#and the second she goes past him he immediately refuses to let her go.

[shoddynomenclature]

BG3: Reader is Kidnapped/Tortured

This one started as a Shadowheart oneshot, but I decided to expand it to include Lae’zel, Karlach, and Minthara as well.

Let me know your favorites! I’m looking to expand more of my stuff into one shots, so it’s good information to have!

Content Warning for torture (obviously)

Shadowheart

When the days adventuring party returns without you, her blood immediately runs cold. They didn’t just come back without and leave you out there right?

When they inform her that you’ve been taken by the cloister, her face goes pale.

It takes Karlach and Wyll on either side of her to get her eased down onto a bedroll and breathing regularly. You were gone.

And to make matters worse, Viconia DeVir had you in her grip. Even with her amnesia, she could recall just how cruel the woman was.

The party had made great strides in passively finding clues about the location of the House of Grief, but they were still yet to find it.

Finding it had now jumped from a passive priority to the single most important thing they could be doing.

Shadowheart spent most of that night weeping in frustration at her inability to remember. She had grown up there for gods sake. The past 40 years at least had been spent in that damned house.

In the end, it was actually Astarion who finally discovered the sanctuary’s location. It was decided that he and Shadowheart would be the two best suited to sneak in and retrieve you.

When they found you, you were lying on the house’s marble floor, chained up to rigs that came out of the ground. The chain around your neck only barely allowed you to sit up to look at your rescuers.

“Shadowheart? Shadowheart is that you?” You whispered into the dark room. You could only see two silhouettes, but the quaffed elven hair of Asterion and the pointy crown of Shadowheart gave it away.

You instinctively tried to rush towards her, only to be stopped by the strain of your restraints. It didn’t much matter though, because Shadowheart was at your side in a matter of seconds.

She stroke your cheek, paying special attention to cut that stretched across your face. She was quick to move around to other parts of your body, stopping to carefully examine each of your wounds. Your restraints left you unable to reach out to her in anyway.

“Shadowheart, please, you have to get out of here, now,” you nearly cry. “They’re looking for you.” Astarion joins the two of you on the ground, getting to work at picking the several locks that held you in place.

It takes her a moment to register what you were saying. Her first thought is an obvious refusal, she’s not going anywhere without you.

But then the implications of your words dawn on her. They took you because they couldn’t find her. All of this torture you’ve endured, you’ve done it to protect her.

“Please Shadowheart,” you beg. “I swear I didn’t tell them anything. You’ll be safe at camp, just please go.”

Her head spins with newly uncovered memories of the torture she inflicted before the Nautaloid. She remembers how the Sharrans go about getting information from people.

“Astarion, how are coming along on those locks?” she ignores your pleas in favor of getting you free. Your upper body is now free, but he seems to be having trouble with your ankles.

“Patience, darling,” he quips, nearly earning him a slap across the face from Shadowheart.

Within the minute the shackles drop from your ankles, leaving you free to stand up on shaking legs. Shadowheart gives you a quick healing spell before asking “do you think you can make it back?”

You nod, following her and Astarion back the way they came in.

You had never been more excited to see camp than you were in that moment. You laid down face first on the plush Elfsong mattress. You hadn’t slept at all the previous night, and being tortured really took it out of you.

Shadowheart sat on the bed next to you. The fact that you laid down on your stomach did not bode well for the condition of your back.

She tugged gently at the hem of your shirt. “Arms up, love,” she cooed. You whined and crossed your arms over your chest. You didn’t want to show her what they had done.

“If you truly will not show me, I will get Jaheira to look after you,” she reasoned. “But, please, let me take care of you.” The second part was more a plea than anything.

Reluctantly, you lifted your arms and allowed her to pull the shirt over your head.

She did her best to remain stoic. She had seen endless wounds like this. She had inflicted endless wounds like this. But against her will, a sob choked its way up her throat.

The same back she had spent so many nights tracing and trailing with kisses was now so raw and bloodied, she wondered for a moment if you had any skin left.

She used every last bit of energy healing the wounds. By the time she was done she had exhausted herself too much to even make it back to her own bed.

She spent the night curled up around your legs, resting her head on your lower back. Viconia was going pay for what she’d done, she’d make sure of it.

Lae’zel

Lae’zel isn’t the usually the tactical planning type, but when you’re captured by Vlaakith’s army, she realizes this isn’t a kick-down-the-front-door type of mission.

This does not, however, make her any more patient during the planning process. The githyanki could have you floating halfway through astral plane by now.

Luckily, the gith as a whole aren’t known for their subtleties, so you’re not hard to track down.

Protection is thankfully slim enough that the party can pretty much strong arm their way to you.

When Lae’zel finds you are bound by some magical device that was, as loathe as she was to admit it, beyond her level of expertise.

You were at least conscious, which was truly remarkable given your condition. All your clothes were torn and bloodied, but the most concerning and blatant wound came for the side of your head.

Almost the entire left side of your face was completely covered in dried blood, all leading back to the gash on the side of your head that was once your left ear.

Lae’zel cursed, pointlessly kicking the arcane barrier.

You could see her shouting at Gale. Presumably she was impatiently rambling about freeing you, but you couldn’t make out what she was saying through the barrier.

All you saw was a long dagger that she pulled from her belt before storming off in the direction of your now dead captors.

Lae’zel was still gone when the party finally figured out how lower the barrier around you.

You stumbled out onto your knees and immediately found yourself surrounded by the party’s healers.

Lae’zel came stomping back moments later, carrying a small wooden bucket she didn’t have before. Likely she just found it somewhere around the gith camp.

She dropped the bucket at your feet without a word, leaving you to examine the contents for yourself.

You looked down into the bucket to find a dozen or so fleshy green ears.

You look back up at her, not sure whether to be honored or disgusted.

The smug look on her face let you know that this was certainly a gift she was proud of, so honored it is.

“Thank you. It’s nice to have plenty of choices when it comes to choosing my replacement.”

Karlach

Karlach really does try to be tactical most of the time, but you’ve been taken by none other than Lord Gortash himself.

And the idea that you are gone and she is here, at camp, while the others make a plan of how to rescue you? She can hardly contain herself.

She paces around camp, leaving a thick line of charred wood beneath her as she walks the same path over and over again.

Chewing her nails isn’t usually a nervous habit of hers but at this point she’s liable to chew her fingers off.

She logically knows it would do no good to come out guns blazing when you’re probably locked up behind the entirety of the steel watch, but worry and adrenaline nearly get ahead of her.

It is Shadowheart and Halsin who finally pull her from her thoughts. They have a plan, and much to Karlach’s relief it involves her. She was terrified they might agree upon a stealthier approach and ask her to stay behind.

She would have done it, if it were truly what was best for you. She might have burned up the entirety of the Elfsong Tavern by the time you finally got back though.

Luckily, since Karlach was mistaken by the steel watch as a defective watcher, she was actually best equipped to break in.

The plan, in whole, ran pretty smoothly. At least until the moment Karlach actually set eyes on you, bruised up and unconscious in the middle of a cell.

All bets were off after that. There was one thing that mattered and it was having you, safe with her again.

The minute it took Astarion to pick the lock was the longest of her entire life. She was nearly burning hot enough to melt through the bars herself.

The moment the door popped open, she was beside you, on her knees pulling you into her chest.

Shadowheart whisper-shouted behind her, reminding her to watch your neck and be gentle with your head. She carefully situated her large hand to cradle your head.

She rocked back and forth, trying to soothe her own panicked heart. “Hey bub, it’s me. I came to rescue you. I… please wake up. I’m here now. You’re safe.”

When you didn’t ever stir, Karlach looked up at Halsin and Shadowheart, eyes brimming with tears and worry. “They aren’t waking up. Why aren’t they waking up?”

Halsin joined Karlach on the ground, leaning to put his head on your chest. “Their heart continues to beat and their lungs draw breath, but they are weak. We must get them to camp.”

There was an incredibly brief argument about who was best fit to carry you, given that your skin was already starting to redden from Karlach’s heat, but her bottom lip quivered at even the mention of you leaving her arms.

When they managed to get you back to the Elfsong, Karlach was reluctantly convinced to lay you down on your bed.

She winced when she saw the small burns starting to form on the side of your body she had held to her own. Your left cheek was already starting to blister. Maybe she should’ve let Halsin carry you after all.

The healers came by to try and figure what had happened to you. You had no visible injuries, aside from the minor burns, yet you were still unable to be stirred.

It was actually Minthara who suggested they may have inflicted mental torture rather than physical, similar to what was inflicted on her at Moonrise.

The idea made Karlach burst into uncontrolled sobs. “You think they may have been erased?!”

Minthara looked sympathetically down at Karlach, but didn’t have an answer for her.

The party collectively decided that the only thing they could do is wait and let you rest.

Afraid to burn you with the fire that courses through her veins, Karlach restrained herself from crawling into bed with you. Instead she knelt next to the bed, resting her head on the mattress and reaching up to stroke your body.

She couldn’t sleep at all that night, only stroke your burned cheek and cry softly into your mattress.

She started to talk to you, talking about all the things she’s like to do with you when all of this was over.

“Maybe we’ll get a little place in Lower City, next to the water so we can watch the sunsets with all the boats ‘n stuff floating out in the distance. Oh! And we can go on little picnics in Bloomridge Park, and feed our leftovers to all the stray cats and dogs. Oh who am I kidding we’re taking all of them home with us. We’re gonna have a whole farmhouse if you can’t stop me.”

When you finally do wake up, Karlach wraps her arms around in a hug so tight you nearly suffocate. She eventually settles to sit in your lap while you gently stroke her hair.

Gortash better start counting because his days are dangerously numbered.

Minthara

The moment Minthara finds out you’ve been taken by Orin, her heart nearly stops beating.

One moment it was you, the love of her life, standing before her. Then, through the breaking of necks and cracking of bones, she finds herself face to face with one of her few fears. Orin the Red.

How could she fall for this again? Her head spins with the thought of all the things Orin may be doing to you. She knows you could hold your own, but Orin had a way of breaking the unbreakable.

Sometimes, with how loyally she followed you, it was easy to forget that Minthara was used to being the one in charge. A lot had changed since you met her as the Nightwarden.

But it all comes back quickly as she barks out orders to the now leaderless party. They were marching on the Temple of Bhaal, now. Minthara was prepared to take on the god of murder himself if it meant saving you.

As tempting as it was to charge straight into the temple, it left you all with little hope of survival. She decided the party’s presence near the temple would be enough to lure Orin out, leaving her an open opportunity to slip in.

Orin’s tactless blood thirst made the plan go over all too well. She couldn’t resist the smell of fresh unspilled blood at her doorstep.

By the time Minthara got to you, you were weak but still painfully conscious. You were hanging over an alter like a sacrifice by meat hooks that cleaved into your skin.

You had been tortured in true Bhaalist fashion. While your body displayed clear evidence of the slicing and cleaving, your mind was even more clouded by the things you had been forced to do and endure. It made you even more sympathetic to Minthara’s past.

Minthara climbed onto the unholy alter and began to remove you from the cruel hooks. She ignored your weak protestations, refusing to even look you in the eyes.

She resisted any urge to comfort you, pushing all the softness from her mind until the mission was complete and you were safe. She did not speak, fearing she may distract herself for the task at hand.

She only allowed for a brief moment when she picked you up and felt your throw your arms around her neck. You curled into her stomach with a choked sob and cried “I’m so sorry.”

“I know you better than to think you are foolish. Orin is cunning, persistent, and full of deceit. I do not fault you for what has happened.”

Escaping the temple was easier than getting in. She wordlessly worked her way back to the Elfsong with the ease of someone who wasn’t carrying a bloodied body.

She did what she could to heal you herself, given that none of the others had returned yet. A mildly concerning tidbit that seemed not to faze Minthara in the slightest.

It wasn’t until she was positive you would be okay that she allowed herself to soften, running her hands through your blood crusted hair and gently cleaning you with a dampened rag.

She paid little mind to the rest of the party, who returned looking a little worse for wear. She was disappointed but not surprised to hear that they had failed to kill Orin.

She recruited Jaheira to assist in your healing. She trusted her more than Shadowheart. She never let go of your hand, even when you squeezed so hard you thought you may have broken her fingers as Jaheira patched wounds with a variety of burning liquids.

She laid next to you on the bed, resting her head gently against your stomach and allowing you to stroke her head. She wasn’t bothered by the filth and blood that covers nearly every inch of you.

“We will make her pay for what she’s done to you. What she’s done to us. We will match every scar she’s inflicted tenfold until not even Bhaal with recognizes his own blood,” she swears, placing a gentle kiss on your stomach.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 tav #bg3 minthara #minthara #bg3 karlach #karlach #minthara x reader #minthara x tav #bg3 shadowheart #karlach x reader #karlach x tav #shadowheart x reader #shadowheart x tav #Shadowheart #cw blood #cw: gore #cw torture #tw torture #bg3 x reader #bg3 lae'zel #lae’zel x tav #laezel x reader #lae'zel #bg3 x you #bg3 x tav

[nathaslosthershit]

Off in His Own Little World

Pairing: Jack Hughes x Reader

Summary: When two people love each other very much…

Warnings: Talk of baby makin’ and the beginnings of it

A/N: This was originally a Quinn fic but I just realized I already have a Quinn fic about him getting baby fever and his brothers being annoying so I had to change most of it to fit Jack instead.

Jack had taken his girlfriend to his parents house for the holidays. He knew one of his cousins had recently had a baby, what he hadn’t expected was for the baby to be so adorable, for the infant to get so attached to his partner of two years, and for it to mess with his head so much. Seeing her with the baby had changed him. All he could think about now was her with a baby, with his baby. 

It had begun to piss her off. Jack was in his own little world so much of the time and he refused to acknowledge the difference in his attitude or explain himself. After a full day of socializing, she was tired and just wanted her boyfriend to stop staring off into the distance.

“Okay what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry?” Her harsh words immediately took him out of his daydream. One with her on a boat, at the lake house, with a sleeping baby in her arms. It was his new favorite thing to imagine. He almost went back into his hazy state but was interrupted again by her agitated voice.

“You have been somewhere else for the past three days, Jack! It has been so hard having to do all the socializing because you have been practically catatonic. What is going on? Where are you going?”

She began to get more desperate the longer he stayed silent till he let out a quiet, “I want one.”

“You want what, Jack?”

“A baby”

“...I don’t know what you expect me to do about that”

“I can think of a few things…” “Jack, we are 22 and unmarried. I think the media would lose their mind if you got me pregnant. I mean seriously, they would think you are irresponsible or that I baby trapped you. People are going to start questioning if your priorities are with the team or your family and frankly-” He cuts her off with a kiss. A passionate one. One she knows is just to distract her. One that will definitely lead Jack to getting what he wants if she doesn’t stop it first.

“Jack, I am serious. Why all of a sudden?”

“It's not all of a sudden! I have wanted this for a while. I just- I didn’t know if I wanted to hear what you would say. Yes, I know we are young. Yes, some fans would get mad but fuck them. People will always be mad no matter what I do and there will always be reasons not to do it.”

Now it was her turn to stay silent.

“...do you really want one?”

“More than anything.”

“...Okay”

“Okay? That's it? I mean if you don’t want one then thats not-”

“I want a baby. I want a baby with you. And if you are ready, really ready, then why not.” He kisses her again. Even harder than the first time, if that is even possible. 

In what feels like seconds they are on the bed, her hands in his hair as he starts to kiss her lips, her neck, then her stomach. He takes her pants off and goes to kiss her thighs right before he hears someone yelling out-

“Jack! Come on man, Quinn, Dad, and I are gonna play pool and we need another person for pairs. Come down!” Luke screams. This stops Jack for a few seconds before he moves up to kiss you again.

“Jack, he won’t sto-”

“He will if we ignore him.”

“Jack! Get off her and let’s go” His brother yells once more. This, momentarily, stops Jack’s assault on your lips.

“I really do not like him right now.” She says.

“I never do.” He is getting desperate at this point. After years of his brothers ruining shit for him, this is the one moment he begs some higher power to give him peace.

She finally pushes him off her neck to make eye contact.

“Honey, he won’t stop.”

“He will. He has to. And I’m trying to get you pregnant so can you please be quiet and let me work.”

Luckily, Luke seemed to have given up after screaming a few more times. He was pissed at Jack in the morning for ignoring him, but the flustered look on your two faces at breakfast stopped him from bringing it up. And a month later when he found out he was going to be an uncle, he had already forgotten about the whole thing.

Jack didn't. He was still mad.

#jack hughes x reader #nhl imagine #jack hughes imagine

[celestialwhoree]

Would you be willing to write something with Simon getting his girlfriend a little stuffie knowing that she loves them and has her ride the plush as a little welcome thing for the plush

I'm God awful at writing smut but fuck it we ball

AFAB reader, nsfw below the cut - mdni!

When Simon comes home with a pretty pink gift bag in his hand and a gentle kiss to your cheek, you're immediately as giggly and bubbly and docile as he loves you to be. The bag is from one of the expensive kids toy stores in town, the one that you can't help but ogle the window displays like a kid at Christmas every time you go past. So what if it's a little weird? You like pretty cuddly things to keep you company when your boyfriend goes away! Is that so wrong? Of course, you've amassed quite the collection by now, such is the benefit of having a partner that makes a fair bit of cash, and refuses to spend barely any of it on himself.

You're already tearing to the bedroom with the pink paper bag, jumping onto the plushy white mattress of your bed with a joyous squeal, grabbing at the fluffy white rabbit and hugging it to your chest before he's even hung his jacket up. Simon looks utterly smug with how happy you are, settling himself at the headboard and guiding you and the teddy into his lap whilst you mutter your thanks to him, a little distracted by your present.

"Gonna thank me properly, baby?" He murmurs with an appreciative look as his fingers find the meat of your hips under the fabric of your skirt, guiding them across the sinew of his denim clad thigh and feeling the way your pussy flutters through your panties. "M'kay Si." You nod, pretty puppy eyes blinking at him as he guides the thin cotton covering you to the side and rucks the hem of your skirt into the waistband so that he can see the way your cunt glistens just from riding his thigh for a couple seconds.

Simon doesn't hesitate to nudge the rabbit toy between your knees, tracing the tips of his fingers over the sensitive skin of your inner thigh, making your muscles twitch involuntarily as you begin to grind down on the soft fabric, letting your nails dig into Simon's thigh. It takes a while for you to get into the rhythm of it, but Simons lusty gaze and the drag of the material against your clit has you growing tenser by the second, breaths hitching as a lump builds in your throat and your eyes fall shut. "Come on, my girl, you gonna look at me?"

When you devolve into a whimpering, shivering mess, eyelashes clumped together with the glassy sheen in your eyes, becoming overwhelmed with every little sensation. It doesn't take much prompting for the pads of his fore and ring fingers to circle your puffy clit, leaving you biting down on your lip to stifle the loud, needy moans that try to elicit from your throat. You've always been shy to cum, Simon knows that and he's always quick to help.

The fabric of the stuffed rabbit soaks under your slick as you cry out desperately, burying your face in Simons shoulder, his free hand coming to rest in your hair as you ride out your high.

๋࣭ ⭑

and you then proceed to throw said teddy in the washing machine. Twice.

