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papayatori · 2 months

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Lose it all

MV1 x fém!reader

Warnings: none, just severely sweet fluff

Intro: this is inspired by the song Lose It All by Sam Tompkins.. (wonderful song) Max and his girlfriend y/n have grown incredibly close in the last few years of your relationship, and Max is thinking about taking the next step.

A/n: This one is incredibly cheesy and relatively short, this is just something I was thinking about writing for a while now and just decided to go ahead with it. Enjoy mates!

You and Max had been friends for as long as you could remember; playing in the same streets as kids, having dinner at each other's houses, karting together, you did everything together. From the moment you could both walk, you were inseparable. Max's parents were family friends that lived right across the street from you. Both of them joked that you would grow up to marry one day, and to their expectations, you had both been dating for the last three years.

Recently, however, your mother had been pushing the topic a bit harder You weren't sure if you and Max were ready for marriage yet. Of course, you wanted to marry him eventually, but what if that wasn't mutual?

"You've been together for three years now," you recalled her saying. "don't you think it's time to take the next step? I'm not getting any younger, you know."

She insisted that you'd have children in the next few years, insisted that we needed to start planning a wedding.

While all of that was all well and good, you couldn't help but ask yourself if Max really wanted to marry you or not. Your mother was right, it had been three years, and he hadn't made a move to propose yet. In your mind, this equated to the conclusion that Max must not want you after all.

You sat on the bed that the two of you shared, a tear threatening to fall from your eye. You felt stupid for even thinking about this, you knew Max loved you, but you couldn't help but shake the doubt away.

You had started to reel through your memories with him, feeling heartbroken already. On your first date, Max had been trying to impress you with his athletic ability. What better way to do that than with Wii Bowling? You had been playing together for only twenty minutes before Max, who had insisted the strap on the remote was unnecessary and refused to put it on, launched the remote into your television.

After profusely apologizing, your first official date was spent shopping for another TV that Max insisted on buying you.

You felt the tears pouring now, reliving the memories of your first kiss.

Max's weekend at home had finally come after months of waiting. He had been talking for months about how he couldn't wait to celebrate with his grid mates and introduce me to them all after he had finally won his own grand prix; but instead, he had spent it playing nurse and watching over you.

"The only thing I could think about the entirety of that race was getting back to you to make sure you were okay.."

You had grown ill before the race weekend, causing your own discouragement. This was going to be your first race watching Max in person, and you couldn't have been more excited. Though, you had been bed-ridden by the doctors an forced to watch from your apartment once again.

Max sped back here as soon as he could, hoping not to be gone too long away from you. The thought alone made your cheeks redden, even though there was the biggest knot of guilt forming in your stomach.

"Go celebrate, Max. This is your first home win!" He smiled widely, cupping my cheek.

"I'd rather be sick with you." He pressed his lips to mine gently, not caring about the consequences that might come along with it.

The door to your bedroom swung open, revealing a clearly concerned Max behind it.

"Schatje, what's wrong? In a second you were in his arms, so tightly you were worried you might've suffocated. "Why are you crying?" He kissed your head tenderly.

You hadn't even realized you were crying as hard as you were until you were practically sobbing into Max's chest.

"I can't lose you Max." You could barely even get your words to form from your quivering lips. He laughed a little, sending you into a confused state. "I'm serious!" You gave him a hurt glance. "Why would I being going anywhere, y/n?" He cupped your cheek, forcing you to look up at him. His eyes were full of nothing but worry for you, that alone made you start crying again.

"It's been three years, Mum says she's starting to worry we won't make it. She says you would have proposed by now."

Max gave you a knowing glance, heaving a sigh.

"Your mother isn't the one to make that call, Schatje." He gave me a smile, standing from our position on the bed. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up."

He pulled you into the bathroom, sitting you on the sink counter. He opened the drawers, grabbed the makeup wipes and started wiping the remnants of your tears and mascara off of your face. Afterwards, he took a damp towel and wiped the residue away.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He gave your hand a little squeeze before disappearing back into the bedroom. After a few long moments, he came back with one of your favorite, blue sundresses. You were a little confused at first, but took the dress nonetheless. You were sure Max was planning something, but you didn't know how this was going to aid the question at hand.

He couldn't be avoiding it, could he?

With that newfound doubt as you looked in the mirror, you refused to cry again, already seeing the sadness growing in your eyes as Max walked back into the bathroom to check on you. This time, he had a pair of your favorite heels that he handed you eagerly. You put them on, still eyeing him skeptically.

...

After a few hours of driving and every attempt at asking Max where the two of you were going, you eventually pulled into a beautiful grass field.

A beautiful grass field in the middle of nowhere.

You looked over at Max, praying that he wasn't some serial killer in disguise the entirety of your life. Though, if he was, props to him, he had played the part exceedingly well.

"Wait here, y/n." So you did.

You sat in the car for about ten minutes, hearing Max messing around in the boot before finally coming around to the passenger side door and opening it for you. He offered his hand to help you out of the car.

"M'lady." He grinned at you, the biggest grin you've ever seen. You couldn't help but give a small smile back regardless of the worry that had manifested itself inside of your heart. You let him pull out of the car, revealing a beautiful landscape all around you.

"Ahem." You heard Max clear his throat from behind you. You turned around, revealing a picnic basket and a blanket under one of the trees behind where you had parked. You smiled broadly at Max.

"You took me all the way out here just to make me feel better?" You felt your heart swell with joy. How had you ever doubted this man..

He took your hand tenderly, leading you over the blanket.

You both ate together, talking every so often, sipping on wine that made you feel so elegant you could hardly stand it. Though, after a while, you eventually both sat in a comfortable silence, holding each others' hand in peace. Then, Max's voice broke through the silence.

"You asked me earlier if I had only brought you out here to make you feel better.." He started, looking over at me as if to ask if he could continue. You hummed in agreement before he continued, pulse quickening as you had started to question how this would fix your worries once again. "I'd actually been planning this for a while now. I wanted to get you out somewhere nicer but, after what you had said earlier..." His voice trailed off, his eyes falling to the ground.

You felt that twinge of guilt swell back up in your gut.

"I figured being away from people and their opinions would be good for us." To my surprise, he looked at you with another one of his beautiful smiles. You could feel the ice melting from your heart. Max had started to look a little nervous.

"When I look into your eyes, the only thing that I can see is perfection. I'd thank whatever God was out there that you were mine this moment, and I'd beg the same God to allow you to stay mine for the next. You've been on my mind for the last three years, giving me nightmares every night that you'd walk away if I kept prolonging this. After hearing the reason you were upset this afternoon, I knew I couldn't wait any longer, because if I were to lose you, I'd lose it all." He wiped a tear from his eye, pulling a small box from his pocket. "Will you marry me. y/n"

You barely even gave him time to finish his question before you tackled him in a hug.

"Yes, a million times yes!" You were both emotional, giggling messes before Max pulled away for long enough to slip the ring on your finger, causing more tears to escape your eyes.

"Now you know why I never answered your question." He whispered, kissing you softly as you both watched the sun disappear behind the horizon. "I'm sorry that I worried you further, if I had. I just didn't want to give anything away."

"I'm just glad that I was only overthinking and it wasn't a reality." He chuckled.

"Like I said, Schatje, we're the ones that determine whether or not we are going to make it and how far we go. Let's not listen to anyone else about that, yeah?" You smiled up at him, a tear falling once more as you leaned in to kiss him.

"Yeah."

... I won't grow up missing a piece of my heart that you hold

... I won't have these nightmares because I let you know

... That if I ever lose you, I lose it all

~Sam Tompkins

#f1 fic #formula 1 #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #f1 x reader #max verstappen #mv1 x reader #max verstappen x you #max verstappen x reader #mv1 imagine #mv1 #mv1 fic #mv1 x you #mv1 x y/n #max verstappen x y/n #formula one #max verstappen one shot #max verstappen fic

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ladyfogg · 2 years

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Who Wants to be Lonely - 1/10

Who Wants to be Lonely – 1/10

Fic Summary: After the ground splits and sends you hurtling into the Upside Down, you come face-to-face with the notorious, and injured, Eddie Munson. Lost and hunted by otherworldly creatures, the two of you have no choice but to stick together if you’re going to find your way home. Masterpost.

Fic Rating: 18+

Pairing: Eddie Munson/Female Reader

Warnings: Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Language, Violence, Angst, Blood/Slight Gore, Season Finale Spoilers

Fic Song: Who Wants to be Lonely by Kiss. Full fic playlist on Spotify.

A/N: This fic came into my brain and decided to not only set up shop but close down any other business until I started writing it. It’s going to be multiple chapters, ten to be exact, and I already have everything outlined and planned. I hope you all like it!

’86 is your year, baby!

You feel it in your bones. Something great is going to happen to you. It has to. After all the struggles you’ve been through something good has to come from it. The last few years haven’t been kind. Not to anyone in Hawkins but especially not to you. Among the disappearances and deaths, you barely managed to graduate and even though the hell that was high school is finally over, something worse looms on the horizon.

Adulthood.

It doesn’t help that you don’t know what you want to do with your life, at least not long term. It also doesn’t help that your overbearing parents keep nagging you over and over again to find some direction. If they aren’t arguing with you then they’re arguing with each other.

Right after graduation, you move your room to the basement, that way you don’t have to listen to their screaming. Your dad designed the basement as an underground bunker for some major world-ending event that might be on the horizon. You don’t remember his exact reasons but as long as you don’t go through his cache of food and weapons, he doesn’t care. He has them stored in a separate room off the main one, the door secured with a padlock. It gives the whole place a very “end of the world” vibe that you dug in your late teens. Not to mention the storm cellar doors make it so easy to come and go without even having to see them most of the time.

You remember being so excited when the mall opened because it meant you’d definitely be able to find a job. And you had, working at the music store. Those months were when you were the happiest. Listening to records all day, taking lunch over at Scoops to chill with those guys. Making good money and saving to get your own place, an apartment where you wouldn’t have to worry about being side-eyed by your parents or walking into another screaming match when trying to get a bowl of cereal.

Then, the mall explodes. So much for that plan.

Finding a new job takes forever, and when you do get one, it isn’t nearly as good as the last. You bag groceries at a small market on Main Street. The hours are long, the pay is small, but hey, it’s work. Eventually, you finally manage to scrape together enough savings to afford a small, one-bedroom apartment near the Forest Hills Trailer Park. It isn’t much, but it’s yours.

Things are finally starting to settle down. That’s the thought you have anyway when you pull your car into the parking lot. It’s virtually empty since most folks in this area work long hours at the plant. You have considered working there as well but prefer having your evenings to yourself when you can swing it. The moon is bright and almost full, the sky dotted with stars. It’s actually beautiful and you take a second to admire it before going inside.

You let yourself into your place, breathing a sigh of relief at being home. It had been a grueling double shift. The usual check-out person had quit days before, stating that Hawkins was a shit show and he was getting out of town before things got worse. He wasn’t the only one. You’d seen a lot of people pack and move after the murders started. From your living room window, you can see the trailer park where that cheerleader’s body was found. As far as you’re aware, that Munson guy is still on the loose.

At any rate, your coworker’s departure left the store owners in a bind and you, never one to shy away from making extra cash, offered to pick up the slack. Which meant that you were checking out customers and bagging, alone, for over twelve hours several days a week.

Thoroughly exhausted, you throw your keys on the kitchen table along with the stack of bills you’re pretending haven’t arrived. Your place doesn’t have much. Just your bed and a dresser in the bedroom, and a couch, kitchen table, and stereo in the living room. The kitchen, if it can even be called that, is basically a stove, sink, and refrigerator shoved into a corner.

The major upside to your apartment, aside from the super cheap rent, is that it has a clawfoot tub. Apparently, when the old mansion was converted into apartment buildings, the tub was too cumbersome to take it out they just left it. Lucky you. This means, after your long workday, you can soak in a bath with your music blaring while drinking the beer that you swiped from work. And maybe while you’re in the tub, you’ll eat the sandwich you got the deli boys to make you after you flirted with them.

Yeah, that’s exactly what you intend to do.

You turn on the stereo, hitting play on whatever cassette you left in there last. Which turns out to be the newest Metallica. Damn, you miss the music store. Maybe one day you’ll open your own. There isn’t a good one for miles around. That’ll be sick. Blaring Master of Puppets, you reach into your bag and grab one of the cans of beer. That satisfying crack it makes when you open it makes your shoulders relax. Feeling lazy, you drag your bag with you into the bathroom rather than unpack it. You drop it on the floor and kick out of your shoes.

