#luca putting ribbons all over him: that was when we were in danger and also youre a cat. what will you do to stop me.

[mxdotpng]

use this space to give more p5 and dl gang headcanons pretty pls

I HAVE SO MANY im so glad its not just me thats interested i could talk abt them for hours

today all i've been thinking about is akira and haru introducing them to minecraft. i think luca and ranzal would be good at fighting monsters but if they even HEAR a zombie when theyre mining they run for the hills. those 2 live in dirt huts and have full diamond gear. cleo and elly have built a full scale halidom. euden has been lost since he started the game. akira told him to use his coordinates and he mixed x and y up twice, got even More lost, and then somehow ended up in a cave system.

i think haru and euden would be friends bc theyre both from important families and have a legacy to live up to + were sheltered so long they dont know what Normal people do. euden knows what fun is yeah but he doesnt. know how to do it. meanwhile haru can make a lot out of any situation but she doesnt know what normal kids her age do.

on the other hand yusuke and cleo would Not like each other, which is funny bc they have similar mannerisms and speech patterns. yusuke's. Personality. would rub off on her the wrong way (all i can think abt is her going "im hundreds of years older than you!" and yusuke saying, as yusuke does, "ah, that makes quite a bit of sense considering your demeanor.")

i want more ann and elly i want more ann and elly so bad i loved their character story so much i just want them to be best of friends and go on girls nights. please. elly and alex go on a double date with ann and shiho. please. do you know how funny it is to put a paladyn, an ex assassin, a model, and an ex volleyball player in the same room? so much potential

i ALSO want luca and ryuji to be put into the same room bc they would drive mona CRAZY. their conversations would be so funny. "yeah so he was like, kinda off-putting. didnt say much. was... a little bit of an airhead?" "yeah. that sounds like marth fire emblem." "i dont think thats his surname, dude" "youre wrong ❤"

AND RANZAL! ranzal my beloved. i dont actually know his age but to me he looks like he's in his mid 20s so hed see this group of delinquent teenagers and silently wonders when he was put up on babysitting duty. lowen and the younger kids are one thing but a bunch of 18 year olds? but then he ends up in sojiro's cafe talking with futaba about the differences in foods from their worlds and he's fine again. this is funnier if theyre in the halidom bc futaba would be all over the place.

also more akira and euden content bc i love they. euden's learning more abt their world (he Specifically finds the differences in pop culture and life science Very interesting) and while he's learning about their marine life akira and mona decide to take him to the aquarium and euden immediately goes !!! there are FISH !!! on LAND !!!!!! he really likes petting the manta rays

#me: is it funnier if theyre dragged into tokyo or is it funnier the otherway around #me: yes ❤ #i usually only think abt euden ending up in shibuya bc ❤ and thats that thats the reason #but i think both groups fully meeting each other is so funny. theres so much potential #these are the exact same but two entirely different groups meeting together #elly sighing frustratedly for the 7th time in one conversation bc of ryuji alone: this :) is fine :) #mona: i thought we came to an agreement last time! youre supposed to listen to me and i said STOP THAT #luca putting ribbons all over him: that was when we were in danger and also youre a cat. what will you do to stop me. #mona: i will remember this. #:") luca and ann fixing up each others hair #luca and cleo ending up in shibuya is so funny they have to deal with human ears #euden: okay.... headcount... is everyone here? anyone hurt? #luca and cleo: MY EARS ARE GONE???????? #dl #.text #i think euden really likes to learn new things #which is why a lot of stuff i talk abt stems from him learning stuff abt their world #he would LOVE the aquarium #also back to ann and luca. luca has the LONGEST hair she's ever seen and has the time of her LIFE braiding it. #i think this stuff is like second nature to luca bc of sarisse so he's like having a rant on smth and he's only half paying attention to - #- ann's hair but it ends up so pretty she immediately calls shiho for a surprise date. #sojiro is sitting in the cafe with 14 other people there. only 6 of which being actual adults (and just Barely in like 3 of those cases) #and he's wondering when it had come to this. phantom thieves. metaverse. talking cats. other worlds. dragons. #he takes a sip of his coffee while mona tries to claw luca's face off. akira is recording it in the background. ranzal is near sobbing - #- from laughing. this is normal. #I FORGOT ABT MAKOTO but she would be constantly asking questions abt alberia and taking notes but its abt - #- THE WEIRDEST SHIT. like. what greetings are and arent respectful? what breakfast foods do you eat? do you have giraffes. #(they dont have giraffes. they struggle to wrap their heads around the concept of giraffes) #IM SO SORRY NOTTE IM OUT OF TAGS #ill post abt notte later i promise i promise. im a fake fan i forgot abt notte 😔😔😔

[lithi]

Haha I translated this video

(For a better understanding, please watch this one first!)

-> Back then, I was in a situation where I had to urgently create special content for Volume 5, but since I was also working on the updates, I didn't have time to think about a concept, so I realised I had never drawn something like this.

(A behind the scenes I couldn’t mention last time)

-> The concept and color scheme are decided.

Trying to change the color around and changing the shape of the outfits to find something that feels nicer.

-> Since it’s a set of pictures, I must compare them so they don’t feel to different to the other.

-> Trying to match the proportions of the two characters.

Since I started directly from the sketch, Ijekiel is hurting a lot in the back haha

-> At first, I was drawing a sporty concept, but in response to the opinion of the editorial department, I decided to change it to a k-idol outfit, with school uniforms vibes.

-> After all, it was a randomly drawn picture, so now I have to modify the proportions of the human body... TT

-> Now I have to draw Jennette’s face properly.

-> I wonder if it’ll be a pretty pattern...

Now I’m trying to customise it to get the feeling I want.

-> The battle with the pattern continues...

The change of the pattern must reflect according to the movement of the fabric.

-> I thought it would be nice if the boys' clothes have detailed logos , so I'm testing and putting various logos.

-> I had no proper text that came to mind, so most of it are the characters’ names or information Ha ha ha

-> I didn’t think through it properly at the beginning, so I kept crying and thinking that it would be so much easier if I had the kids’ birthday dates... so I remembered

-> There were meant readers who were also curious. Since there was no birthday in the original work, I was thinking that I could make them up...

-> I wanted to make the birthdays at this point, so I asked the editorial department if it would be okay to make birth dates for them, and they said okay so I'm going to make a birthday for them sooner or later!

-> Athy would be in early summer or July, which is articulated with a vaguely emerging image, Claude was born in February, Jennette in early fall... Around September? Lucas, on December 25. Ijekiel on spring... I think he was born in March. Only Lucas has a set date... I think. *feeling omnipotent*

-> Anastasius feels like a raw mid-winter in January. I think October is good for the uncle White. I think Felix was born in midsummer/July. Lily's name is Lily (lillies bloom in summer) so it would be good in August.

-> The color scheme and details came out roughly.

I started doing the lineart.

-> I feel like I’m unconsciously doing the wrinkles of their shirts bigger.

-> I’m using different props.

I continue doing the lineart.

-> Also squeezing in logos or text. [‘Warning’ on Lucas’ shoe] Dangerous man Lucas...!

-> Since it is a bonus that comes with Volume 5, I will also put information about Volume 5.

(She wrote “volume 5” on the boys’ clothes)

-> Ijekiel looks a little sporty, so I was worried, but I think the active feeling looks fine, so I keep going as it is.

-> Since the wrong placement was the problem from the start, Ijekiel is going to suffer until the end...

-> I was asked to draw him behind Lucas, so even if he’s a bit hidden, he has to stand out well on himself.

-> But Ijekiel keeps avoiding with Lucas and it’s getting annoying to draw

-> It’s difficult...

Can’t you two get closer to each other?

-> I feel like I’m adding too many layers... But it looks nice and cool. I'm drawing them to look relaxed.

-> The boys’ lineart is over to some extent, so we start with the girls’ lineart.

-> When I keep drawing for the webtoon and then switch to draw illustrations, the feeling is very different and I get lost every time.

How do I do it...?

-> However, I can’t run past the deadline, so I have to work even if I want to sleep.

-> It feels like I’m broadcasting live.

I must prepare my mind and organize my materials nicely. Ugh! It could be nice if I could draw very carefully... but I always say ‘but first I have to do...’

-> Sometimes I feel like I have to search through my whole body for the skills to do something and have to scrape all down to the bottom to find it... It feels like a constant fight.

-> I rarely draws girls’ legs because in the WMMAP world, women are wearing long dresses.

So it's fun to draw a short skirt and legs after a long time.

-> Jennette is friendly with Athy, so their pose wasn't hard to find at all.

I drew it straight out easily.

-> After all, drawing legs is interesting~

-> the girls' line art is also finished, and then the coloring begins.

-> (this is a wordplay on Hangul so I had to translate it somehow) IJKLALPHS is now Ijekiel Alpheus haha

I’ll stop now because I don’t have much to use...

-> Still, thanks to the formative features of Hangeul, wouldn't it look geometrically cool to foreign fans?

-> Trying to find a nice variation by trying out different types of letters...

-> Even I gave up on IJKLALPHS haha

-> After roughly finishing the coloring, I hurry up with Athy’s color scheme, gogo!

-> The pattern in put in the sketch was filled properly.

-> I’m always attentive to do the patterns and wrinkles around the sewing lines nicely.

-> This process seems boring and not more rewarding than I originally thought when I was doing it... But the pattern is perfect! It really stands out when you first see it.

It’s like doing house chores...

-> If you know how to do it well, it’s okay, but if you don't, it's annoying..

So, pattern twisting should be done with the feeling of laying the foundation.

-> Now it’s time to pour the colors following the areas.

-> I am working on the details a little more. When you pour the colors, it is easier to see the details compared to when you only did the line art.

-> After this, I start coloring more in detail.

-> Now I won’t touch anything but little more details and the shape. In fact, I’ll keep doing it until the end.

-> I am modifying the smileys one by one to suit each character. After fixing it all, I was proud. It's cute.. haha

-> I’ll proceed to continue coloring.

-> This drawing is very a hip fashion themed, and there a lot of black, so I paint the skin with a lower saturation than usual.

-> Lucas’ colouring is not complete, but at this point, I’ll also proceed to colour Ijekiel.

I alternately paint the one and then the other to see the balance between the two.

-> Then, the coloring of the boys is not over yet, but I start coloring the girls too in order to balance them.

