#and they only get like 5-6 months to figure their shit out! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tojikai · 9 months

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Sundered 4: GEARS

Pairing: Gojo x reader

Genre: Angst

tags/cw: angst, mean!gojo(kinda), babydaddy!gojo, babymomma!reader, motherhood, insecurities, suggestive smut, arguments, name-calling, L-bombs(lol)

word count: 6.7k

Decisions take seconds to make but can take months and even years to realize and regret.

“I still love you, Y/N. So, so much.”

Satoru wept, sniffing as he ran his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. His vision was cloudy but the memories in his head were crystal clear. The day he met you, the day you told him the news; it was unexpected, but it gave Satoru a warm feeling in his chest. How could he let himself forget that feeling so easily?

You don’t get to get her back. A voice in his head once again whispered to him, allowing sobs to erupt from his lips.

The day he separated from you, he told you you’ll make things work, no matter what it takes. A few weeks after that his mother introduced Naomi to him. It wasn’t her job but she helped him work on himself, gave him all that she has to offer, and held him when he felt like losing his mind.

You were almost out of reach, mostly just talking to him when it concerns your daughter. It almost felt like he was fighting alone. It made him feel like he was not changing anything. He barely sees your face; barely feels you.

And then it happened, in such a short span of time. Naomi was the only one he sees, the only one he feels with him.

“It could work, you know? But only if both sides are committed to making it work.” She said, “But like these gears,” She pointed at the constructible toy train of his daughter, “The gears will only work if they fit.” Satoru didn’t need to hear any more of her words to understand what she was trying to explain.

He found himself smiling at her smiles and laughing at her laugh. He found himself saying: “We kinda fit, don’t you think?” nudging her playfully as they walked Yui to the park, earning a shy laugh from her.

He found himself spending more time with Naomi than spending time figuring things out with you. It all just happened in such a short span of time.

It felt like setting himself free when he didn’t have to think about the problems with you. It was emancipating to just lie under the covers, snuggled up in bed with Naomi’s skin against his. It was a breath of fresh air to share the same breath as her every morning and night as they soak in each other’s embrace, feeling the warmth of their swollen lips on one another.

He wishes that he considered the day he’ll see you like that with someone else.

To say that he was shocked when you came and saw him with Naomi was an understatement. He didn’t want it to be like that. He wanted to introduce her to you, to explain things to you, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He didn’t want you to think that you meant nothing to him. But at that time, he thought that he meant nothing to you.

He searched for the emotions in your eyes but failed. He waited for your questions of “Why?” and “How?” but they never came. It’s like you just really stopped giving two shits about whatever happens in your relationship. And Naomi’s words reverberated in his head: “The gears will only work if they match.”

And that’s how his decisions were made.

That you deserve someone who’ll treat you how you want to be treated; that he deserves this serenity with Naomi, too. He’s not some kind of hero to keep heading for war when there’s a humble abode waiting for him. He thought that there was nothing for you and him but different paths. Maybe this is how falling out of love happens, he thought.

And that is how he learned that decisions can sometimes take months and even years to realize and regret.

“I love you too much to fight anymore, Y/N.” Satoru was pretty sure that he was inaudible and incomprehensible by now. The cracks in his voice and his occasional hiccups were probably louder than any sound near his phone. “You know, I never meant any of the shit I said to you that day. You and Yui were the best thing to ever happen to me, never will I regret you, love.”

He couldn’t even pay attention to your voice as he harshly wiped his tears away, blinking his eyes to look up at the blurry, colorful lights “I know you’re happy, I know you don’t even want to see me again if you’re given a choice.” Satoru shook his head, undoing the first two buttons of his shirt so as to help with the ache that is now smoldering his chest.

“But I just want to take those words back.” He whispered, running out of breath before quickly gasping, “Hell, I just want to take everything I did after I gave up on us back.” Getting nothing was painful enough, and so is getting up.

He doesn’t know where he’s going but he trusts that his feet will take them to where he belongs.

—---------------------------------------

“Yeah, she’s sleeping now. Sunburnt and all.” You laughed, tilting your head as you tried to hold your phone between your ear and your shoulder. “‘Gumi talk, Daddy. Pwease,” You heard Megumi’s voice over Toji’s chuckles. You and Yui spent all day at their residence once again. The kids had a mini swimming party with the neighbor’s son, Yuuji.

You can’t deny that your little girl’s been a bit more energetic nowadays. She’s also learning things, like pouring beverages into a cup; something from the internet that Toji has been teaching Megumi to do. “What do you wanna say?” Toji answered before the little kid’s voice followed. “Yui later. Come later. Uh, bye.” The little message made you giggle.

“She’s asleep now, ‘gumi~ We’ll visit again soon.” You heard Toji playfully scold him to go to bed already before getting back to the call, “I’ll tuck him in now. I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.” Humming, you said your good nights before ending the call. You watched Yui sleep, caressing her soft, blushing cheeks.

Everything’s been going good, and you could only hope that it’ll also be good for her.

Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, three knocks at the door almost gave you a heart attack. It’s already late, who could it be? The place is a three-unit, up-and-down apartment, maybe someone got the wrong door. Wrapping yourself in a robe, you walked to the door. There was a muffled sound behind, and you can’t miss your name being mumbled.

You know the voice too well to wait any longer for confirmation.

“Satoru?” You spoke, brows knitting together. His hair and shirt were soaked in sweat. “Hey…” He laughed, standing straight as he stared at you with bloodshot eyes. Has he been crying? “What’s going on, Satoru?” You opened the door, letting him make his way inside as you gave him a concerned look.

“I mean it, Y/N.” What is he talking about? You wondered as he looked at you, sobbing all while trying to catch his breath. If somebody else saw him, they’d probably think something really awful happened. Not once have you seen him this broken before; not even when you fought so bad he had to leave the house.

“Satoru, I don’t understand you. You’re dru–“ You were cut off when he wrapped his arms around you, crying on your shoulders as he grabbed the sides of your robe, like a child not wanting to be left alone. “Y/N, please. I know what I’m saying, love.” He was gasping for air as he spoke, pulling away

“I know I’m drunk but not drunk enough to make wrong decisions.” His laugh lacked enthusiasm. Pulling away, you could see the smile on his face contradicts the big tears cascading down his cheeks. “Did you drive here?” You pulled away from his grasp, thinking about the next thing to do.

“No, I walked here. Let’s talk, please. Just a few–“ His face was close to yours, begging. His voice broke, and it broke you too and you know you can’t keep listening if he’s like this. “Satoru.” You turned, taking a step away from him. You could hear the shaky breath he took by how quiet it was.

“Yui’s already asleep.” You informed him, a subtle reminder that you wouldn’t want her waking up to a commotion again. Satoru nodded, lips quivering. “I can call Naomi to pick you up–“ You trailed but it was now his turn to cut you off. “No. I don’t…want that.” He knows it doesn’t sound right, and it gave you the impression that they fought.

“Fine, just your mom, then.” You turned to get your phone but his hand caught your wrist, a secure yet gentle grip. “No. Please.” He sounded like a kid. What has he done that not even the both of them can know that he’s here? “Can I stay here? Just for the night. I’ll sleep on the couch, Y/N. W-we’ll talk later… right?” He was on the verge of crying and you can’t stand there to watch any longer.

You don’t think it was a good idea, but this is the father of your child. Whatever happens to him will affect your daughter too.

“Just…wash up. Change. Check on Yui, if you want. I got a folding bed if you want to sleep there.” You turned around before walking back to your room, not waiting for the man to answer. You were planning to have some tea before going to sleep but now you just want to call Toji.

In two rings, you heard his voice from the other line. “Sorry, were you sleeping already?” You paced around your room, pursing your lips. “No, I was just checking on some files. Are you alright?” Concern was prominent in his voice. You wanted to tell him about this because he has a habit of coming over in the mornings. You surely don’t want him getting the wrong idea.

“Listen, Satoru’s here. I feel like he fought with Naomi, I don’t really know. He’s in Yui’s room.” There was a long silence and you got a feeling he was thinking carefully about how to react. “Is he trying to…” Toji cleared his throat before sighing, “Do you need me to go there?” He asked, and you could tell he was not very comfortable with your situation.

It’s only been a couple of months but Toji’s proven nothing but sincerity to you and it was all unconditional. You’re aware of the tension between him and Satoru; the latter being more impolite than the former. But even so, Toji never tried to take away the father role from Satoru. This only heightened your respect for him.

“It’s fine, I just wanted to tell you. I don’t want you thinking anything if you saw him here tomorrow.” You plopped on the bed, massaging your temple as you closed your eyes. “So, you know I’ll be going there tomorrow?” There was a chuckle behind his words. You felt a blush creeping up your cheeks.

“Go to sleep.” You rubbed your eyes, with a small smile on your lips. Once again, good nights were exchanged between the two of you. You’re just glad that Toji isn’t as shallow as other men. You were worried that your decision to let your ex stay for a night would upset him. Putting your thoughts to rest, you lay down on the bed, feeling the soft mattress against your skin.

Not even half an hour has passed and another set of knocks startled you. The fact that you have no idea what happened with Satoru made you worry. Could it be Naomi? Was your name involved in their fight? You doubt that she’d come here at this hour, though. You don’t see her as that type of woman at all.

You don’t even know if they really fought. Thoughts raced through your head as you hurried to the door. You wondered if Satoru was woken up by the knocks. He’s drunk and he sleeps like a log when he's drunk. But it would be different if your daughter starts crying. You don’t really want to talk with him about whatever it is.

It scares you when you think about how ‘the talk’ with him ended the last time. The day he shredded the last remaining hope you had of him, you and your daughter being a family.

Seeing headlights shining down your window pane, you wondered if Toji really drove here to accompany you. But he can’t be that fast, you thought as you opened the door.

Dressed in her expensive coat and a designer scarf, was Satoru’s mother, and you could already tell that she was not in her best mood. If Naomi and Satoru fought, you’re sure that your name’s mentioned.

Without thinking, you moved out of the doorway to let her in, “Good evening, Ma’am—” Slap. The next thing you know, you were already grabbing your cheeks. The skin was throbbing from the force of the contact and you were sure that this is about to leave marks later on.

“Won’t you quit being a slut?” You thought that the stinging sensation on your face was already painful, but those words proved you wrong. You felt degraded, humiliated even when no one was around; you felt like your whole being was trampled on. You don’t even know what you did. Does she hate you that much?

She used to claim that you ruined her son’s life. That you were just trying to leech off him so you wouldn’t need to work or use your brain. Those words broke your heart, not for yourself but for your mother who tried so hard to give you all that she can. When Satoru confronted her about it, she cried to him, blabbering about why she was right.

It wasn’t easy to speak about those things, you don’t want to make it seem like you were tearing him away from his mother, all while you were tearing him apart due to your situation back then. But you made sure that he knows the reason why you don’t want her around your daughter so much.

You wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the one who coaxed Yui to call Naomi Mama. After all, she’s also the same mother who shoved someone else into her son instead of helping to make sure that his granddaughter would grow up with a whole family. Do you disgust her that much? It shouldn’t be painful anymore at this point. She already won in kicking you out of her son’s life.

“I-I don’t know what’s going on, Ma’am. My daughter’s sleeping can we talk outside—?” Her scoff halted you. You found yourself wishing that you let Toji come over or for Satoru to wake up. “Now, you don’t want your daughter hearing about her mother’s mess?” She hissed at your face, laughing as you pushed yourself to walk out and close the door behind you.

“Satoru’s here Ma’am but I don’t—” Another slap landed on your face and this time it took everything in you not to throw the punch you were saving in your fist. “How fucking desperate can you be?” With her eyes blown wide in surprise, she pushed passed you, mouth foaming with her nasty words.

“Satoru!” She called out, walking like she owns the place. “You really took advantage of his feelings for you. You’re always so ready to ruin his and Naomi’s relationship so he’d go back to you.” She turned, pointing a finger at you. Your eyes widened at her words. Satoru’s feelings for me? You were confused.

“Just so you know, my son’s never been healthier ever since he left you. He doesn’t need a toxic relationship with a woman he didn’t even choose to be with.” The words were sharp and the way to your daughter’s room felt like you were being shot with each step. You already know that.

Why does she have to keep rubbing it to your face that you weren’t someone he voluntarily chose to love?

“Please don’t bring the child to this. I know you—” You felt like you never had the chance to speak a full sentence. “Of course, I am not. I won’t let her grow up with you. For what? So she could turn out to be like you, too? Satoru!” The words filled you with dread. You feared that they could easily take her away from you by any means they can. You got nothing to give.

Before she could even open the door to your daughter’s room, Satoru already came out. The emotions on his face were indiscernible as she stared at his mother. “Don’t take Yui, please. I won’t talk to Satoru if you want, just don’t take my child away.” You cried, ready to get down on your knees but Satoru was immediately on your side.

“What is this? What is going on? Mom!” Satoru held your figure, shaking violently and your skin, cold. You tried to get out of Satoru’s grasp, wanting nothing but to get close to your child who’s already starting to cry. You hated yourself for putting her in situations like this.

“Let me get Yui, Satoru, please. You can’t take her away.” Satoru was now the one baffled. His head felt like someone was hitting his skull with a hammer from the inside. Now, he wakes up to his mom causing commotion in a house where his daughter is in.

“No one’s taking Yui away, Y/N.” One of his arms wrapped around your waist, and the other, shielding you from his Mom. Satoru used to believe that his mother only wanted the best for him. He didn’t realize that what his mom wants for him is not the best for his daughter. “Mom, what are you doing?!” He reiterated through clenched jaws as you slipped away to get to Yui.

“You ask me what am I doing? You! Satoru, what are you doing, letting this whore ruin you and Naomi?” Satoru’s eyes widened, "Mom!" he looked at you and his wailing daughter, holding her against your chest. Terror was clear in her tear-stained face as she peeked over your shoulders, while you try to keep her eyes away from the chaos, “Bad Meemaw, Bad!” She sobbed, pointing her finger.

Satoru was about to close the door when his mother tried to beat him to it. “Is this how you want to raise your daughter, Satoru? In this environment?!” She was fierce with her words and Satoru’s just slowly putting the pieces together as she spoke. “She’s messing with your head, Satoru. Look at her, getting it on with another rich guy to milk, trying to make you come back to her.”

“You're the one creating this environment. Why did you even come here?” He questioned, stepping in front of her to prevent her from getting to you. “Where else would you be? You just called me saying you still love this bitch—” You don’t understand how a person could hate you so much when you’ve done nothing but try to respect them. “Don’t speak of her like that, Mom! You’re not of any help.” There was a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Satoru’s mother was the second wife to his father. Your mother used to say that 'the woman's just bitter because she knows that she’ll never really have his father’s heart even if she’s the one with him.' The first wife of his father went away, not wanting her only child to be in such tough and disconcerting conditions and just letting Satoru’s father be with his Mom.

Thinking about it now, you realized that your situation is kind of similar.

“Ma, no cry. Ma.” You heard your daughter reach for your face, making you ache even more. History really does repeat itself, you thought. “Mama’s fine.” You felt sorry for your child; for allowing her to witness something this chaotic. You wished that you’re a bit more well off, maybe her mother wouldn’t be so small and fragile against people like her grandmother.

“I didn’t call Y/N...” Satoru whispered, turning to look at your back as you tried to protect your daughter from the scene. “Just because he’s wasted and he’s telling you that he loves you, doesn’t mean you get to slither up at him like a snake!” Words were thrown at you and only now have you realized the situation.

Satoru tried to call your number to tell you that he loves you.

Your eyes snapped up at him, catching him looking already looking at you. He did plan to let you know about how he feels. But he didn’t want you to find out like this. He already messed up by letting himself break down and call the wrong person. Hell, he shouldn’t have even said it in a call.

It just hurts so bad. It’s like the words would pierce their way out of his heart and lungs if he didn’t get them out.

He can’t even expect anything, and he doesn’t even know how you’d take it. He could lose you completely after all this and that’s the last thing he wants. Now that you have Toji, he’s got no choice but to stand aside and watch. Like how he made you feel with Naomi. The thought made Satoru swallow as he took in your crying face; his chest throbbing with pain.

“Mom, can you please just leave?” He spoke in a low voice, breathing hard to stop himself from exploding. “You said too much already. Just go, this is my problem to fix.” His mother’s face tells Satoru she’s not letting up so easily and it took everything in him not to scream back at her.