Briefly, you wonder if you should check to see who is playing at the Hideout. There’s a metal band that’s been getting some buzz. It could be interesting. Whatever you decide to do, a hot bath is first on the list. After another sip of beer, you place it on the counter and turn around to start the bath.

However, after you turn the knob, barely any water comes out. God damn it. Not again.

The building is old as shit and the landlord never gave a damn about updating it. Yeah, he’d take your money for the apartment but that’s about it. You try the cold water and the same thing happens. Well so much for that. Annoyed, you don’t register the ground rumbling under your feet. Not at first at least and it’s so slight, you think it’s probably a truck going by. Happens all the time.

Well, since the bath is no good, at the very least you should change out of your work clothes and into something comfortable. You take your uniform shirt off, leaving you in only a tank top and your jeans. The lights start to flicker and suddenly, your stereo begins to cut in and out. Did you forget the electric bill? No, no, you’re pretty sure you paid it. It may have been a week late but still.

This time when the ground shakes, you feel it. It’s enough to throw you off balance and you grab your sink for support. A brief pause makes you wonder what the fuck that was. But then it happens again, and again, and now the shaking doesn’t stop. Holy shit, there’s an earthquake! You’ve never been in an earthquake before. What the fuck were you supposed to do? Run to the basement right? Shit! You can’t! You’re three stories up for fuck’s sake. You won’t make it down there safely.

You catch a glimpse of the tub in the mirror and vaguely remember hearing how people hide in tubs during quakes. Or was that tornados? Shit, you can’t remember!

With no choice, you turn quickly and end up tripping over your shoes and backpack. The strap of the bag gets caught around your foot and rather than stepping into the tub, you literally fall into it, barely missing hitting your head on the rim. You swear, untangling the bag from your ankle and clutching it to your chest as the room continues to shake. It doesn’t let up, doesn’t slowly ease. In fact, it gets worse. The power flickers for a final time before cutting off plunging you into darkness.

Then, everything stops.

You sit there for a moment, breathing heavily and listening to the still silence. And just when you think it’s over, you drop.

Your stomach lurches as the tiles beneath the tub split open and you’re sent plunging down to the next floor. Except, it doesn’t stop there. You keep going, falling through three floors and into the earth underneath the building. Walls of rock and stone seem to rise up around you through the dark. Then the walls start to come into focus, the darkness recedes. But the light isn’t coming from above. Bright red light comes from below, and you’re too scared to look over the edge and see what’s causing it. It gets brighter and brighter as you fall, fall, fall…

In one split second, your world turns upside down and suddenly the tub isn’t under you anymore. It’s above you and you’re free-falling fast. You’re too scared to do anything but shut your eyes, clutch your bag, and scream at the top of your lungs. Suddenly, there’s a moment of weightlessness and then gravity returns and you hit the ground hard, landing on your back and knocking the wind out of you. You crack your eyes open in time to see the tub coming down fast and, at the last second, you curl your body into a ball, covering your head and bracing for impact. The tub lands upside down on top of you with a loud clang!

You’re dead. You have to be dead. A huge porcelain clawfoot tub fell on you and now you’re a goner.

Your body hurts and your heart is racing, which is the first clue that you’re actually alive. It takes you a long time to register that though. And when you finally dare to poke your head out from under your arms, you are met with darkness again. Your heavy breathing echoes back, bouncing off the porcelain surrounding you. The tub had fallen onto you like a dome, trapping you in a protective bubble.

Outside, you can hear the crash of thunder and more things falling, feel the impact as they hit the ground around you. Several more clangs make you flinch. But the tub is sturdy and whatever hits it bounces off, leaving the tub unscathed. An acrid, decaying smell reaches your nostrils and almost makes you vomit. Or that could be the anxiety of what you just went through. Really hard to tell at this point.

You’re too scared to move. Still curled into a tight ball, you try to get your breathing to return to normal. Deep breath in. Hold for a second. Then deep breath out.

Each time you do, you feel like you’re inhaling ash and eventually, you’re sent into a coughing fit. You can’t stay here. You have to move. You’ll die breathing in the same stale air over and over again. Also, you’re safe for now but what if the whole building comes down around you and you’re trapped under this stupid tub?

Gathering your courage, you release your death grip on your backpack and try to move. You can’t stretch out much without hitting the sides of the tub. Taking another deep breath, you try to push up against it. It doesn’t budge. You try again but nothing. Not even a centimeter. Fuck. Fuck. Now what? As you move around, the ground beneath you starts to give way, the loose dirt sliding under your feet. With no other choice, you dig your way out, using both hands to rapidly move the dirt and rock. It’s a long process and by the time there’s a big enough space for you to see under, your nails are caked with dirt and your fingers are raw. Even then, you have to work a little more to make the hole big enough for you to fully poke your head out.

And what you see, is not what you’re expecting.

You thought you’d see the building or at least remnants of it being collapsed around you. What you do see, is an inky black sky and rolling gray clouds, which you only notice when lightning flashes. Flecks of snow drift past but when one lands on your hand, you realize it’s not snow. It’s the ash you’ve been breathing in.

Terrified and confused beyond belief, you maneuver yourself out from under your porcelain prison and get to your feet. Your legs are weak and your body aches but miraculously, you’re not injured.

But, looking around, all you can wonder is, where the hell are you?

It looks like Hawkins. Sort of. And yet, it’s clearly not. The sky. It thunders occasionally but the lightning is almost constant. And there’s no moon. None. There was definitely a moon twenty minutes ago when you walked from your car to your building.

Speaking of. You look around. There are parts of your building but not the way you would think there would be. It’s like half the building fell through to whatever this place was, and the rest stayed behind. Like someone took a giant knife and sliced the place right down the middle. The ground is littered with cracks around you, but they’re filled in by building parts, the walls of your apartment somehow fused with the ground of this place.

What the hell are you supposed to do? How can you get out of here and get back? Can you get back?

Your mind is racing with fear and you are starting to hyperventilate. Suddenly, from above there comes a screeching noise that’s so high-pitched you have to cover your ears. Looking up in the sky, dark shapes are moving fast, circling and circling in an endless loop. Lightning flashes, illuminating the sky and the hundreds of bat-like monstrosities that have spotted their next meal. You.

Heart racing and stomach twisting in knots, your body is telling you one thing: run.

With your backpack slung over your shoulder, you pick a direction and bolt. Your sock-covered feet stumble and trip over the uneven ground, making you feel like you’re running in a nightmare. A terrible nightmare, the kind where you run as fast as you can but can never escape the dark thing that’s chasing you. This can’t be real. This can’t possibly be real. But when you trip over a large root and scrape your palm as you catch yourself, the searing pain reminds you that you are, in fact, awake. Awake and running for your life.

One of the creatures swoops down as you scramble to get back up.

Its talons rake across your shoulder and you cry out in pain, stumbling in your attempt to escape. It’s bleeding, the warm wet feeling seeps into your white tank-top, changing it to red. The smell of blood only riles the creature up more. You keep going, trying not to look back even though you hear more screeching. You know the creature is coming back for another attack, not as patient as its kin. This time, you manage to duck out of the way and it soars past your head. For the first time, you get a glimpse of it, and its shocking horrible visage almost makes you trip again.

Have to run. Have to keep going. Have to find somewhere safe.

But where’s safe in this godforsaken place?

Chunks of buildings and walls with no support litter the area around you. You do your best to use them to your advantage, bobbing and weaving through empty doorways and broken storefronts. The creatures screech even louder and now multiple ones are taking their shot at you, swooping, and trying to claw whatever part of you they can reach. In desperation, you clutch the strap of your bag tight and fling it around, hitting one of the bastards dead on and sending it tumbling across the ground.

Before you can celebrate, you see a swarm of them on your heels. Right as you face forward, you realize the ground slopes sharply. There’s no stopping your momentum and you go tumbling down.

Jagged boulders and thick vines tear at every bit of exposed skin, drawing more blood which only enrages the beasts even further. When you finally stop, you’re at the bottom of a deep ravine. You’re not alone. Several bodies are lying motionless around you. One look at their torn corpses lets you know they’re dead. The creatures shriek excitedly, circling you, the lone live prey in their little den of gore. Get up! your brain yells. Move! Move! Move!

Body on fire, you scramble to your feet, slipping on dirt, blood, and who knows what else. You reach the wall of the ravine and swing your backpack onto your back. The stone and dirt are jagged enough for you to climb. But without shoes, your feet are having a hard time finding purchase and you keep sliding down towards the bottom. The creatures haven’t dived yet, and you get the sense that they’re playing with you, watching you struggle before they swope in for the final kill.

You’re almost to the top. Just a bit more…

Your foot gives out right when you catch the edge of the ravine. With both hands, you hang on for dear life trying to pull yourself up. Damn it, why did you never pay attention in gym class?! The one time knowing how to do a pull-up would come in handy! Your socks slide uselessly against the dirt and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The creatures are getting louder and louder. You’re doomed. This is it. This is how you die.

One of the creatures dives and you shut your eyes, flinching, and waiting for the pain. But instead, it screams in agony and when you look, just inches from your face, you see a knife poking out where its face should be. The creature gets flung off to the side and from the darkness, a figure steps forward.

A pale, blood-stained face, dark eyes, plush lips, and long stringy hair tied up in a bandana come into focus as a young man around your age crouches down to your level. Eddie Munson holds his makeshift spear in one hand and extends his other for you to take.

“Come with me if you want to fucking live.”

Without hesitation, you grab his hand.

He gives you the leverage you need to pull yourself out of the ravine. The moment you’re on solid ground, he’s running and dragging you along with him. The creatures are screaming in dismay. They’re done playing with their food and start to angrily dive down. Eddie’s grip on your hand is tight and is the only thing keeping you from falling down. Your body jerks to the right as he takes a sudden turn and you find yourself in a labyrinth of buildings, all similar to yours, with half walls and chunks of bricks here and there. More bodies litter the ground and you don’t even have a chance to think about whether they’re alive or not.

Then, without warning, Eddie ducks to the left and yanks you down into a small crevice.

“What are—?”

He pulls you against his chest to keep you still and slaps his hand over your mouth, stopping you mid-sentence. You freeze, the sounds of flapping wings and angry squeals flying past your hiding spot. Your body is shaking and your lungs on are fire, not just from running but from holding your breath to try not to make a sound. Eddie still hasn’t removed his hand yet. He’s shaking too one arm curled around your waist to keep you still.

After what feels like an eternity, the angry screeching dies down, replaced by horrible crunching noises. It seems the bats decided to go for easier prey, snacking on the bodies you and Eddie jumped over.

Only then does he let you go. Immediately, you pull away, putting as much distance between you two as possible. Which, given the tight space isn’t much. He’s still leaning against the wall, now pressing his hands to his abdomen. His spear and shield lay discarded at his feet. Your shoulder is burning and you glance over to see three deep claw marks in your flesh. It hurts like a bitch but the blood is already starting to clot.

You can feel Eddie’s eyes on you and you nervously meet his gaze. “You’re Eddie Munson. You’re that guy they say killed that cheerleader.”

“I saved your life and all you can do is accuse me of murder?”

He smirks and you can see blood in his mouth. It’s then that you realize the hands against his stomach are coated with it. His pale face is somehow even paler now and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say he was on death’s door.

“Did you do it?”

“No.”

You have no reason to believe him. But given the fact that he just saved your life, you’re willing to bet he’s telling the truth. You motion to his wounds. “You’re bleeding.”

“I’m aware of that.” Sliding onto the ground, his face twists with pain. “You wouldn’t happen to be a nurse or a doctor would you?”

“No.”

“Great. Hey, listen, if I bleed out, make sure I look cool doing it. Okay?”

With that, his eyes shut and he slumps over.

