#sorry to nancy for catching strays here

[eldritch-thrumming]

galaxy brain shit incoming

robin has to move when her mom marries wayne munson. it’s not that bad, her new stepbrother, eddie, is pretty cool and has decent taste in music. they actually have a lot in common. but the new school doesn’t have a gymnastics team like her old school did, so now she has no choice but to join the cheerleading squad if she doesn’t want to lose her mind here in a sea of endless blondes with their dad’s credit cards.

she thinks the cheer team’s captain is gonna be the worst of them all. she’s only been here two days and already she’s heard the rumors about ‘stevie’ and who she’s fucked and who she hasn’t and what parties she threw over the summer. robin’s rolling her eyes all the way to the gym for tryouts.

so imagine her surprise when stevie actually turns out to be steve, who’s honestly not so bad. he asks her to do a full routine and when she does it without breaking a sweat, steve smiles at the pretty blonde sitting next to him behind the folding table before saying “welcome to the team.” the blonde sitting next to him is also smiling, totally ignoring the other two teammates sitting behind the table who are clearly upset with steve’s choice. but all it takes for them to shut the hell up is steve holding up his palm, effectively silencing them. they cross their arms and say nothing else.

steve and the blonde—chrissy—seem to be working as a team… co-captains, even. they run their practices like boot camp and honestly? it’s a lot more serious and demanding than robin could have thought. they practice together constantly, watch training videos, and even start having sleepovers. robin doesn’t miss the weird stuff happening between steve and her idiot step brother, who can’t help but show off every time he sees that steve is over. but robins a little preoccupied with trying to figure out if chrissy likes girls or not.

until steve comes to robins doorstep, crying, talking about his college girlfriend, nancy, who dumped him because he wasn’t “serious” or “studious” enough. and robin’s not the greatest with feelings or comfort or words so all she can do is wrap steve in a blanket and cuddle him on the couch. she gets up to fix them a snack and when she comes back, eddie’s snuck into the living room and taken her place on the couch and steve is laughing for the first time all night. she gives them half an hour, camping out in the kitchen, before she walks in on them and interrupts their first kiss. eddie’s got a shit eating grin on his face and steve’s blushing so red robin thinks if she got a little closer she’d be able to feel the heat radiating from his cheeks.

the three of them spend friday night and all day saturday watching movies together. they’ve just ordered pizza when steve turns to robin and asks her if she’s ever gonna make a move on chrissy cause chrissy hasn’t stopped talking about robin since tryouts at the beginning of the year. robin grins and goes to invite chrissy over for their second movie night in a row.

then they go to nationals or whatever and win their competition and robin and chrissy get to kiss for real with the trophy in their hands. when they head back to the locker room with steve, they run into eddie with a bunch of tulips—steve’s favorite flowers—in his hands… and robin rolls her eyes at the gooey look in steve’s eyes. robin and chrissy, holding hands, leave the two boys to do whatever it is two boys do after a cheer competition.

#steddie #steddie ficlet #is this anything lol #buckingham #sorry to nancy for catching strays here

[strangerquinns]

Deadly Reunion | Chapter 4  

Eddie Munson x female!reader // a stranger things apocalypse au

summary: You and Eddie have been best friends since childhood. But when the outbreak happened five years ago, you were torn from one another in the chaos. but now you’re left alone, after your group was killed by another radical crew, leaving you to seek out what was once home. // zombie apocalypse Hawkins set in 1993

warnings: angst + adult themes w/ descriptions of violence, blood, torture + other zombie apocalypse related issues

word count: 2.5k+

⪻ previous chapter | next chapter ⪼ | stranger things masterlist

Eddie’s arms tightened around you as he held you close against his frame. As your arms did the same, you could feel him shaking within your arms. You weren’t sure if it was the shock or excitement of him seeing you. But you knew that your mind and body couldn’t catch up with what was happening. After the long, tiring, and deadly journey to get back to Hawkins – you were finally back with him. The last piece of your old life that seemed to be left after all these years.

After a few moments, Eddie pulled back and grasped each side of your face. The rough calloused feel of his palms against your sun-kissed skin was oddly comforting. Your eyes closed for a few seconds, causing stray tears to cascade down your cheeks before they opened again. Staring intensely into his large doe eyes.

“I can’t fuckin’ believe it,” Eddie spoke, even with the bandana tied across his face, it was obvious to see him smiling. Especially with his dark eyes sparkling with a life that had been missing for a while.

“Fuck!” a deep voice groaned from behind the both of you.

Turning slightly to look over your shoulder, you saw the man you’d knocked down before stumbling up from the ground along with the assistance of the other woman. His hand cupped over his face with it scrunched up in pain. You took a few steps back away, stepping away from Eddie, as the man came to his full height.

Though these people were obviously with Eddie it didn’t mean you trusted them. The man before you had long, dark brown curls that nearly fell along his shoulders with sun-kissed strands of blonde through them. He was almost as tall as Eddie, possibly only a couple inches shorter. But larger when it came to his body, his shoulders spanning wider and his arms appearing bigger.

“Did you really have to fuckin’ hit me in the nose?” He spoke with another groan, pulling his hand away from his face. It took a few seconds to realize that it was none other than Steve Harrington. Your eyes widened to see another familiar face.

“Sorry, didn’t exactly know who you were,” You spoke with defensiveness to your tone. Eyes glared slightly as you looked back toward the former King of Hawkins High.

“Can’t blame the girl for defending herself, dingus,” The woman beside him spoke, rolling her eyes, before reaching up to pull down the cloth tied around the bottom of her face. Her hand reached out toward you quickly with a smile causing her blue eyes to sparkle with kindness, “Robin, Robin Buckley.”

Your guard slowed slightly as your attention moved away from Steve and toward Robin. You knew of her from high school but couldn’t exactly say that you knew her. She was from the band, and in your Science fifth period. You repeated your name to her as you firmly shook her hand.

“As much as this reunion is nice, we should be heading back to camp. The night is coming,” Nancy spoke, apprehensively looking toward you. “Hopper is going to be worried if we’re not back in time.”

You perked up slightly to the sound of a familiar, “The Chief?”

Eddie nodded his head, stepping up toward you again, hating that there was a small distance between you. He felt like he was in a vivid dream and at any moment you would be retaken from him.

“We have a camp about four miles from here,” Eddie spoke.

“Eddie,” Nancy scolded glaring toward him with wide eyes. She looked toward him for a long moment like they were silently communicating with each other. She gave her head a slight shake, it was subtle, but you didn’t miss it.

“You’re not thinking I’m leaving her out here do you?” Eddie spoke with a harshness to her voice.

“We don’t know if she’s got another camp, let’s not assume,” Nancy spoke with a tight voice. Steve and Robin standing on the sidelines of the conversation.

“I don’t” You answered quickly. Your eyes move from Eddie to Nancy. You didn’t miss the sadness that settled into Eddie’s eyes as he looked down at you. “I-I’m alone.”

“For how long?” Robin asked.

“A long time,” You spoke, body stiffening and signaling that was all the information that you were willing to give. Robin nodded her head, silently understanding.

“She’s coming with us,” Eddie emphasized again.

“She could be bitten or scratched.” Steve said, “We don’t know what we could bring back to Camp, Munson.”

“I’m not bit, and I’m not scratched.” You whispered with a shake of your head, already feeling a heavy sense of unwelcome settling over you.

That small bit of hope you’d felt before was quickly dwindling.

“Doesn’t matter. We don’t know you.” Steve spoke stepping toward you, Eddie quickly moving between you two. “We have a camp that has already been through enough, we don’t need a trespasser messing that up.”

“Steve,” Robin spoke firmly, moving toward him and standing beside Eddie. “Eddie knows her, and are you honestly going to leave someone out here alone? We both know you’d feel guilt the moment you walked away.”

Steve seemed to be having an internal fight with himself before he sighed deeply and shook his head. “Fine. But if Hopper says she’s out, you know you don’t have a choice in the matter.”

He was speaking to Eddie.

Eddie nodded his head before turning to look down at you, “Are you wanting to come back with us?”

You looked at him for a long moment, before answering, “I just traveled halfway across the country to find you, I’m not exactly letting you out of my sight any time soon.”

Eddie chuckled slightly before nodding his head and placing a hand gently on your shoulder. The two of you followed along behind the others heading north through the woods. With each step, your stomach fluttered with nerves.

“So, where did you travel from?” Robin asked after a long tense moment of silence between all of you.

You hesitated for a moment, before speaking, “Tennessee,”

“You were there this entire time?” Eddie asked, his stomach dropping at the thought of you only being a few states away this whole time.

