Warm Welcome
@paper-lilypie inspired by your runaway bride AU, I just had to get this out. Also working on a comic, but my lineart sucks and I think this is less of an eyesore. I really hope you enjoy because this au has absolutely stolen my heart!!!
TW Swearing TW Cheating
The clock above the oven was slow, two minutes behind, to be precise. It stalled at 4:57 am. The room was shrouded in soft light from the hall. A faint yellow glow to keep you from stubbing your toe on the kitchen island. You read in the paper that the sunrise would be around 6:45. Fairly typical of late autumn. The tiles in the kitchen were cold, like a sheet of ice was laid over the floor. The entire house felt frigid and dead. You leaned at the counter next to the stove, watching the hot plate grow redder and redder. A white percolator was starting to steam. The silk robe wrapped around your shoulders did nothing to wick away the chill nipping at your thighs and ankles.
Deeper in the house, you heard the jiggle of a doorknob and someone shuffling into the living room. Your fiancé, William Afton, yawned, rubbing at his eyes as he strolled into the kitchen. A blue felt robe was tied loosely at his hips, his chest bare but a pair of striped pajama bottoms saved his dignity. William flinched at first, but relaxed, recognizing you in the dim light.
"A bit early to put on coffee." He mumbled, scratching at his stubbled jaw. But, he didn't complain, sidestepping you to get to the upper cabinet and grab a mug. You said nothing. You didn't even spare him a glance. Disgust stirred in your chest as you were reminded of where you found him yesterday morning. Wrapped up in your sheets, comfortable with another lover.
His bare feet tapped against the floor as he walked behind you. He set the empty mug on the counter, wrapped his arms around your waist, and kissed your cheek. The wiry 5'oclock shadow scratching your face. You barged your way out of his hold, pushing him aside.
"What the hell was that?" He barked in surprise.
He shut up when he saw your face, narrowed into a venomous glare. Your arms crossed as you leaned against the refrigerator door.
William sighed, his hand at his temple.
"Is this about Johannes?" His voice was tired and bored. He could care less as he helped himself to the fresh pot of coffee.
"How long?" You were surprised you could even speak about his disgusting display. Of course, William decided to play stupid.
"How long, what, dear?"
"How long have you been fucking each other in our bed." The words came out like jagged glass, trying to elicit any sort of remorse from the man in front of you. He shrugged.
"Just once. I prefer the hotel down by the bistro. Keeps the public eye away. "
A scoff caught in your throat.
"What? I'm just being honest-"
Your voice broke as everything hit your heart at once. You looked at William dead in the eyes through the angry tears starting to prick at the corners of your own. "How could you do this to me? To us... Our wedding is in three weeks, and you’d toss it in the bin for one of your assistants." a bitter laugh cut off your own words. You couldn't believe what came out of your own mouth, your own naivety. You were warned he was a wanderer- hell, he's already been divorced! How could you be so stupid! Stupid-stupid-stupid!
William rolled his eyes, swirling the mug of coffee like a glass of red wine.
"Oh, would you stop with the theatrics? I still love you. We're still going to tie the knot. I already spent a fortune on the venue and that damned dress. No matter what you think, I'm not throwing "us" away."
"Do I even get a say in this?" Your hands were now on your hips.
William's gaze narrowed, "You gave me your answer. What, you want to break up over a small infidelity? Seems to me like you want to toss the relationship in the bin."
"You go behind my back sleeping around the town and expect me to be okay with becoming your spouse?!"
"You are so dramatic. All I was doing was fulfilling my needs. Something you've been denying me."
"Your needs- your fucking needs!" Your hand clamped over your mouth as you fought back the urge to scream. You could feel your heart rate spike. But, you refused to raise your voice. Your eyes glanced back to the hall where your sibling’s room was.
"You can't possibly expect a man like me to be satisfied with just this! It's not in our DNA- there are studies about this- hell, it's even in the word of God! You don't need to take it so personally."
You heard enough. You brushed past William through the kitchen and out the front door without another word. William's yells echoed past the closed door and the threshold of your yard for you to come back.
Outside it was much colder. Patches of frost in the grass glistened like diamonds in the moonlight. Your bare feet treading on the concrete into town. You needed to clear your head. You didn't have a destination in mind, but anywhere would bring welcome peace.