---

Taglist

(Some of the tags wouldn’t work and I’m not sure why other than, you know, it’s Tumblr)

@thirddeadlysin @imagine-all-the-imagines @ladymunson @daddychicka @nerdyboylover @witchymoonbabe @fangirling-4-ever @sadbitchfangirl

#eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #joseph quinn #stranger things #strangerthings #eddiemunson

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thefrontofmymind · 2 years

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Living With Eddie Munson Headcanons

a/n: yeah, i don't know where this came from either but it was living in my brain and it had to get out

WARNINGS: liiittle bit of smut but barely a mention, still 18+ though

- okay so imagine

- after Eddie FINALLY graduates, you guys move into a little apartment in like Indianapolis (because you guys decide to stay close to Hawkins for the time being,,,, Eddie wants to make sure Wayne is taking care of himself all alone and of course he wants to check in on his little lost sheepies)

- it’s an absolute dump of a place, like shoebox size, the shower has no water pressure, and everything has that ‘landlord painted over everything with white paint’ look, but you guys don’t even care because it’s your home now together and that’s the most important thing

- you couldn’t even remember who brought up moving in together first, it just kind of was always the plan and it was all but set in stone after Eddie finally passed enough classes to graduate

- the whole gang (the kids, the rest of the fruity four, and Wayne) help you guys move in–its a whole day of cramming as many of the boxes you guys packed into the cars you had and Eddie’s van and driving it to the city, then unpacking and getting everyone pizza and the adults beer in your tiny place

- Eddie was practically giddy by the time everyone made their way back to Hawkins, it was finally just the two of you, in your new home, in your new life

- of course you guys immediately fuck because Eddie’s a horny bastard, what did you expect? Going down on you on the sofa you bought for $15 second-hand, fucking on the kitchen counter, a round in the shower, and finally slow, love making in your newly-made bed, with fresh sheets gifted to you as a housewarming gift.

- you get one of the best sleeps of your life that night, whether it be from exhaustion or being in your bed the love of your life tucked into your side, snoring softly and blowing his hair that had fallen in front of his face back and forth with each inhale and exhale

- it took you a few days to adjust to life, you had to find your new local post office, a nice cafe to visit when you had the time, and of course getting groceries

- Eddie was like a kid in a candy store when you guys go grocery shopping for the first time. Having freedom over everything he gets to eat and not having Wayne watch out for him was a dangerous game.

- he tries to buy like only snacks and you remind him that he has to actually eat fruits, vegetables and protein as well

- so this is just from personal experience,,,, but you guys totally blow the budget on your grocery haul,,, so that’ll take some adjustment but you’ll get used to it

- after you guys managed to stack all the bags into Eddie’s van and drive back to your building, Eddie INSISTS on trying to carry all the bags he possibly can, resulting in some bruised apples and some slightly beat-up cans but its all good

- btw his guitar goes on a proper, nice display in your living room, she’s basically the only piece of decor you guys own, unless you also count the band posters Eddie had to scrape off his walls in the trailer in Hawkins

- Mans would try to cook you breakfast in bed at least once, and he may cause a minor evacuation of the building which your neighbours LOVED at 7 in the morning, but you found it endearing that he tried to microwave a metal bowl (dumbass)

- He WILL buy you flowers every friday afternoon in spring because he works right near a flower stall, and they’re always different ones so you guys can experiment with which ones fit your vibe the best

- basically just Eddie turns into the biggest sop because he loves living this new life with you and even though you guys are all alone in a new city it doesn’t matter because you have each other <3

#eddie munson fluff #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson headcanons #joseph quinn

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xleeleeboox · 2 years

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Being friends with Johnathan and Argyle include:

Mentions other characters, upside down, smoking a loooot, stealing, emotional convos but it’s all v fluffy no spoilers everything is platonic

* You’d met them while going to argyles pizza shop like super late at night with some of your friends after a party

* everyone was either drunk or high and you could not keep it together because Argyle was obviously out of his mind at the moment

* and you decided to invite Argyle to the next party he asked if he could invite Jonathan and you went ahead and said OK

* so when you meet Jonathan you’re at a party but it’s like one of those parties were you just chill and shit

* you took a break from being inside and he went outside to sit around the fire pit with Argyle in Jonathan and just brought out a joint and lit it and started passing it around

* After a while you all start sharing about how you’re just done with school and you wish you could get out you wish you could get away from these people in this drama that never seems to end

* but Jesus Christ don’t you know the half of it on Jonathan‘s side but he saves that for another time

* Sharing about your younger siblings with Johnathan

* Argyle goes inside for god knows what

* That how you and Johnathan start bonding more

* I feel like Johnathan might want to talk about his photography with you and see if you have any suggestions for subjects for the photos

* He explains the process of developing the photos but he does t want you in there with him

* “Don’t worry he doesn’t let me in there either man” argyle says

* One day you were in art and stole a chunk of clay to try and make a bowl to smoke from

* It didn’t work Johnathan said it would crack and he was right

* Argyle kept cheering you on though

* Every once in a while you are invited over to argyles pizza place you get high and make your own pizzas, you take it to school the next day too

* At this point you’ve ditched your friends because their drama is too much

* And you’re hanging out with Johnathan so much that you’ve even bonded with Will and El

* You thought about introducing them to your younger siblings, but they didn’t want that lol

* You closed your eyes and were like “I get it” with a smile on your face lmao

* You and Johnathan often go somewhere random and just chill together

* Doesn’t matter where or when or what you are doing

* It’s always therapeutic too in a way because a lot of the time you end up staying out late, laying on the ground talking to each other about your deep thoughts

* One night Johnathan let’s it slip about the upside down and shit while you’re both high and in your feels

* You laugh and go “that’s crazy man I can’t… does argyle know? I feel like he does… maybe he doesn’t but he should”

* After that you don’t see him differently but you understand him better

* You become even closer now

* Really all you do is chill and listen to music or do a craft or something like paint idk

* Taking Polaroids of them

* And of will and el

* Of your siblings

* You give them some of the Polaroids but keep your favorites and make a scrapbook with them and give it to Johnathan for like Christmas or his birthday

* He ends up keeping it forever where he can’t lose it

* Tries not to let his mom look through it because there are some memories where you’re smoking with Argyle and Johnathan and are fucking around

* Some other questionable weird things you guys are doing (but nothing bad it’s just… odd things)

* YOU ASK WILL TO DRAW YOU SOMETHING AND HE FUCKING DOES

* You hang it up in your room on your door in the inside so you can see it when it’s closed

* When Johnathan comes over and sits on your bed he looks at the drawing and smiles

* Also if you ask Johnathan to take pictures of you he probably will and they will look so good he’ll give you a photo he developed of you him and argyle

* You also hung it up on your door and Johnathan feels very cared for and loved when he sees it

* Gets another picture for you and you put it in a frame somewhere around your house not just your room and he hugs you

* Not a super touchy man but you lay each other‘s heads on the others shoulder or on their lap or just lean against them

* But like all three of you argyle too ya know

* You make El a bracelet and she wears it every once in a while

* She says you need to make matching ones

* You made some for you Johnathan and Argyle

* You made one for Joyce because she’s so nice to you

* You took Johnathan’s lighter by accident and slipped it into Argyles possession so you didn’t get a scolded lmao

* I’m getting carried away I’ll stop if you have anymore Johnathan and Argyle headcannons please hmu

#Jonathan Byers #johnathan byers x reader #platonic!johnathan byers #johnathan stranger things #argyle #argyle stranger things #argyle x reader #platonic!argyle #stranger things #will byers #el hopper #Jane hopper #jane byers #el byers #joyce byers

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light-imperfected · 5 months

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Nothing has changed.

One breath in the City of Spirale and the next he's in Hell. Back here. The weight of his sins swell back on his shoulders like they had never left. And that familiar feeling of the Father's Light—kept in stasis, somehow, by the city—burning out of his body—leaving him hollow. He has hours left.

Well.

He always knew this would end. He has always been walking on borrowed time, this whole stolen year. He wishes, maybe, that he had held Sun Wukong closer, carried his warmth for longer, been braver, kissed him sooner, seen one more time the way a genuine smile graces his face, memorized the way their bodies fit together. For all the shame he carries, he still misses his presence so badly it hurts. There is a kind of unspeakable grief in that glimpse of what might have happened, in some other lifetime. Gabriel had accepted his death long ago—but it stings, knowing that perhaps he could have lived.

But there's no time left to mourn, or to regret, anymore. He looks up. Stands up from where he's been kneeling. What was it that he wanted to do, all that time ago?

---

When he dies for the last time (arm ripped away, blood in his throat, strange satisfaction and no shortage of nails in his gut), he's ready for it. When he dies for the last time he opens his eyes and he's in Spirale again and he could scream in frustration. Plants he doesn't recognize sprawl across the streets, roots cracking concrete, glitched visions of worlds he'll never know stitching together and coming apart in bursts of static. His hands clench, the one he lost returned and shaking. The Light he had just felt dwindle away, back at the low steady pulse it's been at all year. And he is so, so sick of the Stars fucking with him.

It's a pretty speech they give, but—he doesn't listen. He's spent far too much of his life working for a God that never truly cared. Gabriel sorts through the noise and searches for any fragment of the man he loves. And so he slips away from this city into another, one that's survived a few recent apocalypses of its own, but is very much still kicking.

---

He does not find Sun Wukong. He does find some paper cutout of Monkey King with prerecorded voicelines selling a line of his own plushies, which is when he finds out his boyfriend is famous. Gabriel doesn't honestly know much about Wukong's past, which he doesn't mind; he's equally cagey about his own.

A bit dazed, he asks someone where he could find Monkey King? The kid in the banged up delivery vehicle lights up at the question and rattles off an answer before pointing into the fucking sea, which Gabriel can't do anything with. "Flower Fruit Mountain's that way," he says, "or you can check the Shame Temple, in the mountains."

Gabriel snorts at the name. Squinting at the cart's logo, he realizes with a start that this must be someone who worked the infamous noodle shop where he and Monkey King met, all that time ago, deep in the Mists.

He asks for directions and within the hour he's sat at the counter listening to a pig grumble about the fact that he can't eat and a guy with glasses trying to get the pig to give him free noodles. A girl with green in her pigtails snickers and tells him, "Don't worry, this happens every day with these two." (Pigsy: Don't you excuse this behavior! Tang laughs: You know you love meeee.)

It's nice, to watch the daily rhythms of people who care for each other dearly. But Gabriel doesn't know them. The person he's looking for isn't here.

"Classic Monkey King," Pigsy grumbles, sliding Tang a bowl of noodles, "always running off to who knows where without any sort of warning." Gabriel has to swallow the sudden defensiveness swelling in his chest, surprised by its intensity.

"Don't worry," says Mei, a bit over-brightly, "he'll come back. That's the ol' immortality for ya."

MK swings through the door (Mei: 小天！), deliveries taken care of, and waves at Gabriel. "Oh, hey, you're still here. I can take you to Flower Fruit Mountain if you're still looking," he offers (Pigsy: Oh, boy. You better not be late tomorrow, MK. The boy laughs sheepishly. Pigsy sighs, good-natured). "I could get some training in, anyway."

---

The ride is uneventful, MK nervously chattering questions at Gabriel (so how did you meet? are you like, a celestial? i haven't seen you around before, do you wear armor all the time? is that helmet your head?). The angel's terse, doesn't want to explain the whole multiple-universes thing. For all the practice he's had in Spirale, he hasn't shaken off his own fucking death yet.

MK shows Gabriel through the waterfall; Monkey King looks up and opens his mouth when he hears them. But Gabriel's already flashed across the room. The trail of blue he leaves in his wake fades, slowly, as he pulls a familiar furry body into a tight hug, heavy and solid in his arms like he'd never left. To his credit, Wukong doesn't say a thing, just returns the gesture, though not without a grumble of annoyance that he gets mostly a faceful of armor for his trouble.

Something soft spills over in him and he thinks it's relief. He knows he would be crying if he could, every feeling too sharp and overwhelming. Wukong is squeezed closer. His mouth can't make the words he wants desperately to say: i love you. i thought i'd never see you again. i'm already dead so many times over but i still want to hold onto you. i hope i love you for as long as spirale lets me do it. i love you.

"Um, Monkey King?" MK says, watching from the entrance after a full five minutes of silence, "What's, happening?"

#event: homecoming #its both parts so same tag whatever #cw: gore #<- very brief but there is some detail of gross wounds #cw: death #drabble #closed #wc: [checks document] oh my god what is wrong with me #wc: 1003

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artificialqueens · 11 months

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🏳️‍🌈 Moondance (Anetra x Sasha Colby) - Athena2

Summary: Anetra runs a bakery that Sasha often visits. They both have crushes on each other, but they’re also each hiding another secret.

