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crappymixtape · 8 months

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touch me, babe

REQUEST → 500 follower celebration, @steveharringtonscarkeys • personal prompt: 🧡 with stevie boy :) a couple details consist of; i'm a ginger w/ curly hair, am really into 70's music and play electric guitar! | ( 3.1k – sprinkles of fluff, mostly smut, friends to lovers, steve x reader )

T O U C H M E, B A B E 🎶 i can't get my head around you, billie marten

Come on, come on, come on. Now touch me, babe. What was that promise that you made? Why won't you tell me what she said?

Scratchy, electric riffs buzzed through the thick, stormy summer air. Catching on the too-hot breeze that blew in through Steve’s open window. Carrying like they always did out your open garage door and tangling up with your voice as it wrapped around each note.

Steve thought Jim Morrison didn’t have shit on you.

Swinging a leg out over the window ledge he leaned back against the wood frame and let the sound wash over him. Plucked guitar strings, static rubbing against the lyrics, tractors pulling discs through the field over the fence and the constant hum of his pool filter. Clouds stretched across the wide, darkening expanse of the Indiana sky, towering high overhead and threatening rain.

A sliver of warm light fell out onto the street from the fringe lamp he knew was sitting next to your amp on the floor. He could picture your fingers pressing and sliding up and down the fret board. Cherry red guitar held tight against your body. Messy, strawberry curls falling loose from the tie you’d twisted them up into.

A car sped past and cut through the beam of gold, making it flicker against the pavement, and Steve felt the tiny embers in his chest catch fire as you reached the chorus.

Now, I’m going to love you ‘til the heavens stop the rain. I'm going to love you ‘til the stars fall from the sky, for you and I.

He pictured your lips pressed against the mic, body swaying along with the music, the long sweep of your lashes fanning out across your cheeks as you closed your eyes during the parts you really felt. The parts you loved to sing most.

Come on, come on, come on. Now touch me, babe. What was that promise that you made? Why won't you tell me what she said?

Steve bit the inside of his cheek between his teeth.

Debating.

The embers in his chest licking at his ribs.

What are you waiting for?

Pushing himself off the ledge he ducked back into his room and ran down the stairs taking them by twos. The dirty Blazers on his feet slapping against the concrete as he jogged out the door onto his walkway and across the street.

To you.

Now, I’m going to love you ‘til the heavens stop the rain. I'm going to love you ‘til the stars fall from the sky, for you and I.

The chorus flung you out into the ether like it always did. Consumed you. Each word sung as if you were performing for a crowd of thousands and not in your messy garage.

Your fingers had a mind of their own as they danced along the strings of your guitar, hitting each chord effortlessly and a smile tugged at the corners of your lips as the song reached its crescendo. Your favorite part. Building and swelling and pushing at the edges until you hit the last note.

Stronger than dirt.

Stepping back from the mic you shook loose curls out of your face and leaned down to toss the stereo chord out of your way when a sharp sound pulled your gaze up.

“Steve?”

Hair swept messy and stuck across his forehead in the humidity, he had that stupid smile on his face. The one that made everything go hazy and he was clapping.

“Shut up,” you teased, grinning, all play and no heat, and he smirked right back.

“What? You make Morrison sound like shit.”

Your mouth dropped open, mock offense as you pulled your guitar up over your head and set it on the stand.

“Steven, that’s blasphemy.”

“Not if it’s true,” he shrugged his shoulders, stepping into the garage where the breeze couldn’t reach and the air shifted. Pressed into him. Charged. Electric like your cherry red guitar.

“What’re you doing anyway,” you said, more a statement than a question, looked over at him through the ginger curls that kept falling down into your face and the grin on his lips fell a little. The way your eyes met his caught him off guard and all of a sudden he was a little unsure.

What was he doing?

Clearing his throat he carded a hand through his hair and shrugged again, “Dunno. Heard you playing and thought I’d come over.”

“Oh,” you said softly, smiling a little at the way his nerves peeked through. All bravado and confidence and King Steve swept away by time and experience and, if he was being honest, you.

His eyes widened a bit at your reply and he quickly thumbed over his shoulder, “Uh–I could go if–”

“–no, stay,” you cut him off, took a step forward and grabbed his hand.

Steve looked down at where your palms were suddenly pressed together and then you felt the air shift too. The heat of summer, the faded scent of Steve’s cologne, fresh laundry and spearmint and boy and you bit your lip between your teeth.

Your best friend. The one who told you, you were better than Jim Morrison. The one who’d come listen to you play even if it was pouring down rain, even if your garage was as hot as an oven, even if you didn’t feel like playing and maybe it was the heat or maybe it was the way Steve was looking at you, but you wanted – no needed – him to stay.

“Please stay?” you asked again, quieter this time and Steve swallowed thick. Jaw ticking as he pressed his teeth together. Worked to muster up the courage to finally just do what he knew you both wanted and took a step closer, pressed the toes of his dirty, beat up old Blazers into your black Chucks.

“Okay,” he half-whispered, lashes sweeping across his cheeks as he blinked heavy and took you in.

Strawberry blonde and freckles. Sweet like cherries and soft like rain. Curls that framed your face so perfectly he was set to fail the moment he laid eyes on you and his brows furrowed together the longer he looked, almost as if in pain, and he shook his head in disbelief.

”So fuckin’ pretty,” he couldn’t help it now, felt like he was being pulled into your orbit, lifted a hand to your cheek and let out a small sigh. “Can I–can I kiss you?” it was shy, tentative and unsure and it made the heat in your chest glow and flicker to life.

Even if you wanted to say something back you couldn’t and instead let your fingers tangle into the fabric of his shirt, pulled him down into you and pressed your lips to his.

It was a soft thing, tentative and searching and new and you could feel him smile against you. Like letting loose a held breath. Like plunging into the pool in the heat of summer. Lost and tumbling through time and space until he slowly pulled away, big brown eyes taking you in. But his smile faded the longer he looked and the little pinch reappeared between his brows. Like he was trying to work through it all and he bit at the inside of his cheek, kicking himself for stopping.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked quietly, out of character and far from smug, a silly question with even sillier timing and you felt your cheeks flush as you laughed softly.

“You never asked,” you answered simply and he gave you a lopsided smile.

“I wanted to, for the record,” he insisted and it made you laugh again, louder this time and you took his face in his hands.

“And my answer still would’ve been yes, for the record,” your tone was teasing, but as your eyes searched his, he knew you were far from it and it made him grin like an idiot.

“Yeah? Can’t say no to this face, huh?”

“Oh my god,” you laughed through a groan and sighed, “You can be smug all you want, Harrington, but you have horrible timing.”

That made him chuckle, but it was a sheepish thing and his cheeks were hot as he cleared his throat, a sorry mumbled into the air between you and it made you press your hand back to his chest.

“S’okay,” you murmured back, the tease in your tone fizzling out at the way Steve’s hand was pressed into your hip. The way his breath warmed over your cheek. They way his cologne made you feel hazy and when he lifted a hand to slip his fingers through your curls it made your breath catch your throat.

He held your head in his hand and blinked heavy, looked at you through the long sweep of his lashes and leaned down again all slow, but this time when he kissed you it was full of heat. Curiosity giving way to something more urgent, something needy and you felt yourself giving in.

He held tight to your waist, pressed his fingers into you and pulled you in close, your hips bumping together as he walked you back against the wall of the garage. Stumbling over your stereo chord, Steve’s hand squeezed at you, kept you steady and you both couldn’t help laughing a little.

“Would’ve played Morrison sooner if I’d known you’d like it that much,” your tone teasing again and Steve chuckled, a low rumble that made your stomach flip over.

“Yeah, well–” pulling back he looked down at you, smile lopsided, all boy, lips pink and breaths falling a little faster, “–don’t know til you try it I guess.”

He was so fucking pretty. Even in the stuffy, thick air that had settled in the garage. Especially with the way his hair was stuck messy across his forehead. Skin dewy, tanned and dotted in new freckles and moles, washed in gold from the sun. His eyes glittered dark in the dim light from your lamp, whiskey and amber and warm honey, and the absence of his mouth on you struck you sharply.

“Steve…” came out, an almost a whine, pleading and his eyes closed. Let your voice settle in his chest. The way you said his name. Pouring into his ears and filling him up until it spilled over at the edges. He was done for.

Leaning into you again he pressed his lips to the shell of your ear, “Tell me.”

A clap of thunder overhead made the windows in the garage shake, lightning slicing the sky in two and it began to rain. Slow at first then faster still, dropping heavy on the roof overhead and drowning out your reply, so you took his hand instead and ran it down your body.

Over the swell of your chest, the dip of your waist, the plush of your thighs, slower and slower until you stopped. Settled it between your legs and looked up at him, needy and wanting, and he swore softly under his breath. Swallowed thick. Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat at what you were silently telling him, his tongue running along his bottom lip in a rare show of nerves.

“Please,” you asked and he let out a strangled sound, did as you asked and dipped back down to press kisses along your jaw. Open mouthed and teeth feather light when he reached your neck and it burned the way he felt on you, pulling pretty sounds from your throat and making the ache in his jeans unbearable.

The hand he had at the seam of your legs moved up with ease to the button on your shorts, popped it open and pulled the zipper down. Slowly running his fingers along the lace trim on your panties he felt each of the tiny embroidered flowers there. Pinks and lilacs and buttercup yellows. Soft and sweet. The pad of his thumb bumping over them as he slipped his hand down lower and lower until he could feel just how much you needed him and he groaned at how wet you were, an almost pained sound, and his eyes squeezed shut.

“Christ, baby.”

Baby.

“You okay?” he asked through gritted teeth and you could barely hear him over the rain on the metal roof, so you looped an arm over his shoulder to pull him down into you.

“M’okay,” you murmured into his ear and he loosed the breath he’d been holding, the feeling of it warming over the exposed skin on your shoulder.

Bringing his lips back to your neck he dragged them along your collarbone, the swell of your breasts sucked pretty little marks on your skin and pulled your panties aside. Fingers slipping in your slick there he drew slow, lazy circles over your clit and god it made your breath catch in your throat.

“Sh-shit,” you hissed, keening high, frustrated little sounds falling from your lips as you pressed up onto your toes to reach him better, your legs starting to tremble and he tutted.

“No, no no,” and pulling his hand away you made a noise of protest, but then he was wrapping his hands behind your thighs and lifting you from the ground, “Shh, I got you, baby.”

Walking you across the garage he set you atop the work bench, lifted a hand to push strawberry curls out of your eyes as the rain fell impossibly harder above you. Rubbing like static against your ear drums and when you finally looked up Steve was kneeling between your legs. Looping his fingers into the belt loops on your shorts and lifting his brows in question.

“Lemme take care of you, hm?” he asked over the rain, “Can I do that, baby?”

And all you wanted then was the feeling of him between your legs again. Yes, yes, yes, spilled from your mouth and he tugged at your shorts, eased them down along with your panties over your knees and off onto the floor. Hooked his hands big and wide behind the crook of your legs and pulled you closer to the edge of the table.

Mouth pink and kiss bitten he licked over his bottom lip, anticipating how you’d taste, and slowly spread your legs open. Trailed his fingers back through your folds and pulled away. Swallowed hard at how they glistened with you in the low lamplight and looked up at you, pupils blown wide. All amber and warm honey.

“Oh baby. Baby. Gonna make you feel good, honey,” he babbled, kneeled forward and pulled you even closer so that the tip of his nose brushed against your tummy. Pressed kisses to your thighs, held tight to your leg and brought his hand back to your pussy. Spread your lips with his fingers and ran his tongue flat and wide through you and the pretty moan it pulled from you made his heart stutter.

“More, need you,” you were begging now, wiggling your hips on the table and he didn’t make you ask again, dipped back down into you and lapped at you with his tongue, made you see stars. Licking and sucking like a man starved and when you bucked up against his face he pressed kisses against you.

“What d’you want, princess, tell me.”

“Your fingers, Steve, please.”

And as he took his hand away from your cunt you nearly cried, but then he was sucking on his fingers. Wrapping his lips around them and making the coil in your stomach wind even tighter as you watched him drag them from his mouth with a pop and it was the hottest thing you’d ever seen.

You felt like you couldn’t breathe as he pressed his fingers back up against your entrance and slowly slipped them into you. The middle one first, in and out, in and out, warming you up before adding the second one and god the stretch you felt was so fucking perfect.

“Yes, oh shi–” you sucked in a breath as he set the pace, slow and heated, “–just like that.”

His fingers were so much longer than yours, pressing into the spot you couldn’t reach on your own, and when he put his mouth back on you it pulled a filthy moan from your lips. It was almost too much. His tongue flicking at your clit while his hand worked you up, wound you tight, tugged you closer and closer until your breaths grew shallow and you tangled your fingers into his hair.

When you pulled at the ends he hummed, the feeling vibrating against you as he picked up the pace and filled the garage with the sound of his fingers working into you.

Huh, huh, huh, you weren’t capable of words, instead letting out a sob with each thrust.