#cod mwii #cod mw2 #tf 141 #simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x reader #Simon ghost Riley x f!reader #Simon ghost Riley x yn #Simon Riley x reader #simon riley x f!reader #Simon Riley x yn #Simon riley #ghost x reader #ghost x f!reader #ghost x y/n #ghost simon riley #ghost mw2 #simon riley x you #ghost cod #simon ghost x reader #simon riley x y/n #simon riley cod #ghost call of duty #cod ghost #cod #cod simon riley #ghost #ghost riley #call of duty #simon riley smut #celestialwhoree

[via-the-cryptid]

ok so like. the Riddler is obviously baffled by the fact that a little girl managed to just… phase right through the fuckin wall. like that might as well just happen, I guess, but how??? he has no prior knowledge of Ellie’s Ghostliness(TM) and therefore concludes that 1. a meta snuck into Gotham and Batman hadn’t noticed yet, and 2. this little girl has managed to successfully evade not only the Joker and himself, but also the goddamn Batman.

obviously, Eddie needs to know more, and what better way than to find her again? and this time, he refuses to let her escape so easily.

it’s kind of a mix between “who are you little stranger”, “someone actually managed to outsmart me?? what???”, and “hhhholy fuck this kid’s a menace. I swear if she doesn’t die I’m making her my heir”.

so, Riddler goes on the hunt, and Ellie goes on the run. time and again, he just misses her as she manages to phase through the walls or turn invisible at the last second. much like Danny in his early stages, Ellie’s powers are all out of whack and she has to adjust to using them safely, since she’s now an actual half-alive/half-dead entity and not slowly destabilizing as her body eats away at itself from the inside out. for her, the Riddler is basically good practice from someone who seems marginally less murderous towards her than the rest (cough cough, the Joker).

and then one day, I don’t know how, maybe she’s tired or maybe he’s lucky, but the Riddler actually succeeds. Ellie gets trapped with the puzzle as the Riddler watches with glee, so excited to finally get his answers.

he steps into the room and she’s immediately on edge, because even if he’s not actively coming at her with a sledgehammer, he’s still a threat and she’s still in danger. the Riddler, on the other hand, can’t help but be impressed… and also mildly concerned. she’s just a lot, well, younger than he thought she was.

and MEANWHILE with Ellie, she’s been trying to dodge villains (not ghosts, but villains, because apparently wherever she ended up is a goddamn clown show) for the past week or two and she’s getting fed up with it. now she’s trapped, exhausted, and irritated beyond belief, staring down a man who, while not dressed like a clown this time, still looks like the kind of weirdo you only find in a New York Walmart at 4am. so against her better judgement, she decides, fuck it. might as well play along.

so imagine her surprise when the first thing he says is,

“Wait, how old are you again?”

The Riddler blinks a few times, because honestly he wasn’t expecting himself to say that either, but he’s said it and he’s not taking it back. Ellie just kinda stares at him with a baffled look before going, “wouldn’t you like to know, Question Man.”

“Where are your parents??”

“Never had any. Can I go now?”

And now Eddie’s getting a headache, because goddamnit the genius baby is an orphan and his first instinct was ‘I want to keep her’. He had better not be turning into Batman, he swears.

#danny phantom #danny phantom au #dp x dc #dc comics #dani phantom #danielle phantom #ellie phantom #the riddler #dc riddler #Gotham Ghost AU

[scoobydoodean]

Made a similar post before but... I think people in their minds actually revise 2.03 Bloodlust to be this episode where Sam is on this "Monsters can be good" train before he ever gets kidnapped by Lenore and he then is burdened with the task of convincing poor stupid idiot Dean who isn't as open-minded and rational as he is to think for just one second and then at the end of the episode, pats him on the head and tells him not to feel guilty about it when he finally becomes enlightened like Sam has always been but that is not how that episode goes.

Sam's immediate reaction to the alleged existence of good vampires is not any different from Dean's. He immediately rejects the idea that the vampires aren't hurting anyone, and throughout his entire conversation with Lenore, refuses to believe her until she goes, "Fine. I'll let you go to prove it to you" which rocks his whole ass world.

Face of man having his whole worldview toppled sideways and having to figure out how to adapt:

So yeah after this Sam and Dean get into a 2 minute fight about it which turns into a completely different conversation because Sam decides for the third time in three episodes to try and pretend he's Dean's therapist then (badly) psychoanalyze him about how Gordon is a substitute for their dad and it (shocker) doesn't go well. But then Gordon steals the car and the moment Sam and Dean walk into the room where Gordon is torturing Lenore, Dean's feelings about the entire thing happening in front of him are "This is bad. This is very bad."

The SECOND he enters the room Dean picks a side, and it isn't Gordon's.

Just like Lenore "proved" her goodness to Sam by letting him go, she "proves" her goodness to Dean by resisting the temptation to consume Sam's blood... but Dean started defending Lenore and trying to get Gordon to back off the moment he entered the room.

Dean is also much more thoughtful about where this leaves him and Sam in terms of their past hunts while Sam doesn't consider the past at all?

Istg people rewrite this scene in their minds to be Sam approaching the whole thing from the perspective of someone who was already "enlightened"... but he wasn't. He was equally shocked by the revelation of good vampires possibly existing in this episode. He just doesn't bother to also consider the implications as far as any previous case they've ever been on. He doesn't feel any guilt about it he just lets it go with a shrug and Dean doesn't.

Add to this that in 1.12, Sam was the one with the hardline stance that they couldn't kill humans—ones who would get away with their crimes because they committed them by supernatural means—and that doing so would make them "just as bad" as the things they hunt. The only difference between a human using a reaper to murder people for clout, and a monster murdering people, is the physical characteristics of the monster versus the human. Dean sees a human using a reaper to murder people for clout and says, "they're a monster in my book". He argues they should take care of it because of the human's actions—otherwise there will be no repercussions for the human involved, while Sam draws a hard line that they can't kill a human simply because they're human and for no other reason. This is also crunchy in terms of how it might relate to Sam's eventual feelings about his inner nature making him evil, versus Dean's actions-based analysis.

Sam has a lot of compassion for Max in 1.14, but it's gone by 2.05 when his reaction to Andy is to immediately assume he's a murderer while Dean rightfully thinks there's something else possibly going on... and that's two episodes after 2.03 Bloodlust.

#2.03 #1.14 #2.05 #1.12 #sams moral compass #deans moral compass

[sweatervest-obsessed]

In Your Dreams, Whatever They Be - Part 1

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader (uses she/her pronouns)

WC: 11,223

TW: Alcohol, violence, stabbing, boats, spiders, sarcasm, jealousy, trauma, trauma bonding, blood (and lots of it), nightmares, Vecna, mentions of death, smoochy kisses, mentions and flashes of past traumas, Billy Hargrove gets mentioned, brief allusion to second base, graphic descriptions of violence, graphic descriptions in general. If I'm missing any please please please tell me and I will happily add them!

A/N: So this was supposed to be a quick and easy 4k one shot, and now I'm in a two parter, rewatching the series to try and make it as accurate as I can be. I forgot how himbo Steve really is. It takes place starting with s4 e5, and it goes to s4 e7 or 8, I don't remember. This is based off of my favorite song of all time, and the fact that they used it in this show makes me so unbelievable happy. I hope y'all enjoy this one! any and all constructive criticism is welcomed and wanted!!!

Part 2

“What’s going on in there?” Steve gently rapped on your head with his knuckles, “hello? Anyone home?” 

He watched as your eyes shifted back into focus, looking at him. 

“It’s nothing Steve.” 

“Yea and I’m the queen of England.” 

“No need for the attitude,” You grumbled, sitting up, attempting to get off the boys bed before 

this turned into a full blown thing with interrogations and prodding in places you didn’t want Steve to see at the moment.

He softly said your name, grabbing your wrist and rubbing his thumb over it. “Will you please talk to me?” 

Your eyes fluttered closed at the contact. A soft inhale and exhale to remind yourself to calm the tears before giving Steve a smile. 

“I’m seriously okay Steve. If it was something that was actually worth anything, you’d be the first person I told.” 

He contemplated your answer, studying the way you wouldn’t look at him. “Pinky promise?” 

You looked over at the clock on his night stand before jumping up and dusting off the proverbial dirt from your thighs. 

“Actually, I, um, I have to go—Steve. Um. I’ll see you later!” You quickly grabbed your bag off the ground of his bedroom floor and quickly made your escape down the stairs and out the front door. 

Steve flinched as it slammed shut and sat there, pinky still outstretched wondering what the actual fuck just happened. You never ever ditched him like that, let alone ignored a pinky promise. 

You, on the other hand, were suffocating. The room had suddenly become too suffocating and Steve—sweet, lovely, kind, perfect Steve immediately noticed, and you just couldn’t let him go poking where he didn't need to be. 

Your headaches had started to come back, but it was nothing new considering your period was about to start anyways. And the last thing you wanted to do was make Steve all worried about some stupid little headache—

“Oh for fucks sake.” You grumbled again before turning right back around on the porch and storming back into his house again. 

Steve had just made it down the stairs when he collided with you in the hall, the door slamming shut a second time. 

“What are you doing—-“ 

“We made that stupid Fucking New Year’s resolution for a year of no poor communication. So. I’ve been having headaches.” 

“…..headaches?” 

You nodded and ran a hand through your hair. 

“Yeah.” You whisper, now suddenly feeling a lot less confident about the situation. 

Steve was silent, his mind racing a million miles an hour. Out of all the people in the world, he absolutely downright refused to let you become the next mangled body. He had seen Eddie’s face when he relieved what Chrissy had gone through, and he had seen Nancy after they had discovered Fred; for fucks sake he was there when Max was levitating in the cemetery. He couldn’t lose you. He seriously couldn’t lose you. Because he didn’t know what he’d do with himself if you weren’t with him. He’d loose his fucking mind—that’s what he would do. He’s become some crazy old man like Murray or—-

“Steve.” You took his hand in yours and narrowed your eyes. “Are you listening to me?” 

Steve shook his head and squeezed your hand. “I said, I usually get them the week before my period, and they’re right on time. But with the whole….” 

Steve nodded and looked at your hands together, eyeing the ring you wore on your pinky finger—a pinky promise to him that you always wear.  

“But.” You yanked his hand a little bit to make him focus back up on your face. “Because of everything going on I just didn’t want you to freak the fuck out. But that’s what’s been on my mind.” 

Steve let out a shaky breath. “Yeah…yeah okay I just…” 

“I know.” Even when you could potentially be in true, real danger, you managed to stay level headed, or at least put up a really good front; it’s what Steve admired most about you, and simultaneously loathed about you. 

“I know everyone is at the Wheeler's house but do you want to make them come over here?” 

Steve squeezed your hand in response to your question, his voice still gone. Somehow snatched away with the rest of his mind from the moment he realized you could be taken from him. 

“Okay, do you want me to call them?” 

Steve was a very physical person. He showed his love through actions—getting an eyelash off your nose, buying your favorite flowers, and so forth. But he truly showed his appreciation for someone through small touches; a hand on a shoulder, the squeeze of a hand. But when Steve pulled you into a hug, you were a little surprised. He may love small actions of touch, he rarely was one to give hugs or full body contact, even to someone he has loved for a long time. The boy was getting more and more self conscious ever since the Fall of King Steve and the Bullshit of Nancy Wheeler. 

“Steve I promise I’m okay I promise.” 

“But what if it’s not just any headaches…” he whispered into your hair, tightly holding onto you, terrified to let you go. 

“The second I start getting psycho visions or freaky nightmares, you’ll know okay?”

“Y-yeah.” He sighed, just holding onto you for a bit longer. You rested your head on his shoulder, forehead against his neck, and slowly started to sway with him, trying to drag his mind away from the pit he was dragging himself into. 

He complied, still drowning in ‘what-if’s’. He listened as you started to softly mumble a song to yourself as the two of you stood in the foyer of the Harrington Household, sunset peaking through the windows. 

“Stars shining bright above you, Night breezes seem to whisper I love you, birds singing in the sycamore tree, dream a little dream of me.”

Steve focused on the sound of your breathing, the beating of your heart, the low hum of your voice. 

“Say nighty-night and kiss me, just hold me right and tell me, you’ll miss me”

“I should be comforting you.” He grumbled, as you continued to sing and sway. 

“While I’m alone and blue as can be, dream a little dream of me.”

“What’s the name of the artist again?” He whispered 

You stopped short and looked up at him, taking only half a step back knowing Steve might lose his shit if you stopped being in direct contact with him. 

“Steven Harrington this is only my favorite song of all time, and you don’t know which version I like the most?! Jesus, you’d think my person would know that.” 

“Okay but that doesn’t answer my question.”  His heart fluttered a little bit when you called him your person. 

“You’re a pain in the ass.” 

Just as Steve went to sass you back, the phone rang, making him jump. Steve stared at it while you were looking at him, watching him flinch every time it rang. “You gonna answer it, or just stare at it.” 

“Well….”

“Steve.”

“I’d really rather not.” 

“It could be important, Stevie.” 

His insides started melting as you called him that. “I really don’t want to.” 

The phone stopped ringing and he smiled cheekily at you before taking your hand and bringing you out towards the patio, sliding the doors open with ease. 

“What are you…” 

“I want to keep dancing with you without any distractions.” 

You blush a bit and shake your head. 

“Okay hot shot. Show me your moves then.” 

“Only if you promise to keep singing.” 

The both of you stepped out onto the patio and closed the sliding doors behind you. He brought you around the pool to the small yard behind it, offering his hand once more. 

“You, Steve Harrington, are something else.” 

He slid his arm around your waist and took your hand in his. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” He whispered, kissing your head.  

“Depends.” 

“On what.” 

“Stars fading but I linger on dear.” 

You shrugged. And started swaying again, resting your head on his collarbone. 

“Still craving your kiss.” 

“Oh you crave my kiss huh?” 

You rolled your eyes and continued singing, smiling up at him. 

“I’m longing to linger till dawn dear, just craving this.” 

Steve cheekily kissed your jaw, causing you to smile and squeeze his hand. 

What the two of you missed was the consistent ringing of the Harrington Household phone, that stopped ringing after the fourth or fifth attempt. 

“Sweet dreams, till sunbeams find you. Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you. But in your dreams, whatever they be, dream a little dream of me.” 

Steve took the opportunity to spin you around, interrupting your singing. Your laugh was music to his ears, besides the actual singing you were blessing him with. 

“Stars fading, but I linger on dear, still craving your kiss.” 

Steve leaned down and kissed you softly, interrupting your song. You smiled and kissed him back, tasting your cherry chapstick on his lips. 

“You stole my chapstick, I knew it.” You mumbled before swiping your tongue against his bottom lip. 

“Nuh, uh.” He whispered back, moving his hand to your jaw, pulling you a little closer to him. 

You were interrupted by the screaming of Steve’s name and the pounding on the front door. 

The both of you jumped apart, hearts pounding. You looked at Steve while he turned and looked towards the inside of his house. 

The both of you heard the strings of curses from a small army when nobody answered the door, followed by yells about where he kept the spare key, and why was it locked because it was never locked Steve let go of you, much to both of your dismays, before moving towards the slider, only to be interrupted by a “are you SERIOUS Hanginton?” 

Dustin’s head had popped over the fence near the edge of the woods, scaring the shit out of both of you. 

“What the hell Henderson!” You yelled, stumbling back into a chair. Your heel caught on the side, and the metal left a little gash on the top of your foot as you fell into the lounger, the definition of ungraceful. You let out a yelp as you collapsed 

“Shit, Shit, are you okay??” Henderson yelled, attempting to jump over the fence, and only failing slightly. 

Steve rushed over to your side, panicking since the last time there was blood near his pool, well….

You were examining the gash, taping it lightly and flinching at the sting. But then you saw Steve and immediately switched gears into calming Steve down, completely ignoring the blood dripping down your foot. 

“Steve. Hey.” You put your hand on his shoulder but Steve was freaking out. His eyes were wide, and his breathing was erratic. “Handsome, look at me.” You whispered to him, taking his jaw, aware of your audience. 

You loved touching Steve, and he loved touching you, in every way each other's minds could think of, but the two of you tried really hard to not be super all over each other in front of the others. It wasn’t that you were hiding your relationship per se, you both were just private people when it came to your relationship. You were both taking it slow, wanting to make sure everything was just right, earning trust and figuring out one another without the influence and nosiness of your beloved friends. They knew you had at least kissed a couple of times, and were official enough to hold hands in public, but what they didn’t know was that you had been dating each other for over a year now. In fact, you were sure this was it for you—your endgame. You felt such an all consuming love for him, and he knew it too. He was terrified of the ways you would go to bat for him, which is why the sight of your blood near his pool sent him into a slight panic attack. But your touch sent a little shock through his system and he looked up at you, eyes wide and a little manic, lips parted. 

“I’m okay. We’ll just get a bandaid or tw—“ 

The next minute unfolded to be one of the most overwhelming both you and Steve had experienced. First, Henderson had finally scaled the fence and fell over it with a thud and a loud yell. Then, Nancy shoved open the sliding doors, which meant the rest of the kids, and Robin were probably in tow. Dusting had managed to run over to you and started to freak out about your foot, panicking outwardly like Steve was panicking inwardly. 

Nancy finally made it over to the both of you, but only looked at Steve.

“Steve? What the fuck! Where the hell have you been? Y/n wasn’t answering her phone and so Max and Lucas went over to her house—“

“Nance…” 

“and her mom said she was at work but she hasn’t been at work because I was just there and she didn’t take over for me and——“

“Nancy.”

You squeezed his hand. 

“And then you weren’t answering your phone and we called so many ti—“

“Holy shit what the fuck happened to your foot!?” And there was Robin, kindly interrupting Nancy’s ramble. 

Nancy whipped around and looked down at your now slightly blood soaked foot. It was seriously nowhere near as bad as it looked, but because you had been free bleeding trying to help Steve and then everyone burst into the backyard, your foot looked worse than it was. 

“Oh my god!” She squeaked out, thinking back to Barb, and looked at Steve. She noticed his panic and decided it was her responsibility to fix it. 

“Hey Steve?” Nancy knelt down next to him, which made you inhale sharply. Nancy had been….well. Ever since Jonathan had moved to California, she was a bit all over the place, and everyone knew it, including Nancy. Her emotions were running wild, and she had been eyeing Steve again. You were far from jealous, knowing how much Steve loved you since he reminded you over and over and over again. But there was something about the way she was eyeing him, the way she reached out to him, that made your trust waiver—not in Steve, Never in Steve, but maybe in Nancy. 

Steve caught the tail end of your inhale, and looked up at you, his eyes still not focusing a hundred percent but he was trying for you. 

“Can you go get some bandages for my foot Nance?” You asked, squeezing Steve’s hand again, trying to ground him while also trying to politely tell Nancy to back the fuck up. You looked over at her and gave her a smile, as if to say that you got the whole Steve situation under control. 

She eyed your hands before nodding, and heading off into the house. As she had walked into the house and up the stairs, Robin corralled all of the kids mumbling that the show was over. Dustin put up a little bit of a fight but Max and Lucas had dragged him inside and closed the sliding doors. All of the teens did their best to pretend to not look out at the couple on the patio, whereas Robin was casually trying to not stare at the two of you through the kitchen window. Everyone was extremely curious about the secretive couple. 

You squeezed his hand again. “Steve. I need  you to listen to me. I’m okay. It’s just a cut on my foot.” Your other hand came up and slowly took his other hand, hinting that he should be next to you on the lounger. 

Steve obliged, mind still far away, panicking to no end, conjuring up the worst endings he could possibly imagine. 

You gently took one of his hands and placed it on one of the pulse points on your neck. 

Robin had snatched Nancy from exiting the house, shushing her as she tried to justify going back onto the patio. And even if she managed to get through Robin, Dustin and the others would not have let her through anyways. 

Robin had shared a look with Dustin, examining the scene before them. Almost no one had ever seen Steve this vulnerable, and actually no one had witnessed the two of you have such an intimate moment together, collectively making everyone in the house question whether or not they knew either of you at all. 

You were taking slow breaths, letting Steve not only feel your pulse beneath his fingers, but also your breath. It caused him to slowly start to match your pace, chest moving slower and hands stopped shaking. His eyes started to focus in on you again, the hint of a grateful smile ghosted across his lips before it fell under a frown of complete self deprecation. 