A better outcome than what he’d believed all these years. That you were dead.

“No. My mom and I were in the south mostly. She had family there and thought it would be safer when the outbreak happened. But…we never made it. Instead ended up with a few different groups…traveling through Georgie, Alabama…last place was Tennessee. She wanted to come back home.”

You felt a ball form at the back of your throat as the thoughts of your mother came back to your mind. Over the last few months, you hadn’t given yourself the proper time to grieve her. Instead, focus on getting back to Hawkins and surviving.

A tense silence fell over you all again, a deep frown settling on Eddie’s lips. He could tell from your body language that something was wrong. But would wait for a more private moment to ask.

“You traveled through all that and hadn’t become a Flayed,” Steve spoke, his tone indicating his disbelief.

“Obviously,” You snapped.

“I think you’re pretty badass to make it this far on your own.” Robin smiled “Might be a piece to the group that we need.”

The rest of the walk was in tense silence as you all wadded through the forest that surrounded Hawkins. You were confused about where they were leading you, no longer expertly familiar with the town you’d grown up in. But when you came across the reinforced fence and the building came into view. You knew exactly where you were.

“You turned the Lab into an encampment?” You asked.

Eddie reached to pull down his bandana, giving a clearer view of his face. Seeing the shadow of a beard growing along his jawline. The years that you two have been apart showing with how grown he looked. It was the boy you’d fallen in love with still; you could see that with the cheeky smile, he’d give you. But with a cringle around his eyes that seemed to be more defined as he neared his thirties.

“Little bit more than a camp,” Eddie smirked, guiding you along the fence till you all rounded toward the front.

You quickly noticed the stations and boardwalk that aligned the top of the reinforced wall. People with guns strapped to their bodies paced along the lengths, clearly on patrol. The wall made it hard for you to see beyond that, except for the top of the old Lab building peeking over the top. Robin and Steve waved to a few people up on the wall as you all neared the front of the gate.

You stopped, along with the others, the moment you came to the large double doors that led into the camp. Standing at the top of the wall was a man that didn’t seem familiar. But with the way she glared down at you, he made your stomach roll.

“Seems you brought home a straggler,” The man spoke, his voice deep and heavy.

“She’s an old friend,” Eddie spoke quickly, the cheekiness gone, instead replaced with seriousness. “She’s alone and needs shelter.”

The man chuckled with false humor, “Hopper isn’t gonna like this.”

“I think once he sees who it is, Hopper isn’t gonna give much of a fight.”

The man grumbled slightly before nodding his head toward someone you couldn’t see. Soon the gates began to move with a loud mechanical sound that vibrated harshly against your eardrums. You cringed slightly and only moved when you noticed Eddie do the same. When you walked through the gates of the wall, you gasped loudly at what was in front of you.

“Oh, fuck,” You gasped with widening eyes as the rebuilt town was in front of you. “Y-You live in an Establishment?”

Eddie looked down at you with eyebrows pulled in confusion, “A what?”

“An establishment? A rebuilt town?” You spoke, “Never heard of those.”

“Obviously not, sweetheart,” Eddie chuckled.

“My friend Judy told me she’s seen one before. People that had basically rebuilt and started over,” You spoke with amazement, “I thought she was bullshitting me.”

“It took us a while to get like this,” Eddie spoke, guiding you through and toward the main building. “Took apart some of the old homes and brought the supplies here so we could rebuild. Also moved trailers from Forest Hills to make room for homes, medicine, food storage.”

As Eddie spoke you were able to quickly see what he spoke of. The front lawn of the old Lab was filled with trailers, small buildings, and some tented-off areas. From the distance, you could hear the soft sounds of farm animals.

“Is that a sheep I hear?”

“Yeah,” Eddie smiled “Got ’em from the farms that were left abandoned. We have our own food, though we still must go on patrols and outings for other supplies.”

“This is amazing,” You spoke in shock and amazement, your head swiveling so much you were sure your neck would hurt the next day.

Steve led you all up the path and through the double doors of the Lab. The shock didn’t stop as you’d only noticed then the lights that filled the front lobby and surrounding hallways.

They had electricity.

Eddie laughed and brought his arm around your shoulder, pulling you into him more, as he pulled you further into the lobby. “We use this building for housing, more medicine. The Lab was running off its own power source so that’s how we’re able to have electricity. Something shady must’ve been going on here before the outbreak, but it’s become our home…thanks to Hopper.”

“He’s in charge I’m guessing?” You asked.

Eddie nodded his head, “Pull anyone in town that started from the outbreak in. Fortified and built it everything you see from the ground up.”

“Munson!” a voice shouted from the end of the hallway.

The both of you turned your heads toward the source, you jumping slightly from the sudden loud noise. The man walking toward you was a man you were all too familiar with. Another father figure that was in your life growing up. Age had caught up to him with the gray of his hair and beard. But you’d know Jim Hopper even with it being over six years since you’d seen him last. Hopper stopped short the moment he seemed to recognize who was standing beside Eddie. His face paled as if he’d seen a ghost standing in front of him. But it quickly went away before he stalked toward you both.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Hopper spoke as he neared closer.

“Chief,” You spoke with a nervous chuckle, “Long time no see.”

“I’ll fuckin’ say,” He nodded his head with a smile, “Where the hell have you been kid?”

“Long story,” You spoke, fighting the urge to rush toward him.

You might’ve known these people in the past, but times were different now.  

“Found her out on patrol,” Eddie spoke from behind you, “Didn’t think you’d give much of a fight if she were to find shelter here.”

Hopper shook his head with a heavy sigh, “No. Is it just you?”

You nodded your head, “Just me,”

Hopper frowned with a heavy sadness, seeming to understand what you weren’t saying at that moment.

“She’ll have to go through the quarantine process. We can’t blindly let someone into the Camp, no matter if we knew that from before or not.”

“Can’t we just examine and see that she’s not bit? She already swore she wasn’t.” Eddie spoke with a slight panic appearing in his tone.

You looked over your shoulder to Eddie with a slightly worried face.

“You know the rules, Eddie.” Hopper spoke, “We’ll take good care of her, you know this.”

Eddie hesitated for a moment, he was ready to argue more with the man standing in front of him. But he sighed heavily and nodded his head slightly, before stepping toward you more. He stood between you and Hopper, gently grabbing your hands, and bending down so his eyes were more level with yours.

“I’ve to say goodbye for now,” Eddie spoke softly, causing you to stiffen slightly. “But not for long.”

“Eddie,” You whimpered, a fear coming over you that you didn’t understand.

“Shh, shh…it’s ok. I promise. Do you trust me?” Eddie asked, his eyes looking deeply into yours.

You nodded your head before swallowing down the fear that was itching up your throat. Eddie hesitantly stepped away from you, suddenly bringing Hopper back into view along with two others.

Your stomach rolled again knowing why the fear was approaching. But though you were back in your hometown surrounded by a few you know. You were essentially in an unknown place, putting your trust in others. Something you hadn’t had to do for a while.

“Let’s go, kid,” Hopper spoke, before turning and leading you down the hall toward the unknown.

Hope you all enjoyed the next chapter. The reader is in the camp with Eddie, but there are still some things they will have to get over. Leave your thoughts!

reblog + like if you enjoyed it!

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #stranger things x you #stranger things x reader #stranger things x female reader #stranger things fic #stranger things fluff #stranger things angst #joseph quinn x reader #joseph quinn fic #joseph quinn imagine

[sublimecatgalaxy]

hi, my love :) I really love these themed nights.

character: Eddie

prompt: "Good girl, that's it." and "Eyes on me."

trope: injury/enemies to lovers

have fun with this one and be as creative as you want to :)

I LOVE THIS AND YOU.

There was a sense of shock that riddles Eddie's expression, his chest heaving as he looks back and forth from my eyes, all the way down to the huge gash across my abdomen. Robin sits beside me, biting anxiously at her nails as Nancy tries desperately to fix what can't be fixed.

The look in his eyes is something I've never seen directed my way, we've always been on each others cases over the stupidest things, bickering and at each others throats during every group meeting and DnD campaign. But, right now, it's as if all of that's forgotten.

"Eddie..." Steve starts but he doesn't finish his sentence as Eddie walks into the version of Nancy's bedroom that we're all crowding. He shakes his head with a small sigh and his brows furrow in confusion.

"When did this happen?" He asks, not able to tear his eyes away from my injury as I fight the urge to cry and writhe around the bed, the pain becoming so bad that I feel as if I could pass out at any second.

