sitting down, “I can’t believe you never told me about all this that’s what our hang out are for we talk about our partners” she said pouting, okay so she’s a little tipsy “Trust me Tash I wanted to but I know Bob hasn’t told you and I didn’t want to share incase he didn’t want you knowing for some reason” I tell her honestly. Bob it seemed like had been roped into answering Payback and Fanboy’s questions about how much piercings hurt to get done when I heard Javy ask the question of night I’m sure “So you gonna try and get any more things done or is this are far are you’re going with the look”. Bob looked over at me and winked before responding “Who knows maybe inspiration will strike soon and I’ll show up with something new”. 

#bob floyd x reader #bob floyd #robert bob floyd x reader #bob floyd fic #mission report [aimee writes]

[aerkame]

A Spell For a Hoard Part 1

Thought I'd give you guys a lil' treat before I go off to sleep (I need to fix my sleep schedule lol). Also because I wanted to do a little bit of world building. Let me know how I'm doing! Fandom: Welcome Home Finfolk AU Relationships: Implied Wally x Reader Summary: Wally completes a deal with the stranger to get what he needs.

Note: Sorry there will be a part 2, I just got too tired to keep writing xd

______________________________________________________________

Everyone knew what the finfolk were capable of, if you were knowledgeable enough that is. This world was full of all kinds of creatures; but some creatures like his own kind, the finmen and finwomen of the sea, were not as known as the more infamous species such as the fae, dragons, orcs, vampires, and mermaids. The usual creature that comes to mind when one talks about myths and folklore.

Not being as well known of a species has its perks though, that's how Wally found himself here.

No one batted an eye at the short customer that made their way through the crowded town and into a nearby tavern. No one said anything or had shown any suspicion when said customer went into the back of the employee's area and up the stairs. It was almost funny really. Wally could walk around with his fins and scales in full view and not one person would know what he really is. If anything, the average person would probably mistake him for a siren or a mermaid, perhaps even a hybrid offspring of a land-dweller and a mermaid. And yet, there are so many out there that pride themselves in being oh so knowledgeable on every creature to ever exist. What prideful idiots.

Staring at the door, Wally squinted. There were faint glowing swirls and lettering of unknown origin engraved into the framing and wood. It took a bit of thinking. Draconic tongue, a protection spell from what it looks like.

With a droopy eyed smile, he straightened his clothing before gingerly knocking, arm folded behind his back to keep the friendly appearance.

Clicks and moving gears could be heard within the locks of the door. It only took a moment before the glowing lettering disappeared and the door slowly creaked open. Two glowing red eyes stared at him from the dark of the room. Lightning flashed briefly, revealing the humanoid, but clearly, draconic figure sitting at the desk.

"Take a seat."

A female's voice rang out throughout the office, it was commanding and demanded respect.

Wally gave a warm but lazy smile as he stepped in, the door shutting behind with a slam.

"I didn't take you as the type for protection spells." His voice came out buttery smooth, innocent, and comforting to listen to. He sometimes wondered if there was siren somewhere in his family tree. Wally lifted himself up and kicked his feet slowly while seated in the the chair, one far too big for him. He didn't feel like shifting to be bigger though.

"Don't be daft, you and I both know it would be unwise of me to leave myself unprotected." Those red eyes glared down at the 'puppet' man. Void and dreamy half-lidded eyes stared back.

Wally tilted his head to the side cutely, finger to his lip as if in thought. "Oh? Is it because you're expecting dangerous company?"

Claws dug into the desk, splintering the wood. "Don't you DARE get those half-witted detectives involved or so help me!-"

Putting hand up to stop whatever was next, Wally bent forward with a widened grin. "Oh, I won't tell anyone, I swear it." He began to lean over the desk itself, resting his face into the palm of his hand with those same sleepy eyes.

"That is if you keep your end of the deal. Riiiight?~"

His words were sickly sweet, Wally having sang song the last part as if he were talking to a child. It was adorable to anyone else, but here, it was a clear threat.

#welcome home #welcome home finfolk au #welcome home au #finfolk #welcome home arg #wally darling #au #welcome home wally darling #fanfiction #wally darling x reader #wh wally darling #wh wally

[onomatopagu-et-cie]

HAPPY 19TH DGM ANNIVERSARY & some other notes on DGM!

I'm a little late but HAPPY 19TH DGM ANNIVERSARY!!!! Time flies fast and this series accompanied my thoughts and heart for almost two decades now!

This first preface will stay a long time in my thoughts. Thank you for letting us join in on your wonderful journey, Hoshino ⋆｡°✩

I recently listened again to Blue Moon sung by Ella Fitzgerald and ... it's giving me Mana, Allen and Neah (or the whole cast haha) feelings ;;

I had some other notes I wanted to share since the previous post, so here it goes!

(SPOILERS UP TO CH247!!!!)

▶ Innocence & Akuma and Timcampy Innocence is attracted by Akuma, as though they once formed a whole together:

(the imagery here haunts me, especially with a heart in the background and the cross in the middle!!)

-> the story insists on informing us Innocence and Akuma balance each other and hold equal power over each other -> at the Asian branch, Allen’s Innocence reactivates only once he saw an Akuma ; the 3rd generations arm and Allen’s Innocence activated on their own when they were close -> the Innocence takes the shape of a bust deprived of head, arms and legs, but it has wings (and the recent chapters mainly represent Innocence with wings eg. Mugen, Apocryphos and Allen) ; the Akuma egg is a head in itself -> the Innocence’s mark on the exorcists looks like a cross but also the stigma on the Noah’s forehead -> both evolve in the same fashion. However, Akuma seem to me visually more ‘complete’ than the Innocence (eg. in Phantom G ark, even the children, the Prioress and Emilia thought a Level 4 was an angel): some are seen with more defined human features, wings, halo, tail, horns altogether. It’s curious how Level 4 Akuma (and Alma also) are designed with a halo, which is generally a symbol of holiness in art.

-> Skull use what looks like ladybug to create their barriers (which can prevent anyone except Akuma from entering, nullify Allen’s left eye power and his ability to summon the Ark).

In some cultures and languages, ladybugs are often seen as a good-luck charm and are linked to heaven and God. For example, in french, we call them ‘bêtes à bon Dieu’ (something like God’s creature) since the Middle Age. Its name can even be associated with the Virgin Mary (ladybug/bird or in german, Marienkäfer means Mary’s beetle). In japanese, the word for ladybug is 天道虫, ‘tentou-mushi’ which literally means 'Heaven Path bug'. It can also be written with the kanji for 'red' and 'girl' respectively, 紅娘.

Now, this is a wild reach which might lead nowhere (surely like the others 8D), but the Crows are the only ones described by their red silhouettes (you would expect their costumes to be jet black, by their title) and the two red dots on their forehead. There are also many black ladybug species with two red spots on their wings eg. the twice-stabbed lady beetle.

-> Just another wild speculation but if the song heard when the Dark Boots crystallized itself around Lenalee was the lullaby (the only song mentioned in the story along with Lala’s and Maria’s), what to make of it?

While the Innocence only affected non-exorcists (supposedly because its will is overwhelming to them, according to Bookman), Level 4 Akuma seem to have the same head-crushing cry and it incapacitates exorcists, to the point that they struggle to synchronize.

Only the dead like Maria seems to remain unaffected. However, in ch147, Link was still able to move to save Allen from the collapse.

-> The only instances Akuma and Innocence use each other’s attributes are Akuma 4 (wings) and Fallen Ones’ (halo) designs.

-> The Earl is determined to keep the Akuma’s true nature hidden from the Heart, because there’s something in there it could use as an advantage. It suggests something could directly be done by the Heart if it knew that piece of information eg. control both Innocence and Akuma or turn Akuma into Innocence or vice versa? Idek anymore haha

-> Timcampy is the only character to have both the Innocence and the Akuma/Earl attributes, wings and horns. And we also had THIS cover (the second picture, I never saw it colored before I re-read DGM and idk if this was established it was Timcampy):

Not to mention Timcampy’s weird deus ex machina entrance to motivate Allen again in ch53 (when he was giving up on saving Suman)?

▶ The Chang, Akuma, Skulls and Link A detail I forgot to mention in the first post was that Link’s tattoo, as expected, share the same motif with the ones inked on the Chang to link them to Fō as it’s shown in volume 21. Similar tattoos were on Alma’s arms and belly since that magic was also used on him.

Level 4 Akuma and Skulls also share the same marks?????

Fô’s head ‘accessory’ looks like the Akuma egg’s design:

Skulls (the katakana highlighted in green on the screenshots), like the Chang family, are also sorcerers. The manga introduces them in japanese with the title 守化縷 (the kanji highlighted in yellow on the screenshots), which literally can be translated as ‘guard(ian) of the thread’.

Now what's a synonym of thread?

… It’s Link!!!! The coincidence goes even further with Link’s last name, Howard. According to wikipedia’s entry:

????????? I don’t know what to make of this, but this sure isn’t pure coincidence. This and the way Apocryphos and Lavi called Link ‘watchdog’ as well as Kanda ‘Luberrier’s dog’ insists on his role as a guard. But whose? Allen’s? Luberrier’s? Somebody/thing else?

-> According to his profile in volume 20, Edgar Chang Martin, part of a secondary Chang branch, was related to a great sorcerer involved with the Order. The sorcerer was german. Link is also german (like Kiredori, Tewaku, Goushi, Madarao and Tokusa), I don’t believe we have other german profiles in the story nor blondes like him, Bak’s father and Bak himself (oh, and I forgot ofc our girl Miranda!!). Link could be related to that great german sorcerer and thus be an heir of Atuuda, unbeknownst to Zuu (but I wonder how that would be groundbreaking for the story?)

-> the spells the Chang use could be related to/even originate from the Skull’s (given how the manga hints at how ancient Skull’s sorcery is). The operation to bestow the power to cast magic to the Crows could be similar to how the Skull tinkered with the scientists’ head in volume 15.

-> heck, dude could even be linked to Timcampy, they’re both gold (I’m half-joking at this point idek anymore 8D) and Timcampy uses the same sanskrit-inspired magic as the Skulls (eg. when Tim destroys the barrier to save Allen during his battle against Alma and Kanda). Hoshino also emphasizes the importance of the gold color in the manga (the Noah’s eyes, Timcampy, Allen getting hungry over this color, the Campbell mansion’s landscape, …) just as the silver/gray color, so there might be something? Also, Cornelia’s wood can destroy Timcampy. Cornelia derivates from the latin cornix, which means crow…………… Please e x p l a i n

Also, what is this ‘thread’ the Skulls have the duty to protect? Their main duty is to protect the Akuma egg?

Now three things will keep bothering me until we get answers in the manga:

1)

2) These pages following each other (and the last two are literally back to back, it’s more visible when you read the physical copy + it’s Link’s right hand and Allen’s left):

(Of course I know Atuuda acted up once Link subconsciously shook when he thought of Apocryphos and this is a smooth way to have a transition to Neah’s pov, but the panelling is still interesting here)

3) What Zuu really meant to say to Link before he was interrupted by Luberrier (and I don’t think it was the whole ’becoming the 14th’s ally’ because Luberrier was clear on that in front of Link only some pages later)?????

▶ Cross and his mask Hoshino hinted that both Lavi’s eyepatch and Cross’s mask are mysteries to be unveiled. The mark on his mask looks like the Innocence and the Noah’s stigma. It also looks like Mana’s Pierrot makeup, or even the Pillar mentioned in volume 27:

The shape of his mask looks like a coffin? (It could also be a visual recall of Grave of Maria, but who knows!)

It reminds me of the "La" + "Vi" cover and the 'box' protecting the egg also looks like a coffin:

▶ Road We now know Road was even able to manipulate Allen/Neah’s dreams without even interacting with them (unlike with Lavi). She even invited Cross’ dreamy-whatever-consciousness in it (because I’m sure Cross himself was conscious of it to some extent and was able to give some hints to Allen even though he was used by Road), which persuaded Allen to go to the Campbell mansion. Could it be that she also tampered with Lenalee and Allen’s nightmares after she met them (or at the very least Allen, since the manga shows how the dream strongly motivated him to reactivate his Innocence)?

I find it even more curious she’s named like that when one of Allen’s elements of crisis over his identity is following a road already traced by somebody else.

Road might have something to do with the Heart (that and also the fact her iconic door is heart-shaped, with a checked pattern and a crown on top?)?

▶ Apocryphos Ch247 finally established the link between the Cube’s prophecies and Apocryphos: the Cube is regarded by the Order as the official « text » on the Innocence and the three days of doom, the Heart is mentioned but there is no trace of Apocryphos in there. Just as the truth on the 3 days of doom the Noah claim to exist. Also just as the Heart is capable to create dupes to escape the Earl. Apocryphos is a literal reference to the apocrypha, texts deemed unauthentic by religious authorities. According to the Cambridge dictionary, « an apocryphal story is probably not true although it is often told and believed by some people to have happened. » The one the most tricked so far in the story seems to be the Order.

▶ Cross in volume 17

In volume 17, Cross asks Allen « What if I told you that when you become the 14th you will have to kill the people (or someone) you care about? ». To which Allen answers: « What do you mean I have to kill the people (or someone) I care about?! »

In the original version, Cross uses « daijina ningen (人間) » for ‘the people (or someone) you care about’ ; Allen uses « daijina hito (人) ».

Which is curious for Cross because hito (人) would generally be used here: both mean human, but while 人 refers to ‘human’ as a person, 人間 refers to ‘human’ as the species in a taxonomic classification. Is it to highlight the true nature of Neah as a Noah apart from the humans Allen came to care about along his way? Does Cross also set himself apart from the humanity as a 3rd party?

▶ Funny how Link and Mana can be associated in the manga: -> ch137, « Orphan and Clown », introduces Link to Allen when he’s still trying to figure out why the Ark’s partition uses the signs Mana taught him and is questioned by Link about it. It is later revealed in the manga Link was an orphan before joining the Crow. -> in ch183, Allen inadvertently voices his memories of Mana to Link -> in ch212, « Searching for A.W.: Calling You », as Allen loses consciousness, fighting Neah’s awakening, he calls out to Link but instead is greeted by a vision of a young Mana, calling out to Neah. This chapter also introduces the importance of Allen’s name to save him from Neah’s dreams. The original version for ‘Calling You’ is ‘’君を呼ぶ ‘ (kimi wo yobu). ‘Kimi’ is the pronoun both Mana and Link use in the manga ; past!Allen also seemed to use it with Neah. Johnny and Kanda both use omae for Allen.

EDIT: Allen also uses 'kimi' so the chapter's title works both ways (in French, the title was translated as "Écoute ma voix" which is "Listen to my voice", I like the way the calling works interchangeably!)!

-> in ch213, Link faces a mirror shirtless like Mana does later in volume 25:

-> in ch220, « Searching for A.W.: He Closes His Eyes Tighter in a Vortex », Neah recalls the Earl he’s Mana but remains in denial and Link admits being conflicted over Allen and Neah

Link, Neah and Cross share similar positions and the panelling adds to this parallel:

-> Link was given the order to aid Neah but hopes that Allen overcomes his fate as his host.

-> Neah awakens years later and faces the Earl, struggling with Mana’s memory ; he’s determined to destroy him even if he holds him dear.

-> Cross had to witness Mana's struggle against the Earl. Yet he still had to carry on his mission even when the Earl possessed Mana. Then he had to watch Allen being slowly taken over by Neah. Cross's message in ch173 hits even harder given his link with Mana and Neah: "You may not want to listen to someone like me who carries the will of the Fourteenth… But if you think either of us is forcing you to walk a certain path… I want you to know that’s not true. A path forms behind you as you walk. The earth you step on is compressed, leaving a print. You’re the only one who can make your path. So stop wearing Mana’s mask. Walk in your own if you haven’t given up." Perhaps he even said similar words to an anguished Mana (or he wished to have said them). He had to watch them go, one after the other, helplessly.

▶ The moon, D. and C.

Are the D and the C just stylized in Mana and Luberrier’s names? At least for Mana’s and Neah’s, the D. could hold some meaning since it even was ch218’s title. Hoshino dreamed to become an astronaut, loves the moon and the stars (they’re even part of her name and her own mascot) and used it a lot in her previous works.

In DGM, the moon is seen in its different phases at important moments. It mainly signals the passing of time (eg. how long has Allen been on the run) or gives atmospheric context to the scenes, but sometimes it holds a symbolic meaning:

-> The first Noah reunion shows the moon phases on each chair

-> It is part of the Musician's Score's lyrics (from the french official translation): « Tu étincelles, toi, l’enfant né sous une tremblante lune d’argent. » which could be « You shine, the child born underneath a trembling silver moon ».

-> It frames a romantic scene between Crowley and Eliade:

-> The moon and the stars are used in chapter titles eg. ch129, « Black and white, 0° » (a reference to the new moon) and ch144 « Black star, red star »

-> It’s foreboding in Lenalee & Allen’s nightmares and Allen’s prophecy as the Destroyer of time:

-> The full moon appears when two characters reunite: in astronomy, a syzygy is a « situation that occurs when the sun, the moon (or a planet), and the earth are in a straight line. This occurs when the moon (or planet) is at conjunction (new moon) or opposition (full moon) ». Syzygy comes from the ancient greek συζυγία which means junction, reunion.

Mana and Red’s first meeting, as Mana sings the lullaby:

Allen and the Earl’s ‘first’ meeting:

Allen and Link reunite:

As for the D and the C, when the moon waxes it is shaped like a D, and when wanes it appears as a C. Could this be a coincidence? The C in Luberrier could also be Campbell, but for now the mystery surrounding his family is far from being revealed.

▶ Timothy and Allen In ch183, « Wash your face and you’ll be alright », Timothy and the Prioress face the sunset the same way Mana and Red did as later revealed in ch238:

Have a nice week!

#dgm spoilers #dgm meta #d gray man #allen walker #road kamelot #cross marian #mana walker #link howard #neah campbell

[tallymonster]

Memories of Us Chapter 2 || Masterlist

Literally posting the first two parts and then passing out lol, same tags as last time, same inspiration from this art by @cheesy-cryptid , same everything basically.