“Shit, baby I’m so sorry.” He whispered, not moving his hand from your neck quite yet. “I-I just…it reminded me of…”

“I know, I know.” You whispered. “But it’s just a small cut, and I’ll let you give Henderson the talking to of a lifetime, once I know you’re back with me, yeah?” 

Your eyes had been monitoring his, watching for when he was fully back in the present. Steve nodded and placed a quick kiss on your forehead. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, I’m here all week.” You teased, before sighing and looking down at your foot. “It’s definitely not that bad but I do want to clean off my bloody foot.” 

Just then, Nancy made her way back onto the patio, with very upset Dustin trailing behind her. Dustin looked so guilty, and so apologetic, and Nancy looked….upset? Mad? Jealous? Whatever it was, Nancy was doing a good job of making it not as important as fixing up your foot.

“Oh thank you so much Nance.” You smiled at her, only faltering slightly when she only responded by giving you a tight lipped smile,  dropping the first aid kid on the chair, and walking Back inside. 

You and Steve looked at Dustin who just shrugged. Whatever it was would have to wait. 

“So why were you people hunting me down?” 

“There’s been another….” Dustin looked down at his feet, and Steve took one of his hands and put it on the kids shoulder. 

“Okay.” You breathed out, taking the medical kit in your hands and digging through it to find all the necessary things to clean up your little wound. 

“ Y/N, I’m really sorry. I-I didn’t mean to—you know. It was a total accident.” Dustin gushed at you and you just smiled in response to him. 

“It’s all good Dusty Bun.” You joked at him, while the kid tore himself into pieces, feeling fucking awful. 

“Shit happens. It’s okay. It’s not like you snuck back here with the intent to injure me….unless.” You smirked at him, letting Dustin’s cheek turn bright red and he shook his head vigorously. 

“No. No. I would never do that to you—“

“She’s joking Dustin. It’s okay.” Steve tried not to laugh at the poor boy, watching as his face fell into a slightly more comfortable expression. 

“Dustin, can you go and round everyone up in the Living Room, so we can talk about everything?” 

Dustin nodded and started to run off before he stopped and turned towards you again. “Promise you’re okay?” 

“Cross my heart and hope to die, kid. I’m all good.” You took your finger, crossed your heart with it and lifted it in the air. “Steven Harrington as my witness.” 

Dustin cracked a smile before going back inside and trying to round up everyone into the Harrington's living room. 

Once you had properly bandaged your cut, you sighed and cast a quick glance at the patio doors, noticing only Max and Lucas lingering, but still giving you all the privacy they could with a glass door. But Lucas was solely focused on Max, making sure her headphones for her Walkman were sitting just right on her head. 

You turned and kissed Steve, soft lips on his. “Are you okay?” You whispered to him, letting him lead the kiss, giving him the control he needed to regain in that moment before facing the troops. 

Steve gently swept his tongue across your lip, allowing him to deepen the kiss a bit more. He sighed so prettily into your mouth and you couldn’t help but smile. 

“I will be, yea. I just….” You nodded and pulled away from him. Steve glanced over at Max, noticing the headphones and his face fell flat. He had been the one to hold her close when she collapsed outside of Billy’s Grave after floating in the air. And suddenly it was you he was cradling, unconscious. 

“What’s the artist?” 

“What?” You gave him an incredulous look, turned and looking where his gaze was set on Max. “Oh Steve, I don’t think—-“

“Please.” It was so soft, and pleading. Your heart broke as he looked back at you. 

“The Mamas and The Papas.” You said softly, tucking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear.

“Dream a Little Dream of Me, right?” He squeezed your hand once more as you nodded. 

“Alright.” He sighed and kissed your head before getting up. The two of you could rest when you’re dead, you figured. You stood up with him and brought the first aid kit back in with you. 

Once everyone was back in the living room, the rest of the day was a whirlwind. Lucas was telling you about the fact that Carver and his teammates were hunting down Eddie and anyone who tried to help him. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

At some point you found yourself stuck in the back of Nancy’s car. Then, you found yourself stuck in between an argument between a mother and his son about Skull Rock. 

“Yeah well it wasn’t popular until I made it popular, alright?” 

You snorted at that one, while Steve turned towards you, slightly horrified about admitting that in front of you. But you knew King Steve, and it wasn’t like you were unpopular. You were one of those people that managed to fly under the radar by being on everyone’s radar. Nice to everyone simply worked best, especially when it meant you got to kiss and tell without it ruining your life. You smirked at Steve before turning to Dustin. 

“But he’s right though Dustin. It’s over that little hill, on the right, past the two trees.” You slowed down to break the news to Dustin, Max moving to catch up with you, both of you snickering to one another while the rest of the gang looked at you, seriously doubting their knowledge of you at all. 

“Stop gawking Harrington, and move those legs. Let’s roll.” Steve fixed his pace and trudged ahead, eager to prove his best friend wrong. 

You and Max just observed the two. You had been Max’s babysitter since she moved to Hawkins. She was definitely too old for one, but her mother insisted, and she would have much rather spent time with you than with Billy. She was your little sister, your everything, the Dustin to your Steve. You were the one who got her so addicted to Kate Bush in the first place. So when Steve had told you about Max floating into the air, you almost caused several accidents driving from your house to the Wheeler’s, where Max was being kept safe.

 The two of you were giggling about the bickering between the two idiots when you heard Steve and Dustin ahead of you. 

“Bada Bing, Bada Boom, There she is Henderson. Skull Rock, in your face man.” Steve pushed past the both of you, a shit-eating grin on his face. “In your stupid, cocky little face.” 

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“Yeah, Yeah, even when it’s staring you right in the face, you can’t admit it. You just can’t admit that you’re wrong, you little butthead.” Steve smugly stared up at the rock. 

Two boots landed on the ground, right next to Dustin. “I concur. You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead.” 

Dustin started jumping up and down before rushing Eddie into a hug. “Jesus, we thought you were a goner.” 

“Yeah, me too man.” Eddie mumbled, looking over at the rest of you wearily. You watched as Steve and Eddie interacted like some sort of divorced parents in the parking lot of a McDonald’s before deciding to ease whatever tension the two of them had going on. 

You smiled and waved at him, “Oh my god, is that the serial killer Edward Eddie “The Freak” Munson, leader of the Hellfire Satanic Club,” 

Max let out a snort, before trying to cover the giggle seeping out of her mouth. 

 “You’re funny there princess, you know that?” 

“Oh I do, Edward. How are you.” You mumbled, patting his back, while you eyed Dustin, who was losing his fucking mind over his compass.

Steve was not the jealous type, or he liked to pretend that he wasn’t. You were a kind person to every single person you met; somehow every single person in the world knew you, and yet nobody had a vendetta against you (to his knowledge) or anything awful to say about you. But it was moments like these, when Eddie called you Princess, or got a little too close, where he would start to tense up. 

“Better now that you’ve brought yourself, and also some food.” He hastily grabbed one of the paper bags from Nancy and grabbed one of the flasks filled with water, drinking almost all of it. 

“When I got to shore, I tried calling you guys but uh, my walkie was busted, man. Drenched. So uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran.” A sardonic smile spread across his face, and he shook his head, looking down at his hands. 

“Do you know what time this was, the attack?” 

“No i -i- I know exactly what time it was.” Eddie takes the watch off his wrist and tosses it to Nancy. “My walkie wasn’t the only thing to get soaked.”

“9:27.” 

Robin’s eyes lit up. “Same time our flashlights went kablooey. 

“Which means what exactly?” Steve chimed in.

Nancy sighed, looking down at the watch in her hands before tossing it back to Eddie. “That surge of energy was Vecna attacking Patrick.” 

“Well, we’re one step closer–we know how Vecna attacks.” You mention, watching Dustin pace back and forth. 

“And where he attacks from.” Lucas added on. 

“So now we just need to sneak into his layer in the Upside Down and drive a stake through his heart.” Max sighed, crossing her arms. 

Robin mumbled quickly, “If he even has a heart.”

“A stake is he like a vamp–is he a vampire?” Steve’s eyes widened.

“Oh Steve, babe.” You sighed, pinching your eyes.

“Itt was a metaphor.” Max scoffed in reply to him. 

Eddie looked up from the ground and towards Max. “Uh bullets work on him right?”

“I say we chop his head off.”

“That’s great Lucas.” You muttered, not fully believing this conversation was happening. Steve on the other hand looked at Lucas with a “What the fuck” type of look. 

“Yeah I’d say all of the above, but we can't do any of that until we find a way into the Upside Down.” Nancy sighed. 

“We need El to get her power back.” You nodded in agreement with Max.

“Everything was wayyyy easier. We had this girl, she had super powers–”

“Superpowers, yea, you mentioned her.” Eddie cut off Steve with a nod before peering over at Henderson.  

“Hey uh, Henderson’s not cursed is he?” 

Steve shook his head. “Cursed, no no, he’s fine. Mental? Absolutely.” 

Just then Dustin raised his arms to the sky, turned to Steve and Screamed the word Boom, at the top of his lungs. Everyone flinched at the loud sound, but your head had started to bug you the second you had found SKull Rock, and you weren't one to say anything, but Dustin screaming at the top of his lungs definitely wasn’t helping. 

“Bada. Bada. Boom.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

And just like that, the day sped up again. Your head continued to bug you all the way to the lake. He had noticed that your head started bugging you halfway through the walk to the shore, holding you hand and quietly whispering the lyrics he remembered from the song earlier, just to you. It made your heart melt a little, just how much he cared for you. It was a bonus that it calmed him down in the process. 

“What is Mordor?” He whispered to you, watching as the shore grew closer. 

You laughed softly and shrugged. “There's this book series called Lord of the Rings.” You answered back to him. “And the heroes leave The Shire to go to Mordor to stop the big bad.”

Steve let out a little “huh”, and nodded. The little green monster known as jealousy came back full force. Of course you would know what Eddie was talking about. Of course that was something else Eddie had over him. “And you’ve uh, read this series.” 

“Yes Steve. All four books.”

“Did you like them?”

The questions surprised you. It’s not that Steve didn’t like the things you liked, or didn’t care about what you liked, but this was an interest that you simply hadn’t mentioned because it didn’t seem in his wheelhouse. “Ye-Yeah…why do you ask?” 

You looked at him with a curious smile on your face, and Steve shrugged. “I don’t know. If both you and Butthead up there like it then…”

You stopped and kissed Steve on the cheek. “You’re adorable Steve.”

Just then, Dustin sprinted forward, yelling about the fact that something was happening. Eddie managed to save him from stepping into the lake, when Steve ran up ahead. 

“You gotta be shittin’ me.” He huffed and turned and looked back at you, exasperated. 

“Yea. I thought these woods were familiar.” Eddie’s tone was flat, and disparaging. 

“Lover’s Lake.” Robin sighed, staring out at the water. 

“This is confounding.” Dustin muttered, looking back and forth from the water to his compass and back again. 

“There’s a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Max looked over at you. 

Nancy spoke next, “Whenever the Demogorgan attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna’s the same way.” 

“Yea, only one way to find out.” You grumbled, also not exactly happy to see the lake. 

Eddie pulled back a tarp to reveal a little boat, definitely not big enough to fit all of you. Once Eddie and Steve had gotten the boat in the water, Robin climbed over the two of them. Eddie went next and helped Nancy get into the boat as well as you. All four of you looked at Dustin, who tried to get onto the boat. 

“Hey, Hey, you trying to sink us?” Eddie shoved Dustin's head back a little and shook his own. “The boat holds four people, tops. okay?”

“It’s better this way, okay?” Nancy walked over to try and comfort Dustin.

And you agreed. “You guys stay here with Max.You keep an eye out for trouble.” 

Dustin was flabbergasted. “You keep an eye out for trouble.” 

You gave him a look considering he just snapped at you, but he only continued. 

“It’s my goddamn theory.” 

Robin leaned over. “You heard Nance and Y/N.” 

Dustin just rolled his eyes. “Who put them in charge?” 

“I did.” Robin sassed back, watching as Dustin tried to process everything that was going on. 

“Compass.” Nancy held her hand out as a very, very upset Dustin reluctantly placed the compass in her hand. 

“Hey. There ya go.” Steve threw the backpack at Dustin before pushing off of the shore with the boat, jumping in at the last second. 

“You said Four!” 

Steve whispered a “sorry” to him as the group began to paddle out towards where Patrick died. 

Robin smiled at them, “Bedtime at nine Kiddos.” in which Dustin just flipped her off. Robin just stood up and waved, “Miss you already.” 

You had to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing. 

As you all sat on the boat,slowly paddling through the darkness of Lover’s Lake, when suddenly Nancy yelled out. “Woah Woah Woah, slow down guys, slow down.” 

All of you leaned in and looked at the compass, it was spinning in circles, no actual direction. 

All of the sudden the walkie lit up and spoke: Guys what’s going on. Come on guys, talk to me, what’s going on.

Robin picked up the call, still staring at the spinning dial. 

“Uh Dustin your compass has gone from wonky to Wonky with a capital ‘aah!” 

“Steve, what are you doing?” Nancy’s voice reached your ears, and everyone immediately snapped their heads towards the boy who was starting to undress. 

“Somebody’s gotta go down there and check this thing out.” He pulled off his other shoe and sock. “Unless one of you three can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years then…It’s gotta be me, no complaints. Alright.” That last section ws slightly more aimed towards you than anyone else, but you just stayed silent. 

“Hey, I’m not complaining. I do not wanna go down there.” Eddie looked around at the water uneasily before taking one of the flashlights wrapping it in one of the plastic bags they had brought. It was better than nothing. 

Steve pulled his shirt off, and that’s when you caught Nancy staring. This time, you were a little more upset at her openly staring at Steve’s half-naked body. Robin looked between you and Nancy and made a little face, deciding to wait to ask any and all questions to you once Steve was gone. 

“Hey.” Eddie handed him the flashlight. “Good luck.” 

Steve nodded. “Thanks.” Before looking at you and giving you a small smile, meant to be an apology. 

Robin pulled a cigarette from out of Eddie's mouth, mumbled a “gross”, and chucked it into Lover’s Lake. 

Steve stared straight ahead psyching himself up. 

“Steve?” You couldn’t help yourself. 

He looked back at you. You had a horrible feeling about this. Yet you held your tongue because there was no way that Steve “The Hero” Harrington was going to risk anyone else’s life, and trying to talk him out of it was like trying to convince the sky to turn purple—it wasn’t going to happen. All you could offer him was something to maybe calm his nerves. 

“Be careful.” 

You all sat there, each of you doing your own thing to not think about the fact that Steve was under the water. 

“Where are we at Wheeler?” Robin asked, bouncing her leg up and down, glancing from Nancy to the water and back again. 

“We’re closing in on a minute.” Nancy responded with a slight air of worry. 

“Come on Steve.” You mumbled, still watching the water. Robin placed a hand on top of yours and gave you a small smile, just trying to provide at least a sense of comfort even though her best friend was down in the depths of Lover’s Lake. 

When Steve popped up, you all jumped. Eddie yelled slightly with an “Oh Christ!” But you immediately reached your hand out to him, which he was more than willing to reach for. 

“I found it.” 

“You found it?” Nancy piped up before Steve smiled, trying to regain his breath. 

“I found it. Yeah I found it.” He smiled, and unlike the rest of this day, the next thirty seconds seemed to go by in slow motion. 

Steve was hanging off the edge of the boat, still trying to regain his breath before he would climb into the boat, still holding onto your hand with his own. 

“Dustin, you’re a goddamn Einstein. Steve found the Gate. It was right where you said it was.” 

Steve was panting. “It was pretty wild. It’s more of a snack-sized gate than a mama gate.” Reference Robin from earlier. “But still, it’s pretty damn big.”

Steve’s head was pulled under the water. All of you moved towards him, trying to get him onto the boat. He resurfaced, a concerned look on his face.

Just as he reached for you, Steve’s face dropped, and he was pulled under. Nance, Robs, and Eddie all yelled out his name, screaming for him to come back. You immediately pulled off the jacket you had been wearing and dove straight into the water, no hesitation. Nancy, Robin, and Eddie then started screaming your name. Your new white converse had been covered in mud and now they were soaked in murky water as you swam for your life to get to Steve. You watched as he was pulled into the gaping portal beneath you. You watched as he was dragged through the water with ease. You swam faster, pushing through the gate not even ten seconds after Steve. 

Your lungs were burning. You fell to the ground with a hard thud, groaning as you tried to ignore the large bruise that would be all along your thigh and shoulder. All of this while trying so desperately to breathe but the air was suffocating. You managed to stand up, and looked around for Steve. Red lightning struck above you both, maybe five hundred feet apart. 

That’s when you heard it, the screeching. Your eyes managed to locate Steve before they were moved to the sky as the creatures started to surround the both of you. You watched as he ran towards something on the ground and picked up an oar, hitting one of the bats that swooped down on him. You ran towards him, picking up a second oar, and started batting, fighting your way to each other. 

Then, you saw Steve get swiped off his feet. A bat around his neck, and two others circling, ready to go in for the kill. Steve kept trying to swipe them off but was starting to fail. He let out a blood curdling scream as his body convulsed on the ground beneath your feet. 

Your blood ran colder than Lovers Lake. You ran towards him, listening as he screamed your name, crying out helplessly for you as they tried to feast on his abdomen and while one was slowly strangling him. 

Anger and panic filled your body up to the brim as you came closer to him. You hit two home runs before you slammed the oar down on one of the bats, eating away at Steve’s stomach, and blood splattered up and across your entire body. You’d be pissed about your clothes if you weren’t already so enraged at the thought of the pain Steve was in. There was blood scattered across your face, and you could taste it on your lips. Dustin might have called you badass if you weren’t so fucking terrifying.

You didn’t notice as Nancy, Robin, and Eddie barged through the portal, and immediately started beating the shit out of all of the remaining bats that tried swooping down on the group of you. 

Instead, you continued bashing in the body of the bat next to Steve. Robin had started watching you, slightly scared of the force you used to bring the oar down onto the bat. But all you could see was Steve. His mouth was open but no sound was coming out as he struggled to breathe, trying to pull the bat's tail away from his neck. You gave it one final blow to the head and watched its body give out beneath you. 

Just as you went to thwack the head of the bat suffocating Steve, something wrapped around your ankle. You dropped to the ground as the bat swiftly pulled you down, bloody oar out of your grasp. 

Robin and Nancy were to take care of the bat that was strangling Steve, Eddie continuing to swing at any bats in the air he could. 

“Nancy behind you!” She turned around and thwacked the bat that came at her before she delivered one final blow, releasing Steve’s throat as it went limp. 

A blood curdling scream left your lips as one of the bat’s bit down into your thigh. All you could see was white and red and all you could feel was white hot pain. The teeth tore through your flesh like butter, and it might have had some sort of venom dripping from its teeth because the exposed flesh felt as if it was melting off your body. 

Steve had managed to rip the bat off of him, and tore it in half with his mouth, willing to tear the bat limb from limb, but then he heard you scream. Steve always assumed he would freeze because in his nightmares he would watch as the dogs tore you limb from limb, or as a demogorgon dragged you into the depths of the upside down, and he would freeze watching as he let you die. 

But not this time. 

His body raced towards you, ignoring the sharp rocks and fuck else that would stick into his bare feet. The adrenaline in his body caused him to pick up the oar you were dragged away from and bash the head in on the bat digging its teeth into your thigh. You were screaming, you were screaming for Steve. His mind clouded with rage as he broke the oar in half and stabbed down, impaling the bat and leaving it stuck to the ground of lovers lake. 

There were tears streaming down your face, as Eddie and Robin helped pull you up and away from the dead animal laying next to you. A sob escaped your lips as you put some weight on your right leg. 

“Jesus Christ, Jesus H. Christ!” Eddie screamed at the sky, still trying to hold you up. 

