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hellfirenacht · 25 days

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Wing Man Part 8

Fic Summary: Steve 'the Hair' Harrington is your best friend, and is constantly striking out. Sick of this, you two make a deal; you'll wing man for each other. Hooking Steve up with dates is easy, but he finds himself struggling to find you a date. At least, until Dustin starts talking about his new cool friend Eddie.

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Chapter Summary: Eddie explains himself, and you two make plans to hang out on purpose.

a/n: Sorry I haven't been updating! I swear, I'm almost always thinking about this fic but I've been trying to figure out where to go with it. I'm started to see how I want to shape the story (over 40k words in, go figure). Thank you all so much for your patience!

Also, I've had a lot of people ask me about Paige and have shown interest in what happened between her and Eddie. She is actually from Eddie's prequel novel, Flight of Icarus! I'll still explain bits and pieces during the story, but I highly recommend reading the novel for the full context. I am trying to write this in a way you don't need to read FoI, but it does give extra context to the story.

Anyway, we continue.

Aside from the mixtape playing in the van, it was surprisingly quiet between you and Eddie. Despite his eagerness to show up and take you out, now that you were sitting in his passenger side seat again, he had no idea what to do next. The sound of Iron Maiden was rumbling through the van, crackling through the old speakers.

It wasn’t often that Eddie was at a loss for words or couldn’t come up with something to say. After embracing his role in the Hawkins High ecosystem as the resident loudmouth freak he could always come up with something to say to break the ice or cause a ruckus.

But, being loud wasn’t exactly a substitution for actual charisma. He could hold the attention of his Hellfire Club during the game, and keep them safe enough from most bullies even. But intimidation was different than... whatever the hell he was supposed to be doing here. Flirting? That seemed right. He knew he should be trying to flatter you or compliment you or do something to show that he had an interest in you.

“So,” you were the one to break the silence between the two of you. “What have you been up to for the past two weeks?”

Eddie know what you actually meant was “What the fuck, man?” which was a really fair question.

“I should have called you sooner.” It was best to go ahead and rip the bandaid off now and get this conversation out of the way. “I’m sorry, I wanted to but I couldn’t.”

“Why not?” you asked, leaning against the passenger side door as you looked at him. Despite your eagerness to get out of Family Video with him, he could see that you weren’t going to just let him not explain why he hadn’t talked to you. Not that he was going to leave you hanging like that anyway.

“My phone blew up.” Eddie said bluntly.

“Your phone blew up? Like... actually exploded?” you asked, trying to see if he was fucking with you.

“Remember that huge storm a few weeks ago? Turns out that old trailers don’t exactly have the best wiring sometimes so when lightning strikes it knocks out power for a few days and fries some important wires.” he explained. “So... yeah, we just got a new phone today and when I tried to call...”

“So, I didn’t answer my phone so you decided to track me down?” There was amusement in your voice which he took as a good sign. “Seems like you could have done that part earlier. I’m not hard to find.”

“I’m not exactly interested in stalking.” Eddie snorted. “I’m already on enough people's shitlist in town.”

“Oh, you’re no fun.” you laughed. “You know where I live, you could have shown up at my doorstep in the rain or used random phones around town to leave weird messages about how you can’t stop thinking about me or sent me letters with cryptic meanings.”

“Where do you come up with these things?” Eddie laughed, feeling the tension between the two of you start to dissipate.

“I read a lot of bodice-ripper books.” you shrugged. “Trashy romance novels are a guilty pleasure sometimes.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a weirdo?”

“Steve did about an hour ago when I suggested that Bozo the clown could be the shit out of Pennywise from It.”

Eddie wasn’t sure what he expected you to say, but it wasn’t that. Every time you had shown up in his life, you had completely thrown him off. He was starting to suspect that no amount of “Munson Magic” was going to work on you. Not that he wanted to work his dad’s charm on you to begin with.

What he really wanted to do at that moment was ask you about your little bet with Steve. No, wait, not a bet. A deal? Maybe he should have asked Dustin more questions, or at least waited until after Hellfire to talk to the kid-

”So what’s the plan?” You broke through his thoughts once again. “You show up out of nowhere and have me get into your unmarked van to take me to a second location... is there a second location in mind?”

There wasn’t, Eddie really hadn’t thought that far ahead.He’d panicked after his talk with Wayne and had shown up to Family Video on the chance that you’d been there. He’d run straight out the door with every intention of finding you and let you know that he was stupid for not trying harder to call you before.

”I figured we could just... drive.” He wished he could ignore the sudden parallel between you and Paige. He wished that he could just forget about what happened in ‘84. Fuck, him and Paige never even had an official date, only hooking up in his van for a few weeks before everything blew up.

Wait, was this a date? Crap, that had been the plan right? Show up, ask you on a date and then... then he’d be on a date. What the FUCK was he actually doing? He was acting so fucking awkward now- everything had been easier before. Why did Dustin have to open his big mouth about this?

“Just driving sounds great.” you said, and Eddie once again tried to relax. Every girl he had been with had wanted something from him. Nicole Summers and Cass Finnigan just wanted bragging rights that they got with the freak, and Paige had wanted him to be a rock hero. What did you want from him?

“Have you eaten?” It wasn’t exactly late, but it wasn’t really early in the evening either. His uncle always asked him that whenever one of them got home, and it had taken Eddie an embarrassingly long time to realize that it was Wayne’s way of showing that he cared.

“I could eat.” you replied, which at least gave this... whatever this was, some structure for the night. Eddie didn’t have a lot of cash on him, but he could probably scrape together enough to get you each a burger or something.

When the Iron Maiden tape clicked off and spat itself out, you took it upon yourself to pull it out and look it over. “Got any other tapes in here? I need to judge your music taste.”

That made Eddie laugh “You and every other person in this town. I have a few more tapes in here.” He tapped on the center console which you eagerly dug into, flipping through the different cassettes with eagerness.

“Metal. Metal. Metal. Metal.” You said, going through each cassette one by one. “I’m starting to see a pattern here, Eddie.”

“What gave it away?” He said deadpan. “Was it that I play guitar or the fact that we’ve only bonded over music so far?”

“And Chris Morrison.”

“It was your hair, actually. You look so much like Eddie Van Halen it’s actually uncanny.” You looked up from the tapes and he could feel your eyes studying his face. He was glad that it was dark out now, as he could feel warmth rising in his cheeks at the comparison. Was that a compliment? Were you into him looking like Van Halen?

“Van Halen?” Eddie asked. “I figured I was more of a Kirk Hammett type.”

“The hair yes,” you agreed, still staring at his face as he continued to drive. “But your smile is definitely more Van Halen.”

When was the last time someone had ever looked at him with that much consideration before? Something in Eddie’s gut twisted as he glanced over at you for a split second to meet your eyes. Huh, that was weird. Had anyone made him nervous like this before? Yeah he’d been attracted to Paige but this was starting to feel different.

He really needed a cigarette right about now.

“I hope that’s a compliment.” Eddie managed to say as he fumbled for the packet of Camels in the cupholder by him.

“Oh, it is. I promise.” you replied, digging out a lighter and helping him light the smoke in his mouth. The world's tiniest supernova...

Eddie hated that the closest thing he had to compare notes on when it came to a healthy romance was two months with Paige and a handful of movies that he barely watched.

You went back to his tapes, and seemed to pick one out. You removed the tape that had been spat out, put it back in the appropriate case (which Eddie found himself appreciating), and he was surprised to hear the old riffs of Muddy Waters playing.

“A palate cleanser.” you said, leaning back into the passenger side seat.

Eddie felt his mind reeling from your choice of music. Muddy Waters had been how his mom introduced him to rock at a young age. The two of you sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the well loved tape as he pulled into the drive in of the next fast food joint he’d seen.

When he pulled up to the window to pay, a fresh ten was shoved in his face before he could even reach for his own wallet. It took a moment for him to realize that you were wanting to pay.

“You got me out of work early, it’s the least I can do.” you said, not giving him the option to say no as cash was exchanged for a bag of questionable but cheap food. You held the bag in your lap as Eddie started making his way out of town.

“So is this an ‘eating van’ or a ‘non-eating van’?” you asked, messing with the top of the bag.

“I think I’d starve if I didn’t eat in here.” Eddie snorted. “Knock yourself out.”

You wasted no time digging into the fries and taking a few for yourself as Eddie went to the only place that he could afford to take you right now that might be date worthy.

Luckily, Lover’s Lake was quiet and private on weeknights. If Eddie had taken two minutes to plan this better, he would have thought to maybe clear out the back of his van and set out a blanket and have a picnic. When it came to music and D&D he was great at planning out details, with dates? Not so much.

This isn’t a date. He reminded himself for the hundredth time tonight. She’s just a girl that you ran over to spend time with the second it occurred to you that she might have an interest in you and she really willingly hopped in your van and your friends actually like her-

Shit. This had to be a date right? Neither of you had said the word but that’s what it was... right?

Eddie was snapped out of his thoughts with the sweet smell of hot potatoes and grease was wafting under his nose. You had shoved a few fries in front of his face and Eddie wasted no time in taking them. You continued to absently feed him fries as he found a spot to park.

The two of you divided up the food on his dashboard, and Eddie rolled down the windows to let the cool autumn air in.

“So... what are you gonna be for Halloween?” Eddie asked, wincing internally. When was the last time anyone he knew had dressed up for Hallowen? Okay, so Hellfire Club did tend to dress up on Halloween for a special one shot but that was different- no one came to school in costumes anymore.

“It depends on my plans.” you answered. “Halloween is on a Thursday so I’m usually working. If I have a morning shift I’ll probably do zombie makeup for work, if Steve and Robin are working with me that day I think we’re gonna attempt to be Luke, Leia, and Hans.”

“And are you gonna be Leia?” Eddie asked.

“Ideally, I wanted to be Chewie but I don’t have the time for that.” you laughed. “Robin and I voted on Steve to Be Leia. Robin will be Luke, and I’ll be Hans Solo with a teddy bear.”

“Please tell me that Harrington isn’t going to be in the bikini.” Eddie laughed.

“Keith said costumes had to be work appropriate so, sadly, Steve will not be gracing the store with his sweater-vest chest hair under a bra.” You sighed dramatically. “It’s like he hates the idea of us having fun!”

“What if you have to close?” Eddie prompted, adjusting in his seat to lean against the door to face you as best he could. Next time he was absolutely clearing out the back to give you both more room.

“Oh, I am not closing.” you said firmly. “And if Keith thinks he can schedule me that day he can suck it because I have plans.”

You already have Halloween plans. Of course you would. It’s not like you had to worry about school on a weekday like he did. Eddie tried not to deflate in front of you and remained calm.

“And what plans would that be?” he asked.

“Have you ever seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show?” you asked, a smile tugging at your lips.

He had, once, with Reefer Rick a few months ago when picking up his usual supply. A quick pick up had turned into a game of pool, which had turned into the two of them high on Rick’s couch watching an old VHS tape while Rick laughed his ass off and yelled at the tv before passing out in the middle of Tim Curry seducing Brad and Janet.

“Once.” Eddie said, not giving the exact details of circumstance. “With a friend, I didn’t really get it.”

“Did you see it in theaters or did you just watch it at home?” you asked, finishing off your food.

“Friend’s house.”

“Oh, no wonder you didn’t get it. Rocky Horror is an experience, you can’t just pop the tape in and watch it. You have to come see it in a theater.” As you spoke you were absently folding a napkin in your lap turning it into what looked like a heart. When you were done with that one, you started with another shape with a different napkin.

“Is that an invitation?” Eddie asked, tearing his eyes away from the way your fingers moved for now. He found his heart pounding in his chest, unsure if you were actually wanting him to come to this, and from the knot forming in his stomach as the shapes you were folding reminded him of the times he met you before.

“It is.” you confirmed, the ninja star you had shaped with the napkin was placed on the center console as you grabbed another napkin. “...It could also be a date.”

Despite the period at the end of the sentence, Eddie heard the slight waiver in your voice on the word date. It was that same nervous stammer that had been in Paige’s voice when she offered to let him move in with her in California, it was the same hesitant inflection that one of his Hellfire players used when they weren’t sure if Eddie would approve of what crazy plan they had for their character.

Aside from that first awkward meeting at the Palace Arcade, you had been pretty confident and upfront with him. Now here you are, laying out your intentions and seeing what he would do.

What would he do? Eddie had shown up at Family Video with no real plan. He only knew he wanted to see you again, and he knew that Dustin and Steve were trying to set you two up. And it’s not like Eddie was completely against the idea of going on a date with you. You were sharp, and you kept him on his toes, and when you smiled at him it felt like his brain might short out.

But he had also panicked when he had thought that you were going to kiss him before. After Eddie’s disastrous break up with Paige two years ago, it’s not like he’d been completely against any physical relationships. There had been a grand total of two other hook ups that he’d sabotaged. People weren’t interested in getting to know the freak, they just wanted to say that they had been with him. So both times, Eddie had made sure that he’d been a lousy date and a decent enough lay before deciding that he’d rather had a date with his right hand and a Heavy Metal magazine.

Eddie would rather the rumor mill call him a boring date rather than set a standard that he’d go out with anyone who asked. He wondered if he had, would Steve have put his name on the town marquis for the world to see? Would Eddie ‘the Slut’ Munson be treated any differently than Eddie ‘the Freak’?

Shit, you were still waiting for a response.

“A date.” Eddie finally managed to echo your last words back at you. The napkin you had been messing with in your hands was now taking the shape of a ninja star.

“I mean, if you’re interested.” you said quickly. “It could just be a friend thing. Or you probably already have plans for Halloween-”

“I don’t.” Eddie interjected. “It could be a date.”

He watched your shoulders relax and you smiled up at him. “It’s a date then.” You grabbed a napkin and your green marker out of your bag and scribbled something down, handing it over to him.

“In case your phone blows up again, here is the date and time and location for the Halloween showing of the movie.” your eyes narrowed slightly at him. “And my work schedule has been hectic but I consistently work on Sunday’s and clock out at four.”

Eddie got the message loud and clear, he would know where to find you now. There wouldn’t be any excuses for not reaching out, but two could play at this game. He took the marker from your hand and grabbed his own napkin, scribbling his own phone number down and handing it over to you.

“I’m at school all week, but I still play at the Hideout on Tuesdays.” He answered back. “Friday is Hellfire.”

With that, the playing field felt a little more level. Both of you now had the power to track the other one down or call when needed.

“So what are you going to be for Halloween?” you asked, tucking the napkin with his number into your bog.

“Oh, haven’t you heard? When you’re the town freak every day is Halloween.” Eddie chuckled.