Summary: Octavia goes to a place in the Upper City to meet her boss. Turns out it's extremely secretive.

Oh one thing I forgot to mention. The chapter titles are based on the song "I Caught Fire" by The Used.

Thanks again to my babe @micropoe10 for being my beta reader and best friend ❤️

also tagging @satanicspinosaurus because they're the first person to ask to be tagged (!!!!) Thanks for the support guys, it means A LOT.

Chapter 2

Could stay a while

Gale gave Octavia the very secret directions to the restaurant she was due to meet her boss in. It was a fancy place in the Upper City, secluded enough for only those who knew where it was could find it. Looking down at the piece of paper with the code to enter, she knocks on the door. A voice comes out of nowhere, loudly asking, "PASSWORD?" Nervously she speaks the phrase on the paper, instantly the door opens and the piece of paper is gone. "Wow, they really don't want people to know about this place huh?" "I would assume not, some of us do pay quite a bit of gold for the exclusivity." A haughty voice speaks out from behind her, a blush quickly develops on her cheeks as the realization crosses that she was not alone.

She quickly stammers "Oh it's my first time here, I was more surprised than anything." She chuckles at her own expense. The man behind her is cloaked in the light of a street lantern directly behind them. "Well, I hope you enjoy it, they say the first time is incredibly memorable..." The last word spills out with a sultry drawl, he walks past her and into the hallway, eventually fading into the darkness of the restaurant. The blush on her cheeks has definitely covered her entire face now.

Octavia takes a few breaths. Then steps into the dark restaurant. The interior of the establishment is lowly lit, almost completely dark, save for the candles on the tables and sconces on the walls. She looks around to the other patrons, all impeccably dressed in clothes that look like they would cost at least 5 months pay.

"This way, miss." Octavia is led to a private room towards the back, the waitress knocks on the red wooden door in front of them, a voice that sounds like Gale's calls out "I think she's here, let me go greet her!"

Gale comes out in a much nicer suit than his usual one, slightly fitted for a guy who you only see in cardigans and loose sweaters. "Okay, now I definitely feel underdressed, is there a dress code here that someone forgot to inform me about?" Octavia jokes, "Because if I had a reason to go buy a new wardrobe with my graduation money, it would've been good to know."

Gale looks at her slightly confused until he notices her wearing practically the same outfit she wore to work, the only exception was her blazer, it wasn't the one he accidentally spilled ink on when they were restoring some letters together earlier in the day.

He sucks his teeth and apologizes "I absolutely did, and I'm not sure how to make up for it yet, but I promise you look wonderful. You have your talents and expertise to speak for themselves! No amount of lavish clothing can eclipse that. Besides, Mr. Ancunin trusts me much more than anyone else. He and I have talked at great lengths about your impressive knowledge of the Heroes of Baldur's Gate. He's made remarks about it, seeming like you've been there yourself!" He laughs as he leads her into the room, would this be the time to tell him her family history?

As she approaches the table, a shadow becomes clear and his form begins to take shape. His hands are the first thing she sees come out from behind the cloak around his shoulders; slender fingers with a spider like length, lustrous skin like pearls, one reaches out and takes hers in a handshake. "My my..Made your way over from outside, darling?" That voice sounded like the man from outside."How was the walk over? Not too far in the back are we? I wanted to make sure our meeting was nice and private."

The waitress who led her down to this room lights a few more candles, replacing some that had apparently gone out. The barely lit room fills with warm yellow light and her boss becomes more illuminated by each one.

Octavia notices his hair first, a mop of silver and white styled into a messy tousle of curls. His ears were pointed, the few rings of hair that fell on them perfectly encircled around as if on purpose. She noticed something particular though, he was wearing sunglasses inside? In this dark place?

Before she even knew, she asked "Why are you wearing sunglasses inside at night?" Taken aback, her boss laughs loudly as he looks towards Gale, "You were right, cheeky little pup, isn't she?"

His grin grows mischievously. Gale shrugs and pulls the chair out in front of him, he motions Octavia to sit. She makes her way over and takes her spot, Gale sitting to her right. "Miss Octavia, I would be honored to finally introduce you to our esteemed head curator of the Baldur's Gate Museum of History, Mr. Astarion Ancunin."

Gale flourishes the last bit by extending his arm out to his right, Astarion dips his head in a small bow. "I do apologize for the last minute absence, my dear" he sips his wine and places the glass down.

"I believe you're both reaping the benefits of that excursion in the hard work you've been doing. Which is the cause of this little outing I've set up for the three of us. Obviously, I wanted to meet you beforehand, Octavia, but some things have to be sacrificed for the good of preservation. I take this work very seriously, I want to ensure these priceless artifacts don't get lost to time, as some things have before." He takes a slow sip of his wine, "I believe Gale has told you about his little interest in our Szarr art collection?"

Astarion playfully asks Octavia, as he turns to Gale, a devilish smile on his face, sipping more wine. "He has, actually, but I asked." she answers "Really? And what do you make of this mystery subject? You must have a theory, yes?" He places a hand under his chin, turning to look at her behind those dark lenses.

Octavia feels the same chill she felt when she first looked at the painting on the wall. She gulps,"Uh not yet, but I'm curious as well...the subject looks like a male elf, maybe about 40? No more than 100 it seems..."

She trails off a little, looking down at the table. "Whomever they were, they seem important somehow, like they were a favorite or something? A favored consort, possibly? I'm hoping that after Gale and I are done with this project, we may be able to find out?" She fidgets with her fingers a little under the table, hearing a pleased hum she straightens up and looks to Gale. He has a giant smile on his face, and gives her a reassuring nod.

A silence falls on the table as they turn to look at Astarion, his eyebrows come together.. he seems angry, perhaps annoyed, was he upset at her speculation? Her heart was in her throat, where was the waitress? She needed water and quick- "Why do you think that?" Astarion asks pointedly, taking a more prominent drink of his wine. "Why do you think that one is favored?"

Octavia feels a lump at her throat, she swallows and answers "They're in a lot of paintings in the gallery...I noticed them in at least a dozen...in the forefront of four, the background of 6...the main subject of two..it's quite a lot for someone who doesn't matter.." She hears a soft huff, not annoyed this time. "Interesting. Most people say that he's pretty or gorgeous or go on about his beautiful body, but you focused on the importance of the subject. I admire your insight, Octavia. I see why Gale tipped the scales for you."

#bg3 #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #astarion ancunin #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 astarion #gale of waterdeep #gale dekarios #astarion bg3 #fanfic #bg3 fanfic #astarion x reader #astarion x oc #fic tag: au #fic tag: headcanon #fic tag: slow burn #fic: memories of us

[fairyyeo]

white dress

pairing — beomgyu x reader

genre — fluff

tw — alcohol and food consumption

wc — 3.8k

a/n — hey 🤓 im still alive just being a slow writer with way too many ideas and no motivation. hope you guys enjoy this one i quite liked this idk just something i whipped up despite my million other wips. haha. yeah. anyway! please reblog if you enjoyed it means the world <3 also inspired by the lana song in case anyone wondered also also this is grossly self indulgent im not sorry !

————

"see you next time!" you called out, listening to the door bell ring upon the customer's exit.

you wiped your sweaty brow. the summer was hot—abnormally hot. not to mention, the customers were relentless.

to be fair, it was a friday evening and everyone rushes for an icy cola to refresh themselves after work on a sweltering hot day.

you were a waitress for the summer. you loved your job. the diner was just next to the beach, and only a short walk from your house. work didn't start until after midday, so you had all morning to... sleep in. because you finished relatively early in the night you often stayed up late, making the most of the darkness. when the sun's up it's far too hot, but in the night it's much cooler. the perfect temperature for anything and everything.

usually you hung around at home, drinking wine and reading. how could you not, when you had an ocean view? sometimes you walked down to the beach, to drink wine and read. or you walked to the park, also to drink wine and read.

sometimes, if you were feeling extra adventurous, you'd go for a swim or a bike ride. but usually you just downed your wine and escaped to your books.

you placed a sickly sweet strawberry milkshake in front of a customer and they quickly sipped the sugary drink, humming in delight.

the door bell tinkled as a boy, seemingly your age, sauntered in clad in a leather jacket layered over a white shirt. how he was coping with the heat in that outfit, you were unsure of.

"hi!" you put on your best customer grin. "what can i get for you tonight?"

the boy's eyes scanned the chalkboard panels on the wall behind you. his dark brows knit together as his equally dark eyes darted from left to right, reading over the options.

"i'll have a cola and fries, thanks." he nodded curtly at the end of his order, pulling the correct amount of cash from his pocket and placing it on the counter.

"i'll have that ready as soon as possible, take a seat wherever you like." you replied, motioning to all the different seats, inside and out.

the boy headed back outside into the heat and sat at one of the outdoor tables. thankfully, the sun was starting to set and the temperature would drop to its comfortable warmth soon, but until then it was still far too hot.

the only perk of sitting outside was the ocean breeze and the salty air smell that came with it. you couldn't blame him, you were rather fond of the smell yourself. it filled your house when you had the windows open, which you always did when it wasn't too hot, usually in autumn or spring. nonetheless, the smell sometimes seeps into the diner, especially if you sit right by the door. but it was too late to tell that to the boy, who had already made himself comfortable in his chair, facing the shoreline.

you quickly filled a glass with ice, topped it up with cola, and dropped in a straw before carrying it out to the jacket-wearing boy. you concluded that he'd want something to cool off while he waits for his food.

his head turned instantly as the door bell tinkled and you approached his seat.

"here you go, your fries will be out soon." you offered a smile as you placed the cola onto the coaster on the table.

the boy merely nodded again in thanks as you hurried away. he observed you closely once your back was turned. the short white dress under your red apron, the matching white ribbon tied in your hair. the slightly dirtied but also white tennis shoes that enabled you to move lightly on your feet while you worked.

he couldn't wait for you to come back out so he could get a good look at your face.

in the meantime, he took a sip of his cola through the red straw resting in the tall glass. it had only been about a minute but there was already an immense amount of condensation on the glass and he smiled to himself, this was the epitome of summer.

the sun was now just struggling to stay afloat on the horizon and the heat was becoming more bearable. the boy threw a glance over his shoulder perfectly on time to see you push the door open with your free hand and hurry back over to him with a serve of fries in hand.

just as he'd hoped, he managed to get a good look at your face, and god, were you beautiful.

"enjoy your food." you said sweetly, setting down the fries.

he couldn't just let you go.

"beomgyu." the boy stated.

real smooth. he internally cringed.

"excuse me?" you politely replied, believing you'd misheard him say something.

"my name's beomgyu. what's yours?" he asked out of genuine curiosity.

"y/n."

intrigue sparkled in his eyes for a brief moment, but it was fleeting as a shooting star. "and when do you get off, y/n?" instantly he liked the way your name rolled off his tongue. beomgyu caught himself wondering what his name would sound like from your lips, but he quickly shook the thought, getting far too ahead of himself.

you glanced through the window to the clock behind the counter. "uh, at ten o'clock tonight." usually it was earlier, but you were busier today, and the manager likes to stay open a little longer when the diner is bustling.

"can i pick you up then?" beomgyu asked, picking up a fry.

"i'm sorry?" you cocked your head, voice pitching up slightly in surprise.

"i'd like to see you again. is this evening too soon?" at least he was honest.

honesty is a virtue, as the saying goes.

your eyes narrowed. "i don't even know you."

it felt too good to be true. no one had ever taken interest in you before. you were too quiet to grab anyone's attention. all throughout school you hardly had any friends, and nowadays, the only people you consider friends are your workmates and manager.

and honestly, that was okay. you liked spending time with yourself, but you supposed one night apart from your books wouldn't kill you.

"i know it seems forward, but i would like for you to know me. just as i'd like to know you as well." he took a sip from his cola, the ice now entirely melted and probably watering down the drink. "it's more than okay to say no, i'll leave you well alone. i swear."

"no it's just..." you began, but paused, a little embarrassed. "no one's ever asked me out before."

beomgyu lifted his brows in shock—the most emotion you'd seen him show yet, "you're serious?"

you shrugged bashfully, fiddling with your hands.

"but you're beautiful..." he uttered more so to himself than to you.

you cheeks filled with heat, and it wasn't the last few rays of sun causing it. no one had ever said that to you either.

you slowly stepped back to the door without turning your back to beomgyu. "i'll see you at ten?" a shy smile appearing on your face.

beomgyu nodded, still looking a little distant and confused.

no one had asked you out before? it was impossible for him to believe.

about half an hour later, when the last of the sun was well and truly gone, you saw beomgyu get up and stroll over to his motorcycle—which you don't recall seeing him arrive on—before driving away.

you glanced at the clock: 8:26pm.

beomgyu would be back soon enough.

————

after cleaning the diner, hanging your apron in the break room, and locking up the store, it was 10:06pm.

truthfully, you doubted beomgyu would show up. you knew it was too good to be true. a wildly attractive, white shirt and black converse wearing, dark haired and dark eyed, shadowy and mysterious boy actually asking you out. there was simply no way.

you heaved a sigh and glanced into the unilluminated room, squinting to try and read the clock. you'd wait until 10:15pm. that was the lastest you could wait around without losing respect for yourself.

you were sitting at the outdoor table nearest to the diner entrance, your hands sandwiched between your thighs and the metalwork chair, which would definitely leave an impression on the back of your legs when you stood up.

at least it had finally cooled down a little, without the harsh sun the scorching heat became a more comfortable warmth. you shut your eyes for a minute, allowing yourself to relax.

when you opened your eyes again it was 10:11pm. the corners of your mouth turned down into a slight frown. it was then that you heard the grumble of a motorcycle get increasingly louder, and you suppressed a smile.

beomgyu was still wearing the same outfit as before, you were glad because he looked wildly attractive in that jacket.

"sorry i'm late." was the first thing he said. "i was picking up some things." he held up a brown paper bag that had been previously wedged between his thighs as he drove the motorcycle.

"i'm glad you showed." you said with a small smile.

"you thought i'd leave you waiting around?" he sounded concerned.

you shrugged. "i guess so."

beomgyu grabbed your hand and pulled you along gently towards his motorcycle. "then you're mistaken, and we really ought to start knowing each other." he picked up the helmet, "i would like to take you somewhere, if that's okay. it's just outside of town."

"you're not—"

"—going to kill me are you?" he laughed, predicting the words before they left your mouth. "do you trust me?"

weirdly enough, you did.

you were drawn to him like a moth to a flame, even if you didn't trust him, you weren't sure that you'd be able to resist accompanying him to wherever it was that he was taking you.

so you nodded which caused him to smile—the first time you'd seen him do so—and place the helmet over your head, fastening it well.

beomgyu hopped onto the motorbike and placed the brown paper bag between his legs. you followed, sitting behind him.

"come closer and put your arms around me, you'll feel safer, i promise." underneath his hard looking exterior, beomgyu seemed to be so gentle and considerate. "please, don't be shy."

you moved closer and did as his said, wrapping your arms around his waist so that your chest was flush against his back.

"that's better." he smiled in approval, though you couldn't see. "are you ready?"

"i'm still not convinced that i'm not on a one way trip to my death." you half-joked.

beomgyu laughed with you before replying, "hold on tight, okay?"

your arms drew tighter around his waist as beomgyu revved the engine and sped off down the now quiet streets. your hair was safe underneath the helmet, but beomgyu's was caught in the wind and would surely be tangled when you arrived at your destination.

the street lights blurred past and became few and far between as you strayed further away from town and along the coastal road. the smell of the ocean was mixed with the scent of grass and trees—that dense, lush nature smell.

you didn't get out of town much, never really having a reason to, so it was exciting to have a change of scenery for once.

"you good back there?" beomgyu called back over his shoulder.

your heart was full. you hadn't had this much fun in forever. it felt nice to be physically close to someone, to hold a conversation with someone besides customers, and to do something other than read books after clocking off for the night.

"yeah!" you smiled and beomgyu could hear the grin in your voice. that, in turn, made him happier.

soon enough, beomgyu began to slow down and came to a smooth stop at the edge of a forest. he hopped off the motorcycle and offered his hand to you as you did the same.

you unclipped the helmet and passed it back to him, allowing him to hang it over the handlebars.

"now, i know how this looks." he prefaced, "but i promise with my whole entire heart that i'm not going to—"

"—kill me?" you laughed, copying the way he'd predicted your words earlier. "it's okay, i believe you."

he sighed, wiping his brow dramatically with relief. "let's go then, we're nearly there." he picked up the brown paper bag in one hand and secured your hand in the other.

the moon emitted a soft light that was bright enough for the two of you to have confidence in your footsteps.

beomgyu was leading you along a forresty path that was gradually increasing its incline, though it wasn't too unbearable and your adrenaline from the motorbike ride was pushing you on.

shortly, you came to a small clearing, from which you had a breathtaking view of the moonlit ocean. you were quite high up, able to see the way the moon glistened off the surf.

"how often do you come here?" you managed to ask, still amazed at the view.

"oh, you know, just when i want to get laid." he said flatly with a shrug.

you laughed, not sure if he was entirely joking.

"honestly, i come here a lot, maybe once or twice a week? more so in the summer." he said truthfully, taking a seat at the picnic table in the middle of the clearing. "it's weird, i've never seen anyone here before, but it's a public area, got a trail and all leading right to it."

"maybe because you're here at," you checked the time on your phone, "11:03pm."

beomgyu laughed again, he found himself doing that a lot in your presence, something he didn't do a whole lot with anyone else.

it was a thick, hearty laugh, you'd noticed. almost like honey to your ears. you were very quickly growing fond of it.

"can't argue with that." he said. "i do love it here though."

"i can see why." you sat on the table with your feet on the bench, next to beomgyu who was pulling out a few beers from the brown paper bag he'd carried all this way.

"that's what you ran late for?" you teased, picking up a beer.

"in my defense i couldn't work out if you were a beer person or a wine person." he raised his hands in surrender.

"so why'd you go with beer?" you asked, twisting off the cap.

he hesitated and a sheepish smile crept onto his face, "because i'm a beer person."

the two of you laughed once more.

"to be honest with you i'm usually more of a wine person, but i don't mind a beer." you confessed, taking a sip.