“Of course, I have so much to say. I am helping you because she has done so much to you–“ Before she could even her sentence, Satoru was already raising his voice at her, making you cover your daughter’s ear. “Mom, all you did was make things worse!” It was a bad sight, you’ve never seen him get angry at his mother.

Knowing her situation with his Dad, Satoru always chose to be understanding to her. He once told you that he always wants his mother to feel loved and cared for because his father would never give her enough of that. “How could you? All because of–“ She trailed.

“You’re trespassing, Mom.” He said firmly, forcing himself to calm down. She knows what Satoru meant by that. You could file a case against her if she continues to cause trouble. “Listen, I don’t know what this woman fed you, but you better get your head straight.” She pointed a finger at Satoru’s face.

“I created this problem. Let me fix it by myself.” You could tell that fighting with his Mom is the last thing Satoru wants to do. There was a tired look on his face as he shook his head, “I wouldn’t want to create a space between us Mom. But I can’t let you involve yourself in every decision I make.” His mother can sense the light threat in Satoru’s words.

“Then, make the right decisions, Satoru. Stop ruining your life for someone with no future.” Before any of you could even talk, his mother was already stomping her way out of the room, slamming the door like it’s hers, causing Yui to start crying again. You sat there, thinking about everything you just heard.

“Shh, it’s okay, love. It’s alright.” Satoru took Yui from your arms, eyes full of worry. Rocking the weeping child in his arms, he hung his head low as you stared at him. You wiped the tears that were about to fall as you stood up, heading to the living room and letting him put Yui back to sleep.

You let yourself cry, you let yourself think. Just when you thought you were getting better, just when you started to accept everything that has happened. Yui’s cries slowly stopped after almost half an hour. You wanted to go there and put her to sleep by yourself but you don’t want her to see you cry anymore. It’s not good.

“What were you trying to do, Satoru?” were the first words that came out of your mouth. He stood there, motionless as he watched you turn away to wipe your eyes. “I…I love you. I didn’t mean it when I said I regret you or Yui. I love you.” His answer was a whisper but it was firm. Your eyebrows furrowed, tears once again threatening to fall. “Why?” You sobbed, “Why now?”

Satoru doesn’t know what to answer. He doesn’t even know if there’s a right answer but all he knows is he can’t expect anything from you. “I…I still do. I don’t think I ever stopped, I—“ He was cut off by your sharp intake of breath as you clutched the fabric of your robe to your chest. He let himself see how much he destroyed you again, how he heartlessly tore you apart once more.

“Why are you trying to ruin me again? Why are you trying to take away what I just got?” Your shoulders shake as you lean your forehead on your clasped hands. He wanted to hold you but he feared that you'd run away. Like how you’re getting harder to reach right now, with every passing second.

“You have no idea how much I wanted you to say that before all this, Satoru. You have no idea how many nights I had to cry myself, putting myself back together while you were trying to make someone else whole!” You turned to him, cheeks and eyes swollen from crying. “You have no idea how many times I blamed myself for not being the better one for you…” You whimpered.

It felt as though your words were a blow to his body, determined to crush his diaphragm to gouge his heart out as payment for yours that he stomped on so many times. Your hands were visibly shaking as you wiped your eyes with the back of it before speaking again, “You can’t say you love me now just because you want to, Satoru.”

“I know I can’t change anything…” Everything that comes out of Satoru’s mouth makes him feel stupid. If he was you, he wouldn’t even listen to him. While you both had your shortcomings in your relationship, Satoru knows that you wouldn’t have pulled yourself away if he didn’t give you a reason to.

“...but I can make it better, Y/N. I can prove it to you. Just let me—” He was getting desperate to put his feelings into words but you don’t want to hear it. He should’ve known. “Naomi is a good woman. She’s…a perfect fit for you.” You laughed bitterly, “Don’t hurt her. You know why I didn’t fight even when I wanted to get you back?” Each snivel that you make was a nail to his heart.

“Because you looked happy together.” The pain in your voice was thick before you gasped for air. “And I didn’t want to be unfair to you and to Naomi.” There was a sad smile on your face, probably reminiscing the day you found out he moved on from you. “So…please. Let’s not be unfair to Toji, too.” You looked up at him, smiling through your tears.

You looked tired; so, so tired of it all.

“But I love you…” He breathed out as you stood up, ready to retire to bed. “...I just wanted you to know that.” He grabbed your hand, urgently kissing it as he sobbed. You watched his face contort with sadness, closing his eyes and letting his tear slide over the bridge of his nose as he tilted his head to your palm.

You looked away, suppressing your cries; feeling it harder to breathe through the pain the more you feel his touch. You pulled your hands away slowly before quickly walking to your room.

Before you locked the door, you could hear his wails of anguish and the sound of two hearts shattering once more.

—------------------------------------------------

You woke up to the feeling of the bed dipping on your side. What time is it? When did you fall asleep? Yui. Remembering your daughter made your eyes snap open, trying to stand up immediately.

“Hey, hey. Calm down, it’s me, I’m here.” It was Toji, when did he come here? The brightness of the color of your curtains indicates the light of the sun shining down behind it. “I forgot that I fell asleep.” You sighed. In fact, you don’t even remember getting on your bed. The last thing you were doing was crying on the floor beside the bedside table. Did Satoru put you in your bed?

“Satoru left after feeding Yui her breakfast. She’s playing on my phone.” He got closer to kiss your forehead. “It’s too early for phones.” You yawned, covering your face with a blanket before sitting down. “Megumi’s with her, I’m taking their phones away after we eat.“ You nodded, pursing your lips as you remembered all the events from last night.

“Let me brush my teeth, I…got something to tell you.” You can see Toji licking his lips before humming, “Alright, we'll talk about it. I cooked something.” Letting him kiss your cheek as you stood on your knees and wrap your arms around his neck. His hands automatically snaked around your waist, murmuring “Let’s talk while eating.”

You told Toji about what happened the other night. Not as detailed as you remember it but you made sure that he knows everything he needs to know. No matter how awkward it was to discuss for you. There was a blank look on his face throughout the story and you can’t help but feel concerned.

“So that’s why he told me to take good care of you before he left.” It was obvious that he was tense, “I should’ve come last night.” Sighing, you shook your head, “It’s alright, I handled it. Please, try not to worry. You’re my boyfriend now.” You moved to sit beside him, pecking his lips.

You didn’t know how else to reassure him, you don’t like seeing the defeated look in his eyes. Throughout the day, he would randomly kiss you; burying his face in your neck. He’s more clingy than usual, and although it worries you, you find it really cute.

The following weeks proceeded the same, Satoru picking up Yui and Naomi tagging along wasn’t new but it happened for consecutive weeks now. You don’t know if Satoru told her, but she showed no signs of it. Though her gazes linger between you and Satoru at times, but there’s not a hint of hostility to it.

You don’t really know how they are with each other in private, but there’s a noticeable change in Satoru’s behavior towards her. “Get your bag from Naomi.” Satoru once commanded your daughter when you came to get her from his house. “Naomi?” She repeated, and running only after he nodded at her, confirming how she should address her.

“Did you take a cab? Toji’s not with you.” He would speak to you in a voice he never did before, it almost shocked you. He lost weight, he looks exhausted. “Yeah, he’s at work.” You answered earning a hum from him. “If you’re comfortable, I can take you home. It’d save you money, you know?” It was now your turn to hum, locking eyes with him.

When did they start looking this gently at you?

“You ready to go?” Naomi cleared her throat, suddenly appearing with Yui behind Satoru. “Yeah, I’ll be driving them home then I'll head straight to work.” He gave her a small smile, picking Yui up before taking the bag that Naomi was giving to you. “Bye, I love you.” Naomi stood on her tippy toes, kissing the side of his lips. “I'll see you later…love you." He responded.

The change on Naomi’s face cannot go unnoticed as she glanced at you. You looked down, feeling bad that she was probably anxious. And the fact that she’s clueless about it all just made it heavier than it already is.

Satoru opened the door of the passenger side for you. Now, he would usually let you sit on the back. You had to glance back at his house to know if Naomi saw it. You don’t want her to have problems with you when in fact, you're trying to help her.

“How are you and Naomi?” You found yourself asking Satoru as he sat beside you, his eyes watched you from the rearview mirror. “I’m trying. I really am. But I can’t force myself, Y/N.” He looked away, biting his lip. Your daughter was talking to her doll behind you and you’re just grateful that she’s still too young to understand this.

“Satoru, she’s been nothing but good to you. She did a lot of things for you.” You spoke gently. You’re surprised that you could now talk about this more calmly. Because it involves you. And you wouldn’t know what to do if Naomi finds out that her boyfriend’s still in love with you, begged you to take him back and never told her. You don’t owe her anything but you’re not that type of person.

“Would it be right to stay with someone for that sole reason?” He asked, and suddenly, you don’t know the answer. “It might only hurt them more if they find out that you stayed with them just because you feel obligated to and not because you truly love them.” He explained, smiling when he heard his baby daughter call his name randomly.

“It’s Dad. Not ‘Toru” You reached over to pinch her cheek, silently thanking her for breaking the ice. “Toji Dada too? Hm?” You can see Satoru tense up before a sad look flashed in his eyes. “I don’t know, love...Ask Mama?” You can tell he was hurt by how he got quiet. The little joy left in his eyes, now completely gone.

“You know Toji corrects her for that.” You defended as you stopped at the red light. “It’s good, though. I…” Pausing, Satoru took a deep breath. “I think he’s gonna be that, anyway.” He laughed, tapping the wheel before turning to look at you.

“You know I just want to prove to you that I love you, right? You don’t have to love me back, I know you’re happy with him.”

—----------------------------------------------------

Naomi’s been observing her boyfriend for the past few months. She can’t really determine what exactly changed but she knows that it wasn’t the same. The day you picked up Yui with Toji for the first time, she noticed that Satoru prepared more than he usually does.

At first, she thought it was just him getting more responsible. But when she saw that you came with your new boyfriend, she got a feeling that Satoru wanted to impress. She figured that it was because he wants his baby momma’s boyfriend to think highly of him and left it at that.

He’s been having mood swings but he’s also been getting more projects to work at so, it’s understandable. She also noticed how almost every movement of his daughter was documented and sent to you when she's with them. It was new because he rarely does it before. But she thought that it was only because your co-parenting plan was going better.

Everything that she notices about Satoru has valid reasons so, why is she feeling unsettled whenever the two of you would meet? It’s an unreasonable feeling because you’re already dating someone. There shouldn’t even be a single concern in her body.

Just a few weeks ago, his mother called her in the middle of the night, asking if Satoru was with him. When she said that she’ll call him to ask where he is, her mother quickly interrupted her, saying that he already replied that he was working overtime for a VIP client. She also said something about not interrupting him because the client’s a big person.

She still texted Satoru that night asking why he didn’t tell her about it. Satoru replied hours later, saying that it was an emergency project that needs to be discussed as soon as possible. After that, he sent another message with ‘I’m sorry.’

She came over the following night, intending to give him a soothing break. She prepared thoroughly during the day, wanting to please her boyfriend. Fatigue was obvious in his eyes when she arrived. Like he didn’t get an ounce of sleep.

“I’ll take that tiredness away, just relax in there.” She giggled, sensuously running down her fingers on his skin as she makes sure every physical contact they made was as soft as possible. She went down on him, watching him close his eyes as he grabbed her hair eliciting moans from her.

“Let’s do it without one,” She smiled, excited as she positioned herself on top of him, allowing him to feel her warmth as she pressed her chest against his. It was slow, passionate. He was so gentle with his touches and Naomi wanted to convince him to do it inside her so badly.

She was sure that all those perturbing thoughts of her would also be put to rest if that happens, she thought as she smiles, grinding onto him. But before she could get to that, he halted her, “Wait,” he spoke, reaching for the packet in his bedside cabinet.

Before she could even speak she was flipped over and it’s now Satoru on top. “I can take Plan B, just do it inside.” She bit her nail, giving him the eyes which only earned a smile, “Can never be too safe.” Not long after that, they both finished. Back then, he would agree to do it inside as long as she takes an emergency contraceptive after.

How come he wanted to be ‘too safe’ this time?

Her worries were put to rest for a little when he held her close when they came to get Yui. It also helped that you're still with your boyfriend. It only lasted for a bit until you had to pick Yui up on your own. Satoru found out that you were taking Yui out for an ice cream and the little girl asked him to come.

Naomi wanted to join; she was ready to dress up. But Satoru suggested that it should just be the middle day in your schedule, where the three of you would spend time together. It took everything in her not to frown in front of you. She felt rejected, she felt left out. The last straw was the talk she had with Satoru three days ago.

“What do you think about civil weddings?” She spoke to him, sitting on his lap as he watches T.V. “Huh?” He turned his attention to her, “Civil weddings. Maybe we could have it before the grand wedding, don’t you think?” She wiggles her brows at him, laughing as she daydreamed. Placing his hands on her waist, she kissed his lips softly.

“Or maybe we could put a bun in the oven first so, she’d be with us in wedding photos.” She whispered, half-joking. “Why are you dreaming? It’s still early.” Satoru laughed, taking his hand off of her to get the remote, switching between channels.

“I’m serious, though.” She pouted, hugging his neck. “Yeah, I know. But…It’s not in my plans, yet.” Her heart dropped at his words. She knows that he doesn’t mean it that way but it hurt her that after all the family talk and jokes he made with her, she’ll find out that it’s not even in his plans yet. Naomi wanted to cry, but instead, she got upset. She didn't let him know but she chose not to stay over at Satoru’s that night, claiming that she has paperwork. Before, he would persuade her to stay even if she has to do something.

How come he just kissed her goodbye this time?

It was tough on Naomi. Whenever she would ask Satoru about it, he said that he just got really busy with work. Even when he tells her that he loves her, she can say that he’s not even fully into it. And he doesn’t want to talk to you because she doesn’t want you to think that she’s accusing you when you got a whole new boyfriend.

Picking up her phone, Naomi decided that she just can't take the mystery anymore. “Hey, Mom. Are you free for lunch? I’d like to catch up.”

She just needs some advice. And she thinks that no one knows sons better than their mothers.

PREV | NEXT

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#angst #gojo satoru #gojo angst #gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo satoru angst #gojo satoru x you #gojo satoru x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen angst #jjk #jjk x reader

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shanastoryteller · 20 days

Note

Happy Birthday!! 🎂🎂 I'd love some more What You Expect please. I think this is my fourth time requesting it! I just can't get enough

continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6

When Eden tells Al what happened, she expects him to be pissed.

"It's good that you have a friend, Sister," he says.

She stares.

When Al just stares back, she kicks him. He can’t feel it beyond the vague recognition of pressure, but he still shouts, “Hey!”

“All your complaining and handwringing and that’s all you have to say?” she demands. “Catherine knows! She’s Armstrong’s sister!”

He shuffles away from her and crosses his arms. “I said that you should tell them, what I’m worried about is them figuring it out themselves and getting mad at you! Why don’t you try telling Armstrong? Catherine did say keeping secrets was a family tradition.”

She can’t wait until he gets his body back so he can feel it when she beats him. “We’ve been fine this long, I don’t know why you want to suddenly come clean now.”

“Because, as I keep telling you, they’re going to figure it out! You’re not a kid anymore, Sister.”

She’s already been to the office and no one acted any differently around her or tore off her jacket and accused her of heaving breasts now, bound or not. They’ve got their own shit going on and they’re too self absorbed to care about hers. She’s told Al this a thousand times, but he doesn’t believe her, so she doesn’t bother saying it again. “Just relax, okay? We’re only hanging around Central for a couple months to give the appearance to the brass that Mustang has some control over me and then we’ll go off on our own again and we’ll be too far away for them to notice anything at all.”

Al just sighs, still giving him that moody stare that she can feel even though his face doesn’t move.

She knocks his helmet off.

That’s what he gets for not listening to her.

Havoc really wishes Armstrong’s sister wasn’t rejecting him in front of the whole office. Why is Alex doing this to him?

“I’m sorry,” she says, blue eyes wide. “It’s just that I’m only interested in strong, manly men. Like my brother.”

Alex flexes behind her. When did he take his shirt off?

He’s doing his best to ignore his coworkers’ muffled laughter and think up some sort of reasonable response to that when he hears, “Strong, manly men, huh?”