-> [the balance the colors of the boys and the girls], I select the boys’ main colors with a pipette and use them [to paint the girls].

-> Even if the balance is correct, the girls seem to have been paint much brightly, so I increased the temperature of their skin color.

-> In order to equally increase the nice complementing of the characters, I continuously compare and correct it.

-> At this stage, we pass the image to the editorial department and wait for feedback to see if there are any corrections that need to be done.

Afterwards, I was unable to record the rest by mistake, but I adjusted the color of the jacket to a dark color because Athy’s hair color is bright and the jacket color was too bright to see the character. So the vest became pink... So I changed the ribbon and socks to the same ones as Jennette to show that they are wearing the same uniform.

(+ And added blackie to her back hahaha)

#spoon’s youtube channel #who made me a princess #wmmap #sbap #sbapod #suddenly became a princess one day #i suddenly became a princess

[whumperstorm]

Blood Donor

They were going to have visitors, Elias said, looking down on Jon where he kneeled on the floor of his cell. He nodded in understanding. He’d be on his best behavior then. He wasn’t expecting his master to shoot out a clawed hand and grasp his hair, yanking him off the floor. His eyes stung with the pain as Elias snarled.

“So don’t try anything funny, got it? You’re mine. You will not ruin this.”

“Y-yes sir, I’m sorry sir!”

Elias dropped him and he landed painfully on his knees. “Good.” He smiled a dangerous, fanged smile, before placing Jon’s dinner on the floor and stepping out. The door locked with a screech behind him.

Jon sat back from his kneel and leaned against the wall to eat. Not all that more comfortable, he’d rather be sitting on the tiny cot he was provided by his master, but he’d also like to avoid spilling anything on it and angering Elias’ especially short temper he seemed to have today. He sighed and picked up his plate.

At least his meals were filling and sometimes considered delicious to Jon. “We need to keep you nice and healthy.” Elias had said, “Makes your blood all the sweeter.” Of course, Elias cared not for Jon’s preferences and the comfort of a hot meal was lost the moment he tried to be picky or “ungrateful”. Leaving anything on the plate was unacceptable and called for punishment apparently.

Tonight’s meal was well-seasoned curry, one of Jon’s favorites. He wondered if Elias was attempting to bribe him a bit. What visitors could be so important to put Elias this on edge? He’d brought plenty of visitors before, The Lucas family for one, (who Jon disliked quite a lot. Such a cold, condescending family) and sometimes just Peter himself. On those nights he was left mostly alone. The two of them would eat dinner and feed, then retreat to the lounge to indulge in one too many wine refills. On those nights Elias sometimes allowed Jon to pick out a new book from the library before returning to his cell. Reading was a rare luxury, and Peter always left Elias in a good mood where he was willing to allow it.

Maybe Elias thought that tonight’s guests would cause Jon to consider an escape attempt. Well, he needn't worry, he’d tried that a couple of times already and had been punished mercilessly for it. He had learned quickly that no one cared that he was here against his will. Blood donors were meant to be signed on through legal contracts. Provide fresh blood in exchange for housing and care and the freedom to move around as you wish. Lots of human newly grads or retirees signed contracts and after Jon lost his grandmother, he didn’t have anywhere to go and decided to take on the job. He was unaware that Elias had no intention of treating him like a guest. Locked up within the first week with no one on the outside who would know or care that he was missing. Well, maybe Georgie, if Jon hadn’t royally fucked that up.

The first time Elias had brought guests, he threatened Jon into obedience, but the moment one of the visitors approached him to feed he urgently whispered his current predicament in hope that they would call the cops on his kidnapper. Instead, they laughed. Laughed and fed anyway, before walking right up to Elias and warning him that he had “a chatty one”. Elias had laughed too, but when the guest walked away his eyes locked onto Jon’s from where he sat and the fury and darkness in his eyes sent Jon’s heart dropping to his stomach. That night, Jon learned exactly how the sting of a whip felt on bare skin.

“A shame to waste such delicious blood.” Elias sighed, between lashes. “However you disobeyed me tonight and embarrassed me in front of my guests. I have a reputation to withhold. This little outburst has made it clear I’ve been far too soft with you.” 

There was a pause and footsteps from behind. Jon was sure that his back must be in ribbons at this point. Through his own ragged breathing he distantly heard the sound of something metal being picked up before fire exploded across his back and he screamed. Salt water rolled down his abused skin, washing away the red and leaving agony in its wake. The chains on his wrists kept him from curling in on himself.

 Elias leaned down to whisper in Jon’s ear. “This will not happen again, understand?”

Jon could do nothing but sob as he shakily nodded his head. He was thrown back into his cell after that, lying still on the floor and unable to move through his pain to get onto the cot. At some point a maid entered and bandaged his wounds. It made sense, Elias wanted to punish him, not kill him through an infection.

He tried again, after that. How could he not? He was stubborn, and now he knew he couldn’t trust anyone to help him. He’d have to do it himself. He waited weeks, letting himself heal and obeying Elias as best he could against his own pride. Then when a servant arrived with his dinner one night, he knocked them out with the leg of the table he was provided. He noticed it had been loose and worked at it for days until it snapped. He felt a bit bad for attacking the man, he was probably in a similar situation to him. But he needed to get out of here. He could feel guilty when he was far far away from Elias’ estate.

Unfortunately, he was caught. Of course he was caught. Elias found him right outside the kitchen doors no more than 5 minutes after his escape. Jon had no idea how he would have known, but he did, and Jon only had a moment to glimpse the night sky before he was grabbed in the vampire’s iron grip and yanked inside. He was dragged kicking and screaming back to his cell. Elias’ eyes held the same fury as the last time and Jon’s back twinged. But then Elias took a deep breath and steeled his expression.

“I was unaware that my dinner selections were so unacceptable for you that you’d resort to assault.”

Jon blinked in confusion. “What do y-”

Elias continued over his interruption. “In that case, you can go hungry until you decide to be grateful for what I provide for you.” Elias swept out of the room, taking Jon’s uneaten dinner with him. Jon was left on the floor of his cell, scared, confused, and so disappointed. He had been so close. Yet somehow Elias was waiting for him.

It was two weeks before he was given anything more to eat.

___

Elias came to collect him a few hours after his dinner. He was given a loose-fitting olive green shirt with see-through lace arms and a bronze pair of dress pants. The outfit left his neck and shoulders free to make feeding as easy as possible. A servant braided his hair and tied it up into a bun with a golden pin to keep it in place. Elias always made sure he looked his best for company. The tip of the pin was shaped like an eye, the Bouchard family crest, with an emerald in the center as the pupil. He was then given golden earrings to match.

“Master…”

Elias looked up from admiring his work. “Yes, Jon?”

Jon glanced at him before looking back at the ground. “May I- may I ask who is visiting?”

Elias chuckled softly. “Always so curious, aren’t you? Yes you may ask. After all, you should be prepared to serve them to the best of your ability.” Elias reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of Jon’s face. “I’ve decided to expand my coven; tonight I’ve invited five possible candidates into my home to discuss matters. Quite a curious bunch. I’m sure they will be valuable additions should they choose to join.”

Elias moved away and snapped his fingers. The servant dressing Jon stepped back with a bow and Jon followed Elias out the door of his cell. He was led up the stairs and down the hall to the dining room. Elias gestured for Jon to take his place against the right hand wall. He was to kneel on the floor cushioned by a pillow. Behind him was a simple couch where those who wished to feed would sit. Jon noticed that a book was sitting on the side table within reach. After settling down he read the title on the spine. It was the next in a series he was currently enjoying. Oh Elias was definitely trying to get on Jon’s good side tonight. He would take what he could get while Elias was feeling so generous. Perhaps he was anxious that these visitors would decide not to join. Jon wasn’t about to mess things up and ruin the comfort he was being offered.

Once the night began, Elias would welcome the guests, they would exchange pleasantries before eating their meal, (which included multiple courses and a dessert) then Elias would offer his donor for any who wished to feed. Jon hoped only a few would take him up on the offer. Five visitors meant a max of six feedings and a killer headache in the morning. Jon got comfortable in his place and picked up the book. Either way, he had a while to wait before he was needed. 

When the guests arrived, Jon mostly ignored them at first and kept his nose in his book. There were two men and three women. They all looked pretty different and were most likely not related. The two men and one of the women seemed already familiar with each other while the other two women were attached at the hip. Jon could already see two sets of teeth. One poked out past the hijabi woman’s lips and he saw the other set when the bigger of the men smiled brightly in greeting. Two of the guests in particular,  however, caught Jon’s eye. The second of the men, a slim, toned man with colored hair, and the tallest of the women with short blonde hair and multiple scars. They seemed... scruffier than the rest, and their eyes didn't pierce like most vampires’ did. They were deep and full in a way Jon could just about recognise.

The group talked politely over drinks until the kitchen staff arrived with their meals. From Jon’s place he couldn’t tell what was being served, but it smelled delicious. He realized what was different about the two when their food was served with sterling silver cutlery. It was designed differently to not get confused with the rest. Two of the guests were  werewolves, not vampires. This took Jon by surprise. Elias said he was trying to expand his coven, why would he invite wolves? He had always been stingy about “purity of blood” or whatever.

Jon noticed Elias’ gaze boring into him from the head of the tabe. Caught. Jon quickly looked back down at the floor. The night’s proceedings were none of his business. He let the rest of the conversation roll over him after that. However, he couldn’t help but notice one of the women kept glancing his way. She had arrived with the men and sat between them at the table. Her hair was long and dark, curling past her dark, freckled shoulders. Big, round glasses framed her face and her eyes caught Jon’s attention every time she looked over at him. He couldn’t parse out her expression but he tensed under her gaze. Perhaps she was excited to feed. Elias had said Jon had exceptionally sweet-smelling blood. He tried his best to ignore her, focusing on his book and waiting for dessert to be served.

___

A long wait and four courses later, Elias finally stood. He smiled over his glass of wine as he addressed his guests.

“Now that we’ve properly eaten, I’d like to offer my Donor, for those who wish to feed.” He gestured towards Jon with a sweep of his arm. “Of course, I’ve also prepared a delicious pastry selection for those who don’t have the palate for blood.” He smirked like he was in on some inside joke. Of course, there were two  wolves at the table so Jon supposed it made sense. 