“So what, you’re gonna put on a polo and khakis instead?” He liked the way you scrunch your nose when you laughed. “Ditch the jewelry and cover your tattoos?”

“That would probably scare some of the teachers at school.” Eddie had considered doing exactly that, but he really didn’t think he’d want that kind of attention. “No one dresses up at school anymore.”

“Boring.” You sighed. “I tried dressing up for Halloween my senior year but when I got to school my friends convinced me to change clothes.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem like the type to let other people tell you what to do.”

“Now I’m not.” you shrugged. “I’m not in high school anymore, and all those people that I saw everyday? Turns out I was only friends with them because I saw them every day. Once you get away from that forced routine you realize that it’s all bullshit.”

Eddie could relate, probably better than anyone else. He was so sick of the day to day hierarchy of highschool that he’d scream it from on top of a table. Literally.

“What were you trying to be before your friends killed your fun?” Eddie asked.

“A pirate. It was last minute but I had a bandana, an eyepatch, a sock puppet with feathers glued to it for my parrot, and a wire hanger I was carrying around as a hook.” you laughed at the memory. “I ended up dropping the eyepatch before my friends made me change because I kept running into people. My wire hanger was confiscated, some asshat stole my parrot, and one of my friends gave me a sweater to change into. I didn’t even make it to first period in that outfit.”

Eddie had made it a point to not pay attention to anyone outside of his small group at school, only ever keeping an eye out for lost sheep that didn’t have anywhere else to go. He wondered, if he had seen you that morning in the brief window before you were pushed back into conformity would he have noticed you? Talked to you? You had already been nice to him before.

“Wait,” Eddie over at you, taking in the picture you had painted for him. “You made a sock puppet parrot?”

“I needed a parrot, or else no one would get it!” you explained. “But then when I took it off and left it to go use the bathroom it was gone. I finally found the thief in fourth period because they kept playing with it and squawking my own parrot at me. But by that point I had just cut my losses and had given up on Halloween.”

“Are you usually this crafty?” Eddie asked, once again looking at the final napkin you were folding into what looked like an old cootie catcher.

“I get bored easily.” you said. “If I don’t have something to do with my hands I can’t focus.”

“How’d you start with the whole-” Eddie grabbed one of his slightly used napkins and gave it a wave. “Folding thing?”

“Fourth grade show and tell.” you said. “I did not prepare anything and so I spent a full ten minutes in the school library to find something to show. I found a book on origami, found the easiest thing to make and realized that I actually enjoyed it.”

If that was a mystery, it sure did get solved right there. Eddie wanted to ask about Steve and Dustin. He wanted to ask you why him? He could keep his mouth shut, let this whole thing play out and see what happened. Eddie could sit here, and enjoy the fact that a girl was giving him the time of day and leave everything up in the air just like he had with Paige.

“So I heard you and Steve had a deal going on.” Eddie said. “Something about getting dates?”

You froze for a second, the completed cootie catcher in your hands. Things were dead silent for a grand total of ten seconds. Ten agonizingly long seconds. Even the cassette player had clicked off and was now whirring as it rewind the Iron Maiden tape.

Then you started laughing. A lot.

“Jesus, Eddie!” you said, wiping your eyes with the ninja star as a tear threatened to spill down your cheek. “I tell you I have origami as a hobby, and you follow up with ‘So I heard you and Steve are trying to get dates.’ Seriously?”

Eddie remained silent at your reaction, trying to process your laughter. You didn’t seem scared or nervous that he had called you out, and he had to admit that he hadn’t completely thought through the consequences of asking you that question.

“Who blabbed?” You asked, after your laughter had calmed down.

“Henderson.” Eddie admitted and, in an attempt to ease any lingering tension he leaned forward to rest his elbow on the center console and held his chin in his hand as he looked at you. “That shrimp informed me that you found me so irresistible that you begged Steve to set you up with me.”

“Is that right?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah,” Eddie agreed. “Told me all about how ever since Chris Morrison shot you down, you’ve been desperate to get my attention to get back at him.”

“So which is it, am I attracted to you or am I using you to get back at a guy I talked to once in high school years ago?” you asked. Eddie saw a glint in your eyes, the same one he’d seen that first night at the arcade when at the air hockey table.

“Both are true.” Eddie continued to explain, a shit eating grin on his face. “You see, you were originally going to use me to get back at Chris, but then you saw me play guitar and instantly fell in love.”

“Damn, this sounds like the plot of a terrible movie.” you laughed. “So is this the part where I tell you that ‘It started out like that, but I swear it’s not like that anymore!’? Do I beg on my knees that my feelings for you are genuine, even though we’ve hung out a grand total of two-and-a-half times?”

Five times, but who’s counting?

“What’s the half-time?” Eddie asked.

“You ditched me at the arcade after I said I’d be right back.” you stated matter-of-factly. “I’m hoping it’s not a pattern where you start dropping off the face of the earth just when things start getting good.”

“Between you and me,” Eddie leaned in closer. “I thought Dustin was trying to set me up with Steve. Not you.”

Cue more laughter from you as you threw your head back. “Are you kidding me?! Dustin makes me and Steve show up to an arcade and tries to force a meeting with you- and you thought you were supposed to be dating Steve?!”

“Not dating!” Eddie clarified quickly. “You see, Steve and I only have one thing in common and that’s Dustin Henderson. Kid practically worships Steve. I thought he was trying to get us to be friends or something.”

“Oh my god, you thought Dustin was trying to hook his two dads up!” Your cootie catcher was now crumpled up in your hands, stained with tears from your laughing. “I’m a homewrecker!”

Yeah, this really wasn’t going the way Eddie had expected it.

“Shit, Eddie, I’m sorry.” you said, your laughter calming down into giggles instead. “Have I been reading this whole thing wrong? I mean, if you have more of an interest in Steve I could probably set that up. He’s only ever shown interest in girls but you have long hair and are pretty enough-”

“No.” Eddie said. “I don’t have an interest in Steve- you think I’m pretty?” How were you able to throw him off so easily? He could tell that if you had been able to join Hellfire you would have been a menace at his table.

“Extremely.” you said, your voice more sincere now.

The two of you just stared at each other for a while and Eddie felt that same twisty feeling in his gut again. You thought he was pretty. That was good, right? Did you like pretty boys? You were pretty- he liked that a lot.

“I...” Eddie started and then dug deep inside himself to find the words he wanted to use. “Prettier than Steve?” Those were not the words he wanted to say, but he said them anyway.

“Steve is conventionally attractive but, as I said before, not my type.” you said. “I like guys with long hair anyway.”

Eddie really couldn’t tell if he was nailing this or blowing it. “So, what is your type?”

“I’ll tell you mind if you tell me yours.” you countered.

Had Eddie ever really thought about what his type was? Yeah, he’d had ill-advised crushes and had been attracted to various women in comics and tv but did he have a type? He tried to connect all the girls in his mind that he’d been with, trying to find a pattern.

Someone who actually pays attention to me. That’s pretty sad, Eddie. He came to the conclusion. Yeah, aside from his disastrous kiss with Ronnie five years ago, every girl he’d been with had been the one to show interest first, and you were no exception. But had he actually had feelings for the others? Not really. Attraction? Yeah. Feelings? Well, with Paige he had been far too busy dealing with Corroded Coffin, his dad, and school to really decide what he felt for Paige. Any other small flings had been dead on arrival.

So why did he keep wanting to spend time with you?

“Don’t go spreading this around,” Eddie started. “But if I had to pick a type, it’d be She-Hulk.”

“She-Hulk?” you mulled that over in your mind. “So tall, green, and angry?”

“Strong-willed, and funny as shit.” Eddie corrected.

“And green.”

“If I had known that earlier I would have picked Kermit the Frog as my Halloween costume this year.” you teased. “I don’t have a character off the top of my head, but I like people who feel.. Real.”

Real. The word that Paige and him had used over and over in those two months.

“What’s real to you?”

“Not high school.” you said. “Someone who’s not afraid to exist and be themselves. I’m most attracted to anyone who can let go of their desperate ego and just have fun. High school was boring because everyone was so wrapped up in their own bs of looking cool that they didn’t do anything that they actually wanted to do. Shit, even I fell into that.”

Eddie didn’t want to ask if he was real to you. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for an answer. There were lots of times he wished that he wasn’t still in school, but this time really hit harder. He was starting to really like you, and yeah part of him was terrified of that.

The two of you finished off the last of your food and Eddie shoved all the leftover trash into the brown bag and tossed it in the back so you wouldn’t be stepping on it.

“I don’t know much about real anymore, but I think you’re pretty badass.” Eddie finally said. “I mean, you brought a wire hanger and a fake parrot to school for a costume. That’s pretty brave, even if your friends did talk you out of it.”

“I’m more mad that the parrot was stolen and used to annoy me than the lack of costume.” you said with a small laugh. “They weren’t even funny. They just kept repeating what I said. It was easier to just shut up at that point.”

“Didn’t think to make them say anything embarrassing?”

“Oh, I tried. But, jocks don’t know the art of a good ‘Duck Season, Rabbit Season’ gag. Anything embarrassing I said they’d just turn it around. I’d say ‘I pissed myself in gym.’ they’d reply with ‘you pissed yourself in gym’. No love for comedy.” You took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “If you’re going to be a bully, at least give me a good story to tell later, you know?”

“I once got slammed against a locker by a jock who called me ‘a myriad freak.” Eddie said. “To this day, I still don’t know what he was trying to mean by that.”

“See? At least that’s funny.” you said, and then. “Holy shit, we’ve gotten off topic.”

“There was a topic?” Eddie leaned back on the seat again.

“Yes, an important one that I was very interested in before we started talking about bullies and high school and She-Hulk.” you nodded.

Talking to you was so easy that he hadn’t realized how many topics the two of you had blown through in a short amount of time. He looked at his watch real quick and realized it was creeping towards 11 pm now. Had the two of you really been talking that long?

“What topic was it?”

“You flirting with me.” you said, your lips pulling back in a cheshire grin. “I’m pretty sure you were at least, before I became a homewrecker between you and Steve. Normally I’d hate to break up a happy family, but I might have to make an exception this one time.”

“Was I flirting?” Eddie tilted his head with his own grin. “I’m pretty sure I was just telling you that I thought Dustin was trying to make me be friends with Steve. If I had known that the shrimp was trying to introduce me to a cute girl-” He would have shot it down and canceled Side Quest Day- “I wouldn’t have left the way I did.”

“You think I’m cute?”

“Extremely.”

You nodded. “Alright, then it’s a good thing that we’re going on a date. I’m glad to know that I’m not coming between you and Steve.”

It was just past midnight when Eddie dropped you off at your apartment that night. This time when you leaned over the center console towards him, he didn’t freeze up or panic. Eddie let you hug him and he hugged you back, his cheeks growing hot momentarily when he felt your lips press against his cheek and he was able to breathe in your scent.

“See you later, Eddie. Oh, and for the movie- I highly recommend dressing up.” you looked him up and down. “Actually, just wear what you’d normally wear. I think you’ll fit right in.”

Eddie made a mental note to ask Rick later on what he was supposed to wear for this.

“I’ll call you.” he said. “I promise. I mean it this time.”

“Not if I call you first, I have your number now. And worst case scenario, I know where you play.” you responded. “See you Tuesday, Eddie.”

And with that you were gone again, leaving Eddie alone in the van feeling much better than the last time he had given you a ride. There were still questions he had. He still wanted to know why exactly everyone was wanting the two of them to meet again, and why you always so readily agreed to meet up with him. But those were questions for another day.

“You had a missed call.” Wayne said as Eddie made his way into the trailer. “Didn’t leave a name or number. Said she’d call you back.”

Eddie laughed and shook his head, guess you meant it when you said you’d call first.

“Don’t stay up too late watching tv.” Eddie said before heading towards his bedroom. He once again found himself falling asleep with his copy of The Hobbit, the origami flower tucked safely in the back.

Ending note: This fic takes place during October 1985. Stephen King’s It did not come out until September 1986. I would like to ask you all politely to suspend your disbelief for the historical inaccuracy of a piece of dialogue that probably didn’t add much to the plot. If this horrible inaccuracy bothers you, please repeat to yourself “it’s just a fic, I should really just relax” which is what most of us should be doing anyway.

Dividers by: @strangergraphics

Tag List: @k8loo @terrormonster55 @sp1dyb0y1008 @crocwork-clockodile @ali-r3n @mxcheese @josephquinnschesthair @gagasbee @peaches-roses-sins @witchwolflea @vintagehellfire @royale1803 @cumslutforaemond @prestinalove @browneyedgirl320 @perpetualmess @thebook-hobbit @mistonk @cultish-corner @grishaversecaptivated @sortagaysortahigh @halialex1119 @bakugouswhOr3 @siriuslysmoking @pookiesnatcher @sky-full-0f-fl0wers @takemetoneverlandbabe @killjoynotes @maelibo

#nacht post #nacht fic #eddie munson x reader #wing man

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oncewhenalongtimeago · 7 months

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Hi! Sorry for my bad English, it's not my first language and I hope it's understandable :(

Anyway, I love how you write about Hiccup and look forward to the continuation of "Sorry, but I Think I Lost Your Plot" (If there is continuation) <3

Well, I do not know what your conditions are, but I would ask something related to Hiccup have a huge crush on Y/n and he end up accidentally confessing his feelings for her. Thank you !❤

Sorry, but I Think I Lost Your Plot pt 3

Pairing: Onesided!Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III x Modern!Fem!Reader

Words: 1934

After things get dicey you share a little bit of your future knowledge.

Tags: Time Travel, Reader into Movieverse, Dragons: Riders of berk, When Lightning Strikes

The thing about getting jointly kidnapped with Hiccup by Meatlug was that people also gave you credit. Fortunately for you, as the months went on and after the hassle of Snoggletog, people stopped congratulating you on the street and you fizzled out into blessed anonymity, just the way you liked it, and life went back to your new normal.

You’d been avoiding going into town since summer hit, which was lightning storm season, boy was it rough, and everyone had started putting up large metal objects. You could practically feel the buzz of electricity, the hairs on your neck standing on end. However, you couldn’t avoid everyone forever, though you made one hel of an effort.

Hesitantly, you knocked on the forge window, package in hand. Over the counter was Hiccup, with a rag, doing some scrubbing over what looked like a very large, very crude statue of who you’d come to know in the island as Thor.

“Delivery!” You called, with as much good humor as you could muster, “Hi.”

The way into the forge was open as it usually was. You scuffed your feet in the dirt and looked back and forth, as if someone would jump out at you and tell you you weren’t allowed to go in. When no one appeared magically to tell you off, which might have been difficult considering the clearing behind you was empty, you slipped inside.

