#can't wait to make my own money...

[ohseababy]

.

#i know jobs suck and capitalism bad whatever but i kind of... #can't wait to make my own money... #like i can buy myself the little cheap candy treats anytime and not have #to give an account to my mom and be made to feel ashamed about it... when i #run out of stickers i can just buy more instead of begging my dad for spare change #and facing his three-day long severe disapproval #i can send a letter through post to my best friend so she feels im with her through her grandpa's death i/o like a voice note and an email #she may not even see till much later #i dont think im fiscally irresponsible #like i know i may struggle to even have necessities like food and rent depending on where i am and what my job is #but it's nice to think i'll be able to control my own life and decisions even if its making mistakes #i/o feeling disgusting about the things i do use my parents money for because im made to feel idiotic for spending tiny quantities once in a #while on things THEY see as frivolous and entirely unimportant... who cares if it brings me joy... #like a drivers' license and a steady income i earn are freedoms i genuinely long for there is nothing like being able to live a life on your #own terms... #idk #s.text #diary

[abbeyofcyn]

Spiderman across the spiderverse was AMAZING.

I loved it so much. They upped the artistic/ creative 2d/3d parts and I didn't know that was possible and BOY was it good.

Honestly, the colours and action in the rottmnt trailer was what made me watch rottmnt the movie and I think I just love color for someone who wears black 9/10 times and has no idea how to colour.

But that's totally unrelated. Watch spiderman if you can!!!

#spiderverse #no spoilers #not from me #rottmnt #crossovers make sense now kinda #they are both colourful and teen main characters and cool fighting scenes #and New York City #can't wait to buy it on blueray and own it forever #why is rottmnt the movie not on blueray #let me spend money and own what I love #I still buy cds sometimes just to show my love for my fav musicians #don't care if I never play them #ok enough rambling in the tags

[disdaidal]

I wanna thank my irl friends who follow me here and also my beloved mutuals as well as followers who still send me kind messages and try to interact with me and my stuff even if I'm bad at doing it myself.

Honestly, things haven't been that great with me lately, so... it means a lot to me. Honestly. <3

#personal #i had to make the tough decision to drop out of school last week #i didn't exactly want it if i'm being completely honest here #but certain stuff was preventing me from getting further so i knew the teachers are gonna ask me to quit over at our teams meeting #i instantly contacted my nurse about my situation. and she got me a doctor's appointment which was yesterday #where i kind of broke down a little. not because she didn't grant me the sick leave i thought i was going to get #after feeling down and sleeping terribly for weeks #but because she actually *got me*. like. she actually listened to me and figured out some stuff and told me that #what i'm going through and what i've been going through for years would make anyone depressed #so i couldn't help but cry a little because yeah. i'm so tired of never being enough no matter how hard i try #because my brain's wired a certain way and it makes me slow and kinda clumsy and inattentive at times #which. you might guess is not ideal at today's work environment. or studying-wise even #so instead of granting me sick leave (she did say we can change that at anytime though) she told me to wait for that phone call #from the unemployment office. which i should be getting tomorrow. or well. later today #and talk to them about this. to see if they can offer some solutions. or if we can figure something out #'cause i'm getting closer to my 40s and not getting anywhere and it's wearing me out and tiring me out #because i clearly can't help myself or change my ways on my own #i managed to get some work last week though. at the local youth house. one shift though but money still #but i haven't been getting those offers a lot during the past few months so it's not enough to support me obviously #so i definitely need something else. and i hope i can get help. that someone could help me #i should finally get tested for adhd next month too. i don't know if i even have it or if it's gonna change anything but #at least i'd know #anyway i needed to get this off my chest. cause i'm kinda crying a little bit even now just thinking about this whole thing #sorry

[cookinguptales]

well, how about this, while I wait for the roofers to come fix the mess they made of my ceiling. just so I can feel like I'm doing something productive.

since my savings are now significantly smaller than they were a week and a half ago, I guess now's a good enough time as any to start talking about some half-decided plans I have for this upcoming story I've been writing, and perhaps other original stories as well if this goes well.

while I'm still going to be posting the bulk of my work on AO3 like I usually do, I think I'm also going to be launching a patreon!

here's the soft plan, though I'm still working out details:

serialize this story at a chapter each week, which will probably take a few months overall.

chapters will be posted to AO3 the same day every week, and a week early on patreon.

extra material will also be on patreon, from author commentary to essays on historical/mythological background that's going into the story to extra fics that will be a few thousand words each. (or... so.)

the main story will fully stand alone. extra scenes will be like... stuff happening from other POVs offscreen, flashbacks, a sappy post-story fic, etc.

after the story is fully done being posted, an ebook version of the story will be made available to patrons with thanks, etc. to everyone who supported the project.