"Back with the bats... she just didn't say anything- why didn't you say anything?" Robin asks, her voice frail as a small tear slips from my eye and down onto the bed beneath me.

"I just didn't want anyone to be upset." I whimper, my eyes briefly catching Eddie's as he lowers himself down beside me on the bed, his fingers brushing my bloody ones. "I didn't want anyone to panic. I didn't want to ruin what we came here to do." I cry, feeling the panic and anxiety creep up on me as the tears finally pool over my eyes as my lip wobbles pathetically.

"I'm going to try to cover it, at least till we get to Eddie's trailer but..." Nancy trails off, the rest of the group looking to her but she doesn't offer a comforting or hopefully look, just something resembling fear and disbelief. "It's going to hurt." She warns but I give her a shrug, my eyes closing briefly as I give her a nod. "Alright. Steve, hold her down, Robin come over here and help me and, uh, Eddie-" She pauses, looking up at the disheveled man. "Distract her."

"Alright." He mutters, turning to me with glazed eyes and I feel as if he's not really looking at me but already out of touch from this situation. But I just reach down and slip my hand into his, bringing him back down from wherever he was. "You'd think the guy with the most to say would be helpful in this situation but." He laughs tearily as I smile sadly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, my eye lids growing heavier and heavier. "Hey, stop that. Eyes on me." He leans over me, his hand reaching up to rest on my cheek as he catches the stray tears, his gaze flickering back and forth between my eyes.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't do that. Not now, not yet." He says sternly, his jaw gritting as I huff out of frustrating, wanting nothing more than to apologize to him for being so hard on him this last year, for giving him constant shit when we probably should've been talking about our actual feelings towards each other.

"You know I never listen to you when you tell me what to do." I chuckle but it just forces me into a coughing fit, Eddie's hand cradling my jaw as I try desperately to get my breath as Nancy and Robin try to work on my wound.

"There she is! Good girl, that's it." He praises and I send him a tired eye roll. "If keeping you awake and talking means bullying me, I'll take it." My eyes widen briefly and, maybe it's the shock, but I find myself grinning up at him, even in such a horrible and scary situation, there's a part of me that finds comfort in him being so close to him.

"Oh I get a pass this time?"

"From now on, you get every pass."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Taglist: @bubblebuttwade @rafelover2405 @leslienjazzy @sorceresss @grxnde-dwt @alex–awesome–22 @bunnietoof @niyamar1e @serialghost @plantlungs @geniusohn @akaliltimmytim @lilaalouuxx @xshariex @elliotsbeigeguitar @elle4404 @lelieja @srhxpci @joselyn001 @taysirene @spinkspanther @thedivineuphoria @peter-maximoffs @tsukishimawhore @poohkie90 @szlaco @distantsighs @nstyles4299 @wolflover384 @givemefoodandlovesstuff @vane28282 @yeswhatever33 @amirrahfranson @vvaalleennttiinna @f-mu @yaspillz @jeyramarie @skylievin@abbybarnes17 @jointherebellion215 @visiondaddy

@steezysimfinds @its-ya-gay-boi-luigi @crunchytoenailsyum@glizzymcguirex @beth123lg @melovesmut @rafecameronswhore @ariianelle @write-from-the-heart @vampviolets@haylee-e@popehaywardssecretgf @honee-chai-tea @lokiandbuckywife @smoke-and-fire @officiallyunofficialperson@heyaitsklaudia@rosepetalsparks @bluetreecloud20 @scenesofobx @double-shot-of-tequila @1dluver13xx @colbysbrocks @iamasimpingh0e @smoke-and-fire386 @loveshineslikethesky @id-3-kbro @diorsitgirl @errorfound101-allideasburnedout @neverwillknowme18 @ellyskey @taylors-folk @loversjoy @myaloveee @thyris-is @lagataprrr @aaaaslaaaan @minjix @luvrosee @storytellingwitht @savageneversaw

#eddie #eddie x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #stranger things #stranger things fic

[chicgeekgirl89]

Love is Sitting on the Bathroom Floor

Fandom: 911 Lone Star

Characters: T.K. Strand, Carlos Reyes, Nancy Gillian, Mateo Chavez, Judd Ryder, Paul Strickland, Marjan Marwani

Summary: Firefighters and paramedics rarely turn down a free meal, something the 126 is about the regret as a violent case of food poisoning takes out *almost* the entire team. For the @badthingshappenbingo​ prompt: Food Poisoning.

CW: Heavy emeto warning on this one!

Read on AO3

The first gurgle in T.K.’s stomach is not a cause for concern. In fact, he barely notices it. They’re bringing a patient into the hospital, an elderly woman who took a spill, so his focus is on driving, not a stray growl from his abdomen.

“Patient is a seventy-five year old female, complaining of hip and lower back pain,” T.K. tells the ER team as they roll her inside on the gurney. 

“Vital signs?” the doctor asks.

T.K. waits for Nancy to answer since she’d been riding in the back with the patient, but she doesn’t say anything. When he looks over she’s just standing there, eyes slightly glazed. “Nance?” he prompts.

She shakes her head and seems to come back to herself. “Sorry, yeah,” she says and then rattles off the vitals for the team.

“You good?” T.K. asks a few minutes later as they grab some supplies to restock the rig. “You look kind of pale.”

Pale and slightly green with an odd glassiness in her eyes that definitely wasn’t there when they started this run. 

“Yeah,” she says, flashing him a strained looking smile. “Totally cool partner. All good to go.”

It’s quiet as they drive back to the station. The growl in T.K.’s stomach is intensifying, a pinching pain now accompanying it, and he unconsciously moves one hand off the wheel to press it against his abdomen, as if that will somehow alleviate his symptoms. He hopes they have Pepto Bismol or something stocked at the firehouse, because he’s growing more and more uncomfortable by the second.

“Pull over.”

Nancy’s hoarse request catches him off-guard, temporarily distracting him from the burbling in his intestines. “What?” he asks in confusion.

She makes a choked sound, clamping a hand over her mouth as her eyes go wide with panic and T.K. quickly steers them onto the shoulder without further questions.

Nancy opens her door and practically falls to the ground, the sound of retching filling the air. T.K. grimaces as the contents of her stomach empty out onto the pavement. It’s a very long minute before she climbs back into the rig, her hands shaking as she wipes at her mouth.

“Are you okay?” T.K. asks, slightly horrified. 

She shakes her head, eyes closed, breathing deeply through her nose. “Just get us back to the station.”

If she’d looked pale before, she looks like a ghost by the time they pull into their bay. He doesn’t even have the rig in park before she shoves the passenger door wide open and makes a run for the locker room.

His own feet hit the apparatus floor and his stomach gives an extremely unpleasant lurch. He pauses, swallowing hard. What the hell?

Rooting around in the back of the rig he finds a couple antacid pills, swallowing them down and hoping they work fast. They still have six hours of their shift left. Hopefully there’s some ginger ale or something in the fridge, he thinks as he wanders back into the station. Or maybe he’ll raid his dad’s secret stash of tea…

He’s nearly knocked off his feet when someone comes barging past him. “Mateo!” T.K. calls after him, throwing up his hands in annoyance. “Where’s the fire?”

He doesn’t get an answer, just yet another disappearance into the locker room. “What the hell?” he mutters to himself. “Guys, what’s up with Mate—“

He cuts himself off as he rounds the corner and finds what looks to be most of the 126 crew sprawled out across their common area. Every one of them looks like they’re dying. 

“What is going on here?” T.K. asks.

“Sick,” Judd grunts from where he’s leaned back in a recliner, one hand resting on his stomach, the other pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Everyone?” T.K. asks as he takes in the general malaise of the crew.

He gets small nods and grunts of agreement from around the room. “Everyone except Cap,” Marjan manages to tell him, her voice small and weak. She’s curled up on the floor next to the sofa, a trash can positioned by her head.

“Bout fifteen minutes after you left.” Paul is slumped over at the table, head pillowed on his arms. “First Mateo, then Marj, then all of us.”

How is that possible? They’d been fine before T.K. and Nancy had left on their call. T.K. racks his brain, trying to figure out how they’ve all fallen ill so quickly. “Lunch,” he finally says with dawning horror.

“Seems like,” Judd tells him with a shudder.

The department had catered for them today, a thank you for a massive fire they’d all worked for hours the week before. They’d had soup and sandwiches from a local deli. Everyone except…

“Where’s my dad?” he asks.

“Calling in the other shift,” Paul grunts out, not moving from his position on the table. He cracks one eyelid. “You’re not sick?”