The sidewalk narrowed. A few cars parked here and there as you strolled into the small strip of civilization of Hurricane. Many shops were still closed, inky black reflecting you in the window glass. It couldn't be any later than 6 am, but strangely enough, you smelled fresh bread.
It was warm and enticing, wafting from a little bakery across the street. There was no traffic stopping you from j-walking. You came up to the window, your breath fogging the glass as you peered in. The back lights were on, but no one was at the register. The local bakers must just be getting their stock ready for the day. You walked
Your hand traced the wooden sill alongside the window before it caught on the door seam. It was unlocked. The little sign said, "Open 6:30 am Every Day."
It would be warmer than the street, surely. You pushed the door, a gentle bell ringing to alert the front desk of a new customer. The smell of fresh baked goods intensified as you strolled through the doors. You sighed a breath of relief, letting the warmth calm your worries, even if it was only for the moment. Deeper in the kitchen, you could hear two voices bouncing around the walls in hastened conversation. Suddenly, something- er- someone popped their head out of the kitchen door. You squeaked in surprise at the... It was 6 and a half heads- no 7. It had to be 7 feet tall. A robot, bright yellow with a half moon on its faceplate and glowing eyes. Yellow sun rays were poking from its head like a halo. A robot running a bakery. 'Well, I'll be damned.' You've heard of robots gaining more and more influence around the country. 1961. It's a new industrial age. There's more and more and more innovation coming from wise minds, setting artificial intelligence on the street. You read this all on the news. Even your current fiancé, William Afton, works as the CEO of Faztech. But you haven't ever seen a sentient robot in person until today.
"Oh, um. I'm sorry to be catching you this early, the door was open, and it smelled so good-" you fumbled for excuses, cheeks starting to burn from embarrassment. Where were your manners? Even if the shop was unlocked, it didn't give you the right to barge in and trespass between hours.
"Oh! Moon, we have guests!" 'He' called back into the kitchen and stepped into the waiting area with you. A baggy apron was tied around his waist, dotted with flour. A chef's coat buttoned to his collar, and bright red chef pants at his heels. You could hear the soft whir of fans coming from him.
"Oh, it's quite alright, doll. We weren't expecting customers so early. Most like to stop by later in the morning." He brushed his hands clean on his apron. They were mixed between chromatic metal and yellow paint. Most likely, the color was chipping off between the joints due to his work. His faceplate shifted into a bright smile, one that was warm and welcoming. You felt your shoulders drop and relax.
"Feel free to look around. We're not stocked up just yet, but we have fresh cinnamon rolls that will be ready soon." You hummed, rocking on your feet.
"I haven't seen this place before. Have you been open long?" You asked, hands gently clasped behind your back as you glanced around the shop. The walls were painted a soft sage green, with rich dark wood accents. The floors were matching wood as well, waxed and clean. Two shelves ran along the walls, with little signs in the place of the goods. 'Baguettes,' 'Rolls,' 'Brioche,' in neat wax paper bags, ready to be sold.
"We actually opened a few months ago. Decided it was time to set our sights on our passions."
"We?" you leaned closer, lending an eager ear to the robot's story.
"Moon and I have been working together for as long as I can remember." The robot reminisced, his finger thoughtfully tapping where his chin would be.
"We used to be entertainers, touring around like a circus. Oh, what was it called." With a couple snaps of his fingers, his eyes lit up as he remembered. "Freddy's ring! We used to be acrobats, you know... But, it was time for a change of pace."
Your own lightbulb went off. 'Sun and Moon Bakery-'
"So you're sun?" He nodded, chest puffed out with pride. "The one and only!"
You giggled, "It's nice to meet you, Sun. I hope I'm not being a bother this early."
Sun gave a thoughtful pause, his voice shifting to concern.
"Dear, I don't mean to pry, but are you okay?" His voice echoed against the empty walls of the shop.
"Me? Oh, of course, I'm fine. Really, I just like to take walks..." You glanced out the window, eyes downcast. Sun cocked his head, his 'mouth' drawn into a concerned pout.
"In your pajamas? Not that they're not lovely, I'd say you have a pretty snazzy sense of style. Trendsetting!" He waved it off with a hand, still trying to avert his gaze back to the empty glass display case to save your dignity.
Were you in your pajamas? Oh crap. The sudden reality hit you that you were only wearing your robe and a pair of floral babydoll pj's. Your cheeks burned bright red, the heat nipping at the tips of your ears. You brought the robe tighter around your waist, praying its length saved you some modesty. You cleared your throat.