The hijabi woman stood first and Jon set his book down on the table. Elias looked towards the larger man with the dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He shook his head politely. “I’ve recently fed, thank you. Though, I’ll take one of the pastries.”

“Of course.” Elias said. He gestured to the kitchen staff in waiting. “Please prepare four dessert servings.” They nodded and retreated through the kitchen doors.

Wait, four? Jon counted the guests in his head. Two werewolves and one vampire who didn’t want to use him. That left the vamp headed towards him and the lady who kept staring at him and who Jon noticed was now looking at him with a look of… Surprise? Disgust? Maybe she was angry that Elias hadn’t invited her to feed as well. Well, that was his mistake, not Jon’s.

His view was then blocked by the hijabi woman as she went to stand in front of him. She leaned down and… held out a hand? Jon blinked in surprise.

“Basira Hussain.” She introduced bluntly.

Jon stared dumbly at her offered hand before awkwardly taking it. “Uh, J-Jonathan Sims?” He stammered.

They shook briefly before “Basira” smirked slightly and sat down on the couch. “Ah, you must be new, then. Don’t worry, you get used to it.” She then gently grasped his chin to better expose his neck. “May I?”

Jon could do nothing but sit dumbfounded. He certainly wasn’t new, and no one had ever asked permission before. They always took what they wanted at Elias’ request.

Basira must have noticed his reluctance, because she paused, letting go of his chin and resting her hand on his shoulder instead.

“Sims? Are you-” She froze mid-sentence, her eyes locked onto Jon’s back with an expression like ice. What was…

Oh.

His back. 

The whip scars.

“Y-yes!” Jon stammered a bit too loud. “Go ahead!”

Basira jumped slightly at his outburst, glancing between his face and back, before her expression went carefully blank and she sank her teeth into his throat. Jon winced at the sharp pain but it quickly dulled as her vampire’s venom took effect. She didn’t feed for long at all, only long enough to be respectful, before she pulled back and licked her fangs clean. Jon slumped back as the wave of dizziness passed.

Then she was gone, headed back towards the group at the table. The kitchen staff had just returned and were bustling around, setting down dessert options. Jon noted that Basira went the long way back to her seat, passing the group of three. Elias’ angry eyes were currently focused on one servant who missed spilling his drink by a millimeter and Basira leaned down to whisper something in the freckled woman’s ear before sliding past. Her round eyes went wide and she looked over at Jon again.

Jon was getting pretty sick of being stared at in all honesty. He was so confused at this point and his knees were getting sore. If this woman was so horrified by the thought of feeding on him, and now this “Basira” was talking shit about him, could he please just go back to his cell?

But then, the woman did something strange that Jon couldn’t ignore. She looked him straight in the eyes; she made sure he was paying attention to her. Then raised a hand to her face and lifted her upper lip to reveal….

Teeth. Normal teeth. Not the sharp fangs of a vampire or the large canines of a wolf, but blunt, normal, human teeth.

Suddenly the night’s proceedings were very much Jon’s business.

#hey look i actually wrote something #the magnus archives #tma au #vampires #vampire au #tma #mag whump #tma whump #the magnus archives whump #jonathan sims #elias buchard #my writing #whump

[iphoenixrising]

How d’you think everyone’s favorite threesome in the Doctor!universe would spent Christmas? Or perhaps just Christmas Eve, if they go to the manor for the big day? -🐉

Aww, hi babe!

Hm, we’re going to talk a minute about Dr!Tim? You know, after a bit of thought, I think Tim’s first Christmas after finding a vigilante on his fire escape bleeding out would have probably started out awful. 

Let’s say he’s usually the one to work Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day whenever he could during his time learning under Tony Stark before he started his Residency in Gotham. 

He didn’t have Stephanie and Layla or anyone else but Tony, really, so it was fine for him to take shifts so people with families could be off with the ones they loved. 

Once he got to Gotham and met back up with Steph and pretty much became Uncle Timmy to Layla, he only took Christmas Eve or Christmas Day off when they weren’t out of town visiting with Steph’s mom. The years Layla’s dad has her, they run the Gauntlet together, and work until they’re sleep-deprived and delirious, laughing at crazy things while they stumble to Steph’s house to pass the fuck out for twelve hours or Tim’s penthouse to binge some boring nature show.

But last year Layla’s dad had her, so this year, his girls are off to Metropolis, waving at him out the back window. Steph offered a place for him, but he knows her mom’s place will be cramped as is, so he just watches them go with his heart in his throat, and no shift at Mercy General to keep him up and moving.

I think he spends Christmas Eve wearing the ugly sweater Layla got him, something crazy playing on Netflix completely un-Christmas related because he doesn’t really have good memories of the holiday, not even from when his parents were alive. 

(One year, Mrs. Mac stopped by to check on him and bring him cookies, gave him a hug and a pat on the head before she left to be with her daughter and grandchildren. When he was really young, he can remember laying on his mother’s lap with the tree glowing gently, opening presents with them there, watching and laughing. The next year, they were on a dig somewhere exotic, just like the year after and the year after that until they were just gone, never coming back this time...)

So, he plans to keep himself busy and ignore all the movies and decorations, ignore the warmth and family and togetherness. He’s going to bury himself in research and tech articles, write on one of his articles for a medical journal, maybe hang out in his lab down the hall for a few hours, just let Christmas–

–go on without him.

The knock on his window at three a.m. is jarring, shocking because the city has been silent for hours at this point. 

The second round is enough to make him stand up off the couch, wander closer to the window with squished brows, probably bleary eyed from staring at the screen for too long (probably also from those old memories rearing up). 

When he moves the curtains, and those whiteouts are right there, he eeps and almost falls on his ass.

The window is nudged up by a gloved hand, Nightwing hanging upside down with a Santa cap somehow staying on his head when he swings in without hesitation.

“Timmy! Are you okay?! Geeze, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think you’d be awake at this time of night.”

“Wazzat, Big Wing? Got Timmers with that old trick?” Hood is right on his heels, calves wrapped around the wrought iron fire escape, the Elf hat probably on the helmet with double-sided sticky tape. 

“Wh–?” Wide-eyed, looking from Nightwing to the Red Hood peeking in at him, he’s pretty much at a loss. 

“We came to see if you were home! You weren’t working at Mercy tonight.”

“Sides, it’s Christmas, ya feel me, Baby Bird?”

Hood tosses a small sack inside before he’s through the window just that fast, he and Big Wing offering hands down to their sometimes personal physician.

“Oh, I mean, I tried to sign up for a shift, but the Chief of Staff said I couldn’t work another double,” he shrugs and wearily lays his hands in gloved ones, imagining the warmth of palms against his, lets them pull him to his feet.

“Mmhm,” Hood hums as he and N pull their doc to his feet, looks him over critically. “Looks like ya been up long enough,” the free hand thumbs the dark circles under his eyes.

The doctor quirks a brow at them, “well, let me at least make you some coffee before you have to go back out in the cold. Does anyone in the class have any potentially fatal injuries you’d like to tell me about before I have a whole lot of unconscious vigilante on my couch?”

Both vigilantes obligingly hold up their hands and turn in small circles to show off no punctures in the suits or injuries he can see. Nightwing is grinning softly at him and Hood gives him a thumbs up in an all good here. 

They follow him to the kitchen, exchanging a glance after his back is turned, wondering where the Christmas Tree is, or decorations, at least. There’s only one sad little construction paper wreath on the end table by the door made by Layla, but that’s...it. 

Gauntlets and gloves come off, helmet and holsters on the back of a chair while the coffee perks and Tim moves around his kitchen, talking idly about doing some research before bed, fervently hoping they don’t ask him the hard questions.

But, of course, Tim doesn’t talk much about his past with anyone, not even Ives and Steph, prefers to just keep moving forward instead of looking back. He might be a little more compromised tonight than usual, and pours coffee with a slightly trembling hand.

It might be the night Nightwing and Hood start taking more of a shine to their doctor than they should, considering how close to danger he is just by helping them when the injuries are bad and they’re in a bind. It might be how he obviously has no one to be with on Christmas, how he doesn’t have anyone to celebrate with, to decorate for, to have presents wrapped up, or leftovers from a good dinner in his fridge. 

They’re detectives and the story is right there in every inch of the penthouse, in Tim’s awful sweater and pj pants, his slightly red eyes, the way he won’t really meet their eyes when they talk about the quiet night in the city because of the holiday. 

They stay with him until dawn, drinking coffee and juice, watching awful fails on YouTube, waiting until Tim’s finally tired enough to pass out on the couch between them. 

And dawn is just peeking on the horizon when Nightwing gently carries the doctor to bed, Hood pulling the sheets back, maybe lightly touching Tim’s hair before covering him back up. 

The two ease out of the room and close the door behind them.

When Tim wakes up the next night, Christmas Day will be over in a few hours, and he’s grateful because the world can finally go back to normal. Steph and Layla will be back, and the Gauntlet will be waiting for them to try saving Gotham in their own way. Nightwing and Hood will get beat-up fighting the good fight and at least come to him when they need to. Robin will still tt at him, Tony will visit soon to just remind Tim he’s making awful life choices. Lucas will ride his ass about how much he works and Ives will be his safe haven. The world will somehow balance out again. 

He won’t get stuck like this next year, just make sure he’s always on the schedule when his people have other places to go. 

But when he finally pulls himself out of bed, gets his feet under him to stumble in and try finding something to eat in his kitchen, his gaze falls on something sparkly sitting on his bedside table. Something vaguely square and wrapped in crazy black and yellow paper with little bat signals on them, the ribbons Robin red and green.

He’ll gasp softly, his heart leaping into his throat, blink once, and then blink again.

The package is still there.

He tentatively touch the box with trembling fingertips, pull it against his chest, hold on a little too tightly with his eyes wet and a laugh on his face at the utter absurdity of it.

But damn if it doesn’t give him the strength to get his legs under him, and fucking stand.