Steve’s breathing was labored as he stood above the bat’s bloody carcass. He heard another sob escape your lips and immediately snapped his head towards you, but just as he took a second step towards you, the screeching of bats over head caused all of you to look up at the sky. 

“Shit shit shit.” Eddie muttered, looking around trying to find a spot for cover. 

“There’s not that many, we can take them.” Steve huffed, still running purely on adrenaline and spite. 

Another bellow of screeches came from the sky across the barren lake. 

Nancy ran over to you and gently squeezed your shoulder, luckily the one that wasn’t bruised. “We need to find cover. Now. Can you make it if Eddie and Robin help you?” Her eyes search yours, simultaneously checking for your inevitable concussion based off of the way you dropped to the ground earlier. 

You just whispered out Steve’s name, eyes starting to close. 

“Hey. Y/N. Look at me. He’s okay. He’s alive okay? I need you to stay with me for just five more minutes, okay?” Nancy was starting to freak out the more you drifted in and out of consciousness. She turned to look at Steve, who was shutting down on his own, his own adrenaline starting to wear off. 

“Eddie, Do you have Y/N?“ Nancy practically shoved Robin towards him while wrapping your arm around his neck while he supported you. “The more people that help her the better.” 

Steve had reached out to help but Nancy shook her head, “ I need you to focus on finding us Skull Rock, and not collapse while holding her. Got it?” 

Steve stared at Eddie, his frame supporting you, and huffed before nodding. 

Once everyone had secured their position, you all quickly made their way towards Skull Rock, well as quickly as you could possibly be. Eddie spent the whole time whispering how proud he was of you and how badass you looked and how good you were doing while walking, all of the encouragement and little jokes you needed to stay awake and push through the pain to get to get under the rock. While Robin was freaking out about Rabies, which was so extremely helpful of her, thank you robin!

Once you had all taken cover from the bats, you leaned against the wall, just trying to breathe again. That’s when Steve started to lean on the wall, and eventually collapsed to the ground. 

“Steve?” Nancy immediately stood up and made it to him in record time. 

You would have turned bright green if you weren’t starting to pass out on your own. 

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” He grumbled, slowly sliding down to the ground. 

“No no no, you’re losing blood. Shit.” Nancy had ripped her skirt to provide some bandages for Steve. 

“Steve?” You mumbled before, your legs gave out, Eddie managing to catch you. 

“Shit Shit shit.” He started panicking and looking at Robin, who in turn started panicking again. 

“Nancy!” Robin yelped, kneeling down next to you trying to keep you awake. 

Nancy took one look at you and turned back around to Steve who was trying to get up and reach for you. “Steve, I need you to stay still.” She turned back to Eddie and Robin. “You need to rip her jeans!”

 “No no no, hey. Stay with me. I need you to stay awake Y/N.” Robin whispered, squeezing your hand. All she could think about was dying by animal bite, which was so not comforting for any one involved. 

Steve gasped as Nance tightened the bandage. Once it was secured he scrambled over to you. 

“This is going to hurt baby, I’ m so sorry.” He mumbled to you, before gently taking the places where the Bats had broken through and ripped the jeans, creating one short leg. He pulled the bloodied pant leg down, trying to avoid the gushing wound on your leg. As quickly as he could, he tore up your jeans and started using it to wrap up your thigh, causing you to moan in pain anytime he would come near it, which resulted in a string of sorry’s coming from him.

You managed to take a look at Steve, covered in makeshift bandages and Eddie’s vest. If this were any other time, you’d make a quip to only him about how hot he looked but instead all you could do was slur his name and keep your head tilted back against the rock, doing your best not to pass out from the pain. 

“Shhhhh baby it’s okay.” He whispered, as you whined again when he tightened the bandages. 

All you could do was whimper and lean your forehead against the rock. At least it was cool to the touch, providing some relief for you. Your breathing was becoming more and more labored as the minute passed, and all Steve could do was whisper to you as it happened. 

“I cant…” you mumbled to him, the first coherent words besides his name that you uttered since the boat. “I’m so tired.” 

Steve shook his head. He finished tying the bandage before placing one of your hands on his pulse point, and his hand on your own, refusing to let this happen. 

“Fuck. No no no. Y/N hey. I need you to stay awake, pretty girl. Come on.” His voice quickened and his eyes quickly flitted to Eddie and Nancy and Robin. 

“We have to.  We have to go. Now. She can’t.” Steve was trying so hard not to cry, and was barely making it through a full thought before the next one came. “Fuck. How are we.”

“Steve, I don’t know if she–”

Nancy had never been scared of Steve before, but the look he sent her made it clear that whatever thought she had should not be said out loud. 

“We need. To find. A way out.” He said through gritted teeth, listening to your breathing get slower than he’d like. 

You hear him call your name once, and then twice, and then the next four hours of your life are all a blur. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You awake on Nancy Wheeler's couch in the Upside Down, while Steve is screaming into the abyss at Dustin. 

Your head is pounding and you groggily go to sit up, but immediately get hit with a wave of nausea. As soon as you do make it up you keel over and start coughing, dry heaving really. 

All four heads snapped in your direction, and Steve dropped the Lite Brite on the table, rushing over just as you start to feel the bile in your throat. 

Steve quickly dragged over one of the stupid little trash bins that Mrs Wheeler kept around the house that the Upside Down had magically decided was necessary, and placed it in front of your face before grabbing most of your hair. 

His efficiency was appreciated since you started to vomit into the trash, your head pounding and your throat burning. 

Once you had thrown up everything in your stomach, plus what felt like your actual stomach, you gagged a bit on the air in your throat.  

Steve was rubbing your back and mumbling soft words while you were still hunched over. 

“Morning Princess.” Eddie called from the dining room, and while you didn’t have the energy to give him some choice words, you did have enough energy to flip him off quickly. 

Steve shot him a look but Eddie only let out a chuckle at your antics. Clearly the brink of death suited you well since your sense of humor and your attitude were still intact. 

“Why were you yelling at a lamp?” You eventually managed out, voice hoarse and almost completely gone. Robin had come over with a water bottle they had found in the fridge of the neighbors house. 

“I thought you were gonna die.” She whispered to you, in which Steve turned his glare towards her instead. 

You gratefully took a sip of the water, swallowing it before it immediately was rejected by your stomach, which causes you to vomit it back up into the trash bin. 

You winced at the sting on your throat, and Steve winced because that wasn’t a good sign. 

“Thanks Rob.” You send her a quick, but soft smile. She quickly took your hand and squeezed it, knowing that was all she was going to be able to say without starting to cry. “If you….well. I think I would’ve had to kill Steve because he would've been so unbearable.” 

Which causes you to giggle slightly and nod. “I can see that happening.” 

“Guys!” Nancy yelled over, giving you a very relieved smile, “we’re heading to Eddie’s Van in ten. There's still the kids' bikes at the house still so we can take those.” 

Steve stood up and had a lot to protest but you just pulled his hand, causing him to look at you. “Steve. Really, I’ll be okay. We just need to get out of here.” 

The others dispersed, getting ready to leave, letting you and Steve have a moment to yourselves. 

Steve sat back down next to you and kissed your hand. “I—, you looked so hot beating the shit out of that bat.” He joked, causing you to muse a smile at him. “I know right. Sexiest murderer around.” You jested back.

“You….” Steve swallowed down the lump in his throat and let you see the tears building up in his eyes. “I—“ 

“But I’m all good. I promise. My head still kind of hurts though. Guess we’ll have to play period, concussion, or Vecna.” You tried to joke, but Steve just sent you a glare. 

You sighed, and what you did next was for mostly your benefit, partially for Steve’s benefit, and slightly to piss off Nancy who was pretending like she wasn't watching you both from her kitchen alongside the other two. 

You kissed Steve. It was simple, and quick, but mostly it was reassuring. 

He hummed slightly before letting you pull away. “Even after you ripped a bat to shreds with your mouth, you still taste like my fucking chapstick.” You laughed softly before looking down at your legs. You were no longer in your jeans, but in a pair of Nancy’s shorts. Your leg had been bandaged a lot better, but you knew the second you got back into the real world, you would need to get the disinfection of a lifetime. 

“Does Nance have any alcohol?” 

Steve gave you a look. “I don’t think now is the time to start drinkin–”

Much to Steve’s chagrin, you stood up. A groan left your lips as you put weight on your bed leg. “Hey Nance? Where does your dad keep the good stuff.” 

She looked up at you before running off to go get exactly what you needed. 

“It’s going to numb the pain Steve, and I love you, but right now, I need to not feel my thigh so I can ride a stupid bike over to Eddie’s stupid van.” 

Steve shook his head and stood up. “Look, Y/n,” he sighed. “I really don’t want to fight but–”

“Then don’t, Steve. This is not your call to make right now. Just. I need you to trust me okay?” 

Steve huffed. “Fine.” before he walked off into a different room. 

Nancy slowly came in with a bottle of scotch from her father’s liquor cabinet. “Hey…”

“Shit, Nance. I’m sorry you had to hear that.” you mumbled, sitting back down on the couch. 

She shook her head and sat down next to you, uncorking the bottle and handing it over. “How…How long have you guys been together?” 

You took the bottle, and took a swig, letting the liquid burn your throat. “God this is awful.” You coughed and laughed a bit with Nancy as she cracked a smile. You offered her the bottle and she gladly took a swig. 

“I would also like to know.” Robin piped up, moving and sitting on the floor in front of the both of you. Once Nancy took a swig, she handed it to Robin. 

“Oh, fuck. It’s uh…What is it, March?” The girls nodded and you sighed. “A year, give your take.” 

Both of their jaws dropped. “I’m sorry what!” Robin’s eyes were wide open. “Since when!”

“Since like February of 85 Rob, get it together.” You took the bottle from her and took another swig. 

“Holy shit.” Nancy mumbled, realizing she needed to reevaluate her entire life at this point. “Why didn’t you tell anybody?” 

“Well, we had just started dating, right, and we wanted to take it slow really try not to fuck it up, ya know?” You took another swig before handing it back to Robin. “And we were gonna tell everyone but then Starcourt happened and uh. Getting the shit beat out of you by Russian thugs, and being forced into taking a truth telling serum really makes for complicated relationship updates to your friends. And Steve had just graduated and was really trying to figure his shit out—I don't know. Honestly, it never came up, nobody asked.”

Robin took a swig and shoved the bottle into Nancy’s hands. “Well I thought he was just pining after his best friend, who is waayyyyyy out of his league if I’m being so honest right now.” 

“Thanks Rob.” Steve mused from the doorway, leaning against the side of it while Eddie just stood there, arms crossed. 

“You guys started partying without us I see.” Munson interjected, with a smile on his face. 

Robin turned bright red before shaking her head. “Steve I—”

“Don’t apologize. I mean she is quite literally so out of my league, it’s a miracle she even likes me, let alone loves me.” 

You sent him a wink, while Eddie and Robin passed a look between the two of them. Nancy just took a slightly longer swig of the alcohol. 

“We need to get going.” Nancy mumbled, standing up and walking into the kitchen. 

“Is she okay….” Steve whispered to you, coming and offering you his hand to help you stand up. 

You shook your head. “She’s been going through a lot lately, and I think she’s trying to figure out all of her feelings. She’ll be okay.” 

He kissed your head before looking at the others in the room. "Let's get going then, shall we?" 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your head was throbbing. It felt like it was split open. One moment you're standing with Steve, watching Nancy climb up the rope, the next you're falling through the air. With a sudden thud, you land on the ground, and scream out in pain. Your leg was so fucking sore, and your whole body ached as you stood up.

You look around and realize you're back in the parking lot where the mall was. You see something laying on the ground further away, watching as the vines around you pulsed. Slowly you took step forward and then another before you left out a gasp. There was Billy, lying just how you remembered him, on the ground. His body was covered in vines and a slug slowly started to crawl out of his mouth. You stumbled away from him, trying not to sob, looking around for anything.

Do you remember what you did, y/n?

You look up towards the sky, trying to find where the voice was coming from. Flashes of your last moments next to Billy as he died in your arms while Max watched. 

Or have you already forgotten.

Flashes of Steve’s lips on yours, Max floating in the cemetery. 

When I kill someone...

Another of Max sobbing into your chest, Billy's screams in your ear, Steve’s hands on your body. 

I never forget.

The Mind Flayer stabbed through Billy’s chest. Blood poured out of his mouth as he looked at you.

Suddenly vines started to over take the parking lot, from all sides. You spun around, panicking, trying to find a way out. You ran past a few cars, ignoring the shocks of pain through your system. Once you had run far enough away, you realized that it was no longer the parking lot of Starcourt.

You were suddenly standing on the staircase of the dilapidated old Creel House. A clock ticks, floating by you, as you slowly start to descend, eyes frantically moving back and forth. Your chest was starting to close up.

I see you've been looking for me Y/N. You were so close. So close to the truth. How was old, blind, dumb Victor.

You reached the bottom of the stairs, and spun around slowly, still trying to locate wherever he was.

Did he miss me? I've been meaning to check back in, but I've been busy.

You look to your right, and there's Chrissy's mangled body, vines clutching it. Her jaw was wide open, her eyes were gone, and you could see the snapped bones.

So very busy.

You watched as a door formed in front of you, the Creel House, except it was brand new. You watched as the little girl walked by you, claiming the house was a fairytale.

You stared at the gaunt little boy in the corner of the foyer, eyes dark.

He watched you back, and your whole body shivered. You slowly followed him through the house, watching as he made his way to the bathroom, and took off the grate. You turned away once you realized what he had been holding in his hand, unable to face something you so grotesquely hate. 

Suddenly a boy went past you, and you followed him into the attic. He had created this sort of altar, filled with candles and little jars filled with Black Widows. He was just a child. 

You wandered down the stairs, and watched the boy watch the clock in his foyer. The ticking of the clock rang in your ears, and all you could do was stare at this boy. The anger festered and festered and festered.

A shrill scream caught your attention as you turned around, suddenly in the yard, watching as the young boy caught and tortured a bunny. Its screams rang out as he reached out, not touching the animal, and slowly started to destroy it. Your chest was heaving as you ran back into the house, slamming the door closed, not wanting to see another moment. 

You watched as a crib, covered in fire, rocked itself in the fireplace, infants screaming all round you. The fire lit uo Henry’s face, eyes closed, moving back and forth underneath his lids. 

Suddenly, as you turned around, you heard music. Ella Fitzgerald’s voice rang through the halls. 

Stars shining bright above you. 

You let out a strangled sob. This was your favorite song. The family sitting at the table was formally dressed up. It must have been a special occasion for all of them to have looked so cleaned up for a family dinner. The Radio started moving between stations even though no one was touching it, but Henry was looking at it. 

The lights started to flicker. The radio couldn’t hold down a station. Everyone was suddenly on high alert, trying to figure out what was happening. Your voice was stuck in your throat as you watched the mother float up into the sky, her bones shattering and splintering as her eyes bled. She landed on the table with a thud, causing you to jump back. Vecna has a sliver of blood draining from his nose. You watched as he murdered his sister, and then moved onto his father. Lights flickering. Radio shattering. But then he collapsed on the ground. His father was quickly arrested and blamed for the murders of his wife and daughter. 

You watched as this boy was subjected to the tortures of Dr. Martin Brenner. You watched as he was tattooed, branded, with the mark of 001. 

“See? Not so bad. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Doctor Brenner said, looking at 001. “Is there Y/N.” His head turned towards you and you took a step back. 

Why Don’t you take a seat.

And you ran, You sprinted as quickly as you could to get away fromBrenner, from Vecna. The hallways were filled with the dead bodies of guards, the screams of the children held hostage, the lights flickering. It was carnage. The blood smeared against the walls caused you to just freeze. You tried to run the other way. You tried to run as far as you could. 

Steve was screaming in your face. He had both of his hands cupping your cheeks begging you to come back to him, to stay with him. His heart was racing. All he could see were your eyes, rolled back into your head, your body just unresponsive. It was his worst nightmare come true. He screamed at the others to hurry up, just shaking you and begging you to come back to him. 

“Please Y/N, fuck. Please, stay with me. Come back to me. I can’t–you need to come back.” 

Erica had run into the other room trying to help the rest of the team speed through all of Eddie’s tapes. “Steve says you need to hurry!” 

“Yeah no shit!” Yelled back Dustin, while Max screamed that they couldn't find anything useful. 

“Seriously what is all this shit.” Robin was just throwing tapes, trying to find the right one. 

“What are you even looking for!?” Eddie yelled back. 

“Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles. Music We need MUSIC.” She yelled at him. 

“This IS MUSIC!” Eddie screeched back. 

You were running as fast as you could through the damp hallways. The walls were never ending and they were painted in blood, so much blood. You had to maneuver around bodies, all the while looking behind you, trying to out run Vacna. Your eyes were stinging from the air of the Upside Down, and your lungs couldn’t keep up. The exit had been nailed shut, covered in boards. Your panic was setting in as you looked around, trying to find any answer. You kicked and pulled at the boards until one came loose. As you got your hands around the second one, a voice came from behind you. 

Y/N. 

You slowly turned around, shaking. There he was. Vecna was slowly stalking towards you, like a predator watching its prey. 

What are you doing? It’s not time for you to leave. 

You clutched the door handle, praying to whoever out there that would listen to help you. You keep yanking on the wooden plank. Another one came off as you started to yell. The third one was looser but refused to budge. He kept coming closer to you. 

Now that you’ve seen where I’ve been. 

And closer. 

I would like very much to show you where I am going. 

And closer. 

You managed to get the final one off before you shoved through the doors, using all of the will power you had left. But suddenly you were no longer in the hallway, it was the same room you had just been looking into. 

Dr. Brenner stared at you, eyeless. “Take a seat y/n.” 

The lights flickered out, and all you could hear was your breath, terrified to even move.  

When the light’s came on, you realized you were strapped to the table. The straps were pulled so tightly, you were starting to lose feelings in your fingers. You struggled against them, unable to be freed. Vines had wrapped around your legs, chittering away as you started to cry, thrashing around, trying to get out of the chair. They were slowly coming up your arms, getting tighter and tighter. You couldn’t move. Vecna was across from you, stalking towards you once more. You couldn’t get out, you couldn’t move. You couldn’t–You couldn’t even think straight. He kept coming closer, and closer and closer. You tensed up, letting out a whimper as he slowly leaned in. 

I want you to tell Eleven. I want you to tell her everything you see.

His claw came up over your face and flashes of lights filled your minds. Steve dead in your arms. The town cracking and being swallowed whole. The clock tolled. Your friends screaming your name as Vacna took them one by one. Splits in the earth throughout everything you knew and loved. You screamed out, struggling against him. Another clock chime. More death. More Destruction. 

Tell Her. 

“No!” You screamed back at him, tears streaming down your face as you continued to struggle. Max dead in your arms. Lucas laying on the floor in front of you. Robin tore to pieces. Cracks in the earth. The clock tolls again. Vines covering your home. 

Tell Her Everything.

You scream at the top of your lungs as his claw presses against your face. 

You inhale and suddenly stumble back away from Steve’s grasp, tears start to stream down your face, as you collapse to the ground. Steve immediately catches you. 

“Woah woah woah. It’s okay. It’s okay.” He cradles you against his chest, as you struggle to breathe, panting and sobbing. “I’ve got you. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m right here.” 

You stare up into Steve’s eyes, paralyzed, and for the first time, Steve doesn’t know what to do. 

#x reader #steve harrington x y/n fluff #steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington x reader #steve stranger things #steve harrington x you #steve harrington imagine #Steve Harrington x reader fluff #Steve Harrington x reader angst #Steve Harrington oneshot #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanart #steve harrington fandom #Steve Harrington fanfiction #Spotify

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

Note: request by my lovely friend @neonhairspray! I didn't mean to write a new request this quick but she rattled my cage so I had to write it asap to get the thoughts she put in my head out ;)

Warnings: body insecurity and full on smut. 18+!