“S-so close, oh my god,” you were gasping, “Faster, Steve.”

And he took his mouth away from you, replaced it with his thumb on your clit, slipped it in messy circles as his fingers fucked you faster.

“C’mon, baby, come for me. So good for me,” words of praise fell from his lips, warm like honey and saccharine sweet and you finally felt the coil in your stomach snap.

“Oh shi-shit, oh fuck,” you gasped for breath, back arching perfectly with Steve’s fingers still deep inside you and he’d never seen anything so pretty in all his life. As he slowed he eased you down, gently pulled his hand away from you and let you fall forward into his arms, legs shaky from the effort.

“Doin’ okay?” he asked, softly teasing and grinning into your neck where he’d pressed his face to kiss at the skin there.

“Shut up,” you laughed, still breathless, pinching at his sides and it pulled a laugh from him too.

“Can I tell you something?” he asked, still nuzzling into the crook of your neck.

“Mmhm,” you murmured, exhaustion slowly wrapping around your body.

“Think you’re perfect,” he said, pulling away just enough to catch your sleepy gaze and it made your heart skip a beat. Made your lips tug up into a small little smile. Made you shake your head and mumble in protest, but he tutted them away, “M’serious.”

“You also think I’m better than Morrison and everyone knows that’s shit,” you teased and he squeezed at you, pressing kisses to the top of your head, your ear, your cheek.

“Well then I’m shit,” he confessed, softening, kissing at your lips all sweet and holding you tight to his chest, “But I don’t care. Long as I have you.”

And god, did he have you.

crappymixtape™ • steve harrington masterlist // stranger things masterlist

#steve harrington #steve fic #steve fanfic #steve stranger things #steve harrington stranger things #steve harrington smut #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington imagine #makeacrappymixtape #500 follower celebration #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x fem #steve x you #asks #requests #steve smut

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doomandgloomfromthetomb · 3 months

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Patti Smith Group / John Cale / Television - The Palladium, New York City, December 31, 1976

I finally got around to Sonic Life, Thurston Moore's recent memoir, this month! You can read a few of my quick thoughts about it (along with some other nice recommendations) in the latest edition of the Aquarium Drunkard Book Club. As I mention, I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed Thurston's memories of his teenage years, way before Sonic Youth was even a twinkle in his eye — A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Fan? From the suburbs of Connecticut, Moore made countless trips into NYC to soak in the punk/CBGB/Max's worlds, catching shows by The Ramones, Suicide, the Dead Boys, Sid Vicious ... and Patti Smith, of course.

Thurston paints an evocative portrait of this New Year's Eve blowout, which doubled as Patti's raucous 30th birthday party. He was dangerously high on mescaline.

"We zombied our way down the street to the Palladium and found our seats, and I sat in a state of tenuous control as Television arrived onstage. I figured if I just maintained my cool, the mescaline's threat of wiping out my sanity would begin to subside and all would be okay. 'A song by Dylan' — were the only words I remember Tom Verlaine saying to the audience as the band began to play a plaintive cover of 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door.' By the time John Cale and his group came onstage, I felt as though I were sliding slowly down the side of a porcelain sink, managing only the barest of friction, my reality threatening to fall into a drain hole never to return. I was gripped by the fear of losing myself completely, another entry on the list of acid casualties. I concentrated on specific thoughts, pinpricks of salvation that I'd cling to, slip from, then hold on to again. I feared that if I closed my eyes, I would be forever vanquished."

Happy new year?! All these decades later we can enjoy the Palladium gig via dusty audience tapes — your call if you want to drop a tab of mescaline while you listen. Interesting to hear Television at this point, with Marquee Moon more or less in the can, playing a much larger venue than ever before. They'd just finished several nights in a row at CB's — which is maybe that's why they sound a littttttle bit tired. But there's plenty of sweet stuff, of course, including a truly go-for-broke "Kingdom Come." Billy Ficca, baby! Cale, meanwhile, happily provides a bad trip soundtrack for Thurston's bad trip — a short but powerful set highlighted by a maniacal "Guts" and an even more maniacal "Fear Is A Man's Best Friend." That guy sure could scream.

And what about the belle of the ball — Patti herself? Let's hand it back to Thurston, who had recovered a bit by the start of her set. Here, he describes the all-star finale with Fred "Sonic" Smith joining the melee.

"Fred and Patti had become an item. Now here was Fred onstage, unassuming and spectral, as Patti howled and whirled. With 'My Generation' culminating in obligatory destruction, all players would eventually leave the stage except for the two Smiths. Like Fred, Patti had a Fender Duo-Sonic strapped on, and she leaned her head on her sweetheart's shoulder as both their guitars emitted a whistling-bird noise of feedback through the amps. How this translated to everyone around me, I couldn't say. For me, it was an emblematic vision of all I would ever desire from rock 'n' roll — transcendence, devotion, sonic love."

#patti smith #television #john cale #thurston moore

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driftwood-fireflies · 2 months

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any billy hcs?

OKAY I'm finly tackling this. lightning round.

I know that the general fandom perception of billy (in a few different circles anyway) is that he's trans, and I DO understand this. however it's not my personal headcanon. if you want to know why it's simply because the idea of him being a chaser is like insanely funny to me so. stu is trans and billy is weird about it. this is my dynamic.

as for sexuality, I've described this to people before, but to me he's bisexual on a technicality. what's that technicality? he REALLY thinks he likes women. like he's convinced himself he does. (he does not.) so like, if anything, he'd consider himself bisexual and so I call him bisexual. but. he's gay. dykwim.

anyway yes billy is a bi chaser and he is down horrible for stu though he can't really show it. I don't know if I even brought this up in my stu headcanons post but I do think they are BOTH autistic and bpd so they're really failmaxxing as a romantic duo

billyboy loomis is the undisputed mommy issues king, I think him and his mom were very close when he was a kid, like almost to the point where she was smothering him, but he loved her and became codependent with her. I think that's a theme for billy - codependency. he grew to be that way with his mom, and since I personally believe that him and stu have been friends since childhood, he also grew a little fascination with him at around the same time. he's always been Weird about stu in a myriad of ways, but the moment his mom abandoned him it was almost guaranteed that his closeness with him would turn into its own codependency. and it did.

I think his family has moved around a lot, only settling in woodsboro when he was maybe eleven or so. that's when he met stu.

I think they were both independently weird freaks of their own nature, as in, billy has always had his horror movie and psychology fascinations, but stu really amped up the crazy for him. like many people, I hc that stu is a big hunter and likely showed billy how to hunt and gut animals, and I even think he introduced him to the more gorey, less plot-centric horror movies that he loves. I also think the buck that they share was stu's initially, who then gave it to billy sometime after his mom left.

as for current day (read: 1996) stuff. a lot of people tend to stereotype stu as The horny one in their dynamic, but idk. they're both teenage boys and if anything, billy was the one trying the hardest to get laid in the movie lmfao. (I know there was an actual reason behind it but I do also think he just wanted to fuck lol) I think they're both raging horndogs and they rile each other up all the time.

we never see anyone but randy with an actual job, but I think billy's done some under the table type work around town. he strikes me as a guy who'd do good at a mechanic shop, or something. nothing too serious, just whenever he needed some pocket change he couldn't swipe from his dad.

as for horror movies... oh man.

billy is a real pretentious guy. he likes horror, he likes thrillers, but he's not as much of a gorehound as stu. that's not to say he doesn't like it - but it usually only interests him when it's the real deal. in terms of movies, he's actually your pretty generic film bro type, in that I think his top three are psycho, silence of the lambs, and the original house of wax. were he alive today, he'd be BIG into the 'elevated horror' genre, I think. think jordan peele and ari aster. overall he's a real snob about it, he can only get into a horror movie if the killer is someone he can idolize and get into the mind of. he's not a fan of monster movies, thinks it's scarier when the monster is just a regular guy. psychological horror is right up his alley, and I think he'd also love candyman for the way it combines artful and intriguing psychology into a more typically 'slasher' narrative.

I could talk about how billy watches horror movies forever but I'll move onto music so this post doesn't become a novel. I think he's big into rock, pretty similar to stu's taste in that regard. I think he'd really love green day, for sure. I also think he'd like the cure and REM, maybe soundgarden, too. he's really into anything moody or brooding in some way. besides rock though, I also think he enjoys older, more classical stuff. I could see him buying a film score cd and listening to it to sleep, or something.

SO. YEAH those are some of my billy hcs.. like I said w stu I have like a million thoughts about both of them that I couldn't possibly include in a single post so if you have any specific questions about stuff I didn't cover .. lmk ^_^

#i am so normal .#asks #headcanon asks #scream #scream movie #scream 1996 #billy loomis

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popcrone818 · 2 years

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How Could You Know - Luke Morrow

Part One Series Masterlist Main Masterlist

Part one is here baby !! please enjoy and leave feedback.

As I walked out of the Drug Rehab Centre in Oceanside, I was greeted by the sun shining in my face and my sister Camille holding a bouquet of flowers, her olive skin shining in the heat of the California sun.

“Its good to have you back, I've missed you so much.” She pulled me into a bone crushing hug before she helped me load my bags in the trunk of her beat up old car.

“I’ve missed you too. It’s been so long since I've seen the outside world.” We hopped into the cab of her car as she handed me the flowers she had gotten me.

“It really has been such a long time,” she pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of her house on the beach. Camille was a hard-working bartender and business owner. She owns her own dive bar with the help of her business partner Billy. With her income she was able to afford a lavish home with beach views.

Once we pulled up, she grabbed my bags and unlocked her front door for me to follow her in.

“So, I do have to work tonight, but after the girls have finished on stage, you’ll have me all night long. We can have a few drinks and then get food on our way home and watch crappy movies.” I nodded at her as she showed me the room that she had converted for me to live in. She nodded as I sat on the bed in the centre of the room.

I watched as she backed out of the room. I looked around at my new room, everything seemed new, and I didn’t know how to take it all in. I had been in rehab for the last 12 months everything was so different for me now. I had been sober for a year now no more drugs running through my veins. Camille and I had lost our mother 6 months ago and I couldn’t even get a day pass to attend her funeral. I pulled out a photo frame from my bag. In the picture two little girls smiled up at me with an older woman behind the girls. My beautiful mother was the one who made me get help. She was the reason that I pushed myself to get better so I could come home to her. And now I’ll never be able to see her beautiful smile again. I watched a small tear drip onto the frame as I placed it on the side table and started to unpack my bag.

An hour later Camille popped her head in to see how I was going. I was sitting on the bed with a book in my hands and looked up.

“You ready to head out?” I nodded and pulled on my leather jacket as I followed her out the door. I noticed the bar was already fairly full when we walked in, and I pulled my jacket tighter around my body. Camille squeezed my shoulder before heading behind the bar. I took a seat at the bar and she handed me a glass of coke. I spun around to watch band play. The lead singer was Cassie Salazar, she used to babysit me and my best friend Frankie Mabuthia, I watched fondly as she took over the stage, she was going to be big one day. She used to teach me piano when she would babysit me, I don’t play anymore but I wish I did and I wish I still could. I twirled the straw in my drink as Billy pulled the cords out of amp effectively shutting off the mic as Cassie was introducing the band. She and Nora, the other waitress, made their way over to me and the bar.

“Omg! Callie! Your back? When did you get back?” Cassie pulled up off my seat and into a crushing hug.

“I got out today, Cam had to work so you could rock the stage, then were going to get greasy food and watch crappy movies when we get home.” I waved to Nora as Cassie tied her apron around her waist.

“Cassie, your favourite people are here.” Nora nodded to the group of Marines that just walked into the bar. I rolled me eyes a long with Cassie as she and Nora made their way over to get their orders. I looked back down at my drink waiting for Cam to come out from the back so we could get on with this girls night we had planned.

“Cal! Get your ass over here.” I looked up at my name and noticed Cassie standing with the Marines gesturing me over to them. I groaned but got off my seat leaving my drink and walked the few steps to the group. Cassie was talking animatedly to a dark-skinned man with a buzz cut, as I approached he turned around and I jumped into his arms. His arms wound around my back as my legs wrapped around his hips. I held him close tears brimming my eyes.

“It’s so good to see you too Ope.” I pulled away from him and jumped down suddenly remembering we weren’t the only ones here. Frankie pulled me to his side as he gestured around to the boys. “These are the guys, were shipping off to Iraq in two weeks.”

“Since when have you been a Marine?” I asked him as I punched his shoulder.

“6 months, after your, after everything I wanted to go out and do something, be someone other than just another taxpayer. We’ve been in training ever since. You look good, it helped you a lot.” I nodded and looked down, being reminded of where I had been and what I had missed. “Guys, this is Calliope, my very best friend in the whole world. Cassie used to babysit us.” I watched as Cassie blushed and looked around at the other guys. My eyes followed hers and my heart leapt into my throat. I pushed Frankie away and took a step back. It felt like I had seen a ghost, a ghost of my past I was hoping to forget. My hands started to shake as I continued to back up. Johno’s face flew through my mind and as I felt the cold the concrete of the bar on my knees I felt a soft pair of large hands gently take hold of my shoulders.