"maybe next time we can get a bottle of wine." he proposed, opening his own bottle.

"you think there'll be a next time?" you asked.

beomgyu noticed your voice went shy and quiet like it was earlier when he first called you beautiful, and when he arrived to pick you up. he also then realised you'd become a little more chatty and a little more bold over the last hour. he was happy to feel you warming up to him and leaving behind your waitress persona.

"i can only hope so." he replied, gazing up at you.

you softly smiled back at him.

if angels were real, beomgyu had every reason in that moment to believe you one.

the soft moonlight on your features made you look celestial, like you were radiating an opalescent glow.

"cheers, then." you said lightly, clinking your beer bottle with beomgyu's. "is there anything else in the bag?" you motioned with your pinky finger.

"actually yes," he put down his beer and pulled out a pack of cherries. "they're in season, so i couldn't resist."

you gasped, "i love cherries, these look great. can i have one?"

"of course you can," beomgyu opened the lid and offered the pack, "here."

you picked one from the bunch and popped it into your mouth as beomgyu took out the last thing from the bag.

"want one?" he asked, taking a cigarette from the box and placing it between his lips before pulling a lighter from his jacket pocket.

you shook your head.

"will it bother you?"

you shook your head again, spitting the cherry pip straight out ahead of you.

"that's certainly one way of doing that." he chuckled as the the pip flew over his shoulder.

the two of you flourished in each other's company. as you continued to drink and chat, you found that beomgyu was easy to be around. he listened well, nodding along as you found yourself talking more than you had in your entire life. you weren't used to having such an opportunity, not usually spending time with anyone besides your workmates. you learned a lot about beomgyu as he shared information about himself where relevant. beomgyu had a voice similar to his laugh that was deep and hearty. you were quite content listening to him talk as well.

beomgyu never wanted this moment to end. he wanted to hear every detail of your life, all your hopes for the future, your deepest desires, your biggest regrets, everything and anything, he wanted to know about. he found you extremely endearing as he began to notice little quirks of yours, spitting the cherry pips, placing a hand on your heart when you laugh too hard, and the one that sent his heart racing more so than the others, leaning forward attentively with your chin in your hands when he spoke.

soon, the beer was all gone, the cherries were nothing but pits and stems littered around you, and beomgyu was lighting another cigarette.

"getting bored yet?" beomgyu asked jokingly, nudging your leg with his elbow.

but you answered sincerely, "not at all. right now, i don't ever want to go home."

he hummed in pretend thought, "does that rule my place out?"

you raised your brows at him, "i see what you're getting at here."

beomgyu hadn't realised how his question had sounded until you made that comment.

"well that's not what i meant." he ran a flustered hand through his hair, not wanting you to think he was some sleazy guy.

you laughed, "i know, i know." you playfully pushed his shoulder. "does the offer still stand despite that?"

his eyes met yours, wide, like he didn't quite catch what you'd said.

"don't you get all shy on me now mr. 'and when do you get off?'"

"i'm not shy!" he said in defense, "i just," he took a drag, "i don't want you to think that this is something i always do, that you're one of many. when i saw you this afternoon, i don't know, something was telling me i couldn't just leave without saying something."

beomgyu couldn’t believe how cheesy he sounded, but he really had a point to prove, so he endured it.

you on the other hand, were filled with butterflies. elation was the only word that could begin to describe how you felt. somewhere, deep down, you still didn’t believe the boy smoking in front of you to not be a sleaze, but in this moment, your self respect was no where to be found.

you leaned forward and stole the cigarette resting between beomgyu's lips. he frowned for half a second, brows knitting together and eyes meeting yours in confusion, until you leaned even closer and placed a kiss right where the cigarette had been not a moment ago.

you went to pull away but beomgyu only pulled you closer, deepening the kiss. his hands held your face for a moment before travelling down your body. he tasted of cigarette, a taste that was foreign to you, but not unwelcome.

beomgyu couldn’t comprehend a single thought, he felt dizzy. the faint scent of your perfume that clung to your skin despite the heat, the sweetness of your lips and the lingering taste of cherry, the feel of your hand threading through his hair, it was all overwhelming.

“you…” he breathed against your lips, “you shouldn’t of done that.”

“why not?” you kissed just below his ear.

he hummed. “don’t play coy with me.”

“let’s just get out of here.” you smiled, pleased with the effect you’d had on beomgyu.

————

the walk back to the motorbike was tense, beomgyu was exercising a lot of self control in keeping his hands to himself, as were you.

the drive back was much worse. beomgyu’s mind was clouded, he couldn’t think about anything but the feel of your lips on his. his entire body was in flames, especially with your arms wrapped around his torso. he noticed your were less tense than on the ride up, and he couldn’t help but feel happy that you’d grown comfortable to be close with him.

you directed him back to your place and he walked you to the door, ever the gentleman.

“so,” you smiled up at beomgyu, standing just inside your house, “thanks for a good time, beomgyu. goodnight.”

he nodded, taking in your beautiful moonlit features one more time for the night, because whether you liked it or not, he’d be back again sooner or later.

“goodnight, y/n.” beomgyu turned to leave.

“i’m joking, get in here!” you pulled him back, kissing him yet again.

“you’re too much for me.” he smirked, lifting you off the ground.

“you’re telling me you don’t want this right now?” you whispered teasingly, however, you also wanted to check that you hadn’t misread his feelings.

“quite the opposite actually.” beomgyu said, carrying you inside and shutting the door behind him.

————

that night was the first of many.

beomgyu was always there at 10pm to pick you up, no matter what, and from there the night began.

he came prepared with wine the next time, and cherries again, insisting that you might as well enjoy them while they’re in season.

sometimes you went back to the clearing on the cliff from the first night. but you ventured around more now, exploring new areas.

your concerns of beomgyu being a one night stand guy drifted away and were soon replaced with the fear of simply being his summer fling.

but when you heard the rev of a motorbike outside your work at 10pm on march 1st, you somehow knew this was forever.

#txt #txt x reader #txt fluff #txt fanfic #txt imagines #txt ff #txt drabbles #txt beomgyu #tomorrow x together #beomgyu #choi beomgyu #beomgyu x reader #beomgyu fluff #beomgyu fanfic #beomgyu ff #beomgyu drabbles #beomgyu scenarios #beomgyu imagines #txt scenarios

[lady-ashfade]

The Song Behind Bars.

Six of crows x Fem!reader.

(Reader being…Well, you’ll see.)

Notes: honestly had a very small idea and it turned into this. I’ve been editing this for a while, it’s 5:45 am here…So sorry for the mistakes.

The readers appearance: Purple eyes, purple spots. Other then that you look as you do.

Warnings: Blood, killing, and I mean a lot of killing, gory, kinda bad writing but I was trying sometimes new, the crows being hurt, the reading being held hostage, the reader being powerful as hell. Spelling mistakes.

“Do you remember where the door is?” Kaz asked the smaller boy beside him, his voice hushed a quiet. “Hmm, the one on the left of the bar.” Wylan played with the collor of his shirt, it was itchy and tighter then he had wanted.

But he had to look the part, they all did. Kaz was wasn’t that much different then what he usually dresses like. In fact all of the clothes he had on were in his dresser beside his bed, but he rarely touched them. His vest black and silver, his coat black but the sleeves wived with red silk, matching his button up shirt underneath. And normal black pants, his favorite pair actually.

“What do you think is going to be showed?” Wylan asked curiously. “I don’t care as long as we get the necklace.” Kaz was quick to reply and end the conversation. But wylan wasn’t satisfied but he stay quiet and let his own mind wonder.

Soon they spit up, wylan going straight and into the workers room and kaz to the entrance with all the other visitors. He had been giving a marker to say what number he was. It was a auction, a hard one to get into but their place was already payed for. A man needed this necklace stole, not payed for.

Nina was standing behind the bar, cleaning the cups that were going to be used. The place was packed with the wealthiest people and the killers, a perfect match. But she was there to get them all out, since she had access to the back door, the only way out.

“I must say I look devilishly handsome.” Jesper popped his collor and sat down at the table with kaz. Kaz just rolled his eyes and looked around at room.

He looked up at the railing and saw Inej carefully hiding in the dark, he smirked and looks down before anyone caught him. “This suit fits me so well, the violent feeling- Oh, thank Nina for picking it out.” Jesper went on about himself.

Soon began the showing. Small items of value were first to get the audiences wanting more, some old paintings and weapons. Kaz was keeping his eye out for the necklace but it was never shown. Wylan come over with a tray of drinks in his hands and set glasses down, he smiled at them like he did all the other people and walked off to the next. Kaz looked down at the glass and saw a small note under, smirking he had a peek at it.

“The workers say the showcase is almost over, they are acting suspiciously. We were told to all leave when the sword of bran comes out, I think this whole thing might be a trap. -Nina.”

Glancing back at the bar Nina stared at him with worry in her eyes. She looked over at the door to hint at him to leave, kaz shook his head and looked back at the stage. Jesper asked what was wrong and he was givin the note. He thought it could also be a trap but also wanted to stay, he did love the food.

“Next up, The sword of bran.” The man shouted as he was given a covered blank and set it on the showcase. “The great black sword of Bran Helster himself, he used to kill the golden king.” The speaker man pulled the cover to reveal the big sword. Kaz noticed the men that guarded the stage lean over to talk to one another.

Next was the workers who left their place and the crowd to head in the back, nina and a man behind the bar stayed in place. The man with a black beard beside Nina whispered something to her and placed something in her hand. Nina’s face drop and went into a slight panic, she looked at kaz with worry. “We need to leave.” She mouthed at him.

He was never one to like a failed plan, the price for this job was high. Whatever was going to happen his crew could take it, all they need was that damn necklace. “It’s seeming like a trap.” Jesper keep his voice low and he earned a glare from kaz.

Wylan was no longer where he needed to be, but he couldn’t go back because it would look suspicious. Nina didn’t know what was about to happen or why she needed earplugs. But it wasn’t going to be good.

Once the bidding for the sword was done the man went off to the side and talk to someone. He smiled and walked back as the lights dimmed, and a sound of something being moved was slightly heard. “Now ladies and gentlemen, we come to a close for the night with a big ending.” He clapped his hands together.

“For hundreds of years we have wondered if saints were real, until the sun summoner appeared. What I have today was only a tale in story books, but what we have here is real.” He flashed one last smile before the lights came back on and something big hid under a cover. Kaz leaned up and so did jesper, this was very strange and to big to be what they wanted.

“The Seducer of the sea.” The cover was pulled off to reveal a big cage, one that would hold a bird but it was too big. At it was not a bird who was trapped in it. A woman with a short dress stood in the cage. Gasp throughout the crowd as they looked at her skin, purple spots over her legs. The people in the first row could see the color of her eyes, the same color as the spots.

“She could make sweet music with her voice, one that draws you in and could make anyone fall into her trap.” But that was ironic as she was the one in the trap. Kaz should have known what was coming but he was to focus on the shiny thing wrapped around her neck. She was wearing what they had come for.

“Is that?..” Jesper trailed off and kaz only gave a slight nod. “How are we going to get that?” But Kaz didn’t have a answer. This was not planned for and but he could work around it, he just needed a moment.

“And you might be wondering if I’m telling the truth. How could you tell if she is what we say?” He spoke and moved to the end of the stage. “She is has a song, we have train her well.” And with the he hopped out of sight. The men below put their hands up to their ears. Nina hated it but she did as she was told and put in the earplugs before the girl could sing. She had to stay out of it so she could get out the others.

The girl opened her mouth and a beautiful voice came out, it was so intoxicating. Kaz tried to cover his ears but it didn’t work because he already wanted more. Jesper was count up in her voice and stared at her, eyes going blank until kaz was too. That’s when something else was heard, screams like torture souls tried to break them. It was to loud for everyone.

Whatever was happening was having more of a affected on them. Blood started to leak out of the crowds ears and eyes, it was crushing everything from the inside. “Shit.” Lucky it wasn’t as bad for kaz and Jesper yet, since they sat in the back but Nina had to acted fast. She looked over to the man beside her and hit him in the face as hard as she could. He fall into the floor and she apologized and took off his plugs and ran to her friends. She place on in each ear, but she only had two.

She heard shouting behind her and looked back as the guards jump on the stage. The crowd of people fell from the seats from blood lose and the eyes in their heads popping. Blood started to leak from Jesper eyes and kazs ears bled more. “Saints, I’m sorry.” She said and stuck her finger into their uncover ears to try block out the noise.

On stage they pointed their guns at the girl who turned to them, her voice stopped and she looked at them. She smirked at them as if they had no real power over her. A roaring scream came out of her lungs and pointed her powers at them, only them and enough to get passed the earplugs. Within seconds they had dropped to the floor with bursts eyes.

Nina shook her friends and tried to wake them up, she looked to to see if Inej was still alive but she saw no one. She prayed she wasn’t dead and on the floor. Huffing she raised her hands up to kazs cheeks and strike it, hoping to wake him up. “Wake up!” She shouted. Kaz slowly opened his eyes and took a second to realize what had happen. Wylan poked his head out of the door and saw the people on the floor and a unconscious Jesper, he ran quickly over. Not caring for anything else.

“Jesper.” Wylan grabbed ahold of his boyfriends arm and shook him as tears picked up in his eyes. “Jesper! Wake up.” He wiped off the blood off his cheeks and eyes. He was still alive, his chest falling and his heartbeat still beating for Nina to hear. Kaz groaned when he sat up, his head hurt like something was crushing his skull. And his ears were ringing and wouldn’t stop.

“Hands up!” The group turned to the sound of men. They stared down the barrels of guns that were pointed at them, more guards have shown up. “Look, we have no clue what’s happening.” Nina push towards them back but backed up as they shouted at her. There was no way to get out, no where to run. If they tried to make a run for it they would be shot, kaz knew that. Jesper was out and it would be hard to carry him back.

Humming caught all of their ears and guns were no longer pointed at them but behind them. They a looked at the girl how had a sharp look, her hips swaying as she stared at the armed men. She looked mad. She sang again and the men tried to fight it but couldn’t move their fingers to pull the triggers. The crows covered their ears to keep her out of their heads but they soon realized it wasn’t affecting them. Nina threw jespers arm over her shoulder and wylan followed her.

Kaz looked at the necklace the mystery woman had on. “Kaz, let’s go.” Nina broke him out of his his trance. “We need that necklaces.” Even as he almost died, he still had his eyes on the price. Nina huffed at him and went to yell at him but the sounds of bones cracking stopped her. The guards necks twisted and fell on the ground, the woman hands up and smirked at the lifeless bodies below her. The crows hearts stop when she looked over at the team.

“Where am I?” She asked calmly, no aggression in her voice like she didn’t just slaughter many. “Ketterdam.” Kaz replied because he was not afraid as the others, but he was wary. The woman hummed in response and looked at the unconscious man. “He’ll live.” They wanted to smack her, they already knew that. Wylan wanted to yell at her because this was her fault but he stood no chance.

She looked away from them and walked away not interested in them anymore. They were no threat to her and she considered them innocent. Her mind started to run and her stomach began to turn. Killer. Killer. Killer. Her inner voice scream as she tries not to look at the blood on the ground. She did what she had to do to get away. She opened the door to leave, as soon as it was open and before she could react, she was hit with something and her mind blacked out.

Her body feel back onto the floor and Inej steps over her body, nose having a small bleed but that was it. “Hope I wasn’t to late.” She looked over at her friends and their face washed with relief that she was still alive. “You’re okay.” Nina shouted. Inej nodded and then she saw Jesper. Inej rushed over and looked concerned, “He’ll live.” Wylan said. Kaz walked over with a tight grip on his cane to keep himself up.

He looked down at the girl below him. He remembered the stories of the women who lived out in the waters, killing the men on bouts. Their looks just as beautiful as their songs, but a ugliness inside. She was clearly beautiful, and he had seen the darkest and witness her song. She was a siren but she had no tail, and gills. He leaned down despite the pain and grabbed ahold of the necklace.

“Fuck.” He shouted as a pain shot through him, it was shocking and felt horrible. He let go of the necklace as soon as he grabbed ahold of it. Kaz tried picking it up with his cane but just it traveled through it.

“We need to leave.” Inej came beside him. Kaz looked at her and to the others who carried Jesper, already heading to the door.

“She comes with us.”



#six of crows #the six of crows #the six of crows x reader #six of crows x reader #shadow and bone x reader #kaz brekke #kaz brekker x reader #wylan van eck #wylan van eck x reader #jesper fahey #jesper fahey x reader #inej x reader #inej ghafa x reader #inej ghafa #nina zenik #nina zenik x reader #matthias helvar #Matthias helvar x reader

[websterss]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄 𝟐/𝟒 — 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐘  

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: Your plan to get the group's attention becomes too difficult of a task especially with Ethan leaving your bracelet in his dorms, forcing you to be stuck in his dorm until he returns. You start to wonder whether he'll keep you locked up forever until he presents you with the idea of going to a party for the night.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒): A bit graphic, mentions of blood and dying, angst, implications again but no smut, sad flashback

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 4,005

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: Ethan Landry x fem!Ghost!Reader

𝐀/𝐍: I hope you enjoy it! I based this off the song by Lizzy McAlpine - Doomsday

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

Perhaps you had overestimated Ethan’s true intentions that night. Being pinned down both alive and dead brought on stress, pain, and ptsd, that wretched night scarred you. Flashes from the night he killed you remain true and gory. The color red turned into your most hated color of the rainbow. The second worst color; was brown. It was the color of his eyes. You used to adore having his attention, wanted nothing more than for him to swing that gaze on you with that charming grin he bore. Now you just wanted to erase every touch, conversation, and his whole existence. You knew the repercussions of attempting to bring justice for yourself, the whole obstacle of being invisible to the human eye; to your friends mostly. They couldn’t see you, and try as you wanted, they would not be able to hear you plead and beg for their attention, which you craved and yearned for the most. Anything but Ethan’s, anything but the heavy reminder of him stabbing you over and over with his knife. 