“No,” T.K. says, although his stomach does choose that moment to give a massive lurch that has him wondering if he’ll be next in line for the toilet. “Nancy puked on our way back in though.”

“Do NOT say puked,” Marjan growls from her position on the floor, gagging dangerously after she does so.

Mateo slinks back into the room, eyes bloodshot and heavy as he curls up onto the couch. “I’m never eating again,” he moans into a throw pillow.

“Are we out of service then?” T.K. asks.

“Engine is. And if Nancy’s down, then ambo will have to be too,” Judd says.

He’s right. With Tommy out for the twins’ Girl Scouts event, they’re already a man down. He can’t run calls by himself. 

Nancy returns and collapses onto the couch, half on top of Mateo. “Move over,” she grunts.

“Hey, get your own couch,” he shoots back, but she glares daggers at him and he grudgingly makes room.

“All right,” Owen says as he strides into the room in a way that seems to flaunt his good health. “I’ve officially taken us out of service and A Shift is on their way in.” He catches a glimpse of Nancy and his face falls. “Oh no. Not you too.”

“Sorry Cap,” she croaks, curling up into the fetal position.

“I guess I will call dispatch back,” he says with a sigh before he look at T.K. “What about you? You’re still standing?”

“So far,” T.K. says.

His dad claps him on the shoulder. “It’s that good Strand constitution. Takes more than a little salmonella to take us down!”

“How come you’re not sick, Cap?” Mateo asks.

“Oh, I didn’t eat the department lunch,” Owen tells them as he walks to the fridge. “All that processed meat and packaged sugar? No thank you. Besides, I’m on a cleanse.” He grabs several bottles of water and places them next to each of his fallen team members. “Now the most important thing for food poisoning is to hydrate. We don’t want anyone going to the ER.”

His dad’s not wrong, but his insistence that everyone needs to drink something results in a round of vomiting so intense T.K. thinks he might do it too out of sympathy. The bubbling in his stomach is becoming more of a roiling snakes situation, but he ignores it. His dad can’t be the only working pair of hands right now.

“All right,” Owen says after everyone seems to be settling back down. “Time for you all to go home. This is a firehouse, not an emergency room.”

Grace arrives fifteen minutes later to take Judd home and Nancy’s roommate comes to pick up her and Mateo. Marjan pours herself into a friends’ car right after that, while Paul insists that he’s well enough to drive himself. T.K. wonders if he makes it all the way home without puking or if he has to stop every two minutes.

“Well kid, looks like it’s just you and me,” Owen tells him once the common room has emptied out.

“Mhm,” T.K. says, pressing his lips together firmly and swallowing hard as his stomach clenches threateningly. 

“Oh no,” Owen says sadly. “Not you too.”

“Sorry,” T.K. manages before he has to turn and make a run for it.

He spends an extremely unpleasant twenty minutes on the bathroom floor, thankful that his dad insists on such a rigid cleaning regimen, before he drags himself back to the bunk room and gingerly lays himself out on his bed. He should feel better after emptying his stomach, but somehow he feels worse. 

He’s shaky and sweaty and it’s like someone is repeatedly jabbing him with a knife in his gut. It’s not good and it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.

“T.K.?” 

Owen’s voice filters timidly through the haze of pain that T.K. is in. “I’m going to leave this herbal tea here for you. It’s got lots of antioxidants.”

“Thanks,” T.K. groans.

“Do you need anything? Another pillow or a blanket? I can see if we have some plain chicken broth or something. Oh! You know, I think I have some raw ginger around somewhere, maybe I can—“

“I’m fine Dad,” he grinds out.

“Okay, well, I’ll just, leave you be then. Try and…get some rest.”

T.K. would roll his eyes if he didn’t think the motion would make him puke. His dad’s bedside manner has always left a lot to be desired. When he was a kid, if T.K. got sick on his dad’s weekend, he was sent straight back to Gwyn’s apartment. He’s only gotten worse now that T.K. is an adult. 

He’s not sure how much time passes before he has to run to the bathroom again, probably fifteen minutes or so. Then it’s back to his bunk, praying that maybe he’ll fall asleep so some of the pain will go away.

He’s just collapsed back into bed when his dad returns. “Son, I’ve brought you some crackers,” he says. “The internet says to stay away from spicy foods, and these are pretty bland, so I think they’re okay. Also some ice chips. You should try just one at a time.”

“Anything I eat will come right back up,” T.K. croaks, burying his face in his pillow.

Owen looks him over. “Maybe I should feed them to you…”

T.K.’s stomach clenches and he lets out an involuntary moan, struggling to keep whatever’s still in there in place. 

“Okay, never mind, clearly you know best, paramedic and all that. Holler if you need anything!” his dad says, backing out of the room.

A small part of T.K. wonders if he should try to get himself home, but even the thought of moving makes him nauseous. There’s no way he can drive. 

The bed shifts as someone sits down on the edge of the mattress and then gentle fingers card through his hair. “Dad, go away,” he croaks, eyes still closed. Everything hurts and he doesn’t want anymore weird tea or unhelpful advice from WebMD.

“It’s me.”

He cracks an eyelid to find worried chocolate brown eyes looking down at him. “Carlos?” he says weakly. “What are you doing here?”

“Your dad texted. Something about it looking bad for him if a paramedic dies inside his firehouse,” he says, a soft smile on his lips. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

Getting to his feet is a struggle, even with Carlos’ strong, supportive arms. He’s dizzy and nauseated and he’s pretty sure he has a fever now too considering the chill that’s settled into his bones.

“Is everyone else this bad?” Carlos asks as they slowly walk to the car.

“Worse,” T.K. tells him and he can feel Carlos’ sympathetic grimace. “Wait, why do you have your dad’s truck instead of the Camaro?” he asks when they stop in front of a vehicle that is definitely not Carlos’.

“We traded for the day,” Carlos says casually, but T.K. knows a fib when he hears one. 

“Did you make your dad switch cars because you were afraid I would throw up in the Camaro?” T.K. asks, glaring at him with watery eyes as Carlos settles into the driver’s seat and hands him an emesis bag he clearly swiped from the station.

“Shh, you’re sick, don’t worry about the details,” Carlos says, a little too quickly, and it’s enough to confirm T.K.’s theory. His fiancé might be able to fool the bad guys he deals with every day, but he’s actually a pretty terrible liar. He decides that just to spite Carlos he won’t throw up for the entire ride home.

He makes it five minutes before his stomach clenches so painfully that he has to bend over and put his head between his knees to try and dull the pain. Carlos’ hand comes to rest on his back, a comforting, familiar weight. “You need me to pull over?” he asks, worry coloring his tone.

T.K. shakes his head. He just wants to get home. Also if he talks, he’s going to lose the battle with his stomach.

He makes it the entire ride and narrowly escapes barfing all over the hallway, taking himself straight to the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him. There’s nothing left to come up, but that doesn’t stop him from retching over the toilet until every muscle in his body is screaming at him.

When he’s done he curls into a ball on the bathroom tile, wishing that memories of being in similar positions on significantly less clean floors and in far sketchier locations weren’t coming to mind.

The door creaks open. “Do you want me to help you to bed or to the couch?” Carlos asks, his sneakers the only thing visible from T.K.’s position.

T.K. shakes his head. He can’t move. He’ll just end up back here again.

“T.K. you can’t stay here on the floor.”

“It’s fine,” he manages. 

Carlos sighs and then his feet disappear. T.K. rests his cheek against the tile, its chill making him shudder. This is going to be a miserable twenty-four hours.

Carlos’ footsteps return and something drops to the floor near T.K.’s head. He cranes his neck a little bit to see a couple pillows and a blanket and the next thing he knows, Carlos is sitting next to him on the floor, back resting against the wall.

“What are you doing?” T.K. asks, his voice raspy from so much gagging.

Carlos puts the pillow in his lap and pats it invitingly. “If you’re going to be in here then I’ll be in here with you,” he says.

T.K. squints up at him. “Are you serious?”

Carlos raises his eyebrows. “Do you really think I’d be sitting on the bathroom floor if I wasn’t?”

“You don’t have to. You should go Scotch Guard the couch or reorganize the spice cabinet again,” T.K. tells him.

“Is…that what you think I do when I’m home by myself? Never mind, don’t answer that,” Carlos tells him. “I’m not leaving you here alone. Come on.”

He gently takes hold of T.K.’s arm and tugs until he finally moves, sliding himself across the floor and resting his head on the pillow in Carlos’ lap. He has to admit, it’s definitely more comfortable than lying on the floor by himself. 