A/N: I’ve been working on this for a while, and I’m so glad I finally finished! I had two amazing betas for this: Writ and Mar. Thank you both so, so much for all your help on this, for betaing, and for letting me ramble about this fic to you. Seriously, this fic would not be what it is without your thoughts, suggestions, and support, and I really appreciate it. Please comment if you’d like!

The full moon guides Sasha’s way to her cottage. The winding path through the woods has been worn down almost solely by her over the years; when it doesn’t rain, her footprints remain in the dirt for days.

She shouldn’t be out this late—and she wouldn’t be, except she got caught up talking to Luxx in the cafe—but something about the full moon is calming, watching over her with its pearly white strength.

Something rustles in the trees, and Sasha stops, instantly alert. Spending all this time in nature, developing her magic, has made her sensitive to the environment, to each rustling tree and chirping bird. This noise is heavy, too heavy for a bird.

A twig snaps, and Sasha’s blood turns cold when she sees the source of the noise: a massive gray wolf, baring its sharp teeth as it stalks over to her. The wolf growls, and every hair on Sasha’s body stands up. A protection field spell should be enough, but she needs to be calm first, she needs to breathe—

Another wolf emerges from the trees, this one with the black fur of a starless sky, and a thin mark over its left eye. Sasha’s heart pounds, so loud she’s positive both wolves can hear it. Her magic is strong, but a protection spell against two wolves is a lot, even for her. She raises her hands to begin the spell, but the gray snaps his jaw, sharp teeth clacking together and sending her scrambling against a tree, the rough bark scratching her back.

This is it, then. Her first encounter with a wolf and it’s going to kill her, tear her apart with its sharp teeth. She can smell the coppery scent of her own blood, feel its teeth cut through her chest and crunch on her ribs, but the actual pain never comes.

Because the black wolf steps in front of Sasha and growls right back at the gray wolf.

The black wolf is protecting her, she realizes.

It moves when the gray wolf moves, blocking Sasha from its view. The gray wolf moves a paw forward, teeth bared, like it’s testing things, and the black wolf mirrors its movements, daring it to do something.

Sasha creeps along the forest floor, slowly putting more distance between herself and the wolves. She wishes she could thank the wolf, or the human it’ll turn into. But Sasha’s made it through this run-in, and she can’t hang around to risk another. Once her feet reach the familiar dirt path, she runs, the growls fading behind her.

She slams her cottage door and the floor rises to meet her as she drops. Her hair sticks to her neck with sweat, and dried leaves cling to the bottom of her cloak. Her bag topples over on the floor, spilling out herbs and the hat she bought today, but not her book. It must have fallen out while she ran, but she’s too tired and her legs are too wobbly to care. She hauls herself up and collapses into bed, sheer exhaustion replacing the adrenaline and sending her to sleep.

When she leaves the next morning, the book is propped against the big sycamore tree near the village, with a trail of paw prints leading away from it.

—-

She puts the fear out of her mind as she heads into town. Almost every morning, before going to her apothecary, she stops in the bakery. It’s her favorite place in town, even more than her own shop, with a cheerfully golden outside and calming, deep blue walls inside. The little garden patch in the front doesn’t have flowers; instead, it’s filled with bowls of water and homemade dog treats, since peoples’ pet dogs and random strays are always drawn to the bakery, and to Anetra especially. He loves petting them, and they always jump on him in delight.

The smell of fresh bread and vanilla and butter hits her the second she opens the door. Any trace of leftover fear vanishes in the face of such sweetness; it’s impossible to be anything but happy here. Especially when she sees Anetra.

He’s at the counter, kneading dough. He does it up at the front of the shop sometimes to keep an eye on the bakery, and Sasha will never complain about watching how his arm muscles flex. But aside from that, he really is fun to watch. He bites his bottom lip and looks at the dough so intently, so focused, that it makes the moment when the dough becomes perfect and his eyes light up even better. She watches, pushes away the word crush that’s tugging at her heart. Even if it is a crush, she’s not going to do anything about it. She might own an apothecary, but he doesn’t know she’s a real witch, and that would surely turn him away. He’d think of her as some miserable witch in the woods, casting spells and putting curses on people, just like people in her home village thought. That’s if he even believes her, and doesn’t think she’s lying.

So Sasha just smiles as she watches, smiling even wider when Anetra looks up and finally realizes she’s there.

“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “Dough was being difficult today.”

She always loves when he talks about dough like it’s a living thing, and especially when he talks about it like it’s a tired toddler.

“Don’t worry, I’m in no rush.”

He nods, wiping his hands. As he comes closer, she sees that his normally rosy complexion is as pale as the dough he just finished, with dark circles under his eyes.

“Long night?” she asks.

“You could say that.”

She frowns. Lots of people have been in her shop for cold remedies, with the season changing. “You’ll tell me if you’re sick or need help sleeping, right? I’ll bring you something to help.”

“Yes, mom.” He rolls his eyes, but the gesture, and his smile, is fond. “What would you like today?”

“Um…” She doesn’t exactly need anything, but can’t resist coming here to see him. She names the first thing she sees. “A loaf of the bread with sesame seeds.”

He nods and slides it into a bag. Then he runs into the back and returns with a steaming roll on a napkin. “I just took them out before you came,” he says softly.

It’s her favorite sweet roll, soft and tender with a bit of honey in the dough. She buys them a lot, and every once in a while, he’ll sneak her one fresh from the oven. It started as a thank you; a few months ago, he’d gotten sick, and his friend had come to her to buy some herbal teas and aromatherapy oils. When he was better, Anetra had come over to thank her with two hot rolls. Ever since, he’s been sneaking them to her from time to time, even though she told him the first two were more than enough thanks. Besides, the rolls are really too good to turn down.

“Thank you,” she sighs as she takes a bite, the soft dough melting in her mouth. “I think this is the best one yet.”

“You say that every time.”

“And it’s true every time.” The village clock chimes, and Sasha needs to get to her shop. She devours the rest of the roll and pays for her loaf. “I’ll see you later, Neech.”

“See you.”

“And make sure you sleep tonight!” she calls over her shoulder, his laughter following her down to her shop.

—

Anetra sighs in relief as he closes the bakery for the day. Last night’s transformation hadn’t been any harder than normal, but there was the unwelcome arrival of the gray wolf. A wolf who had wanted to hurt Sasha.

Anetra’s grateful he was there to drive the wolf away, even if his leg got scratched up and he’d spent the entire night on tense alert. But Sasha is safe, and that’s what matters.

She doesn’t know he’s a wolf, and it’s safer that way. He’s not dangerous, but most wolves are. Sasha saw that herself last night. She would think of him as some snarling beast with sharp teeth, covered in blood and guts from devouring humans. Besides, there are a lot of things she doesn’t know. Things he can’t let her know.

She doesn’t know that he tries to time things so that the sweet rolls come out of the oven just before her usual arrival time; kneading the dough and willing the yeast to rise as fast as possible. Dough is temperamental, and sometimes it just isn’t ready, but when it is, her smile makes all the stress worth it.

She also doesn’t know that her laugh fills his head for hours, that he always gives her the prettiest of whatever dessert she asks for, hoping the magic of his baking can match the magic of her beauty.

Sometimes, he thinks she might feel the same way. She could be affectionate, praise his work or let their hands touch longer than necessary when he handed her things. Sometimes she got so wrapped up talking to him that she’d have to run to open her shop on time. But friends could do those things too, and maybe he was reading too deep into it, seeing what he wanted to see. Besides, if he’s wrong, and tries to be more than friends when Sasha doesn’t want that, he would ruin everything. If they did become more than friends, it would be harder to keep his secret, and if she ever found that out, she’d surely think he was a monster and run in fear. It’s safer for both of them to let things be.

He can control his feelings, push them down and pretend they’re not there. But even though he can barely keep his eyes open by the time he collapses into bed, it takes him longer than normal to fall asleep as thoughts of Sasha break free and fill every part of him.

—-

The wind whips around Anetra as he enters the bakery, grinning at the dogs that pass by before getting to work on bread dough and filling for cream puffs. Despite the warmth inside, his dough is rising a bit slowly. He won’t have a fresh roll ready, but he does have a new cookie for Sasha to try. He’s been perfecting the recipe over the past few weeks, waiting until he had it just right for her to try, and he thinks he finally has it.

His heart leaps when the bell rings, and Sasha walks in. No matter how many times she comes here, each time makes him as happy as the first, when she came in on opening day to wish him luck, pointing out her apothecary and telling him to visit her if he ever needed anything.

She’s in a flowy black cloak with a pink sweater underneath, its open neck showing off the freckles on her chest. There are matching ones on her shoulders, revealed whenever she wears her floral dresses in the summer. She’s beautiful, she always is, but it seems more so today.

And of course she would be so beautiful when he’s up to his elbows in flour and there’s a glob of chocolate on his chin that he couldn’t wipe with floury hands.

“Um, hi, Sasha,” he says.

“Hey there.”

“I’m gonna wash up quick.”

“Seems like a good idea, since there’s chocolate on you.” Her smile is light and a little teasing.

He flees to the safety of the oven area to hide his burning cheeks. He scrubs his hands and makes sure any bit of chocolate or dough or flour is entirely off him before running a hand through his hair and stepping back to the counter with a grin.

“Messy morning?” she guesses, still smiling.

“You have no idea. I got pastry cream everywhere and burned my arm too.” He shows her the light red line on his arm, and her eyebrows raise in concern. “Anyway, what would you like today?”

“A few of the wheat rolls.”

He nods and gets them into a bag. He bites his lip as he weighs the next question. “I played around with an old recipe and made some lemon-coconut cookies, if you want to try one?”

“Is that even a question?” she asks.

He smiles and passes her a cookie, doing his best not to drop it when their fingertips touch. The touch is pure warmth, a magical reaction like the kind that happens in the oven, weaving warmth and comfort out of sugar and butter.

Sasha grins as soon as she takes a bite. “They’re so good. Really lemon-y. And coconut-y. I think those are words.”

He smiles to himself. Coconut wasn’t in the original recipe, but he’d tweaked it to add some, since she loves it so much. But she doesn’t need to know that.

She pays for her bread and tries to pay for the cookie, but he won’t let her. She finally relents and leaves with a smile.

But that’s not the last he sees her, because she comes back ten minutes later with a tiny jar of cream for his burn.

—-

Sasha needs to stop making a habit of walking through the woods on full moon nights. Last month was a close call, so she hurries toward her cottage, hoping to make it through this one safely.

She doesn’t get far before heavy thuds erupt behind her, cracking branches along the way. There’s a heavy panting sound too, with distinctly human voices trailing it. The panting grows closer, and a wolf bursts into the clearing. It’s the one who protected her last month, and it tears past her with a whine, tucking itself behind a thick group of shrubs. With the darkness, and the thickness of the shrubs, it practically disappears.

It’s scared, she realizes. It’s scared and it’s behind the shrubs because it’s hiding, hiding from—

Two men run into the clearing, flashlights and big hunting rifles in hand. They’re carrying backpacks stuffed with what look like traps, sharp edges poking through. Her heart aches at the thought of someone wanting to hurt this wolf, and the human behind it.

“What are you doing?” She demands.

“We’re hunting the wolf,” the first one says, shining his flashlight right into her face. “There’s a whole group of us. Do you know how famous we’ll be if we get it?”

“You’re not hunting anything,” Sasha says firmly.

“What are you gonna do about it?” He steps closer to her, gun raised.

She does the first spell she can think of: a confusion spell, one whose blue strands hit into the men and send them walking right out of the forest, unsure why they’re here. Confusion spells don’t last long, and they had mentioned a whole group out there somewhere. She could do a protection field spell around her and the wolf, but it would have to cover a big area, and she’d have to stay here all night to hold it.

Or she could take the wolf home.

No one ever found her cottage if she didn’t want them to; she’d spent years laying herbs and casting spells to keep it that way. It’s the safest option for them both.

She takes a breath as she approaches the wolf, because even if it saved her, it’s still a giant animal with sharp teeth.

“Um, hey,” she says into the shrubs. “You can come out, it’s safe.”

The wolf emerges, looking up at her with dark eyes. Its scar is familiar, but she can’t place it.

“I’m gonna bring you home with me, okay? I’ll make sure those hunters don’t find you.”

The wolf seems to nod—it moves its head, anyway—and when she heads toward her cottage, it follows her.