??? repeat?? m/m minotaur story this time, f/f witch who owns a familiar animal shelter story next time. lmao

part of me is still like "no, no one will pay money to support your writing" but like. I've seen worse writers than me make money, I guess, so why not try? it's not like it can hurt, and it can be fun to experiment with new methods of distribution sometimes.

I'll probably post a survey once I've finished the rough draft of the fic so I can plan out the finer details, but that's my basic plan. I want to write the whole fic and edit it before I start posting anything, and at the rate I'm going... I'm aiming for the beginning of May? it's at about 70k rn, and I'm thinking it probably has about 10-20k to go.

so I guess we'll see!!!

in the meantime, if you are a person who is interested in any of this and you have feedback about the project, feel free to lmk! anon or logged in, either is fine. lemme know if there are any patreon perks you'd like to see or if you have ideas about pricing/tiers/etc.

I'm very new to this so I'm open to ideas and opinions!

fingers crossed. lmao

#I originally considered making the ebook available for purchase on patreon from the beginning #for people who didn't want to wait #but the more I thought about it the more I think serializing is the way to go #for my own enrichment lmao #I'm trying to get over my own mental block about selling my original writing #I have enough money saved up to replace my roof and for this upcoming medical procedure I'm gonna need #but that's only because I've been saving since before covid to renovate my bathroom to make it safe and accessible for me #and uhhh let's just say that that fund has been remarkably depleted 🙃 #so I'm trying to get over my very intense imposter syndrome ig #go out on a limb and try something new #I want to write the stories anyway so I guess this is just me experimenting with new distribution methods #can't hurt #worst that can happen is no one reads it #but my betas are enjoying it at least so I'm hoping other people will too

[madd-nix]

never gonna be enough for my dad

#vent #rant #me talking #i keep trying to put in applications and he says i need to do even more acting as if it's my fault that im not getting hired #as if im not trying hard enough #and on the rare occasions that i do get an interview #which have so far all led nowhere #then he just tells me to keep looking while i wait to hear anything and that even if i do get a job #i still need to keep looking for better and better careers #and when i finally was able to do a commission he just said 'cool then do more keep going' #first of all i need to wait for clients #and second of all cant you say youre proud that i was able to do one? that i was able to make a little extra money? #no of course he can't #it's always about moving on to the next thing and pushing myself more #oh yeah and i got my hair cut the other day #and sure i did tell the hair stylist to get it as close to a full buzzcut without being an actual buzzcut #cuz dad refuses to let me buzz my own hair and im too tired to argue at this point despite being an adult #but when he saw it i could tell he didnt like it #he gave the vague 'oh well it's different! showing more forehead. i liked it better when you had longer bangs but thats just me...' #nothing i do pleases him #im tired of it #and i dont know how to tell him that he's part of the reason i constantly feel like a fucking failure #and there have been times where i'll see a car approaching me as i drive to work and for a split second i wonder what would happen #if i hit it hard enough to kill me. then i wouldn't have to disappoint my dad anymore #although knowing him it would still be a disappointment cuz i fucked up driving so much #but i never actually consider doing it #obviously id never want to hurt the other person and if i simply swerved instead to hit a tree #where only id die #i couldnt just let myself die when i have so many others that i care about #but anyway sorry this is a lot i have a headache i promise im not gonna hurt myself it just sucks rn

[foreverambrosia]

.