Carlos’ hand touches his forehead as he brushes his fingers through T.K.’s hair, and it makes him frown. “You feel warm.”

“I think I have a fever,” T.K. says with a shiver. “I might be dying.”

“You’re not dying.”

“I feel like I am,” he says miserably.

“How is that you’re more of a baby about a little food poisoning than you are about being shot?” Carlos asks, a wry smile on his face.

“Why are you being mean to me on my death bed?” T.K. asks him with a squinty eyed glare.

“I’m sorry, is me sitting on our bathroom floor with you in your time of need not showing you enough love?”

“Your bedside manner sucks,” T.K. grumbles, but he cuddles more deeply into Carlos’ lap anyway.

“I’ll try to work on it.” Carlos’ fingers drift over T.K.’s ear and down his cheek. “Let’s give it a half hour and then see if you can keep anything down, okay?”

That sounds like a terrible and painful idea, but T.K. nods in agreement. If he doesn’t start getting some fluids back into his body soon, he’s going to be in trouble.

“Thanks for coming to get me today,” he says as Carlos pulls a blanket over him, tucking it gently into place.

“I’ll always come get you,” Carlos promises. “And hold your hand, and clean up your barf…”

T.K. chuckles then groans in pain. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“Sorry,” Carlos says with a soft chuckle of his own. “You guys should sue the department. They could have killed an entire shift.”

“No good deed goes unpunished,” T.K. says between gritted teeth as his stomach clenches again.

“Well at least we get to spend some quality time together,” Carlos says, his voice soft and soothing. 

Despite the pain in his gut and the acrid taste in his mouth T.K. feels himself being lulled toward sleep by Carlos’ gentle care. “Are you going to stay here with me forever?” he mumbles as his eyes grow heavy.

Carlos presses a kiss to his hair. “Absolutely.”

#911 Lone Star #911lsfic #Tarlos Fic #TK Strand #Sick TK Strand #Vomiting #Puking #Carlos Reyes #Nancy Gillian #Mateo Chavez #Judd Ryder #Marjan Marwani #Paul Strickland #Owen Strand #Bad Things Happen Bingo #Food Poisoning

[bellakitse]

Take Me Back to the Start

“I thought our fight was going to be our last words to each other,” he whispers, his eyes filling up. “I’m so damn sorry, baby.”

Carlos looks into those green eyes, wet with unshed tears and relief, and frowns. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” he asks and watches with growing dread as those eyes widen with shock and fear.

+

Carlos is in a car accident and forgets the last three and half years of his life.

M | 15.4K | AO3

Everything hurts.

That’s the first real thought Carlos has as he squints up at the lights over his bed through sore eyes. He can’t remember ever aching this much everywhere at once. He’s pretty sure even his hair aches, something he didn’t think was medically possible, but here he is, lying on what he’s sure is a hospital bed, and everything fucking hurts.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he tries to take inventory of the damage. His head is pounding, and when he moves it, he feels a tug over his brow that tells him there is a bandage there. Looking down without trying to lift his head, he catches a glimpse of a soft cast on his left arm from his wrist to his elbow. He tries to sit up to take in the rest of his body, only to let out a hiss when his ribs scream in protest at his sudden movement. Focusing on his breathing, it takes him a second to realize there is someone else in the room with him with their hand on his shoulder, helping him lay back down.

“Hey, hey, hey, slowly, Carlos,” he’s told with a gentle but urgent voice. “You have three cracked ribs from the accident. You can’t be moving like that right now.”

“Accident?” he questions through gritted teeth waiting for the wave of pain to pass. He gets a wince in return for his question.

“You flipped your car,” is the answer he receives. “The roads were wet, and we think an animal crossed your path. You swerved to avoid it, lost control of the Camaro, went off the side of the road, and flipped.”

“Jesus,” he whispers. He clenches his right hand as he tries to recall the accident described to him and comes up empty.

“I really thought I lost you.”

He turns his head at the words, finding beautiful green eyes pained and worried as they stare back at him.

“When I got the call,” he continues, letting out a shaky breath while running an even more trembling hand through his brown hair. “I thought our fight was going to be our last words to each other,” he whispers, his eyes filling up. “I’m so damn sorry, baby.”

Carlos looks into those green eyes, wet with unshed tears and relief, and frowns. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” he asks and watches with growing dread as those eyes widen with shock and fear.

 ֎֎֎

 His retrograde amnesia, the doctors say, is brought on by his head injury during the accident. They have high hopes it’s temporary, but they can’t know for sure.

All they can do is wait, he’s told in hopeful tones, and while he can appreciate the optimism, all that means to Carlos right now is that he’s lost years of his life. He woke up thinking it was 2019, and instead, it’s 2023.

He gets the cliff notes version of the state of the world. Global pandemic in 2020, bad. Trump lost reelection, awesome. Michelle found Iris alive, a miracle. She left town to go help others like her sister, admirable.

The guy with the pretty green eyes sits in the corner of his hospital room silently while Carlos’ parents catch him up on things. Carlos’ eyes stray to him more than once, always finding his gaze on him as he nervously bites down on his lip.

“Do you know who TK is, son?” his father asks softly, turning towards the man in question. His mother has walked over to stand next to this TK, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as he flinches when Carlos shakes his head, letting them know he doesn’t.

It’s strange and frustrating. It’s evident by the sympathetic looks they give the stranger and how his mother rubs his back that the man is someone they care about. Someone who is connected to Carlos, and no one needs to say out loud how for him to read between the lines.

TK’s broken expression as he stares at him – what he’d said when Carlos first woke up, lets him know what he needs to know. He and TK are involved.

That part isn’t necessarily shocking. His life might be suddenly turned upside down and his memory in shambles, but he has eyes, and TK is breathtakingly beautiful. He imagines that he took one look into those pretty green eyes and lost all thought of anything else.

What’s hard to imagine is a relationship where his parents are obviously well acquainted with someone he’s involved with.

“I don’t remember,” he says softly, feeling horrible at the choked sound TK lets out as he stands up from his chair. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, staring at the man across the room with regret.

“It’s okay,” TK answers with a wobbly smile that fools no one in the room. Finally, he exhales loudly, his eyes straying for the door. “I think I need some air,” he says, already turning on his heel, ignoring Carlos’ parents when they both say his name, leaving them alone in Carlos’ room.

“I’m sorry,” Carlos repeats quietly as the room is left in silence after TK’s abrupt exit.

His mother comes over to him while his father shakes his head at him. “Don’t apologize, mijo,” he says gently. “This isn’t your fault, and no one understands that better than TK. No one blames you for this.”

“He’s hurting,” Carlos points out. He might not remember TK, but the man’s expression hides nothing. On the contrary, his pain has been visible since the moment Carlos first opened his eyes.

“He loves you, Carlitos,” his mother says instead of denying his words. Her expression is achingly sad as she takes his hand, giving it a soft pat. “And he’s scared.”

Carlos doesn’t say out loud he’s scared too. There is a gaping hole in his memory in the shape of a man his mother claims loves him, a man who pulls at him in a way he can’t understand, and Carlos is terrified he’ll never know if he can’t remember him.

 ֎֎֎

 A slew of unfamiliar faces visits him. Paul, Marjan, Nancy, Mateo, Tommy, and TK’s father, Owen. He politely answers when they ask him how he’s doing and apologizes when he has trouble remembering their names. He gets waved off in return as they smile compassionately and tell him they’re just glad he’s okay. That it doesn’t matter that he doesn’t know them even though they’re supposedly his friends – they’re just happy he’s alive.

He gets visited by Judd and Grace Ryder, and while he does remember them, it startles him to realize they are his friends now too. He remembers Judd from the 126 and is struck when he’s told the old crew is all gone. He can’t imagine what that must have been like for Judd, and he tells him so.

The tall man gives him a saddened smile that tells Carlos it’s still a pain that lingers. Judd tells him having his new team helps with that grief and how thankful he is that Owen and TK Strand decided to come to Austin years ago to rebuild the firehouse, giving Judd and the others a new family.

He sits up straighter at the mention of TK. He hasn’t seen much of him in the last few days, at least not while he’s awake. The guy is obviously giving Carlos space, but Carlos has caught him more than once at night when he is half-asleep checking in on him.

Carlos has taken to playing possum to not scare him off.

“Is that how we met?” he asks Judd. “Me and TK,” he clears up when Judd gives him a confused squint of his eyes. “Did he and I meet on the job?”

Judd and Grace share a look between each other.

“You really don’t remember anything about him, sweetheart?” Grace asks softly, her eyes pitying when he shakes his head.