It’s a tight squeeze to get the wolf through the door, twisting its body and legs. It finally settles on the floor of her living room, sitting on its hind legs and looking at her like an obedient dog waiting for a command.

“Are you hurt?” she asks.

The wolf’s head moves from side to side.

“Okay, well, you can sleep on my couch if you want.” She knows one of her spellbooks has something on getting dog hair off furniture.

The wolf tilts its head.

“You can get on the couch. It’s okay, I promise.”

The wolf leaps on the couch and curls up like a giant dog, scratching its side with a back paw and wagging its tail a little. It’s kind of adorable, and Sasha resists the urge to pet it.

“I’m going to bed. Good night.” She isn’t sure if wolves get cold, but on a whim, she grabs a blue blanket and tosses it over the wolf.

She climbs into bed and laughs into her pillow, because there’s a whole damn werewolf on her couch.

—

“Anetra?”

He blinks through the usual post-transformation fog and soreness, heart picking up speed when he doesn’t recognize his surroundings. There are no trees, no branches scratching at his skin, sore and sensitive from the transformation, no smell of earth in his nose. Instead, there are walls covered in bookshelves, and a plush couch underneath. And a soft voice nearby.

Sasha’s voice.

She found him last night, saved him from those hunters. But now he’s in her cottage, and she knows—

Anetra shoots off the couch, his legs smacking into the coffee table. He groans, and arms on his shoulders help him sit back down. He finally looks up to see Sasha, staring at him in concern. And as he realizes she has a robe over her pajamas, he also realizes that he’s wearing nothing but a blanket.

He burns from his feet to his forehead. “Can you, um…”

“I have an extra robe,” Sasha says, like she’s reading his mind. She seems to be blushing too, her eyes flying around the room rather than settling on him. She runs to her room and comes back with a robe, closing her eyes until he’s changed.

It’s not as much clothing as he’d like, and the hem of it falls above his knees, but it’ll have to do.

“You’re a wolf?” Sasha asks.

His stomach drops. There’s no way he can hide it. She let a wolf into her cottage last night, and now he’s here. There’s no story he can make up, no lie she would believe. He has to tell her.

“Yes,” he says finally, heart pounding. “I’m a wolf.”

She’s quiet, and he recognizes her thinking look, the one that makes her green eyes sharper.

“I should’ve realized it. How did I not realize it?” She runs a hand through her hair, almost like she’s upset. “All those times you were so tired and pale were after the full moon. Dogs are always drawn to you. The scar…” she trails off, motioning to the line through his eyebrow, so faded it’s barely noticeable. “I’m so sorry I didn’t figure it out.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for!” He actually laughs a little, because of course Sasha is kicking herself for not knowing, when she always notices the little things in her friends. “The scar is really small and faded, and I’ve had years of practice hiding the wolf thing.”

“I still wish I realized. I could’ve tried to help you feel better after.”

A lump forms in his throat. How could he have been scared to tell her, when she’s so kind and accepting, when her first reaction is that she wishes she could’ve helped? But he couldn’t shake the fear that she would see him as a monster. Someone not even entirely human, who turns into a vicious beast once a month.

“I didn’t tell you because I…I didn’t want you to think I was a monster.”

“You’re just a big dog,” she laughs, but her face turns serious when she sees his fear. “Honey, you’re not a monster,” she says, so soft he can barely stand it.

“But—”

“Being a wolf isn’t your fault, and I know you’d never hurt anyone. You saved me from that other wolf. You’re not a monster,” she repeats, and this time, he listens.

He’s not a monster, and he wipes the tears in his eyes before they can spill over and become noticeable. Sasha hands him a tissue and takes a seat next to him.

“While we’re confessing things,” Sasha begins, “There’s something I should probably tell you. I…I’m a witch.”

He blinks. “Like, a real one?”

“Yes.” She sighs, shoulders drawing in like she’s scared. “I didn’t know if you’d think I was bad or evil or something.”

“I would never think that of you,” he says, firmer than he expected. Her running the apothecary makes more sense now. Just like why the cream she gave him for the burn worked better than any other kind he tried, easing the pain in seconds and healing the wound in a few days.

“And I would never think you’re a monster,” she says, and a warm wave of understanding washes through Anetra.

After a few seconds, Sasha speaks again. “Actually, maybe there’s another thing I should tell you. I’ve had a crush on you for a while, but I didn’t know if you felt the same way, and didn’t want to ruin anything if you didn’t, or put that on you. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. But I wanted you to know.”

He pieces the words together as she talks, sure that he’s mishearing. She likes him. She likes him the way he likes her. She isn’t scared of him, and doesn’t mind that he’s too quiet sometimes.

“Neech? You’re really quiet, is everything okay?” Sasha asks.

It jolts him out of his thoughts. “Yes, I’m fine! I—I do feel the same way about you.”

“You do?” Sasha blushes, almost like she can’t believe it, and Anetra won’t let her doubt him.

“I’ve had a crush on you for a while. You…you’re magic. And not just because you’re a witch.” His face is burning, but he smiles. “I just wasn’t sure if you liked me.”

“I do like you,” Sasha says gently.

Relief and joy break through the faint pain lingering after the shift, filling him up with warmth. She knows his secret, and it didn’t change anything. She knows, and she still likes him.

“Do you want to go get breakfast?” he asks, rushing with his own bravery. “After I get clothes, I mean.”

“You’re sure you aren’t too tired?”

He shakes his head. “I’m good, really. I don’t normally sleep at all when I change. This was nice.”

Sasha smiles, even wider than when he gives her fresh rolls. “Let me get changed and we can go. And I have a bunch of wolf questions for you while we eat.”

He smiles too. “Only if you answer all my witch questions.”

“Deal.”

Pride Challenge Points: 504

#rpdr fanfiction #s15 #anetra #sasha colby #anetra x sasha #witch au #wolf au #bakery au #athena2 #concrit welcome #pride 2023 #fic challenge

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thewritingsofamadwomen · 2 months

Text

Can We Fall?

Kristin was just trying to find her way around life after the war but the undecided feelings of Draco seemed to come back. And when thoughts started to come around so did Draco. The question is if they are going to do something about it and if they could even heal from the past.

Draco Malfoy X OFC

10k words

Kristin let out a sigh when she finally made it home, hanging her bag on the hook she tossed her badge in the bowl beside the door. As she walked through her house, she followed the voices that she could hear in the sitting room. She had forgotten all about the plan for today, Lizzie was finally bringing the Weasley family over to their house. Letting out a sigh she figured she at least go say hello, it was the polite thing to do after all. And wasn’t like she had anything against the Weasleys, Fred and George were always around the house since Lizzie and George started dating about a year ago. Kristin and Lizzie were even friends with them starting from an accident in their shop that brought them to St Mungo’s a while back. Just after the day she had at work, going to socialize seemed like an extra task she just didn’t have the energy to do. But nonetheless she walked into the living room with a smile on her face to the sea of people smiling and laughing as they turned to look at her.

“Krissy!” Lizzie yelled a smile on her face as she jumped up from her spot on the couch next to George and walked over to her friend. Gently grabbing her arm Lizzie pulled her further into the room. Letting herself get dragged along till she was standing in front of everyone. “Meet the Weasleys, well ones you haven’t met. This is Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fleur and Charlie. You obviously know everyone else from school.” Lizzie told Kristin, pointing out the new Weasleys like she didn’t know who they were. Everyone now knew of all the Weasleys at this point in history and probably for much longer as their names were already going in history books. Besides them Fred, George, Percy, Ron and Hermione were also taking up various spots in the sitting room.

“Hi. I’m Kristin Travers.” She introduced herself to the group, giving them a small wave. “Sorry about the mess.” She said waving over her appearance, her light green robes were a mess, despite the fact it was her second pair of the day. Magic could only do so much cleaning of clothes, her once neat hair was frizzing out of her ponytail which she was too tired to even care to much, her Mother would have been disapproving of her right now. But like she said it had been a day.

“Oh! You are perfectly fine dear. You work at St. Mungo’s like Lizzie, right?” Molly questioned her giving her a kind smile from her place on the couch.

“I do. I just started practical training with her not too long ago.” Kristin explained, giving the lady a small smile in return. Both girls knew they were going to be healers at a young age and started studying early in their Hogwarts years. Madam Pomfrey would take them in on weekends to even get more experience during their later years.

“My girls are just so smart.” George said, throwing his arms over both of lizzie and Kristin pulling them close to him.

“Since when am I your girl?” Kristin laughed looking up at him, her and George had gotten pretty close since they met each other. All four had actually been hanging out almost everyday for a while before Lizzie and George started dating. It took all of Freds and Kristin effort to actually get them together instead of one them shying out of making a move. Eventually Lizzie finally found her courage and asked him if he was going to ask her on a date or not.

“Always have been, you are Lizzie are a packaged deal. Can’t have one without the other.” George explained roughing up her hair even more.

“Glad to still be included then. But I am going to shower.” Kristin laughed as she ducked out from underneath George, giving the group a small wave as she headed out of the room and towards her own bedroom. The portraits on the wall said nothing but the distrain was clear on their faces, they had learned long ago that if they were to comment on her attire they would find a place in the dark basement for a lifetime. Mother started it after she took a job after father was imprisoned after the first Wizarding War, women in the Travers family were expected not to work and be housewives and mothers. Nothing more.

But mother couldn’t stand sitting home all the time when Kristin got older, so she opened a clothing boutique which then expanded to multiple stores all over the Wizarding world. Her Mother planned for her to take over the company when she came of age but still allowed Kristin to continue with her studies for being a healer because it looked well during the war. How could the women of the Travers family be guilty of anything when they own a clothing store and learning a job that helps people? Even as Mother passed no one could quite figure out where the women of Travers family loyalties lie. The past family members were not happy with Mother and her taking up jobs for any reasoning were very looked down upon. Mother excuses were useless, they would have wanted her to remain staring at an empty house all day along. And Kristin just didn’t care too much about a bunch of old dead men that no longer mattered.

It only mattered when Father came home and decided that Kristin taking advanced training would be helpful for the cause. So even he didn’t mind that his wife stayed loyal to him and his daughter was learning to stay neutral and let her continue. The only agreement was she was to keep the family name and pass it down, with the wealth it brought in, plenty of others were more than willing to comply. She was glad the war ended when it did, she was almost married off to a terrible man that was ten years her age. Sadly or luckily he had died in the Battle of Hogwarts alongside her mother and father, leaving the family wealth to her. Another thing the portraits looked down upon, the family line falling to a women despite the fact she still would continue the family line, was a stain on the family name. But there wasn’t much they could do besides sit in their frames and glare as she walked by.

Shaking her head of the thoughts she took a long hot shower to clear her head. Plenty of people avoided going to Healers during the war, too afraid to be seen or whose side they were on. Despite stating that St Mungo’s was neutral in the war the trust wasn’t there. A lot of people needed basic care that they had avoided and Kristin, with Lizzie, being in beginning practical’s, they was the one that tended to them. It was a never-ending amount of people all day every day. And she loved it. But it was tiring to say the least. Figuring the Weasleys would still be here she threw on a pair of jeans and a comfy sweater, drying her wet hair with magic before throwing it up in a ponytail and making her way to through the kitchen.

Tops was busy with the dishes, his magic cleaning up the dinner that he had made for the guest. But by technicalities Tops was a free elf. Mother had given him clothes long ago refusing to let someone in her house to be dressed how he was. Not once did Tops try to leave, in fact he enjoyed Mother finding and fixing up new clothing for him. Mother treated him like some sort of doll and he stayed to help take care of the house and raise Kristin. Father was upset when he found out but he was in Azkaban at the time and when he was free, Tops had proved his loyalty. At that point there wasn’t much Father could do, after all Tops came from Mothers family. And being around Mother for so long, Tops was a great help with the boutiques when Kristin had too much on her plate with her training. He was family at this point and Kristin wouldn’t have been able to make through any of the last few years without him by her side.

“Miss Kristin!” He exclaimed, smiling as she walked into the room. “I have a plate for you.” He told her waving his hand towards the dinner on the breakfast table, magically kept warmed up for her. “The others are just finishing up dinner but I thought you would like to eat it out here alone for a bit.”