“Hi,” You said again, closer to Hiccup this time. Hiccup himself startled, looking back like you’d caught him in some sort of foul act.

“Hi. Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi,” He said, shoulders stiff, “How are you- I mean, what brings you here?”

You creased your eyebrows, before deciding to ignore his weird behavior.

“...What are you working on?” You asked, peering around him at the statue with only minor dread. It would probably be just another thing to avoid until the end of summer, yeah, but it looked pretty cool.

“Uh- statue!” He deepended his voice unnaturally and cleared his throat, “Hoping to appease Thor, you know. The works.”

Hiccup not-so-casually leaned on the statue, though you didn’t find it very odd as everyone in the village was acting the same way recently. Something about the perches, which wasn’t very surprising. You’d seen a mob go by earlier, ranting something angrily about dragons. You weren’t super familiar with many of the plots past the movies but you hoped you hadn’t changed anything vital.

“How come?” A small part of you hoped the statue wasn’t some sort of secret you’d stumbled onto by accident. That would be bad news, and very counterproductive.

“You’ve heard about what’s been going on recently, right?” Hiccup deflated.

You shook your head no, setting down the small brown paper wrapped parcel onto a nearby workbench.

“Well, uh,” He started nervously, A line of sweat gathered by his brow, “Since the storms hit, lightning started hitting the perches. It’s been following Toothless around, and everyone;s been saying it’s because of him, so the other Riders and I- they were here earlier- we built the statue.”

He looked incredibly put out and tired, the same way you’d been around Snoggletog.

“If he’s the Offspring of Lightning and Death then why would, you know, the lightning go for him?” You offered, cringing, “It doesn’t make sense.”

You’d done your best to stay out of the dragon politics. It was hard to take seriously, given your background. And, also, everyone got a little bit heated whenever the subject was brought up, which usually ended in blood. Double also, as an outlier who was quite literally very disconnected from the situation, you had a lot of odd and unpopular opinions. So, yeah, you avoided it. But now, looking at him, you kind of felt bad.

“I mean, I’m not trying to sound blasphemous or anything, but also then theoretically shouldn’t the Gods have shot you down earlier? There are better ways to have done you in, probably. And still get the message across. I don’t know.”

You paused, and when he didn’t react, you hesitantly continued, despite every instinct shouting at you not to.

“Either way, setting up more metal is kind of a dangerous way to go about it, isn’t it?” You shuffled your feet nervously, “Would probably be best to take them down?”

Maybe then you could run around town more often.

“What do you mean?” Hiccup looked a little scandalized. Definitely blasphemous. There was no going back now, though.

“I mean, metal attracts lighting. So it doesn’t matter who you’re trying to appease. You’re probably just going to get your signals mixed.”

You didn’t say any more on the subject. Probably wouldn’t be helpful to say that most people in the modern day didn’t believe in the Norse Gods. You were so going to get axed.

“What do you mean?” He asked again, still staring at you blankly.

“Lighting is usually attracted to tall objects, but if there’s metal in the area, it’ll go to that. Learned it in elementary.”

“Elementary,” Hiccup mouthed, confused. The thing about being in the past and being able to speak two languages, one of which didn’t even exist yet, was that you could say whatever word you wanted and no one would get it. That was also a downside, in multiple different aspects.

“Anyways,” You stuttered, unwilling to explain that, “There’s a thing people used to set up by their houses back home so lightning wouldn’t hit their houses when it got stormy. A metal rod or something. The perches are probably, ah- the statue’s good. If you gave it to her, Gothi might appreciate it. I mean, she does live on top of the mountain. Would probably keep her from getting struck, you know?”

“Are you sure?” Hiccup asked. He looked like a dog who’d just gotten a bone.

“About Gothi?” You asked, rubbing the back of your neck, “I mean…”

You paused, rolling up and down the balls of your feet and looked around, unsure of what you were supposed to say.

“Am I going to get in trouble for being in here? I don’t want to-” You turned back around. Hiccup was gone.

Gobber had just walked by you shaking his head at the sky, seemingly blind to your appearance.

You looked left and right at the dispersing crowd, wondering what was going on as you began to slog your way through. Everyone, as they left, seemed sort of disinterested and annoyed.

At the front of the crowd was Hiccup, looking incredibly singed and dazed from where he was on the docks. His father, the Chief, and Astrid, were nearby. Astrid had just begun to leave. Stoick, it seemed, was finishing up a hardy lecture and scolding.

You decided to wait politely until he was finished and ogling at the small array of large and small metal rods until the Chief left. Perhaps that was what had drawn you outwards. You’d heard rather than seen a pretty big commotion earlier, which led you down the cliffs despite your ultimate resolution to stay out of everyone else’s crazy business. Some things were just unavoidable. Or unignorable. Curiosity was a part of human nature, after all.

“Oh,” Hiccup said, once the two of you were left mostly alone, besides the occasional straggling fisherman, “Hi.”

“You made all this?” You said. You put the pieces together fairly quickly, “That’s really cool.”

“Couldn’t have done it…” He mumbled, “Without your help.”

“You probably would have figured it out on your own,” You suggested wearily. His eyes were sort of glazed over, like hw wasn’t completely there, which set alarm bells ringing in your head, “Hey, are you alright?”

Hiccup stumbled forwards, roughly tugging your hands into his own before he picked them up, grinning widely. His hands were oddly hot to the touch and his left hand was red in a pattern that looked sort of like worms.

“I think I love you,” He declared. It looked like he was going to lean forward for a second, before stumbling backwards and collapsing onto the wood dock.

“What happened…?” Hiccup uttered exhaustedly, cradling his bandaged head.

He looked around groggily, slowly taking in the grassy dried herb smell of Gothi’s hut and the bowls of spices and bones lining the walls

You were seated on a stool by the bedside, currently his, probably Gothi’s when there were no patients around.

“You collapsed. So I, uh, I pulled you up here. How are you feeling?” You asked cautiously, wrinkling your brows.

“Uh, hi?” Hiccup’s eyes widened, flushed like he was embarrassed, “I’m good. I’m so good.”

Hiccup tried to lean back, though the heavy bandaging wrapped around his lightning-scarred arm prevented him from doing that safely. His expression stiffened and he looked down, eyeballing his ruined sleeves.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” You said, “I couldn’t understand what Gothi was saying and we kind of had to cut your sleeve off to get to your arm. The lightning kind of burned it weird too, and it was sticking to your skin, so yeah.”

“Oh, it’s alright,” Hiccup scratched at his cheek with his alright arm, looking a little bit bummed out, “I have more at home.”

“Well, yeah, maybe, but-” You sighed, a little put off, “Anyways, I didn’t have enough to pick up anything nice but a bunch of people heard and helped me pitch in for a new shirt.”

You nodded down to the red tunic laying on the bed by his foot. It wasn’t his signature green but they didn’t really have that, which was unfortunate because red dyed fabric was expensive. Hopefully he’d be out of it soon and in his normal wear. It was going to be weird seeing him in red.

“Oh, wow.” Hiccup said, “Really?”

“Oh, sorry,” You said, after your knuckles scraped each other. You met him halfway with the tunic and pulled it taut when he tried to unfurl it with one hand, so the whole thing was on display.

“Th-anks,” Hiccup said, as if a spare piece of food had gotten stuck in his throat.

You responded with an unhurried “No Problem,” as he gave it a once-over.

After a moment, he let it down and you took the signature to let go as he clumsily folded it again, leaving it to sit in his lap over the old, scratchy blanket Gothi had provided.

“Yeah,” Hiccup mumbled, squinting, after a moment, “What… exactly happened? I mean, I have a few memories, but it’s all really blurry. I remember- I- Uh-”

Hiccup shut up.

You winced.

“Yeah, you, ah, got struck by lightning, I think. Unfortunately. But you did prove Toothless was innocent, so there’s that.”

“Yeah?” Hiccup very studiously examined the wall to his left.

“By the way,” You started him, “You said something before you fell unconscious.”

Hiccup laughed nervously, “Nothing weird?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t really learned the word in Norse yet.” You said, shifting in the stool, which was just starting to make your back ache.

“Learned-? Uh,” Very decidedly, Hiccup shut his eyes. His face said exactly what he was thinking, which was ‘Oh Gods,’ “What did I say?”

“What does ‘love’ mean?” You stared at him, question in your eyes. Hiccup opened his mouth once, then closed it, then he opened it again.

It looked like he was having some sort of battle with himself. You decided that maybe you should leave him alone about it for now. And rightly so, because instead of answering, Hiccup decided to lay back down and roll back towards the wall.

#thank you #very much #maybe I will find another way to fill eventually #please have this for now #any conditions for an ask are okay #if there is something I am not comfortable writing i will say it #httyd #x reader #how to train your dragon #fanfiction #hiccup haddock #female reader #fem reader #hiccup x reader #httyd imagine #toothless

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espinosaurusrexex · 1 year

Text

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

nine - promises (Bucky's version)

BuckyBarnes x Female!Reader

summary: It's time to make a plan, but the take-down of Wanda's magical town leaves Y/N uncertain. Bucky is doing his best to show her how much she means to him.

a/n: This might be my favorite chapter, but I think I broke my own heart writing it - anybody wanna join the ‘pining for unrealistic men club’?

!Divider is mine. Please give credit when using!

word count: 5.8k

chapter warnings: fluff, a little awkward - Agnes, little angst, some much needed talking, soft Bucky omg - so soft!, smut (oral - m receiving, praise kink, slight overstim, unprotected p in v - wrap it up guys!) !MINIORS DO NOT INTERACT!

✶ 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 | 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 | 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 ☾

Bucky watched as Y/N moved her hand over the table, provisionally cleaning it for the map to be laid out on. She had beautiful hands, he thought, so soft and careful, but deadly if they wanted to. He never had hands like that. They were always scraped when he was a kid, calloused during the war, and, well... after he just didn’t like them all together. But even now that he had two perfectly fine flesh hands, they were rough and worn, smeared with motor oil or some other thing he could occupy himself within the house.

It was alright, though. Buck would never complain. Not when he knew how much worse things could be. Living in a huge home with the woman he had been having feelings for months was a crazy thing to be mad about. He subtly smiled to his feet when he remembered the call from Y/N and the way he had felt his heart beat slightly faster than normal.

Back when everything was okay - when Steve was still alive and when the avengers were still avenging, his best friend had always wanted Bucky to make a move on the secret crush he had been harboring. So when Y/N had called that night again, he accepted in his honor and in memory of the man he once was and which Steve adored and looked up to once. For a split second, the fraction of a moment, he had been that man again. And he had used its confidence boost to tell her that he would come with her to Westview. And even though the time here had been tough, he was glad he had done it anyway.

Because ever since the pair had entered Westview, Bucky felt a whole new level of connection to Y/N. That pull towards her had intensified and the sensation was only fueled by the need to play pretend - happily married that was. A strange thing to think about still, but it was kind of nice to play house with Y/N. The world seemed a little less heavy and the smiles on his lips a little easier. And despite all those circumstances, Bucky knew that he had found a true friend in her - even more than that actually. Sure, Sam was great, and Zemo was strangely growing on him, too, but neither of them gave him what Y/N could - which was the fulfillment of a need he had thought to have died many decades ago, frozen with the man hydra tortured out of him.

Y/N gave him comfort and love and warmth and smiles and laughs. And carelessness - weightlessness. Hell, she even chased his nightmares away and Bucky couldn’t believe how much better a good night’s rest made him feel. There was nothing more precious to him than feeling the feelings that made him forget his horrible past. Y/N had proven to give those to him the very first night in Westview, when she had checked on him, simultaneously starting a vacuum of affection that only ever wanted hers.

Bucky’s eyes caught hers for a second and when Y/N sat down, there was that look again and it pulled on his heart.

Bucky didn't know what had happened with Wanda yesterday. But it definitely didn’t ‘end’ things as Y/N had proclaimed before storming out trying to hide her teary-eyed face in vain. Bucky hated to see her cry. But he hated it even more when she acted all distant and weird like she had after she had come home last night. Was that how people felt about him all the time? Bucky knew that he was not that easy to be around. It wasn’t easy for him to be around other people, either. Which was why it pained him to have one of the only people he liked to be close to, distance themselves.

Y/N wasn’t mad at him - at least he didn't think so - but something had changed the way she looked at him last night. Before it was all doe-eyed and happy and now? Well, now it was still like that but mixed with a dreamy longing, not a good one though - almost like homesickness. He hadn’t even planned on telling her about Natasha, knowing how much of a toll it would take on her, but it was even worse lying to her. So his plastered smile faded and he caved and told her. And even though it was the right thing to do, he would’ve taken it back had he known how much hurt he would find in her eyes ever since. It had happened the first time after he had kissed her this morning and she was looking at him like that right now, too as everyone took a seat at the table, waiting for him to follow.

Vision and Agnes had joined the Wanda intervention team this morning, apparently. It wasn’t too surprising, though. After that first day in Westview where Bucky had followed Agnes in the night, he knew that she knew things nobody else did. The way she snooped around the houses, hiding her calculated mastermind behind the gossipy neighbor lady facade to get even more intel on everyone and everything. It was a smart move, really. But Bucky couldn’t be fooled. Years of training had done that to him. Now, he was glad to finally put those skills to good use: saving people and not killing them.

“There have been instances in this town that do not fall within the realm of normalcy,” Vision started and Bucky couldn’t help but smile when Y/N grumbled a sassy reply to herself.

Vision pointed at the map with his finger before looking into the circle of faces on the table. “The center of Westview is right here. Life is thriving there. As Agnes has told me, Wanda has created a hex summoning everyone under a spell to play characters in Westview. But starting from approximately a one-mile radius,” he circled another area, “life stands still.”

“It’s almost like her magic doesn’t reach that far, so she just decided to freeze the people.” A shiver ran down Bucky’s spine when he said it, remembering when he told Y/N about Natasha the night before. Her eyes were drowning him in sorrow. They were glassy again and it was horrible knowing he couldn’t help her right now.

When Vision had asked Bucky to follow him instead of coming with him to work like they always had the weeks prior, he knew that something was off - that Vision wasn’t like all the other Westviewers he had met by then. And he had got to admit, seeing Natasha had plummeted his heart like never before. Not necessarily because she was supposed to be dead - he had witnessed far more unsettling things - but because he knew how devastated Y/n would be when he would tell her. Because even if he didn’t plan to initially, he knew he would cave as soon as she laid those pleading eyes on him.

“It's not like her magic doesn’t reach there. In fact, the border is where it is at its strongest. But she just chose to focus it on the center. Think of Westview as a show. Wanda can choose what characters appear and which don’t. View the edge of town as more of a backstage area.”

“It's so weird. We didn’t notice any of that when we came here. And we actually went through the wall.” Y/N focused on Agnes when she spoke. Talking about it helped - Y/N had shown him that.