“Man, I can’t imagine what that must feel like,” Judd says with a harsh exhale. “Poor kid must be losing his mind without you.”

He must make a face at that because Grace elbows Judd in his side hard in response.

“Not that it’s your fault, man,” Judd rushes to comfort him. “This was just really shitty luck. But you and TK have been through worse. You’ll get through this.”

Carlos swallows hard at the conviction in his friend’s voice. “My mother says he loves me,” he questions, still having a hard time believing it himself. While parts are missing from his mind, he does remember that there was never anyone serious in his life. No one who stuck around long enough for him to love, let alone love him back.

“He does, very much,” Grace says with a smile on her pretty face. “And you love him back just as much.”

“You’re actually pretty sickeningly cute together,” Judd tells him. “Always in your own little world where only the two of you exist,” he continues, getting a fond eye-roll from his wife. “It makes the rest of us want to pour water over the two of you, but after three years, we’ve learned to live with it.”

“Judson,” Grace scolds her husband softly, but Carlos tunes them out as he files away another piece of the puzzle.

Three years.

 ֎֎֎

 He gets discharged from the hospital two weeks later. His ribs are bruised but healing, as is his arm. The scratches and bruises on his body are mostly faded. He greets the news of his release with barely restrained glee – already half out of his mind after spending so many days in the hospital.

“You’ll come stay with us, Carlitos,” his mother says with a smile that feels over the top. “It will be so nice to spoil you.”

He looks from her to his father and then finally to TK, who is actually there during his waking hours for once. He takes in his rod-straight posture as he stands at the end of his bed, his jaw clenched.

Carlos raises an eyebrow at him. “You’re okay with me going home with my parents and not you?” he challenges, barely holding back a sharp grin when it startles the man in question.

“I want you to feel comfortable,” TK answers after a moment.

“You’re my boyfriend,” he shoots back, only slightly stumbling over the last word. “I should be comfortable with you, shouldn’t I?”

“You don’t know me,” TK points out, his jaw tightening even further, and Carlos has the urge to touch at the edges, to run his thumb over the smooth-looking skin until TK stops grinding his teeth.

Instead of soothing him, though, Carlos shrugs a shoulder at him, seeming more unbothered than he actually feels. “Maybe if you didn’t just visit me when you think I’m asleep these last two weeks, I’d know you.”

TK’s mouth drops, his eyes going wide as he sputters, and Carlos has to ignore the little vicious voice in his head that cheers at the reaction. Instead, he turns to his parents, giving them a shake of his head.

“If I’m going to remember my life, then I should probably start living that life,” he reasons, holding up a hand when his mother tries to speak. “And as far as I know, I wasn’t living with my parents when the accident happened,” he lets the statement hang, waiting to see if anyone will correct him. “I thought so. I’m going home, to my home.”

He looks back over at TK, finding his eyes locked on him once more. There is so much going on behind those eyes. Too much for Carlos to read it all when the man continues to be a stranger to him, but there is one thing Carlos does recognize. Tentative hope.

“So,” he starts, raising his eyebrow once more as he drags out the word. “Are you gonna give me a ride back to our place or not?”

 ֎֎֎

 “This isn’t the way home,” he points out the next day from the passenger’s seat of TK’s Ranger. The ride has been mostly silent except for the radio playing. His discharge had also been quiet, his parents doing most of the talking while they waited for his doctors to sign off on his papers. They’d made TK and him promise to call if they needed anything while also letting them know they would be checking in on them often. “You missed the turn on Lynwood,” he says, pointing back at the avenue.

TK makes a face, something very much like a grimace. “Yeah,” he starts to say slowly. “We don’t live there anymore – haven’t for a while actually.”

“We moved?” he questions, surprised. His place had been big enough for two people. More than enough for a couple just starting to live together. “Did you not like it?”

“I loved that house,” TK answers, turning to look at him. “I was so happy when you asked me to move in,” he continues softly. He gives him a sad smile. “But there was a fire, and we lost it.”

“A fire?” he repeats, swallowing hard at the sudden inexplicable fear he feels. TK looks over at him again, going instantly on alert. He takes a hand off the wheel, reaching halfway towards Carlos before coming to a halt.

Carlos watches as the hand hangs mid-air for a moment, feeling a twinge under his ribcage when TK drops it back on his lap instead of touching Carlos.

“We were in it,” he realizes, sure of it as something flashes through his mind, and he swears he can feel the heat and smell the smoke.

TK bites down on his bottom lip, his eyes focused on the road. Then, finally, he gives him a sharp nod but says nothing.

“We almost didn’t make it,” he continues, exhaling slowly, trying to bring his racing heart back down. “It messed me up for a while, didn’t it?”

TK pulls into a quiet street with modest two-story houses. He passes four of them before turning into the driveway of a moss-green house with a brown roof. Turning off the car, TK twists in his seat to look at him. “It did,” he answers honestly. “It got really close, and we almost didn’t make it out. We were shaken up for a long time, and as a result, there is a fire extinguisher in just about every room of this house, which you have me check to make sure they’re all in working order every couple of months.”

TK lets out a breath, raising a hand to run it through his hair. “But we got through it, and we found this place,” he points at the house. “And we fell in love with making new memories in it.”

Memories Carlos can’t remember. Neither have to say it out loud; the words ring out through the car regardless.

“It’s green,” he points out for lack of anything else to say. TK smiles, and for the first time since Carlos opened his eyes, it’s not brittle at the edges.

“To match my eyes,” he says softly, his voice sounding far away. He shrugs at him when Carlos gives him a questioning glance. “Your words, man,” he says, smiling again when Carlos wrinkles his nose at him. “Yeah, you’re kind of a sap that way. Come on.”

Carlos follows TK out of the car and up the steps of the house. Standing on the porch, he spots a swing. “My parents’ house has one of those,” he points at the padded bench. “I always wanted one for my house too.”

“I know,” TK says with a slight smile as he looks over at the porch swing. “You told me when we were looking for a new place to live. So I had it installed a few days before we officially moved in to surprise you.”

TK’s smile grows as he gets lost in the memory. “We spent most of our first night here on it instead of opening boxes. Eventually, I started to fall asleep on you, and you – “

TK trails off frowning, shaking his head at himself as he turns back to open the door.

“I what?” he asks. He puts his hand on TK’s forearm to keep him from turning the lock, swallowing when TK’s eyes thunder up to look at him, surprised by his touch. Carlos realizes he hasn’t done that before and resists the instinct to take his hand off. “I what, TK?” he asks again, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You carried me inside and put me to bed,” TK whispers back. He blinks, but that doesn’t keep Carlos from seeing the sudden sheen in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he turns towards the door once more, opening it. “You’ve always been really good about taking care of me.”

TK takes a step forward, and Carlos lets his hold on him slip away. Following him, he finds himself in the middle of a living room painted in light colors instead of the dark walls he remembers from his other place. There are pictures and knick-knacks everywhere, plants at each corner of the room. The place looks well lived-in and busier than his usual style. His face must show some of what he’s thinking because TK snickers.

“Yeah,” he says with a smirk. “It took you a while to get used to my particular brand of chaos.”

Carlos walks over to the fireplace, finding it full of little trinkets. “This is all you?” he questions.

“You have bought me a lot of them,” TK answers with a shrug. He points at a small bronze bee next to a detailed firetruck. “That one you got for me because you thought it matched my tattoo.”

Carlos raises an eyebrow at him as TK just shrugs at him again.

“Like I said, you’ve gotten used to my love for random stuff.”

“You mean I’ve gotten used to the fact that you’re a hoarder,” he tells him, smiling when TK lets out an offended gasp.

“Rude,” TK grumbles, but Carlos is pleased to see it’s said with a smile. TK hasn’t done much of that around him, understandably, and it makes Carlos ridiculously happy to be the cause of it now. It must show by the way TK’s expression softens as he looks at him.

“Do you want me to show you the rest of the house, or do you want to eat something first?” he asks, tilting his head to the side. “You haven’t eaten since the hospital this morning.”

“I could eat,” Carlos answers with a nod, his stomach grumbling at the suggestion. All he had this morning was the muffin on his food tray, too anxious to leave the hospital to eat anything else.

TK nods for him to follow him, leading him towards the kitchen. “You’re in luck. Grace dropped off a casserole last night, so you won’t be subjected to my cooking.”

Carlos leans against a marble counter, looking around at the beautiful kitchen, not a pot out of place, and knows instantly it’s his domain.

“You don’t cook?” he asks, getting a face back as TK pulls a glass dish out of the fridge.