Havoc turns to see Ed standing there, a stack of books under his arms, which is just great, that really rounds out the humiliation.

He drops the books and comes forward, reaching for Catherine’s waist with both hands and lifting her in the air above his head. She straightens her legs even as she grips Ed’s forearms in surprise, her mouth open as her cheeks slowly turn the color of Ed’s coat.

“Hungry?” Ed asks, grinning.

She nods, once, then Ed is lowering her back to the ground and offering her his arm, which she takes with light giggle. He snags his books off the desk as he leaves, kicking open the door since he’s out of arms.

Alex blinks once, then twice, apparently just as surprised about this development as the rest of them. “Hm.”

“Wow,” Breda says. “Losing women to Mustang was bad enough, but now Ed? That’s got to sting.”

“I hate you,” he says, because, yes, it does.

#eden and catherine didn't plan that they just know an opportunity when they see one #prompt answers #prompts are closed #asks #canonwhatsthat #fma

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beybaldes · 10 months

Text

if I showed up in the shape of a storm, would you recognise me?

summer sleepover masterlist

jamie tartt x gn!reader

summary : “memorising their favourite things and treating them when they have a bad day” requested by anon

an : jamiejamiejamiejamiejamie I love him ur honour

In the 6 months you’d been dating Jamie, you’d quickly come to learn a lot about him. While it had taken him the first 5 months to even get anywhere near close to opening up to you, now that he had, he couldn’t stop.

You knew that he loved blueberries but not when they were in muffins or pancakes, he loved croissants but demanded a hot chocolate too in order to eat one and even then, he would only have marshmallows in it if they were the little ones as the big ones ‘don’t melt properly,’ he would only eat eggs if they were scrambled and he had an absolute affinity for squirrels. You also knew that he absolutely hated thunder storms.

So when you’d opened the weather app and saw there was going to be one tonight, you’d already made up your mind that you were going to show up on his doorstep with his favourite take out and cuddle his worries away.

Your want to fulfil your plan increased tenfold, however, when Roy Kent called you up on your lunch break. If you’d had the time to question how he got your number, you would’ve done, but instead he relayed a quick and to the point message on what had happened to Jamie in the boot room. In the 6 months you’d been together you’d only seen him cry once and you’d sworn it was the worst thing you’d ever experienced; you didn’t realise you could feel so much hurt for another person until that moment.

When your shift thankfully came to an end, you went straight to Tesco, filling your basket with all of his favourite things and then headed straight to the Chinese down the road from his house, picking up the order you knew he got every single time.

However, when you made it to his doorstep, you were suddenly very nervous. What if he didn’t want you here? What if he just wanted to be left alone? What if he thought you’d gone way to overboard and thought you were crazy and broke up with you? Maybe this was a bad idea.

“Babe?” Jamie leant against the doorframe, rubbing sleepily at his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Thunder tonight.” You answered, not wanting to mention the phone call from Roy just yet incase it was still a sore topic. “I know you don’t like it. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

It was then Jamie took notice of the bags in your hands, taking the one filled with take out from you and taking you hand in his, closing his front door and leading you to his kitchen. Your heart ached at the lack of a smile on Jamie’s face.

As he plated up your food, you wrapped your arms around his waist, slowly sliding them under his shirt and up the front of his chest, your fingers running up and down as your hands found purchase against his stomach. “What’s on your mind baby, talk to me.”

Jamie’s hands cupped your own, his thumb running across the back of your fingers. He wanted to say that it was nothing; that he was fine and have the two of you move on with your evening. That was easier and less involved. That was also not who Jamie was anymore. “I’m worried about going up to city, seeing my dad.” You squeezed him as he spoke, silently reminding him that you were there and not going anywhere. He turned around in your hold. “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t focus or anything. It’s fucking shit and fucking stupid but I feel like I’ve lost my wings.”

“Jamie.” You cooed, a hand reaching up to cradle his face. He immediately leaned into your touch, his eyes tightly closed. “It’s not stupid at all. Don’t think that. Let me take care of you, yeah? We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Jamie nodded, letting you place a sweet kiss to his cheek and pull him by the hand into his living room. When you’d sat on the couch, food in your laps, you backed yourself into the corner, opening your legs and tapping the gap between them. Jamie hesitantly shuffled into the space, resting his head against your chest and settling into you when your fingers laced themselves through his hair.

“I’ll put on guardians of the galaxy 2 while we eat, yeah? Just relax for a bit, and then we can talk about what you’re feeling over some hot chocolate and croissants, if you’re feeling up to it.”

“Sounds good.” Jamie muttered, a forkful of chow mien in his mouth. “I like that movie, like it when baby groot dances, it’s dead cute.”

You pressed a kiss to Jamie’s head at the opening scene of the movie played, scratching your fingers against his scalp and hoping that it would be enough to wash his worries away. Little did you know, to Jamie, your surprise presence alone had eased his worry tenfold; he was falling ridiculously hard for you.

#beybaldes summer sleepover !!#jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt oneshot #ted lasso x reader

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certifiedcodbabygirl · 2 months

Text

Hear me out. Simon Riley meeting you is Travellin Soldier by Dixie Chicks coded

Like he meets you when he goes back to Manchester for the first time since his family's death and goes to a diner. Reader's the person at the counter and is super sweet. You manage to get a conversation out of him, somehow.

Surprising himself, he asks if you're able to go on an outing with him and you tell him to pick you up after your shift. He supposes it would be a good way to make the visit to his hometown more tolerable. He picks you up and you just walk around town for a few hours. He tells you about how he's in the military and how he keeps to himself. By the end of the night, he asks if he can write to you. He figures you're distant enough to not hurt nothin.

What he wasn't expecting was months of shared stories, and the bond you two grow. He deployed more than before, gone for a couple months at a time. When he's able to, he visits you. The places where he only saw his family in the places they used to go, he now begins to see your smile in them too. You both knew there was something there that isn't purely platonic. The lingering gazes, the eyes flickering down at each other's lips, the hands brushing against each other.

There are nights where you call for hours, secrets and thoughts being shared amongst each other, comforting words being softly said. He doesn't understand how you got to him. How you managed to get through to him. Maybe you were an angel, an apology from God for the misfortune brought upon him. His new light, new family. You were something he never knew he needed and now he can't imagine how he lived before you.

He gets an emergency summon for deployment; told he'd be gone fore nearly 6 months. He told you immediately and promised he'd write. He leaves you with a crushing hug and a kiss on the forehead, a silent promise he'll be back.

There was no communication. He was unable to write, unable to call. He was gone for 5 months, and you had no idea what was going on. Nights with tears rolling down your face, not knowing what happened to your Simon. He became to you what you are to him. Around the 4 month mark with no word from him, you're convinced he's dead. He promised to write. But there's no letter. No call. No Simon. You have no connection to him, on paper. If he did die, there's no way you'd know. He'd be gone into the wind, just as his words.

You carry on, seeing him in everything. In the park, the nighttime when you used to call, the stray cats he always gave you shit for petting.

You were working a 9 hour shift at that little diner, taking someone's order. Time droned on impossibly slow, the clock ticking seeming to taunt you. You automatically greet the next person to walk in, bell above dinging.

"Hi, welcome in, I'll be with you in just a moment" You say, monotone. You turn to the cook window and let him know what the previous order was.

"There any way I can scootch in any sooner?" A deep, familiar voice asks. He sounds so much like your Simon, causing your heart to clench.

"Yeah, just one second, sir"

You hand the cook the ticket and turn back around. Your notepad drops out of your hand, along with your pen, at the sight of Simon standing in the doorway. He didn't even bother to change out of his uniform, coming straight from base to you.

You come out from behind the counter and speed walk to him, throwing yourself into his arms, tears spilling. He hugs you back just as tightly, feeling like he can finally breath for the first time in 5 months.

"How are you here?? I thought you died" You cry into his shoulder, shaking.

"I had no way to get a hold of you, I'm so sorry" He whispers into your hair.

"You came back" You sniffle.

"I promised"

(Lemme know if y'all want a part 2)

#call of duty modern warfare #cod x reader #ghost cod #simon riley #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost simon riley #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #simon cod #ghost call of duty #ghost mw2 #mw2 ghost #simon riley x reader hurt/ comfort

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ladykailitha · 6 months

Text

Grief (A Friend Indeed) Part 6

And we're back on this story. I didn't get as much Halloween stories in as I wanted, but there is still a week and half left in the month so I might get a couple of one-shots out before the big day. I have one with the older teens dressing up as RHPS characters for a midnight showing I'm part of the way through that might get done in time. We'll see.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

***

Eddie hadn’t seen Steve in close to an hour and it was starting to worry him.

He been bombarded with commiseration after commiseration from friends of his grandma and their families. All the Munson family was already here.

Almost.

As far as Eddie knew, Al Munson was still in some jail in Texas for grand theft auto. His third strike in the state of Texas. Who knows how many strikes he had in other states. Wayne wasn’t telling, and Eddie wasn’t asking.

He was standing there in his best jeans and nice black button up. It wasn’t what he was going to wear to the funeral, Wayne had raised him better than that. But he thought it was nice for a wake.

And it wasn’t as though Steve was dressed up either. He was wearing khakis and a grey Henley.

But all around him Eddie could feel the eyes of the other mourners, looking at him, judging him, and absolutely finding him wanting.

He stood in the corner, sinking further and further from view as he felt assaulted by their glares.

Suddenly there was a warm hand on his back and voice in his ear telling him to take a walk outside with him.

He let Steve lead him out of the house and onto the porch.

Steve pulled out a cigarette and lit it, handing it to Eddie and then lighting one of his own.

“You grandma must have been one hell of a lady to have that many mourners at her wake,” Steve said after a moment or two of smoking in silence.

Eddie snorted. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, pretty boy. This is just close friends and family. Tomorrow’s gonna be the real shindig. It’s going to be standing room only in the church.” He paused. “Ah, shit. That’s going to be okay, right? Going to a Catholic church?”

Steve scoffed. “Yeah, that’s fine. Not religious myself. Kinda hard to be when you’ve seen the worst of humanity and actual fucking monsters.”

Eddie look a long drag of his cigarette. “I feel that. Stopped believing in God when I heard that AIDS was one of God’s modern plagues against the unrighteous.”

Steve shook his head. “That fucking blows. I figure if there was a Jesus, he was like El, you know? Just extra human, no God required.”

Eddie laughed. “Yeah. I bet that’s what it was. Thanks for that.” He raised his cigarette. “And this.”

Steve bumped their shoulders together. “No trouble, Eds. I could hear what they were saying about you behind your back and I thought you could use the break.”

“You thought right, Stevie,” he agreed. “Not a Christian heart in a single one of those church goers.”

Steve hummed. “This is what I’m here for on this trip, okay? I will put myself between you and those hateful people.”

Eddie laid his head on Steve’s shoulder. “God, it’s on top of everything else, you know. The six hour drive yesterday. My aunt being a bitch to you even though you didn’t deserve it. Putting on my second best clothes and still not being good enough for them.”

“They look at you and see your dad, huh?”

Eddie froze bringing the cigarette to his mouth and turned to Steve in shock. “How the hell did you know that?”

Steve shrugged. “My parents used to throw these big parties for Christmas and their anniversary. Like BIG parties. Blow your uncle’s yearly wages on a fucking party, big. The last was when I was sixteen, right? And I could hear all the whispers about how much I looked like him and how I must be just like him. Booze, women, and lavish parties full of people that wanted to kiss my ass.”

The cigarette fell out of Eddie’s mouth and landed on his lap. He brushed it off quickly, cursing and patting at his crouch so that he wouldn’t get burned.

Steve laughed.

“Fuck you.”

Eddie stomped out the cigarette to ease his bruised ego. He huffed out a sigh. “Is that part of the reason for the attitude change? Because everyone credits Nancy and Jonathan for the cognitive readjustment, but it started before that.”

Steve frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Before you started dating Nancy, you stopped the big parties at your house,” Eddie said. “Hagan told me it was because your dad caught you, but that wasn’t it, was it?”

Steve’s eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. “Holy shit. I didn’t even realize.”

“You started to clean up your act for Nancy, sure,” he continued. “But you started down that path before you started dating.”

Steve stubbed out his cigarette. “I saw you listening to Depeche Mode earlier when we had finished cleaning up the house...”

Eddie straightened up. He had listened to the tape. The song Lauren had queued up for him, especially. That one over and over.

“You into BDSM there, Stevie boy?” he said with a teasing grin.

Steve laughed. “Oh god, that one. Yeah, no, man. You know the song I mean.”

“You want to tell me what went down there?” Eddie asked. “Don’t spare Nancy for the sake of my feelings, okay? You’re more important to me then some chick.”

“She had a thing for Jonathan,” he explained. “Broke up with me for a month and then came running back. I didn’t think too much of it, you know? I was just happy that she was back. I tried to be the best boyfriend I could. I don’t think I succeeded. Then I made the mistake of using the words ‘normal teenagers’ because I wanted to go to some Halloween party.”

Steve let out a shuddering breath. “She started drinking heavily that night. Like more than someone her stature should. I tried to get her stop and I spilled the drink all down her white dress. So we went to the bathroom to clean it up. She called me bullshit. Said our relationship was bullshit.”

“Holy fucking hell, dude,” Eddie whispered.

Steve shook his head. “I thought it was just a bad fight. Even though everyone at school was calling it a breakup. I didn’t believe it. I bought her flowers to apologize. Fucking roses.” He was on his feet and pacing back and forth, running his fingers through his hair. “But she wasn’t home. Oh no. Her and Jonathan were on a fact-finding mission. And a fuck finding mission, apparently.”

Eddie leaned forward in shock. “She slept with Jonathan?”

Steve stopped, frozen still. He took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I still thought we were dating. She didn’t. It’s why I don’t tell people. Because she thinks she didn’t cheat on me and I think she did.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking down at his stark white tennis shoes in utter despair.

Eddie was on his feet and giving Steve a huge hug. “Thank you for telling me. I get why the music spoke to you and I won’t begrudge anyone loving music that helped them through rough times, okay?”

Steve nodded into Eddie neck, trying to not to sob.

When Aunt Penny came out a while later she found both boys just crying into each other’s arms.

“Boys,” she said gently. “It’s time for the toast to Gina.”

They reluctantly let go of each other and wiped their faces with their hands.

Wayne handed them glasses when they entered the front room. Penny picked up her glass.

“To Gina Munson!”

“Salut!” they all cheered.

Eddie and Steve knocked back their drinks with the rest of them.

There was more socializing after the toast, but this time Eddie had Steve at his side and every time they glared at Eddie, Steve would wink at them causing them to flush in embarrassment and turn away.

Finally everyone had gone, the food had been cleared away and the mess cleaned up.

Eddie and Steve silently made their way to the room they shared.

“I wanted to thank you for earlier,” Eddie said as they slowly got ready for bed.

Steve straightened up from where he had been pulling on his pajama bottoms. “For what?”

“For everything, I guess,” Eddie murmured. “For fending off bullshit...not even relatives, but friends of the family, I guess. For telling me about Nancy even though it was clear you didn’t want to. For coming on this trip in the first place. I probably would have thrown hands already if it wasn’t for you.”

Steve pulled up his pants and padded over to him to pull him into a hug. “I do it for any of our friends, Eds. But I’m glad I’m helping. I’m glad that you told me you needed me for this.”

“Single best decision of my life so far,” Eddie mumbled into Steve’s neck. “Wayne thinks so too.”

Steve laughed. “Well if Wayne says so it must be true.”

Eddie chuckled. “He is pretty smart.”

They crawled into bed and faced each other under the blanket.

“What’s really bothering you, Eds?” Steve whispered. “I can tell there’s something bothering you, but I can’t figure it out.”

Eddie pursed his lips. “It’s the stares and snide remarks, I guess. I know that like back home they all think I did it. That I killed Chrissy and Patrick and Fred. That I’m just like my dad. Maybe even worse.”

Steve pulled him close. “We know the truth. Wayne knows the truth. The people that love you know the truth. You’re a bona fide hero, Eddie Munson. They can all burn in hell if there is one.”

Eddie shook his head. “It’s more than that, I think. It’s that despite seeing me for a month every summer, that they would even think me capable of such violence. I had grown up with these people. How could they think that of me?”