“Callie, hold your breath, your having a panic attack.” His sweet deep voice floated through my ears, the breakup of music to hear his voice helped bring me back from my panic. My green eyes flicked up to his hazel ones, tears were freely running down my face now. I looked over his shoulder at his Marine buddies. I noticed Frankie was standing right behind Luke. His expression one of realisation. I looked back at Luke willing my tears to stop but looking at him just brought back memories, memories I had tried so hard to forget, to push away. The way he made me feel in the last year or two before he went away. And he was here sober as well by the looks of things. Luke helped me up off the ground and helped me walk back over to the others. Cassie had brought over drinks for everyone before one of the bigger Marines spoke up.

“So, were good enough to save your ass but not good enough to touch it?” I watched as she walked away shaking her head. Luke handed me to Frankie and made to follow Cassie. I felt something deep in the pit of my stomach wake up before I turned my head back to Frankie and the guys. I wiped away my tears and looked at each one of them. Without Luke near me it was easier to not break down.

“I need names for whose ass I'm kicking if this one comes home injured.” I joked poking franking in the chest. Camille showed up and Frankie left me to say hello to my sister.

The blonde guy to my left who looked no older than 20 spoke up first.

“Brandon.”

“Armando.” The who made the ass comment. I nodded and took a seat at the table.

“Look you two better watch those two for me, if you come home and they don’t there will be hell to pay and I can promise you no matter what kind of training you’ve had you will not get away.” I threatened as I got closer to them. They swallowed loudly before nodding as Luke, Frankie and my sister all walked back up to us.

“You ready to get out of here?” Cam asked me, I nodded and waved at the boys as I followed my sister out.

#luke morrow #luke morow x reader #luke morrow imagines #luke morrow x you #luke morrow x oc #nicholas galitzine #purple hearts

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anglophiletraveler · 17 hours

Text

In My Life

Chapter 37

Pressure

Written by Billy Joel

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

Poor Ross. The guy is getting pulled into a couple of different directions, when all he wants to do is keep everyone happy and marry the love of his life! A big thanks to Karen Bockius for supporting me, and also to my friend Chelsea who works in a human resources department and advised me on how the situation with Jenny should go. Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted a new chapter. I’ll try to keep writing faster. Enjoy!

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

The work week started back up again for Ross and Demelza, and the normal business of their lives got even busier with starting to plan their wedding. The phone calls and emails from Caroline definitely amped up ten-fold. Ross made sure that she was including him on the emails not because he was really into planning the wedding, but because he didn’t want her overwhelming Demelza. He wasn’t afraid to drop a hint to Caroline that something wasn’t cool. Demelza had decided on having Ross come along for the wedding dress appointment, much to Caroline’s chagrin. And to make things even, Ross decided to have Dwight go along as well, which Dwight wasn’t exactly happy about, but he said he would go for his best mate.

Things at work with Jenny had gotten somewhat better, or so Ross thought. Jenny had calmed down her attitude toward Demelza, so that made Ross happy. He thought a lot about Jenny and her family back in Cornwell and didn’t want to upset anyone. Ross was feeling more comfortable in his position as director of the charity division. He really enjoyed the feeling of helping people and making a small difference in their lives. It was a much better fit for him.

Ross and Jenny were just finishing up a meeting in his office, when he mentioned to Jenny to make sure that his calendar stayed clear for Thursday morning.

“Sure, I can make sure I do that. Do you have a meeting or something that you need my help with in getting ready for?”

“No, I’m just taking a few hours off to go wedding dress shopping with Demelza,” Ross just threw it out there like it wasn’t a big deal, and it really wasn’t to him.

“Wait, you’re what!?” Jenny’s voice raised a little bit.

Ross was still looking down at some papers on his desk and smiled and without looking at her, “I’m going wedding dress shopping with Demelza. She asked me to go along, so I’m going with her.” He sat up and looked at Jenny. “What?”

“Wellll, it’s just the groom usually doesn’t go with the bride to shop for her wedding dress. Because you know, it’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“Jenny, it’s okay I’m not going to see the actual dress she picks, if she even picks one that day. I’m just going to support her. She asked me to go, so I’m going. Sorry if that bothers you.” Ross didn’t like where this was going, but maybe it’s a reaction from others that he will have to get used to. He realised that it isn’t something that the grooms don’t usually do, but on the other hand, people don’t know about Demelza’s scars that she’s sensitive about and he’s not about to justify himself to anyone.

“So does this mean that you’ve picked a date?” Inquisitive minds want to know.

Ross sighed, “Yes, Jenny we have. June 3. Is that alright with you?” Ross watched for the next reaction because he had an idea of what was next.

“June 3! That’s soon! Wow, not a very long time to plan a wedding.”

Ross smiled to himself, “Yes, but it will be fine. We want the wedding before my mother has her surgery. And it’s not like we’re going to be planning a royal wedding. It’s going to be small and personal.”

Jenny gave a small smile, “That sounds lovely. Do you have a wedding planner?”

“Nah, we don’t need one. Caroline is going to help us out. The wedding and reception will be at her uncle’s home in Cornwall. It’s all good. Very low stress.”

“Oh. I’m surprised you’re not getting married at Nampara.”

Ross looked up at the ceiling, sighed and took a beat. “Jenny, that's way too much stress for my mum right now. We’re going to have some pictures taken there, and then the rest will be at Killewarren with family and close friends. Now why don’t you go work on the agenda for the Lawson meeting for me, yeah?”

“Sure, Ross.” Jenny knew she was being politely dismissed, so she tucked her tail and left his office. She laid her things on her desk calmly and headed for the restroom to get herself together. She locked herself in a stall and started crying. She didn’t understand what was happening! She and Ross used to be so close. He had never had a cross word for her before, was always so encouraging and kind and nice. The only thing that’s changed is Demelza. Ever since Demelza has come into his life, he’s been a completely different person! She’s changed him! And now he acts like an idiot! It’s all her fault! She couldn’t believe that he was going with her to shop for wedding dresses! Is she so insecure that she can’t pick out a fucking wedding dress without him! She’s glued to his hip! This isn’t her Ross! She’s changed him. It’s all her fault. She couldn’t stop crying, and it sounded like she was mumbling to someone.

What Jenny didn’t know was that there was someone a couple stalls down from her. It was Sharon, an assistant to one of the vice-presidents. She left the stall quietly and washed her hands. When Jenny heard someone else she was mortified. Oh shit! What did I say? Did someone hear me?

“Hello? Do you need some help? Can I call someone for you?” Sharon didn’t know who it was crying in the stall but it was very obvious that they were distressed.

Jenny tried to stop crying, and calm herself down, “Um no, I’m okay.” She stepped out of the stall, and saw Sharon standing there and gave her a small smile. “Thanks, but I’m okay. I just, um, need to calm myself down. I got some bad news today. But thank you. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? I’d be willing to call someone for you. Don’t you work for Ross Poldark? Would you like me to get him for you?” Sharon replied.

Jenny gasped, “Oh no, please don’t. I’m just going to splash some cold water on my face and I’ll be fine.”

“Alright. Well, let me know if there’s anything I can help you with,” Sharon gave her a tight smile and left the restroom.

Jenny finally was able to get herself together, got a fresh cup of coffee and went back to her desk. She was hoping that Ross hadn’t noticed how long she had been gone.

Ross had noticed that she’d been gone awhile, but he didn’t want to say anything more to upset her. She seemed to be alright after she came back so maybe she just needed a breath of air and hopefully the rest of the day will go better.

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

At Trenwith, Francis and Elizabeth were having drinks before dinner, chit chatting about nothing in particular. Charles came into the room and poured a drink for himself and sat down.

“How has your day been father? Anything interesting happen?” Francis asked his father.

“Oh no, one day is about the same as the next anymore. I think I may go into the office tomorrow and see how you are running things,” Charles scoffed.

Francis looked at Elizabeth, “Well, there’s no need for that father. Everything is smooth sailing like always. Have you spoken with Verity lately?”

Charles grumbled, “Verity? Why would I hear from her? She’s still shacking up with that boyfriend of hers.”

“Charles, I’ve heard that he’s not as bad as you think. Maybe you should meet him for Verity’s sake,” Elizabeth was trying to steer the conversation from business because she had a feeling that Francis wasn’t taking very good care of it.

“Bullocks! Oh, I just remembered something interesting did happen today. I ran into my brother at the pub earlier. He was picking up some fish and chips for Grace. Anyway, it seems that Ross and his new girlfriend have set a wedding date. I think he said it’s June 3.” Elizabeth choked on her drink at the news of Ross and Demelza’s wedding date.

Francis saw his wife choking on her drink, “Darling are you alright? Do you need a glass of water?”

Elizabeth’s eyelashes were fluttering trying to keep tears from rolling down her cheeks, “Erm, no thank you, my drink just went down the wrong pipe. Charles, are you sure their wedding is this June 3?”

“Hmm? Oh yes, yes, this June 3. They want to have the wedding before Grace’s surgery, poor thing. I offered to have the wedding here, but Joshua said that it’s already been planned to have it at Killewarren so that Grace doesn’t have the upset and worry of having the wedding at Nampara. I told him they should have the wedding on a family estate, but apparently the girl has connections with Ray Penvenan’s niece, so it’s all set. But I guess they’re going to have some pictures taken at Nampara. Where’s Mrs Tabb? Our meal should be ready by now!”

“Elizabeth you’re awfully pale, do you need to have a lie down?”

“Francis stop, I don’t need you fawning over me. I can’t believe they’re getting married so quickly. Ross doesn’t know what he’s doing by getting involved with that woman.”

Francis looked puzzled, “I don’t understand? She seems like a lovely person the few times that I’ve talked with her. And I can certainly understand that they’d want to get married before Aunt Grace’s surgery. Makes perfect sense to me…”

Elizabeth stood up in huff, “Oh Francis just shut up. You don’t know anything about her. I’m going to see what’s happening with supper.”

Charles looked over his glasses and watched as Elizabeth left the room in a hurry and then looked at Francis, “Seems to me boy, that your wife still has feelings for Ross. You better be reining her in, or you’re going to lose her. If Ross wanted her, it wouldn’t take much for him to steal her from you.”

Francis’s face flushed as his father reprimanded him.

“Mark my words, boy! Mark my words!”

Francis gulped his whiskey down and left the room.

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

The next day at work, Jenny had definitely seemed off again to Ross. He was concerned about her for more than one reason. Her family had been lifelong friends of the Poldarks, he had brought her onboard here with a job because he knew her family needed money. And she has always been a good worker, very conscientious of her work, typical of a Cornish family. But she almost seemed depressed, and not happy with her job anymore. This was a new situation for Ross and he really didn’t know what to do. He decided to go to Richard Tonkin and ask for his advice. His family was also from Cornwall and had known the Martin family as well, so maybe he had some insight.

Tonkin’s door was open, but Ross knocked a few times on it anyway. “Ross! Good to see you mate, come on in and close the door.” When Ross walked in he noticed Richard’s secretary Sharon sitting in the office as well. The slight confusion must have shown on Ross’s face, “Have a seat Ross. I’ve asked Sharon to come in on this conversation as well. It’s always good to have a third person in the room when discussing issues such as this.”

“So,” Tonkin started, “you’re beginning to have issues with Jenny. Is her work no longer satisfactory?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s feeling personal. We used to be great friends. Well, you know the Martins from Cornwall.”

“Yes, I do. Lovely family.”

“Exactly. So when Jenny’s family needed some more income brought into the family, I had given her a trial period for two months to see how she would do, and she turned out to be quite excellent in her job. She’s very good with the computer programs that we run on, she’s full of good ideas ever since we moved to the Charity Department. But personally she’s become almost confrontational with me when it comes to my personal life, and she’s never done that before.”

Richard looked at Sharon and nodded to her to let Ross know how she had found Jenny in the restroom the day before. “She was an absolute mess, Ross. I offered to call you or anyone else for her but she was adamant that she was fine and she didn’t need anyone. She had been talking with herself in the stall before I spoke with her. I couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, it was a lot of mumbling. Has something happened between the two of you?”

“Yes, and that’s exactly the scenario that I’ve been worried about. We’d had a decent day working together and we were working on a new client. Then I told her that I needed her to make sure that she didn’t schedule any appointments for me on Thursday morning because I was going with Demelza wedding dress shopping. It was as if she were Linda Blair in the Exorcist and her head was spinning around! She started going on and on about how I shouldn't go wedding dress shopping, and that it’s bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding.”

Sharon spoke up, “Well some people always have to give their two pence when it comes to weddings and babies. But still, it’s really none of her business as your assistant. Have you shared such details of your life with her before?”