(Jay and Dick don’t find out until next year that Tim never opened the present, wanted to keep it just like that since he hadn’t gotten gifts from anyone but Steph, Layla, and Ives in years. It comes out the next year when they drag him to the Manor for a few hours before riding back to the penthouse to meet up with Steph and Layla, when there’s a massive tree decorated with stacks of presents underneath. When his place has lights strung up all around and cut-out snowflakes from Batgirl, when the ornaments are Nightwing blue and Robin red, Jay and Dick drug him to Hobby Lobby to pick out. When the special one with three snowmen labeled Dick, Jay, Tim is right in the middle surrounded by Layla’s nutcracker, Dami’s picture one from school, and Lian’s ballerina. Steph managed to get a few picture of the three of them together wearing Santa hats and the picture is framed on the end table. 

When they get home that night, cuddling on the sofa a year later, watching It’s a Wonderful Life and drinking eggnog Alfred sent with them, Jay will ask why he never used the little gift they left him last year. And Tim will get a little pink in the face when he admits he never opened it, he just put it away with his other good memories, not wanting to spoil the magic.

That earns him soft kisses and more cuddles since Dick is literally a cuddle machine, and Jay finds it so easy to fit their little boyfriend under his chin. 

They’re on either side of him when he finally brings the box after some digging, and pulls out the bow.

The small device fits in the palm of his hand, easily fits in his doctor’s bag.

“A comm, in case you ever needed to contact us,” Dick tells him with a kiss to his temple.

“We started takin’ a shine ta ya, Baby. Thought ya might use it when we don’t come ta ya, you feel me?”

“Oh,” and he has to clear his throat, his voice a little wavery, his eyes a little hot. “That’s...even back then?”

“Merry Christmas, Timmy,” Dick replies gently in answer, palming the back of his neck. 

“Merry Christmas, Sweets,” Jay’s deft fingers move the comm to thread their fingers together and hold on.

“Merry Christmas,” he chokes, face buried in Jay’s neck, squished between them while the lights from the tree glow and the warmth in his chest is so beautifully, perfectly fragile. 

It’s certainly the best Christmas ever.)

#winter rambles #dr!tim #some sad but happy ending #pre and post relationship #tim drake #dick grayson #jason todd #dickjaytim

[ghostiic2]

One and Only

Summary:  A day at the pool gets inturrpted by an unwanted pest and Mike is not having it.

Words:  4290

AO3

Summer 1985

Mike, El, Lucas, Dustin, Will, and Max all decided they wanted to go to the pool on a hot summer day in Hawkins. Jonathan and Nancy decided to tag along as well, and offered to give them a ride.

Once they all arrived at the pool, they all get out and start heading in different directions. Dustin and Lucas head for the snowball stand, Max goes over to a lawn chair and sits, Will talks to Jonathan for a minute, and Mike and El head in hand-in-hand.

Once Mike and El made their way inside, Mike turned to her with a goofy smile.

“You excited?” Mike asked.

“Totally!” El responded, turning towards him with an even brighter smile. At that, Mike couldn’t help but blush at how perfectly amazing El was, and she was all his.

“Alright then!” Mike responded.

Once they got inside, they started to take off their day clothes revealing the swim clothes underneath. Mike wore just swim trunks while El wore a one-piece bathing suit. Mike looked over at her and blushed a little.

I really do have the most gorgeous girlfriend .

As they made their way over to the pool, a gust of wind blew off El’s ribbon bow she was wearing. Mike ran to go catch it, but a hand had gotten to it before he could grab it. He looked up to see a very tall, broad, and muscle-y teen.

This hottie of a teenager had blue eyes, dark brown hair with blonde highlights at the ends, and was very shirtless.

El had ran up next to Mike a minute later, and the teen had turned his full attention on her as soon as she came into view. Mike didn’t like that.

“Why hello there, you lovely young lady, I believe this belongs to you.” He said, his voice was very bold and almost intimidating.

El gave him a smile as she took the ribbon.

“Thank you!” She said.

“My pleasure, senorita.” The teen responded with a dramatic bow.

El giggled at the gesture, and Mike felt a vein pop somewhere in his head.

“O-K” Mike said as he took a few steps closer to El protectively. “El, we don’t wanna keep the others waiting for much longer!”

“Oh ok, I guess we should catch up with them.” El said, turning to Mike.

As they turned to walk the other way, the lifeguard teen shouted.

“Farewell, Doll!”

El turned around around and waved. “Goodbye!”

Mike was gonna fucking explode. Doll? Did he just call El Doll?

They soon made it to the others, who were all waiting by the pool.

“Hey asshat, and El, what took you too so long?” Dustin said as they approached.

Mike gave Dustin a glare before answering in a nonchalant tone.

“Oh we just had to go get El’s ribbon, it flew off.”

“Oh! And we met the sweetest guy. He picked it up for me and gave it back!” El said with a smile.

Mike’s face scrunched up in a very angry way.

Everyone’s faces stayed blank until Dustin bursted out laughing. Mike’s already annoyed expression only scrunched up more.

“Oh! Oh, my god! Wow, Mike, was he really the sweetest guy?” Dustin said teasingly. Mike could easily throw him in the pool and drown him on the spot. El’s expression turned confused as Dustin continued to laugh about it.

Max hit him on the arm causing Dustin to stop and wince. “Ow! What’s the deal, Mayfield?”

Max gave him a look that said “Cut it out, Mike’s gonna kill you.” That shut Dustin up.

“Mike, what is Dustin talking about?” El turned to Mike with a very concerned expression on her face.

“Ah, don’t listen to Dustin. He’s just kidding around.” Max said, causing El’s attention to her.

El sighed and nodded, and there was a very uncomfortable silence that followed. Luckily, Will was the one to break the silence.

“So, should we head on into the pool?”

Everyone looked at each other and nodded. Mike and El were the first ones over.

“So, this is your first time swimming aside from our lessons. You ready?” Mike said, now feeling better that he’s with his girlfriend and friends.

“Yes!”

“Ok then, i’ll let you get in very slowly, ok?”

El nodded with a confident smile as she eased her way into the pool with Mike holding her by the waist. El giggled at the contact due to her being ticklish, and it made Mike smile and chuckle a bit.

Once El was in the pool, she was roughly floating. At that moment Mike forgot he was gonna put on sunscreen, so he turned to El.

“El I have to go get some sunscreen from the bag in the car, ok? I’ll be right back.” Mike said.

“Ok Mike.”

“You gonna be ok?” Mike asked her, grabbing her hand.

“Mike, i’ll be just fine.” She smiled at him.

“Ok, well, i’ll be back in a sec.”

Mike walked off to go to the entry way, leaving El at the end of the pool that was empty.

El started to feel uneasy, as the water started to feel heavy and it seemed to pull her down as it did in her tanks. She started to breathe heavily and rapidly. This wasn’t right. Something was wrong.

Where was Mike? Was he not just here a second ago? Wait where did he go? Mike? Anyone?

Her thoughts became rapid and confusing as El grew more and more uneasy.

She hadn’t even realized she stopped using her limbs to keep floating above water.

Her vision was fuzzy as she started to lose consciousness, until she felt the grip of someone latch under her arms and pull her up.

Soon El reached the surface and was coughing up water as soon as she was brought above water. Her vision started to come into focus as she saw her friends gathered near, with concerned looks on their faces. As she gained consciousness once more, she looked around to see who had saved her.

Oh.

Standing above her with the same concerned expression as her friends, was the lifeguard she and Mike had encountered earlier. His skin and hair were soaked with water and his breathing was a bit fast, almost as if he had been holding his breath.

“Hey, hey. It’s ok there Doll. You’re ok now. How ya feeling?” He said as he put a hand on her back.

El’s breathing was beginning to soothen so she could speak better.

“I’m, ok, thank you for saving me.” She said.

“Anytime, Princess.”

Mike was now walking back to the pool entry way from about 10 minutes of searching for that damn sunscreen. He was anxious to get back to El so he could help her with swimming, but also to look out for that creep of a lifeguard.

When he got inside, he stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw.

The same lifeguard boy holding El’s face with one hand and the other hand was on her back. El seemed to be coughing, while the others were nearby. Once El’s coughing seemed to stop, the lifeguard removed the hand from her face and said something, and El responded.

Mike felt like he was gonna have a fucking seizure.

He better not have given her mouth-to-mouth CPR .

Mike ran to the scene as fast as his long legs could take him and stopped in front on them when the boy was helping El up.

“El! Oh my god! Are you ok?” He said, completely ignoring the lifeguard kid. Mike cradled El’s face in his hands and caressed it with his thumb.

“Mike, i’m fine.” El said looking up at him with a smile.

“What happened here?” Mike said, turning his attention to the boy.

“Oh, Mike, he saved me. I started to panic and I guess I forgot to keep myself floating, but Jason here saved me from drowning!” El said, gesturing to Jason .

“Oh, really?” Mike said, making a face. He could have saved El, no problem.

“Yea, really.” Jason spoke up, walking towards Mike. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“Mike. Her, significant other .” Mike said, stepping back towards El.

“Well then, Significant Other Mike, next time your girl is in danger, you might wanna be around to save her. Never know what would’ve happened if I didn’t step in and be the hero.” He said, taking a few steps toward Mike in a threatening way. Mike was tall, but this kid was taller, which was… scary.

After giving Mike one final glare, he walked off.

Mike made the most offended scoff, that most certainly grabbed El’s attention.

“Mike, he was just giving a warning to you for the future. No need to be offended.” El said, giving him a smile.

Mike sighed. Typical El, always on the positive side of things. He had to admire her positivity, but he was still pretty pissed at this Jason kid.

“Plus, he did just save my life. You gotta give him that.” El said, matter-of-factly.

Mike couldn’t argue with that fact no matter how hard he tried. He did just save El’s life, it’s basically his job.

Though Mike still wishes it was him who was her hero .

Mike was sitting in a lawn chair next to El when suddenly got in the mood for something sweet. A Snowball!

He turned to El when he got the idea.

“Hey El, i’m gonna go get a Snowball from the stand right outside the pool. You want one too?” Mike asked.

“Oh sure! Thanks Mike!” El said.

“Anything for you, Angel.” Mike said with a smile, trying to sound romantic and sweet.

It worked apparently when El smiled, blushed, and turned her head.

Mike gave a chuckle and started to head to the Snowball stand. He ordered him and El’s frozen treats, Watermelon and Strawberry, and started to head back.

When he got inside and made his way to his spot, he stopped.

There’s gonna a be murder at this pool and the police will never find the body .

El was talking with Jason who was sitting sideways in the chair next to her on the left.