You were oblivious to his attack. You saw him coming, and you let him into your home, but you never saw his intentions. You would have guessed what the night would have potentially led to had it gone the way you hoped. A kiss, maybe even more, but not this. Not him, and the war he was battling behind his eyes, as he stared at you with a lost expression. 

-

“Hey Eth, do you want anything to drink? There’s water, and juice, a few sodas that I haven’t drunk yet. I’m not much of a beer person, but we can go to that bodega on the corner to get some if you want. I’m kind of craving some chips honestly.” You called out to him. Ethan had excused himself to use your bathroom. He needed to go after a few hours of trying to absorb every painstaking word from his econ textbook. You teased him for his class requirement. Why would anyone put themselves through such a class? Cause it was required for his degree of course. You shook your head as you opened your fridge up. The bright light from inside illuminates your face. Your brows pinch together when you get no response from him. Do guys usually take long to pee? 

“Ethan?” You glance at your fridge one more time before closing it. The second the door was closed you turned, and you wished you never did. “Ethan you okay in ther–” You cut yourself off seeing him stand there at the door of the bathroom. A black robe was now thrown over his clothes, and his hands dawned gloves; also black, but what made your heart sink was the knife he twiddled in his hands. His gaze was solely on the weapon. All you could see was his dark brown curls. “Ethan?” You take a small cautious step back. You kept trailing your eyes up and down his entire. Trying to find the butt of this really fucked up joke. There didn’t seem to be one though, just cautionary fear tingling up and down your spine. You had never really been in a flight or fight situation and you really didn’t want to be. You cringe when he tosses the mask onto the island between you both. The mask revealed all you needed and everything you were afraid of. Your breathing picked up as you stared down the all too familiar ghost face mask your friends warned you about. Your watery gaze rose to meet his detrimental stare. One look at his stance, the way his eyes burned with hate. The tight grip he had on the hilt. It screamed a man with the intent to do harm. And he would because your sweet dorky Ethan was gone. You didn’t recognize the intensity of the man before you. “W-What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna give you two options okay?” His voice was shaky. His jaw clenched. You sucked in a breath as he continued. You were on the verge of sobbing. “You can run, and you might get away with some injuries, or I can get it over with so you won’t suffer as much.” How generous…You look away, walking over to the farthest counter and placing your hands on it. You eye the pan you had left on top of the stove, before looking over your shoulder in distraught.

“W-What’s the third option?” You cry softly. 

“There isn’t one baby…My dad…” His eyes glistened. “He wouldn’t change his mind. He couldn’t be swayed, Y/n. I tried…” He looked down at the knife. “Believe me when I say that I tried. He wouldn’t let up though, he wants you dead.” 

“What?” You shook your head confused. “You tried? What the fuck does that mean? Why would he want me dead? W-We were just studying a few minutes ago Ethan. For your Econ exam. If you wanted to take a break you could have just said so, you didn’t have to go to such extensive measures!” You gesture to the robe hysterically. “Why are you doing this? I-I haven’t done anything to you. I haven’t done anything!” You breath hitches and cracks with every exhale and inhale of your cries. “I-I don’t wanna die Ethan…” You cower back against the door of your refrigerator. “Please, y-you’re my friend. You’re supposed to be my friend...”

“I know baby…” He closes his eyes shut. Then looks back up at you. “But I don’t have a choice. It was either you, or me.” He tilts his head. You go still, terror overtaking your face. You straighten, balling your left hand into a fist. The small pan was hidden behind your back, out of his sight. If he did notice you grab it, he didn’t mention it, maybe to allow you some peace of mind before everything went to shit.

You walk over to him slowly, cautiously, hoping not to trigger his fight response. “Will you give me something then, before you start?” You let out shakenly. 

“What?” His brows furrow.

You slowly reach up with your left and cup one side of his face before bringing his lips onto your own slowly. Your hand slid behind his head and curled your fingers into his locks, tugging him closer. Ethan nearly dropped the knife then and there. You caught him off guard. Might as well right, you thought. If you were going out then you’d go out believing and dreaming of what could have been. Maybe someday, somewhere right? Yeah right. Your breath hitches as you pull away, a tear slipping down your face as you pat his cheek gently. Then you swing the frying pan you grabbed into the side of his head before bolting down the hall to your room. Ethan's stance faltered. He stumbled back into the bathroom door, before falling onto his side. You had barely rushed past him when he tried to reach for your leg, but he missed. Not so safe to say he didn’t appreciate the sudden whack across the head since he thudded heavily towards your locked door. It took him about three powerful kicks before he got it open. You flinched by the window having it halfway lifted by the time he got in. He stood at the entrance, his eyes narrowed. He sighed heavily, as he shook his head. 

“Option one then…” He cracked his neck before he stormed towards you. You cried and fought him off, but the knife still got lodged into your stomach. You cried out in pain as you felt a sudden pinch snip at your wrist before he threw you across the room, you fell to the carpet, doing a horrible job at staying upright. He had gutted you well and efficiently enough to cause you to bleed tremendously. One thought and one thought only ran through your mind then and there. The door. The front door was the goal. The dream really. It was wishing thinking at this point honestly. But you began your crawl in agony. You grunt and whimper as your limbs and organs hurt with every movement and push you force your body to move forward. You couldn’t stay here, you had to get out, You just had to. 

Ethan begrudgingly sat at the edge of your bed. He rubbed against the side of his temple, his fingers drawn back with blood now smeared across his tips. Fuck, he thought. He looked over at you pushing yourself out the door with a struggle. How long he would let you do this for, was the real kicker. He thought it best to let you hope for a little longer. To let you continue ‘escaping’ as he assumed that is what he was looking at. He knew he said he wouldn’t let you suffer, but for some fucked up reason, he couldn’t let you die just yet. He wanted to enjoy a bit of your drive, your determination, and the sound of your voice regardless of the fact you were crying out in pain. He wanted to save it to memory for a few more minutes. You, just being alive. Just a little bit longer, he thought. He couldn’t get your kiss out of his head. Had you wanted to kiss him before? He hadn’t known, nor would he after this. He looked up again to find you out of his sight, had you moved that quickly? He strained his ears to be able to hear your faint grunts. You were slowly dying and he was only dragging it on further than he needed to. He placed his hands on his knees and stood up. He glanced around your room, letting his eyes roam over everything that screamed ‘you’. To the lights, to the fun colors on your bed, to the wall of pictures, to the now bloody carpet. He looked away, feeling a tinge of sadness for turning your most sacred place of comfort into a horror scene in the span of only a few minutes. He’d been in your home for over an hour, and it only took him minutes to ruin everything good in this little home you created for yourself. He walked over to the door, shifting his eyes to a picture you hung on the wall. It was of him and you. Bemused and silly is what he would describe the vibe he felt when he looked at it. Maybe someday, somewhere. That’s what he’d hope for. With one last glance at the pictures, he tapped it with his glove and moved into the hall. You had made some distance, but it was never going to be enough. He couldn’t keep watching you attempt to crawl your way to what you hoped would be your best chance of survival. He had to put you out of your misery. It would probably be the one good thing he could grant you. 

-

Any future attempt at trying to gain the attention of anyone other than Ethan was a no-go. The first few times he hadn’t suspected much when he brought along your bracelet. Your one and only means of transportation to and from places. He threatened to leave it in his room when he caught onto your intentions. You hated how much you begged and pleaded to be let out, be ‘taken out for some sunlight’ if you will. You had become reliant and dependable on Ethan as much as you despised it. He really had been your only source of sanity, without him as he smugly liked to remind you, you’d be stuck in his room. He even went ahead and left the bracelet under his pillow just to prove a point to you. You beat on his chest when he saw you storm up to him as he entered his room. You wanted nothing more than to slap that stupid smirk off his face, so you had, and he kissed you roughly, pinning you to his door.

It was routine, and he seemed to enjoy every minute of it, and you, you just had to go through with it or you’d end up cooped up in his room again waiting for him to return, just like today, on all the days. Halloween has been your absolute favorite and the asshole left your bracelet on his night stand. It mocked you as you sat on his bed staring off into space. You thought back to your Princess Diaries costume that was gonna be awesome, but now it sat in your closet, in your apartment that was covered in blood, your blood, which was now also a crime scene, so now you had nothing to wear but the clothes on your back. You lift your head as the door to his room opens. The devil himself walks in. Ethan approaches you, leaning down to give you a rough slow kiss. His hands cupping the back of your head to bring you closer. You sigh as the kiss goes on longer than needed. A scowl paints your face as he pulls back and bites back a smile. He straightens up and looks down at you with adoration.

“Get off your cute butt, we're going out.” That made you perk up. 

“Out? Where are we going?”

“A party. It’s Halloween remember, let’s go have fun.” He smirks seeing your face contort with confusion. You should have been thrilled, ecstatic even, but his sudden mood shift put you on edge. You noticed that after days turned into weeks. How he’d be nice and touchy feelings with you, then be an absolute sociopath the next. His sudden emotional outbursts scared you. Even dead he could still hurt you. “Come on, get up!” 

“I-I don’t get you.” You shook your head. You knew better than to fuel the flame he had tucked away at the moment, but you didn’t know how to deal with his change of emotions anymore, it was exhausting when he out of nowhere felt the need to play ‘Mr. Nice Guy’. You were over it.

“What do you mean?” He stopped looking for a long sleeve to look back at you. 

“You’ve kept me trapped in your room for five days, and now, all of a sudden you’re kissing me again, and being sweet? I don’t get you, Ethan.” You look away from him. Shrinking in place when he draws near. 

“I wanna take you out, what’s wrong with that?” His shoulders slumped. “You wanted out of here, you’re getting that.” He walked over to his nightstand and picked up the small gold chain. Mocking you with it as he dangled it out to you. Then proceeded to tuck it into his jeans. “Now get up, I’m supposed to meet Chad there. Unless you want me to leave you here.” You immediately got up from his bed.

“I don’t even have anything to wear.” You gesture to your shirt and jeans that you’ve been wearing since you showed up. The red sneakers are your signature trademark. The group used to find it endearing. You wondered if they were missing you right about now. 

“Why should it matter, no one can see you anyway?” Ethan immediately tensed seeing your face fall. “I didn’t mean it like that…look how about we- we could ya know…” He trailed off then met eyes with his white bedsheets then stilled. You watched wearily and then curiously as he stripped his bed of his flat sheet. Who the hell owned a flat sheet? 

“What's with the sheet?” You raise a brow in question.

“Would this even work? I mean you couldn’t even touch your bracelet. It just went right through you.” He eyed the sheet and then walked over to you. “Can I?” He gestured to you then the bed linen in his hands. He took quick notice of your hesitance. “Just trust me.” He waved your doubts away. His words made you laugh out loud causing him to grow still. 

“Says my murderer…” You roll your eyes.

“Humor me then.” He grunts then before you can protest he throws the linen over your head and watches it drape over your frame. When it remained over you, his heart began picking up. “Holy…shit!” He backed up, his hands frozen in mid-air as he surveilled you from head to toe. “No fucking way that worked. Holy shit!” You heard him breathe out aloud. What was he so shocked about?

“I can’t see anything.” He couldn’t see it but he imagined you were pouting. 

“Oh right, sorry. Here take it off!” He pulled on the sheet until you came back into his view. Your hair was in disarray. Wild and full of static. A cute pout on your lips as you stared at him. Observing as he dug out a pocket knife and cut into the fabric. Two eyes holes from what you could tell, and then he was turning back to you, reaching forward to fix some crazy strands. The kiss placed on your lips caught you by surprise. He smiled at you and then went to throw the flat sheet over your head again. He adjusted it until your eyes were directly over the two holes he made. You could see out of it now. “Oh my god, you look fucking cool!” He ushered you to his thin mirror. What you didn’t come to realize soon enough was that the linen over your body did not go through you. Your eyes slowly widened as you began to grasp what this would mean for you. People would be able to see you. 

“Holy shit…” You gasped as you stared back at your reflection. You had a reflection. You couldn’t see your eyes, but you could see the very visible bed sheet that was placed over your frame. “Holy fucking shit!” You exclaim, excitingly. You knew what this entailed, but you realized that Ethan had yet to understand why you were so excited about the sheet being placed over you and why it didn’t phase through you like the bracelet had. You figured that he figured you were only freaking out because he thought you thought this was cool. It was, that was no lie, but you were hopeful again. 

“No one will think twice about it.” Ethan laughed at your reaction.

“It worked!” You extend your arms out and do a little spin. 

“It’s fitting honestly going as a ghost, I mean who’s gonna question the girl with a sheet draped over her head?” He chuckled. He nodded in agreement. You were though, a ghost and all. Dead or costume didn’t change that. Not one bit. You hadn’t known why you let your intrusive thoughts win in the moment. Perhaps you rushed towards him because you wanted to express how you were feeling and needed an outlet. Needing to show Ethan just how happy you felt, though you knew you had acted in such a way because your plan to try and find a way to communicate with your friends was back on track, and Ethan was none the wiser about it. You had shed the sheet and brought his lips onto yours. This had been the second time now that your initiated kiss had caught him off guard, but he welcomed the affection nonetheless. He walked the both of you backward until he fell back onto the bed, taking you down with him as the kiss grew heated and rougher. You stayed on top until he had flipped you both. The hungry gaze behind his eyes knew you were gonna be a little late for the party, but you hadn’t really been too worried about it. 

-

The walk to the frat house had been interesting. You kept turning your head towards every wandering eye that landed on you and Ethan. You bet you both looked like quite the pair. A sheeted ghost and a cardboard knight. You had judged Ethan’s look with love and some honesty. You still didn’t get it when it had to explain to you who he was. He went into detail about his inspiration from the movie Murder Party. A movie you had no idea existed until he showed you a scene in which the character Ethan was being tonight wore said costume. It felt like trivia. 

When you both walked through the door. You were both immersed in the chaos and music blasting through a speaker somewhere in the house. Bodies, bodies, and bodies all around, grinding, talking, drinking, and of course the occasional hookup. You were feeling a bit better than you and Ethan had your own pre-hookup before arriving. You knew better than to let your heart lead, but you couldn’t help the swarm of butterflies in your stomach when he reached behind him, extending his hand out for you to grab, and you did, allowing him to lead the way around the various of party goers fully and barely intoxicated. It wasn’t long until Ethan had found Chad. And boy were you not prepared for him to finally see you. See your ghost costume. 

“And who is this unlively thing?” Chad joked but teasingly nudged Ethan over and over. You had barely registered Chad’s faint words of ‘That’s my boy’ and ‘I told you, full snack baby!’ before he turned his attention back onto you. “What’s your name sweetheart?” Oh his smile, his beautiful grin that you had missed having be directed at you. 

“This is Wyen!” Ethan introduced you. You were glad they couldn’t see the questionable expression you gave under the sheet for the very questionable name he gave you. What the fuck Ethan?

“Wyen?” Chad's brows pinched together in question as well. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with such a unique name.” He shook his head.

“Yeah…she gets that a lot, just think of her name as the letters Y and N and you’ll be fine.” Ethan waved it off. 

“Why would I–” Chad sputtered in confusion. Then turned to you. “What? Is he messing with me? Please tell me he’s fucking with me?” Chad laughed your way. You shook your head and said. 

“No, if only you knew though.” You said. Ethan eyed you, but Chad hadn’t heard you one bit. 

“Is she good?” Chad leaned over to Ethan, as he took note of your lack of responses. “She's not…you know.” He gestured to his ears.

“Deaf? Oh no, yeah she’s fine, she’s just staying in character tonight. Halloween is kind of her favorite holiday.” You wanted to slap him right then and there, so you did. You reached forward and smacked him. Chad found your interactions amusing.

“Ahh okay. Well apologies, ole friendly ghost. I was in the dark of such information, but I respect your wishes to continue to haunt our youth in silence!” Chad placed a hand over his naked chest. You breathe a laugh aloud, but you realize your laugh didn’t reach his ears. It made you tear up a bit, but you concluded that the shake of your shoulders was enough for him to register you did in fact find his teasing funny because his head was thrown back as he laughed. God you had missed him. You tipped your chin down and curtsied, adding to the bit he was doing. “She’s funny too. I like you already.” He pointed at you. “Well, Ghostette and Mr. Landry, enjoy yourselves, not too much of course, but get drunk, and make out. I’m gonna go see where the girls are alright, find me if anything goes wrong okay? Anything. That goes for you too Wyen. Find me for anything!” With that, he tapped Ethan’s cardboard chest in what you assumed was approval and walked in the opposite direction. You scoff knowing that Chad considered you to be Ethan’s conquest for tonight. It looked like trying to gain their attention was going to be harder than you expected...especially since Ethan was hesitant to let you out of his sights now.

#ethan landry #ethan landry x reader #ethan landry x fem!reader #ethan landry imagines #ethan landry imagine #ethan landry series #writings by juls #my gif

[vcidgalpin]

hi! i'd like to ask a one shot on tyler galpin in which y/n is an addams who's a nevermore student. she's the same as wednesday but shy and more insecure. one day after her therapy session she goes to the weathervane where she meets tyler. that soon becomes a routine, the two grow really close and become more than just friends. he's one of the few people she lets her guard down and feels comfortable with.

i'd like it to be with fluff and him making her feel appreciated and loved, reassuring her.

thank you <3

It’s Nice to Have a Friend

Pairing: Tyler Galpin x Reader

Summary: As the Request says. Title inspired by the Taylor Swift song ‘It’s nice to have a friend’.

Wednesday and Y/N Addams are two sides of the same dark coin. Growing up, the twins were constantly compared, their differences only being acknowledged as the two came into their own. While Wednesday is more sure of herself, full of confident dry wit and a sense of being one not to mess with, Y/N is more closed off. And yes, some may look at her sister and not think that anyone could be more reserved than her, but that’s just how she is.