“Small-minded people will always think the worst of you,” Steve murmured. “I know, it sucks. But here’s the best part about being an adult. If you wanted to, you never have to see them again in your life. You can cut them out and that’s all the say they have in the matter.”

Eddie sighed. “Thanks.”

Steve just held on until they both fell asleep.

The day of the funeral dawned cloudy and grey as if nature, too, grieved the loss of Gina Munson. Cherished wife, beloved mother, and devoted grandmother.

Eddie and Steve dressed in solemn silence. Eddie pulled on a pair of black high-waisted trousers that he had found at a thrift store before they left. He put on the black button up from the night before and rolled up the sleeves. Over the top went a nice dark grey vest. He wore his nice, white sneakers. He strapped on bracelets and bangles on his wrists and chains and necklaces around his scar on his neck.

His wasn’t as noticeable as Steve’s but he had had enough of his grandmother and aunt’s friends eyes flicking toward it and sneering last night to last a life time thank you.

Steve was dressed similarly. The nice black slacks, the black button up (buttoned neatly at his wrists), a dark grey sweater vest. He wore a suit coat over the top and nice silver tie. His shoes were shined mirror bright and his hair artfully done.

Wayne, Steve and Eddie decided to all go in Steve’s car to the funeral. They pulled into the spots reserved for family and made their way into the church. As Eddie predicted it was standing room only. They walked all the way up the aisle to where the first row had been designated for the family, too.

They sat down and the service began.

Eddie sat there, tears streaming down his face, tucked into Wayne’s arm. Steve took his hand and held on as the Father droned on and on about the life of a good woman.

The pallbearers stood up. Wayne, Oliver, Eddie, Danny, and two good friends of Gina’s lifted her coffin onto their shoulders and marched down the aisle to “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” played on the organ.

They carried the casket out into the cemetery and slid her gently onto the straps that would be used to lower her into grave.

Eddie moved back to stand next to Steve and looked out into the crowd.

He stiffened as he spotted someone near the front of the throng of people paying their respects.

Steve followed his eyes to the man standing next to a portly fellow in a black suit.

He had dark curly hair shaved on the sides. He had a neatly trimmed beard that highlighted the sharpness of his jawline. His cheekbones were as hard as his jaw and eyes. It was the eyes that really struck Steve. They were the same color as Eddie’s but so, so cold.

He bowed his head and Steve could see that his hands were clasped in front of him.

Or so he thought.

The cold man shifted from one foot to the other and Steve could see the glint of the handcuffs.

There was no doubt on who this was now.

Allen “Al” Munson had been allowed to come to his mother’s funeral.

***

Pt 7|Pt 8|Pt 9|Pt 10|Pt 11|Pt 12

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#my writing #stranger things #steddie #minor character death #dealing with grief

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val-cansalute · 5 months

Text

PICKING UP THE ———- PIECES -———

ch. 1

ch. 2

ch. 3

ch. 4

ch. 5

ch. 6

a/n: short first chapter 🫤 also BORING AS FOCK but the next few will be longer and better, just stick with me cw: implied depression/ptsd, dark themes, not too heavy but please don’t read if this might trigger you, angst, no smut in this chapter but there might be some later on, creds to cafekitsune for dividers, MDNI 😡

Six months ago today, your gaunt figure limped through Jackson for the first time, arms scarred and trembling, and face adorned with a vacant expression. You’ve been here for a while now.

You heard Maria say, with time, you’d come out of your shell - actually speak to the others. But, no, you still stay holed up in your decaying room, recalling what happened that day obsessively, and only ever leaving to go on patrol. Only when you absolutely have to.

God, you don’t even know if you can call this grief anymore. Seems as though you built a nest in the sorrow. Would it still be considered missing him if you desperately want to stop seeing his face whenever you close your eyes.

Fuck, don't say that. Never say that.

Promise I still love you, big brother. Promise I'd do anything to see you again.

Well, nobody really pays you any mind; you just sink into the shadows of the shitty little apartment you've been put in. And it doesn’t matter to you because the thought of getting close to people again makes you sick anyway.

Never wanna feel this pain. Never again. Fuck, just go away, please.

I'm so sorry, Soren.

You’ve waited it out for months but, at this point, you've given up hope. Feels like maybe it’s time to go be on your own. You know it’s dumb, but you haven’t got much to live for now that he’s gone.

Late night, you crawl into the comfort of misery, chaining yourself to each painful memory; you cannot leave a single shard behind. Not one.

You will carry this with you for the rest of your days.

Somewhere along the line, dark fades to light and your mind goes blank for the first time in an eternity as you get up to follow that same routine.

Today, same as yesterday, and yesterday's yesterday, and yesterday's yesterday's yesterday, etc., etc., your partner is Ellie.

Maria seems to think the two of you are acquaintances, especially since the extroverted people around your age hadn't been able to drag much more than a few words out of you, but you don’t really talk, you stay out of each other’s ways.

You struggle to keep the smile up against the pushback of your aching cheeks when you’re talking to other people. Can never let them see.

Not even for a good reason. God, it’s just such an effort to talk about. It’s better for it to just nestle in your mind, where it’s made it’s home, where it’s comfortable.

Maybe part of why you stay out of each other’s ways is because you'd inadvertently come off as a dick during your first encounter, which would've been enough to push the already closed off Ellie to not interact with you at all. You weren't actually being rude though; she's hopefully figured that out at this point. She probably just got used to the interactions between you; silence dusted with passive aggressive remarks.

But, she doesn’t say much when you freak the fuck out if a clicker comes at you in a way that brings back memories. You’re grateful, regardless of her reason for doing so.

Perhaps it's the thought of leaving that is the spur to prick your sudden violence and, now, even you can tell you're getting worse. The feeling - it ensnares you like a bear trap when you see a clicker, so you fire frantically at its head. Blood splatters all over your front and you pull at the hem of your shirt to get a better look, mumbling, "Shit..." when you see the white fabric soaked through with the clicker's blood; cold water to the face.

Among the chaos, you must have turned on your foot weirdly, because your ankle feels like a stake has been stabbed right through it with each movement and you don’t know if you can walk.

Ellie finally manages to trace the sound of the gunshot to you after calling your name in worry for the past couple of minutes, running over to you. She pulls you around and looks over your jittery body for anything to worry about - brushes a thumb over the wet material, jerking it away before you can notice; you’re hyper aware, so you always manage to anyway - and then furrows her brows at you.

“Can you stop fucking around?”

You nod apologetically,

"Sorry. Feeling a bit out of it today..."

She sighs, still clearly angry, and turns away, "Let's go. We’re done here.”

You watch her figure retreat as you mount your horse with shaky footing. The ride back is a silent one. Once you reach the gates, you get off and pat the horse’s side. It has a name; you never cared to learn it. Maybe you knew you couldn’t stick around for long.

“Come on. Why are you just standing there?"

When your eyes meet hers, you feel utterly pathetic, but you don't have much of a choice.

“Can you… find, like, a stick? A big one...”

She stays quiet for a moment, seemingly thrown off by your question, so you're quick to add,

“I would do it but... I don't know, fuck, never mind...”

Ellie raises an eyebrow at you, her line of sight flicking down to your ankle as she takes note of your awkward stance and mutters with a sigh that makes you feel small, "Pain in the ass," before shaking her head.

"Yeah, it looks pretty bad," Ellie says after she crouches down and touches the wound, eliciting a pained wince (and a farewell to your last shred of dignity) from you.

She rises to her feet and brushes herself off as you wait for more of a response.

"Stick, right? You want a stick?"

You nod with a clenched jaw. She keeps looking down at you and the constant anticipation is starting to piss you off.

"No, you gonna ask for what you really need?" she says. "And drop the whole ‘tough guy’ act?"

You chuckle dryly, turning your eyes to the floor.

"You ever considered that maybe I actually am just a tough guy?"

“Ha ha,” she states in monotone, “Think you gave away the fact that you're not when you started crying over a twisted ankle," to which you raise an eyebrow at her.

“Uh, okay, nothing you just said was true, but, sure. Sure.”

“Yeah? Come over here and say that with some heart then, tough guy.”

You manage to take a few steps before falling.

"Yeah, that’s what I thought. Gonna need to be carried back," Ellie says.

“What about the big ass stick?”

“What is i-Fuck. Listen, even if that helps, which it won’t, you’d wreck your ankle even more and everyone’d be on my ass about it. So, quit talking and get over here," she says, reaching over to lift you off the floor.

You grimace jokingly, but Ellie doesn’t pick on the humorous nature of your words, “Oh. No piggyback?”

Ellie sighs, turning and crouching in front of you before you get on.

"I swear to god, you're infuriating," she sneers. "Now put your arms around my neck."

You’re acting slightly outside the confines of your silent, gloomy self again, and pretend to strangle her, “Since you asked so nicely.”

And you laugh at your own joke as you properly wrap your arms around her neck

"I'm glad you're having a good time; at least one of us is enjoying ourselves,” she grits out but you can hear the repressed smile in her voice.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

"Good. Now shut up and enjoy the ride." Ellie says before turning her gaze back to the front.

As the two of you make your way through the fairly empty paths of Jackson, Ellie remains silent, her expression unreadable.

You keep your eyes focused on her, the small puff of air that leaves her mouth with each step, and staying quiet as your chin finds itself resting casually upon her shoulder

After a few minutes of walking in silence, Ellie finally speaks up again. Her voice is so close, the warmth of her breath and heat.

“You got them girls off your ass yet?”

“Who? The ones that are trying to... befriend me?”

“Mhm, the ones that you’re kinda friends with.”

“Yeah, they quit trying.”

"Don’t blame you… I mean, I can understand, but don’t make it too obvious.”

“I’d rather not-“

“Right, it’s just- well, if you want to be alone, fine. I… can even… make sure those assholes don’t bother you, or whatever- but, not on patrol! Don’t go wandering around on your own like that ever again. It’s dumb."

“I know, I just got caught up in the moment. Sorry.”

"Good."

A heavy silence befalls the two of you as she trudges on.

"Why are you so damn heavy?" she eventually mutters.

You lift your head off her shoulder reflexively, aware of your weight pulling her down all of a sudden,

“Sorry.”

Ellie looks over her shoulder at you, her eyebrows knitted in unexpected concern,

“Hey… I was kidding.”

“Right… I knew that…”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever," she says. "Hm, look at that, we made it," gently patting your thigh before pushing the doors open. "Time to get off."

You slowly slide off her back, making sure to land on your good leg as you watch her search the area curiously in a waiting, one-footed stance.

She returns after a second, picking you up to place you on top of one of the quaint, makeshift hospital beds before she begins rummaging through the supplies. You watch her muscles flex and then, the sight of a woman you'd seen around captures your focus.

"What happened to her?" the woman asks, causing Ellie to lift her head, looking down at you.

"Twisted my ankle."

"Well, obviously," her tone is laced with sarcasm. "My question was how you twisted your ankle."

"Turned weird."

Your response earns you a bemused raise of her blonde eyebrows, "Alright, whatever," she says, pulling up a chair and sitting before you.

After a short, boring while, she lets go of your leg and looks up at you again,

"So, you got a sprain. I'm gonna have to wrap your ankle up, alright?"

A lock of her hair continuously pesters her as she begins carefully tending to your ankle, pulling fresh bandages taut around the injury.

"It's gonna stay sensitive for a few days," the woman states, "And you shouldn't walk on it for at least a week."

She places a hand upon Ellie's shoulder, pulling her out of the deep-end of her thoughts, and turning her away from you. A muffled, but aggressive, hushed conversation ensues between them as you glance around the room restlessly, only making out the irritated tone of Ellie's responses. It ends with her pinching her nose bridge and mumbling a, "Fine," and they're facing you again.

The woman gives the two of you a nod before exiting the room,

"You two be safe out there."

“Alright. I’ll take you home. Now, get on," she turns, arms out, backpack on her front, as she waits for you to get onto her back again.

The route to your place is short and quiet as night blankets the world, or what’s left of it. Before you know it, she's pushing open the door and setting you down on yet another tattered bed - your own.

You hiss at the contact your ankle makes with the bed, but Ellie seems unfazed, patting your thigh in the same way she did before, the way that made your stomach twist,

“You gonna be okay?”

You nod, though her deadpan tone doesn’t leave much room for the honest truth.

“Alright, well… I’ll get going, then.”

There’s a stark contrast in life between her coming and going; the constant rustling of the fabric of her coat and the sound of her heavy winter boots against your creaky floorboards, the sound of her sniffles and low voice, and the flurry of gusts of nippy winds whistling - all shut out with the cold of the outside once she closes the door behind her. Well, most of it.

Now, you’re left with the bite of cold air and the deafening silence that haunts you as you sit still upon your mattress with darkness cast over the room, seeming to melt everything together.

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snackugaki · 11 months

Photo

...visdev really is my enrichment activity for i am just a bored tiger in my enclosure, looking to figure out how to get this steak out of this metal ball.

________

my tmnt au (where everyone made it past their 20s, splinter’s alive just old, venus is here, and they deserve some goddamn respite and shenanigans)

tmnt au part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

tmnt au omake 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

lny visit 1 | 2

also uhhh... i guess still idw, next mutation, and like 1 mirage spoiler? mostly for the kids who haven’t but were planning to read/watch

you’re about to perceive so much

p r e p a r e

so close to getting this AU looking as crunchy as i want it, almosttttt tttthhhhhere...!

just somewhere tasty between Mignola’s use of deep black shadow, what MTV Liquid Television woulda greenlit re: The Maxx, a dash of 2007, 1 part Next Mutation, 2 parts funny proportions

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh str ugglingggg

Leo’s shortest because haha (family baby gang, get rekt)

this is so much thought for something I’m just doing to give these turtle ninjas some softness and the genx/millenial pop culture references gag comics

Splinter is full of ghosts

(specifically the onryo borne from the murdered Yoshi Hamato and Tang Shen [because oroku saki a bitch])

[ redacted ] and Tang Shen’s ghost gained control and guided Splinter to raise the boys in love and not [ redacted ] to [ redacted ] in [ redacted ]

Splinter was just a regular little rat... who on his 1000th birthday witnessed the death of his friend/unwitting master and his wife, and thus transformed into a wrathful kyūso (minus the kitten eating) and chased Shredder until losing his trail in New York

Shredder’s fuck around and Splinter’s rampaging as the find out caused the tengu to repo some of the mysticism from ninjutsu

now all the (remaining) ninja clans debuffed and mad about it

The tengu bestowed the ninja the ability to summon shit (kuchiyose), enact mystical effects upon people and objects (kuji kiri), going invisible, minor flight (actually just qinggong/light body technique), and manipulation of the 5 elements, and creating doubles (bunshin)

but again, Shredder fucked up so now ninja can like barely control anything bigger than a lit torch or a 16 oz bottle of liquid and that’s if you got in enough hours to do even that

I mentioned elsewhere but for me in any AU I make, Venus is a cultivator and the more I think about it the more I will die on this hill, not only does it fit better than her being a “shaman” or “shinobi” it’s sick as fuck

Jennika’s origin was pretty fkkn metal, she still falls in with the Foot, gets shanked, Leo gives blood-- bam, turtle time

Jennika goes to hang with Venus in China and get a better understanding of her new turtle body

Keno’s here, still tried to infiltrate the Foot (with Jennika) but bugged out when she couldn’t stay without being made (Jennika refused to leave womp)

teaches Leo some arnis techniques for Leo’s dual wielding; Donnie also just in case his bo is shattered... again. :)

Irma has made all the boys blush at least twice

Irma is also soap opera buddies with Splinter

they meet up at least twice a month to gab, gush, and groan over what’s currently going on in their stories, when Venus visits she also joins in, Irma also has a conversational grasp on Japanese and Venus’ regional dialect because of these visits

April has a full out shoujo manga romance with Chu Hsi

and he’s a hot dragon prince uhuhuhuhuhu

Irma is privy to all the steamy details

keeping Leo and Karai as character foils

both received scars from one another

both released each other from sealing wards from [ redacted ]

now they just meet every so often to eat the greasiest fast food and unclench of an hour

Raph still gets his ass worked by Ninjara, folded like an omelette sat on a lawn chair

Vam Mi is also here, she’s fought first (because honestly she should’ve been either brought in earlier in the season or had a few more episodes because that shit coulda resolved better)