Whatever he was saying was certainly appeasing, since El was laughing and giggling.

Yep. Murder .

When he walked up to them, El turned to Mike and greeted him with a smile.

Jason’s grin that was on his face disappeared as soon as he looked at Mike.

“Oh, hey Mike!” El greeted him.

“Oh yea uh hi Mason.” Jason said with a blank expression.

“Mike.”

“Mike, whatever.”

“Jason was just telling me about his private swimming classes that are going to be open soon!” El said.

“ Private swimming classes?” Mike said through gritted teeth.

“Yea, just me and Jason.” El responded.

Oh hell no .

“Well, aha, that’s too bad because, El’s already taking lessons from me!” Mike said as nonchalantly as he could.

“Really?” Jason asked with a bit of attitude.

“Yes. I am a grea t teacher to her. Sorry, but she’s taken .” Mike said, giving him a look.

“Ah well, Mike, you may be a good teacher now, but soon your student will get tired of you and need a fresh start with new lessons. You won’t be taken for long, until she gets a real man to show her how it’s done.” Jason said, standing up and moving next to Mike. He walked off not a second later.

Mike was flabbergasted and he thinks he’s gonna rip all his hair out.

El realized how upset he looked when Jason walked off, and her expression quickly turned to worry.

“Oh, Mike, are you ok? You look a little stressed..” El said, touching his arm.

At the contanct, Mike snapped around and let out a very unusual nervous laugh.

“Oh yea, El I’m fine! Now uh, I have to go find the guys somewhere else now, I need to talk to them about something!” Mike said in a nervous and fast tone.

“Ok I love you El, bye!” Mike quickly said before she could speak.

Within a second of the strange conversation he was running off in the other direction. El was left very confused and concerned. Max walked up a few seconds later holding a bottle of water and sat in the lawn chair next to El.

“Heya Ellie.” She greeted her with a smile.

“Oh hey Max..” El responded with an upset tone in her voice.

Max could see El was visibly concerned, so she tried to approach the situation calmly.

“Hey, what’s up?” Max asked.

El turned to Max and sighed, resting her body up against the back of the chair.

“Mike is acting really strange, and I wish I knew how to help him but he just ran off after saying he was gonna go see the guys.” El said.

“Yea, boys are one of the world’s most confusing mysteries. One minute their rambling about something, the next minute they leave you in the dust. I’ve seen this most common with that anxious boyfriend of yours.” Max stated.

“Yea, Mike can be a little quirky at times, maybe he’s just tired or something?” El said, trying to push all other possible problems out.

“Yea maybe.” Max said, putting her sunglasses down.

El huffed and sat back, looking at the sky.

Is Mike ok?

Mike was not ok.

He was running to the bathrooms as fast as he could, trying to get away from everything. Once inside, he stopped by a sink and put a hand on either side of it as weight he breathed heavily. This was a terrible day.

After a few minutes, Lucas, Dustin, and Will walked in.

“Oh! Mike, there you are.” Lucas said.

Mike’s head snapped around and his face was red, his hair was messy, his eyes were twitchy, and he looked like he could murder you with the look on his face.

The three boys stepped back a little with concerned looks on their faces, as their eyes shifted to one another.

“Mike, are you ok?” Dustin asked.

“Ok? OK? I am most certainly not ok! I am so beyond pissed I could probably decapitate a head right about now!! Specifically Jason’s head!” Mike practically yelled.

He had an uneasy tone in his voice that only made the boys seem more afraid.

“Um, dude, who is Jason?” Lucas asked, stepping forward a bit.

“The pool lifeguard!” Mike snapped.

“He thinks he’s sooo heroic and amazing and all this and that and he just loves to save people! He thinks one day El’s gonna get tired of her current teacher , and start wanting new lessons from a better teacher and she’ll leave me for a real man soon enough!” Mike started to rant a little as he paced.

The others were silent for a moment as they shared worried glances.

“Mike, buddy, lifeguards think that they’re all that. They try to intimidate ya and get under your skin, but in reality, they aren’t gonna do shit to you.” Dustin said, taking a step forward.

“Y-You mean, he’s just been messing with me the whole day?” Mike asked.

“Yes!”

Mike pondered this for a moment as his breathing calmed. He sighed and pushed himself off the sink he was leaning against.

“What about El?” Mike asked after he stopped pacing again.

“What about her?” Will asked.

“What if she still wants to leave me for him?” Mike asked, a worried expression set on his face.

“Mike, El is your girlfriend and she loves you more than anything else. I highly doubt she’s gonna leave you for some lifeguard.” Lucas said, placing a hand on Mike’s shoulder.

Mike looked down for a second and looked back up to his friend. He gave a grateful smile to Lucas.

“Ok, I guess you’re right. Thanks, Lucas.” Mike said.

“Anytime, buddy.”

“Ok let’s get back to having fun in the sun!” Dustin said.

The others nodded and headed out the door.

When they turned the corner, Mike was greeted with something that practically made his heart stop.

A dark brown haired teen kissing someone with curly hair poking out from behind the boy’s shoulder.

“Aw jeez..” Will said, covering his face.

Mike was practically fuming with smoke coming out of his ears. His adrenaline was running fast and hot, and his hands were balled up into fists so tight, the knuckled were turning white.

Without warning, he charged at the teen, not even hearing what Will said from behind him.

“Mike, wait! That’s-”

Mike was out of range before he could hear the rest. He reached them and tackled the teenager and was attempting to strangle them while screaming somewhat incoherent ramblings.

“HOW DARE YOU KISS MY EL SHE IS MINE AND ONLY MINE ,I’LL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW I SWEAR TO GOD YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS. I WILL NOT HESITATE TO TURN THIS POOL INTO A SLAUGHTER GROUND STARTING WITH YOU, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR YOU NO-BRAINED GOOD FOR NOTHING ASS-”

“MIIIIIIIKE!!!!” Will shouted from somewhere.

Mike was pulled out of his rage as he look up to see Will and the others standing there.

“Get off my brother!” Will said, with an angry expression on his face.

A record scratched somewhere in the distance.

“Huh?” Mike said as he looked down to the person he was tackling.

“Jonathan??” Mike shouted in confusion.

“Yea, Mike, it’s me.” Jonathan said.

“Oh god i’m sorry, I thought you were someone else..” Mike said as he got off.

“Mike! What the hell?” Nancy said, getting up from the chair she was sitting in.

Oh. That was Nancy .

A few people had gathered nearby the scene and talked in whispers.

Mike wished the ground would just swallow him whole.

After a moment, El and Max came into view.

El’s face was etched in worry while Max looked confused. Jason walked up behind them and blew his whistle.

“Woah ok everyone calm down there.” Jason said.

“What’s going on?”

“My idiot brother attacked my boyfriend.” Nancy stated, crossing her arms.

“Oh really now?” Jason said and walked up to Mike.

“No attacking other pool residents. Warning.” Jason said before leaning into Mike’s ear so only he could hear him.

“You’re on thin ice, wimp.”

Mike felt his heart wrench.

Jason gave him a “go to hell” look and walked back towards El.

“Jeez, who would want him as a boyfriend. Utter embarrassment.” Jason said next to El.

Mike heard this and held his stomach.

You heard him right. Who would want me as a boyfriend?

Mike’s expression dropped as he looked around, before running off.

El watched as Mike ran off, and she felt like she could cry. Was this why Mike was acting strange?

Everyone started to walk off back to what they were doing. The sounds of talking and laughter filled the air once more.

El decided to give Mike some space before talking to him.

El sat in the chair after about 20 minutes until she decided she should talk to Mike. She got up and turned, but was stopped by Jason.

“Hey there, Doll.” Jason said with a smile.

El gave him a look and walked passed him. Jason stopped her yet again.

“Hey, what’s the matter, Princess?”

“Leave me alone, I do not want to talk to you.” El said, not looking at him.

“Well that’s too bad, I was gonna ask if me and you could walk and get some Snowballs.” Jason said.

“Not interested.” El said, attempting to walk but Jason stepped in front of her.

“Hey, what’s gotten your ribbon in a twist, Cupcake?”

“What you said about Mike. That really upset him, and it’s upsetting me, too.” El said, crossing her arms.

“Oh, that. That was just a joke, babe. No hard feelings.” Jason responded, putting his hands in his swim trunk pockets.

“Yes, hard feelings. I don’t like how you treated him. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find and comfort him.”

El said that before pushing Jason out of the way and started walking.

“Oh yea go comfort the wimpy baby. It’s not my fault that loser can’t take a joke.” Jason said from behind her.

Something in El snapped.

She whipped around and grabbed Jason’s whistle that was hanging around his neck and pulled him down so he could meet her eyes.

"Now you listen to me and listen good. If I ever hear you say anything bad about my Mike ever again, I will personally rip this whistle off your neck and shove it down your thoat, so when you try to speak the only sound that will come out is the sound of your regret. And if that's not enough, I will throw you in the pool and drown you, then make it look like there was an accident. El seethed, her eyes narrowed as she gave him the glare.

“Do I make myself clear, Water boy?”

“Y-Yes! You make yourself v-very clear!” Jason stuttered, clearly afraid.

“Good.”

El let go of the whistle, and Jason let out a terrified squeak before running off.

“Hmph!”

El lifted her head and closed her eyes, proud of herself, and started walking before stopping and opening them.

She saw her friends and Mike all looking shocked, while Dustin was absolutely losing it. They were all still and silent for a moment before Mike started to walk towards her.

“Mike, I-”

El was cut off by Mike, who gave her a tight hug. El hugged him back and smiled.

Mike broke the hug and looked down at her with a smile and watery eyes.

Had he been crying?

“El, that was so amazing!” Mike exclaimed. “Like, that was almost as amazing as when you broke Troy’s arm and made him run away!”

He started to laugh a little bit.

“I mean, Water boy? Haha that’s gold!”

Mike was practically in tears with laughter and El giggled a little as well. Her face hurt from smiling.

After their laughter died down, Mike took her hand and held it in his.

I’m sorry i’ve been acting weird. Today was supposed to be fun but, I kinda ruined it..” He said.

“You shouldn’t be the one apologizing, I was the one who didn’t notice how upset you were.” El said, bringing up her hands to cup his face.

“Nah, you were just looking at the bright side of the situation like you always do. That’s one of the many things I admire about you, El.” Mike said with a smile.