#now told my dad I can't lend him that money rn #I feel awful like if cant keep the piece of land he owns it's because of me but U simply havent got the money he needs rn #now anxious waiting to see his response my mom thinks he's gonna try making me feel bad

[zipquips]

petition for my parents to stop thinking i'm unprepared and being stupid with the idea of getting a pet

#i'm moving into a pet friendly apartment and i keep telling my parents i'm going to wait a year and see if i feel ready/like i have time for #a pet #and everyone's always going “but the money!” “but you don't know how much time you'll have!” #and i always have to remind them that i said i was waiting a year to think about this shit #and now my stepmom was telling me i can't have pets because my lease says no pets in the apartment #and i said i could i'd just have to tell them #and she kept going no and telling me a lease is legally binding as if i didn't know that when i fucking signed the thing #i'd just have to tell my apartment complex about the pet and sign a new lease when i renew it after a year #and i get it that my parents just want to help me and make sure i'm doing okay on my own #but i'm not incompetent and they're always treating me as if i can't be trusted to do the bare minimum #and i've been moved out/living on my own for 5 fucking years now #i clearly have some sense if i've made it this long without issue #sorry this is such a long rant i'm so frustrated #zip quips

[pondscummy]

real burn that bridge when we come to it hours tonight

#pond.txt #soft blocked my roommate and FORMER best friend and his gf. like i won't vague where they can see it. i won't lose my cool with them in the #house. i will be cheery and polite. i will never fucking let them know why i suddenly cut ties. i will get through this year and i will move #to california and i will never ever ever have to see these people again. #it's fine it's whatever i'm getting my money i'm making progress healing my arm my career is on a continued upswing i'm enjoying dnd i'm #going to learn how to sew i'm getting back into therapy i'm already reaching out to people in my new town and making new friends like #bitch actually i'm going through one of the hardest times of my life rn and i am still thriving. literally reconnecting with my family too #got an APOLOGY from my FATHER people wait their whole lives for that. sorry but if the issue is that i know i deserve your respect and your #empathy now like. that's not changing and if you can't give that you're not getting any of my time energy or effort #and you can paint me as the villain if you want but the situation is more complicated than that #i'm not perfect but the difference between us is that at least i can own that about myself and continue to grow

[beananium]

The Problems

#vent #grandmother is demanding 100 dollars a week when my ssi is only 500~550 a month + i have to buy certain things on my own #you didn't treat my sister like this. when she had a part-time job + was living here she only had to pay around 50 dollars for rent.. #what the hell makes me so different?? fuck man #by the way for those uninformed: she collects ssi in my name currently #with the trade off she gives me money when i ask for it #and i can't hold a job due to my disabilities making me overwhelmed by Everything a normal job throws at me #(down to the damn applications) #i need to. wait i need to divert for a second why are pr/o ed tags being recommended to me. bite my happily fat ass. anyways #i need to get out of this fucking household i am. this close. to biting my arm off

[midnightshade]

I finally got my massage license! I've waited so long and now I can finally get a job!

#midnight seance #I'm so excited and nervous at the same time #i can't wait to finally make my own money #can't wait to move out and finally feel like an adult

[stillfruit]

i hate spending money i hate how it makes me feel even if there’s no rational reason for it i hate the guilt and the burden and the anxiety and the fear and the pressure and t

#i've been planning to buy an ipad for ltierally years now to upgrade my drawing setup from idk 2014 #i did it today but fuck i hate how it makes me feel to buy things that cost a lot of money y #i have to make decisions and be responsible for them and i never make good decisions my track record on that is absolutely terrible #i always make the wrong ones and i feel guilty always no matter what i do #so it's so much easier to just? not do anything and stay stagnant but then again i can't possibly want that in the long run #bc not accomplishing or doing anything only mkaes me wanna die more #this is even if it's not my money or probably even more if it's someone elses bc this is my parents' gift to me but sfsvdfvjds i want to cry #they bought me one few christmases ago but i returned it bc it was just too much and ic ouldn't deal with it #why is it so difficult for me i cannot receive things #i'm buying all the accessories etc but like that's difficult for me as well #bc even if now i can comfortable afford this thing what if i can't in the future what if i need that money in the future #i've tried thinking this as a combined christmas birthday etc gift from my parents and my own gift for myself for getting my bachelors #but. yeah #i know how this sounds like if someone said this to me itd be reasonable to be like stfu youre getting an ipad what are you crying about #i know this is incredibly privileged whining about nothing but this aversion to gifts and spenidng money is just something that #bothers me about myself bc it's an example of whats wrong with me #i cannot imagine being a person who loves receiving and giving physical gifts how do you live with the implications of those #gifts are nice!!! but they're also a Lot for me #anyway waiting for the say i won't be on the edge for literally no reason <3333 #shit talking

[inazuma-fulgur]

Why do 99% of leftists seem to have never questioned their ideas around ownership?