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

Summary: You recently became insecure about your body, after your mother had made an unnecessary remark during a lunch date, and you couldn't shake it off. Sihtric, your fiancé, had taken notice of your sudden change in behaviour, and he would not let your mother's comment do any more damage.

Word count: 3,9k 

Masterlist

'I'll show you what I believe.'

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

Sihtric loved your body. No, he adored your body - he worshipped your body. Everything about you was perfect to him, inside and out. And he always goes above and beyond to make you understand and feel how just much he loves you. And that is why you love Sihtric. Well, that, and the fact that your fiancé is simply a mega babe who is almost too hot to handle for you. You still have no idea what you did to lure him in some years ago, but he was yours. And he even proposed not too long ago, so you knew he really loved you.

But… Sihtric had proposed before your mother made that remark about your body. She randomly told you that you looked better last summer. You ignored it and brushed it off, as usually comments like that meant nothing to you, but two days later you found yourself staring in the mirror before you hopped in the shower.

You couldn't put your finger on the problem, it's not like you had lost or gained any weight. In fact, you were exactly the same sack of flesh and bones as last year, according to your scale. But your mother's comment got stuck in your head, while you thought it had left right out your other ear, but it hadn't. No. No, it had stayed. It had lingered, it had made itself a home, and it was quiet. But it lurked, and it decided to pay you a visit that morning, two days later, before you took a shower. You had caught a glimpse of your naked reflection in the bedroom mirror, which reached from the ceiling to the floor. And you thought you heard something as you glanced at the mirror when you walked past. So you stopped, turned, and faced the mirror. And you got closer… and closer… your eyes darted over the surface that was your own skin and then you heard it loud and clear;

'You looked better last summer.'

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

'Baby,' Sihtric said, deadpan, 'I will fuck you tonight.'

You snorted and almost choked on that last bite of dinner you were chewing down.

'We'll see,' you chuckled, pecked his cheek and started to clean up the table.

God, how handsome your man was. And how hot he was, it made you go insane sometimes. And you wanted nothing more than for Sihtric to throw you in bed and show you all the corners of the bedroom, like he usually did.

But ever since your mom's comment, two weeks ago, you became a little hesitant. And Sihtric noticed it immediately. He knew your mother must have said something, which was nothing new. He actually wasn't fond of her, but Sihtric was a polite boy, so he would never let your mom know how he despised her. But Sihtric just knew something had happened, which you clearly refused to tell him. 

You usually jumped him without a second thought if he surprised you by joining you in the shower. But not anymore. The first time he did it, shortly after your lunch date, you had tried to behave as you normally did. You had kissed him, you had touched him up, but then you felt his hands on your body and you pulled back, grabbed a towel and disappeared. You had lied and told Sihtric you had felt a little dizzy, which he believed for the time being. 

But that same night, when you made out with him in bed, and things got hot and heavy, you had asked him to switch off the lights. Sihtric went along with it, anything to please his lady, and also because he was insanely horny, so you had sex in the dark. Which you both thought was still great, but it wasn't the same.

You love to watch Sihtric. You love to hear his grunts and see his face twitch as he enjoys you. You love to see his trained body and the way he looks in your eyes, and you love seeing how his cock disappears in you entirely, making you a moaning, screaming mess. And Sihtric knew you loved all of that, and he wasn't quite sure what pushed you to switch off the lights that day. But he was okay with it, for a few times at least.

As the weeks progressed, your behaviour changed gradually, but noticeable enough for Sihtric. You stopped walking around the house in just your underwear, you started to lock the bathroom door when you showered, you slept in his oversized shirts instead of that sexy lingerie you owned, and you didn't make any attempt to have sex anymore. Sihtric did notice that the amount of blowjobs you gave him skyrocketed, which he honestly wasn't complaining about, but Sihtric is a pleaser. And as much as he loves to be pleased, he loves pleasing you more. But you wouldn't let him. So that is why he suddenly blurted out that he was going to fuck you.

'No,' Sihtric said firmly, 'I will fuck you tonight.'

You felt your cheeks heat up along with your core as you stood in the kitchen. You desperately needed to be fucked by that man, and hard, but you couldn't help cringing at the idea of your body. Which by now, Sihtric had realised was the issue.

'I will fuck you tonight, pretty lady,' Sihtric husked in your ear, sneaking his arms around your waist from behind, 'and I will show you how fucking sexy, and hot, and perfect you are to me. You have my word, baby girl.'

And after those words Sihtric kissed your cheek, slapped your ass, and went upstairs.

You fought the urge to follow him. You really did. Okay, you tried. Barely. It had been over a week since you had sex with him and usually you could barely last a day, without at least a quickie somewhere. So you dropped whatever you were still doing in the kitchen and went upstairs. Just like Sihtric had expected, and he was waiting on the bed, shirtless, just the way you like it, and he wore those tight sweatpants you once said looked sexy on him. And they did, good lord, they did. Highlighting his muscular thighs, those calves, that ass. You missed seeing all of that and you knew you just had to suck your insecurities up for the night, because you needed to see him... and feel him. And Sihtric needed to see you. But he also needed you to see yourself, to see the way he saw you each time you had sex.

'Couldn't resist?' Sihtric smirked as he sat up on the edge of the bed.

'You are hard to resist,' you smiled and got closer.

'So are you,' Sihtric's eyes darkened, 'yet you've been punishing me lately by denying me your body,' he licked his lips, 'by denying me your pussy.'

'Which had nothing to do with you, Sihtric,' you were fast to say and took his face in your hands, rubbing your thumb over his scarred cheek, 'I promise, it had nothing to do with you, my love.'

'I know,' Sihtric said, and if you didn't know him, you would have thought he was the cockiest man on the planet, but he wasn't, 'I know your mother has talked some shit to you again.'

You looked away from his mismatched eyes, which confirmed Sihtric was right, and he took off his rings from his tattooed fingers.

'What did she tell you, baby?' he asked, calm, his rough hands slowly running up your bare thighs, which you hid under his oversized shirt.

'It doesn't matter, Sihtric,' you smiled weakly and your breath hitched, in a good way, when you felt his hands sneak towards your ass, grabbing you firmly.

'What did she tell you?' Sihtric slapped your ass, hard, after you made him ask twice. You gasped and smiled at the feeling, and you moved your hands to his broad shoulders.

'She just said I looked better last summer,' you said quietly.

'You looked better last summer?' Sihtric frowned, 'what does that even mean?'

You shrugged as you tucked a strand of his long, dark hair out his face.

'But you believed her?' he asked, mildly worried and confused.

You shrugged again, you didn't have an answer for him, because you didn't even know why it had made you feel so insecure.

'Do you?' you asked quietly.

'Do I believe you looked better last summer?' Sihtric said, offended, not at you, but at the fact that someone would tell you something like that. 'I'll show you what I believe.'

Sihtric got up and spun you around, facing the mirror, and walked you closer. You saw how he took off your shirt, well, his shirt actually, and threw it on the floor, revealing your naked body, apart from your underwear, as he stood behind you. You glanced at yourself and looked away, to which Sihtric moved his hand up in your hair, grabbed a fistful to pull your head back up gently, but forcing you to look at yourself.

'This,' Sihtric said, his eyes darting over your body, 'is what I believe is perfect.'

Sihtric moved his body behind yours, putting the focus on you and only you. He leaned the side of his face against yours and moved his free hand up your thigh as he spoke, 'you, my love, are perfect to me. And you were perfect yesterday, and the day before, and last week,' his hand moved up your hip, 'and last month,' he slipped his hand down your underwear and you watched yourself tense up, in a pleasurable way, and his voice became hoarse as he continued. 'You were perfect last winter, last fall, last summer and last fucking spring,' you watched the way your muscles tensed as Sihtric slid two fingers inside your wet slit, 'and you were perfect each and every day before that and after that. And you are perfect right now, my goddess,' Sihtric moaned as your walls clenched his fingers while he watched you in the mirror. You were panting, which quickly turned into moaning as he worked you with his hand while holding a firm grip on your hair. Sihtric breathed heavily in your ear as your breath became heavier and harder too.

'That's right, baby,' he breathed, 'look at yourself. Look how fucking hot you are when I finger you.'

You felt dizzy at his words and your eyes grew heavy with lust, which caused your eyes to fall shut a few times as you struggled to not finish right then and there.

'That's right,' Sihtric chucked mischievously in your ear, 'and you will be loud for me.'

'No,' Sihtric whispered in your ear and pulled out his fingers, yanked your underwear down and slapped your soaking pussy hard and you bit down on your lip. 'You will watch, baby girl,' Sihtric growled softly as he slid his fingers inside you again, 'I won't let you close your eyes, even if it's from pleasure,' he smirked.

And when you whined quietly at the loss of his fingers again, he slapped you once more, which made you let out a scream as you smiled.

Sihtric grabbed your hips and pulled you towards him, making you feel his hard cock against your lower back. He hummed in your ear and you smiled at the reflection of you both. Then Sihtric took a step back and quickly dropped his sweatpants and his boxers to his feet. And you were now both completely naked, with not a single care in the world. Sihtric had gotten his point across already. You knew there was nothing wrong with you, it was all in your head, and now you wanted to see his body, so you turned, ran your hands up his muscular torso, and then you kissed him, desperately. You both breathed heavy as you felt each other's tongues, and when you bit and sucked each other's lips. You pulled his hair and the heat in your core became warmer and tighter with each moan you earned from his lips.

'You're so fucking hot, Sihtric,' you sighed against his lips.

'So are you,' he smiled and bit your lower lip gently, 'but I wasn't done yet.' 

Sihtric spun you around again, took your hand and guided you to his hard cock. You watched your reflection as you worked his length with your hand and caught yourself smirking at the sight of you both.

'Yeah,' Sihtric chuckled, his hands trailed all over your body, 'you like watching how you jerk me off, baby?'

'I love seeing your big cock,' you breathed, heavier than expected, to which Sihtric smiled and hummed.

'That's it, baby girl,' Sihtric whispered and bit down on his lip, 'keep going like that, hm.'

'Don't finish yet,' you swallowed hard as you saw how Sihtric threw his head back. You loved the sight of this, but you were still desperate to see all of Sihtric, and not just half, like now, as he was still standing half behind you while you worked his cock. 'Don't finish yet, please.'

Sihtric groaned. 'Then you better stop right now.' 

Which you did. Sihtric pushed you closer to the mirror, took your hands as he bent you over slightly, and placed your hands on the large mirror in front of you.

'I will fuck you now,' he smirked as he looked at your eyes in the mirror, 'and you will watch yourself as I do, and you will see just how pretty you are.'

You watched your fiancé take a step back and lined himself up with you, and you watched yourself when he entered you smoothly. And you could only smile at yourself and at Sihtric's concentrated face, and the only thing you could focus on was how perfect he made you feel. And his warm, rough hands held onto your hips as he started to thrust, slowly at first, easing you into him, and your smile never left your lips when he quickened his pace.

'Look how pretty you are,' Sihtric moaned, 'so fucking pretty, baby, all for me.' He licked his lips and smiled as he watched you, 'so fucking pretty when you take my cock,' he whispered under his heavy breath.

'Sihtric,' you moaned, closing your eyes in pleasure, which he saw and almost pulled out entirely, only to slam hard into you all the way. And you both saw how your eyes widened as you let out a loud moan. 'Ah, fuck!' you cried with a smile when his pace roughened.

'Yeah,' Sihtric grunted, 'look how sexy you are, baby girl,' he chuckled dangerously low in your ear, 'so fucking sexy when I rail you like this, hmm.' 

'Oh, god,' you moaned and you dropped your head, not being able to handle how good Sihtric felt right now or the way he spoke to you. But he was quick to grab your hair again and directed your eyes back up to the mirror.

'Watch!' Sihtric growled, 'look at yourself when I fuck you, because you are so fucking perfect right now.' Sihtric moaned, loud, and threw his head back again. And that sight got you each time, making you moan and tremble on your legs as he slammed into you.

'Louder,' Sihtric taunted, keeping his pace steady, 'come on, kitten. Let it out,' he grinned as you met his eyes in the mirror. He was going to make you scream, but you still weren't fully satisfied, despite how good he fucked you, because you could barely see his body in this position.

'You're so fucking hot,' you moaned as you watched him. The sight of his biceps, flexing as he held you by your hip and your hair.

'Fuck!' you tried to suppress a scream when you heard him grunt behind you and saw the way he bared his teeth. And you thought how he looked like a wild animal, and how he simply is a wild animal in the bedroom. And you fucking loved it.

'I need to… I want to see y-you,' you moaned, 'Sihtric, I need to see your body.' 

Sihtric laughed, 'you want to see my body? Hm?' he bit his lip and gently raked your hair back with his hand, pulling it out of your face, so he could get at better look at you in the mirror while he fucked you.

'Please!' you screamed, and Sihtric pulled out, which made you scream even louder as it took you by surprise. 

'Get on your knees,' he breathed heavily, and you immediately obeyed. 

Without looking away from the mirror, he grabbed onto your hair again, 'is this a good view?' Sihtric teased as he towered over you from the side. You nodded. 

You sat straight in front of the mirror. Sihtric lifted your chin up as he moved closer, his body slightly turned from the mirror, but still giving you enough to please your eyes with as you saw his muscular reflection. And you watched how you opened your mouth for him, and how Sihtric guided his cock into your mouth, and you saw the way your muscles tensed up as you took him almost whole. Sihtric looked at you through the mirror as he fucked your mouth, slow and sloppy, and he smiled at the way you watched him but also glanced at yourself.

'See how pretty you are?' Sihtric breathed heavily, enjoying the way you felt and the noises you made as you sucked him off. 

You hummed in reply, to which Sihtric clicked his tongue with a smile and moaned softly as he moved both of his hands in your hair. 

'You are just as pretty today as you were when you sucked my cock last summer.' Sihtric looked down at you, closed his eyes and bit down on his lip as his hair fell in his face. 

He breathed heavily and his grip on your hair tightened, which made your core heat up again. But Sihtric pulled out shortly after and got down on his knees behind you. He wrapped his arms around you and propped his chin up on your shoulder as he looked at your reflection.

'Look at yourself, my love,' Sihtric whispered with ragged breath, 'can you point out anything that is wrong with your body? Because I can't, and I've seen you completely bare a million times, baby, in every way and every possible light.'

You shook your head with a soft smile, knowing there wasn't anything to point out. Sihtric kissed your cheek lovingly as he held you, and he slowly moved his hand down between your thighs, 'I love you,' he smiled and teased you with his fingertips, making your body tense up in pleasure and he enjoyed the sight of it, which you did too.

'I love you too, so much,' you moaned and grabbed onto his arm around your shoulders, 'but I need to see your body when you fuck me.' Your breath hitched again when he stopped teasing you and sat back. 

'You will never... hm, let anyone make you feel,' Sihtric's breath hitched, 'insecure... about your perfect body again, you got that, baby?' Sihtric moaned as he snapped his hips against yours.

Then he chuckled and bit his lip again as he bent you over on your hands and knees. Sihtric slapped your ass hard, wanting to hear you scream and giggle again, and he slowly moved his hand up your bare back, to your neck and into your hair, firmly gripping you again and he yanked your head back, which made you gasp and laugh.

And Sihtric loved that; seeing and hearing how you enjoy him, and yourself now. He got up on his knees and was quick to slide his cock back into you as he held your hip with his free hand. It wasn't the first time Sihtric fucked you like this and looking in the mirror, but the bed was removed further away, so it was never this intense. You were so close to the mirror now, that if you didn't place one hand on it, you would've banged your head repeatedly against the glass with each relentless thrust you received from your ferociously hot and wild looking fiancé as he took you from behind.

'Ye-yes,' you moaned, loudly, while watching him in the mirror, which was enough to bring you close to your peak. 

'I- I'm so fucking close,' you said as you felt yourself tense up.

It was the way his hair fell in his face just before he threw his head back with a loud, deep grunt. The way his muscles flexed as he fucked you, the feeling of his bruising grip on your waist and the way he pulled your hair the entire time with his other hand. It was the sound of his heavy breathing and his deep growls, the way he chuckles and laughs when you feel really good to him, and the way he bruised your knees as she slammed into you while he praised your body.

Sihtric meant everything to you, and as long as he loved the way you looked, you would never have a single worry again. Because he was the only one who's opinion you valued when you became insecure.

Sihtric was quick to pull your body up. Your back against his chest, his chin on your shoulder, his arm around your shoulders as he held his firm grip on your waist.

'I want you to watch yourself when you finish,' he laughed in your ear before he bit your earlobe, and he slid his hand down from your waist to your core, giving you that extra pleasure you need to become a screaming, cursing mess in his arms. You couldn't possibly keep your eyes on the mirror anymore and you threw your head back against Sihtric's shoulder.

'You feel so fucking good, babe,' you moaned and brought your hands up to his nape, and you moved your fingers up in his hair, pulling his head slightly back when you had a good grip, which made him moan with hard and ragged breaths.

'Watch with me,' Sihtric husked, his lips pressed against your ear as he looked at the mirror, 'I want you to watch with me, baby.'

'I love you, baby,' he whispered. You opened your heavy eyes and saw how he leaned his face against yours with a smile and tired eyes, 'I love you so much. There is nothing I would change about you. Ever.'

You took a glimpse at the mirror just before you couldn't take it anymore. You saw Sihtric's smile along with his heavy-lidded eyes and his parted lips, and you saw your own body tense up before you pulled his head back again when you tugged his hair. And then you closed your eyes. Your high captured you in heated waves while you screamed out his name, and Sihtric became sloppy before he slammed into you one last time, hard and with a heavy grunt. He stilled his body as he spilled inside you, holding his breath while you felt his arms tense around your body, before he exhaled sharply and brought his forehead to rest down on your shoulder.

You both breathed heavy and hard, your bodies trembled and then you became weak. Your hands slid out of his hair, Sihtric slowly pulled out and sat back against the bed, pulling you with him as he kept you in his arms. You both kept your eyes closed for a moment as you just sat there, slowly coming down from your high as you held onto each other, feeling safe and loved. You didn't move until you heard Sihtric hum softly in your ear, and then he chuckled lightly and kissed your cheek.

'I love you too,' you chuckled, 'and thank you, my love. I wouldn't want to change a thing about you either,' you smiled and then you just looked at each other in the mirror. 

'I'm calling your mom tomorrow,' Sihtric suddenly said.

Sihtric traced his fingertips along the shape of your body, which he loved entirely and wholeheartedly, and he planted soft kisses on your neck and shoulders. And you truly loved the way your body looked, wrapped in his arms.

You enjoyed his touch with a hum and brought your head back to rest upon his shoulder, and you looked up at him. You could see he was smiling, satisfied, and it made you chuckle. You were so in love with him, and you knew he was so in love with you as well.

'What? Why?'

'To tell her she needs to stop talking shit, because it affects you. And therefore it affects me. And,' Sihtric grinned when you locked eyes in the mirror again, 'to tell her how I had to fuck some sense back in to you again after her last comment.'

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

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#sihtric x you #sihtric x reader #modern!sihtric #sihtric kjartansson #the last kingdom #sihtric #the last kingdom fic #sihtric fic #tlk

[luke-hughes43]

the proposal | Luke and Stella

for a little context: this is after Stella graduates college and her and Luke have lived together for the past year. this is gonna be wicked long btw. I also gave her a random generic middle name for the speech to add to the effect.

goes with: the proposal (insta edit)

July 27, 2025

3rd pov

it was the day of their 5 year anniversary. Luke was basically bouncing off the walls with excitement, having had this planned for months. Stella was suspicious when all of her immediate family were there and then all of their close friends too.

he was definitely awake before her but she convinces him to stay in bed longer, "too early. wanna stay in bed." he laughs softly and agrees, "just for a little bit. I have something planned for later. and you're going out with your mom, ava, and my mom. you guys have nail appointments at like 1 or something."