El bowed her head and blushed.

God I love this girl.

Jeez, I love this boy.

“Besides, you don’t need to apologize. Seeing you make Water boy run off scared is apology enough.” Mike said with an amused chuckle.

El giggled and smiled. She was happy all of this was over.

She put her arms around his neck and Mike snaked his arms around her waist.

Mike leaned down a little while El leaned up.

“I love you” was all that was said before she kissed him.

Their kiss was not like the small 4 second kisses they usually share. This kiss was full of meaning, like they were trying to reassure each other with slow, soft mouth movements and soothing hands.

After about 10 seconds or so, the kiss ended. They were both starry-eyed and a little out of breath. Then, they burst out into laughter.

The others watched this with smirks on their faces, happy this fiasco was done. After a few minutes or so, Max spoke up.

“Alrighty, lovebirds. Are we gonna have a fun pool day as a party or what?”

Mike and El looked at each other and back to the rest of their friends and nodded. They all made their way to the pool to have some fun.

The rest of the pool day consisted of the Party splashing around, laughing, and having chicken fights. Jason didn’t mess with Mike or El after he got told off, and sometimes when he was seen walking around El would give him a glare that sent him running.

After the day was done, they all piled into Jonathan’s car and were dropped off to their houses. The remaining two were Mike and El cuddling in the backseat with intertwined hands.

When Jonathan reached the Wheeler’s home, Mike and Nancy got out of the car. El got out to say bye to Mike.

“Well uh, i’ll see you tomorrow.” Mike said.

“Yea, today was fun! Well part of the day was fun. Still fun though!” El said awkwardly.

Mike chuckled, and followed was silence. Mike looked down at El and realized just how beautifully she looked in the moonlight.

She’s gorgeous..

Mike was brought out of his trance when El said his name a couple of times.

“Mike, what is it?”

“You.”

“What?”

Before El could say anything else, he cupped her face, bent down and kissed her firmly.

El kissed him back and brought her hands up to thread his hair.

After a few seconds the kiss ended and they were brought back to reality. They stared at each other for a few minutes until they heard a teasing voice from behind.

“Hello? Earth to Michael! Mom’s gonna kill us if we don’t get in the house soon.” Nancy said.

“Oh heh, I have to go.” Mike said.

“I know…” El responded, removing her hands from his hair.

….

“Mike?”

“Yea?”

El bit her lip.

“You’re my one and only.”

Later that night Mike laid in bed with a smile on his face as El’s words echoed through his mind.

“You’re my one and only.”

I’m her one and only...

#woah this was a lot #but #i enjoyed writing it #fluff yall #stranger things #fanfic #oneshot #mileven #mike wheeler #eleven #the party

[vrenaewrites]

CRAVE by Tracy Wolff thoughts: Ch 22 - ch 48

Full video here.

CH 22: Baby, it’s hot in here

Like, baby it’s cold outside?

Sooooo much internal monologuing about her first boyfriend and how no one has made her feel like Jaxon does…

“The big picture is that the most popular boys in school are obsessed with you”

“He looks at you like it physically hurts him not to be touching you. Baby, if he wanted you anymore he’d spontaneously combust”

Macy wants the tea about her and Jaxon

She says flint and him had a “massive pissing contest over her” lmao

“Are you trying to be reassuring or scare me?” “yes”

She tells heather ttyf? Am i stupid??? What does that mean?

TALK TO YOU FOREVER?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?

“It sounds like every cliche in the book, but he’s different around you. Somehow less intense, but more intense.”

“You can trust me, we’re family” and grace almost starts crying :(

CH 23: never bring an ice cream scoop to a gunfight

Macy FINALLY comes clean re: flint and jaxon are mortal enemies

“What is this the breakfast club? Even they figured out they could all get along” grace just be quiet and let the girl who actually knows wtf is up at this school tell you wtf is up. You been wanting her to talk for so long, be quiet.

Ooh something big happened a year ago that made them all break up into factions

It’s about hudson jaxon’s brother!

Or is his name spelled Hyudsin because stupid spellings

Ooh macy warned grace not to become the chew toy between flint and jaxon

CH 24: waffles are the way to a girl’s everything

I want to hate this but i fucking love waffles so like��

Someone’s texting her about her ankle...i thought it was jaxon...AND IT IS!

“I don’t know the punchline to whatever knock knock joke you’re setting up” I BURST OUT LAUGHING BECAUSE “he’s funny over text” ma’am...this isn’t funny? Maybe a lil snarky, but funny?

Now she’s telling jokes over text and we’re having a whole long stupid text fucking exchange….i hate this so much

Then he tries, “what do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman? Frostbite” and my soul leaves my body because what in the 8th grade twilight fanfiction is happening…

She texts him brb instead of just responding when when she was done peeing and then he stops answering her, this used to happen to me with the toxic dudes i talked to in high school...am i reading too much into this? Idk yet

And then she’s spiraling about why he stopped texting and UGH I REMEMBER THIS FEELING!!!!!!!!!

Jaxon has food sent up to her room from the...cafeteria? Wtf…

He says he doesn’t like the food and she says “So what do you like to eat” and then is like “wow that sounded suggestive” lmao

And he says “i don’t think we’re there yet but let me know when we are” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN

CH 25: truly madly deeply bitten

And we’re really just gonna keep texting 21 questions

She loves tatbilb...i mean same lana condor is the loml, but

Jaxon loves rogue one………

I don’t care AT ALL. NOT ONE BIT DO I CARE, TRACY WOLFF.

“I wish i could ask the real jaxon vega to please stand up” i rolled my eyes but i also giggled

“You suck” “you have no idea how much” i threw up in my mouth.

Niall horan reference, hozier reference, rhianna reference

JAXON’S. FAVORITE. SONG. IS. TRULY. MADLY. DEEPLY.

INSERT SNAPCHAT OF ME CRYING LAUGHING HERE

Gambino reference, beethoven reference???, and then brown-eyed girl which personally offends me because my mom used to sing that to me

This makes her hands shake

She plays brown eyed girl a bunch of times

Then another woman comes to deliver a package to grace...from jaxon...it’s a library book

It’s twilight

Insert snap of me screaming stfu here

Macy is laughing her ass off about this because she isn’t stupid, she knows what jaxon is

And grace says she never read it when it was popular all those years ago…

Baby you said you liked reading. No way did you survive middle school without reading it.

And then he shows up!!!!!

She makes a shitty joke to lighten to the mood

He’s massaging her hurt ankle...oh shiiii

They ALMOST kiss

He gives her a little note wrapped in a ribbon

“I wonder how i’m going to keep this beautiful, broken boy from cracking my already battered heart wide open”

Hades voice: we were so CLOSE!

CH 26: the uniform doesn’t make the woman, but it sure brings out the insecurities

He ripped a page out of anais nin’s journals that says some shit like “i dreamed you, i wished for you”

So cute sentiment but you ripped a book my dude? Cardinal sin

Grace is finally going to class

The cafeteria is goth as fuuuuck

The music is “creepy af”

Jaxon sits next to her in front of everyone

CH 27: 10 degree weather gives a whole new meaning to “the cool kid’s table”

He sits in the super ornate chair backwards and it makes her horny

The order is kind of ragging on jaxon about being cute to grace which is funny

We get all the dude’s names at one - raphael luca liam mickey?? I think

“A dark and devastating desperation” in his eyes

And then we got byron who’s more angsty than jaxon - “mad bad and dangerous to know” just like his namesake

CH 28: “to be or not to be is a question, not a pick-up line”

Jaxon walks her to class

Wanting him feels like opening a vein

“I love the way your hair smells”

“My heart is beating like a heavy metal drummer”

We were so close!!!!!!!!!

We’re doing hamlet in class ofc

The teacher says “although you look like the shy type despite your association with katmere’s most notorious student”

Instead of just saying the halls are like playing frogger she describes the old video game where you try to get the frog across the road...is it just people in the south that say playing frogger when describing crossing traffic? Or is this a well known phrase??

Apparently there’s hidden tunnels so flint takes her to them

Her intuition is like BITCH DON’T GO IN THE TUNNELS but she ignores it AGAIN

CH 29: with friends like these, everyone needs hard hats

There are beds with shackles?!?!?!?!

Leah shows up and turns out they’re going to the same class? But flint insists on walking her to class…

Leah and flint are NOT friendly

Damn she offends flint with a buffalo bill joke

There’s bones in the tunnels and a giant chandelier in the rotunda that’s also made of bones…

There’s an earthquake!

CH 30: you make the earth shake under my feet, and everywhere else too

And it stops as soon as they get out of the tunnel

Jaxon is there and being a dick to flint and grace has HAD it

CH 31: big girls don’t cry, unless they want to

Grace gets hit with a basketball in gym

All the order has been walking her to class because jaxon knew she was mad at him

Does jaxon cause the earthquakes somehow?

She finally reads the texts jaxon had sent and feels bad for being mad at him when he was just worried - no he acted like a dick. Be mad.

She’s making sooooo many excuses for his anger: the earthquake, the fact that he’s already rescued her before so of course he’s worried…

Aww a student is playing autumn leaves which was her dad’s favorite song :(

She starts to boo-hoo “grief is a wild thing within me”

Civil twilight AGAIN

Jaxon is standing there when she finally stops

CH 32: it’s not a coincidence that denali and denial use all the same letters

He opens the door in the alcove and it’s like a clubhouse? Oh it’s his dorm room???? Confusion

So it’s like the living room and NOW he’s leading her into his bedroom

She says she’s terrified of him touching her because of the intensity but then says she has no trepidations about doing or being anywhere with him...ya just said...nvm

They go out to the roof

CH 33: Madonna’s not the only one with a lucky star

Please decide if grace is a silly teen who doesn’t know what frogger is or an old soul who loves madonna pls

She asks if he’s an alien…

And she tells him he’s the hottest person ever and that his scar makes him sexy as hell and he's all like “me?!” which is a nice role reversal

This is his favorite place

And there's a meteor shower!!

CH 34: all’s fair in love and earthquakes

Thanks i hate this

When she touches him she realizes how cold he is and thinks it’s from being outside which makes him act all weird

Someone please just tell this girl what’s going on!!!!!!!!! I HATE when the reader is 8,000 steps ahead of the MC

“A craving in his eyes” WE’VE SAID THE TITLE FOLKS!