“Well, yes. Back in Cornwall our families are very close. She knows about my brother Claude Anthony’s death, she knows about my mother’s cancer diagnosis. And she’s known about Demelza since we began dating. I don’t give her a lot of personal details about our relationship. It never seemed to bother her until the last couple of months. She started speaking ill of Demelza, like she was always blaming Demelza if I had to stay up late to pick her up from the music hall. Demelza doesn’t drive and I don’t want her riding the tube that late at night by herself, so I usually stay up to pick her up. I have had to remind her at one point that my relationship with Demelza isn’t any of her concern. I hated to do that, but she kept pushing and pushing against Demelza so I was stern with her when I told her that my relationship with Demelza isn’t any of her business. Then yesterday with the wedding dress shopping… I’m at a loss, Richard.”

“Yes, I see that. Well, make sure you keep your office door open whenever the two of you are working together in your office. And whenever she’s not in the office, keep your door closed. Sharon, can you think of anything else.”

“Well Ross, it’s obvious that she has a thing for you, almost like an obsession. Has there been any sexual contact between the two of you? We don’t want her to go over the deep end and start yelling sexual assault.”

“Absolutely not. And I don’t want her to lose her job. She’s a very good assistant. Can she just be moved to a different division?”

Tonkin let out a sigh, “I don’t know. I think we need to bring in HR on this and get their take on things. They are better trained at this type of thing than we are. Sharon, can you see if they have anybody free to come up here for just a few minutes.”

“Sure, I’ll go to my desk and call them. I’ll be right back.”

“This is dangerous business Ross. We don’t want you to be accused of something that you didn’t do, and we don’t want Jenny to freak out over a move to a different department,” Tonkin said.

“I know. I’ve been hoping that it would just blow over, but it hasn’t.”

“Her family are so nice, really good people…”

Sharon came back in the room and closed the door, “They’re going to send someone up. They should be here shortly.”

Ross sighed, “Thank you Sharon.”

“No problem. So you’re going all modern groom and going wedding dress shopping? Nobody can accuse you of being a caveman,” Sharon said.

Ross chuckled, “Well, it’s not something that I’m thrilled with, but her mother died long ago, and she’s been estranged from most of her family. She’s concerned about what the back of the dress will reveal. She has scars on her back from when her father used to beat her. So she asked me if I would come along. I couldn’t say no to that.”

Richard leaned forward in his chair, “That’s horrible. What father would beat his children!”

“Tom Carne would. When Demelza got accepted to uni she left home and hasn’t been back since. I keep telling her that for the most part her scars have faded, but I understand where she’s coming from.”

Richard nodded his head in agreement, “Yes, my friend, you would understand. Tom Carne…that name sounds familiar. Is he from Sawle?”

“Illugan. We think he’s still alive because he’s contacted one of Demelza’s brothers for money. Hopefully, he never finds out where we are…”

There was a knock on the door. Sharon got up and answered the door. It was James Ellis from the Human Resources department.

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

James Ellis was a well respected member of the human resources department. He had worked at the firm almost from the beginning of its inception, and was known to be a fair and decent man whenever it came to awkward or sticky situations. He was taking plenty of notes, handwritten in a yellow tablet while Ross and Richard spoke describing the situation, and their past history with Jenny and her family.

“So what do you think James? Have any idea of how Ross should proceed?” Richard asked.

James took a sip of his tea and sat back in his chair. “Well, there are a few different avenues that could be taken, depending on how far you want to take this.”

Ross was listening intently, brows furrowed, “Avenues… what kind of avenues?”

“Well, one direction we could take would be a written warning of her behaviour. She could then either keep working for you, Ross, in hopes that things get better, or we could give her the written warning and transfer her to a different department. Either way, she needs to know that although her job performance itself has been exemplary and well regarded, her present behaviour towards you is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Normally, an employee isn’t allowed to transfer to another department if they’ve had a written warning, but we’d make an exception for something like this, since the warning isn’t for job performance. And then there’s the last option that we could take, immediate dismissal.”

Ross gasped and shook his head no, “No, I don’t want her to be dismissed. Is there any type of counselling that the firm could offer her?”

“You mean psychological counselling? Mmm that could be offered as well for possibly a ten week period.”

Sharon spoke up, “Ross, do you really think she would want to keep working for you after she’s received a written warning? She might be too upset or maybe even embarrassed to keep facing you on a daily basis.”

Ross was slowly nodding his head, “I..I don’t know Sharon. Maybe not. Bullocks I hate this! I really, really hate this.”

James closed his notebook, “Well, think on it, but don’t take too long. The last thing you want is for this to blow up in your face, although now that you’ve spoken with us, you do have that on your side. But make sure that if you decide to have a conversation with her about this, that you have someone from HR in the room. Make sure you always leave your door open when she’s in your office working with you, and when she’s not working with you, keep your office door closed.” James gathered his things into his briefcase and stood up, “Let me know what you decide.”

Ross stood up and shook hands with James, “I will. Thank you for your advice.”

“No problem. That’s what I’m here for. Sharon, Richard, it was good to see you both again.” Sharon and Richard both stood up to shake hands with him.

“Thanks again, James. Sharon can you show James out,” Richard asked.

“Certainly. After you James,” Sharon led James out of the office and down the hall to the elevator.

Richard closed the office door and turned to look at Ross, “Well Ross, you have a lot to think about. Do you have any idea of what direction you want to take?”

Ross sighed and rubbed his face with his hand, “I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to a decision like this. I guess the best choice would be to have her move to another department.”

“With a written warning, don’t forget,” Richard said.

Ross shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head, “Christ, with a written warning. It’s madness Richard!” Ross took a look at his watch, “Bloody hell, look at the time, I better get back to my office. Thank you for your help in this matter, Richard. I know I’ve been a bit of a git about this, but it’s only because I care about Jenny a great deal, she’s like family to me.”

“Well, unfortunately she doesn’t think of you in that way. Maybe this will help her Ross. You know, wake her up to what she’s been doing so that she can move on.”

Ross raised his eyebrows, “That is another way to look at it. Alright, well I shall keep you informed. Thanks again.” The two men shook hands and Ross left to go back to his office. He was hoping that Jenny was not at her desk when he got back because he didn’t know what to say to her if she asked where he’d been. She always knew about his meetings, almost before he did. He really didn’t want to deal with an awkward situation at the present moment.

Ross was almost to his office and could see that Jenny was at her desk, so he braced himself for her barrage of questions.

She spotted him and smiled and stood up to stop him before he was at his office door, “Oh Ross, I hope you don’t mind. I wasn’t sure where you were but I didn’t think you’d be long.”

Ross furrowed his brow, “Jenny, what are you going on about?”

“Your friend, Dr. Enys came to see you, so I let him sit in your office until you returned.”

“Oh, is he still in there?”

“Yes. I offered him something to drink but he said he didn’t want anything. Do you want some coffee or tea?”

Ross’s head was spinning from his previous meeting and this encounter with Jenny. “Um yeah, get us both some coffee. He takes his like I do mine.”

“But he said he…”

“It’s fine Jenny, just get it please. He’ll drink it. Thank you.”

“Sure.”

Ross took a deep breath after she left and then walked into his office and greeted his best man, “Dwight! I hope you weren’t waiting long. I was at a meeting.”

Dwight was smiling just like he always does, “Yeah, that’s what Jenny figured. She wasn’t sure exactly where you were. You look like shit, mate. What’s wrong?”

Ross rolled his eyes and shook his head, “Well, gee thanks, I’m glad to see you. What can I do for my favourite best man?”

“I’m your only best man….”

Jenny walked in with the two coffees.

Dwight looked up at Jenny and smiled, “Thank you Jenny. I hope this wanker doesn’t keep you running for coffee too often.”

Jenny smiled, “Oh no Dr. Enys, not at all. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

Ross looked at his watch again and it dawned on him it was getting close to the end of the day, “No thank you Jenny, in fact, why don’t you just take the rest of the day off. This day has been a wash as far as I’m concerned.”

Jenny looked confused, “Are you sure? It’s just now 3:00.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Have a good evening. Just close the door as you leave, please.”

Jenny smiled and pulled the door shut behind her.

Ross sat down and took a drink of his coffee, “Wish that I had something stronger I could put in there.”

Dwight frowned at his friend, “I had already told her that I didn’t need anything to drink. What’s wrong with you? You didn’t answer me before.”

“Hmmm, I asked her to get you a cup as well. If you don’t want it you don’t have to drink it. There is some stuff that I have to deal with …” He looked out his door to make sure Jenny had left for the day, “with Jenny. I’m probably going to have her transferred to a different department. She’s been acting really strange since Demelza and I got serious. She’s always saying bad things about Demelza and questioning the things I do for her. It’s like she has a crush on me and doesn’t want Demelza in my life. It’s gotten worse since we got engaged.”

“Wow. I had no idea. She’s always been so nice hasn’t she? And she’s from Cornwall.”

“Yes and yes. Which is why I have put up with it for so long. I’ve even told her that what goes on with Demelza and I, isn’t any of her concern. So, today, I finally went to Richard Tonkin about the situation, you know him don’t you?” Dwight nodded, “And he brought in HR and we went over the situation. Best case scenario is we give her a written warning and transfer her to a different department.”

Dwight took a drink of his coffee, “Wow, no wonder you look like shit. So obviously you haven’t talked to her yet?”

“No, I was just coming back from that meeting when I found you here, which I am eternally grateful for, because I’m knackered and I just didn’t want to deal with an awkward situation right now. So thank you for being here when I needed you!” Ross gave a weak smile to his friend.

Dwight smiled back, “Well, I’m glad that I could be of some help. My main reason for coming here was to talk with you about the wedding dress excursion that you’re going on. Caroline is a little upset about it. She thinks that you’re going because you don’t trust her. I told her that I was sure that wasn’t the reason but she didn’t believe me.”

Ross looked up at the ceiling and huffed, “I feel like I have been doing nothing but explain this decision to everyone around me! Grrrrrrrr it’s so infuriating! I know that it’s not normal, I know that it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress, yes, I am sure that I want to go with Demelza to the wedding dress shop.”

Dwight raised his hands up to stop Ross from more rambling, “Okay! Take a beat mate! What is going on with you?”

“Look, I’m sorry but this wedding dress has to be perfect for Demelza. She has concerns about the dress and how it will look in the back. I don’t know whether I’ve told you this or not, but Demelza still has scars on her back from when her father beat her while she was growing up, and she doesn’t want them to show on her wedding day. So she asked that I come along to make sure that the scars don’t show. Her decision. And it has nothing to do with Caroline. I was hoping that you were still going for support.”

Dwight shook his head in agreement, “Yes, I’m still planning on going. Well after what you’ve said, I can understand Demelza asking for you to be there. I had forgotten about the scars. But don’t forget how long these two women have known each other, far longer than we’ve known them, and they’re very close. So I don’t think it would be good for you to push Caroline away from Demelza.”

“Bloody fucking hell Dwight, that’s not what I said! Please don’t make this out to be more than what it is. The last thing I’m trying to do is tear apart their friendship, I would never do that. They’re like sisters, much like you and I are brothers. But I also don’t want this to turn into Caroline’s wedding instead of Demelza’s if you catch my drift.” Ross was not in the mood for all of this Spanish inquisition. He was trying to keep his temper from flaring up anymore than what it was.

“Caroline does have a habit of getting over excited about things, so I can understand your concern on that score. Well, I’ll explain the situation with the scars to Caroline, and I’m sure that she’ll understand. You look exhausted, why don’t you take your own advice and go home. I was going to ask if you wanted to go to the pub, but watching you fall asleep on the table won’t be any fun. So walk me out?”

“I’m sorry for being pissy. I’ve always heard that planning weddings can be stressful, but jayzus it’s only been a few days. Let me close everything up in here and I’ll walk out with you,” Ross checked his diary to make sure that he didn’t have anything else going on the rest of the day before he left early. He couldn’t wait to get out of the office.

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

An exhausted Ross shuffled through the back door at home, practically ripping his tie off.

Demelza came down the stairway surprised to see Ross home so early, “Ross! I wasn’t expecting you home so early. Is everything alright? You look…”

“Terrible. Yes, I know, I was told that earlier. So, it’s still early, I’m going to take a shower before I have to take you to the music hall, yeah?” He grabbed a beer out of the fridge.

“Don’t worry about it Ross, I have tonight off, remember?”

Ross’s head dropped back, “Oh thank God! Look, it’s been a fucking awful day, and I’ll tell you all about it after I get a shower, alright?”

Demelza walked over and took him in her arms. “Sure. Are you hungry for anything in particular for supper tonight?”

“Mmmmm I don’t really care. Whatever goes good with beer!”

They both laughed at that. Demelza reached up for a kiss, “Well, how about I just order us a pizza so that we don’t waste any of this precious extra time that we have together tonight cooking in the kitchen.”

“That sounds perfect. Bloody hell you’re so smart! You order the pizza, and I’ll go jump in the shower.”

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

Ross attacked his slice of pizza like a lion attacking his prey.

“Oh Ross, I’m so sorry that all of this has happened with Jenny! I guess I didn’t realise that her feelings had gotten that far. I mean, I suspected that she had a crush on you, but I didn’t realise that it had gone this far.”

Ross washed down his pizza with a gulp of his beer, shaking his head, “Babe, I really don’t understand why she’s gone down that rabbit hole. I swear to God, I have never, ever flirted with her or tried to lead her on.”