“I mean, I wouldn’t starve,” he says as he turns on the oven, flashing him an amused grin over his shoulder. “And I have picked up some tricks from you. But we’ve both agreed it’s safer for our house and stomachs if you do the bulk of the cooking.”

Carlos smiles at the comment, entertained by it.

“This will take a bit to heat up,” TK gestures towards the oven. “Let me show you the upstairs.”

Carlos nods, trailing TK back out of the kitchen and up a set of stairs. He follows him as he shows him a room that seems to be part guestroom, part library, before continuing towards the end of the hall towards a master bedroom with a large bathroom attached.

“This bedroom is yours. I’ll be sleeping in the other room for now,” TK comments, standing back as Carlos looks around. From the open closet displaying their clothes together to the top of a black drawer with a series of pictures of them. Everything about the room tells the story of their life together.

Carlos picks up a picture frame. In it is a picture of him and TK on vacation going off the beach in the background. TK has a big silly hat on and a coconut drink in his hand, while Carlos has his arm wrapped around him, pressing a kiss into the man’s cheek. Both are smiling wide.

“That was Cancun a year ago,” TK says softly as he comes to stand next to him, looking down at the picture with him. “I surprised you with the trip and had to practically tape my mouth shut to not spill the beans before everything was ready. I’m not very good at keeping secrets, much less from you.”

Carlos looks over at TK, giving him a once-over. “You have no poker face,” he realizes, sure of it. TK proves him right by the startled look he gives him, letting out a huff a moment later.

“You always say that,” he tells him with an eye roll. “I just don’t see a reason to keep anything from my best friend and the love of my life.”

Carlos’ breath catches at TK’s description of him. “Is that what I am to you?”

“Yes,” TK answers without hesitation.

“We look so happy,” he says as he looks back down at the picture. There is no doubt in his mind as he looks at their smiles that he is in love with the man in the photograph.

“We are happy,” TK answers. He wavers for a second but then covers his hand holding the frame, and Carlos feels a shock go through him at the touch. “We have our moments like any other couple, sure, but we’re so damn happy, Carlos.”

Carlos twists towards TK, turning his hand to hold onto his. “I’m sorry,” he blurts out desperately, blinking back the stinging in his eyes at the loss he feels acutely, even if he can’t recall what he’s lost. “I’m sorry I can’t remember us.”

TK shakes his head at him, pulling him into his arms, careful of Carlos’ cast. “This is not your fault,” TK whispers firmly in his ear as he cradles the back of his head. Carlos sinks into his embrace, taking comfort in it. “We’re going to figure this out, Carlos,” TK continues as he pulls back to look at him. “I’m not saying it’s easy to look in your eyes and see very little recognition, but I’m not giving up on you or us.”

Carlos doesn’t know what to say to that, and it seems he doesn’t have to. TK gives him a small smile, pulling out of their hug while Carlos has to bite his tongue to keep from protesting as he loses TK’s touch, leaving him feeling cold.

“Come on,” he says softly, taking a step back. “The casserole should be warmed up by now.”

He follows TK back downstairs, watching him as he moves around their kitchen, serving up their meal, grabbing glasses when he points at the cabinet where they’re kept.

They sit down to eat the casserole quietly. It’s good, but Carlos barely tastes it, more preoccupied with sneaking looks at TK.

“You’re burning holes into me, Reyes,” TK says dryly as he looks up from his plate. “You know you can ask me whatever you want, right?” he questions gently. “I’m an open book. You just have to ask.”

“How did we meet?” Carlos questions instantly, dozens of questions ready to go on the tip of his tongue. TK seems to realize this by the smile on his face.

“On the job,” he says softly. “There was a car accident, a mother and son. We were the answering firehouse; you were the cop on the scene.”

“How long have you been a firefighter?” he asks, causing TK to wrinkle his nose at him.

“I’m not one anymore,” he answers. “I was one for over seven years between New York and here. But after almost a year in Austin, I switched from Fire to Rescue. I’m a paramedic now with Nancy and Tommy. You met them, right?”

Carlos nods, recalling the two women visiting him at the hospital.

“Tommy is my Captain, Nancy, my partner,” he continues with a smile that speaks of fondness for the women in question. “I became a firefighter in large part because I wanted to be like my dad, and I loved being one, but I always felt like something was missing. Becoming a paramedic was like finding the missing piece to the puzzle, you know?”

Carlos gives TK an understanding look, pausing for a moment before he asks his next question. “Did I ask you out, or did you ask me out?”

“Oh man,” TK chuckles, his cheeks turning slightly pink. Reaching for his glass, he takes a sip of water. “You need to understand that we didn’t start so easily as going on a date.”

Carlos raises an eyebrow at that, earning another smile from TK, this one bashful.

“Okay,” he starts, exhaling loudly. “So our story goes like this – ”

Carlos listens as TK tells him of Michelle inviting his team to the local honky-tonk after rescuing the mother and child from the car accident. He tells him about Carlos walking up to him in a ridiculously tight shirt and asking him to dance. He blushes as TK shoots him a look, telling him he looked so hot. And blushes even further when TK tells him of the two of them sneaking off to make out in the bar bathroom, exchanging numbers after kissing each other senselessly before seeing each other two days later and having sex on the floor of Carlos’ old living room.

“Not much time for courting,” he says dryly, unable to keep the smile off his face as TK grins back at him.

“In your defense, you did try to court me,” TK says gently, affection shining in his eyes. “You invited me to a midnight dinner the next night.”

“Oh,” Carlos says, relieved. “That’s better.”

TK winces slightly in return.

“Or not?” he questions, getting a nod back from TK.

“I kind of freaked out on you,” he says, looking deeply sorry. Carlos can’t imagine it could have been so bad if three years later they’re still together, but he waits for TK to explain.

“I had gone through a horrible breakup back home – I was getting ready to propose, and he was cheating on me with some guy from the gym. I wasn’t looking for anything other than some harmless sex, so when you made this lovely dinner for me with flowers and candles, and you looking so fine in a dress shirt and slacks. I turned into a jerk, and the dinner was a bust.”

Carlos quietly processes what TK has just told him. He feels a pang in his chest at the knowledge that TK loved someone else enough to consider marriage. He scoffs quietly at the silly jealousy he feels from it. It’s completely ridiculous to be jealous of some random man from TK’s past when TK is here now in their home with him. He tries not to think too hard about what it means to feel this way when TK is still essentially a stranger to him.

“How did we recover from that?”

TK cringes again, and Carlos has to keep from reaching out and poking his nose as it wrinkles adorably.

“I got arrested, and you were the officer to process me?” TK says in the form of a question, groaning when Carlos’ eyebrows both go up.

“That sounds like a conflict of interest.”

“That’s what I said to you!” TK exclaims, waving a hand at him. “Thank you for finally agreeing with me!”

“Maybe I made sure to get your paperwork when you were brought in,” he suggests, theorizing.

“Do you think you would do that?” TK questions curiously.

“If I really liked you and wanted a reason to talk to you, sure,” he shrugs, knowing that while he’s usually a by-the-book cop, he has an impulsive streak. “And something tells me I did like you enough to do that.”

TK looks away from him, but it doesn’t hide his pleased smile from Carlos. He feels warmed by it again, and wonders just how many times over the years has TK’s smile caused his stomach to flutter.

“So how did getting arrested help us after that dinner gone wrong?” he asks, clearing his throat. “And what did you get arrested for?”

“A bar fight,” TK answers, wincing when he shoots him an unimpressed look. “I know, I know. It was stupid, and trust me, you let me know how stupid you thought it was. But like I said, I was going through a bad breakup, I had relapsed on substances as a result, and I was looking for something to keep my mind off my life being shit that wasn’t alcohol or pills.”

TK sneaks a look at him, holding his breath as he waits for him to react to his confession.

“Are you okay now?” he asks softly, letting out a sigh when TK nods.

“I haven’t used since my relapse,” he answers. “There have been moments of struggle, but I have overcome them.”

“I’m proud of you, TK,” he says as he reaches for his hand, not sure if it’s his place but unable to stop himself.

TK gives him a slight quirk of his lips. “You always say that,” he whispers, offering his hand a squeeze. “And I’ll remind you now that you’re a big reason for my continued sobriety.”

“No – “ he starts to shake his head, freezing when TK grips his hand that much tighter.

“Yes,” TK answers firmly. “You are my biggest champion. Your unwavering faith in me has saved me so many times, sweetheart. I know you don’t remember it now, but you need to know that.”