She makes the move to close the space and says she’s dazzled, GUYS

She’s making the MOVE! “Did you ever want something but you were scared of taking it?” “yes” “what did you do” “i took it anyway” and then he kisses her!!!!!!

The kiss is as soft as a snowflake, as delicate as the permafrost

Then “his mouth goes crazy on mine lips tongue teeth, it’s a cacophony of sensations, a riot of pleasure”

“My knees go weak at his tongue on mine, just like one of those heroines in a novel”

His hands are vices on my biceps...his hands were around her back at first which seems way more romantic than manhandling her arms??

There’s an earthquake...and jaxon is like you have to go

A window breaks and cuts her and then she blacks out????

CH 35: baked alaska is more than just a yummy dessert

Intimidating af is the nurse

The glass nicked her artery!!!!!! The FUCK. or did jaxon bite her?????

Her mom died like that… yikes on bikes

He fucking bit her...this is a lie...i’m calling it…

FINN ABOUT TO COME CLEAN!!!...but the nurse stops him.

Macy is an OG bff she is the best

Or is grace the one making shit happen??

Grace notices the sheets are fixed but that macy never went to the bed

Macy asked what they were doing when the earthquake hit...WHY

CH 36: no harm, all foul

Grace goes after Jaxon and he’s like “our kiss didn’t matter”

He says he put her in a lot of danger by being around her, a “target on her back” and wants her to stay away from him but he can’t pull himself away

But then he does

CH 37: don’t ask the question if you can’t handle the answer

Leah drops the bomb that she and Jaxon are expected to carry on like a family dynasty sitch since Hudson died

CH 38: nothing says “i like you” like a fang to the throat

She’s freaking out of course

Mickey says jaxon def didn’t bit her and she’s even more confused and me too

Jaxon is in the mountains...he wants her to wait but she’s pissed

“I take a deep breath and hold onto it with both hands” ….?????

Because i have to hear it out loud, “what did make these marks?”

Say it, out loud

CH 39: there’s never a hallucinogen around when you need one

She’s furious and she should be! I’m glad she’s not replying to Jaxon

We finally get to the bottom of it all!!!!!!

Macy admits Jaxon is a vampire

Leah is one too!!!!

Flint is a dragon!!!!! CALLED IT

He’s got fire? With a name like flint how could he not PUKE

“Who needs LSD when you go to monster high?” Shut UP

Macy is a witch DUH

“You should have been one too”

CH 40: be careful what you witch for

GO FUCK YOURSELF WITH THIS TITLE

Grace’s dad was a warlock but he lost his power when he fell for grace’s mom...oh no was their accident like a magical mafia hit??

“What kind of witch are you if you can’t do something an 11 year old can?” “the kind that doesn’t come from JK Rowling’s brilliant imagination”...THAT aged poorly…

“This is a less bloody version of game of thrones” shut UP

The school nurse bit her because jaxon used his vampire venom to heal her cut, and it worked too well so she needed to cut through the healed skin with her vampire teeth

Because this is twilight satire so of course they have venom…

“So vampires can just override each other’s venom?”

Most of the vamps would have had a hard time not draining you dry, but not jaxon

I absolutely called it: witches, vampires, dragons, and werewolves confirmed.

CH 41: Vampires dragon and werewolves, oh my

This physically hurts

She’s kind of categorizing the students now that she knows which is totally something i would do

God almighty is flint just a jacob clone…

CH 42: good thing pancakes aren’t on today’s menu

The chandelier is falling onto her and someone pushes her out of the way - it’s jaxon!

His eyes smolder at her

She dresses his cut on his head and his arm

“I wouldn’t have had to save you if you were in your room where i told you to be” he grinds the last part out through clenched teeth

He finally lays it out that someone has been getting her hurt on purpose

CH 43: what doesn’t kill you still scares the hell out of you

Her uncle wants to talk to her before she sees jaxon again and i smell an info dump coming

Dangerous af

“Macy told me she spilled all the tea” said her UNCLE with no hint of like “is that what you kids say these days”. GTFO

“I wait for the other shoe to drop even though 100 have already fallen” that’s not how that idiom works

She’s like “how could he think i wouldn’t figure it out i knew something was wrong” no ma’am! No you didn’t!! You kept shrugging it off until chapter 24 at the EARLIEST when you settled on aliens

Getting the tea on the turf war between dragons and vampires - so it’s not like twilight because it’s not the werewolves. Whatever.

Uncle says it was probably some witch who got too loose with her powers and grace is like yeah no absolutely no one is trying to kill me it was yet ANOTHER freak accident

Uncle wants to sent her back to cali

CH 44: Sweet home alaska

So she doesn’t wanna go because of jaxon, not because her only family in the world is in Alaska….

It’s only been a WEEK

“I know jaxon can be...seductive” says her UNCLE

the guys in the order are born vampires, not made, it’s a v big deal

Info dump city re how vampirism is a genetic mutation…

There are 6 ancient families of vampires...this all sounds like the first draft of my new wip where I was trying to figure out how the secret society worked…

Then he says he’s not in the habit of talking students with other students….we just did...this whole chapter…

Another earthquake???

Ch 45: I always knew there was fire between us, I just didn’t know it was your breath

Dude shut up

She goes to the library and wonders if the books about vampires etc would be under non fiction or biology lmao

The librarian is a native Alaskan with elemental magic….yikes

She does a weird eye swirling “you’re more than you think you are” thing to grace

Flints in the library and she asks him about dragons and I swear to god if we get a chapter devoted to learning about each species via info dump I will burn this place to the ground

He singes the marshmallow with his fire breath, loves it

And he can breathe ice? He cools the water down

He can bloom flowers in his hand????

“They’re beautiful” “you’re beautiful” “but I’m not hitting on you??”

Because when I hit on you, it’ll be because you want me to!!!!! We Stan flint!!!

Ch 46: I’ll get you and your little dog too

Enough

Dry throat around flint now, oh shiiiiiii

Oh shit the order is on the move!! There’s trouble

She chases them into a classroom and sees jaxon making shit fly everywhere with just his mind...is he a vampire and a witch??

There’s a werewolf vampire brawl

Damn jaxon can freeze everyone with his mind!

She tries to stop him but he’s put up a barrier

She breaks through!!!!

And jaxon bites cole!!!!!!! ALMOST KILLS COLE!!!!!!!!!!!

“This is your only warning”

CH 47: the first bite is the deepest

Jaxon pulls grace away, this whole time grace’s inner monologue is her feeling responsible for the carnage

“I won’t hurt you” “I know” “you know? do you have a death wish?”

But jaxon is so disgusted at himself that she's just like “well did he deserve to almost be killed?” She has accepted this shit with sociopathic speed

“The power you wield...it’s unfathomable” sis has turned the corner

“You don’t scare me jaxon”

They flipped the script and she breaks down his defenses and it’s kind of hot ngl

She tells him she needs him and he bites her??????

Ch 48: is that a wooden stake in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

They’re getting worse

But it’s not a hurting bite it’s like a sex bite…like she describes an orgasm basically..

Then they kiss

The earthquakes are jaxon! Called it

At this point I am sooooo annoyed because just make him a witch!!!! We really wanted the twilight combo so badly we made him a telekinetic earth-shaking vampire?????????

They go to his room...and she goes to his drum kit instead of his bed, you dumb bitch

Now they’re talking in the bed

The jokes are just so fucking bad

He cuts them off by pulling her on top of him and kissing her!!! In bed!!!! We ain’t in twilight no more henny