“Oh Ross, I know you never did. You don’t have to prove anything to me. I just feel bad for her. Do you think it would help if I talked to her?”

“Oh love, I don’t know. Mmmm this pizza tastes so good tonight! Um, I really don’t know if it would help or hurt. That’s something I haven’t even thought about. And you know, we’ve got the wedding coming up, and I’ve always thought that she would be on the guest list, but now I don’t know how to handle that.” Ross let out a big belch.

Demelza laughed at him, “Ross, that was nasty! Judas! Haha. Well, I guess it’s something we can think about for a bit. Are you done eating? Or are you going to chew on the pizza box as well?”

Ross laughed, “Don’t make fun of me! It’s been a stressful day, and this pizza and beer was so good tonight. Just what I needed.”

“Really? I’ll remember that the next time you want to have sex!”

Ross’s eyes grew wider than saucers, “That’s not what I meant, Demelza!”

“I don’t know, maybe you’ll just have to sleep with the pizza box!” She had a devilish grin on her face.

“Oh Ross, I did something today I think you’ll be happy about.”

“Oh? Did you buy some new lingerie? Because I think I’d be pretty happy about that!”

“Ya wanker! No! But, I did sign myself up for driving lessons! I won’t be done with them until after the wedding, but I do start next week! I’m kind of excited!”

Ross gave her a big hug, “Oh love, I’m so proud of you that you took this step on your own! Once you get your licence and get more comfortable with it, I think it will really open up your life. But... can you still buy some new lingerie?”

“Oh Ross!”

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

Pressure by Billy Joel

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#modernpoldark #six sentence sunday #poldark #eleanor tomlinson #demelza carne #demelza poldark #work in progress #aidan turner #poldarkfanfic modernpoldark au demelzacarne rosspoldark workinprogress #Youtube

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alrightieaphroditie · 2 years

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take the edge off | e.m. series masterlist! | next part!

pairing *:･ﾟ eddie munson x female! reader wc *:･ﾟ 3.7 k warnings *:･ﾟ mentions of drugs (weed) and talk of events that happened in s3! an *:･ﾟ ahh i have officially written my first fanfic ever!! this is very exciting for me but also makes me kinda nervous, hehe. i hope this leads to me writing many more, though, bc this shit is lowkey therapeutic. anyways, this is kind of unedited, so if any major errors jump out at you while you're reading, please let me know so that i can fix it! this is like a soft!eddie type fic bc i was just in the mood for it last night! i appreciate any and all feedback!

synopsis *:･ﾟyou're exhausted, feeling burnt out, and your neighbor won't stop practicing guitar with his amp turned as loudly as possible. you need a pick-me up, and eddie munson has just the thing.

you were desperate. at least, that seemed to be the only logical explanation you could think of as to why you were walking across the graveled road towards eddie munson's trailer late at night in your pajamas.

of course, if anyone asked max why you went over in the first place, she'd tell them that you were just asking eddie to turn down his amp. munson was notorious for practicing his guitar late at night, and most nights you and max didn't mind the background noise. in fact, on the nights where max couldn't sleep, the nights where she would cling to you while you both sat on the couch. you comfort her as much as you can while wiping her tears and running your hand through her hair softly, and you appreciated the noise then. you created a game for those nights, telling max to close her eyes, to listen to the chords he struck loudly, and guess which song he had decided that he needed to learn that week. it seemed to calm her enough, and you always made her laugh when you suggested that eddie was finally learning a david bowie song.

as if.

but tonight was not one of those nights. tonight, you had worked two shifts at the family video in town (somehow keith hired you even though your top three movies were breakfast at tiffany's, the aristocats, and the dark crystal) and then went straight to the police station, where you were helping flo sort through files and answering phone calls. max was sitting at the table in the kitchen area when you got home, multiple books and notebooks flung about the small space. the table was where the two of you had spent the last few hours as you tried helping max study for her biology exam at the end of the week. you could tell she was seconds way from ripping her hair out of her head, and you, well you were barely hanging on yourself.

working two jobs in hawkins while living at a trailer park was not what you had envisioned for yourself when you moved out a year ago to attend college. you lasted two semesters, came back home to visit your family, and then your world turned upside down. literally. a few weeks after getting settled at your old house, max confided in you that she was worried about billy. she wouldn't exactly tell you why, but you promised you'd try talking to him. you never truly cared for your stepbrother, but max, for whatever reason, had a very small soft spot in her heart for him, and you wanted to take care of your sister. he was the same asshole he'd always been when you spoke to him the next day, slamming the door in your face as he walked away in his red swim shorts and white tank top. you thought nothing more of it.

it wasn't until you got home late one night from being with your friends when you saw billy carrying bag after bag of ice to his bedroom. he looked feverish, but despite your questions, he insisted that he was fine. later that night, max ran into your bedroom, shaking and panting. she'd had a nightmare, and this was when she finally gave in and confessed to you some of the events that had happened the previous year. you learned all about eleven, a girl who had some kind of power, and the truth about what went down at the hawkins lab. it was only a matter of time before you were recruited by max's friends, and you were one of the few who knew the truth of what happened at the starcourt mall. one of the few inside the mall when the mind flayer attacked.

max had been immediately affected by the events of the night, by billy's death. she had shut down, became a shell of the person she used to be. every now and then you'd catch a glimpse of the girl she used to be, but it disappeared just as quickly as you caught it. you, on the other hand, had responded to things a little differently. after billy's death, his father left your mother. not officially declaring a divorce, but there wasn't much hope for the marriage if one spouse was in california while the other was in indiana. your mom struggled to keep her job, turning to drinking to cope with the loss of a stepson and her husband, almost forgetting that she still had two daughters to care for. you knew you couldn't go back to college after this, and so you withdrew, moved back home, and have been helping keep things afloat as much as you could. you needed to be the person max could rely on during these times, and so you kept your emotions and struggles to yourself.

usually, that wasn't an issue. you had become one of reefer rick's most reliable customers, seeking him out to buy weed whenever you could spare some of your hard-earned money. that solution worked for about half a year, and then rick got busted by the cops. you had run out of your stash a few weeks ago and were starting to see the results of not being able to smoke. your thoughts wouldn't stop running a mile a minute, and every time you closed your eyes, you saw billy. you got cranky, becoming irritated more easily, and a perpetual migraine sat at the back of your head.

on this night in particular, you had already snapped at a guest when they tried convincing you to let them take home another movie even though they already had the max out, and you shouted at officer callahan when he accidently dumped your cup of coffee out in the sink because he thought you were done with it. all you wanted to do was lay in bed and cry, but when you saw max at the table, you knew that wasn't happening any time soon. and then eddie freaking munson started to play his damn guitar when it was almost the middle of the night.

a soft march breeze flittered throughout the night, and you wrapped your oversized brown flannel around your middle as you stepped through the grass to the few stairs leading up to eddie's door. it was then that you immediately regretted coming out, only for the fact that you were wearing a tank top and shorts under the flannel. you almost turned around and went back to max, but as you started down the stairs, eddie struck a chord that made your head throb, and that was that.

"munson!" you shouted, banging a fist on the trailer door a few times. you shifted your weight, holding your flannel closed with one hand as you waited a moment before starting to knock again. "eddie!"

the incessant noise abruptly stopped and, feeling satisfied with yourself, you started to march down the wooden stairs, thinking about making some hot chocolate for you and max. you had just reached the grass when you heard the door to the trailer fling open, causing you to spin around. in the doorway stood eddie munson, wearing a white t-shirt and pair of red plaid pajama pants, leaning forward a bit as he held open the screen door. his big brown eyes found yours immediately, and you watched as a cheshire cat grin spread across his face.

"well, well, well. if it isn't miss mayfield standing at the edge of my humble abode. to what do i owe the pleasure?" he asked, moving forward on the small landing. he leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at you, the grin never leaving his face. despite the breeze, you felt your face heat with a blush.

eddie munson was no stranger to you. namely, he had quite the reputation of being a freak, what with his heavy metal band corroded coffin and his supposed satan-worshipping hellfire club. you knew the later was a nothing more than a stupid fear, though, as max's friends were all involved in the club. every time you worked with steve harrington at family video, you were subjected to listening to dustin henderson speak nothing but praises for eddie himself. and you trusted dustin, had no reason to believe otherwise. you had also gone to school with eddie, though you weren't really sure he remembered that fact. he was supposed to have graduated before you, and then with you, and now, after you. you'd even had a few classes together, but you knew he spent more time not being in class than he ever did in it, so you honestly didn't really expect him to know you. even these last few months that you've lived across from him, you've never interacted with one another. just some stolen glimpses when you're arriving home and he's leaving, or vice versa.

you must admit that you did foster a bit of a crush for him when you were in the same grade, and now, with him standing above you, gazing down at you with his brown eyes, you were starting to remember exactly why you felt that way. clearing your throat, you copied his pose, crossing your arms across your chest. "i was just coming over to ask you to turn down your amp a bit, please. max has had a rough day." you weren't completely lying to him. you really did need him to quiet down otherwise you were worried your head might genuinely explode from the migraine. however, you also knew from rick that eddie also dabbled in selling drugs, and again...you were desperate.

he studied you for a moment, the sounds of crickets chirping filling the silence, before pushing himself off the doorway. he gripped the railing of the landing between his hands, leaning forward slightly, and in the glow of the streetlights you could see the silver metal of the rings adorning his fingers. "ah, max is the one having a rough day, yeah? is that why you look like you're five seconds away from bursting into tears on my lawn?" he drawled out, cocking his head to the side as he questioned you. his accusation caused your eyes to widen, and you forced yourself to take a few deep breaths. you were not about to lose your cool in front of eddie munson.

"let's just say we've both had a rough day, then. i'm trying to help her study for her biology exam and she can't focus with all the noise coming from here." you state, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. eddie's eyes squinted down at you, and you could see his nose scrunch as he scoffs at you.

"it's not just noise, mayfield. it's music. i'm not surprised you don't know the difference, though, considering all you do is blast bowie and fleetwood mac." you can tell by his voice that he was irritated, and you almost have to stifle a laugh. he's shaking his head slightly, his wavy hair falling around his shoulders. he sees your grin, though, and he pauses. "is something funny?" he asks, moving one of his hands up to grab a piece of his hair and twirling it in front of his face.

"you can't diss stevie nicks, eddie. that's, like, sacrilegious," you tease, your grin growing a little wider as you speak. you've always known how passionate eddie was for his music, and that was honestly something you respected him for. he wasn't afraid to simply be himself, even if this town hated him for it. eddie munson wasn't a freak, he just had unique interests that made him stand out. and in hawkins, standing out was the last thing anyone wanted to do.

eddie continues to twirl his hair around his finger for a moment before throwing his hands out wide. "oh, haven't you heard? i'm a devil worshipper, y/n. being sacrilegious is the least of my worries," he declares, taking a few dramatic steps down the stairs. he stops when he's in front of you, and you realize how much taller he is as you tilt your head back slightly to maintain eye contact. your fingers fiddle nervously with the buttons on your flannel, but you don't back down.

"devil worshipper or not, it's very childlike of you to be judging others for their taste in music just because it doesn't match your own. i'm not hating on you for playing metallica at all hours of the night, just simply asking you to turn it down a notch." you reply, suddenly wondering how the conversation strayed this way. and how he knew what music you liked to listen to. this was a mistake, you thought, maybe i should just take a bath instead of smoke tonight. with that decided, you gave eddie a small wave before starting to back trek to your trailer.

"you could tell that i was playing metallica tonight?" eddie called out at you from behind suddenly. with a sigh, you turned back around, catching him looking at you with an eyebrow raised. you couldn't help but roll your eyes. "yes, munson, i could tell it was metallica. it's their newest song, right?" you asked, putting your hands on your hips as you stood in the middle of the gravel road. you could tell that your response shocked eddie, and it made you smile. "i don't just listen to bowie and fleetwood mac, hon."

those big brown eyes of his widened, and suddenly a smile lit up his face. "there are layers to you, mayfield. i like it," he whispered while pointing a finger at you. "you know, i've actually heard a lot about you, my lady. especially from my dear friend, rick." his grin grew even bigger with his last remark, and it was your turn to look at him with a raised eyebrow. you couldn't fathom why rick would talk about you to anyone, least of all eddie munson. it wasn't like rick knew everything there was to know about you, but sometimes he would let you try out a new strain of weed he had gotten, and you never could control what slipped from your mouth then. that's why you always preferred getting high in the comfort of your own bedroom.

"and are you planning on sharing what you've heard, or are you just trying to hang it over my head?" you asked, tilting your head to the side slightly. your hair fell down your face, and eddie's eyes trailed the movement, causing your face to flush as you pushed it back. he began pacing, occasionally glancing at you before leaning against the railing of the stairs, reaching behind him to hold on to the wood.