Venus is brought to NYC for this antagonist instead of Dragonlord escaping (and murdering her father figure forcing her to seek out his friend Splinter for aid)

Donnie doesn’t take the news of real vampires or real magic well

Donnie and Venus have a knock down drag out fight over it (because they’re 17 at this point and being li’l shits to each other about their respective fields of expertise)

“The nerds are fightingggggg!” cries Mikey, Leo and Raph don’t believe it so imagine their surprise when they get a demo in real time on how scary competent staff fighters are

Leo gets Splinter when one of Donnie’s missed strikes cracks the concrete

Splinter breaks them up like talking a walk in the park and it’d be comical if they both weren’t bleeding from the mouth and peppered with swelling contusions

Venus begins accepting Donnie when his tech prevents her from becoming a thrall of Vam-Mi

Donnie begins accepting Venus when she uses a massive amount of chi to manipulate gravity just before he becomes street pizza when Vam-Mi throws him off a bridge

they also combine skill sets to save Mikey so there’s that

Venus goes from calling Donnie, “Horatio (derogatory)” to “Horatio (affectionate)”

they now have a dumbass long-as-fuck handshake that’s unforgivably nerdy

April is still a magic drawing-brought-to-life baby, Venus puts her in a painted scroll when she starts phasing in and out of existence (she and Chu Hsi have a great time in the scroll... while everyone is shitting bricks until Venus and her sect stabilize her and get her made real, Pinocchio style)

April’s grandmothers gifted Venus 2 pieces of jade jewelry, and her family’s recipe for sweet potato pudding respectively for saving April

the boss fight against Dragonlord is dope as fuckkkkk, Chu Hsi is being cool as fuck, fiddled with some concepts* that has Leo and Karai being a champion of Genbu, Raph for Byakko, Mikey for Suzaku, Chu Hsi’s retainer (a good dragon, wink wonk) steps in for Seiryu because Donnie and Venus are siphoning and redirecting an enormous amount and variety of mystical power

*i’m just pulling from fushigi yugi honestly

splinter, the boys, and venus (and others) mutating from mutagen laced toxic waste was a pure accident

Splinter was investigating a lead on Shredder’s movements concerning the Foot the same night an animal liberation sleeper cell ‘freed’ some animals from the back of a pet store (that was a front for black market domestic and exotic animal trafficking) that is also the same night a stolen truck driven by some corporate spies filled with a competitor’s chemical waste, which then collides with said liberation sleeper cell’s truck and... ooze happens

Leatherhead, the Mutanimals, Mondo, Mona Lisa, Slash also get mutated from the events of that night, either leading up to or following the aftermath

plus some others etc etc

Venus still washes down the gutter, gets rube goldberg pinballed onto a crate of plums where Chung I finds her and still gets named Mei and taken to live in China and eventually learns to cultivate

Tokka and Rahzar get made, and unmade ala TMNT II; the mutagen made them a little silly tho, April adopts Rahzar and passes him off as a low content wolfdog, Leatherhead takes in Tokka

April went through a couple of major changes so now she’s a journalist with a computer programming background who now does a podcast as an informal neighborhood news reporter with a segment for chatting with people from around the street

Mikey’s the most frequent guest and co-hosts sometimes; Donnie troubleshoots free of charge

Venus brings her province’s regional delicacies when she comes to visit, Splinter and Leo both get pu er tea cakes (she managed to get one the same age as him; Splinter is too old so she got the oldest she could find, Leo has so many tea pets and a nice yixing collection); Raph, Keno, and Casey fight over the pickles, meat jerkies, and chili oil; Mikey has an artillery of cool shirts and a lifetime supply of haw flakes, Donnie has a mountain of doodads with increasingly specific uses, April gets neat accessories and the occasional care package sent with Venus from her grandparents, uncles, and aunties; Irma gets neat frames and coats that never fail to get a “Where did you get that??”

Raph rides a Kawasaki Ninja because it’s funny

A lot of bodegas give Mikey free snacks because the bodega cats love him, and he’s also saved some from being run over or ripped apart by stray dogs or the few large angry raccoons

Donnie’s the only one of his brothers to wear both a top and bottom with shoes because once he figured out how to integrate a motherboard and miscellany wiring onto clothing... he’s been a walking computing menace ever since

Splinter does his best to enjoy his time with his sons (because as a kyūso, he knows the chances of outliving his precious sons is very high (ᴗ‿ᴗ✿) ...give or take one of the many opponents and obstacles his sons take on takes him out first ( ◕ᴗ◕✿ ) )

god whathefuck, I was just going to make silly comics for them. how did it come to this.

#i'm so curious #some of you kids tag this shit as 2003 #and i'm ???#i'm not subtle about being an elder millenial #or about who my childhood turtles were #i love trash #i love the next mutation #like is it to keep your tag active?#i feel like it's probably the thing #where someone assumes they're interacting with someone of their same xyz #which honestly? fair #a lot of the TMNT fans I see are 03 or 12 fans #there's a few other Turtlemania survivors around that I see #but not a lot of us #:(#...i'm still laughing at that poll #with the arbitrary age cut off being 37+#sorry poll op #it's just... it was literally oddly specific #ba dum tss #if you know why I used apples as a measurement...#...hahaha you also like Sanrio #if you know who I based Irma off of...#can you blame me #Nadia is who Irma would be #if she kept the cheek but mellowed out a li'l #so much weird shit happened to her #so of course she'd simultaneously be #blase cheeky and wry #visdev is my enrichment activity

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mylovelies-docx · 6 months

Text

Sorry, I Love You - Part 11

Ooooof. Sorry for this. But I'm also double sorry for what comes after :)

Plot: You and Bucky have a good thing going - best of friends that also have more than a little chemistry between the sheets. Everything is fine until you develop feelings for the man who doesn't want a relationship. What will happen when Bucky finds out?

C/W: Angst, HYDRA experiments, blood, wounds, disturbing visions, mentions of death.

Word Count: 1,085

Tag List: NOW CLOSED! If you'd like to keep up with this story, please follow my blog and turn on notifications! ❤️ you :)

[Prologue][Part 1][Part 2][Part 3][Part 4][Part 5][Part 6][Part 7][Part 8][Part 9][Part 10]

You stumble inside, gasping for breath.

The wound on your side needs immediate attention but you scramble around the abandoned home instead, blood and gunk oozing down and drip, drip, dripping onto the rotten wooden floors. You riffle through the drawers in the wobbly oak desk and come away with a blunt pencil before moving on to the bookshelves along the walls, dust covering the dry, cracked spines of the novels. You love books so much that you hate to even dog-ear your copies, but you proceed to rip out a few title pages and epigraphs, needing clean space to write.

You know there’s not enough time to both patch yourself up and write down your final words, so you can only hope that you’ll be cognizant enough to get down what you need to.

You clutch the papers and pencil in one hand and begin making your way to the small table and chair set off to the side of the kitchen. Pausing at the entryway, you use the other hand to apply pressure around the arrow jutting from just under your ribcage.

You hiss at the pain, looking down at your blood-covered fingers and noticing rivulets of bright blue that had been hidden within the hollow shaft of the arrow. You had noticed a hollow pop when you snapped the fletching off back in the woods. You were still clear-headed enough at the time to realize that the inside had a coating of blue liquid. There wasn’t enough of it on the ground to fill the shaft, so the rest of it must have already been injected into your body – the arrow must have been triggered to inoculate upon penetration.

You only had a limited amount of time to figure out what was going to happen to you, but knowing how HYDRA operates, you’ve decided to err on the side of caution and assume that death is imminent. Despite working at the facility for the past couple of months, you can’t determine what the blue liquid is. It could be any number of hallucinogens, anticoagulants, euthenasia agents, or something you hadn’t encountered yet.

You had run until you found this house, a good twenty miles from the facility and even further from your pre-determined evac point with Bucky in case shit hit the fan. Your pounding heart had only exacerbated your problems, increasing your blood loss and quickening the circulation of the substance through your bloodstream. You’d grown paranoid on your journey here, flinching at every sound and jumping at figures that seemed to leap at you from behind the trees. Darkness descended upon the forest and the shadows grew spindly fingers that seemed to snatch at your ankles.

You come back to yourself, standing under the archway only a few feet from your destination. You shake your head, clearing away the spiders that had started to spin webs between your eyelashes. Without them in the way, the shadows only grew bolder – whipping out and slashing you to ribbons. The sleeves that had been protecting your arms are torn to shreds, small welts and bloody cuts evident through the holes.

Focusing back on the task at hand, you finish hobbling over to the rusty metal table. You slam the writing materials on the bumpy surface, bending over to pick up the fallen chair. You settle yourself onto the moth-eaten cushion, the wooden posts against your back creaking in protest.

The shadows crawl over your shoulders and perch there, staring down at your hand as you try to write. The paper rotates under the pencil, turning your letters unintelligible. You hadn’t wanted to mar the letter with your blood, but you reluctantly pull the hand staunching the flow of warmth from your side and press it delicately to the top of the page, holding it in place.

As you write, tears pool along your lower lashes. The spiders titter happily, poking at the salty water and causing it to spill over onto your cheeks. The little creatures don’t appear interested in mopping up the liquid on your face with their little hairy bodies, because you see tear stains appear on the paper underneath you as the droplets collect on your chin and rain down.

You need to get this all out before you lose the one train of thought that still remains unscathed. The one topic inside your head that still makes sense, that you can still understand.

Well, one that you used to understand. Bucky had been the one constant in your life until he wasn’t. Until you ruined it. Your conversation that was supposed to fix everything today never happened. So everything left unsaid between you and Bucky will remain that way, unless you get these words down.

You’ll never know what Bucky was going to say, but at least he’ll be able to hear your side.

You can’t help but watch, fascinated, as lights begin to dance over your hand and the letter. Looking up, you can see that the entire table and wall opposite the window next to you also flicker brightly. The shapes dazzle your eyes, reflecting off the tears still gathering, and blind you intermittently as they bounce around.

You close your eyes against the lights wreaking havoc on your pupils, but the images that flash behind your eyelids are even more torturous.

It’s your life before Great Fuck-Up.

Bucky’s smiling face as he laughs at one of your sarcastic comments, his intent eyes and cocky smirk when he knew you were thinking about him, all the silly little moments you spent together that meant so much to you.

But then the images switch and you recognize immediately that you’re now in The After: the cold blue eyes, grimacing mouth, and the loneliness that came along with your confession. The anger and pain in Bucky’s voice when he turned you down, when he said he regretted the time spent with you.

You inhale shakily as a sob tries to make its way up your throat and past your molten lips. Your hands tremble uncontrollably and the pencil slips through your fingers and rolls, rolls, rolls across the neverending table until it disappears over the edge that hadn’t been there seconds ago. There’s nothing to do except look back down at the page.

There’s only a few lines written, but if this is all you can manage then it will just have to be good enough. Knowing that these are your last moments, you’re glad that you could at least get these words off your chest. You hope that these last few words will be a consolation. To Bucky, to Nat, and Steve, and Sam, and Wanda, and, and, and a million other people that you’re going to miss – that will miss you.

Thinking of all the people you’re leaving behind brings into sharp relief just how lonely you are. You’re stuck in a long abandoned home, freezing, bleeding out, and unable to call for help. Even during your time away, you’d never felt this agonizing loneliness. This pain that manifests as a hollow feeling that echoes in your abdomen, as invisible hands grabbing and twisting at your heart.

God. What is Bucky going to do now that you’re not going to be able to complete the mission? You did all you could, downloaded and scrubbed all the data before setting the self-destruct sequence into motion, but was it enough? You don’t remember a big fireball in the sky and quaking earth under your feet as you ran away, but maybe you were just too out of it to notice.

You can’t help but feel guilty that Petre and his family got wrapped up in the situation, that their only way to move forward and help Sasha was to join that horrible, awful institution. But honestly, death is probably the best outcome for Sasha after everything HYDRA has done to her, whatever they’ve made her body dependent on.

Sharp pain flares from your chest and ricochets behind your ribs, forcing a cry from your lips. The pain continues to grow and spread, encroaching on your organs and traveling through your limbs - but all the sudden it’s gone and a crawling, slithering, pulsing numbness takes its place. Your bones and muscles and ligaments turn to jelly and you slide sideways out of the chair, landing hard on the rotten floor but not feeling it.

The pain is gone, but your emotions remain. You can’t help but remember all the time you spent training, spent getting to know the team, spent making life-long friendships. You just didn’t realize that life-long would be so short.

The lights on the wall grow more intense, more numerous, and you can hear howling, baying, snarling monsters sprinting to your final resting place. You can only hope that you’ll be gone by the time they sink their vicious fangs and terrible claws into your soft and squishy flesh.

You thought that you would take any company over the aching loneliness you feel, but you realize that maybe being alone isn’t the worst thing in the end. At least no one has to see you cry, and shiver, and shake, and watch as your chest refuses to rise and your heart refuses to pump and the light leaves your eyes.

Yeah, no one should see that. You want them to remember you how you were: happy sometimes, a pain in the ass a lot of times, and – hopefully – as a good friend, a good teammate, a good person. You know there’s so many things you could have done differently, but does it even matter now?

You can see the clothes piled on your floor back in New York, the cereal bowl left on your nightstand from a midnight snack, all the makeup scattered across your counter from girls’ night out. The pillow slumped against the door and tear stains soaking your bed sheets at the house you share with Bucky only a handful of miles away.

You see the half-finished books on your shelf, the unsung songs on your playlists, the stories you never told and never heard, and the conversations left unfinished, the words left unsaid.

You wish that your last thoughts before you die were happy, that you could watch your life back over and not regret so much, that you could see your family and friends and Bucky one last time.

But that isn’t in the cards for you. The monsters from outside have finally reached the house, slamming open the door and shattering what’s left of the windows. Shadows converge on you from every angle, crowding your eyes and compressing your lungs more and more and more until there’s no room left to expand. Until you can’t take in any air. Gasping, gasping, gasping. Until the room fades out and so does your heartbeat.

Part 12

Tag list: @jackiehollanderr @rabbitrabbit12321 @12345sebby @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @lauraashley93 @themorningsunshine @happinessinthebeing @nash-dara @calwitch @stany0url0calwh0res111 @pono-pura-vida @learisa @introverbatim @kentokaze @marvelogic @kaz11283 @terry2227

#sorry i love you #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes fic

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penny00dreadful · 1 year

Text

Return of The King - Part 2

Last time it was my birthday, this time it's my 1st wedding anniversary! 👰 I like to celebrate by getting my stuff out there! So here, have a part two to my 'Steddie vampire fic with a twist' which has a title now!

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 AO3

He was going to die. This is how he died.

“That’s mine.” A voice said to him with just the faintest tinge of amusement.

Eddie’s heart stopped. Like fully stopped in his chest for a second and his stomach dropped out of his ass before his heart kicked back into high gear. He couldn’t breathe and time seemed to have crawled to a stop as he stared at the dark figure in front of him, looming somehow large and threatening despite their similar heights and the lightness in his tone of voice. His brain was firing off warning signals left and right telling him the thing in front of him was a predator and he was prey, a constant blaring signal telling him to run, get away, escape, hide.

“What are you doing in my room?” Steve Harrington asked him. His face was completely obscured by the darkness and he was more intimidating than Eddie had ever seen him. He was further in shadow than anything else in the room, like he was sucking all the residual light into the void of his figure.

Eddie was frozen on the spot, he couldn’t move, the terror coursing through him had completely locked up every part of his body. He felt like his heart was getting dangerously fast, almost to the point of bursting, lodging itself in his throat like it was looking for an escape route. He could feel adrenaline starting to flood through him, making him shake and his eyes must have been as wide as saucers.

Steve was dead. Steve was dead, how was he here? How could he be here?! It had been a month, he… his neck was gone, his body was cold, he was… he was empty, there was no life-

How could he be here?!

This had to be some completely fucked up Vecna shit. This was god damn low, even for him. To use Steve in this way… it was barbaric. Eddie didn’t know how long he’d be able to take it before his heart either gave out or broke in two. He knew he wouldn’t be emotionally strong enough to keep himself from giving into Steve if he started to push his buttons and if Vecna was in his head then it was only a matter of time.