"I do?"

"yep. your mom and my mom did it and just told me to tell you."

"ok."

that adds to stella's suspicion but she ignores is and enjoys the extra 20 minutes she's getting with Luke. especially bc they're having a soft and sweet make out session, finally having alone time away from their families.

Stella is addicted to kissing him.

there's soft "I love you's" exchanged before they get ready for the day. there's a big lunch with everyone before the nail appointment. Stella had a good time having a girls afternoon with her mom, sister, and basically second mother.

Stella has a good time with her mom, sister, and Ellen having a girls afternoon but would've rather been with Luke. Luke was no where to be found when Stella got home.

he was out with jack and Quinn getting stuff for that night and making a reservation for dinner that night. he was bubbling with excitement the whole time and jack and Quinn were just as excited for him.

Luke and Stella decided to get their own house for the summer too and it happened to share a yard and dock with jack and Quinn. which is where griff and ava are staying along with their friends. trevor is staying at jack and quinn's instead. Stella gets back to her house disappointed that Luke wasn't there but covered it up.

she sneaks away from everyone and heads upstairs. trying to take a moment to herself as she misses Luke. she finds her favorite summer dress on their bed with a note on top of it. the note reads, "hey sweet girl. I know it's our 5 year anniversary and that I've disappeared. I promise there's a good reason. it's the plan I told you about this morning. I'll be back at 4 and you'll have me for the rest of the night. hopefully you'll wear your favorite dress because it's my favorite too. I'm taking you to dinner and then a surprise. I love you so much Stella. I'll see you soon pretty girl."

Stella smiles and then gets ready for her night out with Luke. she definitely wore the dress. once she's ready, she hangs out with her family downstairs and tortures trevor with the help of griff. she definitely misses him a lot.

when Luke finally get's home, he immediately kisses Stella. "hey pretty girl."

stella's pov

"hi Luke."

"ready for dinner?"

"yea."

Luke smiles and extends his hand out to me. I grab it softly and let him lead me out to the car. when we get to the car, he stops me before opening the door for me (because he refuses to let me open the door ever.) and grabs something out of the car.

he turns and it's a bouquet of flowers.

he has a big smile on his face and I feel myself smiling probably just as big. he hands them to me, "these are for you."

"thank you. they're beautiful."

"not as beautiful as you." he says with a cheeky smile. I blush and say back teasingly, "stop flirting and just open the damn door."

he laughs and opens the door for me, helping me into the car. his car is lifted and I'm in heels because my boyfriend is a fucking giant so I needed a little help. he then closes it and gets in the drivers seat. he never lets me drive, I think that's because he doesn't like my driving. anyways, he puts on our playlist and drives into town and to this really nice restaurant.

"Luke, this place is really nice."

"only the best for my best girl."

I blush and he opens the door, helping me out of his car. he leads me inside and says to the host, "hi. I have a reservation for 2. under Luke."

the host smiles, "right this way sir." she leads us to our table and we sit. we enjoy a nice dinner, just the two of us, and I love every second of it. this is what I wanted for today, just uninterrupted time with my favorite person in the whole world and the love of my life.

after dinner, (Luke obvi paid bc he refuses to let me put my card down for anything), Luke drives us back to our house. it's a nice peaceful drive as we enjoy the music coming from luke's phone.

Luke and I have similar music tastes, both of us really liking country music, so there's been any issues with us and having different music tastes. except for the fact that I'm utterly obsessed with Taylor Swift and am a certified swiftie but he is not. anyways, the drive back is quick but nice.

he pulls into our driveway opens the door for me once again helping me out, "let's go find a vase for those."

I nod and follow him into the house. it's surprisingly empty, everyone must be at jack and quinn's. we quickly find a vase for the flowers and after they are in water, Luke says, "hey. let's take a walk down to the dock."

I nod and let him lead me down to the dock. halfway onto the dock, there's candles lit on both sides. it looks so romantic. I see a bunch of our family and friends standing at the dock smiling. well, our parents are fighting back tears but everyone else is smiling. he looks down at me with a smile and I ask, "Luke, what's going on?"

"just trust me stel." he says. I nod and follow him.

at the end of the dock, past our friends and family, there's a bunch of candles in the shape of a heart and bunch fairy lights all around it. he leads me to the center of it and turns to face me.

I hear him say under his breath, "here goes nothing."

he then tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and says, "Stella Marie Zegras, we've been together for 5 years, since we were 17. now, we're 22 and I love you just as much now as I did back then when we had the whole world ahead of us."

knowing where he's going with this, I interrupt him, "yes."

"it feels fitting to do this in the same spot on the same day that I first asked you out all those years ago. we've been thought a lot together. from hiding our relationship from trevor for 8 months to moving from michigan to New Jersey together and countless injuries and bad games." he continues.

I interrupt again, "Luke, yes."

"you've always been a calm presence in my life Stella. you're strong, beautiful, and the best person I know. there's no one else."

"Luke, I'm saying yes." I interrupt again. I can hear jack and trevor giggling along with mom and ellen smacking them to shut them up.

“god damnit stella, let me finish and then you can say yes. i spent a month figuring this speech out just let me say it. anyways, you are the only woman for me Stella. I've had this ring since you told me you would come to jersey with me, that's how much I love you, and how long I've known that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. and only you. actually, I'm pretty sure I knew before you told me that you would come to jersey with me that I wanted to marry you but that's not really the point. this is only place that felt right to do this, with our closest friends and our family, this is our spot."

he pauses, dropping to a knee, "Stella Marie Zegras, will you marry me?"

I nod my head vigorously. "yes! a billion times yes!" I say through tears and a smile.

Luke smiles and puts the ring on my finger before picking me up and spinning me around. our friends and family clapping and cheering. Luke puts me down and leans in to kiss me.

after he pulls away, our family and friends come over and say they're congratulations. Luke and I get pulled into separate hugs by our parents and siblings. I think griff gives me the tightest hug out of everyone.

the rest of the night is just spent mainly with Luke enjoying the fact that we're engaged now and getting married.

griff, ava, and the rest of our friends stay at jack and Quinn's tonight to give us some privacy so they don't hear us having sex for half the night.

#stella zegras #luke hughes #new jersey devils

[r-2-peepoo]

The disaster family at Disneyland:

Obi Wan: organises an absolutely immaculate itinerary planning the day from start to finish down to the last second. He has meticulously calculated and timed every single ride people want to go on in order to anticipate when the lines will be the shortest, and has accommodated every single one of the parks everyone wants to visit.

Anakin: immediately runs off as soon as they get in, destroying all of Obi Wan’s plans.

Ahsoka: follows him but feels bad about it later and comes back to find Obi Wan. She forces him to wear matching Minnie Mouse ears with her which doesn’t actually take much convincing. They both look adorable in them.

Rex: looks apologetic about the desertion and will claim he wants to go off to find them and bring them back but will get distracted and inevitably dragged onto rides by Anakin. He doesn’t like rollercoasters (cue flashbacks of every time Anakin has crashed a ship or used the force to throw him) but it’s too late because he’s already in line and Anakin is very persuasive.

Cody: helped Obi Wan plan everything and can see how stressed he is so he goes to find them all and actually brings them back. Ahsoka comes back on her own though because she knows Anakin is a bad influence. Cody also particularly enjoys the parades and is trying to come up with a good excuse to hold Obi Wan’s hand throughout the day. He’ll claim it’s so they don’t get separated but no one believes that, not even him, but they’re all too scared to challenge him on it.

Padmé: An absolute adrenaline junkie. If the ride moves slowly, she’s not interested. She was fine with It’s A Small World the first thirteen times Luke made her go on it because she will gladly make sacrifices for her children but it’s getting to be too much. She longs for the rides that move so fast it feels like her head might be detached from her body. That’s what she came here for.

Luke: Wants to meet all the Princesses and is adorable doing it too. He’s scared of Mickey Mouse though and I do not blame him. That mouse is evil. He can feel it in the force.

Leia: Stays by Obi Wan’s side the entire day. She knows she’s too small for a lot of the rides, but she respects how organised he is. Refuses to let go of his hand. When she gets tired, she rides on Cody’s shoulders. She’s also able to convince absolutely anyone to buy her anything she wants from the gift shops. It doesn’t matter how expensive the thing is. She gets her persuasive abilities from her father (and Obi Wan has also been teaching her to negotiate a little too) who as it turns out is actually the weakest when it comes to saying no to her. Anakin is the biggest girl-dad and that is canon.

Fives: Points out at one point they’re in one of the parks that seems to sell merchandise with them on it. There are droids literally everywhere as well as people in very familiar costumes but no one notices. No one can see past the fourth wall except him. Once more, Fives knows the truth and is ignored. He gives up and gets a picture taken with the Darth Vader they have in the park and texts it directly to Anakin and says “look familiar?”. The reply he gets is just “is that Black Panther?” Fives sighs. Anakin has the wrong franchise and he doesn’t even know, he thinks to himself. Fives has achieved full enlightenment and self-awareness. The idea that he is a fictional character should scare him, but it doesn’t. It’s actually way less pressure because then his terrible life choices aren’t actually on him. He didn’t write them. He claims no responsibility.

Echo: kidnapped by Mickey Mouse. Luke’s instincts were correct. The mouse cannot be trusted. Echo will not be recovered until season 7 where they come back with The Bad Batch. For now he will remain lost in Magic Kingdom until he is either rescued or becomes part of the park.

#disaster family #disaster lineage #star wars #star wars prequels #clone wars #captain rex #commander cody #obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #padme amidala #luke skywalker #leia organa #Codywan #arc trooper echo #arc trooper fives #domino twins

[sagaschan]

What happened on Sep 16th: a compilation

If I could clarify some things. Lots happened on twitter within a short timeframe, and I've seen a fair number of people misled, so here goes. The Project Moon User Association(PMUA) had received the reply to their demand letter(can only be received by the recipient, and can't be refused) a week ago, but waited to make their statement because they still believed there was a chance PM could apologize, and because the Youth Union(YU) requested it. PMUA uploaded PM's reply and their statement today.

PM's reply, written by a lawyer, said essentially: You are lying and it affected our sales so I will sue you. The termination was legal because Vellmori said first that she wanted to resign(we have a recording). We wrote the agreement with Vellmori and her lawyer later. In order to protect her and the other employees we did nothing(if that sounds illogical to you, it is). Disappear immediately or we will sue you for defamation.

There are many things wrong with the reply, as covered by the PMUA's statement, but I'll get to that later. Alright let's go for it, says the PMUA.

Then PM tweets two threads. The first thread says: We were only laying low to protect our employees, y'all are lying, if you attack our employees we will sue you. The second one says: The YU tried to use us for political gains, since we were going to announce legal action against employee harrassment anyway but they tried to take the credit for it. Look at this image of a document where YU says they were wrong, and apologizes. This PMUA might be under the YU's control, isn't it suspicious? And political?

PM, though technically it's KJH, keeps insinuating that those such as PMUA and the YU are attacking the employees, when it's only KJH himself who's been criticized since 7.25, when he tweeted that they had 'terminated the contract' with Vellmori for violating company rules. The fans knew that was illegal. The paper that interviewed Vellmori the day after, the various news media that reached out to PM, the unions that spoke out on the matter knew it was illegal. We weren't going to let him get away with it if we could help it.

The YU rep Lee Jongchan(@JCLEE0333 on twitter) provided a more accurate picture. The YU, having just learned of the agreement between Vellmori and PM from PM's reply, had asked the PMUA to delay their statement, contacted PM behind the scenes. The PMUA and the unions they were working with had been trying to solve the situation amicably if possible, if PM would just come to the table and learn how to fix the situation. A legal fight would be the absolute last resort, since they wanted the company to do better.

This is where the supposed statement from the YU that PM included in their second thread comes in. A crude screencap of a word doc with typos and 'draft' in the title. It says: We recognize there was no illegal firing and that you've taken precautions to protect employees. We're sorry and we retract our protest. We welcome that you've stated ideology hunts and cyberbullying against your employees will be dealt with stern legal action. Basically, the YU didn't want Vellmori to be bothered anymore so they'd take a bit of a L.

The thing is, during the negotiations KJH refused to include that PM would take legal action to protect employees from ideology hunts and cyberbullying in the future in PM's statement. Apparently that wasn't something he could agree with. Negotiations fell out(around 8 pm, according to KJH), and the next day PMUA went ahead with their statement.

That's the bare facts of it. But I'd like to elaborate a little on where PM is contradicting itself, though the PMUA has already covered some of it.

1. It's laughable that KJH is using the excuse of 'protecting employees' to explain PM's past actions and future motivations, when he can't even put it on paper.

2. He most definitely did not protect his employees. The initial lack of action against DCinside incels' camping out of their office, how he treated contractors like Mimi(author of Wonderlab) and Monggeu(artist for Leviathan comics), the overwork and harrassment Eng translator Watson experienced, the HHPP manager he used as a scapegoat, the LoR Chinese localization team that still hasn't been paid... the list keeps growing.

3. KJH's words are all over the place. In the very first notice he says Vellmori's contract has been terminated because she violated company rules. You know, just as DC had asked for. In the second one, on 8.3, he says they did not fire her, and that it had nothing to do with ideologies. And that he would sue anyone calling it an illegal dismissal. (Also when news media reached out to ask if that meant she was still employed, said he wouldn't answer.) And in the most recent letter, he claims that during the phone call on 7.25 Vellmori said first she would resign.

Nobody believes that, not in the least because the Hankyoreh interviewed Vellmori the very next day about the unjustness of it. Any 'recording' of the call that he posits as evidence will likely reflect that, and work against him in court, so I'd love to see that actually. KJH apparently doesn't remember that.

4. Can you believe he's fudging his words to make it seem like the PMUA and those associated were the ones attacking employees? Not a single mention of DC anywhere. Now in court, if he's required to provide evidence as to just why Vellmori wanted to resign, well... DC did that. That's undeniable. All this started with wetsuit Ishmael, if anyone's forgotten. And if he admits DC was the reason a perfectly innocent illustrator was left jobless overnight, well, he can do away with his insistence that he was protecting her in any way.

5. And even if he twists legalese to claim Vellmori left of her own volition, it's nothing that hasn't been said by employers in the country a million times over. Advisory resignation this, political controversy that. It's still an unfair dismissal, and an especially rampant problem in the game industry that has been a long time coming to be dealt with.

6. Remember when KJH threatened Mimi and Monggeu with the mention of NDA, when they came out with stories of how they were horrifically mistreated by PM? Hypocritical, just revealing private correspondence with the YU without their permission. As well as the ridiculousness of treating the remnants of a negotiation that fell through like fact. He thinks people can't read, I suppose. It's more ammunition for the unions.

7. The inherent idiocy of evilmongering about 'politics' all thread long. What does KJH think unions Do? He's been fueling the fire regarding a labor rights case for near two months now, but doesn't seem to have learned much other than to dig deeper holes. What he means to do by repeatedly insinuating the PMUA and YU are secretly in cahoots when the PMUA has been open about working with the YU from the start I will never know.

8. Refusing to translate The Notice for 53 days was the first and biggest hint, I think. The radio silence, purposefully leaving international fans in the dark, threatening the contractors, the staunch refusal to name the incels for a single offense. During that time we learned Monggeu had been fired just as quickly as Vellmori, after being made to follow an unrealistic schedule to the point she had suicidal ideation. The workplace reviews in the wake of the incident saying KJH was prone to emotional outbursts. All the translators worked to the bone and abandoned, HHPP's manager announcing an apology with his name for decisions he couldn't have made. Those aren't the actions of someone who has his employees in mind.

The PMUA was created in response to PM's announcement to sue fans back in August. They'd held out hope that KJH would be someone who could see reason. But you'd have to be beyond naive to believe that now. So with all evidence piled up during these two months pointing to KJH being a nasty little guy who has only ever had himself and DC's best interests at heart, I sincerely hope KJH fucks himself over, and for all fans who are eternally confused about what PM has done wrong to be someday in need of a union.

#project moon #limbus company #am going to sleep but questions are always welcome #why does anyone take pm's words at face value

[rpgchoices]

wtf so the entire time you are in a relationship with astarion he is quietly waiting for you to get sick of him while desperately savoring every moment with you? that's deeply depressing

What? Do you mean the one where you ask him to just be friends?

No, I specifically chose the worst answers.

Basically at one point you meet a Drow who will ask you to let Astarion bite her, because it has been her fantasy since she was a kid. Astarion immediately refuses and the scene can go in two ways.

In both ways, during the aftermath, he will tell you that his master made him sleep with a bunch of people to lure them in, and that he does not feel anything when he has sex. He also tells you that he slept with you for protection, so basically he seduced and used sex so you would protect him.

The actual bite scene can go two ways:

You tell him to do it. Astarion will end up breaking with you, after, I am pretty sure. There are some options where you can still stay together, I think, if you apologize a lot. In one of the options, you can ask him about sex and if you ask twice (basically pushing him to have sex with you), he will because that is what you require of him. After, he will wake up next to you and say that for the first time instead of feeling "nothing" he feels something like disgust, during sex. If you probe and ask him why the hell he said yes if he did not want, he admist that he didn't know how to say no, but now he does. This leads to him breaking up with you and a very bad outcome (when you speak with him again he is annoyed at you, and he never goes back to the nice "Hello, my friend/my sweet").

You ask him why he doesn't want to do it/you tell the drow Astarion is his own man and he said no. This is the good outcome, as long as you do not push him for sex.

In the good outcome (the second one), the camp conversations goes like this:

Astarion thanks you for not pushing him, he talks about his past, and how basically he is not comfortable with sex. IF you pick the option "I did it because I hoped you would sleep with me", Astarion sleeps with you and then breaks up with you because you forced him to have sex.

Another bad option here is breaking up with him because you cannot have sex with him, to which he says something like "Ah, yes given I have nothing to offer you because sex is the only thing I am good for."

If you pick only good options he will admit that he started to feel something for you, which was unexpected, even if at the beginning he seduced you for protection. At this point you can break up with him ("maybe you need a friend, not a lover") to which he approves and you break up amicably. OR, you can continue the relationship (the choices are "We can stay together and we do not need sex to do that", Hugging him, saying you accept him as he is, or showing him your mind and your feelings).

TLtr:

Astarion does not want sex (or at least he is not comfortable having sex now). You can stay with him in the relationship because he has grown to feel something for you. But as long as you do not push him for sex.

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers

[sairee]

Keep it buried (Ghost x Soap)

Laswell confronts Ghost about leaving. When she brings one of Soap's sketchbooks, Ghost can feel his resolve cracking.

Chapter 41 excerpt from Don't Let Me Go on ao3.

Ghost shook his head and took a sip of his drink to stop his thoughts. He’d carefully trained his brain to think of nothing but the present. It was easier that way. Less painful.

An eruption of boisterous laughter coming from his team caught his attention and forced him to look up against his better judgement. He let out a huffed breath and quickly looked away. He leaned back in his chair and rested his head against the wall, the tiredness he felt weighing down his eyes.

He tapped his nail against the glass and pointedly ignored them across the way.

Maybe the free drink wasn’t worth it.

Ghost looked to the right and squinted his eyes slightly as he searched for a washroom sign against the back wall. He’d just located the neon sign hanging above a small corridor when he noticed a figure approach his table out of the corner of his eye. He looked over just in time to see it pull out a chair and sit down across from him.

Ghost let out a sigh as he immediately recognized who it was.

“You’re not supposed to know where I am…” Ghost stated blankly.

Laswell shifted slightly in her chair and leaned forward on the table, clasping her hands in front of her.