"i'm sure it's stuff you already know," he joked, winking at you as he laughed. when eddie laughs, his whole face lights up. his eyes get bright, his smile so wide that you can see the lines around his mouth curve. it's the type of reaction that makes you want to try to get him to laugh again, even if it's at your expense. you watch as he squats down, his plaid pants tightening around his thighs as he runs a finger through the grass in front of him.

"it's mostly just the basics, i guess. you dropped outta school, picked up two jobs, started being very motherly towards your dear sister. i can only imagine how stressed out you must be. makes a man wonder how you handle it all," he tilts his head up to look at you, a mischievous glint in his eyes. you immediately understand the direction he's going with his, and it's enough to make you roll your eyes.

"eddie, if you're talking to reefer rick about me, i'm pretty sure you can imagine what i'm doing to handle my stress." your gaze is as heated as your tone, and he definitely picks up on that. he holds his hands up, frowning slightly.

"woah there, mayfield. i'm not accusing you of anything. we all need a little something now and then to take the edge off. your secret is safe with me," he tosses you another wink, and you push down the wave of butterflies it sends to your stomach. you really should be going back inside, back to max. she's probably wondering what's taking you so long. and yet for some reason, you can't seem to feel the urge to actually want to leave. surprisingly, you like talking to eddie. there's something about him that's so disarming, and there's a part of you that wants to sit on the grass next to him and talk to him until the sun rises.

you watch as he stands back up, wiping his hands off against his pants. "in fact," he continues, giving you a glance before moving to jump up the steps. "i think you could use a little something right now. you feelin' on the edge tonight, mayfield?" he asks, almost softly, gazing down at you with his big eyes. his tone is teasing, but his eyes show how genuine he is in asking that. how much he actually does care. it's his eyes that essentially bring down your walls, and you find yourself wrapping your arms around your middle and nodding slightly in response.

"just a bit," you whisper, feeling tears burn in your eyes suddenly. too many emotions were swelling up inside you, and you felt close to breaking down, which was an unexpected turn of events for you. usually, you're able to push down these feelings until max was asleep. you'd go through the motions of getting ready for bed, but instead of heading to your bedroom, you would escape outside and sit on the stairs leading up to your front door. you would cry until you simply couldn't, and then you'd tuck your knees up under your chin and hug yourself until you felt strong enough to go back inside. you always figured the night was the safest time do let go, the time when no one else would notice you breaking down. but the look in eddie's eyes have you wondering if you've had an audience some nights.

his gaze is soft, and he has the smallest of smiles on his face, more sympathetic than anything else. he holds up a finger, muttering "one second," before dipping back into his trailer. you use this time to blow out a loud sigh, wiping your eyes with the sleeves of your flannel and trying to make yourself seem like less of a mess. you can hear a few things being knocked over or dropped in the trailer, and you walk to the bottom of the stairs, concerned. "eddie?"

he bursts out of the door quickly, nearly tripping on the doorstep. his hair flies behind him as he gathers his balance. he makes his way towards the step in front of you, grinning, and when he's near you, he holds out his hand. you see a small baggie nestled in his palm, and the urge to grab it hits you hard, but you restrain yourself. in all your desperation, you forgot a key factor needed to make this a done deal - money. just yesterday you spent what you had left of your two paychecks on helping with the electric bill and getting groceries for the three of you. what little savings you had in your account was saved back for max, in case she needed anything.

looking up, you give eddie a small smile but start to shake your head. "i really appreciate the gesture, but i... i can't really afford to buy this right now. thank you, though." at your response, eddie simply laughs and reaches down to grab your wrist. he brings your hand up and drops the baggie into your own palm dramatically, curling his fingers over yours so that you’re holding it in your fist now. you watch him with furrowed eyebrows the entire time, confused.

"no charge, mayfield. knowing that i helped you get back from the edge is enough for me, alright?" he says quietly, still holding your hand within his own. the two of you stand like that, frozen in time, for a moment before his gaze lifts over your shoulder. a grin encompasses his face, and he turns his eyes back on you. "i'd ask if you wanted to come in, but it looks like someone is waiting for you back there." he nods his head in the direction of your trailer, and you turn your head to look, catching a glimpse of max in the window before the curtain closes quickly. you can't help but laugh, and when you turn back to eddie, his eyes are locked on your hand in his.

when he realizes you're looking at him, he clears his throat and drops his hand away, shoving both of his into the pockets of his flannel pants. the action makes you blush, and in a sudden act of bravery, you tilt up on your tiptoes, leaning forward to press a small kiss against eddie's cheek. "thank you, munson." the smell of smoke and his aftershave fills your nose as you pull away, and you start to back away slowly from the landing. eddie's head turns, and he blinks slowly, almost sleepily, and gives you one of his grins. you don't even bother trying to suppress the butterflies again.

"don't be a stranger, mayfield." he calls out at you as you make your way back to your trailer. when you reach your door, you turn back around, noticing that eddie was waiting for you to make it back. giving him a small wave, you finally head back inside, hiding the little baggie within your sleeve so that max wouldn't see it. when your door is shut, you lean against it, a soft smile tugging at your lips.

if being desperate meant having more interactions with eddie munson, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to be after all.

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fizzigigsimmer · 1 year

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Modern Au. Steve spends that summer watching Billy Hargrove. It starts when Billy gets a job at the pool, and Steve is worried about him giving the kids a hard time, Max and her friends especially. But to his surprise, Billy doesn't pay the party much mind and he seems to be a big hit with the younger kids. At first he thinks it's in order to flirt with their big sisters and the moms, but no. Billy's just good with them, and then Steve learns that Billy teaches their swim classes and it kind of blows his mind a little. He struggles to picture it but there's no mistaking Billy's name listed as Swim Instructor on the flyer on the bulletin board.

Billy makes a friend that summer. He and Heather are the type of besties that just amp each other up. When they're together they just keep getting progressively louder and sillier with their antics the longer they're in the same space, until they dissolve into full blown hysterics. He's talking wheezing snotty laughter. Kill me now for it hurts to breathe laughter.

Steve kind of gets it because he and Robin are like that and quickly becoming the best part of each other's lives. But he is wary of the whole Billy &Heather thing. A little enthralled too maybe, because Hargrove is so different with Heather than he is with anyone else. In the corners of that bright smile and veracious laughter he keeps looking for the guy who used to shove him around on the court and broke a plate over his head once. But he keeps finding new versions of Billy instead. Sitting in a booth at Scoops, grinning teeth and rosey lips licking up drippy vanilla ice cream in the aftermath of an assault with an ice cream cone that ends with him and Heather taking a selfie instead of violence.

It puzzles Steve. Irritates him for reasons he can't quite understand and that Robin is tired of hearing about. He's not upset that Billy found a friend - a real friend and not the popular crowd that had propped him up on the abdicated throne - it was just simpler, somehow, when Billy was an asshole who didn't make them. Steve didn't have to think about Billy's (or himself thinking about Billy) when Billy was just some jerk.

Steve spends so much time looking at Billy Hargrove, but it's not until the lifeguards at the Hawkins Community Pool upload a TikTok that he finally realizes why. It's captioned 'We're ready to back you up Adele!' And features Billy and Heather front and center, the unapologetic ring leaders of this circus act full of flapping arms and legs and wagging butts.

The thing is, Billy looks good. A smile in his eyes even as he pretends at seriousness, smooth movements juxtaposed against the goofy flailing of this peers, broad hands slapping thick thighs, the tip of his tongue resting in the corner of this mouth turning his grin just a little bit wicked as he and Heather turn and shake their assess for the camera to the delight of the others.

Steve's face goes hot at the way his dick twitches in interest. 'Oh' he thinks for the first time. He wouldn't have thought anything about it at all, watching Heather dance that way in her red bathing suit. But Steve's eyes aren't on her; they're where they've been all summer long. With Billy.

#harringrove #short fics #modern aus #tiktok #I saw a video of a pair of nurses doing this and just thought this is tottally what Billy and Heather would do #lol and they would eat that shit up no crumbs #Steve's Bi Panic has its own real estate in my head right now

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walkswithmyfather · 10 months

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“For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus,” —1 Timothy 2:5 (AMP)

“There is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, and he gave himself to rescue all of us.”—1 Timothy 2:5 (CEV)

“Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.” —John 14:6 (TPT)

Friend, if you want to know God, there is only one way: Jesus. The Way, the Truth and the Life. And if you meet with Jesus, you will never regret it. Billy Graham said, “I have never known a man who received Christ and ever regretted it.” And Billy Graham should know after decades of preaching, serving the Lord and meeting who knows how many people.

Have a blessed day in Christ! Amen! 🙏🕊️🙌

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randomnameless · 6 months

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IS and KT managing to make Edelgard the biggest Mary Sue in a verse where Byleth exists is still morbidly impressive to me lol

I wouldn't say Supreme Leader is a Mary Sue - depending on what you mean by being a Mary Sue, anon.

If you're talking about the 2000s usual critic thrown at fanfiction characters... well, you have Supreme Leader's depiction in the Aeneid that could fit this trope!

But in general...

Yep, that's what makes the Fodlan series so... weird ? Empty? As consistent as a cloud?

FE16 wise, characters (bar a few ones who are generally loved !) can piss on their background/convictions/ties/preexisting character to join Billy's side because Billy is awesome. No matter how hard people try to headcanon about it, Felix will join the GD and later Claude's army in VW because Billy had a kickass rank in swordfighting : Felix will ditch his childhood friends and leave his people to fend for themselves because Billy knows how to swordfight.

Remove Billy's player avatar powers, and suddenly, some characters cannot switch sides - in return they gain a much stronger characterisation and development (the BL peeps in Nopes!).

What makes the Fodlan verse so unique isn't Billy being at the forefront of player pandering, no, Fodlan verse will hammer instead the "waifu pandering". Sure, waifu is supposed to be your avatar's luf interest and the character you will spend thousands of dollars/euros/pick your currency for - but instead of pushing player pandering to 11, Fodlan verse instead pushes waifu pandering.

Supreme Leader cannot ever be challenged, whatever she does, people will praise her later on - or if we really have to fight her, it will not be willingly but the cast will be forced by circumstances (don't ask who created them!) and lament how they couldn't "walk with her uwu".

It culminates, imo, with SS S Support Rhea wondering if the War was her fault, and no one putting the blame on the character who declared said war on premises we learn, through the game, to be wrong. It's as if Rhea wonders if being tortured for 5 years I mean, having to dance Zumba for 5 years in Enbarr's dungeons, thousands of dead people, the monastery and its people being destroyed, Faerghus falling to anarchy, Adrestian made Demonic Beasts and Supreme Leader's beliefs that nonhumans should never have powers over humans because their ears aren't round is, well, her fault.

"See, Supreme Leader did nothing wrong, Rhea herself says she was responsible for her own torture zumba session!"

And FE16 being FE16... There is no "of course not".

To preserve Supreme Leader's selling points, those games amp up to unseen before in this franchise levels of victim blaming that seriously - regardless of real life world events - made a lot of people, myself included, uncomfortable.

So while I wouldn't say Supreme Leader is a 2000s Mary Sue, the writing around her feels somehow more gratting than what a fanfiction writer could have wrote in the 2000s for fun.

I mean, people were paid to write "if people don't want to die maybe they should just let me roll over them"!

That's way worse.

#anon #replies #seriously the amount of push they put in both games to make Supreme Leader look uwu and clean and be waifuable #victim blaming is the worst thing to have came out of the Fodlan games #when soren starts to be a piece of shit towards Crimean civilians the cast tells him to stop #but here everyone parrots Supreme Leader's spiel she even has a court #Nopes is the biggest offender with Faerghus going all 'we started this war :'("#like dudes #you welcomed refugees who were ousted from their home after Adrestia declared war against them #the leader of Adrestia calls her war a war of conquest #but the writers dared to write you as having doubts over your involvment in this war?#'oh noes i started the war because i was born :'('#seriously??#FE16 #forget the mary sues and what not #hopefully IS rectified their writing with engage on that particular level #but it's a black spot for the franchise

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mieux-de-se-taire · 8 months

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Skylines and Turnstiles - MCR Interviews

Snagglezine Interview - 4/9/02

Gerard: We saw the plane hit right from the train and when we got there we were all just standing on the pier in Hoboken like right on the edge. There’s like 300 people that were friend and family and we all saw it go down. That’s when I realized that doing this cartoon was bullshit, I love to draw and make art but it was so commercial, it was just that I felt like having meetings with people in suits, it just made me realize what the hell I’m doing with my life. That’s what our 1st song that we always open with “Skylines and Turnstiles” is about. It’s about the Trade Center.

Dot Alt Interview - 8/30/02

Paragraph 3

Interviewer: So how did it all begin with MCR? Gerard: Matt and I got together around October/November and I had this song, Skylines and Turnstiles, that we worked out together. We liked where it was going so we asked the best guitarist we knew to play, Ray Toro.

Recroom Magazine Interview - 8/12/03

Jessica (Interviewer): What was the first song you wrote as a band? Gerard: "Skylines and Turnstiles.”