“The kiss curls my toes but the yank curls everything else” wut

“I don’t want you anywhere near that world, and I sure as hell don’t want that world anywhere near you” - someone. Anyone. Take a second pass

~~~

#bookreviews #book review #cringe review #cringe books #crave #tracy wolff #jaxon vega #negative review #booktube

[80smikewheeler]

Chapter 3: The Shattering of The Rose-Tinted Glasses

Mike’s eyes opened and he was faced with a pale, pink, sky, the clouds floating weightlessly, like candy floss. He turned to his clock, ‘8:25AM’. Mike felt slight dizzy and nauseated, he quickly looked down to check that his tablets were still hidden out of sight. He felt somewhat better than usual, he had a better sleep, that much was true. He didn’t have the dream again, and he actually slept more than 4 hours for the first time since El left. He heard his door creak open and Karen came in, pleased to see some of the colour returned back to her sons face.

“Michael!” She cheerfully shouted, “You look a lot better! I came in last night to check on you and wake you up for supper, but you were completely spark out! I couldn’t wake you! You looked so peaceful and didn’t seemed to troubled in your sleep for once, i’m so glad!” She embraced Mike, her floral perfume soaking into Mike’s nostrils, making him feel safe and comfort from her, he hugged her back, enjoying the warmth from a motherly embrace. “Mike sweetie,” she opened her arms to break the intimate hug and continued, “Its already 8:30am, you’re going to be late for school if you don’t hurry up! Don’t forget you’re going to Will’s tonight for tea, and to work on your project, Joyce rang me last night while you were sleeping to let me know! So I’ll be expecting you back around 9PM the latest! Okay?” Mike nodded and shared a brief look of love with her, and then she vanished from the room, her perfume leaving a waft in its wake, her voice mumbling, occupied with other things in the house. It was true, Mike was feeling a lot better than he had been, he had those sleeping pills to thank for that, but his underfed stomach rumbled terribly, begging Mike for food. Mike hadn’t been eating properly in ages, he was starting to lose weight, and never ate a full meal, only picked and poked at food and ate small portions, or not eating at all, the thought of it making him sick. But today was different, he had, had a better night’s sleep, and he was trying his best not to think about El, and those horrible dreams. He decided he was going to brave it and make something to eat quickly to eat on the way to school. He got dressed and walked downstairs to the kitchen to ponder what food was on offer to him. The room was illuminated by the sun, peeping through the blinds, causing a yellow glow to fall across the room, making the kitchen appear heavenly. Mike checked to see if there was toast and pulled out two slices to take to school with him, when a knock shocked Mike, and made him jump. He left the toast on the side and went to go and see who it was. Outside, stood a tall, thin, and lanky looking man, he wore a blue uniform, with a red cap, green eyes peering down from underneath the rim of the cap. Mike slowly opened the door cautiously, “Yeah? Can I help you?” The lanky man gazed down at Mike from his height and replied, “Hello. Is this the home of a Mr Michael Wheeler?” Mike was startled, what did this man want with him? Who was he? Mike responded, slightly nervous, “Um yeah, that’s me! What do you want me for?” The man moved his arms from around his back and produced a light brown parcel package, medium sized and looking slightly heavy. “Here, this a delivery for you. I’ll just need you to sign sir.” Mike looked puzzled, “But I didn’t order anything? Have you got the right name and house?” He enquired. “Yes. This parcel was supposed to be delivered to 8 Maple Street, delivering to a Mr Michael Wheeler.” Mike grew more and more curious and confused, but signed for the parcel anyway and took it upstairs into his room, deciding that he had enough time to check its contents before he was officially late for school.

Once opened, Mike peered inside to see a box full of items, and a small blue card folded up in the far side of the box. Mike picked it up, wondering what all of this was about. He unfolded the paper to reveal a small couple of scribbles and a smiley face at the end of the note. Mike curled his lips and began to read, ‘Dear Mike, we know you’ve been going through a bit of a rough time lately, after what happened…Anyway, we hate to think that you’re not feeling so great, so thought this would cheer you up! Enjoy! And Happy Valentines Day pal, you’re a great friend, and a wonderful person. From Will, Dustin and Lucas.’ Inside the box, there were many items, Mike ruffled the protective packaging to find a complete set of X-Men comics, an original Yoda figurine, some extra pieces for his D&D set, some limited edition trading cards, and some Nilla Waffles and sweets. Mike felt heart warmed that his friends had done this for him, to cheer him up and it was filled with all of his favourite things, it made a small smile appear at the corner of his mouth. However, this brief feeling of happiness, was soon vanquished and replaced by the creeping and invading feeling of dread and heartbreak as he realised it was Valentines Day! He suddenly forgot where he was, and his mind started to race, his heart skipping faster and his palms becoming sweaty with dread…he had just remembered something he had forgotten about until now…

He raced outside quickly to his fathers greenhouse in the back garden and yanked open the stiff and grimy glass door. He ran to the end of the greenhouse, the smell of plants and fertiliser pungent in the air. He stopped at a small corner of the greenhouse, which linked on to a small sort of office area within. Mike felt sick as he approached the door and took small, slow steps inside, crunching winter leaves beneath him, their crackling sound as Mike’s foot met with the leaf and crushed it beneath him, mirroring the sound of his heart slowly breaking away again, as he met his eyes with a small potted pink rose, a tatty old pale pink ribbon tied around the pot. It was withered, its stem breaking under the weight of the sagging head of the flower. Its leaves were discoloured and rotted, its petals hanging on by their lady thread, and gently falling, twirling through the cold winter air, and dropping at Mike’s feet. He picked up the small white card that was propped up next to the plant, he opened it and reminded himself of the contents, there in slightly faded handwriting read, “Dear El, I picked some rose seeds and grew this rose for you. I picked this pale pink colour, because it reminded me of the dress that you used to love wearing so much, you know, the pretty one? I have tied your pink ribbon that you sometimes wear in your hair to the pot of the plant, as it’s your favourite hair band, and I know you lost it a while ago. Finally, I picked a rose for a specific reason, because I think if you were going to be any flower, you’d be a rose. Pretty and beauteous, but also tough and brave, a warrior. I hope you enjoy this Valentine’s Day gift, and I hope you know you are loved El, promise. Love, Mike. X’ Mike could slowly start to feel his body shake a little and he started to cry, he stood there in the cold winds of February, staring at the plant, his vision blurred from tears. He cried even more when he looked at the dead, withered state of the rose, decaying and crumbling before his eyes. He was supposed to water it everyday and then give it to El on Valentines Day, he was supposed to see how El’s face would light up at a gift from Mike, her small pink mouth perk up at the sight of the pale rose and her favourite hairband tied to it. Her happiness at the thoughtfulness of the gift, and the fact that anyone would even buy her a present at all. It was supposed to make her happy, and in so doing, make Mike happy to see her rare, but beautiful smile. Now all it made him think of was how he had let her down, like he had let the plant down, let it die, forgot to water it, and let it droop miserably, like he did now without her. The falling petals reminded Mike of the falling ashes of the demogrorgan when El had killed it, taking her with it. He remembered looking up at the ceiling, finding black confetti falling down on him, and struggling to see through it, to see El’s face. Her last look of love towards Mike, before she evaporated before his very eyes. Her eyes fixed and flooded with beauteous colour, her face marked and dirtied, evidence of fighting and battle, her pale lips parted and twisted into an expression of sadness, the demogorgan falling all around her. Mike was suddenly overwhelmed by the pain and memories that this withered rose gave him. His eyes were red and puffy and just looking at the plant made him enraged and heartbroken. Enraged at himself for not protecting El, the way she had constantly been protecting him, for not stopping her, for not making her stay, for allowing himself to let her put herself in danger for him, for not trying harder…He picked up the rose plant and threw the pot against the window of the greenhouse in rage. It shattered, causing the pot to break into a million pieces on the floor, he plant destroyed and pulled apart on the floor. Mike used his left foot to trample and stomp on the rose, it shrivelling and bending the more Mike stomped on it. He continued to trample the rose until it was nothing more than shreds and scraps on the floor. He shouted and cried in rage, “Why did you leave?”, “Why didn’t I try harder to stop you?!” “PLEASE COME BACK EL, PLEASE COME BACK PLEASE! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COME BACK EL!” He repeated this over and over, his voice cracking more and more as he said it, he kept begging El to come back, hanging on to his words, as though they might actually bring El back. He shrunk down onto the floor, eyes reddened and his face pale and sickly again, still crying and shouting for El to come back. He stayed there for a few minutes, until Nancy emerged from the back door and was seeming to look around curiously for someone. For Mike. She spotted him after a few moments, and sprinted up to the greenhouse in a hurry, and an urgency in her strides. She burst through the greenhouse door, seeing her brother sat in a heap on the soily, cold, frost kissed floor, shaking, crying and shouting out for El, enraged at himself, the broken pot scattered all around him. “MIKE!! WHAT’S HAPPENED?! OH MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY?!” asked Nancy worriedly. Mike didn’t answer her, he just continued to shout and shake violently from tears. Nancy crouched down next to him and pulled his body into her lap, squeezing him tight and nuzzling her head on to top of his head, trying to comfort him. “Ssh Ssh Ssh now, its okay now, Ssh Ssh!” she whispered in a comforting and caring tone. “Come on, let’s get you inside. It’s too cold out here.” She pulled a reluctant Mike up from the heap he was in on he floor, and stood him up and started to pull at his arm, to lead him out of the little glass house, when she noticed a small cut on his right hand, slit and oozing crimson, dripping down his hand, the blood tumbling down his arm. “OH MIKE!” She shouted, startled, “You’re bleeding! Come on quickly, I’ll get a bandage, come on!” She tugged at his arm harder and Mike was dragged along with her, not even realising himself that he had been cut by the shattered pottery. Once inside, Nancy lead Mike to the kitchen table and rummaged around the cupboards for the first aid box. She finally clasped her hands around it, and got down off her tip toes, from the highest cupboard in the room. She sat next to her brother, cutting the plasters into small rectangles, watching her brother, as he still heaved from tears, but his cries slowly getting quieter and less so. She wrapped the plaster around Mike’s cuts and applied anti bacterial cream to stop the wound from being infected. She then fixed her gaze on her little brother’s face, which was red, and swelled from tears, that healthy glow he had this morning drained and faded from his face. She put her arm around him as Mike sniffed and wiped away a few small tears from his face. “Mike, tell me what happened? Why are you crying?” Mike again didn’t respond, and continued to stare blankly at the floor, shoulders shaking from the last of the tears that fell from his eyes like raindrops. “Please Mike!” Nancy pressed, “Please tell me what happened? If you tell me, I won’t have to tell mum about it, it’ll just be between me and you. I won’t tell her! I know you don’t want her to worry!” At hearing this, Mike moved a little, restless and uncomfortable, “I-I-I was opening a Valentine’s Day present from Dustin, Lucas and Will, to cheer me up, and it did, until I remembered that a few weeks ago, I bought these rose seeds to plant and grow a rose for El, to give to her on Valentines Day, but I never got to give it to her, and it died anyway, I forgot to water it. I let her down, I couldn’t save her or stop her, it’s all my fault.” Mike’s words stinging his mouth, causing him to whimper a little more, his voice shaken and quiet. Nancy felt sorrow at her brother’s words. What was she supposed to say? It was so tragic and horrible, how could she try to make him feel better? She couldn’t even imagine…She pondered what to say for a moment, Mike still sniffling and starting to cry again. “I have an idea!” She announced cheerfully. “Why don’t we buy a new rose and plant it in the woods by school, you can make a little tribute or something to El and tell her what she meant to you!” Mike only grew angrier at this, “WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT IN THAT NOW? SHE’S DEAD!” The harshness of his words, shocked and upset Nancy a bit. Her brother was in such a bad place, she wanted to so badly to help him…“I’m sorry Mike, it was just and idea…I thought that if you picked a small little place that you used to go with El, and planted a little rose, there, it would be like a part of El would still be living on?” Silence covered the air for more than 30 seconds, until Mike answered, “Okay. I’ll do it. Let’s plant a rose for El, I have stuff I need to tell her that I never got to…” Nancy smiled, happy that her brother had accepted her help and idea. “Great! ” she said, “I’ll grab you your toast that you left on the side, and I’ll grab our coats and we can go! Don’t worry I’ll ring school to say you’re coming in late! Now, I’ll go get you that toast!” “No!” Mike yelled back, “I don’t want it now, I’m not hungry anymore!” “But Mike-!?” “NO, I’m not hungry Nancy please?” Nancy nodded in acceptance of her brother’s request, smiling at him, but her eyes looked scared and worried again…They gathered their things and left, two figures walking off into the cold, February mist, two broken people, disappearing into the cloud, gone from sight, like a magic trick, only all the magic seemed to drained from this world now, at least to them, they were lost and hopeless, shells of the people they once were…

#stranger things fanfic #part 3 #stranger things #emo mike #nancy wheeler #mike wheeler #depressed mike #angsty #fanfiction