Which is one of the most basic ideas to challenge and still I see almost everyone spread capitalist rhetoric and propaganda, including high profile/educated people

#like fuuuuuuuck. if something can be replicated and produced without you losing anything it ain't theft #oh no you lost an avenue to sell your shit to. are you aware that avenue shouldn't exist at all because it just makes people like part of a #greater machine built to exploit people? that you shouldn't want to be part of that machine? #stop pretending as if your ability to produce and sell is what justifies your or anyones existence. ok yes you lost that avenue but you #should be able to live even if it didn't exist. you aren't because capitalism sucks. so stop defending the avenue because you're by proxy #defending capitalism. the thing you said you hate and wanna oppose #you can't cling to your own privilege and safety and at the same time try to dismantle capitalism. your privilege is dependent on #capitalisms existence #mainly @ artists #i had to realize writer have the same brainrot painter drawers and like filmmakers and whoever else have #you're not entitled to our money. #if you work for Disney or Netflix I'm gonna become less willing to buy your shit or commission you. probably I'm gonna pirate #no I'm also not going to watch each episode of your show on the day they air instead of waiting until the whole season is released #just because it increases your chances of your streaming service investing in a second season of your shit #(also I don't pay for any streaming services so well) you should've started an indie production if you wanted my support

[sherlock-is-ace]

i never understood the difference between pms and pmdd, cause i'm like, everyone is depressed when they're on their period, everyone has absolutely horrible anxiety, everyone wants to actually die when they're on their period right? right?

and then i actually read about it and... i might have to talk to a doctor or something lol

#i mean i can't because i'm not in a place where i can make my own decisions without even explaining them to my mother #and my mother is the type of person who thinks mental health is cured by ''being strong'' and ''making an effort to be happy'' or whatever #and i don't think if i add periods and the already normal mood swings to the mix she would react in a supportive way #i also can't spend the little money i have right now #but that's another thing to add to the list of shit i gotta take care of when i have money and independence enough #tho i'm pretty sure that if i start T all that will go away so it might be worth it to wait a few years you know... #i'm not going to kill myself or anything so it's alright #i am a mess tho that is for sure #angel talks #personal #kye avert your eyes #once again i don't need my partner to worry about me ;) #also pls nobody worry about me i'm just venting and also my blog is like a journal to me lol

[beaversatemygrandma]

Losing my absolute shit bc i can’t chew with my mouth closed without my wisdom tooth jabbing into my cheek

11 days until these fuckers are gone and so is all my money

#taks speaks #i cant explain just how much i HATE the sound of chewing #and the fact that i can't even follow my own guidelines of chewing quietly with my mouth closed is just Killing Me rn #im already following fucking post op rules bc i cant chew anything #im gonna be so excited to eat real food again in a couple weeks #and im about to stock up on a fuck ton of tapioca pudding bc i have tastes of an old person #id make my own huge batch of it bc my mom has a PERFECT recipe for it but i have no patience for that whole thing #it's like a half hour of just standing there stirring boiling milk and it is an excruciatingly long wait #anywho im temporarily a mouth breather bc i can't close my damn jaw without biting my cheek so I Hate That #btw bc theyre all impacted it costs 400 per tooth and bc i have a baby tooth that shouldve left when i was 12 IS STILL THERE #it's coming out too which is another 300 bc its not impacted. then anesthesia. some steroid. the shit they use to close the holes.... #like fuck it adds up so much #'i thought you were getting your mom to pay for it' my dad says #'she gave me 2.3k' i say #im going to call her this week and be like 'uhhhhh it's so much more money than that' #who knows if ill get more money or not bc she already gave me a good chunk #that i've already spent like 500 of bc of appointments and consultations #and then the 800 i need for another procedure bc impaction and crowding caused problems #i had a dentist say they recommend braces and i was like 'bruh. i'm already over 3000 down the drain. hell no.' #anyway. just have to keep telling myself this is worth it. #no more pain. no more waking up with headaches from sleeping on my side. no more stress of crowding. #i will be unstoppable without my expected headaches im used to and pain of eating #i am just SO USED to pain it'll be weird to not have any #like. this will be HUGE #im just glad i didn't wait TOO LONG to where the teeth fully grew in #that wouldve been worse. by a lot. and potentially more expensive. so that makes me wonder if i did this a couple years ago if itd be 3k #ugh. i hate this. but this is opening up a lot for me. so fuck.