Kristin grinned at Tops. “You know me all too well. Thanks Tops.” She told him when he went back to the dishes. Kristin slowly ate her dinner in content silence nothing but the plates clanging around as Tops cleaned them. Once finished she brought her dinner to the sink apologizing to Tops about giving him another dish while he just scoffed at her and told her to go.

Kristin found the large group in the dining room, their plates already disappeared, a large floral centerpiece sitting on the table being talked about. Gorgeous purple and white flowers spilled over the sides of a vase. Kristin rolled her eyes knowing exactly where they came from and Lizzie’s smirk just confirmed it. She had been receiving flowers once a week for the past four years, she didn’t even know if Draco Malfoy remembered that he still had someone sending her flowers. It was silly and dumb and Kristin won a bet she couldn’t even remember what it was but she ended up receiving flowers for years. And she wasn’t going to complain too much, they were gorgeous.

“They were just complimenting your lovely flowers here. From the one who got away.” Lizzie teased her best friend. Kristin just glared at her, sure Draco and her had something but she knew exactly where Draco stood proudly at the beginning of the war. And Kristin stood where she was to stay alive and tried everything to get away. It was just too much of a difference in beliefs for it to ever be more. “Oh shut it. Draco is not the one who got away. Not even close.” Lizzie rolled her eyes at the denial, Kristin forgot that Lizzie was around all the time and saw the two of them.

“You know Malfoy?” Hermione said quietly from her spot on the chair, giving her a quizzingly look. Kristin nodded her head at the girl unsure where the conversation would go, it was still a rough topic to talk about.

“I did. Our mothers were friends that worked together, so we spent a lot of time growing up together. I still write to his mother once in a while, since I own my Mothers business now but I haven’t seen him since the end of the war I think.” Kristin explained shrugging her shoulders, she sat down beside Fred curling her legs underneath her.

“Lizzie here thinks that we would be good together if he grew up and became a better person, of course. And wants me to try and get ahold of him.” Kristin told them rolling her eyes, she did miss her friend but only half of him. She never liked the fact he would bully people and thought so little about others, she was raised the same way and yet she still didn’t have the same beliefs he did. Sure she may not have had her death eater father around all the time but the ideas were still there.

“Malfoy will never change.” Ron scoffed at the comment causing Hermione to glare at him, gently pushing his arm at the comment.

“I think he has. He apologized to me. And it seemed genuine. And he also tried to talk to you but you just didn’t let him. Even Harry heard him out and let the past lie. I see him late at night in the Ministry, he helps families that lost everything in the war. He has paid for a lot of Hogwarts reconstruction and relief funds for wizards who lost everything in the war. I don’t think he has put his name on anything but I know what offices his going too. I think he is trying to make up for his decisions the best way he can.” She exclaimed. Some of the other Weasleys nodded along with her, like they all knew this fact. Kristin gave Lizzie a look which Lizzie just smiled at the girl like she had somehow won.

“They say Lucius and Narcissa haven’t left their house since, at least not Lucius. No one will work with him in the ministry anymore. They were even thinking of selling the home and moving to America.” Mr. Weasley added to the conversation, causing shocked faces across everyone in the room. Everyone knew how much the family home means for pure-blood families, even Kristin couldn’t part with her own home despite not believing the family values anymore. It just explained how bad life was for them. They did deserve it after all, but it was still a sad thing to think about the people who she grew up with.

“Oh Arthur, no need to gossip.” Molly said place a light hand on her husband’s arm. “You said you own your mother’s business. What type of business?” Molly asked Kristin to redirect the conversation somewhere else. Kristin thought that it was sweet that no matter what Molly still didn’t want to talk to bad about others. It fit everything she heard about the women over the years.

So the night went on like that until the Weasleys left and the girls and George headed up to bed for the night. Of course the Weasley didn’t know George stayed the night but it was a small fact that they didn’t really need to know. They approved of Lizzie which was the only thing that really mattered, not that anyone was actually worried about it too much but with the past it was a bit harder to predict.

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Kristin ran a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh as she looked at the charts before her. She decided to pick up a shift to help out a friend, she didn’t mind much it was just another busy day. The Healers said their duties should die down soon; appointments were going down finally. They just needed to get through the last stretch of it. Putting on her face she walked out to the office space and grabbed the next chart from the assistant, flipping through to get to the name. Pausing slightly she made her way out to the waiting room, she turned around to find the blonde-haired man away from everyone hiding in a large hoodie trying his best to not be seen. Instead of calling out his name she walked over to him causing him to look up at her, his eye widened at the sight of his long-ago friend.

“Come with me?” Kristin asked gently giving him a small smile. Nodding his head he got up and started to follow her through the quiet halls.

Quickly stopping another Healer in the halls to call someone else to the room since she couldn’t actually help Draco since she knew him. They continue walking to his room to wait. Peaking quickly behind her back at her old friend, he looked much better than when the last time she saw him after the Battle of Hogwarts. His face that was once hollow had filled out again, he no longer had his permanent dark circles under his eyes. He looked like his old self again just a bit older version of himself.

“I figured you wouldn’t want me to call out your name.” Kristin said softly. “I’m just bringing you to your room.

“I appreciate you not. Thank you. How are you liking being a healer?” Draco asked, trying to diffuse the awkwardness between the two of them. “I know it was your goal and clearly you did it.”

“I kinda love it. I feel like I’m really doing something with my life.” Kristin told him quietly. “How have you been doing?” She asked him softly. Draco went to say something but quickly turned his head down while facing the wall when they passed a group of people coming out from one of the waiting rooms. They walked in silence for a bit until they got to the room they needed, Kristin led Draco into the room telling him to sit down.

“Here you are. The healer will be in shortly, it shouldn’t take too long.” Kristin told him which he just nodded his head at. Both of them were unsure what to say to each other, she wanted to yell and scream and hug him at the same time.

He was the boy that she would play with toys with, the boy that ran through the gardens playing tag. When she was having issues with some older Slytherins he stood up for her and made them stop. When her Father came home and he was the run, she started freaking out how everything was going to change. Yet he was also the guy who picked on younger students, who said vile things and joined a group that their purpose was to kill and under some illusion that they were better than others. Even with him changing sides near the end doesn’t mean his beliefs truly had changed on the matter.

Kristin didn’t know how long they stood there watching each other but a knock at the door bought her out of her thoughts. Healer Scott walked in with a smile on his face, nodding to Kristin and turning to face Draco. Saying her goodbyes, she walked out of the room and made her way to waiting room again to grab the next patient.

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Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months before Kristin saw Draco again or even heard his name. The only time she thought about him was when the flowers were delivered but her mind soon turned to other things. It wasn’t till the rumor of Malfoy house transferring to Draco then gifted to the Minster of Magic and created to become an orphanage that Kristin had finally thought of him again. Draco wasn’t there to hand it over in the Daily Prophet, he wasn’t there for the opening, he wasn’t there for any of the events, he was just a unseen benefactor that provided for it apparently. The only quote or photo from him was to tell them to fill it with happy memories, and a photo of him closing the door in the face of the camera. Kristin and Lizzie and three others were heading to Mystical Manor for a checkup of the boys and girls before most of them were sent to Hogwarts in a couple weeks. Walking through the gates they could easily see why the kids named it Mystical Manor.

You couldn’t tell when the gates were open but as soon as the gates closed behind them the true garden appeared. The once pristine gardens were overgrown with bushes of magical animals, moving as the children played with them. Dragons that blew leaves at the children when they walked by, Demiguise that would disappear and even the Hogwarts mascots were wrapped around a giant castle playhouse weaving around the slides and towers. Children were running around and playing, older teens were relaxing under a tree near the fountain with the newly placed benches.

The Manor itself seemed like a whole new place. Of course the base of the of the Manor was still there but that was about the only thing that was the same. The rooms were now brightly lit, walls filled with bright art and photographs. Even art that the kids must have made was taped along the walls in the entrance way. Long gone were the dark portraits of grumpy old people that glared while you walked by, no matter who you were. There was a small desk with a wizard sitting at it in an alcove off on the side, telling them to go through once they had written their names down and checked in their wands.

Even the drawing room was so much more different than the last time she was here. Kristin was worried about what the memories of entering the home would be like, but she didn’t have much of a problem as the room was filled with even more toys for the children. Kids laughter rang through the halls as the caretakers wrangled the kids but mostly let them burn off all their energy. Any dark thoughts or memories of the place were hard to imagine with so much joy filling up the space.

A couple of the doors off to the side held plaques of what was inside, the group made their way towards the one labeled infirmary. Inside they found the everyday healer getting them all set for the day to help make it easier for them. And then for the next couple hours that is how their day was spent, starting with the oldest and working through the last of the children as it came close to lunch time they were invited to join. Needing no direction Kristin and Lizzie went to the old Malfoy ball room, the room was filled with tables that reminded them of Hogwarts. Rows of tables lined with kids of all ages filled the room, house elves that found themselves free or without master’s to serve were placing food on the tables or dropping off plates to the smaller children.

“This is where I had my first kiss. That corner there. And where you and Draco rudely walked in and yelled at me!” Lizzie teased her best friend when they made their way to the caretakers table.

“Oh! Have you been here before?” Maddy, one of the caretakers that had been giving them a hand throughout the morning asked her while they sat down beside her.

“When I was young. They were..err..family friends.” Lizzie said awkwardly, realizing her mistake of words. But Maddy didn’t flinch and just continued smiling at her which eased any tension that could have built.

“For the record... I was shocked and didn’t expect to be walking in on face eating. I just wanted to see if you guys wanted ice cream. Innocent me.” Kristin defended herself laughing at her friend rolled her eyes at her.

“Clearly one of you had your priorities in order.” Maddy giggled.

“And it was me.” The girls said at the same time, both looked at each other and burst out laughing with Maddy joining in.

“I never saw it before all the changes were made, muggle-born, but they say it has completely changed. I mean clearly more people live here now but it is still such a gorgeous home itself. I don’t think they could have changed everything about it.”

“I think the ambience of the place is what really makes it seem like a different place really. It was so dark and gloomy growing up. Sure it had wealth but it didn’t have the love and joy that it now has.” Lizzie explained to her.

“I get that. I think the greenhouse may be the best place for that. They were debating taking it down but it’s so lovely. They decided to keep it and start to grow food and herbs to sell, maybe give the kids some fun skills to learn.”

“They didn’t take it down?!” Kristin exclaimed, joining the conversation again. Narcissa, her mom and her would spend hours in the greenhouse growing up. Both women teaching Kristin how to be a proper lady, or when her and Draco would sit at the table and do their lessons. As their mothers’ teas turned to late night wine. The adults giggling with each other as Kristin swung happily on the little porch swing at hung down from the ceiling listening to them gossip or talk about the business. It was the only place that the war never seemed to affect. There was never talk of anything sad or dark in the greenhouse, only happy thoughts about pretty things. “Would I be able to go see it? I understand if I can’t.”

“Oh no you can. It should be empty. Only the older students are allowed in and they have classes next so no one will be there.”

Kristin beamed at the idea, nodding to Lizzie she quickly finished the food on her plate and led herself towards the back of the house, passing the now classrooms and out the grand door in the back of the house that led to greenhouse. It was like nothing had ever changed. The flowers bloomed, colors everywhere in an organized mess as she followed the winding stone path towards the gazebo where her old lessons were held. The porch swing was still there. Stepping up she remembered all the good memories left behind all the innocence that stayed in the gazebo as they grew.

“You can drown in all the memories here.” A voice said behind her, spinning around, she saw Draco in a black causal suit, his jacket thrown over his arm as he watched her.

“I was just thinking the same thing. I miss that time. I miss her.” Kristin ended quietly. She felt guilty speaking the words aloud as the tears started to fill her eyes. It was hard to keep it together. She knew her Mother was wrong and on the wrong side, but she loved Kristin endlessly and Kristin loved her. She didn’t know how to separate the two from each other. Was it wrong to miss her? Or was it okay?

“I do too.” Draco told her softly walking up next to, they made their way to the swing and lightly pushed it as they sat in silence for a while.

“What are you doing here?” Kristin asked her old friend as he seemed lost in his thoughts as she was moments before.

“The director was wondering about an outdoor classroom; we were mapping it out. I also sometimes come to help with the kids.” Draco told her softly, his cheeks turning the slightest bit of pink as he brushed his untidy blonde hair out of his eyes. A style that Narcissa would have never allowed him to have his hair, it wasn’t a proper look.