Alternative Press #197 - 9/17-20/04

Page 5, paragraph 9

“I ran into Matt [Pelissier] at a bar and said, ‘You know what? I’ve been writing songs. You’re not doing anything, and I’m not doing anything, so let’s get together and give it a shot.’” With a no-pressure commitment, Gerard played Pelissier a rough version of “Skylines And Turnstiles,” and he liked what he heard.

Page 6, paragraph 1

The trio recorded a demo in Pelissier’s attic. “My attic had no walls,” he says, laughing. “It was a wooden, run-down piece of crap. I had a really cheap 16-track board, and we had a bunch of crappy mics. I basically had the drums and guitars playing upstairs and ran mics down the stairs and had Gerard sing in the bathroom.” What came out of those sessions were the blueprints for “Our Lady of Sorrows” (original title: “Bring More Knives”), “Cubicles” and “Turnstiles.” “You could hear that it was something really new, and it was kind of a weird idea, but for some reason, as poorly as it was coming together, it really worked,” remembers Gerard. “And a lot of people loved the demo.”

Blender Magazine Interview - April 2005

Page 3, paragraph 20 to page 4, paragraph 1

After September 11, Gerard wrote his first song, “Skylines and Turnstiles,” and played it to an old friend, drummer Matt Pelissier. Pelissier knew a guitarist called Ray Toro. “They played me their one song and I was jumping around the attic and headbanging,” says Toro.

VMA Virgins Interview - 8/28/05

0:12-0:36

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Gerard: The first song was “Skylines and Turnstiles.” I believe I had this blue guitar that I bought because Billie Joe [Armstrong] had like a greenish blue guitar, and I had it from when I was 15 or 16, so I used that guitar to write it in my mom’s basement, and I mean that was it. It was a very direct song about what happened during 9/11 and how I felt about it, and it was what started the band.

Life On the Murder Scene - 2004/2005

19:32-19:47

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Gerard: (As “Skylines and Turnstiles” plays in the background) You know I had that song, about September 11th, kind of my way of getting over it. Gerard: (Cuts to another interview) This was kind of like therapy for us when it started, and it still is. Gerard: (Cuts back to the first interview) And I said, “Just, you know, just listen to it,” and so I played it for [Matt Pelissier] and sang it, we played it together, and we just loved the way it sounded.

Kerrang #1142 - 1/17/07

Page 9, paragraph 12

Gerard: From then on, I was in my parent’s basement with a small practice amp and a very old Fender guitar. That’s when I wrote ‘Skylines And Turnstiles’ [as a reaction to what he saw on 9/11] and some of the earlier material. I wrote those songs sitting in my pyjamas with notebooks all around me. It was me going, ‘All this stuff has been inside me for years and I want to get it out.’ I wasn’t depressed at that time exactly but I was certainly a hermit.”

Barcelona Live Stream - 3/5/11

7:43-8:04

*Audio Warning for loud booming in the background*

youtube

Gerard: (Reading off chat) “Skylines and Turnstiles,” maybe making a comeback Frank: Ah Gerard: We talked about that a lot. Frank: Yeah Gerard: (Pointing at Frank) You always really want it. I think we should try it really soon. Frank: I’d like to rework that song Gerard: Yeah Frank: I think it’d be really good one. But hey, that’d be kinda cool for our 10 year, to do the song that started it all Gerard: Yeah, I would love that. (Everyone starts talking at once for a moment) Maybe for our anniversary we’ll bust that out.

Kevin Smith SModcast Interview - 12/5/12

1:32:52-1:33:11

youtube

Kevin Smith (Interviewer): Is that the day? Or night? Or, when do you write what is considered to be the first song? Gerard: Oh right, I guess it’s like a week later. Kevin Smith: After that, and it was all predicated on September 11th? Gerard: Mm hmm, with that same Stratocaster, with the same little crappy amp that I had from when I was a kid. I just pulled it out and said, “Alright, I’m gonna do something else.” Kevin Smith: (Overlapping) Where are you? Are you home? Gerard: I’m living at my parent’s house, yeah

Where Are Your Boys Tonight? (Chris Payne) - 2020-2022

Chapter 8, page 107

Mikey: The demos got made shortly after 9/11. I was like, “I need to be in this band,” and they were like, “We need a bass player.” The first song I heard was “Skylines and Turnstiles.” It’s a heavy song, you know? I was like, “I want to be a part of this.”

Two Minutes To Late Night Interview - 8/15/22

23:13-23:40

youtube

Frank: When they started, the first song I think was like “Skylines and Turnstiles,” and it was just like, something happened. Gwarsenio Hall (Interviewer): Right Frank: These guys that I knew, that, you know, were the geekiest, nerdiest, like nicest, kindest, most interesting kids that you wouldn’t even stop and look twice at, like, turned into these-- they were rockstars. It was like-- it was undeniable, and it was unfathomable, like, it was crazy.

#mcr #my chemical romance #i brought you my bullets you brought me your love #bullets #skylines and turnstiles #interviews #song interviews #almost got it in time for the anniversary #next up is my favorite bullets song!#early sunsets!

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giurochedadomani · 1 year

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What about a role reversal au, though. Wayne has a job offer from Cali. Enough of a good job offer to consider relocating. Eddie flunks school (once more) and given that Corroded Coffin is most probably going to break off when Jeff and Gareth get into the good unis they deserve, Eddie takes the opportunity to go with Wayne and have a fresh start. It cannot be much worse for him than in Hawkins, right? Well, his extremely low expectations are amply (very amply) surpassed when he gets to Cali and his arrival coincides in time with the rise of the hard rock scene. And suddenly the hair, the battle vest, the thousand patches make him into hot stuff. (There's even a --little-- gay scene in Cali. What the freaking fuck. Where has Cali been all his life)

Cue him orbiting around Billy, with his bad reputation and all the rumours that surround him. Billy knows how to mask now, but it doesn't work as well as in Hawkins: he doesn't have the shine of being the hot new transfer, and his schoolmates have probably seen / sensed quite a few bad things from his childhood before it was drilled into him through circumstances *waves a vague hand* that being vulnerable Is Bad.

They become fast friends after Eddie invites Billy to see him play with other people in a basement party and Billy helps him run away before the Police arrives (and finds that there's more uuuuh Illegal Stuff that incredibly loud amps)

Wayne still doesn't know what to make out of their relationship in this au. He hasn't seen Eddie this happy many other times, but at the same time he's starting to sneak out, come back home pretty late, etc....... pretty normal teen behaviour, except that Eddie hasn't ever done it to such an extent until that point. And yes, Eddie had very few friends in Hawkins, but a part of Wayne cannot help but fearing that he's Getting Into Problems Like His Father (opinion that gets obliterated that night he comes home a bit early and catches them having an Intense Good Night Kiss before Billy sneaks out back to his home)

#Mungrove #billy hargrove

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extraterezi · 7 months

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when I was still high on gomens fumes I made this playlist inspired by s2, with 6 songs for aziraphale and crowley each. explanations and meta under the cut if youre still in the trenches <3

Crowley

1. The Way I Feel Inside - The Zombies

Should I try to hide the way I feel inside my heart for you?

Just felt like this song had Crowley vibez. Obviously about him pining away while still keeping a distance.

2. Seaside Rendezvous - Queen

I feel so romantic, can we do it again? Can we do it again sometime? (Ooh, I'd like that)

Gotta have at least one Queen track for Crowley! This one's for the two of them gallivanting around, enjoying earthly pleasures in their favorite company. I just think this song perfectly captures the Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck on a vespa typa dates they seem to go on all the time.

3. Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

With a rebel yell, she cried more, more, more

This song goes SO HARD!! It's my absolute favorite at the moment. It makes me think of Crowley feeling righteous and amped up about his and Aziraphale's secret rebellion against the system, and feeling justified about loving him. Sometimes Aziraphale's reluctancy to let go of heaven doesn't make Crowley feel frustrated and sad, sometimes it just makes it feel more meaningful when Aziraphale keeps coming back for more, as if despite his better judgement he can't stay away.

4. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5

Give me something to believe in 'Cause I don't believe in you anymore, anymore

Kind of an unexpected addition to this playlist, but I do think that you need an angry power song in every playlist about pining over your best friend. It sucks!!! Aziraphale can be a dick and frustrating as all hell to deal with, and when you're as full of angst as Crowley it's hard to show good faith and trust that he doesn't mean it like that (and sometimes knowing that makes it even worse). And that's when you need a song that makes you feel cool and justified and PISSED.

5. Cry Me A River - Julie London

And now you say you love me Well, just to prove you do Come on and cry me a river Cry me a river I cried a river over you

This is the song that started it all. It came up on shuffle and then I listened to it like 36 times, thinking about Crowley the whole time. It's his sassy sadgirl anthem for after S2. He's past despair, and now he's just bitter... I want him to stay mad in S3, it's such a great look on him. An apology isn't enough, Aziraphale needs to get wise.

6. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

These things are dear to me They seem to bring you near to me

This was originally going to be an Aziraphale song, but I love the idea that while Crowley likes earth, he always felt some disdain for how his stars had been demoted to but a backdrop for this new main character of the universe, and instead it was through Aziraphale he fell in love with humanity. All of Aziraphale's special interests are silly little human eccentricities! No wonder Crowley looks at the world around him and sees nothing but Aziraphale everywhere, even after he's gone.

Aziraphale

7. Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli

You're just too good to be true Can't take my eyes off of you You'd be like heaven to touch I want to hold you so much

I've always connected this song with that fantastic and silly scene with Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About you, so I was not prepared for how devastated I would get listening to this song while thinking about Aziraphale. The first line makes me think about how he still sees Crowley as an angel, which is a whole jar of beans and just hurtful to think about. Then the second line is about him spending 6000 years gazing lovingly at Crowley. And then after several turns of quiet dreamy romance the song switches pace to this grand declaration of love that Aziraphale would never make. Ever. But still thinks in his mind constantly and ouch ouch ouch.

8. Tea For Two - Blossom Dearie

I'm discontented with homes that are rented So I have invented my own

This, of course, is about the house in South Downs, and this vague idea of escaping somewhere with Crowley. I don't think Aziraphale has actually considered it yet, it's just a fleeting feeling he gets whenever Crowley talks about Alpha Centuri, or whenever he's reminded of the inevitability of them being found out and separated. I do like how this song makes it sound like he's the one tempting Crowley, and in that presumptuous and matter of fact tone Aziraphale always uses. "Oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever." We can go somewhere better. But Aziraphale hasn't realized the core of this song and want yet, that this needs to be away from the judging eyes of heaven and hell both.

9. He Needs Me

No one ever asked before Before because they never needed me (But I do) But he does Maybe it's because he's so alone Maybe it's because he's never had a home

To me this song feels like a halting realization. Over time, or after one eventful and intense conversation (the conversation), where your mind is reeling and you're stumbling through the memory of what was said and how and what it all means. And it's scary and good and oh no maybe I was wrong all along and wow, maybe I was wrong all along. Like not quite getting it yet but piecing it together. And it's sung yet again in that presumptuous, almost patronizing tone, while still feeling a bit childish.

(Aziraphale isn't stupid, he just has that simultaneously extra high and extra low empathy that seems very common for autistic people that makes it harder to navigate the world and relationships (yes, hi, welcome to my autistic Azi agenda). He often has this confused little furrow in his brow and I think this is why. In conversations with Crowley he understands the subtleties but misses big obvious things, cherry picking and making assumptions that he then holds as facts to bring into their next interaction. In the end of their last conversation Aziraphale is confused enough about Crowley's words and reactions that he's forced to question his earlier "deductions" and reevaluate everything, which will hopefully turn into true understanding when he's finished processing. I have a lot to say about this whole concept but it's a bit halfbaked so I might come back to it.)

The verse I picked hits hard in two parts: Aziraphale is so proud of being an angel, but in a pretty obvious defense mechanism kinda way. He's always known deep down that he's not what heaven expects or needs from him, and the other angels consistently dismiss and ignore him. And so Aziraphale believes, in true christian fashion, that while he tries (almost too much) to be good he is inherently evil, flawed, in a way an angel shouldn't be, because he feels human emotions and questions things. This naturally gives him a lot of imposter syndrome - his peers never see him as anything other than a cog in the heavenly machine, making his only purpose being an angel, which he deep down believes he's thoroughly failing at. "No one ever asked before because they never needed me" feels like it refers to how no one sees or needs him, because all they see is something he can't be.

The second part is (pretty self-explanatory) about Crowley. Not good enough to be an angel, not bad enough to be a demon. Just like Aziraphale.

10. Angel Eyes - Ella Fitzgerald

Try to think that love's not around But it's uncomfortably near My old heart ain't gaining no ground Because my angel eyes ain't here Angel eyes, that old Devil sent They glow unbearably bright

Here's some ominous jazz to complement Crowley's Cry Me A River. I'm obsessed with how this song just churns in your chest. I love a fancy lounge jazz typa sound for them, especially when it's darker like this.