[sukunasteeth]

Sukuna has never said no to you.

It didn’t matter what the request was, simple or complicated, easy to fix or a days-long job, Sukuna was always at your side, completing the task as fast as he needed to to keep you satisfied. He would love to deny it, you’re sure, but evidence proves time and time again that he puts your needs and wants at the top of his priority list. 

And you were curious how far you could go with it.

The two of you are sitting in your underwear at the breakfast nook, warming yourselves in the bay window while the morning sun starts on the leftover night time chill. It wasn't quite time for breakfast, still too early for the both of you. In the meantime, you sip on your morning brews, preserving the comfortable silence. Sukuna is flipping through the day's newspaper, his eyes are groggy with sleep and he hasn't said more than a handful of words to you yet. He wasn't a morning person.

You were starting to change that.

"Kuna," You call to him, nudging him with your foot from your corner of the window bench.

"Hmm?" He doesn't look up from the paper, but his hand reaches down and grabs your foot, pulling it into his lap. His thumbs start to subconsciously knead at your muscles.

"I want these." You hold up your phone, which you had previously been scrolling through in an attempt to find something ridiculous for this exact moment. You were sure you had found it, something even Sukuna would find unnecessary. 

And yet, he merely glances at your screen, takes in the sight for all of two seconds, and then returns his attention to whatever news article he was in the middle of.

"My wallet's on the counter." He clears the sleep from his throat not sparing a second look. 

You blink at him in surprise.

"D-Did you even see what it is?" You flip your phone around to make sure you were displaying the correct thing. 

Sukuna is frowning before he looks up again, curious at your persistence. He gently cups your hand, bringing it only a minuscule amount closer to examine your screen a second time. 

You were on one of the most luxurious brand’s websites, showing him an incredibly regular pair of panties, no straps, no details, all black- with one of the most outrageous price tags you had ever seen for something so ordinary. 

Sukuna cocks a brow at you over your phone, "Can't imagine you need more panties when you're constantly stealing my boxers. But whatever, hand it over. I know my card number-"

"Kuna," You interrupt him with a surprised laugh, holding fast to your phone when he tries to pluck it out of your hands, "they're a thousand dollars."

He glances back, his eyes focusing lower on the screen where you know the price tag to be. The newspaper in his hands drops down, momentarily forgotten by what he sees. For a moment, you think you've found his limit.

"Wait, are those red one's assless?" He points just below the price, where the recommended products are depicted. "Get those too."

You drop the phone down so that he meets your eyes, which are wide with shock.

Sukuna always took care of you. Always insisted on being the provider of any single thing that you may need; a warm meal, a soft bed, anything your eyes twinkled at that was available for purchase- even if you would never think of buying or owning it. Granted, you never wanted much in terms of material possessions, so you didn't realize the true extent of Sukuna's leniency until now.

It was slightly intimidating, and part of it felt wrong. Sukuna had money, plenty of it, but that didn’t mean he should feel the need to spend copious amounts of it on you just because you could ask him to. He was giving you too much power, it felt like.

You huff through your nose, frowning at him, which only has him tilting his head further to the side in question.

You ignore it, setting your phone onto the window seat and crawling your way closer to him, until you can gather up his face in your hands and lock his gaze into yours.

He glares at you past smushed cheeks, but doesn't make a move to break free of your hold, humoring you. "The hell are you doing-"

"You know you don't always have to say yes to me?"

Now that has him taken aback. His mouth automatically opens for a witty response, but your question seems to have effectively taken the words from his mouth. You can see the cogs in his head turning, and what you wouldn't give to peer inside his mind and hear his thoughts.

It takes him a moment, but eventually that familiar confident smile stretches across his sleepy face. His hands seem to instinctively slide their way up your bare legs until his fingers grip your hip bones, pressing into you. 

He hums, "When have you ever said no to me?"

You scoff, ready to give him a prime example, but end up coming up short. The two of you loved to tease each other with disobedience, but in the end you were eager to give Sukuna anything his heart desired. You loved to please him, it was one of your favorite things to do, in fact.