“I imagine Wanda knew that and simply adjusted your surroundings.”

Y/N shook her head with sad eyes. “This doesn’t sound like Wanda at all, I don’t know what happened to her, but she is not as bad as everyone makes her out to be.” A fleeting glance caught Bucky’s before he averted them back to the map.

Agnes just snorted. “Well, Westview makes people do all sorts of things. You of all people should know. It’s not like you chose to fake a marriage when you got here.”

The Black Widow's head shot up suddenly, a dreaded look on her face washing all other emotions off. “Wait, you know?”

He watched as Y/N’s face contorted into an embarrassed one, but Bucky just hid a smile behind the cough he pushed forward. Nothing really surprised him anymore - especially not from Agnes.

“Oh, the entire time, honey. I’m sorry if nobody ever told you this, but your acting skills are in desperate need of work. You looked about as comfortable as a nail bed the day I met you, Y/N. And I know, I’ve laid on one before.”

“Oh my god,” she whispered into her hands before hiding her face in Bucky’s arm. “Does everyone know?”

“Well, I do. But, I found you two very believable, if I may say so,” Vision added, only easing Y/N’s discomfort superficially, as she still clung to Bucky’s arm like a sloth. He didn’t mind it though. Her touch was what he had been craving all day, so he soaked up every little thing she gave him.

“No. Dare I say that my ability to see through this whole charade is because of my own magic powers. Vision knows because I told him.”

“You’re- okay, yea, why not? It’s not crazy enough that one which accidentally held a whole town hostage, there had to be another which living in it too.” There she was again, the woman Bucky found so enticing. “Why do you know all this, Agnes?”

“I guess it is time to properly introduce myself.” Agnes smoothed over the table and then she smiled. “My name is Agatha Harkness and I am old - let's leave it at that. I know you might think that I have something to do with this, but everything that happened to the people of Westview, happened to me, too. I was able to break out of it at some point, though. It did take some skills, I’ll tell you that. Even if Wanda is not a very experienced witch, her powers are astounding.”

For some reason this statement made Bucky feel slightly uneasy. He had been in countless dangerous situations before, but magic was something, not even his fists could fight against. But there was another thing freeing the worry he felt and it was that someone he cared about was just as much in danger as he was.

“That’s because they’re born out of raw and strong emotions. The pain she must have felt losing me triggered this... town,” Vision explained calmly.

Y/N’s voice sprung up from the short silence that had built between the group: “She was devastated, Vision. I don’t think pain is a strong enough word to describe her feelings.”

“You must excuse me. I cannot possibly comprehend those things.” He had turned more and more into the synthezoid they all knew with every second he spent with them. The only thing left of the chipper family father was the deep feelings he had for Wanda. Even if he didn’t know what it really was, he had told Bucky, they showed him that somebody cared.

“I know...” She whispered, her hand grazing Bucky’s under the table which made him perk up. A small smile appeared on his lips when he took her hand fully into hers, squeezing it reassuringly and taking a deep breath. He was proud to be able to anchor her to the moment. It was a connection he had only ever had twice before in his life. It was still fascinating that a simple touch could ground his emotions and clear his mind. Bucky knew how special it was, and he would never finish being grateful for it.

“God, I really don’t understand how those two acted so badly when they clearly want to jump each other’s bones so much,” Agatha muttered to Vision, but Bucky chose to ignore it and take another look at Y/N instead.

That’s when Y/n cleared her throat as if she had been caught. Her hand remained in Bucky's though, his thumb rubbing slow circled over her soft skin and sending warmth through his body.

“Okay, so what’s the game plan?”

The dusk was slowly fading from the horizon when Bucky cleaned the last dishes in the sink. Agatha and Vision had left about an hour ago and after a short conversation with Y/N, in which Bucky had insisted on cleaning up, she had excused herself to her room.

Y/N had not looked good after the meeting today. All zoned out from time to time and even shaky at one point. She was a trained assassin and a strong woman, but moments like these remind him that sometimes the wrong people were chosen for a life they didn’t belong in. Y/N was the kindest most caring person he had ever met, and knowing that somebody forced her childhood from her and built her to do unspeakable things just broke his heart. She didn’t deserve it - most people didn’t. Bucky’s hand had not left her body once that evening. Always touching some part of her to remind her that he was there. She had sent him encouraging smiles with thankful meanings behind them, but he saw that she was far from fine. Who could blame her? She was plotting against her best friend, forced to plan another inevitable heartbreak for an already broken woman.

Bucky watched his hands stir the foam in the sink water from left to right. He would have never thought that he would end up here after everything that’s happened. Soaking dishes in a suburban home with a ‘wife’ upstairs, sleeping the stress of the dinner guests away in their bed. A thought like that would have unsettled him beyond belief just a month ago. Having someone to care for - someone besides himself when he barely lent enough care to his own sometimes.

A future with Y/N wasn’t a scary thought anymore, though. He actually smiled thinking back on the past days in which their happy little family just lived in the most suburban house imaginable. Maybe his broken self had a chance at being happy forever. He could imagine it at least - with Y/N by his side. She broke open the icy layer the winter soldier had built piece by piece and slowly, but surely, fractions of the man he once was shone through the cold blue barrier. He would have never dared to even think about a nine-to-five job and gardening shorts before - not even after Wakanda. But now, he would trade those thoughts for every nightmare he ever had - though, even if those had faded ever since he slept by Y/N’s side.

The lights on the street turned on with the darkness creeping in the street and Bucky shook his head while draining the dishwater. He put out a new bowl of water for Alpine and let his eyes wander over the surfaces again. Everything was cleaned and stored away. He twisted the wedding band back in his finger and checked for everything a second time, trying to ignore his pounding heart in the process. He didn’t mind it anymore, it was more of a habit now, and deep down, he saw the glimmering metal as a promise to himself and the life he longed to have again. Now there was only one last thing to do, and he had been looking forward to it all day.

Bucky climbed the steps to the first floor. It wasn’t long before he stood in the doorway of the master bedroom where he could see Y/N laying in bed with Alpine snuggled up by her face, a reassuring hand stroking the white fur with love.

“You’re so lucky, Al,” the woman cooed while Alpine closed her eyes with every stroke of her hand. “You’re just living your oblivious life. Sometimes I wished I could do that, too.”

Y/N sniffed and it was only then that Bucky noticed her tear-stained cheeks glistening in the lamplight.

Bucky nudged the door open further, revealing his figure in the doorframe where he stood with a shy smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Her hand moved to wipe her tears away, but he had already seen them.

His feet took him to the bed where sat down on the edge and stroked Alpine as well. The feline’s purring just intensified with the sensation and Bucky smiled to himself when her tail softly swayed against his wrist. He soaked up the quiet noises of Alpine and the faint smell of Y/N’s shampoo for a while. Neither of them spoke, but Bucky didn’t mind. At least her tears had stopped - that was a good sign, right? But after a while, Bucky grew nervous with the steely gaze on his profile. His hand movement stopped and he forced a small smile on his lips.

“You’ve been staring for a solid three minutes... I thought that was my job.” The small joke made Y/N chuckle through a shaky breath and Bucky felt his cheeks taint darker at the success.

“I’m just thinking, that’s all.”

“Penny for your thoughts?” It was a careful approach to the type of conversation he had often with his former coworker. But even if their topics were rooted in deep issues and fears, he always felt safe discussing them with her. He felt lighter afterwards, too. And he hoped she did as well.

Y/N nodded in his peripheral. “You still mean it, right? That you didn’t want it to be a lie.” And with that, he stopped giving any attention to Alpine. Bucky’s head turned to Y/N’s, his chest squeezing with the thought of breaking a promise such as this one.

His fingers inched over hers. Hers were cold. He watched as they disappeared in his, his left hand coming up to cover them as well. Y/N just let it happen, she even twisted her wrist until she could fully be engulfed by Bucky’s palms where he slowly warmed them up. “If there is one thing I am sure about as of right now, it is this.” He smiled sadly.

Sure, the situation wasn’t ideal, but not even Bucky wouldn’t deny that something beautiful had grown out of it. Bucky leaned forward to press a gentle kiss on her forehead before resting his own against it. Apparently, he didn’t leave enough space for Alpine anymore, because the cat sprung from the bed and disappeared into the hallway.

Another sad chuckle slipped from her lips along with a stray tear that Bucky swiftly wiped away with his thumb. His hand lingered on her face, though, enjoying a warm part of hers.

The air was tingling in his ears with the position they were in - so close and true. Sure feelings just flooded his senses with every second passing by. Y/N locked a hand behind his head and pushed her lips to his. They were salty and wet but they were everything he ever wanted. Kissing Y/N was like taking a deep breath - liberating and safe. He could do it forever - he planned on it actually.

When they broke apart, warm breath tickling dampened skin and eyes still closed with their noses pushed together, Bucky let the shiver run through his body and finally releases the question that had been burning on his mind the whole day.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better.” She stroked his hair with a sigh. “But having you here is helping a lot... What about you?”

Bucky exhaled slowly and placed her other hand on his chest guiltily. “Haven’t felt this good in a while, actually.” But it was true and he wouldn’t lie to her. Bucky finally felt as though he was and did well again. He would help Wanda and he would save the people of this town. He would get the girl and he would finally be living the life he had always wanted.

“That's good.” She whispered against his lips before her arms encircled his torso and wrapped him up in a loving hug. “Yeah..,” he mused into her shoulder where he started to pepper tiny kisses to her skin. It wasn’t long before she shakily whispered his name in the air, soft hands burying in his hair, pulling on the short strands, and moving his head back to her mouth.

Y/N kissed him with vigor this time - not as careful as before. Though they were still soft, her lips pressed into his with a pleasant force. She leaned back down, drawing Bucky with her in the mattress where he swiftly kicked off his shoes to fully climb into bed. He lay on his side now, Y/N’s face still closely tugged to his. His thumb moved a stray hair from her forehead while his eyes stared into hers. His heart felt so full with her in his arms. Those were the best parts of his life here: having something that made everything worth it again.

“You’re so beautiful,” Bucky whispered absently drowning in the color of her eyes. They were looking back at him in awe and with every blink, the smile beneath them grew.

And before he knew it, Bucky was pulled into another kiss. Wandering hands explored his body this time. There wasn’t a sense of handholding in this kiss - It was needy and desperate. The shift in the atmosphere had almost been drowned out by the tiny noises escaping Y/N’s lips when his thigh moved forward to squeeze between hers. His movements were fueled by feelings he hadn’t felt in years. And yet, here they were, openly laid out on display and ready for him to take them in. And he was ready for them.

Y/n’s hand found its way beneath his shirt. They were still a little cooler than his skin thus leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. His leg pushed further up between her legs, drawing a throaty ‘please’ from her lungs. Y/N tugged on his shirt but his hand came up to stop her.

“Do you really want this... with me, I mean.” His eyes were boring into hers, looking for a sliver of doubt in there. He would stop and leave if he suspected even a trace. This moment shouldn’t spring from desperation and distraction. He wanted it to be true - he needed it to be true.

Y/N nodded with a smile before her hands resumed their tugging motion, but Bucky stopped her a second time.

“Say it.”

She looked at him with soft eyes, now. He could practically see her mind clicking while she realized how important this was to him. “I want you, Bucky.”

The brunette nodded in relief and sat up to remove his shirt. When he leaned back down, he positioned himself above her, both arms holding him up by his elbows. But he didn’t move beyond that - just stared at her, imprinting every dip and line on her face into his memory.

When her hands slid down his torso again, he closed his eyes, trialing the path she took on his body in his mind. Y/N wasn’t just touching him, she was mapping him out, tracing every part of him he was insecure about, and kissing the places that Westview had turned flawless.

He kissed her collar and then traveled down her chest until he reached the hem of her t-shirt. His leg pressed against her core again but this time, she didn’t hold herself back. Y/N’s head fell back on the pillow with an open mouth, her fingers drew him back to her face where she stole more kisses from his lips.

“Let’s make it even.”

“Yes, please.” Bucky took off her shirt and unclasped her bra while she bucked her hips against his thigh. He was already painfully hard beneath his jeans. Y/n hadn’t even touched him anywhere near his aching cock, her moans and mewls were enough to stimulate his entire body.

“I need- ah.” His fingers brushed over her hardened nipples before his face pressed to her chest to litter it with kisses again.

“What is it, sweetheart? What do you need?”

“More.” Was all she huffed out as her hands pressed on his shoulder blades. Bucky would give her everything she asked for. And if he couldn’t, he’d find a way. But before he could finish that thought, his mind was clouded with a wave of pleasure when her body brushed up to his cock.

Warmth seeped through his whole body with every second he spend pressed against hers. Everywhere his fingers went, they brushed over other parts of her skin, never leaving her, never losing contact. Bucky felt alive. A tiny amber in the darkness of his mind that Y/N brought to him and fueled with her steady presence. He was thinking of her, smelling her, touching her. Her, her, her.

“You are perfect.” You’re everything I’ve ever needed. Hushed whispers mapping over pebbled skin, soft lips grazing tender flesh.

Bucky kissed down her torso, enjoying the light scratch of her fingernails on his scalp and then he looked up at her while opening the silver button of her jeans, pulling them off along with her panties. He was quick to follow, kneeling up to open his own but the excitement shooting through his body and the stringing tent in his jeans made it difficult to concentrate.

“Let me.” Y/N fingers brushed his and moved them to the side. She carefully undid his pants and slid them down his legs.

His breath staggered when she pulled the elastic of his boxer briefs down, letting hard cock bounce up against his stomach. There was a fire in her eyes when she looked back into his again, one hand coming up to push him backwards and onto the end of the bed where Bucky sat dumbfounded and curious about her next move.

“I- wow Bucky.”

A grin replaced the dazed look on his face with her comment, loosening up the air and making him feel confident again.

“Can I?” She nodded towards his groin as even though her eyes were still slightly wider than before Bucky nodded with a smile, his blue eyes melting with the sight of her before him. “Please.”

She kissed up to his hips, her fingers coming up to slowly stroke him until her lips peppered up his thick shaft. Pleasure was already clouding his mind and his cock twitched cheekily against her mouth. That’s when her tongue licked a long stripe from the base up to his tip making him shudder in the process.

“Fuck, baby.” Bucky’s fingers disappeared in her hair, slowly guiding her movements up and down. Her mouth felt heavenly and when she used her tongue to swirl around his tip, he was done for. Small sparks of electricity pulsed in his brain - his. Y/N just hummed around him. Her eyes were closed and an attempted smile tugged on her lips. Bucky couldn’t even focus on it all. He was too occupied with keeping himself from coming right then. But her mouth was just so perfect. Y/N was just...