Y/N struggles to put up a front of not showing emotions, her heart is on her sleeve, but she gets flustered easily, falls in love too fast and runs away from her problems. In the Addams family, all of these have been labeled as signs of weakness, so that’s just how Y/N sees herself. It’s inevitable that people compare themselves to others, and it’s especially hard when your sister is the family’s ‘perfect little death trap’ etc. Y/N also carried the same dark hobbies, a love for the macabre, but most of that came out in fits of rage, in her lonesome, trying not to burden others with her over-emotionalness’

It was quite a punch to the gut upon arriving at Nevermore Academy, when the custom uniforms just further highlighted that Wednesday was one to stand out, in stark contrast shades of black and, and Y/N blends into the towering stone walls, in a dull mix of grays. She couldn’t be too mad about it either, because it did reflect her usual desaturated wardrobe, but Y/N couldn’t stop herself from wondering what it would be like to just fit in with the other students, don herself in the blue uniform, but that’s not the Addams family way.

Hearing the information during the tour that there was a local town, only a 25 minute walk away, to escape to, was music to Y/N’s ears. It was also the location of her therapist’s office.

-

After her first session with Dr. Kinbott, Y/N steps out into the cool air, she spots a coffee shop across the road. The ‘Weathervane’. Needing a pick me up, she saunters over and enters in, the scent of coffee and hot chocolate hitting her nose instantly. She walks over to the front bar area, noticing a curly haired boy phasing out, looking out the window onto the dull scape of Jericho.

“Hi,”

“Oh shit, didn’t see you there sorry,” The young guy says with a dazed voice, clutching his heart.

“I get that a lot, don't worry,” A small, polite smile meets her face.

“Shit no, I didn’t mean that in a rude way or anything sorry, I just- right lean this way and look out that window,” He says, pointing in the direction of something outside, “You see that?” Leaning in and following where his finger is going, she sees her classmate Enid trying to save a cat out of a tree, hopping up and down frantically but she’s a fraction too short. “I wish I had her patience,” He chuckles, “She’s been there for about 10 minutes,”

‘I don’t know how I missed her while walking over here’ She thought to herself before looking over to the barista again, suddenly noticing just how close his face is to hers. Stammering while leaning back away from him, her face turns beet-red. “I- Sorry,”

“Sorry? For what?” He looks puzzled, still smiling warmly, tilting his head to the side slightly. Y/N tends to apologize without reason and can’t come up with a lie to cover it up, so he decides this time to just shrug and fiddle with her hands.

“Well, what can I get you- uh… Sorry, what’s your name?”

“Oh. I’m Y/N,” She squints to see his name tag, “Nice to meet you, Tyler,”

“Nice to meet you too. What can I get you, Y/N?”

“Could I get three shots of espresso, please?”

“Wow, that’s not what I was expecting,” He laughs breathily.

“And what were you expecting?” Y/N subconsciously grows a bit of confidence through this witty back and forth.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” He teases back, before walking off to tap her order into the espresso machine. It whirs away, and Y/N admires the boy from her spot, tapping her card onto the card machine, hearing the familiar ding of an approved payment.

“Here you go, Y/N. So, can I expect to see you around her again sometime? I can tell by that uniform that you’re a Nevermore student right? Lots of them come in here with their friends over the weekend,”

“Yeah, I don’t really think anyone will bring me here. I think most of them didn’t even acknowledge me joining the school so… You can probably tell by this gray uniform I don’t exactly stand out,”

“I think the gray compliments you well, like a layer of smoke covering something deeper down. You really are mysterious,” She flushes once again, no one has ever given such a compliment to her.

“Mysterious?”

“Yeah, I can tell you are good at hiding things, you probably have a lot of dirt on people, ready to use when necessary. It’s kind of spooky actually,” Okay, yeah, Y/N is definitely getting hot under her collar from the array of compliments. All she ever secretly wanted was to be seen as intimidating or spooky.

“Well, thank you. Anyways, I’ll be off. I’ll be back soon,”

“You promise?” He smirks.

“I never promise,”

-

By now, Y/N and Tyler have spent time drinking about 20 coffees together, and have gotten to learn more about each other than anyone else in their lives.

“You know, underneath that smoke screen is an amazing person. I don’t understand how I haven’t seen you with any friends around here, you are a catch,”

“Haha, I really don’t think so… I’d prefer to just wait for someone else to approach me,” She stops and sips her coffee.

“Yeah, that would work if you didn't suffer from resting murder face. Besides, you approached me, and look, you didn’t combust, nothing bad will happen,” He reassures the girl, placing his palm over her hand that rests on the table across from him.

“Well, you do understand how the hospitality industry works right? And you remember that we met because you work here, yeah?” Her eyebrows wiggle teasingly, letting herself laugh.

“See, that laugh is contagious as hell. Anyone would be blessed to know you. Hey, since you don’t make ‘promises’, what’s your thoughts on bets?”

“Sure, I don’t back down from bets. If they involve danger or risk of death that’s just a cherry on top,” Her dead gaze bores into Tyler, and she finds humor in his worried adjustment of posture.

“Right well. This one doesn’t unfortunately… But I wanna place a bet that if you go over and talk to that table, and show them your true self, then you’ll make some new friends,”

“And if they don’t engage? What are our respective prizes?”

“If you don’t make friends, then I will pay for all of your coffees for a month,”

“What do you get if I do?”

“I get to see you happy, I mean, either way I guess I win,” He smiles, winking playfully.

“God, you are the master of cheese. The only way this could get worse is if you added a stupid pun or something,” Her eyes roll dramatically before getting up from her seat, Tyler goes to (Y/N assumes) make a ‘stupid pun’, before she stops him in his tracks “I will make sure you never speak again if you continue with that, coffee boy,”

Y/N then walks off, sending a wink over her shoulder before all that confidence drains again, and she feels how she normally does without Tyler’s company. She sees the familiar faces of Enid, Yoko and Bianca sitting in the booth Tyler had gestured to.

“Um- Hi guys, sorry if this is weird, I just was wondering if I could sit with you guys? It’s okay if not I just-“

“Sure! You’re Y/N right? I have been meaning to check in on you since you moved here. My followers have been very intrigued in getting to know anything about you,” Enid talks at a million miles a minute, and it would be annoying if it wasn’t so well intended and endearing.

“Well, I guess you all know I’m Wednesday’s sister-“

“Hey, I thought I said I wanted to know about you, not who you’re related to. What are you interested in? What’s your power? What-“

“Sorry. Enid can be a bit overbearing,” The vampire speaks over the werewolf’s ranting.

“No, no it’s okay. The more she talks, the less I have to. I’d call that a win,” That earns a laugh from Yoko and Bianca. It makes her feel nice to have made other people smile. After chatting away for what could have been minutes or could have been hours, Y/N looks around the Weathervane, meeting the watching eyes of Tyler. He smiles, giving a look of victory, before getting up, pulling his coat on. Before he can reach the door, she says her goodbyes to her classmates, and chases after Tyler.

“I don’t know about you, but I think you definitely made some friends over there. Seems like you don’t need me anymore,” His voice holds a light hearted tone but Y/N can tell he is slightly overthinking on this.

“Hey. Even if I do make some friends, you’ll always be my favorite… Drive me back?”

“Of course,” He takes her hand in his and they walk out, the bell on the door jingling as they exit.

-

They arrive at the gates of Nevermore, and just sit together in the car for a moment. This has become a bit of a routine, neither of them really wanting the day to end.

“I really want to thank you, I never would’ve done that back there if it wasn't for you,”

“Well you’ve helped me a lot too. You help me when I’ve had a bad day, and you never let my dad get away with his passive aggression towards me, like you’re my scary guard dog,” His laugh always makes Y/N smile.

“You make me feel safe too, even safer than my pocket dagger makes me,” Y/N unconsciously leans closer to Tyler in the driver’s seat. He moves closer too.

“I really like you Y/N. More than a friend,”

“I mean, you know how new I am to this whole friendship thing, but this definitely feels different to how I feel around Enid or Yoko,”

“Oh yeah? How’s it different?” Y/N can feel his warm breath on her face now.

“I mean, I definitely don’t have the urge to kiss either of those two,” She musters up as much confidence as she’s capable of, and presses a small kiss to his soft lips. He looks taken aback as she pulls away, but his face lightens, and he cups her jaw, kissing her. He tastes like fresh coffee, and smells like an autumnal scented candle. He moves away to make a quick remark,

“Just a word of wisdom, this is not a typical friend thing to do,” She pushes him playfully, and he retaliates by gripping the front of her shirt and kissing her more passionately than before. Today was certainly eventful, somehow the previously friendless, insecure girl was plus 3 friends and plus 1 boyfriend. Showing her true self that she’d hidden for so long actually turned out to be something for better than for worse.

She decides for the first time in her life, she’ll make a promise. A promise to herself that she won’t hide away behind the gray of her clothes, and actually put herself out there to other people.

#tyler galpin #tyler wednesday #tyler galpin x reader #tyler galpin fanfic #tyler galpin imagine #tyler galpin x y/n #tyler galpin fluff #wednesday netflix

[ficsilike-reblogged]

Snow Over Hawkins

A/N: Another holiday fic? From me, after not posting in months? Who would've thought. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday or simply a peaceful winter! Thank you for reading! This jumps between 1996 and 1986 (the events of S4). Reader does celebrate Christmas in this and there is a lot of Christmas imagery. Also, I make Eddie a rockstar. Because it is what he deserves. :)

Pairing: Eddie Munson/F!Reader

Rating: PG-A soft little, melodramatic thing

Word Count: 10.4k

Summary: Perhaps coming to your ten year high school reunion was a mistake. But, as a blizzard rolls in just in time for the holidays, you may have to confront a specter from your past: Eddie Munson.

**1996**

Oh no.

There were too many people. Maybe if you just…turned right around and left, no one would know you had even come and-

A shout of your name quickly quashed that plan but your shoulders fell a fraction from around your ears as you spotted Robin weaving her way through the crowd to get to you. She was quick to throw her arms around you in a tight hug as if she hadn’t just seen you when she dropped you off at the hotel an hour ago and you two didn’t have a standing agreement to get together every two weeks at the little café down the street from your apartment in New York.

“God. Why did we come here?” She mumbled into your hair before pulling back.

“You were the one who said we should rub it in everyone’s faces that we are rich and successful and they peaked in high school.”

Robin groaned. “Must you remember everything I said?”

“I must.” You sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the milling crowd. The gigantic Christmas trees were bleeding green and red lights all over the large space. The event center for the reunion was an abject holiday wonderland, complete with fake flickering candles and artificial snow. Christmas songs were playing over the speakers, muted beneath the conversation between old classmates. Even the sign that read, “Welcome back, Tigers! Class of ‘86!” was made of red and green paper. “Nancy said she and Jonathan would be here, too. Have you seen them? Their flight left before ours.”

“Not yet. But you know who I have seen?” There was a conspiratorial gleam in her eye that had you frowning.

Before she could answer, someone darted by you with a squealed, “oh my god, I can’t believe it! I thought they were on tour!”

Your heart dropped to your feet. “Robin-”

“Nothing has to happen. He just happens to be in the same room as you for the first time in over ten years and-”

“And it changes nothing. He’s still…” The words trailed off as you dropped your chin to your chest. Robin rubbed a hand on your arm with a hum, she was always tactile with you, knowing when you most needed a friendly touch. “Pathetic, right? Ten years and thousands of miles and he still makes me feel like a little girl with an unreciprocated crush.”

“It has always been more than that.”

You winced. “That doesn’t help, Robs.”

She linked her arm with yours and started tugging you toward the table set up with hot chocolate and all the fixings, dodging a hulking pair of men in ill-fitting suits who you were sure never went to Hawkins High. Someone had been “kind” enough to leave little bottles of alcohol in a messy pile, too, so anyone could spike their own drink if wanted.

A glance back at the crowd nearly had your heart stuttering, already bruised. A headful of dark curls and warm eyes immediately caught your attention and suddenly you were a teenager again. Turning your head away felt like a herculean effort and you reached for one of the small bottles of whiskey and dumped it into your cup.

**1986**

Your head was spinning. There were monsters in Hawkins. …or not in Hawkins, but in a different dimension that you were currently trapped in. Running the school paper with Nancy was supposed to be a safe extracurricular activity—something to bolster your applications to your dream university. But after watching Fred fucking

levitate

and hearing his bones snap under the power of something unseen, you were sure it was one of the worst decisions you’d ever made. And now you were here after jumping out of the boat, your hand in Nancy’s. At least now you know why Robin and Steve had been extra cagey about the mall fire over the summer.

“You’re bleeding a bit,” Eddie said, crouching near you as you huddled beneath Skull Rock.

“What?” Your voice was hoarse from all the screaming you’d just done, arms aching from beating the damn bat creatures with a broken oar.

Eddie said nothing as he tore at his shirt and then pressed it to your temple, wincing alongside you. “Sorry, sorry. Just didn’t think you’d want a bleeding head wound in a place like this.”

You almost snorted. And it was probably the head wound and the adrenaline coursing through your system but your tongue didn’t tangle as it so often did around Eddie. “Oh? You come here often?”

Eddie’s cheeks bloomed with color, visible even under the grime. “Oh, c’mon. Can’t have a pretty girl bleeding.”

**1996**

“Gimme a sip of that,” Nancy said instead of a greeting as she stormed to your side. She took a hearty swig of your spiked hot chocolate and nearly spat it out. “What did you put in that?”

“Whiskey.”

“Jesus!” She wiped at her mouth, eyes watering.

Jonathan was a few paces behind her, wrapping his arms around you in a quick hug before doing the same to Robin. “Seems to be quite the turnout even with the storm rolling in.”

“Imagine if we all get snowed in. Trapped with all these people,” Robin said, dread dripping from every syllable.

“I’ll walk back to my parents’ house in the snow. I don’t care,” Nancy said, only relaxing when Jonathan stepped to her back and wrapped an arm over her shoulders.

“Tough day?”

“My editor called and said he wanted a rewrite by midnight for this article-”

“You got it done,” Jonathan quietly murmured.

“But I shouldn’t’ve had to do it at all! No one else’s articles get that kind of treatment. Goddamn Greg can write a puff piece about when to watch the cherry blossoms in each borough and use the wrong ‘there’ but he doesn’t even get a sternly worded email.”

You and Robin wore matching winces and hid behind your hot chocolate. “Didn’t you say The Economist was trying to poach you after your big editorial about that governor?”

Nancy nodded and sunk a little further into Jonathan’s grip. Her engagement ring sparkled in the twinkling lights. Their long-awaited engagement party just a few blocks from your apartment had been hosted a handful of months ago where you’d readily accepted Nancy’s invitation to be a bridesmaid. It certainly took them long enough. “And I’m considering it. But we’d have to move to London.”

Another twittering laugh drew all of your attentions and you saw Eddie stand and wrap and arm around someone you vaguely recognized as someone from the debate team as another person took a picture, the flash of their disposable camera nearly blinding even across the room.

Nancy’s blue eyes quickly zeroed in on you. “Have you talked to him?”

“No. He’s surrounded. Has been all night. I don’t want to be…that girl, anyway. Probably doesn’t even remember me.”

**1986**

“Look, I’m all for you, like, actually telling Eddie how you feel but maybe you could think of a more romantic setting for all this?” Robin nearly hissed as you continued on through the rotted forest of the Upside Down.

“What are you talking about?”

“You are making googly eyes at him—and he’s reciprocating! That guy hasn’t taken his eyes off you once since you beat that bat to death.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what really gets him going, Robs. Sure. Keep your voice down!” You grumbled in return, trying to ignore the heat in your chest.

You’d had a crush on Eddie since last year when you were paired up in History for your final project. Your sessions in the school library had become the highlight of your week pretty quickly after you realized how kind and funny he was, how brown his eyes were, and how they really sparkled whenever he spoke of something he was passionate about (which was never history, but you would let it slide because you loved his smile). You didn’t even mind that he gently teased you about your favorite song, Flaco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” and promised to “teach you about real music.” After passing the final project with flying colors, Eddie had gifted you a mixtape with a shy smile and pink cheeks “Just to say ‘thanks,’ you know, for helping me pass. I might not graduate this year, but I don’t have to repeat this class again and that was all because of you. But here’s your first lesson on real music, Amadeus.” Before you could say anything, he kissed your cheek and turned away, letting you get swallowed by the moving bodies of the hallway. And Robin, who you’d befriended while working at the mall over the summer (you worked at the lingerie store right next to Scoops Ahoy) had been your first confidante about your feelings. Steve, bless him, had guessed correctly after you came into the ice cream shop moping one Wednesday after you’d watched Eddie flirt with the bartender (again) at The Hideout during a Corroded Coffin gig. And then he was offering his “advice,” too, and telling you that your secret was safe with him, even if he didn’t really understand your feelings for “The Freak.” At all.

The feelings that hadn’t faded for over a year.

Steve and Robin hadn’t judged you, as so many others would, and you had earned Robin’s secret in return, an easy friendship blossoming right before the mall burnt down. As your senior year started and you once again found yourself at Eddie’s side more often than not in the hallways and shared classes and your easy comradery with the three-peat senior developed into inside jokes and more mixtapes disguised as ‘lessons,’ Robin and Steve had always encouraged you to at least try. And you never did. You’d rather have him as a friend than nothing at all. And he was…he was your friend. A good friend who always smiled at you from the stage at The Hideout, who seemed to actually do his homework when you jokingly said you wouldn’t hug him anymore, who always made you smile when you had a shit day. Confiding in each other about your shitty parents (his were felons, yours were drug addicts) and then being raised by others had been another thing that bonded you. You had your aging grandparents and Eddie had Wayne but you both knew that it was different. Always. He’d hold your hand when you cried about feeling like you were missing something and you always told he’d amount to more than his parents when he struggled, too. You were there for each other in ways your other friends couldn’t understand. And that almost made it worse.

“All I’m saying is that he is obviously into you. Like a lot. But maybe wait until we aren’t in the sixth circle of hell to act on it.”

“This isn’t the sixth circle…this would be, like, the tenth. I think.”

Robin smacked the back of her hand into your arm with a pointed look “You’re avoiding the topic.”

“I’m avoiding nothing except these stupid vines!”

Eddie jogged to your side with a tired smile. “Hey, think we’re getting close to the Wheeler house?”

You nodded and glanced ahead where Nancy was leading the way, ignoring how Robin pinched at your side. A quiet shout of Robin’s name had you all turning and Steve was waving her back to his side and she darted away, leaving you alone with Eddie. Heat bloomed in your chest as he smiled at you, as it always did. A comforting warmth like settling in front of a roaring fireplace on a cold winter’s night.