“I took some liberties with the rules,” she said matter-of-factly.

Ghost let out a huff in disbelief. “You do that a lot.”

“I can when I made them in the first place.”

Ghost took a long and drawn out sip from his drink. He looked past her to scan the bar again. He didn’t want to look at her… or couldn’t. He didn’t need to be reminded of the past any more than he already was. This was the last thing he needed. Why was she here anyway?

After a few moments of tense silence, Laswell spoke up again.

“I never took you as one to make rash decisions.”

The even-toned insult cut right to the chase and forced Ghost to look at her. She stared back with a neutral expression.

Ghost grunted. “You must not know me very well then. Why are you here?”

“I’ve known many men who decided that happiness wasn’t for them,” Laswell said, ignoring Ghost. “They dedicate themselves to the job. Dedicate their bodies to the work. Refuse anything that goes against this ideal.”

Ghost shook his head at yet another lecture he appeared to be getting. Surely she had better things to do with her time.

“Some might find that noble,” Ghost replied. He hoped he didn’t sound too defensive.

“It’s not,” Laswell retorted. “It’s self-sacrificing bullshit. The world doesn’t need another martyr. It doesn’t care. It’s not honourable to give your life – anyone can do that. Real bravery comes from choosing to be happy when the world is fighting to keep you miserable.”

Ghost rolled his eyes and put his drink down on the table with a thud.

“Did you come all this way just to insult me?”

“No,” Laswell said, leaning over to reach at something underneath the table. She ruffled through a black bag for a few seconds before finding what she was looking for, placing it on the table in front of Ghost.

It was a regular notebook about one centimetre in thickness. The hard, black cover was wrapped in a small elastic from top to bottom to keep the slightly yellowed pages shut. Imprinted gold lettering at the top read out NOTEBOOK and was surrounded by a simple, rectangular border. The worn away edges and sporadic scratches against the cover indicated it had been well-used.

Ghost immediately recognized it as one of Soap’s notebooks.

“This one was accidentally left behind when cleaning out your old room and locker. By the look on your face, I’m assuming you know what it is.”

Ghost flicked his eyes up to look at Laswell with careful caution.

“What’s in it?” he asked.

Laswell linked her hands together again. “I don’t know,” she stated plainly. “I didn’t look. It’s not for me to look, now is it?”

Ghost felt the unwanted presence of the notebook demand his attention again and he slowly trailed his eyes down to look at it. He clenched his jaw as he focused intensely on keeping his expression neutral. He remained silent.

Laswell shifted in her seat and let out a sigh, the first display of emotion cracking through her stony exterior. She tilted her head slightly and pursed her lips, a tinge of sadness glinting in her eyes.

“Let me ask you this, Simon,” she said softly. “What do you think will cause more harm? You staying or you leaving?” Laswell paused for a second before finding the right words to continue. “Who are you hurting more? You… or John.”

Ghost harshly clenched his fist underneath the table, hoping the pain would help him clear his mind from of the incoming thoughts that threatened to spill over.

Laswell stood up from the table like it took great effort to move her body. She picked up her bag and let it hang down from her hand. Her other hand rested gently on the table as she stopped her movements, hesitating.

“I won’t be keeping tabs on you anymore – I’ve stuck my neck out enough as it is. I just figured you should have that. Simon, I truly hope you’ve thought about what you’re doing and… and if this is what’s best… then I wish you luck. If not… well… just know you’re not as alone as you think you are. You still have a family out there.”

With that being said, Laswell slung the bag over her shoulder and turned away from the table. She took a few long strides across the bar and opened the door to the outside, disappearing into the chilly night yet again.

Ghost’s thumb wiped away the condensation on his glass, unable to tear his eyes away from the notebook. The entire bar appeared to go silent as if waiting with bated breath for him to do something. The edges of his vision darkened until nothing beyond his table existed.

He should walk away. He should throw it in the trash. He should…

He traced his fingers along the edge of the notebook as his mind continued to scream at him to stop. He struggled with his heart which tugged him in the opposite direction. The book felt like it was sparking with life underneath his fingertips.

His willpower cracked and Ghost pulled the book closer. He slipped the elastic off and gently turned over the cover, beginning to flip through the pages.

The drawings were scattered messily across the pages without any rhyme or reason. On some pages, every last inch of space was filled while on others there was just one image. They ranged from loose line art, to detailed sketches, to fully shaded drawings. As he flipped through the pages, Ghost carefully examined everything he saw.

There were a few drawings of the paper crane he had made from several different angles. To his knowledge, Soap had only seen it for a short period of time. It amazed Ghost how much Soap could draw with detailed accurately just from memory.

Soap’s dog tag looped across two pages in winding coils and curves. A large Rubik’s Cube remained unsolved with various levels of shading on the pieces. A bottle of Scotch poured out into a small glass, a few drops splashing out and dripping down onto the table it sat on. A tree bent over slightly as its branches blew in the breeze through a wide window.

There were a number of drawings of people Ghost didn’t recognize. They were other soldiers as indicated by the collars of their shirts on some of the portraits. There were a few of them he recognized as being on the base when they were holed up in Austria many months back.

A full body image of König took up the entire height on the page as he stared straight forward. A curved arrow pointed to his head with the caption ‘He has no right being this tall. What do they feed Austrian babies anyway??’ written in Soap’s normal, messy handwriting.

He also saw detailed drawings of the rest of the 141.

Price slept in a chair with his arms crossed over his chest and his ankles linked together. The image was a familiar one. Ghost imaged Soap would have had many opportunities to draw this one. His chin was tilted down and his hat obscured half his face.

Next to him, Price’s hat was drawn to greater scale. ‘Burn it.’

Just below Price’s hat was also a drawing of Gaz’s baseball cap. ‘This one too while we’re at it.’

Ghost let out an unexpected chuckle.

Gaz’s side profile was intensely focusing on something undrawn in the distance, his brow furrowed seriously. On another page, Alejandro scowled deeply as he sat next to a beaming Rudy giving a thumbs up.

Ghost came across a small conversation the two of them had had while listening to a boring debriefing one day, the memory sparking to life before him.

‘wanna bet 50 quid on which direction the lieutenant will authorize the siege?’ Soap had written.

‘YOU’RE ON.’ Ghost wrote in his normal capital letters. ‘SOUTH IS THE SMARTEST OPTION.’

‘you’re right. that’s why I’m saying north.’

Against his better judgment of the situation, Ghost had lost the bet. The memory of Soap’s smug smile made his chest clench painfully.

‘I DON’T ACTUALLY HAVE 50 QUID.’ 

‘oh no… what could you POSSIBLY do to repay me…’ An innocent smiley face.

Ghost kept flipping through the pages until he was several pages in. There he started to see a lot of drawings of himself that made his heart flutter.

Incredibly detailed drawings of Ghost with his mask on from a number of different angles and looking in various directions. His eyes looked so real and somehow appeared to sparkle under nonexistent light on the page. In one image, his eyes were half-closed in an annoyed expression. In another, the corners of his eyes crinkled happily and, although he couldn’t see it in the image, he could feel he was smiling under the mask.

There were a few drawings of him with his eyes closed, the relaxed looseness of his brow and the way the mask folded oddly on his face indicating that he had been asleep when they were drawn.

Ghost recognized several iterations of his balaclava and hard skull mask across different lighting conditions. His knife was clenched tightly in his hand, the sketching work on his fingers looking incredibly realistic. Two entire pages were dedicated to sketching all of Ghost’s tattoos in a mosaic of no particular order.

He flipped the page and felt his breath get caught in his throat.

Two detailed drawings of Ghost’s face filled the page – without his mask. The lines that shaped his face were soft and perfectly placed. His expression was open and his eyes squinted tenderly, as if amused by something. The corner of his mouth was pulled up in a small smile that one could easily miss. Each of his scars were meticulously drawn on his skin that even he himself would not be able to place correctly.  

A scattering of eraser bits littered the page which hadn’t been wiped away yet. Ghost gently dragged his hand down the page and wiped them away, the shavings floating silently down onto the table.

Ghost could feel tears start to sprout in the corners of his eyes and he swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat, squeezing his eyes shut. He focused on the sound of his own breathing, struggling to keep his mind level-headed.

The carefully crafted wall that Ghost had built up began to crumble down in a matter of seconds. The thoughts he had tried to keep at bay for so long flooded his mind. If he didn’t get control of himself soon, he would surely drown in them.

He missed Soap so fucking much. He missed Soap so much that he felt every nerve ending in his body longed to touch him again.

He missed Soap’s unwavering presence by his side both on and off the battlefield. He missed the way Soap would start to bounce his leg or tap him fingers when he was starting to lose focus. He missed Soap’s annoying humour and shit-eating grins.

He missed Soap’s kind eyes that seemed to see deeper into Ghost than anyone had before. They seemed to see something that even Ghost couldn’t see in himself. He missed the way he pressed his lips desperately against Soap’s as if he was the air in Ghost’s lungs. He missed Soap’s warm body and warm hands that clung to him at night as they lay in bed together.

He missed the way that everything felt easy when he was with Soap. How everything felt like it was going to be okay. The world didn’t seem so dark when Soap was the light next to him, the two of them walking side by side.

Ghost slowly closed the book and rested his head back against the wall, every fiber of his being pulsating with longing.

#mom mode activated #ghost x soap #soap x ghost #ghost #soapghost #ghostsoap #simon riley #simon ghost riley #john mactavish #john soap mactavish #kate laswell #cod #codfic #mw2 #my writing #dont let me go fic #dont let me go cod #chapter 42 #ghoap writing #op

[acowardinmordor]

Warning in advance: it’s Steddie, but not happily ever after.

So. Steve Harrington who becomes romance repulsed. Let’s go with he and Nancy get back together and the second break up is even worse. He and Rob move away and Steve tries again, and Amy is wonderful and he loves her but she never trusts Robin, and something about the way that one ended ugly gets wrapped up with everything romantic and breaks inside him.

He still likes romance as a concept, in the abstract, in a hypothetical. But applied to himself? Immediately throws him back into memories of those breakups. He’s genuinely thrilled for Robin and her new girlfriend. Max and Lucas go on a sweet trip together and it’s objectively wonderful. It’s fine, as long as he doesn’t imagine himself in that situation.

Hookups are okay. The girl can’t be named Amy or Nancy. Or Robin or Erica or Max or Chrissy or Barb or—

Guys are easier. Cruising is the easiest. No one is looking for love or morning kisses. He rarely even trades names.

Robin hates it. Not just because she knows that Steve isn’t being safe enough when he goes out, but because he’s accepted the way it is. That he’ll never get to have anything close to Romance, and that trying to get past the way his stomach curdles isn’t worth it. He’s not unhappy, they both love Chicago, even when lake effect snow traps them inside. But that’s her soulmate, and he’s the sappiest romantic she’s ever met. He isn’t one for poetic metaphors, so the closest he gets is saying “it’s like when a banana has one of those gross spots. It’s still good. You can still eat it, you just have to scoop out that section”

And he refuses to see it as a problem.

Eddie eventually gets tired of New York and joins them. It’s not a shock when, a couple months after he moves, Eddie and Steve sleep together. Steve is like that now, attaches no meaning to any of his hookups. He and Eddie have been trading stories about gay bars and cruising for the last two years. And they sleep together again the month after. And again two weeks later.

At least Steve is always meticulously safe with Eddie, cause god knows he isn’t safe the rest of the time.

And it’s fine. Steve has closed up that whole section of himself. Doesn’t look at it, doesn’t think about it. He makes it absolutely clear that it’s just a friends with benefits situation. That he does not want more than that, that they aren’t exclusive, and that he’ll end it if Eddie tries to make it more. He still hooks up with strangers, guys and girls, whenever he feels like it. And it’s fine. For Steve it’s fine.

Not so much for Eddie. They’d stayed friends, and he and Robin talk even more now in Chicago. He knew that Steve didn’t do romance. He thought Robin was exaggerating about how bad it really is. He thought, storyteller that he is, that maybe he could make it better if he stayed and proved to Steve that it was safe to try again. And yeah, he wants Steve to try with him, but once he sees how much of Steve is missing, he’s happy to be a recovery step if that’s what helps.

So Eddie keeps saying yes, then initiates it more when he and Rob notice that Steve isn’t just safe with Eddie, he’s safer for Eddie. The condoms Robin has been shoving into Steve’s pockets get used more often now. And sure, Eddie wants to scream every time Steve flinches away. And yeah, it creates a weird gulf where Eddie can be his friend, or can be his lover, but never both at the same time.

Eddie keeps a lid on it though. Never let’s his growing love for the guy show. Does what he can to keep encouraging Steve to at least use the condoms if he’s going to fuck strangers. It’s wonderful and it’s awful and it gets worse as the boundary of what Steve considers Romance gets clearer. Then the boundary gets bigger.

They can Fuck on the couch, but they can’t sit next to each other while watching a movie. Steve starts avoiding kissing. Starts avoiding eye contact during, then at all.

It’s not a shock when Steve ends it. Robin confirms what Eddie already knew. They were too close to becoming something Steve can’t even think about without feeling sick to his stomach. Eddie never, ever let it show, which means that Steve was too close to romance, too close to thinking of Eddie as more.

But you can’t help someone who thinks there isn’t a problem. Steve is still a great friend, a great person, and neither Robin nor Eddie are going to walk away over this. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t break their hearts to see him recoil from any hint at him having what was always his dream life.

#my writing #steddie ficlet #this is not happy #it isn’t really angst #but it for sure isn’t happy #and fwiw this isn’t quite my version of being aro #but it’s close enough that I’m not taking notes

[cowgurrrl]

So This Is Love

Pairing: rockstar!joel miller x actress!reader

Author’s note: this came to me in a fever dream

Summary: A Beach Day [1.5k]

Warnings: time jump kinda (Sam is 17 and the girls are 13), me giving Dina and Jesse last names (Caradonna and Pierce) because Neil Druckman couldn’t, Lucy is Tommy and Maria’s daughter 🥸, family life, fluff

If there's one thing you've realized about your family, it's that they love nothing more than a beach day. Sam will almost immediately ask when you're going to the beach when temperatures get past the eighties. His follow-up question is always, "And can Penelope's family come with us?" Because it can never just be a Miller beach day, it has to be a Miller-Hernandez-Garcia-Long-Caradonna-Pierce beach day. As the kids have gotten older and your lives more hectic, it's nice to have a chance to get away every once in a while. Sarah, Ethan, and Isaac will drive in from Sacramento, and Ellie, Dina, Jesse, and JJ will meet you guys there since they don't live far from you, Joel, and the kids. Joel and Ryan inevitably become pack mules because they refuse to let you or Carolina carry anything, and you've both learned not to argue with them. 

That's what today has consisted of. You, Sarah, Carolina, and Maria sit in the sand as you watch your husbands unload beach chairs, towels, coolers, sand castle molds, and more. It took Sam all of ten seconds to break into Fun Uncle Mode and start a game of football with Isaac and JJ, Penelope, and Lucy joining the boys. Elizabeth, Victoria, Sophia, and Violet sit in a circle with supplies to make bracelets and whatever books they're reading at their feet, gossiping just out of earshot of their uncool parents. Ellie, Dina, and Jesse have given up on arguing with Joel about helping to unpack and have settled on wading through the water, splashing each other when they're not looking. They make a sweet little family. Unconventional, sure, but loving and amazing, nevertheless.

Once the Hernandez-Miller-Long boys unload all their stuff, they join the football game Sam started, in which nobody keeps score because they're all laughing too hard. It's fun to watch Joel and Tommy play on separate teams, the sibling rivalry coming out just enough to entertain you and Maria. You would think Joel would slow down or get tired faster than he used to, but something about the summer sunshine makes him twenty-five years old again. He goes from playing football and playfully tackling Isaac to teaching JJ how to surf, holding his hands as they stand on the board together, to bounding over to Ellie in the waves, picking her up, and throwing her in the water. "Mom!" She complains when she breaches the surface with a big smile. She laughs when you throw up your hands to let her know you can't control him. 

All the moms end up running around with sunscreen, water, and snacks to make sure nobody gets neglected, no matter who they actually belong to. You once joked with Carolina that, at this point, you basically have a commune of parents who take care of all the kids. Jesse will send birthday cards and money to the twins on their birthday. When Elizabeth got too drunk at a college party, she called you instead of her parents. Not because she didn't trust them but because she knew you'd pick up the phone even though it was two in the morning. And when Sarah gave birth to Isaac, you, Lucia, Maria, Carolina, Ellie, and Dina descended upon her home to take care of the laundry and dishes, prepare food, and ensure Sarah and Ethan slept. It's like having a huge family without the drama or strained relationships. 

After Joel has all but run himself ragged and the sun is casting purple and golden rays across the sky, he pulls you onto his lap, and you sit with him as you watch your kids. Ellie, Dina, Jesse, and JJ sit nearby, munching on sandwiches and listening to JJ's latest science fair project about space. Sarah and Ethan build sand castles with Isaac, and Ryan, Carolina, and Victoria nap together in a too-small beach chair. The only ones still up and being rowdy are Sam, Penny, and the twins. Sam is trying to teach Penny how to throw a baseball, and the twins are surfing along the coastline. The sound of the waves and the heat from Joel's body makes you sleepy as you rest against his chest, his hand drawing patterns into your thigh. 

"D'you have fun today?" He asks quietly as he kisses your temple. 

"I always have fun at the beach with you."

"Cheesy," he shakes his head, and you slap his chest. "You can't even get mad at me 'cause you know that was cheesy."

"You married me for my cheesiness."

"No, I married you for the money. Obviously." He says, and you laugh. Penelope and Sam's laughter overlaps yours, and you both turn to see them leaning against each other with big smiles. Sam's eyes twinkle familiarly in the sunset as he looks at Penny again, holding up his baseball.

"Be serious about this! When I go pro, you're gonna be the one to throw out the first pitch!" He urges, and she rolls her eyes.

"If you go pro, you'll have much bigger things to worry about than me throwing out the first pitch." She teases, and he raises his eyebrows, hiding the baseball behind his back and stepping into her. You'd have to be fucking blind not to see the way they flirt with each other. 

"Oh, yeah? Like what?" 

"Like controlling your roid rage."

"I'll have you know I've never done steroids in my life!"

"You're still young, Miller. I give it three years."

"You think that little of me?" He asks and collapses to the sand dramatically when she nods. You laugh, and Joel adjusts so your ear is by his mouth.

"They remind me of us." He whispers, and you furrow your brows as you face him. He smiles sleepily and reaches out to push your hair out of your face.

"How so?" 

"Other than the fact she just called him 'Miller,'" he says, and you smile. "'M not sure. He just... seems lighter around her. And they're always together. They have their own little language and dynamic. Not to mention, anyone with eyes in a twenty-mile radius can see how hopelessly in love he is with that girl."

"I thought you married me for my money."

"I mean, that was a plus, but I married you 'cause I couldn't imagine spendin' another moment without you as my partner and 'cause I wanted to be with you every day," he says as he kisses your jaw. "'Cause I was and still am hopelessly in love with you." You take a deep breath as you wrap your arm around his shoulders and lean back to look at him in all his sunburnt nose, heavy, happy-eyed glory. 

He's aged in the years since you've been together. His hair is a little more gray than brown, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes have deepened through late-night feeds, early-morning school drop-offs, tours, movies, albums, everything. You've aged too. You're not the same twenty-something you were when you met Joel, but you love this version of yourself. You love this version of your marriage and family and can't wait to see what joy the next version will bring you. You lean down and kiss him. He tastes like sea salt and beer and him. His beard scratches your face, but his hands on your skin are soft and heavy. You remember an old song from the original Cinderella film. She hums it after meeting her Prince Charming and goes home utterly in love with him. You swear, if this moment were a shot from a movie, that song would play over this moment.