“It’s very kind of you.” Kristin told him, turning to watch her feet swing instead of looking at Draco.

“It’s the least I could do. Most of them are here because of what I joined.” Kristin snapped to look at Draco, his jaw was clenched while he glared in front of him. Her eyes wide as she stared at him unsure how to reply to it. It was true of course but it wasn’t something she expected him to say. “Sorry.” Draco mumbled as he finally looked at her expression.

“It’s alright. It’s honest.” Kristin finally spoke up as they stared at each other. “How have you been doing?” She asked him.

“I can walk through the streets now without causing a scene. So that’s a good thing. I just don’t know what to do now honestly.” Draco told her honestly. He worked so hard in school to actually become something; he knew he was smart. Even getting rid of the huge ego he had in his childhood he knew he had top marks in school, only having to fight against Granger for the top place. But everything he had done seemed to erase anything he could have possibly done.

“You wanted to be an alchemist, why haven’t you followed through with that?” Kristin asked him, she remembered how he would pour over the books over the summer while she would sit beside him in her own books.

“I wasn’t sure if I would be able to or wanted.” Draco spoke softly giving a small shrug, looking at Kristin she could see how defeated he looked.

After years of friendship and whatever happened between them Kristin could read Draco behind the pure-blood mask that he had been trained to put on. She could see how broken he was, he was definitely better than he was during war time but his eyes still had light dark circle underneath them which was covered by magic. His eyes seemed haunted and shallow, but they were glossed over with unshed tears. He did look worse than the last time she saw him at St Mungo’s but he had looked worse. His mask also breaking as he sat beside his friend. This was the person who they shared their darkest secrets too, the two would hide away from Malfoy Manor and wished how they could get away from the war. Ironic they would find themselves in the place they would try escaping from as much as possible.

“You won’t know until you give it a shot. You are earning your place back. With good intentions.” Kristin reached out to wrap her warm hand into Draco cold one. It was a simple gesture that they had done a million times since childhood, a sign of comfort between the two of them whenever it was needed. Even years later they still found the easy comfort within each other, even if everything else between them wasn’t even close to being okay.

“I feel like I’m coming up with excuses. I’m sorry I don’t mean too.” Draco mumbled.

“I don’t think you are. I think you have valid concerns. It’s not like there is a guidebook to entering society again.”

“Would make things easier. I’m still not sure if I have the right to come back. I was wondering if I should have gone with my parents.” Draco confessed squeezing Kristin hand tightly.

“That wouldn’t be smart.” Kristin told him. “You already started to become a better person now that you can make your own decision. If you go back, you will just be throwing everything away again. You’ll be running from your problems.” Kristin said trying not to roll her eyes, she understood that it was easier to run away but after everything that he had done why would he possibly want to go backwards. You couldn’t go backwards with the past that they had. Draco still had so many options open to him if he was just willing enough to see them, instead he wanted to fall back. Kristin couldn’t stand it.

“Kristin! Time to go.” Lizzie voice rang through the greenhouse before she popped up on the other side of a flower bush, her face breaking into a smile when she saw Draco and Kristin sitting there together. It didn’t take long for Lizzie to forgive Draco after the war, her and Kristin got into it soon after they brought up the conversation. Kristin understood where Draco was coming from but it didn’t mean that she forgave him for everything. “Hiya Draco.” She said giving him a grin, leaning against a pole of the gazebo staring at the two, her eyes glancing down to where their hands were intertwined but didn’t say anything. “Nice to see ya. Sorry for having to take Kristin here but sadly we must go back to work.”

“Of course. It was nice to see you both too.” Draco gave her a genuine smile, trying to casual slip his hand out of Kristins without Lizzie noticing. Of course she did but Draco didn’t need to worry about that.

“We will have to get together sometime. Look for my owl.” Lizzie grinned leaning off the pole she grabbed Kristin hand and pulled her up next to her, placing her own against her arm before she dragged her friend off. Kristin gave a wave to Draco as she allowed herself to be dragged along knowing that Lizzie would follow through with having him come to visit.

“Draco?” Lizzie asked raising her eyebrow as they quietly made their way through the walls not wanting to interrupt the classes in session.

“Sad conversation.” Kristin told her shrugging, later tonight she would tell Lizzie more details but there wasn’t much to say. But Lizzie knew her as well as she knew herself sometimes and so she wouldn’t have to say much for her to understand. They already spent hours going over her and Draco during Hogwarts years that Lizzie knew how confusing it was for Kristin to be around him.

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It was about two weeks later when Lizzie was running late coming home and Draco on his way. Tops was preparing everything of course, but Kristin was going crazy. She tried to help Tops but she was causing more damage to his dinner than actually helping so he shoved her out of the kitchen. So Kristin found herself puttering around the sitting room, constantly readjusting things that didn’t need it, just to do something. It had been forever since they all had a planned hang out time, and seeing Draco a couple times randomly didn’t help her nerves. It was Lizzie idea to have Draco over and she was supposed to have a half day but found herself stuck and unable to leave work. Kristin completely understood but didn’t mean she couldn’t be upset at her at the same time.

A knock on the door let her know that Draco had arrived, letting Tops know that she would get it she made her way over. Fixing her shirt nervously before swinging the door on putting her best pure-blood face on.

“Draco! Hello.” Kristin greeted him, glad he was dressed as casually as she was. Kristin was unsure if she should have put more of an effort in her outfit choice, but this was Draco and her simple jeans and t-shirt seemed to go with his very muggle look of blacks jeans and a bomber jacket over a black t-shirt as well. His whole look would fit in muggle London without a second glance. Kristin was definably impressed by the change; she had even started to mix muggle clothes into her store which seemed to be a big hit.

“Hey Kristin.” Draco gave her a small smile, a pair of slippers dangled from his hand causing her to laugh. It was stupid, Mother complained how much she hated coming home from work only to feel like she was still at work. So when you came into the house you had to change into slippers, the rule followed even when Father came home and she demanded he followed it. Kristin own fuzzy green slippers warmed her feet.

“Come in. Lizzie is running late but she should be here soon-ish.” Kristin informed him. Both of them made their way into the perfect sitting room. Draco looked around the room, Kristin wasn’t sure what memories filled his head while she watched him as he made his way over to the photo wall.

While most of the house had photos of the past generations in serious portraits Mother wanted a wall of happy memories. Kristin had a hard time even going over to look at the photos, so many were her and her Mother growing up. Friends that were no longer around. After all this time Kristin wasn’t exactly healed from everything. Draco didn’t have the same problems as a soft smile played across his lips while he looked at the photos, plenty had him and his mother along side them. He stopped at one in particular.

Kristin moved forward to actually see it and stood beside him. You could barely tell it was a wizard photo, the subjects in the photograph were completely still. Draco and Kristin had fallen asleep on one of the couches in her home, their legs were intertwined while they were curled up together. Kristin head was on Draco chest her hands gripping Draco shirt was they slept on. Narcissa took the photo and her and Mother gushed over how cute the two of them looked. Because you couldn’t tell that the people in the photograph had red rimmed eyes, you couldn’t tell that Kristin was holding onto Draco for dear life because she was trying to stop the panic attack he was falling into and she was desperate to keep him grounded. His hands wrapped around her tightly as she cried into her arms after seeing the mangled bodies of the family death eaters had attacked earlier that day. But sure, they were cute.

“This was the first night I confessed to anyone that I messed up, that I choose the wrong side.” Draco said reaching out toward the photo, his fingers running lightly across the glass.

“It was the first time I said the words aloud. I think it was the only few times I trusted enough that my voice was safe.” Kristin said nodding to him.

Draco turned to her; eyebrows furrowed while he looked at Kristin “What about with Lizzie?”

“We didn’t exactly ever speak about it, we just kind of… knew we were on the same wavelength. I think we were just too scared. We were playing neutral in a war. I thought I was going to be sent to Azkaban after the war ended, Lizzie too. That’s what we talked about.” Kristin shrugged confessing to Draco, trying to shrug off the secret.

“Why would think you guys would ever go there? You never did anything wrong.”

“But yet we were around the death eaters. We were touching the dark side instead of actively fighting against them.” Kristin told him. She could understand if they did send them to Azkaban, in the end it was McGonagall and Pomfrey that stood up and fought against the idea of sending them. And once Harry Potter stood behind them and defended them, they knew they were finally safe. Children of war, born on the wrong side.

“You were just trying to survive.” Draco exclaimed. “No one should have that held against them.”

“Your life doesn’t equal another. You can’t hurt someone to save yourself and it still be right.” Kristin told him.

“But you never harmed anyone.”

“I healed ones that went on to kill people. Guilt by association.”

“In that case almost everyone should have been sent away. You shouldn’t hold any guilt for any of that.” Draco spoke turning to face her, his hand reaching out towards her. Kristin grabbed it without really thinking about it once again. Their bodies closer together then before as she looked at him, she always almost as tall as Draco was, reaching her free hand to move hair that had fallen into his eyes away.

Kristin knew she should pull away. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. The way her hands were clamming up. She couldn’t still have feeling for Draco, she buried them long ago and focus on things she could control. They spent years wrapped around each other both in to much pain and broken to be able to hold themselves up, yet alone support another person but both needing each other to keep it together. They had went on their separate ways, they didn’t need each other anymore. But the more Kristin stared at him the more realized how much she wanted him. How much she wanted to close the space between them and place her lips against his. She knew the feeling well, how many times growing up they had been in this exact same place.

But something felt different this time, Kristin couldn’t figure what it was but she needed Draco. Wasn’t he always her safe place, when he was cruel and arrogant to others, he was sweet and protecting to her. And now that the cruelty seemed to be replaced with a sense of kindness and understanding and maturity, Kristin shouldn’t have to battle with herself to be allowed to like him.

Draco hand rested on her hip pulling her close, their bodies touching while he looked Kristin in the eyes asking if this was okay. Nodding her head slightly she moved closer, so their lips were barely touching. Then they heard a small ‘oof’ a crash and a string of curse words that pulled them apart, looking towards the doorway where Lizzie sat on the floor, the side table toppled over and half of the objects that were on the bookshelf lay around her. The two promptly burst into laugher while Lizzie glared at them but soon joined in. Draco helped her out of the mess while Kristin pulled out her wand and started placing everything back and fixing what had broken.

“I tried sneaking away.” Lizzie complained.

“It didn’t work out so well for you now did it.” Kristin teased, giving Draco a smile chuckling to herself. Her heart still racing unsure what she was thinking.

“Damn table got in the way.”

“Misses Lizzie! Just in time for dinner!” Tops said merrily popping up like he didn’t just hear the commotion that was going on.

“Well least I get food for my pains.” Lizzie said shrugging and she walked towards the dining room.

When they made it the dining room the newest set of Dracos flowers were sitting on the table like they always were, this time a group of yellow roses and baby breath. And at the end of the table sat three place settings and a over the top dinner planned by Tops. Kristin rolled her eyes at the complicated dish but long since learned better than to tell him how unnecessary it was.

“Aren’t you joining us?” Lizzie asked Tops raising an eyebrow. They all turned to look at the small house elf.

“Tops can’t today.” He told them shaking his head, his ears flopping to the sides. “To much to do. I ate already and I must go help Hogwarts.” He informed them. Tops often went to help the other house elves in Hogwarts, while most of the school was back to its pre-war days not everything was back up to par. And since the House elves fought in the Battle of Hogwarts some didn’t make it out alive despite their magic Hogwarts was a big school. Add on to the fact that they were working on two memorials, one outside Hogwarts ground and one inside to stand for the ones lost.

“Well say hello to Winky for us please. And if we don’t see you by the time we go to bed, good night.”

Top nodded his little head and with a pop he was gone. The girls turned towards each other and placed themselves at the table with Draco following suit. They sat in silence for a bit as they loaded up their plates with Tops chicken and about seven different side choices. Not including the pies, he had further down clearly meant for dessert. Guess they knew what they would be eating for the next couple of days.

“Bright.” Draco mumbled staring at the flowers on the table, his fingers playing against some of the pedals. “I don’t see you guys’ as yellow people though.”

“Not really. But these are the flowers from the bet.” Lizzie said shrugging. Yellow may not have been their favorite color but they were still pretty and made the room look nice.

“The bet?” Draco questioned giving her a look.