Eddie knocked his shoulder into yours as you all continued on, another smile on his face. Only Eddie would be able to smile in a place like this. “You know, I’m glad you’re here with me in all of this.”

And now you had to smile, too, despite everything. “In the Upside Down?”

He blushed and stuttered something unintelligible before knocking his shoulder into yours again, pulling a quiet laugh from you. “Yeah, next time we have to fight monsters, I’ll make sure we’re at Enzo’s.”

“It’s a date.” As soon as the words left your mouth, you wanted to shove them back down your throat. Dammit. “I mean, you know, not a date, but yeah, we can keep fighting monsters together.” You winced at your messy jumble of words. Great. “I’m…For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here with me, too.”

**1996**

“What do you mean you didn’t listen to any of their music?” Robin asked, taking your hot chocolate away from you.

“I tried! But then he started singing about this person’s pretty eyes and wanting them to leave lipstick stains on his throat and I turned it off.” You sounded like a petulant child but you couldn’t help it. Hearing about how Eddie wanted something like that with someone who obviously wasn’t you hurt. It ached like a dull knife twisting between your ribs. The years hadn’t lessened the pain at all.

Robin and Nancy looked at each other, some silent communication that had you gritting your teeth. And then Jonathan patted your shoulder like you were some sort of idiot. “You really should have listened to it.”

“It wouldn’t change anything,” you muttered. “It has been ten years. Look at him.” Waving a hand at the ever growing crowd around Eddie, you tried to ignore the burn of tears at the back of your eyes. “He is a rock star. How many Grammy’s does he have?” (You knew he had two.)

Despite avoiding listening to any of his music, you had watched his meteoric rise to fame with a bittersweet happiness. It was what he deserved after everything. Being accused and then cleared of murder actually seemed to bolster his image as a rock god and helped Corroded Coffin land their first record deal. There was always a quip about it in every magazine or gossip rag that interviewed him or ran an article with his face at the center. It was part of his “mystique” as one journalist called it.

And the town that had always hated him now celebrated his success as their own. There were former football players and cheerleaders waiting their turn to get his autograph or take a picture with him, arm slung over his shoulder as if they were old friends. As if they hadn’t tried to hunt him down after Jason fucking Carver branded him a vessel for Satan. The lights caught on his hair, shining and soft, and a little shorter than it had been in school. Red then green then red again. Still so handsome. Even more so now, with a bit of stubble lining his jaw. He’d always be handsome, wouldn’t he?

Just as Bing Crosby started to croon, a woman with an orange tan stepped onto the small stage and tapped the microphone. “Hi everyone! My name is Tina-”

“We’d never forget you, Tina!” Someone shouted from the middle of the crowd.

She laughed and the microphone protested, screeching with feedback for a moment. “Well, as head of the Hawkins Alumni association, I welcome you all back to Hawkins. Can you believe it’s been ten years?”

As she prattled on, you and your friends grabbed seats at a table toward the back. She started to go through a slideshow of pictures from your senior year, taking an overly dramatic pause “in remembrance” for “Jason’s” victims and everyone else who died or was injured during the earthquake. Nancy’s foot knocked into yours beneath the table and you both rolled your eyes as Tina wiped a tear from her eye. Then, to your horror, she clicked onto the next slide that was a picture of you, holding Eddie’s leather jacket, exiting the hospital covered in bruises and blood and the grime of the Upside Down and patched up like a terrible pantomime of healthcare.

“But we have always been a class of survivors!” She continued on, speaking about the “tragedies” that befell Hawkins as if she knew anything about them. It was all a dull roar in your ears as she clicked through a few more pictures of the town being rebuilt. She’d just glossed over one of the worst days of your life as if it was nothing. Just another picture for her welcome speech.

“I need some air.”

Nancy squeezed your arm as you stood, slipping out of the room without a look back.

**1986**

You handed Dustin his nail-riddled shield and watched him and Eddie pretend to block invisible enemies, laughing with each other. You wanted to join in. Wanted to laugh and revel in being alive a little longer but the sinking feeling in your gut kept you from doing anything other than continuing to batter nails in through a trashcan lid and hope it would be enough.

Would it be enough?

Even if you all lived through this, would the alibi you and Nancy cooked up to cover for Eddie be enough? It was already set in motion when the police had questioned you after Fred’s death and you made no mention of Eddie, but would they believe you?

“Hey.”

You looked up, fingers curled painfully around the hammer, to see Eddie standing in front of you. The dying sunlight framed him, casting an ethereal glow around him and piercing your chest. Beautiful.

He moved to sit on the carton beside you, knee bumping yours as he swiveled toward you. “Gonna tell me what’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours, Amadeus, or should I guess?”

Despite everything, you felt your lips curling up the slightest bit at the sound of the ridiculous nickname. “Guess.”

He hummed, stroking his chin with a dramatic flair. “You’re wondering if I have any weed on me and the answer is yes.” Then he pulled a (decidedly damp) baggie from the pocket of his jacket and dropped it onto your lap. “I wouldn’t smoke that though. I’m not entirely sure what lake water and…those spore things have done to it.”

You tossed the bag back to him and he almost caught it. “Try again.”

And so, he tried again and again, his guesses getting more ridiculous as the time passed until you were giggling, heart a little lighter and the final shield finished.

“Would the fair maiden take pity on her poor jester and tell him what made her so sad?” He asked, his warm hand curling over your knee and squeezing twice.

Tears stung your eyes as you shook your head. “Just worried, ‘s all. Worried about Max. Worried about Robin. Worried about Nancy. Worried about Dustin. Worried about Lucas. Worried about Steve. The only person I’m not worried about is Erica—she’s going to rule the world one day, I know it.”

“Worried about me?”

And that just about broke you. “’Course I’m worried about you, Eddie. I’m always worried about you. Even without Jason and Vecna looming over everything, of course I worry about you.”

He squeezed at your knee again until you looked at him and then he was reaching out to cup your face, thumbs gently swiping against the slope of your cheeks. “Always, huh?” His grip didn’t falter even as you nodded. “Well, it sounds like you have enough to worry about, don’t need to add me to your list.”

“Eddie-”

“Hey.” Gently, he angled your face up so he could look at you properly, dark eyes staring into yours. “I promise you, I’m going to be fine. And you are, too. All of us are getting out of this.”

“Promise?” You whispered, the syllables cracking in your throat as your shaking hand covered his.

Eddie leaned forward to press his forehead to yours, your eyes fluttering shut. “I promise.”

**1996**

One look out the window let you know that this snowstorm was probably one for the history books. Giant white flakes were falling in a rush from the dark sky, already sticking to the sidewalks and hazing the light of the lampposts. The outdoor Christmas trees just a few feet outside the window were nearly covered, too, the snow making their lights glow like candles. It was pretty. Sure, you’d grown accustomed to the holidays in New York, but snow in Hawkins during the holidays? Almost nothing could beat it.

Nat King Cole’s voice echoed down the hall, providing a soft melody to the quiet moment, and nearly had your wounded heart calming. Nearly.

The door opening behind you pulled a sigh from your throat, expecting to hear one of your friends call out to you. Instead you heard a loud giggle and the tapping of heels against the linoleum tiles, steps unsteady and uneven. Nancy knew how to sprint in heels and Robin didn’t own anything other than sneakers and brightly colored flats so it wasn’t them-

“-can’t believe how she just got up and left!”

“I know! So rude!”

While obviously drunk, the women who probably called you names in high school for being a little socially awkward and not having the newest clothes, were not high on your list of potential “catch-ups.”

God. Why did you even come here? All the people you wanted to keep in touch with from high school, you already did. You had a small group of them in New York and you had scheduled phone calls with Steve and the kids, too. You didn’t need to come here. You definitely should not have.

But it didn’t matter now anyway. As the voices grew louder, you skittered further down the hall and wrenched open the nearest door and all but threw yourself inside, leaving the door open just enough to let a bit of light in, waiting to hear the women pass. You nearly stepped onto a tangle garland as you slunk into the shadows. The closet was filled with extra decorations. Stockings, wreaths, and tangled bundles of lights lined the shelves and had you flinching as something snapped beneath your shoe.

“Oh, but did you see Eddie?” One of the women asked. You immediately hated her tone. It sounded like something you’d accidentally come across late at night, when a few of the channels played more risqué films.

“How could I miss him?” There was a strange noise, it almost sounded like groan. Was it supposed to be a moan? “If I had known he’d be a rock star and looked like that, I wouldn’t have called him a freak in high school.”

“Oh, shut up Carol, yes you would’ve! Probably just not to his face!”

Their answering cackles echoed down the hall and you grimaced behind the door—the one small victory was that they seemed to be walking away from you, rather than toward. Still, you didn’t understand how people could still be so needlessly cruel. Eddie had always been handsome. Always. And he’d never been a freak. He just liked his roleplaying game and making his music. Sure, he was outspoken and a little abrasive to some…but he was a good man. He had always been a good man.

And those women obviously learned nothing from how they’d treated him in high school.

Your forehead knocked against the door as you continued to hold it barely open, and you tried to suck in a steadying breath. You never should have come. Even without talking to him, Eddie was still looming like some sort of Ghost of Christmas Past.

You sounded pathetic, didn’t you? It had been ten years since you’d parted ways and lived separate lives. You were one of the curators up at the Met in New York; your dream job in a vibrant city. You were paid well and had an ironclad support system with your friends. But Eddie still ached, a pain with a beautiful face. Wasn’t it time you moved on?

Yes. It had to be. (But how many times had you told yourself that?)

Straightening your shoulders, you moved to open the door only to have the knob ripped out of your hand as the door was thrown open and then you were all but shoved into a stack of wreaths and the door shut with a sharp snap.

“Jesus!” You nearly shouted, scrambling to stay upright in the dark and only mildly succeeding, your palm slapping against a shelf and toppling a neat stack of ribbons.

“Oh shit. Sorry!” A familiar voice answered and your heart leapt.

In the dim light of the closet, you recognized the curls and the soft cut of his jaw. “Eddie?”

**1986**

“Don’t try to be cute.” Steve’s warning only made you roll your eyes, pushing at him to rejoin Nancy and Robin.

“You’re the one who managed to accessorize before going into battle, Harrington. You’re cute enough for the both of us.”

Steve huffed and tugged at your wrist to press a hard kiss to your forehead. “Take care of Dustin, okay? Take care of both of them.”

“I will. Take care of my girls, too.”

“Hey, Steve?” You both turned at the sound of Eddie’s voice to see him take a few steps forward, mouth set in a firm line. “Make him pay.”

Steve nodded, intentions clear. But, just before he turned back toward Nancy and Robin, he reached for you again. “Tell him. Tell him and fight like hell so you can actually do something about it.”

And god…you wanted to scoff, tell him that now as definitely not the time for confessions of any kind. You were trying to stay alive! But you couldn’t scoff. Couldn’t roll your eyes. All you could do was tap at his chest with a grimace you hoped looked like a smile. “Stay safe, Steve. Come back. All of you. We’ll see you on the other side.”

Then, he was jogging back to the others while you turned to see Eddie and Dustin waiting for you. And their hopeful smiles were a knife between your ribs. “Let’s get this started, okay?” You said, clapping your hands together. As you busied yourself with trying to fortify the Upside Down version of the Munson trailer, you tried to tell yourself that this was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine. In a few hours, you could walk into the police station, clear Eddie’s name and no one would realize how close you all came to apocalypse.

But it didn’t feel right. Didn’t feel…safe.

“Hey…”

You nearly jumped out of your skin when a warm hand closed over yours, halting your attempt to screw in a bit of sheet metal over a window. Your next breath wheezed out of you as you looked into Eddie’s molten brown eyes. “Eddie.”

“You okay?”

“I’m, yeah, I’m fine. As fine as we can be, about to provide an absolutely insane distraction so our friends can kill an interdimensional super villain. Yeah. Fine.”

Eddie stepped a bit closer, gentle hands sliding up your arms to cup around the back of your neck, pulling you closer to rest his forehead against yours again. “I made you a promise, didn’t I? We are going to be fine.”

You could tell him right now. Just open your mouth and say it. But the words turned to molasses at the back of your throat and you could only nod, tugging at the bottom of his vest and zipping it up properly.

“C’mon, sweetheart. We’ve got a concert to play.”

**1996**

“What’re you doing in a closet?”

“What are you doing in a closet?” You quickly retorted, embarrassed heat starting to curl around your throat.

“If I had to take one more picture with someone who called me a freak in high school, I might actually set something on fire.”

You laughed, clapping your hands over your mouth before the noise could truly escape. “Jesus, sorry. I thought you…were doing well.”

“I just needed a break.” You could hear the exhaustion dripping from each letter. “Gimme a crowded stadium any day over that.”

Before you could do anything else, you were nearly knocked onto your ass by Eddie abruptly turning and throwing his arms out, fingers dragging against the wall in search of something. “What’re you doing?”

“I need a light. I want to talk to you in the light—need to see your face.”

Oh, the heat was nearly suffocating now. He could still make you feel like a teenager. When it seemed he wouldn’t be finding the switch, you went to open the door and then felt your heart drop to your toes. “Eddie.”

“What, Amadeus?”

Despite the smile you felt pressing at your lips, muscle memory and Eddie’s ineffable charm slotting between your ribs like a missing piece of a puzzle, dread pricked at the back of your mind. For good reason. “I think we’re locked in.”

Eddie was quiet for a moment before his warm, guitar-string-roughened hand closed over yours as it continued to jiggle the door knob and then he tried, too. “Shit.”

“Shit,” you agreed.

“J-just hang on.” He stepped back and you heard him rummaging blindly in the dark before twinkling white light nearly blinded you. Somehow, he’d found a strand of Christmas lights and an outlet, illuminating the cramped closet in their butter yellow light. “There we go,” Eddie said, sounding more than a little pleased with himself. He stood straight, still holding the bundle of lights like something precious. His dark brown eyes reflected the soft light, almost making them sparkle.

And your poor heart could scarcely handle it.

“God, Amadeus. It’s been too long.” He moved forward like he wanted to do something else, maybe hug you, but stopped short.

Your smile faded as you glanced down to the cluttered floor beneath your shoes. “Yeah, um, ten years or so. B-but you’ve done well for yourself, Mister Rock Star.”

Eddie’s cheeks bloomed with color but he did not look away. “You listened to my music?”

If the world could open up and swallow you whole, you would appreciate it. But apparently Hawkins had had enough of earthquakes and you were forced to tell Eddie the truth, your feet on solid ground, in a small closet filled with Christmas light. “I…I couldn’t.”

His smile wavered. “Oh.”

“I-it isn’t that I think you make bad music. I actually quite like it! It…it is just…” God. Stupid. So stupid.

“You still prefer your pop nonsense, yeah?” Eddie drawled, dropping the bundle of lights onto a shelf.

“I mean, yeah, but tha-that isn’t what I’m trying to say!” You turned away from him, trying not to hate yourself more. You missed the days when you could talk to him easily. You missed the early days after everything blew over and the gates were finally closed and you’d talk for hours on the phone after you settled at NYU, trying to keep each other up-to-date on the happenings in your lives. They’d been a highlight of your week, dashing to the phone in your dorm at exactly six o’clock to make sure you’d never miss the call. But the calls had dwindled after Corroded Coffin’s first single topped the charts. You tried not to feel rejected when he missed more and more calls. But the nail in the metaphorical coffin had been when Wayne, good and sweet Wayne, had picked up the phone and told you, gently, that Eddie was going on tour and wouldn’t be back again. You received a postcard here and there after you graduated from university, from different cities around the globe where Corroded Coffin was touring. The ink would be smudged and faded by the time it got to you, but you kept all of them just the same. Pressing your fingers against the messy handwriting, stilted letters saying he missed you, as if that would be enough. And it never was. And then those stopped, too. He’d left you behind.

“You just have it all, Eddie. And I don’t know how you ever...” The words trailed off and you shook your head. None of this mattered now. He’d moved on. You were a ghost to him, too. Fruitlessly, you tried to open the door again with the same result: you were still locked in. And then the closet was too small, too warm all at once. The handle jiggled uselessly in your grasp. Were the walls inching closer? Had the lights caught fire? “Can you open this lock?”

“Just because I can hotwire a car, doesn’t mean I can pick a lock, Amadeus.” There was almost a hint of a tease in his tone. Almost. “Must’ve missed that lesson.”

You nodded, eyes trained on the unopened door. “Right. Sorry.” You needed to be let out. Needed to run far, far away before you made a complete ass of yourself.

“Good to know what you think of me.”

You turned abruptly, nearly falling—again—as you reached for him with uncoordinated fingers. “That isn’t what I’m saying, Eddie! I…” The words were sticky toffee at the back of your tongue. Unmovable and hard. “I…”

“Why didn’t you listen to my music?”

**1986**

Everything had gone wrong in a matter of moments. You had watched, heart in your throat, as Eddie played his heart out—you recognized the song. It had been on the tape he’d given you just last week.

Lesson 17

was scrawled across the shell’s spine alongside a smudged demon. Eddie had been glorious and every inch a rock star and the plan had worked and it still all went to shit.

The bats were coming too fast. There were too many of them. You and Eddie all but shoved Dustin up the knotted rope and then Eddie made sure you went up next. But then he had the stupid, beautiful, tragic idea that he needed to be a hero. He was already a hero. Had always been a hero. But he still cut the rope as you and Dustin yelled and pleaded for him to stop.

He didn’t.

Then you were dragging the small table near the door under the gate and leaping leaping leaping until you could grab at the edge and haul yourself up and through. The world swam in front of your eyes as your skull bounced on the dirty floor but you still got to your feet and rushed out with a scream of Eddie’s name. Bats swarmed in the distance, too preoccupied with something else in the distance—and you knew exactly what it was…or who.

The first bat nearly took you off your feet with a screech, tail looping around your ankle. But you pushed forward, even as another tore at your neck and another burrowed between your jacket and your shirt and ripped through the fabric like a red-hot knife through butter. But you only saw Eddie. You continued to push through until you could fling yourself over his prone form. The serrated teeth of the demobats continued to try to devour you both as you tucked Eddie’s face into your neck and hope it was enough. Even in your scrambled state, you tried to keep the important parts covered.