At least Vecna was targeting him. Eddie couldn’t imagine the devastation if he’d targeted the kids or Nancy or god forbid, Robin. If it was Robin who’d been sent visions of Steve… Jesus he didn’t even want to think about what it would do to her.

Steve cocked his head to the side and though the movement itself wasn’t inherently dangerous, the motion was enough for Eddie’s terrified state to kick his body into movement, making him jump backwards. His knees stayed slightly bent, like he was just looking for an opportunity to bolt.

“Woah, Eddie.” Steve said, sounding cautious. “It’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He raised his hands as if to placate him but again the movement caused Eddie to flinch back, hip checking the foot of the bed painfully hard and sending him crashing to the floor. He fell flat on his ass, scrambling backwards until he collided with a thump against the wall under the window, unable to tear his eyes away from the approaching shadow.

Everything was starting to hurt now, not physically but emotionally. The reality of what was staring him in the face, some fucked up mirage of a dead pretty boy sent here to psychologically torture him to death was crushing down on top of him. Eddie’s throat was closing with grief, he couldn’t swallow anymore and his eyes were burning. His brain was crying out in devastation and his heart was crumbling around him. It hurt, it fucking hurt.

And he was alone.

He was here, all alone.

No one knew where he was.

No one even knew he came here to get away.

He was going to go missing again, presumed dead again…

They might never find him.

And he was struggling to remember a favourite song, any song that had brought him any kind of joy over the last month.

God this was all so fucked.

As the shadow of Steve got closer, Eddie continued to try to back up, to get as far away from the thing his brain was telling him was hunting him. He just ended up slipping against the floor as he kicked his legs out, his breaths were coming in short and sharp, he starting to hyperventilate and shit this really wasn't going well for him.

He curled up into himself, just waiting for the inevitable emotional and physical blows to come crashing down, digging his fingers into his hair and resting his forehead on his knees.

“Ed-”

“Can you just... give me a minute, man?” Eddie sniffled, his voice shaking. “I’m trying to get a handle on a favourite song.”

“I’m not Vecna.” Steve’s soft reply came, his tone of voice understanding.

“Uh-huh.” His knees were starting to get damp and he tried not to think of all the shit Wayne had to suffer through in life by taking a train wreck of a nephew in all those years ago. “Real convincing. Sounds like something Vecna would say, you dickless lump of unseasoned bolognese.”

Silence pressed in around him as he waited for the strike. Something to cut through him physically or emotionally. Rip him limb from limb, pop his eyes, punch a hole in his chest or just plain torture him until he expired.

Instead he heard a muffled exhale, something halting and breathy that almost sounded like-

Eddie looked up incredulous, his hands still clutched into his hair. “Are you laughing? Are you seriously laughing right now?”

Almost against his will, he felt his body start to come down from the panic gripping him.

Because he could see Steve highlighted by the moonlight spilling in the window, his face, his cheeks, his nose, his moles, his eyes, the part of his brain screaming predator quieted, now only whispering rather than shouting. The darkness of Steve’s figure seemed to lessen, no longer terrifying and unknowable, but familiar and comforting. There was no way to describe how he looked other than angelic. Ethereally beautiful in an almost unsettling way that made Eddie think of brightly coloured frogs that secreted poison and venus fly traps sitting motionless and open.

But now that Steve was no longer this looming, threatening presence shrouded in darkness he didn’t feel quite so dangerous anymore. Well, that was a lie. But he didn’t feel quite so dangerous towards Eddie. It was like just looking at him had helped the calm settle over his bones.

Steve shook his head, his hand still covering his mouth trying to quieten the giggles coming through but it was a rapidly losing battle. Eddie’s own mouth was starting to curl up against his will, his disbelief was bubbling into mirth in his chest, threatening to explode forth.

“Stop laughing at me!” Eddie found himself giggling through his words, Steve’s own laughter had become infectious.

Steve exploded, throwing his head back with loud braying cackles that made him sound like a demented witch, listing dangerously to the side before he caught himself.

“I’m not- I’m not laughing at you, Eds. I swear.” He giggled. “You’re just really funny.”

“That’s laughing at me!” Eddie had to hold himself back from swatting at Steve’s leg. While Steve’s laugh filled him with light, made him so warm and alive and bright in the dark room, Eddie still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still on the wrong side of the predator/prey relationship.

“I wasn’t laughing at you.” Steve sighed away the last of his giggles. “I was laughing at what you said. I told you, you’re funny.”

Steve Harrington thinks I’m funny.

Eddie’s heart rate was starting to pick up again but this time it had nothing to do with fear. Steve’s smile grew fractionally wider, blinking across at him, so warm and bright and full of life.

“I’ve been called many things sweetheart, but funny’s not usually one of them.”

“Well maybe they can’t see what I can see.”

Eddie felt his eyes grow soft and the smile slip from his face while his heart shattered and reformed a million times over. He nudged himself closer, just by a fraction, just enough so he no longer had the safety net of the wall behind him.

He held his hand out to Steve, palm up, who’s look had morphed into confusion and a bit of concern at the change in attitude before he placed his hand palm down in Eddie’s.

Eddie could feel the ridges and wrinkles of his palm, the warmth of his skin, the rhythmic pulse of a heartbeat under his wrist, too slow to be anything human but there and strong.

“Fuck.” Eddie whispered into the air between them. “It's really you, isn’t it?”

Steve tightened his fingers, holding his hand firmly but softly at the same time. “It’s really me.”

Eddie allowed his eyes to roam over Steve’s figure. He was so whole. His neck was all there, not a scar or wound in sight as though he’d never had his throat ripped out by tiny gnashing teeth. His eyes were glittering and thoughtful in the moonlight so much the same as they used to be but there was something different in them too. Their usual hazel-honey colour was present but there was a starling yellow undertone to them that hadn’t been there before. It only flashed occasionally when they caught the light just right. It should never have been visible except to someone who’d spent entirely too long gazing at those eyes and Eddie was exactly that kind of pathetic human to have committed them to memory.

Steve’s cheeks were steadily starting to go pink under his gaze and god he was right here. He was right in front of him with their hands intertwined and it felt so good but it also hurt. It still hurt so much, like he was going to be snatched away at any moment.

Eddie chewed on is lip. “You were dead.”

Steve nodded. “I was.”

“Are you-” Eddie swallowed. “Are you still dead?”

He didn’t feel still dead but what other explanation did they have?

“I don’t know.”

“What do you know?”

Steve shrugged, casting his eyes around as though looking for the answer in his dusty old bedroom. His eyebrows furrowed slightly and he sniffed. Eddie thought he might be smelling the air, but there was no smell here other than dust and that stale scent that often clung to fabric when it was left alone for too long.

Steve’s eyebrows relaxed and a sly smile slowly spread itself over his face. He pulled his hand out of Eddie’s grip to place his elbows on his knees and his hands under his chin like he was a teenage girl ready for gossip before looking Eddie directly in the eye.

“Have you been sleeping in my bed?”

Oh god, it was so creepy. It was so creepy what he’d been doing. Eddie glanced over at the rumpled sheets, a far distance from how the bed had been when he’d first found it, all clean lines and hospital corners which he couldn’t recreate if he tried.

His face was getting hotter and his heart was getting faster and Steve could definitely see his blush if the widening smile was anything to go by. Eddie suddenly felt pinned as prey again but very different than before, trapped under Steve’s fiery stare.

He needed to get his solid footing back, he needed… he needed to chill the fuck out. Get back on track and try not to tackle the man in front of him and pin him down or roll over and beg Steve to rip him apart.

Steve was still staring at him like watching Eddie squirm was the most interesting thing he could be doing, like he could tell exactly what Eddie was thinking, like a cat watching a mouse caught in a trap.

“I have come to a decision.” Eddie announced, with all the false bravado he could muster.

“Oh yeah?” Steve asked, not swayed in the slightest.

“You’re not Vecna.”

“Duh.”

“Okay, smartass.” He grinned. “You’re not Vecna, you’re not as dead as you used to be, but you don’t know if you’re still a little bit dead?”

Steve sat up, running a hand through his perfect hair. God damn it of course it was perfect, it looked so soft. It flopped back down over his forehead making him look even more devastatingly handsome than before. “Yeah, I figured I could use your help with that.”

For some reason that was what made it hit him all at once.

Steve was here.

He was back.

Something was wrong, he wasn’t back the same but it was him.

Eddie wasn’t alone in this anymore.

The Fellowship… things might be able to get better.

Fuck.

It was like he could finally see in colour.

Like he’d been looking at shadows on cave walls his entire life and was now able to go outside.

It was like he was back into himself in an instant, the Eddie who’d been desaturated with trauma and drowning in responsibility was brought back to life.

He had so much energy, he was almost bouncing with it. He had to find out everything. And he had never been the type to be able to put a book down once it got good. He always had to chase until he got answers and those big goddamn eyes were looking back at him, alive.

“What are you?” Eddie was scooting forward until he was well into Steve’s personal space.

“Uh,” Steve’s boyish confidence seemed to leave him all at once, recoiling slightly as Eddie leaned into him, poking his cheeks and examining his eyes up close. He swatted Eddie’s hands away from his hair, but not before Eddie got to feel it. The famous hair, buttery soft and silky and so thick. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I am, I was hoping you might have some idea, you’re the Lore Master or whatever.”

Eddie sat back a little and tilted his head. “I think you mean Dungeon Master but Lore Master is also an objectively cool name so I’ll take it.” It was a really cool title after all. “I assume I'm the first one you've sought out?”

Steve smirked again. "You're very sure of yourself."

Eddie didn't want to say that if Steve had had the misfortune to visit anyone else first it probably would have been a disaster of epic proportions. He didn't want to say that he'd have known about it immediately because he was now the one who was called first whenever someone had a breakdown or some shit went sideways. He didn't want to say that if it had happened that Steve had visited anyone else, the Fellowship could have ended up broken beyond repair. More than it already was.

Instead he just shrugged.

Steve shook his head. “No, Eddie, I don’t want to see them yet. Not until I have this,” he gestured to himself, “figured out.”

“Right.”

“But everyone’s doing okay?” Steve smiled, as though just the memory of them was enough to light up his life. “I’d say you’ve been driving them crazy with your dice game. Everything that had happened must have given you some great ideas? And you’re probably run ragged driving them everywhere, now that I think about it. Probably more than I was with the cracks everywhere. At least you have a night off for sleepovers and that kind of thing, right?”

Eddie looked over at him, Steve had so much hope and joy in his face at the idea that everything was continuing on as normal and Eddie wished he could keep it that way. “No. We haven’t been doing any of those things.”

“Why not?”

God, this was going to be difficult.

“Everyone’s kinda… fucked up.”

“What? Why? Do they need help? What happened?” Tension had taken over Steve's body in a flash, that animalistic danger was radiating off of him again in waves. He looked like a snake coiled to strike.

Eddie held a placating hand out. He really should be scrambling back because the energy Steve was giving off was terrifying but it also wasn’t because it wasn’t directed at him. He just knew, deep down in his soul that Steve, this Steve, would never hurt him. Eddie felt safe, wrapped up in a bedroom, isolated in a house no one knew he was in with an apex predator who could probably snap him in half.

He managed to get a hand on Steve’s sleeve, gently pulling his gaze back to himself. “Sweetheart… you died. That’s what happened.”

Steve’s shoulders slumped in surprise. He looked shocked. “Really? That’s it?”

“That’s it? That’s it? Hell yeah, that’s it! Stevie baby, you fucking died. Don’t tell me you thought they wouldn’t be mourning you?”

“I mean, I knew they would for a little bit but I thought they would have moved on by now.”

“I don’t think you understand how important you are to the group. Everyone was- still is devastated! Jesus, I’m still in mourning and you’re sitting right in front of me!”

“You?”

“Yeah me! You were my god damn lifeline for the worst week of my existence. I’m supposed to just move on from my knight in shining armour who died tragically and selflessly before I could really get to know him? Get real. I was about two seconds away from wearing a black veil to your memorial.”

“I think you should’ve.”

“Probably best that I didn’t.”

They sat and considered each other for a long moment. Eddie catalogued all the information he’d gotten about this Steve so far. He certainly seemed like himself. So he could possibly be some kind of Vecna sleeper agent. He said he needed help with the whole being dead thing. So was he back to life? Undead?

He didn’t look like how he’d expect any undead creature to look. Even in the pale moonlight Eddie could see the healthy glow to Steve’s skin, felt his thick hair, he seemed strong. He could move incredibly fast. When he was unknowable in the shadows he seemed terrifyingly dangerous. Like he radiated fiersome predator energy without meaning to. Even now that instinct to run, get away, escape, hide was still there at the back of Eddie’s mind but it was less scary than it had been and was now more... thrilling.

Though that could have something to do with Eddie’s own fucked up sexual proclivities.

Overall Steve still seemed Lawful Good. Goofy, bitchy, charming, handsome, sexy, gorgeous…

Okay, moving on.

Eddie was pretty sure he was settling on what Steve might be. He wasn’t rotting, he wasn’t non-corporeal, he wasn’t leaking black ichor or trying to eat his brains. There was just one last thing he needed to see to confirm his suspicions.

Time for the plan of attack.

“Let me see your teeth.” Without warning Eddie surged forward, managing to just barely brush Steve’s top lip with his finger before his wrist was caught in a rock solid grip.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Figuring you out.”

“What does my mouth have to do with it?”

“Your mouth is very important.”

Steve cocked an eyebrow at him, but still held him firm.

Eddie pouted, attempting to play up the dramatics as much as humanly possible. “Stevie!” He whined, shaking the wrist that was still being gripped, allowing his hand to flop around. “You’re no fun.”

“I'm plenty fun, you’re just a menace.”

“I’m not a menace, I’m your Lore Master.” Eddie tried to dip his voice as low as it would go, taking on that rumbling timbre he usually used for his baddies or whenever he needed to reduce someone to liquid in the bedroom.

He felt a grin spread over his face as Steve’s cheeks got a little pinker and his eyelids fluttered just a tad before he schooled his expression back into one of exasperation. Eddie looked over his face again trying to pinpoint why the whole undead thing felt a little… off.

“You know, you look… deceptively normal.”

“Should I not look normal?”

“Well if my suspicions are correct, I would have expected you to look… I don’t know, paler? More dead? Red eyed?” His wrist was still being held prisoner so he leaned forward and stared at Steve wide eyed in a way that usually unsettled people, trying to get him to crack again.

Steve only seemed amused. “What are your suspicions?”

“What are yours? You must have an idea by now.”

“I do but,” Steve huffed and shook his head, “I don’t know if I’d be correct. You guys are the smart ones who know all about this nerd supernatural stuff, I just know what I’ve seen in movies and shit.”

“Okay, well just before I say what I’m thinking I want to check your teeth again.”

“Okay.”

Steve finally released his wrist, allowing Eddie to reach forward and pull his top lip back.

Damn, that was disappointing. They were just normal regular human teeth. Eddie still had a finger on his lip when he just barely caught a mischievous glint in Steve’s eye.

Steve raised his tongue, pressing it against the roof of his mouth and Eddie yelped and snatched his hand back as two short fangs shot down from his gums sliding over his canines.

Steve laughed, his fangs catching a little on his bottom lip. Eddie had apparently left all sense of self preservation behind, throwing himself forward again, practically climbing onto Steve’s lap to get a closer look, grabbing the fangs between his fingers and wiggling them to see how firm they were.

Yep, they were really set in there and they were so short and stubby. There was no way to describe them other than cute.

He angled his head to look up into the roof of Steve’s mouth where his tongue was still pressed, watching in awe as he removed his tongue, his fangs slowly retracting back up into his gums, leaving two small holes in their wake.

“Oh, gross.” Eddie said, fascinated. “Do it again.”

Steve just cocked an eyebrow and angled his head to give him a better view. There was a bump in the roof of his mouth and as Steve pressed against it, slower this time, the two holes in his gums opened wider, his fangs lowering in time with the press of his tongue.

“Looks like some kind of muscle.”

Steve lowered his head and it was only then that Eddie realised how close they were. Their noses nearly touched, Eddie was in his lap, knees on either side of his thighs but Steve didn’t seem to mind, his hands lightly resting on Eddie’s hips.

Maybe don’t try and fuck the apex predator for Christ's sake, he thought to himself but he couldn’t find it in himself to move. He looked down at his own hands and pressed his fingers together.

“My fingers are numb.”