"I guess I lost track of that little detail... I needed- I needed to get some fresh air- and clear my mind. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not. Here," The robot pulled up a chair at the window and motioned for you to sit down. You hesitantly followed Sun's instructions. When your back was to him, you could feel the warmth running off the robot- like a flesh and bones human was right behind you. He gave your shoulder a gentle pat.
"I'll grab you a cup of homemade cocoa, best in town."
"Um, sir, I'm sorry, but I didn't bring any money..." You called after him before he could disappear back into the kitchen. As if this couldn't get any more awkward, you didn't have a cent on you.
"On the house, dear, please don't worry," Sun said with a flippant hand wave. The kitchen door flapping closed, bouncing open a little behind him.
He was out of the kitchen in no more than five minutes with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. He even added marshmallows. A smile broke on your lips as you accepted the cup into your cold hands.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. It's been a rough two days." You said with a sigh, glancing out the window. The sky had now shifted into a soft peach color as the world woke up.
"Anytime. The best part of our work is seeing smiles on our customers' faces." Sun said, hands on his hips, watching the sunrise at your side.
The sunrise began to cast dappled light into the shop windows. People outside were starting to rise and walk the streets. The mug of fresh cocoa in your hands kissed your lips. It was sweet and rich. For the first time since that horrible morning, when your entire world was flipped on its head... You felt that everything would turn out okay.
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A little Runaway au drabble
@paper-lilypie ‘s au
You hid in the kitchen as your ex-fiancé’s goons questioned the animatronic bakers in the front and let out a sigh of relief as you heard them leave. But just as you were about to get up, there was a sound of the doorbells ringing once more as someone entered, or re-entered possibly, the bakery.
You froze once more until a familiar voice rang out in the bakery. “I told you! I told you he was no good!” The voice of your little sister called out your name.
You groaned. Of course, she followed you.
“Hello misters, can I see my sibling, I need to rub in how right I was that their boyfriend is a lying jerk who belongs in he-”
“Jackie.” You said exasperated, standing up, before the ten-year-old could finish her sentence.
Jackie grinned, happy to see you but also smug that she got you to come out hiding. “You, Hermana, are in soooo much trouble!” She snickered playfully, running up to hug before stopping herself, but after a hum, decided she didn’t care if the dress she was forced to wear for the wedding got dirty from it.
You smile a bit at her antics. But it turns serious as you make eye contact with the two chefs, who were both still clearly confused.
You needed a plan out of this stupid marriage.
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what's all this talk about love? - now complete on ao3!
Rating: Mature
Relationship: Chrissy Cunningham/Nancy Wheeler
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Runaway Bride,This is very loosely based on Runaway Bride, Lesbian Nancy Wheeler, Gay Eddie Munson, Past Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson, Past Jason Carver/Chrissy Cunningham, Past Chrissy Cunningham/Gareth, Platonic Soulmates Chrissy Cunningham & Eddie Munson, Mechanic!Chrissy, mechanic!Eddie, journalist!nancy, Priest!Gareth, Asshole Jason Carver, Technically there is Chrissy/Steve, But they're both comphet-ing super duper hard the whole time, Eventual Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Discussions of and allusions to domestic violence, high school football coach!steve
Word Count: 19,345
Chapters: 3/3
written as a birthday gift (finished deeply belated) for @hexiewrites!
Chapter One Snippet:
Nancy handed over the can of hairspray, extending her other hand. “Nancy Wheeler,” she said as the other woman accepted her extended hand, shaking it.
“Chrissy Cunningham,” she said, smiling wide. “What brings you to Hawkins, Nancy Wheeler?”
No way. Absolutely no way was this tiny peppy sprite of a woman the calculating serial heartbreaker Jason Carver made her out to be. She barely looks like she could kill a mosquito let alone leave three men at the altar!
Nancy cleared her throat. “Actually, you do.”
Chrissy withdrew her hand, backing up. “What do you mean?”
“I’m a journalist from Chicago–” Nancy started.
“ –you met Jason didn’t you? God, why can’t he just leave me alone?” Chrissy looked up at the ceiling, visibly tensing.
“I’d really like to sit down with you and get your side of the story if you have time this weekend–”
“Absolutely not. My life is not some salacious story for whatever cut rate tabloid you work for, Wheeler,” Chrissy said coldly, fury overtaking her expression. “‘ My side of the story?’ You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”
read the rest on ao3
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