And you hoped.

Because that was all you could do aside from scream.

Blood coated the back of your throat, either from the force of your screams or from the blow to the face you’d taken earlier. But it didn’t matter when you heard the bats suddenly go silent before falling to the ground in a terrible downpour. The last one hit the ground with a splat and you were surging to your knees to look Eddie over.

“C-can you stand for me?” You asked as you knelt beside him, already shoving your hands beneath his shoulders.

Eddie struggled for a moment, blood-caked teeth gritting, before falling back to the ground. “Just…give me a minute.”

This was not good. Not good. Even if the bats dying meant that the plan might’ve worked, Eddie was still… You shifted, putting his head in your lap as you pressed down against the larger of the bites on his chest, feeling his blood soak your skin immediately. “Take all the time you need, okay? I’m not…I’m not leaving without you.”

Eddie made a noise. It almost sounded like a laugh. “Was just trying to buy more time.” Each word had his chest heaving.

“You were trying to be a hero, Eddie,” you almost scolded. “You didn’t need to do that. Y-you were already a hero. You already helped.” Tears started to blur your vision but you blinked them back, trying to keep him in your sight even as the strange spores, the bastardized Upside Down version of snow, started to coat you both. You wouldn’t take your eyes away from him. Not now. “Silly boy.” You pulled him a little closer, trying to ignore how slick your hands felt, pressing tighter against whatever you could reach. “You made me a promise, Eddie,” you whispered. “You promised.”

“I know.” The words were garbled. Wet. Teeth stained red. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

The tears stung and burned but you didn’t have the energy to will them away this time. He could feel it, too. “Dust-Dustin’s on his way. He can help. And Steve an-and Nancy and Robin. They’ll be here soon, too.”

Eddie nodded and you could feel his next breath stutter and stall beneath your hands. “I’m…I’m glad it’s you with me.”

“Eddie. Don’t. Don’t talk like that,” you pleaded, voice cracking. Your vision blurred even as you pressed tighter, crimson bleeding across white. You just needed him to hold on a little longer. Just a little longer. You could help him get better if you just had a little more time. “You’re going to be fine. You have to flip off Higgins, remember?”

“Y-yeah, Amadeus. I remember.” He sighed and his dark eyes found yours through your tears. “But at the end of the world? I’m glad I get to see it with you.”

“We can see everything together. Okay? Anything you want, we can go see it together.”

He nodded and then a shaking, bloody finger reached up to barely graze against your neck before falling back down to the ground. “You’re hurt.”

The adrenaline was keeping most of it at bay, you were sure. The bats had done a number on you. But right now? Right now it didn’t matter. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Eddie’s mouth opened, some retort on his tongue but all that came out was a wet wheeze and you felt his heartbeat stutter beneath your palm. “Eddie, no, Eddie, no, no, no. You gotta stay with me, okay? Stay with me!” You pressed harder at his chest and looked out to the grey horizon, hoping to see your friends, hoping to see some sort of salvation. “Help me,” you screamed. “Help!”

But all you saw was the strange snow.

**1996**

It was a simple enough question, wasn’t it? Why didn’t you listen to his music? Maybe now really was the time to move on. Your hand slipped from the doorknob and you crossed your arms over your chest as if that would protect you or offer comfort. Bing Crosby was singing now, muffled behind the door.

“You are a rock star, Eddie. I always knew you’d make it. Always. You were destined to be one of the good ones, one of the greats. Do you remember me bribing the guy at The Hideout just to let me in because I was underage? I just wanted to listen to you play. I wanted to see you the happiest I’ve ever seen you. I sang every song. I studied every mixtape you gave me like my life depended on it. And then you…made it. You made it, Eddie. And you left me behind.”

Eddie’s face fell, all traces of anger draining away in a second. He murmured your name.

But you weren’t done. “And I told myself that it was okay. It was okay because I just wanted you to be happy. And I thought I could, I don’t know, move on or something. I got my dream job. I live in the best city in the world. I have good friends and my grandparents finally got out of this shitty town and are living it up in Albuquerque.” You hadn’t even realized you were crying until Eddie reached out to you, gentle yet roughened fingers pressing at your cheeks to catch your tears. And your poor heart stuttered at the simple touch. How long had it been since he’d touched you like that? “And I heard about your adventures through Jonathan or Steve. Nancy even did an editorial on your band the first time you headlined at Madison Square Garden, remember that? But you never asked for me. Never reached out.”

“That’s not fair,” he said, still holding you close. His voice was low but strained, like he wanted to pull away but couldn’t force himself to do so, as if his fingertips had seared themselves to you. “You could’ve asked any of them for my number, my address, anything-”

“You were the one who stopped taking my calls, Eddie.” The simple sentence was ripped from your throat between sobs, over a decade finally cracking open. “And then you were singing about girls leaving lipstick stains on your throat and it would never be me. Never me no matter how much I loved you.”

Eddie’s face twisted and something you didn’t understand flittered across his face, something almost like heartbreak. Something almost like betrayal. Something almost like self-loathing. “You think I don’t-”

And then the door opened.

**1986**

Hawkins had been ripped open. While Vecna had been killed by Nancy and Eleven, he’d made one last ditch effort to bring the Upside Down to your world and had cracked open three gates; earthquakes shattering the small town.

Max’s knee was broken and she’d need physical therapy to walk normally again.

Lucas had a concussion from his showdown with Jason.

Steve needed a skin graft.

You were finally able to pull the three dozen stitches out of your skin after a few weeks but the doctor’s harried voice had echoed cruelly in your mind, “if that cut had been any deeper, you would’ve been dead in seconds.” Comforting. You’d been all but shoved onto a hospital bed and rubbed down with alcohol pads before dozens of stitches were sewn through your skin and you were told to leave to make room for others. The hospital had been a mad house when you’d stepped out into the hall, filled to bursting with people needing attention, battered and bruised and bleeding.

But it had been okay. It had been okay because your little ragtag team of friends had won and Eddie was alive and he gave you a slow, sleepy smile as you slipped into his room. “Hey, Amadeus.” He didn’t seem to care about the handcuff chaining him to the bed.

It didn’t last long, anyway. Your and Nancy’s alibi, Jason’s mysterious disappearance, his goons’ ramblings about seeing Max lift into the air, coupled with the well-timed reappearance of Chief Hopper helped the town begrudgingly accept that Eddie was innocent. There were still whispers, of course. Some thought that Eddie used his “satanic powers” to possess Jason into killing Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick, but you made it no mind after the cuff around his wrist was removed and you sat in his room, waiting for him to wake up between surgeries. You passed the time by doing the take home work your teachers had given you with the promise that if it was completed, it would take the place of any final exams and you’d graduate with no problems. Then, when that was finished, you did Eddie’s stack, too. You met his Uncle Wayne and he gave you a small smile when you introduced yourself, like he knew something you didn’t. He had been the one to give you Eddie’s jacket, saying he knew you’d keep it safe, on the first night at the hospital.

“He’s gonna be mad when he learns you did all that for ‘im.”

You shrugged and took the proffered hot chocolate he got for you at the hospital cafeteria. “He can be mad at me all the way across the graduation stage.”

“He did say you were a stubborn, sweet thing.”

The pencil nearly fell from between your fingers and you gaped up at Wayne before looking at Eddie at the bed, looking healthier by the day and just out of his third surgery. “He said that?”

Wayne only gave you that same, secretive smile. It was the same smile he gave you as Eddie dragged you over to take a picture, your green graduation caps and gowns shining in the summer sunlight. Your grandparents were close behind, each brandishing a camera and telling you to smile. It was redundant as you hadn’t stopped giggling since Eddie flipped off Higgins, as he’d promised. But, just as Wayne raised his camera, Eddie pressed a kiss to your cheek and knocked the breath out of your lungs.

“That’s a framer,” your grandfather said, clapping Wayne on the back and inviting them to a celebratory lunch.

Their acceptance was on the tip of their tongues—you knew it—but a man in a dark suit loomed at your side and drew everyone’s attention. “Edward Munson?”

Questions upon questions ricocheted in your mind. Who was this man? Was Eddie in trouble? What-?

He held out a small card with a smile, looking at Eddie over the rim of his probably-expensive sunglasses. “I’ve heard good things about you and your band.”

**1996**

The two hulking figures you’d spotted earlier were crowding the doorway and all but pushed you aside to reach for Eddie. You stumbled, elbow knocking against one of the shelves and pain rippled up your arm with a hiss. “Jesus.”

Eddie was quick to grab at your other arm, trying to keep you stable and you hated how you liked how warm he felt, even through the thick bulk of your sweater. “Guys, c’mon, be carefu-”

But they paid you no mind. “The party’s over, boss. You can get your dick wet later. We gotta get out of here before…” The rest of the sentence was drowned out in the scuffle as he was yanked out of the closet and into the surprisingly busy hallway. Elvis was warbling about a Blue Christmas but you barely heard it over the bustle of everyone leaving in a rush. You blindly stepped out into the hall, feeling like someone had stuffed rumpled tissue between your ears. The entire world felt off kilter as someone ran by you, knocking into your shoulder. What was Eddie going to say? Why had finally telling him how you felt leave you aching?

A hand wrapping around your arm pulled you from your reverie and you looked up to see Steve Harrington giving you a familiar, soft smile. “Time to go, sweetheart. The others are waiting.” He quickly explained that Robin called him, asking him to pick them all up after all the taxis (not that there were many in Hawkins) had refused to take them anywhere in the storm.

As soon as the others reached your and Steve’s side, a feat considering the mad rush toward the door, he was all but shepherding you out to the startlingly white parking lot, the snow now up to the middle of your calves. Robin claimed the passenger seat, leaving you, Jonathan, and Nancy to squish into the back seat. The others chattered about how ridiculous the reunion was as you all waited your turn in the long line to exit the parking lot, more than a few cars already sliding or getting stuck in the snow. Steve was patient enough. You knew their conversation was mostly just to pass the time, to let you know they wouldn’t pry (yet), giving you an escape. You gave an anecdote or two, making them laugh when you mentioned how drunk everyone seemed to be. Steve nearly beamed as you commented on how nice the car seat digging into your leg was. “I read, like, six different books about what the best car seat was! The little lady loves it,” he said, using the nickname he was fond of for his daughter.

Robin was the first to be dropped off, after chattering about her PhD program, giving you all awkward hugs from her seat so you wouldn’t have to get out into the cold. She suggested that you all go to Paris the next time a reunion comes around, “you know, so I don’t want to contemplate murder again,” before scrambling out of the car and into her parents’ house. The snow had nearly blotted out the simple line of Christmas lights along the roof, but still shined through in twinkling greens and reds. You took her seat with a sigh, crawling over the center console as Steve shouted about seatbelts, sounding like the mom you knew him to be. Nancy leaned forward to press a quick kiss to your cheek as soon as Steve slowed to a careful stop in front of their hotel—they’d told you, repeatedly, that they were not about to stay at either of their family’s houses for the holiday, no matter how much they loved them. Jonathan squeezed your arm and the pair murmured their thanks to Steve and they reaffirmed the plans to get together with all the kids at the Byers-Hopper house tomorrow, weather permitting, for the party you knew had been planned for months.

That left you alone with Steve and it took exactly forty-two seconds for him to ask, “so, you and Eddie in a closet, huh?”

“It-it wasn’t as salacious as you’re thinking, Steve. We both went in there to hide—separately, you know—and then the door somehow got locked and it was just a…fucking mess.” Slowly, an embarrassed heat pooling in your neck, you told him everything about how you’d finally, pathetically, told Eddie what you’d felt for over a decade.

Fat, white flakes continued their downward parade and the windshield wipers provided a steady beat to your disjointed story until you fell back into your seat, drained and tired. You could spot a few Christmas trees lit up behind half-closed curtains, their decorations a festive break against the growing snow. You frowned as Steve clicked off the radio, Wham’s Christmas earbug suddenly halting. He leaned over and grabbed something from the glovebox.

“Steve?”

He popped a tape shell open and pushed it into the tape deck before tossing the shell onto your lap. You turned it over to see a familiar album cover—it was Corroded Coffin’s latest album. Will Byers had been the one to draw the artwork, filled with bats and broken guitars. “Just listen, okay?” Steve asked, hand on the volume dial.

It wasn’t as if you had a choice, was it? But maybe it was time to finally do it, another way to close the chapter. So, you nodded, and Steve cranked the dial as soon as he fast-forwarded enough to the song he wanted.

The music started low and then quickly roared with heavy guitar and bass and an incessant drumbeat. It was all Eddie. It was Eddie. It was all Eddie and your fingers almost hurt as you clutched the little plastic case. The lyrics were good, and you could imagine this song getting your stuck in your head for weeks, painting a story about the a looming apocalypse, something you knew well. Then, Eddie’s voice came through, clear as day with the chorus, “at the end of the world, I’m glad it’s you…”

Oh.

Oh.

Shaking fingers pressed to your mouth as the song continued on, filled with lyrics about blood and darkness and looming death…and the saving touch of someone’s hand.

“I’m glad it’s you…”

“I’m glad it’s you…”

You flipped the case over and cursed the tears that blurred your vision as soon as you spotted the name of the song. The only song it could be.

Amadeus, at the End of the World

It was for you. But then Steve ejected the tape and put another in before you could truly let it sink in, a million and one thoughts coursing through your mind.

“Remember when you held me close with bloodstained hands?” Eddie sang on another song.

“Remember when you kept me breathing?”

When that song finished, Steve switched to a different track.

“Who worries over you, my girl?”

“Let me be the one to feel your heartbeat…”

And then he switched to another tape, never taking his eyes off the road.

Through raucous rifts and a bassline you could feel rattling your bones, Eddie sang, “you’re sunlight sweet and I’m your freak-Just give me your lips!”

Steve clicked off the radio as the song ended and you wiped fruitlessly at your cheeks; the tears had started during the first song and hadn’t stopped. “I’m so dumb.”

“You both are,” Steve agreed with a smile. He even patted your arm in consolation. “He asked about you all the time and then swore us to secrecy about it. He kept saying that if you wanted to reach out, you would have.”

You sniffled, the burn of the bright snow blurring. “I didn’t have his number. I don’t even know where he lives.” There was a small mess of tapes and their shell cases in your lap by the time turned the Christmas music back on and you fiddled with each of them, as if the pieces of plastic would let you turn back time and make different choices.

“Don’t worry about that,” Steve said with a conspiratorial smile.

It was only then that you realized you weren’t anywhere near the hotel where you were staying. “Steve?” You were clear across town, actually, near the newer developments and high end houses that had been built after the earthquake and property prices had plummeted. Now, years later, you were told that these houses were easily worth over half a million dollars. Each were spaced out, with plenty of land, with brick and mortar mailboxes near the street.

“Just trust me.” He pulled down one of the long driveways and parked in front of a tasteful, craftsman-style home. Sparkling white lights were looped around the porch’s banisters and bloomed soft light across the growing snow. The large bay window near the front door had its curtains opens and a large tree was at its center, decorated with ornaments that looked homemade and adorable. But that wasn’t what caught your eye.

It was Eddie, adjusting the sparkling tree-topper as he chatted with someone you couldn’t see.

“He has a house here?” You asked, feeling even more stupid.

He shook his head. “He bought this place for his uncle after their first album won him that Grammy. Apparently, Wayne was almost too proud to accept it. But you know how stubborn Eddie can be.” He turned to you and gently squeezed your arm, comforting. “Go in,” Steve said. “I can come pick you up, if needed.”

You sniffled and nodded, giving him a watery thank you and another promise to see him tomorrow for the party, before climbing out, the tapes still in your hands. The snow crunched beneath your shoes and you nearly stumbled at the top step of the porch but continued on until you knocked at the front door. Your cheeks were cold but at least your tears had stopped. You must look a mess. But there was no turning back now. The door swung open a few moments later and Wayne stood in front of you, eyebrows pinched. As soon as he recognized you, he was quick to grab at your arm and urge you inside with a murmured, “now what’re you doin’ outside in this kinda weather?” Familiar affection dripped from each word. The door shut with a soft snap behind you. The inside of the house was beautiful and warm; a wall filled with hats and mugs almost had you tearing up again. Eddie must have never stopped buying him those for every birthday, Father’s Day, and Christmas. One of Burl Ives’ Christmas albums was playing on the record player in the corner and two mugs of hot chocolate were set on the table near the tree, steam curling above.

“I…” You rubbed at the end of your cold nose, jostling the tapes in your hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude-”

A smile started to push at Wayne’s face as he noticed what you were carrying and then glanced at something behind you. “Well, you know I’ve always been happy to see you. But I don’t think you’re here for me.” He waved a hand and you turned to see Eddie a few paces away. The light from the Christmas tree was behind him, making his curls and waves nearly glow. His dark eyes darted down to the jumble of tapes in your hands and then he looked back up at you.

“Can we talk?” You asked.

“‘Course we can, Amadeus.” Gently, he took your hand and pulled you into the living room. A handful of presents were under the tree and two stockings were hung over the roaring fireplace. Wayne, bless him, shut the door quietly and made himself scarce.

You sat on the edge of an overstuffed leather couch and Eddie settled beside you. One by one, he took the tapes out of your grip and set them on the cushion beside you before reaching out to curl one of his hands over yours. His thumb brushed over your knuckles softly, the simple touch making you shiver.

“Eddie, I…” You shook your head. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, ever. I-I just-”

His gentle grip tightened a fraction. “I think we both have been a little less than stellar at this.”

You laughed, a low raspy thing. Your other hand folded over his and you tried to keep your heart from lodging itself in your throat. “Did you mean all of it? All that stuff you sang?” Eddie moved a little closer on the couch and his knee knocked into yours. “Every word.”

“It’s been over ten years, Eddie,” you whispered, not moving your gaze away from his face. His dark eyes reflected the lights on the tree and you almost wanted to cry again. He’d always been so handsome.

Eddie raised your joined hands to press a kiss to your fingers and your poor heart hammered behind your ribs. “It’s always been you, Amadeus. It will always be you.”