“Okay, sweetheart. You need to- ah.” Bucky wheezed a small moan before pulling her up and to his face again.

“What’s up?” Y/N grinned, but it was sweet rather than cocky. Just a genuine concern for him.

“Can’t hold it if you keep going like that.”

“Oh, well we should change something then.”

“Yeah, I think so, too.” His hands snuck around her hips and pushed her forward until she was straddling him. Her face was so close to his again, but all she did was place her hands on his cheek, eyes scanning over his features like an open book.

Bucky let her. He could watch her do anything for hours. There was always something fascinating he could concentrate on. Like the way, her pupils dilated when he licked his lips, or how softly her lashes fanned over her cheeks when she looked at him like that.

“You have a beautiful soul, Buck.” Her thump smoothed over his brow. “It doesn’t matter that life sometimes makes us feel otherwise.” She stared at him intently, her second hand cupping his chin and Bucky could only stare back in awe. “I will protect you with everything I have. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

This must be what people meant when they said their hearts swelled. Because Bucky was bursting with serotonin right now. There wasn’t a more magical moment, a more perfect choice of words she could have ever placed in his mind. It was an overwhelming feeling, to hold the woman he adored in his arms. And even if it was not quite put in words, this felt like an ‘I love you’.

His brown head of hair hid in her chest and Bucky was sure Y/n could feel his smile on every inch of skin he touched. “Why would you think that this would make me less horny?”

“I wasn’t. It just felt right.” She kissed him again. “Promise me, Bucky. Promise me you will remember it.”

“I promise.” A short silence filled the room in which the pair just stared at each other. “Now, where were we?”

“Something about horny.”

“Right.” Y/N laughed when Bucky hoisted her up higher and closer to him, but her laugh was cut short once his cock pushed against her clit. A breathy version of his name tumbled over her lips over and over again when his hands guided her back and forth, rocking her up his length until she let her head fall back.

Bucky took the opportunity to suck her nipple into his mouth, the other being engulfed by his warm hands. With every stroke of his tongue and every rocking motion, her skin became hotter. Her hands found their way to the back of his head where there pressed him deeper into the sensitive buds, moan after moan echoing in the bedroom.

“I’m close. I’m-” her words only spurred him on further, his mouth alternating between her breasts, never leaving one neglected. He needed it to keep himself from bursting.

“Come on, doll.” Another flick of his tongue, the stroke of a finger. “Give in-” Bucky was cut off by a fervent scream. Y/N’s hands tightened around him and her rocking motions staggered. He muttered a course when he saw the mess in his lap that just shot another rush of blood to his cock. He was painfully hard now, desperate for release and hungry for the taste of her skin on his tongue.

Y/n whimpered when Bucky rocked her over his slick cock again, the sensitivity seemingly too much, but she didn’t stop him. Rather her breathing picked up again as she fell forwards, lips grazing his ear with every whispered word. “I need you inside of me, baby.”

A smile broke through the heated air when the pair laid gently on the covers, limbs tangling and hands moving over every inch of dampened skin. Bucky placed his skin on hers over and over again so seamlessly, it felt as if he was kissing her for hours. Though the need of his own crept up his spine with every push he sent to the mattress. He needed to feel her - all of her.

He moved up slightly until his tip poked her entrance, retrieving a needy whimper from Y/N. His lips locked with hers once more and that’s when he pushed forward, entering her in one long stroke and feeling her velvety walls engulf her with unbelievable comfort.

“Shit. You’re so tight.”

“Move, please, just-” And he did. Bucky pushed in and out of her until his entire body was lifted in ecstasy. Y/N’s legs locked around his hips, giving him even deeper access to her pussy. If he were to die right now, Bucky was sure he couldn’t have done so happier, and more fulfilled than right now. With Y/N and this heavenly feeling consuming him whole. He didn’t know that this is what sex could feel like - what passion did to a moment as intimate as this one.

“You’re so- so big... feels so good.”

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart. Taking me so well.” His hand grabbed hers and pushed their interlocked fingers into the pillow by her head. “Fuck, I wanna stay like this forever.”

“Ah! Then don’t... don’t stop.”

“Shhhh, baby. I won’t.” Her walls clenched around him and Bucky could feel the precum already dripping from him. He took his other hand and guided in over her breast and stomach and down to her pussy to rub on her clit - tight little circles that made her open her mouth wide and let silent screams escape.

She gripped him even tighter, and Bucky struggled to pull out almost all the way before rocking back in. He grunted into her chest, sweat assembling on his forehead and heartbeat pounding against his ribcage. “Yes, come on. Let go, you’re such a good girl, so - fuck - so perfect.”

“Bucky! Shit, shit!”

“Oh fuck.” Y/N’s walls pulsed unrelenting, pushing him closer and closer to the edge as well. Her fingers scratched his back, her legs squeezing him so close, caging him in her embrace and there was no place he’d rather be right now. He watched as the pleasure washed over her, eyes rolling to the back of her head and muscles taught while unholy words slipped her tongue.

When the grip on his cock loosened he started moving again. Her whispers engraved themselves into his memory while he chased his own high. He could feel the pleasure already tingling in his toes and when Y/n grabbed his head and bit his lip before soothing it over with her tongue, they overtook his whole body. Bucky moaned into her open mouth, his arm snuck beneath her head while the other grabbed the sheets as he shot his hot load into her pussy, coating her soft walls with white release.

He needed several seconds to recover from the powerful feeling still bouncing through his limbs. His body lowered itself onto hers, careful not to hurt her, he could feel her heartbeat against his skin - pumping in perfect rhythm with his.

When he felt confident enough to not have his muscles give out under him, propped himself up on his elbow. Bucky’s hands instantly shot to Y/N’s face where they drew out her features with careful fingers. Her eyes opened with a smile, her own hands moving up and down his back, covering him in comfort and love.

“Did I tell you that you are perfect?”

Y/N hummed dreamily. “Only about fifty times.”

“Not enough then.” Bucky shook his head, a short curl falling over his forehead, matching the rest of his tussled hair. “Thank you, Y/N, for everything. For sharing this beautiful moment with me.”

“Why does this feel like a goodbye?” She asked unsettled, but not moving in the slightest. She was just as close to him as before - enclosing him with her enchanting aura and that wholesome look in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Bucky kissed her nose. “This is just the beginning.”

𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓

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gildedmuse · 7 months

Note

hey new moot :) may I request some shuggy hcs? I am unhealthily obsessed w them. could be fluffy or angsty or spicy or anything in between <3333

Hi everyone, this is @kilucore one of my new best friends. They've only really seen OPLA but already loves Buggy. Now I just have to brainwash them into believing his full name is Buggy D Clown and he's the true King Of The Pirates.

This isn't what they asked for but it's what my mind gave me. Later, I'll do a Buggy/Shanks AU. It will involve Shanks in a poly relationship and Buggy being a jealous bitch.

I love thes idiots.

The Captain Gets The Hat

"I used to know a pirate who wore a hat just like this... We served together on a pirate crew when we we're about your age.... "

"Until he betrayed me."

—💙—

"But why not go to the South Blue? There's tons of treasure there!"

"But we're already here! And who knows, since there are so little pirates here in the East Blue, there could be all sorts of treasure that no one has found yet! "

"But it's boring! Even Roger said it was-"

"Don't say his name!"

A while ago, before the crew broke up, before they all just abandoned them, Rayleigh had gotten Buggy a new pair of shoes. They were big and red and Biggy hates them, but Rayleigh said he should wear them anyway. "They're harder to slip in. Safer."

Right now, Buggy doesn't want to be safe. He wants to be pissed off.

Still even as he storms across the wooden pier, the shows made almost no sound at all. It didn't matter how much weight he throw into each step or how hard he brought his foot down. His storming away sounded more like a gentle breeze.

The worst part is he could feel Shanks watching the whole time.

"Hey." At least the shoes don't stop Buggy from being able to swat Shanks's hand away when the other boy tries setting it on his shoulder. "Come on, don't be like that. Why do you want to stay in the East anyway? "

"Because-" Buggy stops, even as he turns to glare at Shanks. The boy has such a bright infectious smile, he makes you feel like everything would be alright.

Only it wouldn't, would it? Not even Shanks's smile could bring back Roger, bring back their FAMILY. Even old Crocus is gone and the last place any of them knew that any of the others would be is in the East. Is in Lougetown.

Is standing below the tower where they-

"Because the East is easy pickings!" Buggy argues, motioning around to all the sailors, the shoppers, the passing Marines not paying them an ounce of attention. "We can do whatever we want and no one can stop us!" And if the others do come looking, they'll be here. Waiting.

Shanks puts on his "serious" face for a moment, though truth be told it's not very serious. "Hmmm... Well, I'm the captain and I say we're going North!" He declares with a huge, cocky grin. The kind that looks like their da-

Like Ro-

Like a pirate.

"You just said So-" Buggy starts to correct before Shanks's words really start to creepy in. His eyes go wide. He did not just say that! No way! "What make you think YOU'RE the captain!?"

Shanks can't be captain! There is only one captain! You can't have two captains and they all know-

They all....

He can't be captain!

"I have the hat!" Shanks declairs in his same light hearted tone, patting the Strawhat Roger had given him WAY before Shanks had been old enough to be captain. He's only 14 now! He barely even has facial hair (Buggy knows, him and Shanks have been comparing for years now waiting to see whose would grow in first) ! "That makes me that captain!"

"That's not true!" Buggy argues, swinging to grab for the stupid Strawhat. Shanks just laughs, taking a wide step back. That is unfair! Buggy hasn't had time to his his growth spurt yet. "Give it here! I deserve to be captain!"

Shanks sticks out his tongue. "Hey, maybe if you're really nice I'll make you my first mate!"

Buggy's face went as red as his nose. He isn't first mate!

Roger is the captain! Rayleigh is first mate! Shanks and him are just- are just-

"Give it here!" Buggy demands, jumping for the raggy hat again.

"That's a very rude way for a first mate to act."

"I said give it here!"

"Maybe I should demote you to cabin boy."

"Grr, I wouldn't be your boy if yours was the last ship in the se-"

SPLASH!!

Buggy tries to draw in a deep breath but the water is already sucking him down. Ocean fills his lungs, weighing him down even more. Trying to push the water aside is like trying to swim through concrete. He can still see the sun twinkling above, reflecting the blue of the water all around him but it's fading. Everything is getting darker.

Is this how Roger felt? No! No not Roger! He must have been brave! He wouldn't be scared or drowning or poleaxes or death. Roger isn't afraid of anything.

Bubbles float out from his mouth, the last of his air leaving his lungs. They pop silently before even hitting the surface, but Buggy heard them in the ocean all around him.

Shanks don't be a captain. Don't be like Roger.

Don't leave me.

The next thing he knows, Buggy can feel the splinters digging into his back, through the worn out shirt he'd owned too many years. The one that didn't fit Nantoto anymore and had been passed along, first to Shanks than to Buggy.

Two worried brown eyes stare down at him, with Shanks's hair a dark, wet red, sticking to his pink cheeks.

Buggy coughs water upon him. "Ehh!" Shanks laughs it all off, brushing it away. "Hey no spitting! And here I thought Raylogh gave you those shoes so you WOULDN'T end up in the sea!"

He can joke, about Buggy is still mad. "I hate these shoes!" He screams, ripping them off and chucking them in the sea. Without him in them they float. Just like everything, he is what is bringing them down. It's him. It's him that got sick, him that stopped Shanks seeing Laughtail. "I hate this fruit! I hate this stupid, stupid sea and it's stupid Marines!" Him that ate the fruit that could have maybe been the fruit Crocus always talked about, the one that could save Rogers' life. Its his fault they're all gone! No wonder no one of the crew came to see them!

He pushes himself up swiping at Shanks's leg as he does so.. the boy trips slightly but keeps from falling into the water.

"Hey, wait!" Shanks scurries to his feet as Buggy starts to march off. "Where are you going? The ship is that way? Wow, you must be really water logged after-"

"YOUR ship is that way!" Buggy snaps, not even turning around to look back at the other teenager. "I don't need you, you know! I can be my own captain!"

"Buggy...."

And maybe it is there is something in Shanks's voice that just reminds Biggy so much of Roger, of his old captain, he has to stop. And maybe it's just because it's Shanks. But in an instance Buggy found e couldn't move forward, not with out one last look back.

Shanks is taller than him. His hair is the same color as Buggy's nose, though he'd give you a black eye if you said so. His face is as bright as the sun and his heart as unpredictable as the sea. It makes Buggy's stomach hurt just looking at him.

And in that moment, Shanks wouldn't look at him either. His face was hidden, the shadow from the brim of his hat covering whatever he might be feeling. Buggy wishes he could hide away like that. His emotions feel as obvious as the nose on his face. His heart feels like it wants to escape his chest and run back to the sea.

Maybe to drown. Maybe to see if Shanks would jump in after it a second time.

"Do you know what this means?" Shanks asks, slowly lifting his chin, meeting Buggy's eyes. He feels so young compared to the other boy in the moment. He can see something in Shanks. A spark. A future. Something Buggy wants to steal but not to take it from Shanks.

Just so he can hold it, just so wherever that spark goes, Buggy will too.

"We'll be rivals!" Buggy shoots back, trying to muster his anger. "We'll both be captains and-"

Shanks shakes his head and Buggy finds himself choking on his own words. Its the boy's smile. "No," he says, taking a step closer before that smile blooms into something larger, something beautiful.

And before Buggy can react Shanks has thrown himself across the dock and right into Buggy's arms. Its so forceful Buggy nearly trips backwards right into the water but even without his special shoes, Shanks holds tight, and he stays on the dock.

"It means we're allies!" Shanks declairs, pulling back only to pat Buggy's shoulders. He is absolutely glowing. Like this is what he wants. Maybe this is what he'd been waiting for. "From now on, we're our own captains, but we're also allies! And whenever you need me I'll be there and when I need you, you'll be there! I'll cheer on all your greatest victories and you're revenge all my worst losses! Just like the best allies!"

And the way that spark shown in Shanks, Buggy couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah!" He agrees, taking Shanks'e hand in his own, sealing the pack. "We're going to be the greatest allies the seas have ever seen!"

"Like two captains but one crew!" Shanks promises. "I'll always be there fore you! No matter what!"

—💙—

The applause dims as Buggy sweeps back into the backroom of his ship. The smile he'd worn for the crowd immediately slips away. "Well," he demands, snapping at Cabaji before.... Well, ignoring Richie altogether. You could never tell with Richie.