"My angel eyes" is at first a metaphor for Aziraphale's heavenly judgement/morals that he's losing sight of the closer he gets to Crowley, the line between good and evil getting blurred and him becoming progressively more human. As the song continues it becomes clear that the angel eyes are Crowley's. Aziraphale still remembers Crowley as an angel, evident by the way he keeps insisting he sees good in him and then asking him to become an angel once again in the end of S2. And as we all know Crowley's angel eyes glow unbearably bright indeed.

11. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John

So goodbye yellow brick road Where the dogs of society howl You can't plant me in your penthouse I'm going back to my plough Back to the howling old owl in the woods Hunting the horny back toad Oh, I've finally decided my future lies Beyond the yellow brick road

Although this song is originally about wanting to leave a world of fame and go back to a more quiet rural life, I've interpreted the idea of returning to your roots as something more like giving up - Aziraphale at the end of S2, deciding to stop chasing after this imaginary dream at the end of the yellow brick road, and resigning himself to just doing his job, thwarting evil and working for the man. I know reading "the howling old owl in the woods" as god and heaven, and "the horny back toad" as demons is a bit more on the nose than the charming and nostalgic original meaning, but before I researched this song it really did feel more resigned and like a bad ending. I also really like the penthouse bit, cause while in the original it's referring to opulence and excess, in my context it sounds like it's referring to Crowley's modern flat, and him wanting to plant Aziraphale in a little pot among his other plants..

12. Absentee - Cass McCombs

Walking on the country road late last night I passed a stranger in the moonlight I turned around to see Where he did flee But there was just me Return the deep Absentee

I like how the "country road" line kinda ties back to the last song, the rural country representing heaven, and this road being in stark contrast to the yellow brick one. Fun how the aesthetics are flipped too.

This song makes me nervous, and sad. As Aziraphale walks into the elevator he turns back to see Crowley, leaning on the Bentley, still waiting for him. Aziraphale is the one leaving.

#good omens #aziracrow #gomens #talking shenanigans

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magicalqueennightmare · 2 years

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Truth Is

Gif not mine. @banditthewriter is the creator

After a supply run goes south things get a little tense between you and Billy

Warnings: cursing, mentions of violence

Zombie apocalypse AU

Everywhere on your body ached. The line of stitches at your side itched, the bruising on your face was sore to the touch and broken ribs were a bitch when all you could do was baby them. The run had gone smooth enough but no one would’ve ever expected bandits to hit so close back to the compound.

You were riding between Frank and Brock in the lead truck when they hit. Bastards shot the front tires out. Frank and Brock were more used to taking blows than you were, perks of being a marine and special ops, you guessed.

When the truck came to a stop Frank had warned you to stay put next to it and out of sight. You’d refused and luck would have it that you did. Billy was fighting four of them when you finally made it up the hill barely getting a shot fired in enough time to drop the one pointing a gun at his head. You jumped into the fight next to the men helping to hold off and eventually take out the bandits but before you could catch your breath the sounds of your fighting had summoned the dead that roamed between you and home.

-------

The blood pouring from your side from where you’d caught a blade was inhibiting your movements some, along with the pain in your other side but you were shoulder to shoulder with Brock taking down each dead that made it your way. Unfortunately between the wreck and fight it had taken more out of you than you realized. A wave of dizziness hit you and the gnashing jaws nearly connected with your shoulder. Billy appeared over your shoulder snatching you out of harm’s reach and slamming his knife up through the rotted skull.

—------------

By that time a scout must have realized what was happening because the cavalry arrived quickly dispersing of the remaining rotters. You stood facing Billy, both of your chests heaving with excursion. “What the fuck were you thinking?” He cursed, eyes wide and blood smeared across his face from where a knife had sliced his cheek.

You were taken aback by his tone but recovered quick enough to snap back “Oh you mean the crawling out of a wrecked truck to save your ass thing or not leaving Rumlow to take on half a dozen rotters solo?” The pain you were in had slipped from your mind replaced by the anger coursing through you at his next words “I told Frankie you shouldn’t have come on this run”

“Fuck you Russo” you growled turning to storm away but felt a different set of hands grab you. You spun ready to attack but was met with Frank’s worried face clocking your different injuries. “C’mon kid, we’re all amped up. Bill didn’t mean that shit. We need to get you home to Curt” before he ever finished talking he was pulling his shirt off and lifting the side of yours to use it as a makeshift bandage to apply pressure. You hissed in pain at the movement but nodded nonetheless “Ok” you blankly let him lead you to one of the trucks.

Before you pulled off you saw Frank shoving his finger into Billy’s face and knew the two of them would end up arguing the entire cleanup.

That was days ago. You still had no idea why Billy had treated you like that. You weren’t the only one injured in the wreck or fight. Jonah had a broken arm,Billy had twelve stitches in his face, Brock broke two ribs in the wreck and Frank had yet again dislocated his shoulder.

You made your way across the yard of the compound. Despite the setbacks, you’d actually consider the objective of the run a success considering a team was at work winterizing everything with the supplies that had been recovered.

Karen of course had come to see you the same night everything happened to recount the argument she’d been witness to between Frank and Billy once they made it back to the compound. You hated being the source of it but Frank saw you as a younger sister of sorts and well as for Billy, you would’ve counted him as your best friend besides Karen. You’d known each other for years and there was a trust and bond there like no other. Maybe that was why his words had stung so? He didn’t trust you as much as you trusted him.

-------

You were in search of Brock considering he was over the schedule for guard duty and you were left off yet again. Curt said you were cleared as long as you listened to your body cues. You were geared up to argue with Brock, possibly take out some of the anger you had towards Billy on him but about the time you stepped into the building where David had last seen Brock you heard your name being called.

You turned to see Billy walking up the hall towards you.From the looks of it he hadn’t shaved in a few days but given the stitches he probably couldn’t. The beard suited him and just the mere thought of that was enough to piss you off again.

You’d carried feelings deeper than friendship for Billy since before the fall but nothing ever came out of it. You were his best friend, nothing more. Yet even in your anger, you couldn’t help but stare into those deep brown eyes when he came to a stop in front of you “Y/N I was just about to come looking for you”

You bristled up instantly at his smugness when you realized he was probably the reason why Brock hadn’t given you any guard shifts. “Did you fucking tell Rumlow not to put me on shift?” he motioned to your abdomen “You’re still healing darling” you felt your hands ball into fists at your side in an effort to not slap him “Curtis, our fucking medic said I’m cleared and you had no right to do that. I’ll go to Frank about it”

“Frank agrees with me” he quickly replied smirk only getting deeper and you’d be damned if the line of stitches didn’t add to the attractiveness he naturally had.

“When the fuck did we shift from being best friends to you apparently hating me or worse thinking I’m a fucking china doll and can’t pull my own weight?” his expression quickly changed at your words “I never said any of that Y/N so don’t put words into my mouth ok? Me and Frankie know you. You’re more stubborn than the two of us and that’s saying something. Just take a couple more days than you can have all the shifts you want”

You rolled your eyes “Or do you even trust me to be on guard since you apparently don’t want to go on runs with me anymore?”

“Sweetheart..” he tried reaching out to cup your chin like he had so many times before but this time you pulled away “How about I’ll stay out of your way and you stay out of mine Billy. Words sting a lot more than any broken rib or knife wound”

You turned away without another word storming off across the yard with no real destination in mind, simply wanting to put as much distance as you could between yourself and Billy while still within the safety of the compound walls.

Billy knew he’d messed up the moment you accused him of hating you or thinking you were weak. He’d never meant for those words to slip out of his mouth in that post fight haze. Yeah he’d asked Frank not to take you on that run but not for the reason you thought.

He knew those supplies made it a high risk run. He hadn’t wanted you to get hurt because he knew that what happened would. That even injured you’d never stay out of a fight. Then when you saved his ass and jumped in to help Rumlow? Fuck that scared him seeing you bloody and fighting rotters.

Instead of saying anything after the fight cleared he should’ve checked on you, acknowledged the fact that you’d yet again been able to hold your own among former special forces. He should’ve cleared your injuries, he should’ve told you he was glad you were ok.

He should’ve told you that he’d had feelings for you since before the fall but yet again letting poison fall from his lips was easier than saying he was in love.

—-------

In the week and a half that followed, Billy saw you in passing. You wouldn’t even look his way and worse every time he saw you Brock wasn’t far behind. He liked the guy well enough but seeing him laughing with you and touching you so damn casually? It made his blood boil.

You were his girl, his best friend outside of Frank. Hell you knew things about him Frank didn’t. Why had he been such a hot head?

—--------

He eventually talked himself into not letting you avoid him anymore. After getting blocked at every turn he decided to go to your quarters once he got cleared of guard duty

He walked into the hall you stayed in but stopped when he heard voices. Yours followed by Brock’s. “You’re the best Doll” Brock spoke low and he heard a light chuckle fall from your lips “Mind giving me that in writing?” He glanced around the corner to see you and Brock standing close just outside your quarters.

Brock played with the hem of the old marine shirt you were wearing and teased “Right after we find you an army rangers shirt, you’re killing me with the marine shit doll” you laughed slapping his chest lightly “Well find me a rangers shirt then Rumlow” he shook his head then leaned down to press a gentle kiss onto your cheek “I’ll see ya later”

It took every ounce of self control Billy had to not beat Brock’s face in then and there. He watched him walk away after you shut your door and had to take a few moments to collect himself. Had he waited too long to tell you how he really felt? Why had Brock been in your room?

The thoughts that followed were enough to make him want to kill the man. He had to know and at the very least he had to finally admit how he felt if nothing else so you knew why he’d acted like that on the run.

You were just about to lay down when you heard a heavy knock at your door. You laughed “Brock I told you to..” but was cut off when you opened the door to find a rather pissed looking Billy standing there instead.

“Billy?” you asked not masking the confusion you felt. He walked past you into the room so you said “Come in” shutting the door before leaning back against it. You watched silently as he paced across the small room you called your own. You knew him well enough to let him work it out himself but you were curious as to what had spurred this on.

After a moment he stopped and looked back at you “Are you fucking Rumlow?” you laughed from pure shock “Excuse me?” he must have realized what he said or how he said it because he quickly started to backtrack “Shit, that’s not what I came here to say” he seemed to struggle to find words before crossing the space between you, his long frame boxing you between himself and the door “But are you?”

You stared up at him and had the urge to lie, to say you were. Instead you simply said “What’s it matter if I am? We’re both consenting adults and not promised to anyone else” pain flashed through his eyes and you felt your stomach flip. He spoke more to himself than to you “I deserve it, for you to find someone that aint a damn coward”

-------

Now you were really confused so you tilted your head slightly, studying him before finally saying “What do you mean someone who isn’t a coward?” His dark eyes locked onto yours and for a moment you forgot how to breathe. “You very well may punch me and I may have to fight Brock but I can’t just not do this” “Do what?” you asked, getting cut off by his lips crashing into yours.

The feeling of his lips on yours was better than you’d ever imagined. He flicked his tongue into your mouth deepening the kiss and rolling it against your own. It took everything in you to remember how pissed you’d been at him, how he’d treated you. You finally shoved him back, effectively breaking the kiss “WHAT THE HELL RUSSO?”

He swiped his thumb across his bottom lip, eyes never leaving yours. “You kissed me back sweetheart” you didn’t see a point in lying so you shrugged “Your point?” He stepped back closer to you,not invading your space but close enough to make thinking hard. “Brock doesn't know you like I do. He doesn’t have the history like I do, he can’t please you like I could”

You felt anger flick back through you “My pussy ain’t some damn prize Billy. Stop being so damn flighty and tell me why you’re here, why you kissed me and why you’re going on about Brock”

He nodded slowly “The truth?” “Please?” you asked and he took a deep breath. “The truth is I have loved you since before the fall. When it happened my goal was to keep you breathing. Then this place happened and we were safe. Then we started building it and along the way how I felt just grew deeper. The reason I acted like that on the run was because I wanted to try to keep you safer. Last run in you had with bandits you landed in medical with a concussion. If I had lost you out there? None of this would matter. You may choose Brock over me and that’s your decision but know it won’t change that I love you or that I’ll always be your best friend”

—-----------

Billy stood there silently begging you to say anything but when seconds ticked by and you were silent he nodded “I get it. He’s a lucky man and apparently smarter than me too” he started to step around you to open the door but your hand flew out to catch his wrist. He looked back at your face and the smile that had slipped onto it gave him a flicker of hope even before you spoke “Brock was here talking to me about Darcy. That was it. Now that you’ve done your big confession scene, it’s my turn” he raised an eyebrow to urge you to go on and didn’t miss the way your eyes lit up before you said “I love you too you damn idiot, now come kiss me again”

He didn’t have to be told twice. He pulled you into his arms and this time when you kissed you allowed the light moan to fall from your lips as you tugged at the hair at the nape of his neck. He pulled back long enough to meet your eyes.

“What now?” you looked over his shoulder with a smirk playing on your lips “There’s a bed right there. I’m sure we could figure out a thing or two” he shook his head with a laugh “Fuck I love you Y/N” “I love you too Billy” you replied pulling him into another kiss.

#billy russo fanfic #billy russo x reader #au billy russo #billy russo x female reader #billy russo au #zombie au

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