You sniffled and winced but didn’t pull away. “God, I’ve cried too much today.”

Eddie, gentle as ever, dropped your hands to grasp your face and wipe your tears away. “I’ve never wanted to make you cry.”

You shook your head and sighed. “And I never wanted to hurt you, either. Those songs…god, all those songs, Eddie. They were beautiful.”

“Not your pop nonsense,” he teased, thumbs smoothing against the half-moons of skin beneath your eye. “But you like them?”

“Yeah,” you whispered. “I really did.” You paused, licking your lips. Now or never. And you didn’t want to wait another ten years. “I love you Eddie.”

He chuckled, low and soft and your heart jumped. “I know, Amadeus. You told me in the closet.”

A terrible, familiar heat burned at your throat and you went to pull away but Eddie’s grip tightened just enough to keep you still. “Eddie-”

“And I have loved you since you sat next to me in history class, humming that awful song. And I will write you another six hundred songs if it meant you finally believe me.”

He loved you.

He loved you.

He had always loved you.

“We certainly wasted enough time, didn’t we?”

He smiled and it’s as bright as the lights on the tree, near blinding. Heart stopping. Perfect. Then, slowly, he leaned and brushed his lips against yours. Finally, finally, finally. He tasted like peppermint chocolates and smoke. And it was fucking perfect.

**1997**

It was snowing again. The weatherman said to expect another six inches before dawn and for the roads to be a nightmare for a few hours, too, before the plows were able to clear everything up. But you didn’t mind. You adjusted the star atop your Christmas tree right before a familiar pair of arms looped around your waist. Lips skimmed up the back of your neck until you were giggling and squirming in his grip.

“We’re gonna be snowed in, sweetheart. Just you and me for days. Maybe even a week.”

You swatted at his hand with a laugh, loosening his hold just enough for you to turn around and sponge a kiss to his jaw with a hum. “Nice try, big shot. There’s no getting out of Nancy and Jonathan’s wedding tomorrow. It’s just up the street. We can walk.”

Eddie groaned, melodramatic, and pressed a lingering kiss to your temple. “Remind me why we have to go?”

“I am a bridesmaid and you are a groomsman. There’s also going to be lots of fancy food and all of our favorite people are already in town and will be there, too. You promised Nancy that you’d keep Dustin in check. You know how he gets about weddings.”

He sighed and you bit back a smile, knowing he was teasing. “I’m not convinced.”

So, you leaned closer and pressed another kiss against his jaw, and then another and another until you made your way up to his lips and steal a kiss there, too. Eddie chased your mouth to kiss you again, smiling against your lips. “And, my bridesmaid dress is really fucking sexy. If you’re good-”

“I’m always good,” he whined, halfheartedly pinching at your side just to make you squeak.

“-I’ll let you peel me out of it as soon as Nancy and Jonathan leave the reception. Deal?” You squealed as Eddie suddenly dove for your neck, kissing at the scar over your pulse. You sagged in his grip and moved to kiss the matching scar on his neck, too. It was a strange routine you’d settled into by accident. A gentle reminder of what you’d come through. Together.

“But what about tonight?” He whispered into your cheek, the beginnings of a smile pressing into your skin.

“Well, tonight…” You started to tug him away from the tree with a smile and toward your shared bedroom down the hall.

(Eddie’s plan worked. You hadn’t spotted the small box he’d hidden in the branches of the Christmas tree. He’d waited over ten years to finally call you his. He could wait a few days more.)

A/N: Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things #eddie munson #female reader

[bangtanstanst]

In Plain Sight

A secret relationship isn’t exactly easy to hide, especially not when you work together – and when you make the most of some alone time during a grocery run, you get a little careless. A little too much so, perhaps.

≽ pairing: jimin x reader ≽ genre: fluff, firefighters!au (no actual fires happen), established relationship, the relationship is also a sEcReT but do either of these adorable clingy idiots care? seems not (aka heads up: a ton of pda) ≽ warnings: none ≽ word count: 2.8k

anon requested: "We better not get caught." + Supermarket

a/n: hello friends!! I hope you're all doing well :D I'm so excited to finally upload this one, it's always fun to write overly sweet fluff hehe – I hope you enjoy it! :) I also want to thank the wonderful mars (used to be @jooneos) for betaing this fic💕

requests | masterlist

The supermarket is crowded right around the dinner rush; chatter fills your ears as you toss a crop of lettuce into your shopping cart, and you lean onto the bright red handle as you slowly push the cart ahead towards the colourful selection of bell peppers. With the cash registers so close to you, insistent beeps nag at your ears, joined by the sound of cartwheels hobbling over the slightly unevenly tiled floor. Softly humming a song that’s been stuck in your head since yesterday, you stop and wait for another customer taking their sweet, sweet time crossing in front of you. You absently run your finger along the collar of your dark blue work polo, needlessly making sure it’s straightened out.

“Hey, stranger.”

An arm wraps around your waist and a pack of tortilla wraps lands in your cart. You jolt out of your daze and smile as Jimin nuzzles his nose underneath your jaw, pressing his lips against your neck.

Letting out a content sigh, you bite your lip, trying to stay focused. You’re in uniform, you try to remind yourself. Your jacket hides the fire department logo on your chest, and his goes hidden underneath his coat – no one would know, really, but you both told yourselves you’d keep up a semblance of professionality when you started dating.

That turns out to be more easily said than done.

“Jimin,” you mutter, putting a hand over his wrist. You’re not quite able to push his arm away from around your waist. “Someone’s gonna see.”

He laughs softly. His breath fans over your skin and you shiver, your eyes fluttering closed for a moment. If you weren’t in such a public place, you’d be melting into him by now. “That would be one hell of a coincidence,” he replies, turning his hand to intertwine his fingers with yours. “We’ve never run into anyone here, let alone someone from work.” His thumb traces circles onto the back of your hand as he wraps his other arm around you as well. You’re already forgetting the point you were trying to make. “Plus, people hate looking at PDA– didn’t you see The Winter Soldier? We’re basically incognito.”

You can’t help but laugh. “As long as we stay like this, I’m guessing?”

He hums and presses a warm kiss to your neck, and your stomach does a small somersault. “Exactly.”

With another sigh, you lean into his touch for a moment before you untangle his fingers from yours and move to grip the handle of your shopping cart. The other customer has long passed you by – or fled from the PDA, if Jimin is indeed right – and the path towards the bell peppers is free now. “If only we didn’t have groceries to buy for our dear, dear colleagues,” you say a little more wistfully than you feel, pushing the cart forward.

Trying to, at least– Jimin seems to disagree with your plan to keep moving. With a soft whine, he tightens his arms around you to keep you from walking away, burying his nose into your shoulder.

You smile and turn to look at him. “We gotta get those bell peppers, babe.”

 “Gimme a minute,” he mumbles, his thumbs stroking circles into your hips. “I’m busy.”

With a laugh, you reach up to run your fingers through his soft, dark hair, brushing the nape of his neck as you lean into him. He hums in contentment, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” you start softly, lowering your hand to play with the soft, thin fabric of his sleeve instead. “But I don’t think doing PDA with a colleague you’re secretly dating is considered an acceptable use of your time.”

“Well, then,” Jimin returns as he slowly trails kisses from your neck to your jaw, his lips curling up into a smile against your skin. “We better not get caught.”

You can’t help but laugh, and you turn around in his arms to wrap yours around his neck. Jimin lifts his head to smile at you, his eyes crinkling in the corners – though you don’t get much of a chance to look at him before he nudges forward and rubs his nose against yours. His lips ghost over yours, teasing you, daring you to lean in and kiss him. In public. In the middle of a grocery store.

You’d simply be stupid to resist.

Jimin sighs softly as you press your lips to his, and you melt into his warmth. You run your fingers through his hair, gently scratching them down his neck. His hands press into your lower back, keeping you flush against him and –

A cart loudly clatters past you, and you’re suddenly reminded of where you are.

With a sharp breath, you pull away and bite your lip, sending Jimin a small smile. You swipe your thumb across his lips. “We should really get to those peppers.”

Jimin huffs and pouts teasingly, but slowly lets go of you. His hands linger on your hips for just a second before they drop back down to his side. “Can’t believe you’re trying to be professional when we’re not even at the station,” he mutters with a scowl – though you can see a smile breaking through.

You jokingly narrow your eyes at him, shaking your head in mock disappointment as you push the cart towards the vegetables. “Last time I checked, we’re still in uniform, babe,” you reply, stopping in front of the bell peppers.

He simply pouts in reply and you grin in amusement, grabbing a few peppers and tossing them into the cart. “But since we’re just on a grocery run…” he starts, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I can still do this, right?” He pointedly throws his arm around your shoulder.

You gasp dramatically. “Jimin, this is scandalous.”

“Hey, I’m only human,” he returns with a grin, drawing random figures on your upper arm. “One can only hold back so many kisses before they explode.”

You laugh. “Speaking from experience?”

He shrugs nonchalantly, his gaze flickering down to your mouth just briefly, and he licks his lips. “Maybe.”

You smile in amusement. “Thought so,” you mutter, leaning up to kiss him. It’s meant to be brief, really – but unfortunately, Jimin chases your lips when you pull back, his nose pressing into your cheek, his bangs brushing over your forehead as he wraps an arm around your waist once more. You sigh and give in, warmth spreading through you at his touch. Your hand sneaks around his neck as he playfully bites your bottom lip, and you laugh softly.

When he pulls back, a giddy smile curls at his mouth, and his eyes are brimming with fondness. You return the sentiment, gently rearranging the way his bangs fall over his forehead. Even though you’ve been dating for several weeks now, the newness of it all hasn’t faded for either of you.

You both have to work not to lean in again – he clears his throat and pulls the grocery list from his back pocket, frowning down at it. “So, chips next.”

With a soft smile, you take his hand in yours and turn the cart in the direction of the chips aisle. “We’ll catch up on those kisses once we get home.”

He grins. “Deal.”

The rest of your grocery run passes by too quickly – much to the chagrin of both of you, and certainly not for a lack of trying to draw things out – and you’re emptying your cart into the trunk of your car only fifteen minutes later. The sun is still high in the sky, beating down on the small parking lot; you’re grateful for the cool summer breeze, making it bearable enough to keep your jacket on. Huffing a stray strand of hair out of your vision, you step back from the car and turn to put the cart back at the entrance.

Jimin has other ideas.

“Babe,” he whines, dragging out the word as he closes the trunk of his car and locks it. He chases after you, wraps his arms around your waist from behind to keep you from crossing the parking lot. “Stop going so fast,” he says through a pout, and you can’t help the fond smile that pulls at your lips as he nuzzles his nose into your jaw. “I need to mentally prepare before we switch back to colleague mode.”

You smile, craning your neck to kiss him on the lips before you turn back to look around, making sure you’re not blocking any cars. “I think this is more of a physical preparation, but –”

You fall silent, and your heart drops.

Jimin simply laughs, kissing your neck– and you suddenly want to sink into the hot asphalt underneath your feet. “But what?”

You finally manage to unfreeze your limbs, and you pull at Jimin’s hands to make him drop them. “Jimin,” you whisper nervously. Your face heats, your heart pounding. “Jimin, colleague mode.”

“What? Wh–”

The rest of his question remains stuck in his throat when he looks in the same direction and jumps back a mile, leaving your back cold from where he’d been pressing up against you. His eyes are wide as he stares at Jungkook, who’s standing just a few steps away from you, halfway towards biting into a powdered donut. He’s in his civilian clothes, an all-black outfit with a black backpack to match. He returns your stare, seems as frozen as the two of you – as if he’s the one who got caught doing something that could mean serious repercussions.

“Hi,” you blurt out, blinking at him. You can’t gauge his reaction past the initial surprise etched into his features, and your pounding heart doesn’t make it much easier to think straight. “We were just…”

“We were getting groceries,” Jimin hastily fills in. “For dinner. At the station.” He clears his throat, his cheeks flushed red. It’s not exactly an excuse, but there’s really no way to explain this away– it’s not like you were caught in a simple hug.

Jungkook blinks and nods slowly. “Right,” he says, his gaze flickering between you and Jimin. He clears his throat, nods once more – the surprise seems to fade and he puts on a smile, though it’s still somewhat dazed. He slowly takes a bite of his donut, his cheek bulging slightly as he adds, “It’s… it’s nice to see you guys.”

“Ah, you– you, too,” you say quickly, your hands gripping the shopping cart handle so tightly that your knuckles turn white. What is he gonna say? Is he gonna tell everyone? Fuck, you’re gonna lose your job, aren’t you? Your life is over, it’s all over just like that. And all because you didn’t have an ounce of self-restraint.

With a smile, Jungkook nods quickly, his eyes still moving from Jimin to you and back at Jimin. “Well, uh…” He clears his throat, adjusts the strap of his backpack. “I’ll see you guys at shift change, then.”

He nods at the two of you once more, and you nod in response. Taking a step back, he slowly takes his phone out of his pocket, bites into his donut again – and before you can say anything, he turns and walks away.

You let out a sharp breath, putting a hand to your chest to feel your heart rabbit against your ribs. Jimin runs a hand through his hair and stares after Jungkook, worrying his bottom lip.

“He won’t tell anyone, will he?” you breathe out, glancing over your shoulder at Jungkook as he gets into his car, slamming the door closed behind him.

Jimin quickly shakes his head. His brows are furrowed when he turns to look at you. “No,” he replies, though he sounds unsure. His gaze flits over to Jungkook’s car. “No, he’s not like that,” he insists, shaking his head once more as he looks back at you. His frown remains etched into his forehead, though, and he nervously chews on his bottom lip. “Sorry, though.”

You raise an eyebrow at him, leaving the shopping cart be for the moment. “What?” you breathe out with a smile, reaching up to gently take his lip out from between his teeth. “Why are you sorry?”

He huffs. “Well, I got us caught, for one…” he says lowly, his voice trailing off into a mumble. “And we don’t even know for sure if he’s gonna –”

You squeeze his lips together to keep him from talking, and his sentence dies out in an instant. His eyebrows shoot up, his lips twitch up into a smile between your fingers. “We’ll text him before we get back to the station to make sure, and then that’s all we can do,” you tell him firmly. You’re pretending to be much more confident than you are, but you suppose there’s truly nothing else to be done. “Worst case scenario, we’ll have to rely on the captain’s level of chill,” you add with a grin, and Jimin laughs as you let go of his lips.

“Guess so,” he says, sighing softly. He tilts his head at you. His frown is still regretful, his eyes brimming with guilt.

You can’t help but soften at the look on his face – but you huff at him nevertheless. “Stop that,” you tell him, pushing at his shoulder before you grip the grocery cart once more. It rattles loudly as you push it towards the entrance. “Namjoon’s reasonable. As long as we keep putting out fires as usual, I think he’ll be fine with… us. And so will the others.”

Jimin follows you as you park the shopping cart in its designated spot. “I guess,” he says through yet another sigh, slinging his arm around your shoulder while you walk back to your car. You instinctively reach up to hold the hand dangling off your shoulder, intertwining your fingers with his. “Still.”

An amused smile pulls at your lips and you look up at him, an eyebrow raised. “What?”

He looks down at you, shrugs. “I just wish we didn’t have to worry at all,” he replies. Immediately, he clears his throat and averts his eyes, shakes his head sharply. “But, y’know…”

You hum and let out a soft sigh, leaning into him. “Me, too,” you return gently, coming to a stop at your car and reluctantly letting go of his hand. His arm tightens around you almost imperceptibly before he drops it back to his side and digs the car keys from his coat, unlocking the doors so you can slip inside. “But hey, it’s not like we don’t have any fun, right?” you add as you sink into the passenger seat, clicking your seatbelt into place. “Plenty of dates to be had in the safety of our apartments.”

Jimin bites his lip, but he can’t stop a bright grin from breaking out. He needlessly adjusts the rearview mirror. “Can’t say you’re wrong,” he replies, playing with the car key for a moment before he sticks it in the ignition.

“Back into colleague mode we go,” you say through a sigh.

His grin widens, and he holds up his hand for a high-five. With a laugh, you slap your hand to his – and before you can pull away, he grabs hold of your hand to pull you towards him, sneaking in a kiss that lingers even after he pulls away.

You sit back, pursing your lips to hold back a bashful smile, and you stare a hole into the windshield.

Jimin laughs softly. “Just had to fuel up,” he says with a smile as he starts the engine and pulls out of the parking spot.

You can’t help but snicker. “You sure that was enough, then?”

He hums and shrugs noncommittally. “It’ll have to be.” He glances at you as he pulls up to the parking lot exit, stopping just before he joins the road. His black hair shimmers in the summer sun, and it almost looks like he’s glowing. “Think we can handle four more hours?”

“Oh, please,” you say through a snort. “We can handle anything.” Jimin smiles and reaches out to take your hand in his again. He presses a kiss to your knuckles, sending a burst of warmth through you. “Four hours? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.”

He chuckles and turns right to join the road, the engine roaring as the car speeds up. “I don’t think we got any lemons, so that might be a little difficult,” he replies, glancing over his shoulder as if he can look into the trunk. “Piece of cake, maybe?”

You laugh, leaning your head back against your seat. He grins proudly in response – your chest bursts with fondness at the sight, and you can’t help but smile brightly as you look at him. “Didn’t get that either, but we can always bake one,” you offer.

A giddy smile curls at his lips, and he gives your hand a small squeeze. “It’s a date, then.”

You grin and nod firmly, letting your intertwined hands rest on your thigh. “It’s a date.”

a/n: ahh thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!! Don't hesitate to let me know what you thought, I'd love to hear from you :) I hope you have a wonderful day/night wherever you are!!💕💕

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#bangtanarmynet #networkbangtan #thebtswritersclub #bts fanfic #bts fluff #jimin fanfic #jimin fluff #jimin x reader #bts x reader #my fics #bts jimin fluff #bts jimin fic #bts imagines #bts fic #bts fanfiction #bts scenario #jimin scenario #jimin fic #jimin fanfiction #park jimin #bts jimin #bts scenarios #bts jimin fanfic #bts jimin fanfiction #bts jimin imagine #bts