"it was great boss!" Someone cheers and the rest are quick to join in, heaping on the praise. Buggy just keeps sauntering on the back of the ship. To their poster board, listing all their upcoming preformance. "The best anyone in this sad little town has ever seen that's for-"

"Yeah for US!" Buggy snaps, the sarcasm dripping from his lips even more than his make up. "BUT WAS HE HERE?!"

His hand slams down on the poster.

Shanks is older now. He has three scars, ones Buggy int see him get. He's taller but it's the same smile. Buggy would know that spark anywhere.

A silence falls over the preformers. No one wants to say it. They all remember what happened to Kiki.

"What is the POINT!?" Buggy screams, turning his ire on the freaks, these losers, this pathetic lot who couldn't get the attention of one stupid, childish man in a silly hat. "Of putting on the greatest show if it's not seen by the greatest PEOPLE!?"

"Well...." Lionel suggests gently after a ong pause where Buggy looks at each of them , eyebrow raised. Huh? Well... Come on. Is there a single. Solidarity idea in those stupid heads of yours!? "You know, maybe he just hasn't been to the East bl---" The knife to his throat cuts off whatever he had been trying to say.

"Are you saying I can't get his ATTENTION!? That somehow, because I STAYED WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSE TO, WHERE ROGER LEFT US THAT I-"

Buggy pauses, looking out the porthole of the ship. Waling back into town where happy families, kids with Cotten candies, stuffed dolls held under couple arms. Such a perfect, happy little picture. Like a spark of sunshine.

"Don't just stand there," Buggy snaps without turning around. " Help your fellow freak. This is why I can't have SAG members on this crew, I swear, " Buggy jokes as a few of the underlings rush forward putting pressure to Lionel's wounds.

All while Buggy watches a happy little family heading back. The dad with his daughter in the shoulder. The other holding her stuffed toy, ruffling the girls hair. Such a happy little couple. Such a happy family.

"I think...." buggy says, tearing the wanted poster from their billboard, letting it crumble in his fist. "You're right. If we want attention we need to go... Bigger."

His laugh fills the boat, and then the ship, and even as the canons start to ring out and the buildings collapse you can still here him. Laughing.

You want to be allies, Shanks? Why not come see his latest victory with your own eyes. He promises. It will be bigger and badder than even you can ignore.

#one piece #buggy villian backstory #buggy the clown #buggy d clown #you'll never take that away from me #akagami no shanks #shanks x buggy #ask and you shall receive #opla #one piece live action #sorry this wasn't sluttier #next time for sure #my writings #one piece fanfiction #oh I added some Buggy daddy issues with Roger #opps #RedNose #my writing

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luxrayblues · 1 year

Note

Hi! Could you a Raihan x Reader where he gets jealous? And Raihan's dragon rage (I guess he would get very salty?) gets the best of him, but the reader reassures him? (SFW)

I love this sort of thing, though could probably use a little more salt ! Hope you enjoy anyway!

Raihan x reader - Dragon Rage (SFW)

Your laugh was just another voice in the crowd to everyone but him. His intense eyes flicked up from the battle at hand to see you laughing with someone. You were discussing Raihan's selfies. All you ever did was talk about him, but to the man himself you were giggling over someone else. His anger flared as he focused back on the trainer he was battling.

You watch as his demeanor visibly changes and he, with his pokemon, decimates the poor challenger. As the crowd went wild over the battle, you could tell something was off and you hurry down so you can check on him as the battle comes to a close. Rushing through the noisy crowd, it takes you a few minutes to get to the locker room where security lets you in immediately.

"Rai?" You call out to him, stepping around the corner to see him pacing, clearly furious which was odd because he had won. You had missed the trigger, not realizing it was over you.

He glances up at you, his gorgeous blue eyes making you hesitate as he looks past you, clearly checking for someone. "Where's your new friend?" He huffs at you and you realize suddenly what the issue was. You were taken aback at first by his response, but do your best to calm down rather than snap back.

He had seen you laughing with someone else, having a good time. He was still working on his jealousy when it came to you. You were the calm to his storm and although it was difficult at times, you wouldn't have it any other way.

"No you've got it all wrong, baby." You hold your hands up toward him in a soothing gesture. Though he was clearly all caught up in his own head, unable to calm down in the moment. He had himself so worked up thinking you would just up and leave him that he couldn't think straight.

"My dragon." You say breathily as you move up and shift to sit in his lap. He huffs, but doesn't stop you, turning his head to the side, not wrapping you up like he usually would. Somehow despite his anger, he's absolutely precious to you. You were attracted to every part of him, after all. "They were a huge fan of you." You begin to assure him, being totally honest. "They had seen me in some selfies you posted and wanted to ask about you." You smile gently at him, not minding that he was still pouting and keeping his gaze turned from you.

Your hand reaches up to slide over his hair gently and you caress his cheek, knowing your touch usually soothed his rage. You could feel him physically starting to relax, his hands starting to grasp at the bottom of your shirt slightly.

"Some of the other fans around us were getting into it too and I even got a selfie with them to show you." You explain, promising him in so many words that you had no intention of abandoning him for some stranger at one of his battles. It may have been absurd to you, but you knew that it worried him and that was why you made such an effort to reassure him.

"I love you, Raihan. Noone else." You assure him and he finally turns to look at you. You could see where his dragon rage had been was replaced with a much softer emotion in those telling eyes of his. He smiles in an almost sad way, feeling bad for having accused you of something like that. You wouldn't have his apology for it though, shaking your head.

He smiles slightly and shakes his head back at you. "I love you too, Y/N... Thank you." He didn't have all of the words to show his appreciation for you properly, but you knew he cared deeply for you. He didn't get so upset over just anyone, after all. You lean in to kiss him deeply, not about to let all of that pent up emotion go to waste. His arms wrap around you fully, yanking at your shirt to tug you down closer to him as he returns the gesture.

#pokemon fanfiction #pokemonswsh #pokemon raihan #gym leader raihan x reader #raihan x reader #gym leader raihan #x reader #pokemon x reader #adult reader #gender neutral reader

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midoriima · 14 days

Text

road racer

warnings: cyclist!reader x shiratorizawa (platonic), angst, reader is basically an aomine kinnie but with a little twist.

You thought you swore the day you started hating cycling would be the day the world ended, but look at where you stand now.

You closed the gap of opposing cyclists and widened it by 60 meters. Victory was at the pedal of your feet and everyone in the venue expected that you would stand on the 1st podium. When you only needed a few more pedals to the finish line and attain another medal and trophy to litter your house and room with, you stopped.

You slowed down, making spectators wonder why, it could have been fatigue and leg cramps, to which they let out disappointed sighs. You purposely slowed down, took a deep breath before letting out a long sigh.

"What are you doing?! The finish line's right here!"

"You can do it!!!"

People were yelling left to right, it started getting annoying. It no longer felt exciting to hear praises or "go for it" and "you can do it" cheers, nor did the look of the finish line getting nearer give you an adrenaline rush.

This was just pitiful. In the middle of a race, too!

The cyclist you sprinted your heart out with just a few minutes ago, whom you'd surpassed, passed by you instead. They didn't have their head up with a wide grin etched on their face, no, they had it turned to you as they finished first with a frown, out of seeming frustration but also worry.

As other cyclists pass by you, it no longer seemed exciting for them to stand before the stage to hear the awards ceremony. They felt insulted by your little show, like what, were you that great that you decided you didn't need another few medals and trophies because your house is basically filled with them?

Fortunately, they didn't hate you too much. Okay, maybe one did.

The three new faces who stand at the stage don't have a smile. They wanted to win fair and square, not be spared by you stopping just at two meters or three away from the finish line. It wouldn't have too much of a negative effect if you won either way, a huge grin etched on your face as you show off to the public, but no, neither happened. You didn't even look sad about losing, but I mean, you lost on purpose. So there's no point in acting sad about that.

"There are a few clubs and sports teams which still accept second and third years," Wakatoshi, your brother, said. Hoping that you would ask about Shiratorizawa's cycling team and announce that you would join.

"That's great but I know what you're thinking. I'm going to quit cycling anyway. Or, well, I have already quit. I'm going to spend my third year studying and getting into a good college." Stretching your long limbs, ultimately hitting his, and stood from the dining area.

"Is that really what you want?" He asked, a little worried about your statement. With the way you nodded so surely, he thought something bad was going to follow that his head started aching and his gut started twisting. Something was definitely going to happen.

Is it a storm? What if the house burns down? Even worse, what if he ends up quitting volleyball because he stopped loving it too? That thought scared him badly and he shook his head, making the ache worsen.

You soon disappeared from the ground floor of the house, now possibly in your room. Wakatoshi continued arranging a few papers before cooking dinner, as it is his turn this week.

"The gym is near the baseball field. You can barge inside, just try not to make a scene with any of the girls, especially, in the court." Wakatoshi reminded you again before you two separated ways. With him heading to his class and with you heading to yours, which was a few classrooms after his.

Your first day at Shiratorizawa went by rather quick. With absolutely nothing relating to cycling coming up, it didn't feel so long. For the first time, you weren't reeking of sweat and your peers weren't complaining about you and your love for your bike. Nobody was trying to assume weird shit like, "You're definitely in love, like romantically, with your bike. I bet you–" Yeah, things like that. But that just shows how much you loved your sport. Probably.

For the first time, you didn't come back from lunch with any tire marks. You weren't dirty and you still smelled fresh, like you had just gotten out of the shower.

Now that you think about it, it did hurt a little not to have any friends who would talk as passionately as you with cycling. You made a few friends in your class, but none of them made comments about how much you grew over the course of two weeks all because of your intense workout and how long you cycle a day, but of course, there's no way for them to make such comments.

They did ask about your height, how you reached 6' and if you were related to Wakatoshi.

"I used to cycle back then, had this crazy intense workout routine that I follow every single day, I also cycled every day. I swam a bit, as well, which helped me increase my height. And yes, Wakatoshi is my brother."

They errupted in ohh's and ahh's but nobody asked further.

Soon, it was the end of the day at school. You helped clean up the classroom and the halls before wandering around the school, making it your mission to memorize everything before walking to the volleyball gym Wakatoshi allowed you to loiter at.

But before you could enter, you caught a glimpse of the baseball field and after the baseball field was a track course for cyclists. Of course, you still loved cycling, you just stopped for a little while, and of course, you had to check it out.

@midoriima this was written about a year and a half ago maybe? i regret not putting the dates 😭 i started getting back into yowamushi pedal and became obsessed so i integrated that new passion with my all time faves: haikyuu.

#(sy - 物語)#inspired by: yowamushi pedal #platonic #shiratorizawa #shiratorizawa x reader #ushijima x reader #tendou x reader #semi x reader #shirabu x reader #goshiki x reader #yamagata x reader #reon x reader

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pallastrology · 29 days

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april notes

artwork by maurice hagemans

i feel like march has been really intense... anyone else? i think the aqua/pisces/aries mix can be tough, and with the coming of spring it's a very impactful time of year. anyway, april starts out with the moon trine mercury, in sagittarius and aries. this is a nice transit, though very fast; your feelings and thoughts work together harmoniously to find the heart of the matter. complementing this is venus, which is currently conjunct neptune in ephemeral pisces, and sextile uranus in collected taurus. two very nice aspects here, bringing some much-needed calm and compassion to us before the storm that is mercury going retrograde hits. for general advice on mercury retrograde, see this post! throughout the first week of april, the moon will join pluto in aquarius. coupled with mercury in retrograde, i would say be cautious; not scared, but collect yourself and your thoughts before you speak up. don't go in blindly and don't give into your every desire. venus soon ingresses into aries, which can make it harder to ignore those desires, especially when the moon forms a conjunction. while it's good to chase your dreams, remember to stay grounded!

when the moon joins mercury in aries, we might be feeling pent up and ready to blow. if you can, look for an outlet that doesn't involve direct communication with others, unless you have a trusted person you can vent to knowing that they really get you. it's a good time to exercise or go hiking if you're into it, to burn off some frustration and clear your head. the new moon in aries on the 8th can amplify these struggles. again, i would say, do something physical (i like to clean my house around the new moon, it's a good workout and helps me feel calmer and less chaotic), and refine (or start to form) your plans. don't necessarily make any huge leaps right now though. later on, mars joins saturn to form a conjunction in pisces; this placement signifies immense inner strength and endurance. this is a good time to remind yourself that you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, and to be proud of how hard you are working to achieve your goals. it may bring up issues of balance, however; are you a workaholic? are you not putting in the effort/resources you could be? some reflection and a plan might be useful if you're feeling unbalanced.

later in the month, jupiter joins uranus in taurus. watch out for overindulgence and impulsivity! that being said, you've been working very hard, and it's okay to enjoy the fruits of your labour. just remember to appreciate the little things too, and not get caught up in sudden dreams and desires that, ultimately, steer you away from your goals. on the 20th, the sun ingresses into taurus, and we arrive at ox station! it's time to focus on our values and self-worth, our home life and environment, our work ethic and spending (or saving) habits, and take some time to enjoy the sweeter side of life. a little treat can go a long way, but let's stay focused. the sun square pluto in aquarius puts a bit of dampener on an otherwise warm and inviting transit, but it's nothing to fear; squares indicate a power struggle, yes, but they also indicate a lot of energy. how you channel that energy is up to you.

the full moon on the 24th could be quite tense, as pluto in aquarius makes it a t-square. while stress and tension aren't pleasant sensations or states to be in, this full moon could be a kind of catalyst moment; we often think of the full lunar phase as a time of release and reflection, and i think this will hold very true here. i'm personally expecting to feel like a wreck by this point, but often, for me at least, those "breaking point" moments help me gain clarity and rearrange what isn't working, or what's causing me stress. i hope that your full moon won't be stressful, but if it is, try doing something relaxing and just giving yourself the space to feel what you need to.

right at the end of the month, venus ingresses into taurus, which is a very comfortable placement. this transit asks us to lighten the load a little bit and get creative in life; to enjoy ourselves and find the balance between work and pleasure. to value ourselves the way we do our loved ones, and to build trust in ourselves and our inner circles. trust goes both ways of course, so we are tasked with being honest and reliable this month. wishing you all the best, as always.

#pallastrology #astrology #astrology blog #astrology posts #astro community #transits #april 2024 transits

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estcaligo · 6 months

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thoughts on sebek x chenya and sebek x vil? this is mostly sponsored by my LOVE of purple and green together but also vil and sebek both judge others appearances harshly. while chenya would have a blast messing with the poor crocodile.

Ah yes purple and green! Not the easiest colour combination. But I love it yes! What comes to mind is Maleficent and purple cabbage/broccoli salad lol

Anyway

X Chenya???