"You never ask anything ridiculous of me." You remind him, smiling as one of his warm hands slides back down your waist and dips into the pair of his boxers you were sporting that day. 

"You know what's ridiculous?” His voice wraps around your throat, and suddenly has you swallowing past the delicious grip. You're folding into him before you even realize it, at the mercy of his calloused hands. "The implication that I wouldn't do just about anything for you."

You can't help but sigh hopelessly, although it comes out as a desperate noise that pleads him for more. You really were all his, just like he loved to tell you.

"Now hand me your phone." It's a whisper, coaxing you. "I wanna see you in red."

You can’t say no. 

At least it was mutual.

#jjk #jjk x reader #sukuna x reader #sukuna #ryomen sukuna #kuna is a feral dog in the eyes of anyone that isn't you #you bring out the puppy love in this psycho #careful #he bites #this was a short and sweet #fluff

[hairmetal666]

Eddie's a mechanic, has a shop in Indy. It's only got two bays, but he owns it, he saved up the money, it's his. He runs it with Wayne, is building up a customer base. He loves it.

Within the year, a bakery opens up next door, separated from Eddie's shop by a narrow alley. He has a perfect view into the bakery's kitchen from the shop's office, and almost immediately catches a glimpse of the drop-dead gorgeous guy behind the mixing bowl. He's got sun-golden skin, swoopy brown hair, wide puppy dog eyes, the poutiest mouth, and a face dotted with freckles. Eddie gapes at him for a solid two-minutes, salivating over the bunch and pull of his muscles as he kneads a ball of dough. A wet dream come true.

Eddie's always sneaking glances at the shop next door, can't seem to keep his gaze off the most beautiful man he's ever seen. Over the next few months, he becomes familiar with this herd of kids that hang around the bakery at all hours. There's one, curly-haired and mouthy, who often makes the baker frown with his hands on his hips, but as soon as the boy walks away, the baker smiles all wide and fond.

It's a silly crush, no big deal. He has a weakness for brown-eyed pretty boys, so what? It's not like he's going to do anything crazy, like make a move.

It's past midnight, a few months after the bakery opens, and Eddie's in his little office, doing the monthly accounting. He's exhausted, tired of calculators and numbers, when a flash of light catches at the corner of his eye. He blinks a few times, sure it's the exhaustion setting in, but it doesn't go away.

Instead, there's a light on over at the bakery. It's a kitchen light, and the baker is standing at the stainless steel counter, looking unlike Eddie's ever seen. His hair is a soft wave, swooping onto his forehead. He wears grey sweatpants and a yellow sweatshirt. Tonight, his movements are less precise and practiced; he's slow and contemplative as he gathers ingredients and mixing bowls.

It's been long enough Eddie should look away, but he forgets that it isn't a dream, that he's actually watching the baker roll up his sleeves as he whisks. It's inevitable that, eventually, the baker catches Eddie staring. He just smiles, though, and waves. Eddie manages to return the greeting before awareness smacks him in the face, and he flees the office and the building in acute embarrassment.

They share waves after that. Smiles. Laughter once when Eddie's reading over an invoice and walking, smacks face-first into the doorframe. Eye rolls after the baker gets into an impassioned argument with the curly-haired boy, one that involves a copious amount of thrown flour.

They exchange waves and smiles and goofy expressions, and it shouldn't escalate further, but one day Eddie steps into the shop's waiting room to find the curly-haired boy sitting behind the reception desk, flipping through Eddie's new dnd guide.

"What." Eddie says.

"You," says the boy. He's pointing and glaring and Eddie is a little scared.

"Me?"

"You like dnd?"

He hopes his sigh of relief isn't audible. "Best DM this town has ever seen." He postures and smirks.

"Doubt it," the boy says.

Eddie lets out an offended squeak, dramatically smashes his hand over his heart. "Insulted! Maligned! In my own place of business! Oh!" He falls into a dramatic swoon.

The boy snickers. "I'm Dustin," he says.

"Eddie." They shake hands and Eddie does not laugh at how overly serious this is all is. "Sir Dustin, what brings you to my fine establishment?"

Dustin shrugs. "Steve."

"Steve?"

Dustin rolls his eyes. "The bakery."

"Oh," Eddie says. Steve. The baker is Steve.