“Yeah, there’s some kind of venom coating the fangs.”

“What? Dude!” He smacked Steve lightly on the chest. “You couldn’t have given me some kind of warning?”

“You didn’t exactly give me a chance, you just kinda…” Steve moved his hand in an arc, “dove in.”

Eddie shrugged before taking a deep breath in. “Well, I believe I have come to my conclusion.”

Steve smiled at him, wide and sharp and enchanting. “Care to share with the class?”

“Maybe.” Eddie tried to put on an over the top performance of being coy, trying to ignore precisely where he was sitting. “What do I get in return?”

Steve’s smile somehow turned sharper. It was hungry and predatory and Eddie’s heart stuttered. “You’ll take what I give you.”

Eddie had to bite down on his cheek and he had to bite damn hard to try to get some control over himself otherwise his heart was going to fly off into the stratosphere. He swallowed around thin air and forced his voice to come out evenly.

“Vampire.”

Steve nodded, squeezing his hips lightly, just once. “I thought so too.”

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 AO3

@romanticdestruction, @darkwitchoferie, @justforthedead89

#steddie #steve and robin #steve x eddie #stranger things #eddie x steve #eddie and robin #steddie fic #stranger things fic #fanfic #penny00dreadful #steddie vampire fic #steddie fanfic #vampire au #steddie vampire au #happy birthday to me #vampire steve #vampire steve harrington #Return of The King Steddie #happy anniversary to me

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thestobingirlie · 2 months

Note

Got any pre-season 1 stomarol hcs to share?

sure!!

steve and carol were each others first kiss. they were still pretty young, like pre-teens, and they figured… why not.

tommy and carol were very hot and cold, and during one break up steve and carol came very close to fucking. tommy called and apologised before they did, and starol both decided to never tell tommy.

as i’ve said many a time before, starol were friends first. when steve first moved to hawkins at like 7, they became besties. steve used to get mocked for only having friends that were girls.

in middle school, tommy and carol started dating, steve got his braces off, had his growth spurt, and they started getting popular.

the very first time they got drunk, stommy kissed. just a little kiss. they never spoke about it again, and they’re not even sure the other remembers it.

steve and carol are depressed drunks once they’ve reached a certain threshold, and if you can’t find them inside, they’ve probably climbed out the window and up onto the roof. they’ll just sit there in silence, hanging out and watching the stars.

the last birthday steve celebrated with them, tommy wanted to try baking the cake that year. they have no idea what he did to it, but it was like a lump of concrete. it lasted months as the three of them took turns just… throwing it at walls and shit lmao.

i don’t think steve’s parents liked carol and tommy that much, but not because of any actual complaints, they’re just miserable lmao.

stomarol were baby dorks. very into star trek. when the reached middle school, tommy’s older brother told them it was time to grow up, or they’d be losers in high school.

speaking of. tommy has one older brother, he’s like a good 5/6 years older. he was the one that gave stomarol their first beers and cigs. single mother mrs hagan would ask her oldest son to babysit tommy a lot, but most of the time he just… didn’t lol, and left stomarol to do whatever they wanted.

carol has two younger brothers, and an older half sister who was already away and in college not long after starol first met.

when they were younger, stomarol loved the fact that they never really had anyone keeping an eye on them, that the adults around them pretty much let them do whatever they wanted.

a big part of what drove the animosity towards nancy is that steve had never cared about a girlfriend more than he cared about tommy and carol before, and when nancy stepped into the picture, they felt like their friendship was splintering. essentially, they were jealous. and despite not wanting to, they basically drove steve into nancy’s arms.

#mean girls trio #steve harrington #tommy hagan #carol perkins #stomarol #starol #stommy #what’s carol and tommys ship name #stranger things #asks #anon

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kiibichio · 2 months

Text

STATE FAIR ❤︎ C. STURNIOLO

OVERVIEW ;; you and chris go to the state fair for a date <3

CONTAINS ;; fluffy fluff fluff. use of y/n, im sorry 😭. smoochies, holding hands, MUSHY SHIT

mora speaks ;; so i was watching the 3005 mv by childish gambino and thought about being on a ferris wheel, holding hands and kissing chris. UGH i love that man.

date posted ;; 02.18.24

proofread !!

——————————————————————————————

6:26 pm.

“c’mon y/n! we only have a few hours let’s make it worth our while!” chris exclaims, dragging me in the direction of the bumper cars.

me and my boyfriend of 5 months, chris, were at the california state fair with our friend, madi and his brothers, nick and matt. we had been begging matt to take us, but every time we brought it up, our schedules just wouldn’t match up. so, today was one of the only days we could go before it ended.

once we arrived, we bought our wristbands and started walking around all together until matt told us, “listen. i know you guys have been dying to come here, but..” matt starts to speak, but i tune him out, making jokes with nick and madi.

“…so since im the only one who knows how to drive, you have 5 hours. meet back at the ticket stand at 11. if you guys aren’t here, im leaving you all. dead ass. you guys got that?” he announces.

me and chris nod at him in sync.

“alright, you can go.” matt says, shooing us away.

chris almost runs away from his brother, dragging me along with him.

MATT’S POV ;;

“i feel like im raising some damn kids with those two.” i sigh, looking at madi and nick

“just let them be. they’re in loveeee” nick laughs, making kissy faces at madi.

“now im raising four kids.” i chuckle

YOUR POV ;;

and that brings us here,

“c’mon y/n! we only have a few hours let’s make it worth our while!” chris exclaims, dragging me in the direction of the bumper cars.

“chris, 5 hours is more than enough time to enjoy ourselves.” i breathe heavily due to him pulling me all the way to the other side of the fair just to get to the bumper cars.

“yea.. but we have to go on every ride and we gotta eat. duh.” he rolls his eyes playfully

“okay okay,” i giggle, “so i’m guessing you wanna go on the bumper cars first, huh?”

“you know me too well, baby.” he smiles, giving me a sweet, soft kiss on my lips, “let’s get in line before it gets too long.”

“wait! i forgot something!” i urgently say.

“what is it, mama?” chris asks, turning around to look at me with a bit of worry in his voice.

i pull his face down to mine and make his mouth meet mine, giving him another soft peck.

“just wanted to kiss you again.” i speak, a smile growing on my face

chris smiles back at me before walking into the line for the bumper cars.

we spent the next four and a half hours riding rollercoasters, goofy kiddie rides and other things. of course we took a snack break and shared a funnel cake with a snowball, but other than that, we were running each other all over the fair grounds, trying to figure out what to get on and what games to play next. chris ended up winning me a gigantic, fluffy, stuffed animal while i beat him in a water gun game, winning a luigi plushie. although i gave it to him anyway since i felt bad for beating him.

but as we approached 11 pm, we had one last ride to get on.

“baby, my feet are wearing and it’s almost 11, can we go wait in the car for nick and the others?” i groan

“just wait, ma. we got one more ride to go on.” he smirks, walking towards the ride, holding my hand like he has been the whole time.

we end up getting in the line to the ferris wheel and surprisingly, there only four people in front of us.

“see? it won’t take us too long, baby” he explained, “it’ll be like 30 seconds.”

“chris, i don’t care how long it takes as long as im with you and as long as we get back to the others by 11.”

he smiles at my reassurance and waits for our turn to get on the ride. once it’s our time to hop on, we do so. we get in the cart and wait for it to start. i lay my head on chris’ shoulder, a comfortable silence between us.

“hey, y/n, baby?” he speaks up

“yes, chris, my love?” i respond, my head still on his shoulder, the ride moving now. we were nearing the top, the view of the fair and the highway below us.

he brings my chin up with one finger to meet his face. he kisses me, slow, soft and passionately. it’s perfect. he’s perfect.

i giggle, “that’s all you wanted to do?”

“no. i also had to tell you this.. i love you, y/n” he announces genuinely.

i quietly gasp, he’s never said that before.. is he serious? “do you mean that, chris?” i ask in disbelief.

“im so serious.” he answers.

“i love you too, chris.” i say, leaning in for another kiss.

only to get cut off by the ride jerking to a stop.

“uh oh..” he murmurs

“CHRISTOPHER OWEN STURNIOLO. ARE WE FUCKING STUCK?” i yell at him

“oops.. SORRY!” he quickly apologizes.

i sigh and rub my temples. just wait until madi and the others hear this fucking story.

——————————————————————————————

mora speaks (again) ;; i thought this was really cute and funny 😭 or maybe im just cringe and unoriginal 😔 BUT LMK IF U LIKED THISSS BC I DID 💪🏾 also requests are officially OPEN so ask away my lovesss. toodles !! (p.s. this is my second fic EVER go easy on my pretty please)

tag list ;; @sturniolos-blog 🍵

#chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #matt sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #nick sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo x reader #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo fluff #fanfic #fan fic writing #fan fiction #youtuber #youtube #kiibichio

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wangxianficfinder · 3 months

Text

Fic Finder

Jan 25th

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1. I'm begging to know if you have this fic. Years back, I read a fic where Wei Ying is exiled from the Lan clan and in the process becomes mute kind of (?) by choice. Years-ish later the Lan clan would beg him back to teach the juniors dark arts, and after something he would comply. It's a lot of Lan Zhan trying to apologize and Wei Ying not taking it afterwards, but I do believe it has a good ending. Do you perhaps know what this fic is? I've been trying to dig out the name for a month or so now. @sunshines-child

FOUND? Wei Ying's Destroyed Heart by Belladonna01234 (Wattpad)

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2. hi!!! im looking for a genderbend fic( i think ?) where wwx is set to marry jin guangyao (theyre each others beards) and lwj is the florist, or maybe the other way around. i didnt read it, i only remember those specific things bc of the tags and the summary, but most definitely one of them is the florist at the other's wedding, and they meet and such is life. thank you so much!!!

FOUND! Widow's Weeds by travelingneuritis (E, 18k, wangxian, Modern Cultivation, Gardens & Gardening, Wedding Planning, wedding thwartin, grich people are terrible, Light-Hearted, Smut, Gender Changes, Getting Together, offscreen deaths played for laughs, this is meant to be silly don't worry about it, Scheming, Plotting, wwx and jgy are accidentally-on-purpose bearding each other but i keep it PG, wwx running laps around the entire jin sect)

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3. Hello! I am looking for a fic which I am 90% sure is a WWX/LWJ fic, but there is a 10% chance it might be Keith/Shiro from Voltron (oops, ehe, if so please disregard this ask!). It is a modern au where WWX looks like a rough guy, maybe from a motorcycle gang, and LWJ is a lovely put together businessman. The office where LWJ works begins to notice their boss (LWJ) meeting with tattooed WWX and they think WWX might be up to no good! But WWX is actually a cop or fireman, and he just looks a bit like a road rat. They eat pastries together on their lunch break. Does this ring a bell? I have been looking for ages! Thank you!!!

3 is definitely a Voltron fic if the other blades of Marmora are Keith's fellow cops.

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4. Hi! For fic finder, there is a fic that i only read the summary and a snippet of the story. I didnt read that fic at first because it is not something i usually read, but now its haunting me. Its ice skating au. I think there are "madam yu bashing" In the tag (im not sure). And the snippet i read is NHS beat up WC in secluded place in revenge for WWX. There are no CCTV and NHS said to WC that no one will believe him that NHS beat him up. I know its short, but i really dont know the story. Thank you!

FOUND! enough, for me by doodlebutt (T, 1k, Modern AU) which takes place during chapter 7 of All the shine of a thousand spotlights (M, 60k, WangXian, Modern AU, figure skating, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Major Character Injury, Recovery, Getting Together, background relationships - chengqing; xuanli; xiyao, Background Pregnancy, the mortifying ordeal of Talking About Your Feelings, sexually tense pair skating, There Was Only One Bed)

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5. WWX and LZ are flabbergasted to see the other alive: WWX was burning paper money at LZ’s funeral as LZ died protecting him and LZ was attending WWX’s funeral as LZ failed to protect WWX during a nighthunt. The universe did some weird shit that merged the two timelines so now they’re both alive and with each other. I can’t find it anywhere @selena10180

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6. There was this fic, i don't remember, wwx was single and pregnant and his family (i think jiangs or wen? ) was with him? If u could find this fic and more like it?

FOUND? All I Want by Selenay (E, 47k, WangXian, Modern AU, No Powers, Mpreg, Post Holiday Romance, Consequences, Reunions, Idiots in Love, Teacher WWX, Rating earned in later chapters, Handwavey Biology)

FOUND? Nothing but your heart by airinshaw (E, 21k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O Dynamics, Implied Mpreg, First Time, Getting Together, Angst and Drama, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anal Sex, Whump, Breeding Kink) could also be this

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7. hi!! im looking for an unfinished (as of when i read it at least!!) accidental baby acquisition fic where wwx drops a baby (lsz i believe!) off at lwjs door in the middle of the night and disappears — i know thats vague but i dont remember a lot of details? it was a lot of introspection and confusion on lwjs part, kind of OH SHIT i have to look after this baby now n wwx is vanished n idk whats going on. n to my memory in the next chapter or so wwx comes back and is still rlly weird n mysterious n frustrating abt the babys origins n theres wx vibes but lwj is real confused. sorry i dont have more detail but i really hope i can find it!!!

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8. Hi! :D I really hope you can help me find this fic! I have been looking for weeks! it's driving me nuts!

I remember that WWX doesn't die and LXC help him live hidden in CR using the identity of a Lan that has died, WWX is taking care of LWJ/is LWJ's servant, there is a scene where they are in Lanling (I think) and WWX has befriended some of the servants there, him and one? of them are talking about WWX's feelings for LWJ/if LWJ love WWX/or something like that, and then LWJ is there, I'm pretty sure they go somewhere else and confess to e/o

FOUND! Unbreakable Heaven, Luminous Earth by carolyncaves (M, 96k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Secret Identity, almost to the point of uncomfortable identity theft, Sharing a Bed, Literal Sleeping Together, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Suicidal Thoughts, that's for WWX after Nightless City and is not pervasive throughout the fic, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, Sexual Content, Domestic Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Power Imbalance, mainly between WWX and JGY in an entirely nonsexual manner, this isn't really a kid fic but the kids are there, as are some yunmeng sibling feelings, JYL lives, Not Everyone Dies AU, some COVID parallels, this is not a quarantine fic, but thematically WWX deals w things like face-covering for safety and loss of control, also assume all canon warnings, this AU is gentler than canon but isn't a complete fix-it)

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9. Hi hi! Thanks for your wonderful recommendations always! I’m looking for a wangxian fic where WWX has a breakdown in the lotus pier courtyard and the vibes are like “I’ve tried so hard for so long and for what; I can’t anymore; I’m so alone” and the Jiangs are like “… oh shit” and then treat him better after that and help him bear the burdens. (I can’t remember if WWX is a dragon also?) @vi-sky

#9 while the suggestion is great I don’t think this is the fix I was looking for. I don’t think the Jiangs find out about anything until WWX has the breakdown in the courtyard, and I think he kept it to himself for awhile as opposed to his breakdown being chapter 1 in the recommended.

NOT FOUND! 🧡 (Un)Hidden truth by Sarah_R (M, 198k, WIP, WangXian, Suicide attempt, Time Travel, Hurt/comfort, Angst, Self-Harm)

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10. Hello! I can't remember much details but I think lan zhan lands on an unfamiliar planet, there he meet wei ying. Wei ying appearance is different, his body i think is color pink? or blue or like galaxy (눈▽눈) I 'm not really sure but he is not human , also wei ying is shy at first and then warm up eventually. Wahh thank you in advance!

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11. Hello! For fic finder: I am trying to find a fic I read recently (within the last 6 months or so) where Wei Wuxian cultivates a resentful energy core but it was held outside his body in the Yin Tiger Tally. Lan Wangji doesn’t know that, so he convinces Wei Wuxian to give up the Tiger Tally as a gesture of peace. Everyone gathers around to watch and are horrified when as Wei Wuxian crushes the Tiger Tally in his hand and the Tally crumbles to dust, Wei Wuxian keels over in terrible agony at losing his core a second time. I think Wangji rushes over to help but Wen Qing pushes him away. It wasn't Decay by antebunny (although that is a good fic!!). Any thoughts? Thank you!