This is hilarious omg. Sebek can't have a single normal day, can he? Worrying about Waka-sama, carrying Silver back to the dorm, Master Lilia keeps sharing his wisdom messing with him...and now Chenya?? Some local cats already cause him enough stress (Leona won't show respect to the Illustrious one! Lucius must disrupt silence during the lectures, and Grim causing troubles every day! And now one more cat??

hdshjkds but seriously though it's so cute.

Imagine

Sebek was diligently cleaning the stables after the club practice when, unexpectedly, a storm broke out. So he just had to wait inside. It was getting really cold and he eventually found himself shivering. Then suddenly Chenya appeared (he was looking for Riddle) and stumbled upon poor crocodile. So he wrapped his fluffy tail around his neck.....And they fell asleep like that :3 (it was a long storm) Riddle and Silver found them in the morning, curled up on a pile of hay :3 mm but considering this post, they may not have just slept together >:)

But mostly Chenya just messes with Sebek yes haha

x Vil??

MMMmmmm delicious 🤌

Started absolutely love this ship after the 2nd Sam's New Year Sale event and Sebek's New Year card!

But I wouldn't say that Sebek harshly judges others' appearances in general? I think it's rooted in his dedication to maintain a perfect image in Waka-sama's presence (if you're around Waka-sama or even mention his name 🙃 you must look impeccable)

The way Sebek styles his hair is likely heavily influenced by Baul, who shares a similar hairstyle? And he definitely played a huge role in instilling in Sebek the belief that this particular hairstyle is a reflection of how a Royal Guard must present themselves (certainly not Lilia lol)

As for clothes, Sebek himself says that he doesn't care much about such things, and he simply wears what is necessary. (one of his Dorm Uniform Card lines, translation by @mysteryshoptls)

And even if he takes time to decorate his clothes, he does it only to pay tribute to Waka-sama, his homeland, and other significant aspects of his life (e.g. his Outdoor wear's and Union Jacket's patches). (Union Birthday voice line, from @mysteryshoptls 's translation here)

Ok, I can go on an on haha, let's go back to VilSebe

I absolutely love to imagine a certain dialog between them when they were working at Sam's New Year Sale together. Imagine they're on a break and doing some hair adjustments in front of the mirror.

"Sebek, I admit I am quite surprised - we've been working quite hastily, and you've been running back and forth since early morning, and yet your hair looks perfect and still...to think about it, it always looks like this, even in Flying class. You must use a really nice fixative spray" Vil said curiously.

"HMPH! OF COURSE I DO, HUMAN" Sebek huffed.

"As a retainer of LORD MALLEUS I make sure I don't bring shame upon his name!"

"Ah yes...Malleus, right..." Vil sighed, knowing where this goes.

"I make sure I look ABSOLUTELY PERFECT" Sebek continued, ignoring Vil's now less interested expression.

"So, in order to ensure NOT A SINGLE HAIR is out of order, it isn't just fixative spray, but THE STRONGEST hair gel I was able to acquire!" he proudly puffed his chest and pulled out a small acid green bottle with a lightning bolt on it.

And at that very moment, the world might have lost one of the most beautiful models and actors because Vil nearly had a heart attack.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND??????!!!!" He grabbed the bottle out of Sebek's hand and squeezed his shoulder, eyes burning with rage and despair.

"Listen to me closely, cucumber. If you don't want to lose all your hair and become bald by the age of 30, NEVER ever use this thing again, do you understand me?" he was speaking slowly, making sure each word would reach Sebek's consciousness.

The green-haired man was taken aback for a few seconds but then regained his composure and shook off senior's hand.

"Vil-senpai, what are you talking about?! I must maintain the perfect image of Waka-sama's guard so I-"

Vil puts his hand over Sebek's mouth, silencing him, and leans closer, looking right into his eyes.

"I will hear no objections. This thing goes into the rubbish bin, now. You're a good-looking man, Sebek, and I cannot allow you to abuse your natural looks. If you truly want to look perfect for your King, I will teach you then..."

.......

So Vil started teaching Sebek about all these things, what is harmful, what is useless etc. :)

Ah, love them beauté 100 points!

#clg:quaerunt #sebek zigvolt #twisted wonderland #twst chenya #vil shoenheit

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polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup · 8 months

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in nhthcth do you have the ‘elias kidnapped jon’ reveal already planned? if so how close are we to it? every time you post a new chapter, i come up with a new reveal in my mind, you rly have me writing mental fanfiction for a fanfiction :/

I had all of nhthcth planned for a while before I ever started posting it. There’s been a few things that changed and developed more during the writing process itself, but all of the major plot points and narrative beats were decided and set for over a year before the first chapter went up. I was actually biting my nails during the finale of tma because I walked in like “how badly is this going to invalidate my fanfiction plans.”

Unfortunately, as a rule, I don’t really disclose whether certain plot points are going to exist/when they’re coming, because there’s a lot of people who follow me for nhthcth and I don’t want anyone to get spoilers they don’t want. But so y’all can get a (spoiler free) sense of nhthcth’s general shape and size:

Act I: Introduction (Jon’s Initial Kidnapping-Tim’s Employment) — Completed.

Act II: Conflict Set Up (Circus Conflict Begins-Redacted) — You Are Here/Almost Completed.

Act III: Name/Details Redacted (even the name spoils too much)

Act IV: Whoo Boy There’s A Big Storm Coming Arc

Act V: Climax

Act VI: Finale

As you can see this thing is fucking huge, which is one of the reasons I was really hesitant about posting it. It’s honestly more three separate stories (Jon’s childhood storyline, 2013 storyline, and Redacted) in a trench coat that all feed into each other. Currently, we haven’t even started what one of those stories are and are only partway through the other two. I was a bit worried about committing to that big of a project, but I loved Jon and Gerry’s story arc specifically so much that I decided to try and tackle it anyway, and I’m enormously glad I did.

But I’ll be on this ride for a while, and I’m extremely grateful to the people who have been riding along with me. It’s going to take a while to get to the end, both because there’s just so much story left to go and because I need to take breaks from writing it every now and then to let my brain chew on other stories. We’re definitely going to make it all the way, though. I have no plans on abandoning this no matter how long it takes to finish. This is probably one of my favorite stories I’ve ever come up with and it’s been really great to share in this community of people who like it too.

Thank you for reading and enjoying nhthcth! Have a good rest of your day!

#nhthcth #I cannot fucking wait for act iv tho y’all #it’s my favorite part of the story

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lurkingshan · 1 year

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Inspired by @waitmyturtles and @nieves-de-sugui, sharing my journey through BL! Putting this under a read more because I really found a lot of words on this topic. Feel free to skim at will - now that you got me going I have a lot to say!

First, a bit of background. Three big interests of mine really converged to make BL kind of a perfect storm for me:

Romance: I have been an avid consumer of romance stories as far as back as I can remember. When I was a kid I would read several books a week and before I even hit my tween years I always gravitated to the romance genre. Add in film and television and it's safe to say I haven't gone a week of my life without consuming some form of a story about two people falling in love. It is absolutely my shit.

Asian dramas: More recent but no less intense an obsession for me. I watched my first kdrama in 2019 - my favorite gossip blogger (shoutout to Lainey) was constantly posting about a drama on Netflix (It's Okay Not to Be Okay). So I decided to try it out and I instantly fell in love. Kdramas are written nearly exclusively by women, they respect romance as a genre, and they cater to female audiences. It was unlike anything I ever experienced watching Western media. I started watching them more frequently, then when the pandemic hit I found myself with a ton of time at home and a fun new focus issue, and watching dramas with subtitles was a huge help.

Fandom: Since I was a teen I was always kind of hopping in and around internet fandom. When I like something, I like to enjoy it with others and find community around shared interests. And when I'm frustrated with media, I really like to dig into that and explore ways to fix it, so I became an avid fanfic reader, as well. Fandom to fandom my level of involvement varied - sometimes I just lurk around fandom spaces, sometimes I actually develop a presence, and in one instance I even got deeply involved in a fandom community to the point where I was posting meta, writing fic, and leading fan activities.

ANYWAY, after that long preamble, I come to the point: Because I was so into kdramas, and had watched/read a lot of Western QL romances, when I saw Where Your Eyes Linger pop up on my Viki recommendations I clicked on it. I liked it, and immediately wanted to understand more about it, because it was the first kdrama I had ever seen with a same sex pairing, and the format was so different. So I did a bit of research, and that was the first time I ever heard of BL. I was a little mind blown - there's a whole genre of QL romances in Asia??? So of course I set out to find more. I did a general search and the first thing I found was 2gether. This was June of 2021, so it was already about a year following the initial frenzy of that show, but it was still hugely popular and there was fan content about it everywhere. So I journeyed to YouTube to watch it, and that was my introduction to Thai BL and the wider genre.

From there I started looking for guidance on what to watch, and because of my time in various fandoms tumblr was always a go-to place where I knew I could find other people watching whatever obscure thing I was into. I found @absolutebl quickly and started reading their history and analysis posts on the genre. That was when it really sunk in for me how much culture and history there was to dig into, and I was really intrigued by the different styles and industries of each country. So I started working my way through their lists of the top 10 BLs from each country and it all just kind of spiraled from there.

I will not go into detail about every show I watched, but a few highlights:

TharnType: This was the first high heat BL I ever saw, and because I came over from kdramas, the first high heat Asian show I had seen, period. This show is messy and the writing was a hilarious hodgepodge of strong character work alongside absurd plotting and what I came to learn was typical Mame problematic content, but the chemistry between the leads was off the charts. It really set the bar for me in that respect, and got me looking for other examples (which at that time were mostly from Taiwan).

Theory of Love: This one inspires mixed opinions in fandom, but for me it was the first time I realized a Thai BL could not only be fun, but also good (no disrespect to other early Thai BLs but... yeah lol). There was a coherent emotional narrative arc! Smart story structure! Believable character development and earned redemption! Good actors! This one set me on a path to find the good stuff.

I Told Sunset About You: Which led me to ITSAY, the drama that convinced me BL could also be high cinema and art. This show blew me way, honestly. And got me more interested in finding the other more cinematic entries in the genre, which I mostly found from Japan.

The Untamed: When I saw this one on the list for China, I was like wait why have I heard of that? The Untamed/Mo Dao Zu Shi is one of those fandoms that is so big and ubiquitous, anyone who spends time online will have heard of it long before they know what it actually is. This show opened up a bunch of new fixations for me - a new all-time fav character, an introduction to cdramas and the xianxia/wuxia genres, and the discovery of Chinese web novels. It's a very expansive universe with a lot going on outside the romance, unlike most BLs. Which I guess can be good or bad, depending on your perspective.

Bad Buddy + Semantic Error: These are the shows I credit for fully sucking me into the BL fandom on tumblr. Before BB aired, I was just kind of lurking about (it’s right there in the handle, fam) checking a few blogs periodically for recommendations and watching shows at my own pace. But BB and then SE caused such a frenzy that I decided to start watching them live and checking tumblr every week for reactions. I found more excellent blogs (like @bengiyo @negrowhat @laowen @liyazaki) that were posting not only BB and SE content but also commentary about other shows. Eventually I gave in and created a new tumblr account so I could actually follow them instead of going to their blogs on web browser like a weirdo, and my participation in fandom escalated predictably from there.

By early 2022 I had pretty much caught up on most of the history of the genre (though not everything - I refuse to watch Waterboyyy, I do have some standards) and developed a fairly solid understanding of the cultural context around it. I then started trying to keep up with new shows. As a cishet, it wasn’t the thrill of representation that drew me into the genre as much as the thrill of finding a genre that brought together so many of my favorite things, combined with the excitement of seeing the community grow and getting the chance to learn so much from the brilliant people who were watching these shows. Checking reactions to airing shows became a weekly habit, and my watchlist kept getting longer and longer. I learned about which platforms I should be watching on and where to direct my $$ to support the genre. And I heard about so many shows I never would have known existed without this community.

So that’s me! If you made it to the end of this post you are a true champion. Thanks for inviting the conversation @waitmyturtles - it was fun to reflect!

#shan’s journey through BL #more than anyone wanted to know #shan shouts into the void

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hockey-prose · 2 years

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smh game night

my brain wouldn’t leave me alone until i put these thoughts down in a post but it’s 4 am and will probably be incoherent. anyway. (woke up this morning to finish this up, tired as hell but i’ll be thinking of this at work today, i just know it.) also i’m tagging @absolutepie because i feel like you’d think of more funny scenarios and as mutuals, i have to respect your craft lmao

so the smh gang are all spread out on the east coast. none of them are very far from one another, but sometimes on the weeks where bitty’s had a lot of trouble with the cook book and the publishing company and ugh!! and jack has been having a rough week with the falcs (not his teammates but sometimes his self doubt gets the better of him. his therapist says healing isn’t a straight line and he feels marginally better) shitty has law school by the throat but when the weekend comes, maybe he just wants to relax on the couch with lardo and her big ass electric sketch machine (he should really learn the name of it so he can buy her a new compatible pen for christmas)

LONG STORY SHORT: they try to have game nights every weekend either at jack and bitty’s or at haus 2.0 with the frogs, the taddies, and even the waffles get an invitation, though they’re still a little occupied with school. ollie and wicks (love them) can rarely make it but always dominate the night. but sometimes work and personal life gets in the way and not everyone wants to put in the effort to travel a couple hours for a game night. it’s reasonable!

so, the smh gang proposes online game nights. they start on skype, which is a disaster.

(“jesus fuckin christ jack, i thought you had the fastest internet known to man and yet bitty is still a minute behind on everything.”

“it’s not my fault, shits. i’m not god of the wifi router.”