He's having a little trouble breathing, sure he's done something wrong, a distinct feeling of doom settling on his shoulders. "Why?"

"He won't stop talking about the mechanic next door but refuses to introduce himself. Plus, I saw your D20 tattoo the other day."

Eddie's barely hearing him, reeling over the knowledge that Steve talks about him to his gaggle of children. He barely hears the rest of the conversation, but the next day Dustin shows up with the rest of the kids, Lucas, Mike, Max, El, Erica, Will.

They're loud, chaotic, wild, and somehow--before they leave--they've coerced him into running a one-shot for them. They come by in twos and threes for the rest of the week, eating all the snacks in the waiting room mini-fridge and talking at him and Wayne as they work.

It's Friday, it's sweltering, he's closing the shop for the night with the top of his coveralls hanging off hips, his sweat soaked undershirt tossed behind a tool chest. He steps into the waiting area and nearly jumps out of his skin to find a man there, holding a plastic container.

Steve.

"H--hi," he stutters. And fuck, he's shirtless. He's standing in front of Steve for the first time and his nipples are out. This is it, the moment he finally dies of embarrassment.

Steve's eyes are locked on Eddie's torso for a few seconds too long, cheeks flushing. He blinks, finally looking at Eddie's face. "I'm Steve. From the--the bakery next door?" He points. "I--uh--I wanted to stop by and apologize?"

"What?" Eddie asks. There's too much happening for him to keep up.

"Um, the kids?"

And Eddie can't fathom why he needs to apologize, can only stare at Steve in confused disbelief.

"It's just. They can be kind of a handful. I used to babysit Mike and the whole group of them started following me around, and--Anyway, I think Dustin took it upon himself to try to introduce us. I've been wondering where they keep disappearing off to, and Max told me today that they're here with you, and I thought I probably owed you an apology. You're trying to work and I know they can be a bunch of shitheads, and oh my god, I'm rambling, I really am turning into Robin, Jesus Christ."

Eddie is fucked. Oh he's so fucked. He's charmed, endeared, can't stop smiling at Steve who is somehow even more beautiful up close.

"I forgive you," Eddie says. "They're nice kids."

Steve lets out a hard breath. "They are, huh?" He smiles. "Don't let them hear you say that. You'll never get a moment's peace. And they shouldn't have been over here bothering you, anyway."

"It wasn't a bother. Though, they did eat all my snacks and swindle me into running a one-shot for them. Still not sure how that happened."

Steve laughs and his eyes crinkle at the corner. So fucked. So fucked. "I should've known that you play that game of theirs."

"Aw, not a dnd fan, Stevie?"

Steve blushes. "It's--there's a lot of math."

Eddie laughs, already knows he's never getting over this one. "You bake professionally."

"It's different?" Steve laughs. "Fine, fine! You got me, it's not my thing."

"Bet I could change your mind," Eddie says. He doesn't mean to be flirting, can't stop himself.

"I bet you could," Steve agrees. He moves his hand, like maybe he's going to run it through his swoop of hair, then seems to remember he's holding baked goods. "Oh, uh, please take these cupcakes as my apology for accidentally saddling you with my group of semi-feral children."

"You're already forgiven, but I'll never say no to a cupcake."

"You should stop by the shop tomorrow, then" Steve says. "On the house."

"You've already given me these." He wiggles the cupcakes in Steve's pretty face.

"I only save the free samples for the hottest customers." Steve does run a hand through his hair now, and it's dorky as fuck, but Eddie still feels like he's died and this is heaven. "See you tomorrow?"

Eddie can only nod as Steve backs out of the office with a cheeky little wave.

He goes to the bakery the next day, sure he just let his crush get away from him and imagined the entire interaction with Steve. Except, when he walks in, Steve smiles all big and pretty in his little blue apron, invites Eddie back to the kitchen.

And if they share their first kiss against the stainless steel countertops, it's between them, Wayne, and all the kids who spy on them from the shop's office window.

#steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #mechanic eddie munson #baker steve harrington #ficlet #fluff #meet cute #mutual pining #matchmaker dustin henderson #longing glances #dustin is sick of hearing steve talk about the hot mechanic next door but never making a move #dustin makes it for him #the party are a bunch of well-meaning menances #for some reason insomnia is an intrinsic part of steve's character even in an au