"Cheesy." You mumble against his lips.

"Oh, that was cheesy?" He asks, and you hum. In one movement, he secures you in his arms and stands. You squeal and hold onto him for dear life as he starts walking through the sand. "I'll show you cheesy." 

"Joel!" You yell as he walks into the cold water and dunks the both of you under within two seconds. You don't see or hear it happen through the salt water in your eyes and your laughter, but your family rushes into the water after you—all of them. Ryan picks up Carolina, Ethan picks up Sarah, Jesse, and Dina work together to grab Ellie, and Sam picks up Penny, and they all run into the water. The kids follow suit, and before you realize it, all your favorite people are in the water with you, laughing and smiling as they cling to each other amidst the waves. Sophia jumps on Joel's back, and he goes underwater with all three of you as the sun sets overhead and the moon slowly appears over the cliffs. You're shaking from the cold and clinging to Joel, but you can't stop smiling. There's no place you'd rather be than here, freezing in the water with your family as the sun sets on another perfect Miller-Hernandez-Garcia-Long-Caradonna-Pierce beach day.

#one for the money two for the show #oftm family #rockstar!joel miller x actress!reader #rockstar!joel #tlou au #the last of us au #joel miller x female reader #joel miller fluff

[flightfoot]

Any feligami fic recommendations?

Felix is Fine by SortaArtsy

Felix wakes up sick, but is determined to keep it under wraps. Kagami refuses to be fooled. Feligami fluff. Implied past trauma/ abuse, though nothing explicit. Set post S5 so there are SOME SPOILERS!

If you want a Felix sick fic, this story’s the fic for you! I like how Felix and Kagami actually talk about why Felix is so determined to keep the extent of his illness hidden, what caused him to feel like he needs to do that, and Kagami’s understanding about it. Colt sucks.

---

to assess the equation of you by ThisKwamiNeeds-aNap

“I’m not a wanted fugitive,” she said, dryly. “You could change that.” She wasn’t sure if he was joking. Wasn’t sure if she wanted him to be joking. She stared for a long second, as if she could read more into his intent in the pupils of his eyes. They stayed there for a long second, unblinking. OR: Félix and Kagami try to talk about that after credits scene in Pretension

---

the awful felix saga by chivalrousamour

It should be noted that Félix was not exactly the most normal of people. He was idolized by others and popular, yet never had many friends. His social skills mostly amounted to knowledge of how to smile and speak politely enough that people let their guard down around him. As a result of his tendency to ignore or hate most people, he only had the few loved ones, and he'd commit murder for them. Like literally commit murder for them. Several murders, even. He did not have good knowledge of boundaries or restraint. So it should really say something that Félix, of all people, looked at Adrien's phone, and immediately said "oh, what's wrong with this guy." Because, like, dude. Why did Adrien have so many pictures of a girl he wasn't even dating? Even Félix knew that cropping group pics to be just the two of them was a weird thing to do.

So this is part of a series. I put that series on my top ten completed fics of 2023 list. I think you can mostly understand what's going on here without reading the other fics in the series, but I highly recommend you do read them, because they're hilarious! But this fic should at least give a taste of the tone of the rest of the series and give an idea whether you'd like to read the rest.

---

The Peacock and the Dragon by TheVioletThread

kagami reflects on love, past and present, lost and won. felix destroys everything he has ever loved.

This is a three-chapter story, with the chapters being mostly independent, rather than naturally leading into each other.

The first chapter is from Kagami's POV, delving into the mindset she's grown up with due to Tomoe's parenting.

The second chapter, on the other hand, is from Felix's POV and mostly follows his horrific backstory, the abuse he suffered at Colt's hands, and his mindset even after Colt died.

The third chapter goes over Amelie's life, how she thinks of being the one left behind to deal with her parents' expectations, how she does, in fact, abide by them, basically being sold away to the highest bidder, and the despair as she's unable to do what she was "purchased" to do: provide an heir to Colt.

There's some beautiful prose here and exploration for Felix, Kagami, and Amelie, I highly recommend giving it a look!

---

one does not love breathing by @wackus-bonkus-maximus

All of Paris watched as Hawkmoth murdered Chat Noir, taking the Black Cat Miraculous for himself. Ladybug swears revenge, but her enemy—and every miraculous in his possession—disappear without a trace.

Six years later, a new team of villains launches an attack for the last remaining Miraculous: Volpina, armed with new powers; Queen Bee, with questionable loyalty; Argos, the new holder of the Peacock Miraculous; and Cat Walker, who Ladybug hates the most.

Takes place after S4 - Strike Back.

So this is mostly a Lovesquare fic, but there's lots of different perspectives here, including Felix's and Kagami's. They may not be the main couple, but they still have more focus and development here than you're likely to find in most other fics.

Which is especially impressive since Feligami was one of the major pairings in this fic even BEFORE the Miraculous season 5 bible got leaked. Wackus was clairvoyant on that front.

#ask #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic rec #felix fathom #kagami tsurugi #feligami

[monsoon-of-art]

Donut Hole

Chapter 10 - Sad Machine

And though I know, since you've awakened her again She depends on you, she depends on you She'll go alone, and never speak of this again We depend on you, we depend... I'll depend on you

[Amazingly. I have to say this; but minor Scarlet and Violet spoilers in the form of a Gen 9 Pokemon (kinda). Also minor violence!]

[ao3 link here!]

Barry woke up and immediately knew something was wrong.

All of his pokemon were awake and in the little nook, including Fern, who had been sleeping outside last he checked. All of them were awake, and completely, perfectly still. Scared stiff, as it were, their eyes wide and anxious.

Second, the air was…different. Tense, thick with static electricity. It felt as if a foggy thunderstorm had rolled in while he slept.

He tried stretching in the confined space with a murkrow on his chest, a piplup on his shoulder, and a burmy and kirlia filling up any of the remaining gaps. “Guys, c’mon. A little elbow room? Please?”

Moving Mystery off of his chest, Barry started for the exit to see what was going on outside, but Fern sat right in his way. The kirlia shook its head, tapping its paws together in a clear act of anxiety.

“C’mon Fern, let me out! I wanna see out there!” He tried to peer around the pokemon, seeing that it looked very dark outside, with flickerings of multicolored light. Was it still nighttime? Barry did feel tired, but he was always tired.

Fern shook its head.

“Pleeease? I just wanna take a look! I’ll be careful!”

Still tapping its paws together, Fern considered this. Then it carefully moved out of the way for him to move past.

Stepping out of the hollow, Barry felt the electricity crackling around his hair and skin, sparking at his feet. Looking up, it appeared as if a giant dome had settled over them; the sky was dark and swirling with energy, but with clear boundaries.

“Woah.”

The poketch on his wrist buzzed. Looking at it, all of the lightning surrounding them had given it a bit of power, but it was still clearly busted beyond repair. It garbed nothing but static, refused to switch apps, and the screen was nothing but colored lines.

“Well, there goes that idea. Let’s take a look around-”

All of his pokemon swarmed him, desperately trying to tug and pull him back to the safety of the hollow. “Guys! Guys! C’mon! I know it looks scary out here, but it seems fine!”

They’ve probably never seen something like this before, Bary reasoned. (Neither had he, but he was ignoring that part).

“Maybe there’s cool stuff here! Let’s go look!”

He began to explore inside the dark sphere, his pokemon hesitantly following behind him. “See? Nothing bad is happening! It must be a weird weather fenom…feninime …fonomone-”

Barry could’ve gone on his tangent of mispronouncing ‘phenomenon’ for quite a bit longer, but an object falling from the sky interrupted his thoughts.

It was a blue stone, roughly larger than his palm. It glittered, even in the low light. No matter how Barry turned it in his hands, he could see a star-shaped pattern inside.

“It’s…” he hesitated with the name for reasons unbeknownst to him, “It’s a Dawn Stone.”

It was an evolutionary stone, but a very rare one. He took a moment to try and remember what pokemon evolved from it. All around him, more objects fell from the sky - nuggets of gold and pearls, more stones, a pokedoll, a magmarizer, and a lot of shards.

Barry was lost in his thoughts to notice. Behind him, his pokemon scrambled to dodge the falling objects.

Finally, something pinged in his mind.

Spinning around, he slapped the dawn stone into Fern’s paws. “Alright! Evolve into a Gallade, please!”

Fern squeaked in surprise, looking at the blue stone in its paws. Baffled, it looked back up at him with wide eyes - wanting to make the boy happy but not knowing how.

It tapped the stone several times, clearly unsure of what to do.

Barry frowned, scratching at his head. “...maybe I’m doing something wrong here.”

He stood, kicking a blue shard with his foot. “Yeesh, this place is a dump! Where did all this stuff come from? Oh, oh, is that gold?? OK, let's grab some of this and then we can go!"

Eagerly beginning to pick up some of the more valuable items, Barry didn't notice the electricity in the air growing stronger, top of the dome crackling with energy.

The sky split open with a horrendous screech. White lightning screamed above them.

All four of his pokemon forced Barry into a patch of tall grass to hide. “W-What’s going on?!” He tried to whisper, before being shushed.

A dusknoir silently floated above them, several dusclops following behind. Barry felt the air grow colder as the ghosts passed by.

Was this a type of Mass Outbreak? A swarm? Barry wished he had listened to Lucas better about them, he had no clue what to do in this situation. Hiding seemed to be the best bet, though, so Barry and his pokemon hunkered down.

Maybe they could wait this out.

Or maybe, instead, a nearby magmar could push aside the tall grass with its large tail purely on accident, revealing the boy’s hiding space.

Magmar stared at him. Barry stared back.

Instinctively, he went to grab one of his pokemon. He was hoping for Jen, but instead he grabbed Pest. Holding the bug out like a can of pepper spray, he shouted, “PEST, KILL!”

Pest let out a ferocious war cry, then spit silk all over the magmar’s face.

The magmar was clearly not impressed, glowering at the boy and his pokemon. Barry tucked Pest safely back into his coat. “Alright let’s try that again - Jen! Bubble Beam! Let’s get going!”

Jen was more than eager to get fighting, sending a stream of bubbles at the opposing fire-type. “Yeah! That’s the ticket!”

The magmar recoiled from the attack, but quickly recovered. Typing was important, but this magmar was clearly stronger. It took a deep breath-

“DODGE! DODGE!” He shouted, scooping up Fern and Mystery and ducking out of the way. Jen darted just before the magmar released its flamethrower attack.

“Another bubble beam, while it’s recovering from Flamethrower!”

Jen complied, aiming for the magmar’s sides and back. The magmar hissed and spit, trying to shield itself from the torrent of bubbles.

“You got ‘em on the ropes! Hit them with everything you got!”

With a shrill squawk, Jen sent out a water pulse. It hit the magmar square on, the large fire-bird falling to the ground with a rumbling CRASH.

Defeated. Winner, Jen!

“Yeah! YEAH! That was amazing!” Barry praised, reaching over to give Jen a pat on the head.

Before he could give Jen the praise it deserved, it began to glow. 

Barry gave the penguin a wide berth for evolution, watching in complete joy as his little piplup grew. Its form shifted, stretching, growing taller. Flippers growing stronger, more sturdy for physical attacks. Starting to form a respectable crest.

His poketech buzzed to life. Kinda. It began garbling a pokedex entry;

Pri-plup: The P---uin Poke-on. Abili--: Torr-nt. With a --ight of 2 feet and a w--ght of 5-.7bs, the-e are 7 -ales for e---y female. It li-s alone, a-ay from --hers. A-par--tly, ever- one of t-em believ-s it is the m--t import---. Its -ings de---er wi-ked b-ows that sn-p even the t-ic--st -- trees. It se--ches for pr-y in ic- seas.

He gave Jen a hug, ignoring the embarrassed peeps. (Prinplups were horribly self-entitled, but he hoped that enough socializing could nip that behavior in the bud.)

“I knew you could do it, buddy! Look at you!”

Setting Jen down, he turned to the magmar and began rummaging in his bag for a pokeball. “And now let’s get you, new buddy-”

The magmar vanished in a blink of an eye, swallowed up by purple lightning.

“...oh.” Barry put the pokeball back in his bag. “OK. That’s kinda rude. Didn’t have to leave like that-”

In its place appeared a massive Rampardos, sporting the glowing red eyes that Barry was beginning to loathe.

Immediately, Barry wondered how this thing was alive. Rampardos could only be resurrected from fossils, they were supposed to be extinct. And yet, here it was, slowly turning its head to stare down at them.

“We can handle this! Jen! Let’s get another-”

The rampardos didn’t let him finish. Swinging its tail like a club, slamming into both boy and bird. It knocked the wind right out of Barry’s lungs, sending him sprawling onto the unforgiving ground, and poor Jen flew right into one of the cliff walls with a horrible CRUNCH.

With a strangled gasp, Barry reached into his bag for Jen’s pokeball, recalling it. The last thing he wanted for his newly evolved Pokemon to take any more damage.

Pokemon were always a bit fragile after just evolving. Their new bodies weren’t quite ready for physical damage yet, like a dratini after a fresh molt. He should’ve recalled Jen immediately, not try to pick another fight. Stupid, stupid, stupid .

The rampardos bellowed, rattling deep into Barry’s bones. “Y-You can do whatever you want to me!” he said, painstakingly standing back up. “But you’re not gonna hurt my friends-”

Another slam of the rampardos’ tail sent him skidding back to the dirt. He felt his head hit the ground, and he saw a flash of white and black dots.

That was a concussion, definitely. And damn, it hurt too. It felt like his world was spinning, even though he was fairly certain he had stopped moving.

Fern and Mystery tried to tug him back to his feet as the living fossil stomped closer. “N-No, guuyss-” Barry slurred. “‘M trying to protect youu, get outta here!”

Mystery immediately took Barry’s advice, flying just far enough to be out of range of the rampardos’ attacks. “‘M not running away anymore!” Barry shouted as he stood, glaring right back at the giant dinosaur. “You’re not even TRYING to kill me, you big!...Dumb!...Stupid-face!”

(If he was thinking a bit more clearly, Barry might’ve realized that the rampardos was toying with him more than anything.)

“Go, Fern! Please!” he said, looking into the kirlia’s eyes. “It’s my job as your friend to protect you! Because that’s what friends do. I’m not going to lose any more friends!”

Tears began to well in Fern’s eyes. It reached to hold Barry’s hands.

“It’ll be OK.” said Barry.

The rampardos lowered itself, claws scraping into the dirt as it prepared to charge.

“It’ll be OK.”

The rampardos bellowed as it began sprinting for them. It tore up the packed, rocky ground as it ran for them.

“It’ll be OK. I promise.”

Holding onto Barry’s finger with one paw, and holding the dawn stone in the other, Fern began to glow.

Fern’s body flickered and shuddered, limbs stretching, jumping too far, then snapping back into place. Like a broken gif, looped in unnatural ways. “Fern!? FERN!?”

He didn’t care that the rampardos was still coming for them. He didn’t care about anything else right now - he needed Fern to be OK.

But Fern still held on tight to Barry’s hand. Even as its paws grew and changed, its grip held firm.

Barry could see a head horn forming, along with the long blades on its arms indicative of a Gallade - but he could see the flowing skirt grow longer, into almost the dress of a Gardevoir.

“Fern?! Don’t hurt yourself! Please!”

The rampardos was right on top of them now. Even if he wanted to, Barry couldn’t move. It was roaring now, shaking Barry’s very soul-

Mere inches away from headbutting Barry into a fine red mist, something too fast to see slammed into the rampardos’ thick skull, sending it careening off into a rock pillar. It smashed right through it, falling into a pile of boulders.

Barry slowly turned to Fern.

Fern stood tall, shaking off the lingering energy of evolution. It wasn’t a Gardevoir, sporting a blue head crest and bladed arms. But it wasn’t a Gallade either, sporting a dress and longer ‘hair’. But there were other things that neither evolution had that Fern did - such as its bladed arms being a pinker color, and its belly being black.

Its fist was clenched, and Barry realized it must have been Fern punching the Rampardos in the face moments earlier.

“Fern? Buddy?” he whispered. “Are…are you OK?”

Fern turned to Barry, giving the boy the smallest of smiles. It unclenched its fist, carefully patting him on the head - not unsimilar to what Barry would do when Fern was a ralts.

Then, Fern’s gaze snapped back to the rampardos as it stumbled out of the rubble. It shrieked at the two of them, already preparing another charge.

Fern finally let go of Barry’s hand, striding over to the dinosaur. Barry’s poketch buzzed.

ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR - True -o its honorable-warrior image, it u-es the blades on its elbows protect --s Trainer even at the risk of its own life seeks out those in ne-d and aids Tra-ner it has bonded c-osely with cut down any-ne confront--g it without hesitat-on protect trainer protect trainer protect trainer protect Barry-

It stood in front of the rampardos, glancing over its shoulder. Waiting.

Barry understood completely.

“ALRIGHT FERN!” he shouted, finally feeling like he was in his element. “LET’S SEND THIS CLOWN BACK TO THE STONE AGE! Let’s go with a close combat! Before it gets a charge in!"

Fern didn’t hesitate a moment.

It sprinted forward, rearing back to uppercut the rampardos before it could get in a double-edge. With how slow it was, rampardos didn’t stand a chance. Fern barraged the opponent with punches, moving far too fast for the rampardos to even try and retaliate.

“Let’s go with confusion now!”

Fern stopped. Luckily, the rampardos was too stunned from the previous attack to do anything. Fern looked back at Barry, clearly confused and a little panicked.

What, did it forget confusion when it evolved? Was it not a psychic-type anymore? “O-OK! Let’s go with a final close combat! Let’s end this!”

With a final blow - an uppercut directly under the rampardos’ head, Fern sent the dinosaur crashing back into the rocks. And while it shuddered and twitched, this time, it didn’t get back up.

Before Barry could properly praise his pokemon, the black dome that had covered them at the beginning began to shake. Lightning cracked and the air seemed to scream in his ears.

And then, just like that, it was gone. His poketech shut back off, the sky was a brilliant blue, the darkness was gone.

The rampardos too, disappeared with the black dome.

“...that was. Really weird.” he muttered, feeling a headache coming on.

Mystery flew back from wherever it had hidden, chirping as if nothing had happened. Barry, a tad annoyed that his murkrow had ditched him, recalled Mystery back to its ball.

He slowly approached Fern. “Buddy…I have no idea what you are.” he said honestly. “BUT YOU LOOK SO COOL!”

A Gallade? Or a Gardevoir? Barry wasn’t sure. Barry also didn’t care. If Fern was safe and fine with it, then he was fine with it too. “Maybe you’re like uh! Regional variant! An alternate universe kirlia evolution! I think I get naming rights! Maybe even a finders fee!"

Fern hummed alongside him, happy that Barry seemed happy, but not quite understanding why.

Barry circled around Fern, taking note of the petal-like formation of the dress. The longer hair with pink ends. The difference in coloration. The horn shapes. All were just slightly off from normal.

"Let's call you….Galiant! Because it starts with a G-A like Gardevoir and Gallade and a mix of Valiant! They should pay me to make more names, heh!"

Fern the ‘Galiant’ chirped at that, again patting Barry on the head. “H-Hey! Just because you’re taller than me doesn’t mean you get to tease me about it!”

He tried to brush the affection away, Fern chuckling as he tried. It had black paws now, and it kept trying to poke and prod at him.

“Yeah, yeah, c’mon bud, let’s get serious for a second. We gotta get back on the road. We gotta find Cyrus, so we can punch his stupid blank face in!”

---

[Surpriiiiiseee! Fern's a girl! :) and also technically an Iron Valiant. But not Iron! (Galiant name came from tumblr user @/hezuart!)] New Team:

#pokemon legends arceus #pla #rival barry #barry in hisui #the next chapter has Eeeeevil Ingo >:3