“well, you should be.”)

then they migrate to discord for a little bit, but it’s not user friendly for everyone. nobody talks about the summer of 2019 when jack cursed up a storm trying to get the microphone out of push-to-talk mode when it wasn’t even in push-to-talk.

and so it’s not long before everyone is locked inside and forced to use zoom for everything anyway. but it’s better than skype for connection reasons, and easier than discord for technology reasons, so it’s good.

so the game changes every week. sometimes it’s a huge game of uno online that doesn’t make much sense. other times it’s a tense battle of go fish on one of those sketchy websites where you don’t really trust it but when there’s nothing else!

honestly they could just get a couple games for the gaming consoles they have, but then everyone would have to shill out the money for said consoles if they don’t have them and it’s not worth the time. everyone has a computer or at the very least, a laptop that can run both zoom and go fish at the same time.

but one week, it’s bitty’s turn to pick the game they play. and he has a good idea. so good, he doesn’t even reveal what it is until the night of when everyone is eagerly waiting. when bitty shares his screen and starts playing the ‘shark tank’ music, everyone gets hyped. (tv show where small businesses and/or potential businesses pitch their product in front of a panel of judges to see if they want to invest in the product.)

bitty distributes a starter of $10,000 to four people in the call and tells them that they’re the investors (the sharks). shitty, jack, nursey, and holster are the sharks. people lose their shit when bitty asks for certain members of the crew to give their pitches. lardo, chowder, whiskey, and ransom are the people giving pitches.

lardo obviously wins the first round, and then a second one starts up, with a sweeping victory from whiskey. everyone is clambering for a chance to be both a shark and a pitcher, but by then, it’s the end of the set hours for game night and everyone has to sign off. but bitty says that the next time his week to choose the game, he’ll do this again with different people as the sharks and pitchers.

soon there’s a tally in the haus 4.0 group chat about who has the most wins. lardo is first, with dex behind her, ford in third place, then ransom and holster tied for fourth. if ollie and wicks showed up more, they’d be higher on the list. jack is near the bottom, while bitty is directly in the middle.

the people who win the week before get to be the sharks. they decide the winner on who has the most approval from the sharks. there are four sharks, so it’s majority. if only two sharks invest, it depends on what other people have been given. the money that’s decided on is given to the people immediately as a rolling fund so that they can participate next game night.

lardo has been a shark almost the entire time, but she greatly enjoys critiquing nursery’s work in particular because he has such fantastical ideas with no way to execute them. dex always goes to simple. chowder is a good player and he’s been a shark a couple times, but he really, honestly, enjoys pitching a lot. bitty likes being a shark, but he invests in everyone so his money is always so low. jack invests in no one besides bitty and sometimes shitty. ransom and holster invest in each other’s things. shitty has been a shark maybe twice because his products are batshit crazy. (love you shitty)

shitty likes to think he’s a good persuader outside of being a lawyer but it never works out in his favor. dex, chowder, ransom, and lardo are the best pitchers for their products. bitty is a close one, but sometimes his products are more just what he dreams up that he needs to assist him in the kitchen. nursey, holster, and shitty go for the humor route.

because they’re all friends, they can rag on each other’s products and ideas so much without getting any feelings hurt. i’m thinking the smh gang works much like the jenna julien podcast when they play this game where if it’s shitty pitching to lardo, she’ll automatically say she’s out before he can even finish because his product is either a pun or just bad. the zoom is overrun with yelling and arguing, but at the end of the night, everyone says they had a lot of fun.

i have no conclusion to this. but i think i got all my thoughts out. if i have more, i’ll reblog this and add on but for now, thank you for your time lmao.

#zimbits #omgcp #check please #jack zimmermann #eric bittle #jack laurent zimmermann #check please fanfiction #omg check please #nurseydex #larissa duan #shitty knight #justin ransom oluransi #adam holster birkholtz #derek nurse #william poindexter #chris chow

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stranger-marauders · 2 years

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fractured

thirteen: the junkyard

chapter summary: Will has a plan to stop the shadow monster. Steve gives Dustin advice about girls.

chapter warnings: language, relationship issues

word count: 2.5k

series masterlist | masterlist

STEVE APPRECIATED THE fact that he was wearing gloves as he threw meat chunks on the ground. He and Dustin, after leaving his car on the side of the road near the train tracks, had decided to leave a trail of raw meat chunks to the junkyard so they could trap Dart again. Of course, they had tried to pass the time of their journey along the railroad tracks by talking to one another.

Somehow, the origin story of Dart had come up. Once Dustin had told him that Dart had originally been his pet Pollywog, whatever the hell that was, so he could impress this new girl at school that he liked, Steve immediately became confused.

"All right, so let me get this straight," Steve started, looking at Dustin in front of him. "You kept something you knew was probably dangerous in order to impress a girl who… who you just met?"

"All right, that's grossly oversimplifying things," Dustin responded.

"I mean, why would a girl like some nasty slug anyway? I have a friend who's a girl whose favorite author is Stephen… Kane, or whatever his name is, and she'd think that's disgusting."

"An interdimensional slug? Because it's awesome." Dustin shook his head. "And if your friend likes Stephen King that much, she'd think it's awesome, too."

"Well, even if this girl you're talking about thought it was cool, which she didn't, I… I just… I don't know. I just feel like you're trying way too hard."

"Well, not everyone can have your perfect hair, all right?" Dustin replied.

"It's not about the hair, man. The key with girls is just… just acting like you don't care."

"Even if you do?"

"Yeah, exactly. It drives them nuts," Steve explained.

Of course, Steve had absolutely no idea that it didn't actually have his desired effect on them. He was correct in his analysis that acting like you didn't care did drive girls insane, but it wasn't in a good way. Kate, for example, would've flipped out if she would've heard him say that to Dustin, mostly because his advice had been so wrong—it drove them nuts because it was annoying.

"Then what?"

"You just wait until, uh… until you feel it."

"Feel what?" Dustin asked.

"It's like before it's gonna storm, you know? You can't see it, but you can feel it, like this, uh… electricity, you know?"

"Oh, like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds in the atmosphere—"

"No, no, no, no, no. Like a… Like a sexual electricity."

"Oh."

Steve pointed to Dustin. "You feel that and then you make your move."

"So that's when you kiss her?"

"No, woah, woah, woah. Slow down, Romeo," Steve started. "Sure, okay, some girls, yeah, they want you to be aggressive. You know, strong, hot and heavy, like a… I don't know, like a lion. But others, you gotta be slow, you gotta be stealthy, like a… like a ninja."

"What type is Nancy?" Dustin asked.

"She's different. Kathy's different than other girls."

Dustin hesitated to say anything about his slip-up. "Uh, Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"I asked about Nancy."

"I said Nancy."

Dustin smiled. "Actually, you said Kathy. Which I'm assuming is Kate Hopper, who I happen to know is a huge Stephen King fan?"

Steve stifled a laugh awkwardly, quickly trying to play off his mistake. "Now it sounds like you're the one who wants to talk about her."

"Me? Kate?" Dustin laughed as Steve gave him a confused look. "While Kate is awesome, she's not my type."

Not his type? How could Kate not be his type? Steve hadn't realized his expression currently came off as slightly offended rather than unreadable like he thought he was being.

"Don't get me wrong, she's a complete badass with all the guns and shit, but she's a little old for me, you know?" He then turned to Steve. "For you, on the other hand…"

"I'm… not having this conversation with you," Steve replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, come on! She's so cool," Dustin said, trying to make him feel better. "What girl do you know likes Star Wars that much? She's definitely special."

"Who, Kate?" He smiled just thinking about her, stifling a laugh. If by special Dustin meant that she could give him a thirty-minute-long lecture about Queen's discography, more specifically about how Hot Space was, objectively, the worst Queen album ever and The Works had been better than anything she could have ever imagined after that "flaming piece of shit" (that she still liked songs off of, obviously, "because it's Queen, Steve"), then yes, Kate Hopper was special. "Yeah. Yeah, she is."

"Is she the reason why you were going to break up with Nancy?"

Steve hesitated. He hadn’t really thought about it that way. It wasn’t like he would’ve broken up with her if it wasn’t for the fight they’d had on Halloween and the fight they’d had the next day. He didn’t know if that made it better or worse, but he knew that he hadn’t been the one to start either of the fights, to begin with. Nancy had been the one to call him bullshit, Nancy had been the one to run off with Jonathan, and now, Steve was going to be the one to break things off with her permanently. It wasn’t like it was just for Kate: Nancy was in love with Jonathan, too. “Yeah, we kinda broke up on Halloween, kid. I was just, uh… making it official, okay?”

"For Kate?"

He hesitated again. "It… It's complicated."

"I saw the second bouquet of roses in your car last night," Dustin replied.

"Look, it's not like that, okay?" Steve sighed. "I've liked her for a really, really long time, and I just really messed it up by dating Nancy. Like, really messed it up." He sighed again. "I had it planned perfectly, too."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Steve started. “I was gonna go to her house, tell her how I feel, hope she didn’t reject me, and… and I was gonna take her to that new place because Benny’s used to always be our thing, and now it’s gone, and then I was gonna take her to—” He cut himself off. He’d been rambling about Kate when they weren’t even supposed to be talking about him and her. “This isn’t about me, man, what about your girl?”

While he had been caught rambling about her, Dustin could tell Steve wasn’t entirely comfortable with talking about how he was absolutely in love with Kate Hopper yet. He thought for now he would entertain him by talking about “his girl” again. “I don’t know, it’s just, like, something about her.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey.” Steve stopped in his tracks, a piece of meat still in his hand.

“What?”

“You’re not falling in love with this girl, are you?” he asked, throwing the piece of raw meat down on the ground.

“Uh, no. No.”

“Okay, good. Don’t,” Steve said, turning to walk again.

“I won’t.”

“She’s only gonna break your heart, and you’re way too young for that shit.” They both continued to walk in silence until Steve finally murmured something. “Fabergé.”

“What?”

He pointed to his hair. “It’s Fabergé Organics. Use the shampoo and the conditioner, and when your hair’s damp, it’s not wet, okay, when it’s damp…”

“Damp,” Dustin repeated.

“You do four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray.”

Dustin could hardly stop himself from laughing, his smile showing. “Farrah Fawcett spray?”

“Yeah, Farrah Fawcett.” He turned to the boy, stopping in his tracks. “You tell anyone I just told you that and your ass is grass. You’re dead, Henderson. Do you understand?”

“Yup,” Dustin said, nodding.

Steve sighed slightly, then nodded before continuing to walk along the railroad tracks. “Okay.”

Somehow, Steve knew that his secret would be safe with Dustin. He finally saw what Kate had seen in those boys from the moment she met them. Maybe the kids weren’t so bad, after all.

While her father smoked outside, Kate sat with Mike, Bob, and Joyce in Will’s room, playing with the blue hair tie on her wrist.

As she waited for her dad to come back, she thought about El. She still hadn’t had a chance to tell him about her being missing with all the chaos of what had happened to them in the past day. She had thought about trying to tell him in some type of code that she was gone, but the only way she could’ve thought of that wouldn’t raise too much attention was call her “Lima,” which was the NATO code for the letter “L.” She, however, completely brushed off that idea whenever she realized that the people inside the lab definitely also knew the NATO phonetic alphabet. It wasn’t like there was much opportunity to tell her father about El anyway, especially since everyone in the lab knew about Eleven and thought she was dead. The second that anyone in that lab knew El was still alive somewhere, they would do anything to get her back. Kate was smarter than to risk mentioning her right now.

Kate could only hope that wherever she was, she was safe, and that she would come back to them.

“What the hell is taking so long?” Joyce asked.

“Hey… Doctors take forever, always. Just try and relax. Just be patient.”

Joyce exhaled heavily as the monitor beeped, sighing. “You know, I just…” She stepped outside and tried to walk down the hall to the double doors that were currently guarded by two soldiers. They both tried to stop her as she tried to break through. “No, I… Let me through. Let me through!”

“You know we can’t do that,” a guard replied to her as they held her back. It hadn’t been much effort, considering how much taller they were than her.

“I need to talk to—”

“He’ll be with you shortly.”

“You said that an hour ago!” Joyce shouted back.

As Bob tried to pull her back, Mike and Kate only watched them from the comfort of the room.

Mike, however, quickly found something in the room much more interesting. “Will.”

No reply.

“Will?”

Nothing.

Finally, he tapped the boy, calling “Will?” once again, and he quickly sprung out to sit up in bed, almost as if he’d been woken suddenly.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurting again?”

Will shuddered. “I… I saw something.”

“In your now-memories?” Kate asked.

He nodded in response, moving in closer to Mike. “The shadow monster.” Kate looked back to Mike for only a second before looking to Will again. “I think I know how to stop him.”

When Steve had looked over the junkyard Dustin had taken him to, he nodded, wearing the stupid but expensive sunglasses he’d bought for his Risky Business costume for Halloween. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, this will do. This will do just fine. Good call, dude.”

Steve didn’t see the younger boy smile behind him.

They continued to drop the raw meat, finally making a large pile and ending their trail as someone from the distance shouted, “I said medium-well!”

Steve and Dustin looked up to find Lucas Sinclair and a girl Steve had never met before. She had been pale, her hair ginger colored. She seemed less than impressed to be there, that’s for sure.

“Who’s that?” he asked as they got closer to Lucas and the girl, but just by the look on Dustin’s face, he knew exactly who it was.

It was the girl Dustin had been talking to him about earlier.

Steve, while not talking to her as they set up for the night they were about to have, found that she was much more helpful than either Dustin or Lucas. Whenever he’d finally found them, hiding behind a car in the junkyard and talking about something, he clanked a metal chair on the trunk of the abandoned vehicle to get their attention. “Hey! Dickheads! How come the only one helping me out is this random girl? We lose light in forty minutes. Let’s go.” When neither of them moved, he spoke more firmly. “Let’s go, I said!”

“All right, asshole! God!”

“Okay! Stupid.”

Steve only shook his head as the two insulted him—he was in for a long night.

Will studied the photographs placed in front of him.

The photographs had all come from the vines Will had drawn in the couple of days before that one, all connecting together just like they did in Joyce’s house. However, with this version, all the photographs fit on the table that they had Will stand in front of, making the map much easier to look at. While Dr. Owens had hope for him, the other doctors seemed more than displeased.

“Sam, this is ludicrous.”

“Just give him a moment, okay?” Dr. Owens replied.

“We don’t have time—”

“Hey, asshole, why don’t you do us all a favor and shut up, okay?” Hopper asked bitterly. It was like he didn’t even care about hiding his discontent with these people.

The doctor shut him a disgusted look, but before he could reply, Will stood up from his chair and pointed to a spot in one of the many pictures that had appeared to be a big blob in the middle of the tunnels. “That’s it.”

“That’s what?” Dr. Owens asked. “What… What’s there, Will?”

“I don’t know,” he responded. not only was his tone unreadable, but his expression, too. “I just know he doesn’t want me to see there. I think it’s important.”

Dr. Owens and Hopper made eye contact with each other, and Kate knew what was about to happen—they were prepared to look at its Upside Down counterpart.

As men suited up in Hawkins Lab to begin the march to the place Will spoke of, Steve and the other kids prepared for the night ahead in the junkyard against Dart.

Kate watched with her father as the soldiers were lowered into the abyss, and Steve poured a line of gasoline from the pile of meat to the bus in the junkyard. Both of them only hoped that the other was safe, hoped they weren’t dealing with the troubles of the Upside Down once again. They both, however, were wrong: of course they were both wrapped up in this shit again.

“Let’s see if this kid’s a wizard or a schizo, Doc.”

Hopper covered his face with his hand as Kate sighed at the offhand comment from a doctor as the soldiers began their journey.

“First tunnel on your right, gentlemen.”

Kate watched the radar for the soldiers, the yellow dots moving across the Upside Down.

She had a bad feeling about this.

next chapter

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