“The bet you and I made about something a while ago and I won. My prize was you sending me flowers weekly.” Kristin spoke up, right about the fact Draco had no idea that he was still sending her flowers. She didn’t know if that upset her or not, she couldn’t blame him when she didn’t even know what the bet was about.

“Oh yeah! The jumping out of the tree.” Draco burst out laughing at the apparent memory.

“Jumping out of tree?” Lizzie gave Draco and Kristin a quizzed look when Kristin seemed to finally remember.

“We were arguing about who would be braver about jumping out of the tree we were in. Who would climb the highest and jump. Kristin won.” Draco said smiling.

“I broke my leg!” Kristin yelled. Now remembering that the focus was on the broken leg part of the story. Draco had wanted to run to the house to get his Mum but Kristin face was full of tears and she wouldn’t let him leave her alone on the ground in the woods. Draco had carried her all the way to the house, her face in his neck at each movement sent pain through her leg. It didn’t take long for Narcissa to heal her leg but Draco stayed with her and when Kristin woke the next morning a small bunch of handpicked flowers sat on her night table and the flowers never stopped.

“Children!” Lizzie mocked shaking her head at the two of them.

“Yeah.. we were fifteen.” Kristin said her cheeks were pink in embarrassment about how dumb it really was. Honestly, she could have fixed it herself but they both had left their wands back at the manor without thinking about it.

“Okay idiots then!” Lizzie laughed at them, causing the other two to join in soon after.

“So…How have you been doing Draco?” Lizzie asked once the laughter stopped and the room became silent, not an awkward silence more of the fact they we focused on their dinner one.

“I have been good. I start vocational school to become an Alchemist next month. I have been out of practice so I would like to recatch up on those skills.”

“I never got how you found that class enjoyable. I wouldn’t have been able to get into it If I tried and it just seems way too hard.”

Draco laughed at the comment. “Lizzie.. you want to be a healer. You are actively becoming one right now. It’s just as hard!”

“Not even close!” Kristin argued back. Sure, being a Healer did take a fair amount of brains and skill to become but it had nothing compared to what Draco was going for. Where the girls would be training and learning for years to come, they could be in the field. While Alchemy you had to just study alone for years before you ever could think of actually putting your skills into training. It took so much knowledge that very few people could successfully go into as a profession and even less came known for it before they fizzled out.

“Seriously! I don’t even think I could do it in a daydream yet alone spend a lifetime doing it. I would simply give up and live in a box.” Lizzie yelled laughed at them.

“A box?” Draco asked a soft smile on his face when he watched his friend nod vigorously.

“Oh yes. Maybe a nice cardboard one that I could pretty pictures on after I have a mental breakdown from the amount of stress I would have.” Lizzie agreed, giving him a smile as she sat back pulling apart a roll.

“From the daydream of doing the job?” Kristin wondered aloud.

“Daydream of course. I would be a permanent resident at St Mungo’s if I worked with it.”

“Well I’m glad that you are safe from harm with your healer career choice.” Draco said, his face in mock seriousness when he stared at her before all three started laughing. Kristin was shaking her head at them, remembering how much it was just like old times.

“Me too. Plus we get to travel soon. Which I’m excited for. I haven’t been able to do all that much since practical’s.” Lizzie informed Draco, her excitement clear. Lizzie travelled around a lot before she started working. Her mom would take her for summer round trips to every country, they even found themselves in the muggle parts adventuring throughout the years.

This picked up Draco interest, he loved hearing Lizzies stories about the world when she would return. He never really got to go many places as his parents went to thrilled with the idea. “Where do you get to go this time?”

“America, New York to be more exact. There is going to be a convention of sorts. New practices and spells that could work better in the field.” Lizzie explained to him.

“That sounds exciting.”

“Your parents moved to New York, right? How are they liking it? I have only talked to you Mom a little bit and mainly about business.” Kristin asked. They had a conversation over owl before she moved over there, they agreed that she can gladly take over the shops and be the main person in charge for them. It was a great stress reliever honestly. Where Tops was helping, Narcissa having to take a step back and training Kristin found herself running thin the last couple years trying to keep up.

“Bit of a change but they are adjusting well enough. Mum is running your boutiques over there obviously and from what I gathered is that she loves wizarding fashion over there, so she is fitting in nicely and really happy with what she is doing. Dad is just supporting her with it right now.” His eyes filled with a sort of sadness when talking about his mother. He clearly missed her and with her being so far away Draco didn’t know how to take it. After everything that they had been through it was a loss of security that she was so far away. For him and for her. Draco couldn’t be sure that his Mum was still okay at the end of the night with her so far away. And he still cared for his dad. But where his mum had cared for him and never truly followed the Dark Lord his dad sunk deeper in himself when everything ended. Where he was terrified of the Dark Lord since he wasn’t on top this time around, he still believed in his ways. The only reason he wasn’t in a cell was because of his son and wife but Draco found it harder and harder to be around him when his values started to change. It wasn’t the same man he looked up to as a child, he was weak and feeble now in his eyes. He was almost disgusted by his father now. And his mum had to help take care of him. He understands she did it out of love for his father, but he couldn’t stand around and watch for long.

“The stores are doing really well since she moved over there. They defiantly needed a full time person to make them thrive.”

“I’m surprised that you didn’t go with them.” Lizzie spoke up, not realizing the tension in the question that she asked. Kristin and Lizzie never got around to having the conversation about the day at the gazebo, they had been working opposite shifts so there was never a good time.

“I was debating it, but someone said it would have been running away from my problems.” Draco said looking over at Kristin, who just shrugged with indifference. She stood by the statement that he needed to work on things over here before running across the ocean to just start new.

“Of course, she did.” Lizzie said rolling her eyes at her best friend, she would see it that way.

Draco raised an eyebrow at the girl, the two girls almost always agreed on everything. It’s how they got through the war together in more than less one piece. “Don’t you think so too?”

“Nope. I think starting over is never a bad thing. You ended your ties here with dignity and redemption and you are just moving so you can create a new path for yourself. I think that it an incredibly brave thing for a person to do. Not running away at all.”

“Saying sorry to a few people doesn’t equal redemption.” Kristin spoke up, her voice short and sharp when she rolled her eyes at her best friend.

“No but meaning it does. And that was only a start for what he did.” Lizzie said defending Draco like he wasn’t sitting across the table from her.

“I’m not sure what I was doing would be enough. I wasn’t quite sure what I could do to make up for my crimes.” Draco spoke up he wasn’t completely sure how to right his wrongs, but he tried to find the things that was possible for right now.

“There will always be people you think you can’t be forgiven no matter what you do.” Kristin told him, she didn’t mean for it to sound so harsh but she didn’t know how else to word it.

“I don’t expect everyone to forgive me. I am aware of the things I did to people.” Draco told her to defend himself.

“I never meant to apply that you didn’t.” Kristin said trying to correct herself but at the raised voices clearly she wasn’t doing a very good job at it.

“Sure, sounded like it.”

“Well, I didn’t.”

“Does anyone want another roll?” Lizzie asked, her eyes widened as she watched the two of them, trying to defuse the tension in the room.

“I’m sorry that I got that impression then. Maybe it was just how it was said or how I took it.”

“I’m sorry that it came across that way.”

The tension in the air was thick between them, Draco and Kristin had identical faces glaring at the plates in front of them. Lizzie let out a little giggle at the time they both reach out to stab a piece of chicken and then both roughly put their forks down before picking up their wines and taking sips. They mirrored each other exactly.

“What?” Kristin asked, still glaring. Lizzie threw her hands up in a defenseless position and had a huge smile on her face. “Oh, I’m not involving myself in this.”

“In what? Dinner? You are the one who planned it.” Kristin argued back, raising her eyebrow.

“Do you want me to leave? I never meant to interrupt your life. I will go.” Draco said, his ears turning a light shade of pink as he got up from the kitchen chair.

“Of course, I want you here Draco. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be. I just meant that Lizzie planned the thing so clearly she involved. Plus we are all friends here.”

“We were friends. Things could have changed since then. Everything else has.” Draco brought up.

“It wasn’t on us that those things changed.” Kristin spit out. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. It was like she wanted to fight with Draco. The tension building in her and all the anger that she had. He was one of her best friends and he left her behind for some man who was evil reincarnated.

“How many times do I have to say I am aware of that. Why are you one of the people who can’t see that I have been honest? Out of all the people in my life you are the hardest to prove that I have changed! You are the run I came too telling you all my secrets and how much I regretted my choices.” Draco spoke, his voice rising out of anger or defeat or something he didn’t know what it was exactly.

“Oh I’m out of here.” Lizzie mumbled before slipping out of the room quickly.

“Because you chose the wrong side! And it wasn’t by force. It wasn’t because you had no choice. You truly believed in all of it. Every last thing that was said about blood purity and how we were somehow better than others because of it! And not just my blood but there was power and wealth too! Others switched sides, people whose whole lives were filled with hate and yet they rose above it. And you gladly stood by.”

“I know that! I know everything I did wrong. Not just in the war but the years of Hogwarts and even before then. I was an arrogant little shit. I am trying to make things right and I know some things can never be fixed but I am trying to fix everything I can. Why can’t you see that?”

“It’s not that I don’t see that. It’s the fact that it should never have been a thing in the first place. It took you straight up trying to murder someone to see that you were in the wrong. It should have never gotten to that point. You weren’t just trying to stay alive; you stood proudly on that side with that stupid little smirk on your face. You would play sweet with me and Lizzie and then just do a one eighty and become this awful person. So which was it, who are you? Because they were always so fucking different! I never knew what feelings the real thing or who you really were. Just constant whiplash.”

“Both. They were always both me. It wasn’t black and white, everything I said to you and all that we felt was true. The cruel side was there too. But I’m not the same anymore. I grew up. I put myself in an awful place for some sort of power and learned how wrong I was. You had always made me want to be better, a better student just a better person in general. And I was too weak to carry that out when you weren’t around me. It took me far too long to see that who I was around you, was the person that I wanted to be all the time. I hated myself and how you would look at me, I could see how much I was hurting you every time I switched to the other part of me. And for a while I couldn’t figure out why until I finally realized. But I couldn’t rely on you to make sure I stayed on track. I had to do it for myself or else I was never going to become who I wanted and it would have always been on you. And that wouldn’t have been fair.”

“Well good for you! I’m glad you did.” Kristin knew that words were coming out as spiteful but she really did mean it. “But how do you know that you won’t start believing it when time has passed and the war isn’t fresh in your thoughts. When you realize that you miss the faux power you had over people. How do you know that you won’t become like the old Draco?”

Their faces were red as they screamed across the room at each other, both unsure if they were actually saying anything at all or just letting the build up of anger and stress consume them. Kristin hands were in fist, as tears of anger spilled over. Each time they yelled at each other it would pull them closer, never had they ever let out this much anger. Raised to speak rationally and calmly to others and never show this much emotion, it was almost unheard of. And yet here they were screaming at each other.

But the way Draco hand reached out and wrapped around Kristin waist and pulled her against him and crashing their lips against each other. It wasn’t sweet like a first kiss should have been, it wasn’t like how you would imagine such a build up like theirs would be. It was wet as Kristin tears were staining her cheeks, Draco’s rough hands on her hips pulling her as close as possible. His anger and hurt pouring into a kiss as she kissed him back. Even Kristin hands were pinned between them unable to move them. It wasn’t passion that led them to this. And yet it was exactly how it should have been.

It was a comfort in a strange way. The fact that could be releasing their fears and anger with each other and still have them to come back to. It was a lifetime of secret late-night talks, hiding out in the woods, to quidditch games and balls, to the trauma of a war and the fear of death. Healing from everything they had been through to becoming better people for themselves to find each other again and still be the safety net for each other. It was years of falling for each other but always being just out of reach.

Draco pulled away only slightly to rest his head on her forehead to look into her eyes. Their breathing labored, chest falling fast as they stood together trying to get air. “You believe in me.” Draco told her. “Just like you always have but now I get to prove it to you. Let me prove it.”

Once again a click interrupted them, Draco hands stayed around Kristin when they turned their heads to where Lizzie stood a camera in hand.

“What?! You are going to need it for the wall. The first kiss needs to be in the love story.” Lizzie defended herself causing Kristin to roll her eye but the way Lizzie smiled she could tell how happy she was for them.

Kristin knew that they needed to work on things still, everything wasn’t magically healed with one fight and a kiss but it was a start. And she was more than willing to figure it all out with Draco finally.

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