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12. hi I just remembered a fic in modern verse where Wei Ying boarded a flight that disappeared mid air and landed after 10+ yrs and Lan Zhan comes to pick up from the airport once he gets the news. I can't seem to find it can you please help and thanks for your efforts its bought me across many amazing fanfics

FOUND! 看客散去唯你我不忘 | the world forgets but i still remember you by prettyxianxian (T, 11k, wangxian, Modern, Flashbacks, POV Multiple, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Lives AU, Insecurities à la WWX, manifest au, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Good Parent YZY, Good Parent JFM)

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13. Hello!! I'm looking for a fic that I was sure i had reblogged but now I can't find it anywhere 😔 It was on tumblr not ao3. LWJ is sex-cursed and he has to be touched by the person he loves. It was during the burial mound days and WWX is isolated from the cultivation world, and also LWJ refuses to ask him for help for that, he'drather die. LXC finds out and takes an unconscious LWJ to the burial mounds and gives him a day to tell WWX on his own or LXC will do it, and LWJ only agrees because he intends to run away before WWX finds out why he's there @kokobabee

FOUND! Tumblr Fic by @jingyismom

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14. Hello! I badly need help. I've been looking for this fic. I think it was like 5+1 or something where other people learn that Sizhui is Hanguangjun's son and that one time that Wei Wuxian did. I remember some of the 5+1 was a scene with a vendor, another scene with Ouyang-zongzhu in a nighthunt and I'm not sure if Jiang Wanyin was also one of them. But yeah, I've tried all keywords I could think of but I just can't find it. I hope you can help me. Thank you so much for all your efforts.

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15. Hello I am looking for a fic where the world agrees to not kill Wei Ying if he marries and dual cultivates with someone and it's LWJ @calamityisalve

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16. I am looking for a fic where wangxian invite the cultivation world to their wedding but wei wuxian and Lan shizui get badly hurt during the hunt before the wedding. The wedding is postponed and I think it had a scene where they fell down a waterfall? Please find it for me🙏

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17. Hiiii!!!! I’m looking for a Twitter thread fic about a Warprize Lwj ABO Au where he became a consort to wen zhuliu? I think it was him, anyway, he gave birth a-yuan but a-yuan was actually Wwx son. I remember there was quote retweeted art of the thread fic where Wwx was standing over a-yuan’s cradle.

If you actually manage to find it a million thanks!!! @silent-taco

FOUND? Twitter thread by @cerbykerby, art by @hellinglaozu

FOUND? 🔒 Poison series by Cy_an_Blue, NiceElsa (E, 30k, wangxian, Gods & Goddesses, God WWX, God LY, A/B/O, Alpha WWX, Omega LY, Pre-Relationship wangxian, Implied/Referenced Forced Marriage, Implied/Referenced Bottom LWJ, Omega LWJ, Alpha LXC, Married WangXian with kids, Dark, War Prize LWJ, Forced Pregnancy, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Not by WangXian, Adultery, Cheating, Threats of Violence, Threats of Child Abuse/Murder, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Gore, Smut, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Endgame Wangxian, Post Mpreg, post pregnancy, Protective LQR, Gūsū Lán Elders Bashing)

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18. Hello! I hope you can help me find this one, because I’m not having much luck; Wei Ying agrees to do what the sects want in exchange for the Lan sect taking in the Wen. He is basically imprisoned in the Unclean Realm and can’t practice demonic cultivation, and over time Nie Huaisand and Nie Mingjue start to warm up to him.

I think the one scene I remember most is a scene where Lan Huan asks Wei Ying if he can play for Nie Mingjue but Wei Ying says he can’t and admits that he has no golden core after making Lan Huan promise to keep it a secret. Hope this helps?

FOUND? Always walked a very thin line by tucuxi (T, 22k, WangXian, NHS & WWX, JYL & WWX, Depression, Anxiety Attacks, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Self-Worth Issues, Slow Burn, Oblivious WWX, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has No Golden Core, Chronic Pain, Chronic Illness)

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19. 你好! I've been looking for a fic with mute wei ying? (mute by choice, I believe). I cannot remember much, but I do remember that Wei Ying is exiled by the Gusu Lan clan, led by Lan Zhan himself. He's later called back to teach the juniors lessons on Demonic cultivation, where they found out after many years of choosing not to talk, he's kind of lost his voice. I don't know if you could find this fic, but it's been plaguing my brain for awhile now.

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20. Hi! Searching for a fic where omegaxian is the assistant physician of Wen Qing and then Emperor (not sure if emperor or just a prince) Alphaji want him immediately as his consort. Wen qing and other people protested and told alphaji that omegaxian is not available because he is only a physician.

I remember it being a threadfic in X (twitter)

Thank you so much

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#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic finder #wangxian fic search #the untamed #wangxianficfinder #long post

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rorywritesjunk · 5 months

Text

Let’s be one another’s present tense

Buggy ‘rescues’ you from an abusive situation, and after a less than stellar introduction, he has you audition for his crew to keep you safe. You want safety, security, and joining a circus seems like the best idea.

Rating: R-ish for now. Warning: Swearing, brief nudity, snarkiness to one another. Talks of past abuse. Storms. Buggy is both soft and aggressive in this chapter. Reader likes to call him an asshole. A/N: So after I wrote this chapter there was a storm while I was at work and a damn lightning bolt struck near the building and let me tell you, hearing that while in a warehouse is very loud and terrifying. Lights flickered, windows shook, and everything trembled and I don't want to do that again.

Title comes from “Crater Lake” by Lady Lamb.

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 + Chapter 9 (NC-17) + Chapter 10 + Chapter 11 + Chapter 12 + Chapter 13 TAGLIST: @lostfirefly @neuvilleteismybby @fluffybunnyu @sinning-23 @the-angriest-angel @ane5e

Chapter 4

It only took four months since joining until you ended up in Buggy’s bed, but not in a way you had actually expected (though you honestly didn’t anticipate ending up in his bed in any way).

The storm outside was loud. Wind howling, rain pouring, and then there was the thunder, startling you awake. Storms were always your least favorite things growing up, always wondering if your home would blow away, and you remembered being at sea once when a storm suddenly came out of nowhere, striking the fishing boat and taking your uncle away from you as a child. Since then you tried to hide yourself away during storms, not wanting to risk it taking you away.

You covered your head with the blanket, tossing and turning as you tried to find some comfortable position on your cot that minimized the noise, but no matter what you could hear the pounding rain against the tent and the wind threatening to knock everything down. You shut your eyes tightly and took a deep breath, trying to relax as you wondered if you could hide under Buggy’s bed for the night.

“What the fuck is going on over there?” Your captain grumbled from his bed. “You’re as loud as the shit outside.”

“Shush, I can’t sleep.” You said, voice muffled under the blankets. “It’s too loud and… and I don’t like storms.”

He groaned in frustration and you heard movement coming from his bed. You peaked out from under the safety of your blankets to see him sitting up in his bed, covers thrown back as he gestured to a spot beside him. You hesitated, contemplating refusing the offer, but a loud crack of thunder sounded like it was right outside your room, shaking everything and before you knew it you were in his bed and pulling the covers over yourself as you stuck your head under a pillow.

He didn’t say anything and laid back down, turning to face you. His arm draped over your side, resting his hand on your back. He wasn’t scared, you figured, being a pirate who spent time at sea. He probably thought you were dumb for this, cowering from just a bit of troubled weather, but you knew how easily things were destroyed by something like this, and you hoped he would keep his mouth shut, not make any sort of comment, because you may end up getting your tongue out if you snapped at him at this moment.

“Storms are terrible.” He mumbled sleepily. “I don’t like them either.”

“My uncle drowned in one.” You told him as you pulled your head out from under the pillow to look at him. “Swept into the water while we were out at sea.” You sighed softly and closed your eyes. “I was ten and the storm came out of nowhere. We didn’t have time to get back to land, and he made sure we got below deck before a huge wave hit our boat and took him.”

Your captain pulled you closer to him, not speaking as he listened. No one liked being at sea during the storm, not with the dangers that were out there. It didn’t take much to tear apart a family when the sea decided to take someone home with her.

“Well, no ones getting washed out from the tent, so go to sleep.” He sighed as he fell silent for a moment. You nodded but then he spoke again, voice much quieter. It was just the two of you so he figured he could ask after all this time, “What did your ex do to you?”

Oh, well, that was… not a question you expected him to ask. You had wanted to put that behind you, but apparently Buggy didn’t. You opened your eyes and looked up at him. It was a nice view to have, looking up towards your captain, his hair down and face clean of makeup. With a shrug you looked down, focusing on the shirt he was wearing. It was a thready shirt with holes and seams coming undone. You found a loose thread and gave it a gentle tug.

“Hit me, threw things at me. Lots of yelling.” You told him. “I was his third wife, the other two also didn’t like me but I didn’t like them either.” The thread came loose after you gave it another tug. “The night before you came, one of them insisted that I had ruined a dress he bought her so he hit me in the face. He let them beat me with brooms and whatever else they could grab.”

Buggy didn’t say anything and you wished you just shut up and pretended to fall asleep quickly. Was he going to pity you or think you were unable to stand up for yourself? You could, you fought back against them and you had fought against him when you first met. You weren’t weak from the abuse, it was the situation you were put in against your will.

You pulled away from him suddenly and rolled over so your back was to him. “They were home when you arrived, but they were scared so that’s why I was in the office with him. I guess they thought if you wanted to kill someone it would be me.” You rubbed your nose and sighed. “As far as I know they were still at the house when you…”

Buggy wrapped his arms around you and pulled you back against his chest. You tensed up for a moment but he didn’t do anything past that, just resting his chin on your shoulder for a moment. “Glad I blew the fuckers up then.”

“Yea…” You nodded and turned back around in his arms. Was it weird being in bed with your captain with his arms around you? You wanted to ask why he was doing this, if he wanted something in return, but a loud rumble of thunder hit outside just as a particularly violent gust of wind hit the tent, startling you into grabbing the front of his shirt and hiding your face against his chest.

“You’re safe.” He sighed. “But if you tell any of the crew about this I’ll cut your tongue out.”

You nodded, gripping his shirt tighter as you shut your eyes. Maybe the storm would pass and you could get some sleep.

Despite it sounding like everything was blowing away the night before, it was a relief to find little damage outside. The tent was still standing, no one was washed away, and you were able to sleep through the night. You woke up the same way you fell asleep: curled up against your captain, though he ended up more sprawled out in bed. He eventually woke up and got dressed, but you didn’t scold him for being naked in front of you this time, and he at least had the decency to have his back to you as he changed clothes.

You were starting to get a bit too comfortable, you decided, because as he sat down to apply his makeup for the day, you got up to change clothes, keeping your back to him as you stripped down completely. He was sitting in front of a mirror as he did his morning routine, and there was complete silence coming from him (he usually did a running commentary about what he was doing as well as rambling on about what he wanted to see you do with your routine). You did a quick glance in his direction, seeing him staring at your reflection in the mirror.

You decided not to push it and you quickly put your clothes on before folding your sleep clothes and setting them on your cot. You ran your fingers through your hair, hoping your bedhead wasn’t too bad. It was nice to have a little less to do in the morning since you didn’t have to brush out your hair now, just run a comb through it. The sides were starting to grow back out and you wondered if you should ask Buggy for a trim even though you swore you didn't want him coming near you again with his knives, there was no one else you wanted to ask.

“Gettin’ a bit long there, isn’t it?” He said as he returned to makeup.

“Kinda.” You said as you finished getting dressed. “I could use a trim.”

“Hm, tonight.” Buggy told you as he finished up. “I also want to try out some makeup on you. I may have something that’s waterproof.”

“Makeup?” You frowned. “Why?”

“It’s hard to see your face in the water.” He turned in his seat to look at you. It was always nice seeing the freshly done makeup on him, before it smudged and faded throughout the day. You felt your breath hitch when you took in the sight of him in his top, his hair still down as his arm rested on the back of the chair as he looked at you. It wasn’t anything spectacular but you liked the casualness of these interactions. “The audience has to be able to see that gorgeous face of yours.”

“Gorgeous?” You repeated as your face heated up. No, he used that word for anyone, it didn’t really mean much when he said it to you, so you shook your head and cleared your throat. “If there’s something that won’t come off in the water, okay, but I don’t know if it will work.”

Buggy grinned. “Oh, we can find something, cupcake, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

And there it was again, just saying something casual like that but it made your heart skip a beat. You didn’t say anything but nodded before leaving the room to go find breakfast. Buggy usually showed up nearing the end, after the rest of the crew ate, but ever since you had breakfast with him shortly after you arrived and saw the few things he seemed to enjoy eating the most you made sure to fix him a plate of food first before getting your own. There were also times he’d get caught up talking to someone about something that you’d have to remind him that he actually needs to eat and not just poke at his food.

And sure enough, as soon as you finished making him a plate he showed up and took a seat near Cabaji. You set it in front of him before going to fix your own as well as a cup of tea. Once you sat down you noticed he hadn’t even touched his food yet, so you gave him a nudge and pointed at his plate as you started to eat, giving him a look of if you don’t start eating i’ll end up eating it, which seemed to work because he eventually started eating, carrying on his conversation with Cabaji like normal.

Once breakfast was consumed you had chores to get done, which was actually just washing the dishes and helping clean the kitchen. Buggy sometimes stuck around to talk with you once everyone else left, and this morning wasn’t any different as he leaned back in his seat to watch you as you cleaned.

“What, Captain?” You asked as you scraped some of the half eaten food into a trash can.

“You need to add something to your routine.” He said as he looked you over. “Just not sure what…”

You shrugged as you piled dishes on the counter before filling the sink with hot, soapy water. “I dunno, maybe handcuff me and see if I can get free before I drown?”

He gave you a look, he didn’t like it when you said that word or made any hints at it, so you cleared your throat and tried again.

“Okay, sorry, before the timer is up.”

“Better.” He said coolly, but he shook his head. “No, I don’t like the risk for you.”

“I’d be fine.” You shrugged. “How is it any different than some of the risky shit the others do?”

“They’ve been training for years.” Buggy pointed out. “You, on the other hand, have not.”

You frowned and looked over at him. “I’m sorry, did you miss the part when I gave you my tragic backstory and said how I used to dive into the water to collect things for my family’s fishing business? I can hold my breath for over three minutes, and if I work on it I can aim for four minutes.”

“No! I don’t want you putting yourself at risk like that!” He shot back. “Do I have to spell it out for you? N-O means no fucking way, cupcake. You don’t have the experience they do, okay, you could easily drown in that tank and I don’t want that happening!”

“Oh, because you don’t want to ruin the show for your captive audience?” You snapped. “How about let me be target practice for Cabaji’s knives then since you wanted to do that to me in the first place!”

“That’s safer than you being in the water!” Buggy exclaimed. “At least Cabaji wouldn’t hurt you unless I told him to!”

Your jaw dropped. “Why would you even think of telling him to hurt me?”

“I wouldn’t!”

“You just said-”

“Stop being a diva and listen, I wouldn’t tell him to, got it? But if I did-”

“You’re an asshole!” You splashed dirty dish water at him. “Oh, don’t let me take a risk of getting hurt but you’re happy to let someone else throw sharp, pointy objects at me! At least I could get pulled to safety if I was handcuffed in water, you know! If I was strapped to that spinning wheel of his I’d bleed out before you could help me!”

“Stop overreacting!” He snapped as he jumped out of his chair to avoid the water.

“Then stop telling me what to do!”

The two of you stared at each other in silence. You weren’t sure of the look in Buggy’s eyes after you said that, because he just smiled, chuckling softly as he approached you, backing you up against the counter. Both arms were on either side of you to trap you there, one hand resting on the counter while the other popped off and went to your face. You shut your eyes, waiting for the strike, but instead he grabbed you by your chin, gripping you just tight enough to keep your head still as he looked at you.

“Someone forgot who was in charge.” He said sweetly in a sing-song way as you opened your eyes to look at him. “Cupcake, babe, my sweets, I’m the Captain of this little operation, remember? The one in charge, who you’re supposed to listen to.”

You inhaled sharply as you tried to lean away from his touch, finding it to be a little overwhelming having him close to you like this. This was completely different from the night before when he held you so gently during the storm. This is how he was when you first met him, shouting at each other in the office of your ex before Buggy stole you away.

“Don’t forget.” He patted you on the cheek before pulling away and walking out of the room, leaving you feeling both confused and excited by how he touched you just then.

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