 ֎֎֎

 TK leaves for the basement after they finish their meal, claiming a need to do laundry. Really Carlos thinks he’s giving him space after the emotionally packed conversation they shared. Either way, Carlos takes the reprieve he’s given. He calls his mother to check in, assuring her he and TK are okay.

She gives him a loaded ‘hmm’ and an amused ‘nothing’ when he asks what’s that about.

After ending the call, he wanders around the house some more. It’s hard to find pieces of the life he does remember, but he figures losing everything in a fire will do that. He takes his time looking at the rest of the pictures around the house. He and TK are attached at the hip in just about all of them, more often than not smiling at each other instead of the camera.

TK comes back upstairs an hour later with a basket full of clean clothes. “Fresh towels,” he proclaims happily. “Just the way you like it for your showers,” he smiles before giving him a curious look. “We’ll have to wrap your arm with plastic for that – are you okay?”

Carlos nods, pointing at the framed photos on the wall. “Just looking,” he answers, pausing as something comes to mind for the first time and feeling silly for it. “Hey, do you know what happened to my phone?”

“It got wrecked in the accident,” TK answers as he crosses towards a cabinet. “But I got it replaced for you, and made sure everything was backed up from the cloud.”

He takes the phone from him, looking at it, and then looks back up at TK, who smiles back at him a little awkwardly. “Your passcode is my birthday,” he answers, rattling off the numbers to him before leaving the room again, heading upstairs with the laundry in hand.

“I really am a sap,” he mumbles to himself, punching in the code. He looks through his old messages first. Some are from his partner Mitchell, there is a recipe link from Paul, and a group message between him, his parents, TK’s father, and TK himself about dinner plans from over a month ago. The conversation between him and TK is endless, with many ‘I love yous’ and ‘be safe’ exchanged. There are also teasing remarks – quite a few racy enough to make his ears feel hot.

He turns to his camera roll and scoffs at himself at the sheer amount of pictures of TK in it.

“What’s that noise for?” TK questions coming back into the living room.

“I might be your stalker,” he answers, waving his phone when TK raises an eyebrow at him. “Pretty sure 90% of my phone is pictures of you, so yeah,” he points a finger at himself. “Stalker.”

TK lets out a laugh, throwing his head back, and Carlos can’t help but stare, transfixed by the image of him. It’s almost unfair how beautiful he is without even trying.

Looking back at him, Carlos can see his green eyes sparkle with amusement.

“You should see my phone,” he says unbothered. “It’s all you, all the time. Nancy teases the crap out of me for it. So we’re pretty even on that front, don’t worry.”

“There are some dirty messages from you here,” he tells him, biting down on his lip when it makes TK smirk, even as he turns a rosy pink.

“I would bet my car that there are more than just dirty messages saved in there from me,” he answers, his smirk growing filthier as Carlos’ eyes widen. “Sometimes you work nights, and I get bored without you,” he tells him, his blush growing stronger. “Bet you haven’t found those pictures yet.”

No, but he sure as hell plans on finding them later when he’s alone, he thinks, going hot himself at the thought. “So you like to tease me,” he questions, earning himself a suggestive chuckle in return.

“As I like to tell you when you call me a tease. It’s not teasing if I deliver,” TK points out, grin firmly in place. “And I always do.”

“Of all the things to forget,” Carlos grumbles, mostly at himself.

TK’s smile slips away, a flash of pain crossing his face before he can hide it away. “It will come back,” he says softly.

Carlos tilts his head, studying him. “You sound so sure.”

TK gives him a gentle shrug of his shoulder in return. “When it comes to us against whatever crap the world throws at us, I’ll place my bet on you and me every single time.”

 ֎֎֎

 Carlos is in the bedroom waiting for TK to finish his shower before he can hop in himself. He smiles as he hears TK sing some song horribly off-key.

“Hey, rockstar,” he calls out when he hears the water shut off, grinning as TK lets out a shouted curse in surprise. He probably figured Carlos was still downstairs. “When you’re done with your concert, can you help me wrap my cast?”

He hears more muffled grumbling that causes him to chuckle at least until TK opens the door. His laughter halting in his throat as he takes in his boyfriend in nothing more than a towel, his chest bare with water droplets running down his defined abs.

“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” he scolds him with a pout on his face that has no right being as charming as it is.

“I understand how we fell into bed so quickly,” he blurts out, blushing as TK raises a questioning eyebrow at him. “You’re stunning,” he continues, unable to hold back the thought. “I must have taken one look at you and just fallen head over heels for you.”

TK stares at him for a moment before shaking his head, a small reluctant smile taking over his face. “Leave it to you to have no memory of us and still manage to be ridiculously romantic,” he huffs, chuckling softly to himself. “You’re dangerous, Reyes.”

“I’m sorry,” Carlos apologizes, feeling awkward. “I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

TK crosses the room, coming to sit down next to him on the bed. “The fact that you’re still attracted to me doesn’t make me uncomfortable. On the contrary, it gives me hope,” he tells him with a half-smile. “Hope that you’ll come back to me here,” he says, tapping a finger against Carlos’ temple. “And here,” he brings his hand down to tap against Carlos’ chest over his heart.

“Don’t give up on me,” Carlos whispers, and even he can hear the pleading quality in his voice.

“Never,” TK answers gently, his green eyes bright and hopeful, and Carlos might not know him well, but he can see the love he feels for him in those eyes – it leaves him breathless. He realizes with a start how badly he wants to lean in, to close the gap between him and TK and see if tasting him will trigger the memories he so desperately wants back. He realizes with alarming clarity that even if he doesn’t remember, he very much wants to know if TK tastes as sweet as he seems.

He takes too long deciding, and when he shifts an inch closer, TK is already grabbing the plastic and medical tape he has on the bed.

“Now, let’s get this wrapped so you can shower,” he says sweetly, reaching for Carlos’ arm. “You’re probably tired after the long day. I bet you go right to sleep afterwards.”

Carlos thinks sleep is probably not coming with his swirling thoughts, but he gives TK a nod anyway.

“I’m going to the farmer’s market tomorrow morning,” TK continues once his arm is wrapped up. “We usually go together on our days off. Think you’re up for it?” he asks, giving Carlos a hopeful look.

Carlos nods again, wanting to keep that look on TK’s face and the bright smile that follows.

“That sounds nice.”

 ֎֎֎

 Carlos leans against the kitchen counter, staring through tired eyes as the coffee machine spits out a robust Colombian roast. Sleep, like he had expected, had been hard to come by the night before, with too many thoughts and too much space in his bed for him to settle in right. He might not remember sleeping with TK in their bed, but he has a feeling his body does, and it rebelled at the idea of TK being in another room away from him.

More than once last night, he had given serious thought to walking over to the guest room and begging TK to come sleep beside him. He hadn’t, and instead spent the night twisting and turning, flashes of moments running through his mind too fast to make a complete picture. It frustrates him while also giving him hope being home with TK will trigger his memories.

He hears footsteps coming down the stairs and turns his head just in time to see a sleepy, shirtless TK come into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and grumbling.

“Need. Coffee. Now,” he mumbles, passing him, going straight for the coffee maker, only to let out a whine when he sees the pot is nowhere near ready.

“Good morning,” he says dryly, a smile tugging on his face at the adorable image TK makes, pout in full display as he turns to acknowledge him.

“Coffee,” he demands once more.

Carlos opens his mouth to tease him, stopping short as something comes back to him instantly.

He’s in the middle of bringing his cup to his lips when he feels TK slide up behind him, his arms going around his waist, his face tucked between his shoulder blades.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he says fondly, twisting in TK’s hold to turn to him, smiling at his sleepy expression.

“Woke up without you,” TK pouts, his green eyes narrowed. “On our day off. That’s illegal; arrest yourself right now.”

“If I arrest myself, we can’t spend the day together,” he points out, chuckling as TK gives him a dry look.

“Maybe I just want you in handcuffs,” TK quips, a teasing smile playing on his lips when Carlos raises an eyebrow at him.

“We can play that game if you want. It was a lot of fun the last time,” he challenges back with a smirk of his own when TK lets out a sharp breath at his answer.

“Too early for this,” TK grumbles, his cheeks a pretty pink. “Need coffee.”

“If you let me go, I can get you a cup,” he offers, waiting as TK considers. Finally, his boyfriend shakes his head.

“Nope,” he answers, tucking his face into Carlos’ shoulder, pressing a kiss to his collarbone. “This is better anyway.”

“Hey,” TK snaps his fingers softly in front of his face. When Carlos focuses on him, he finds him looking at him with a curious and slightly worried expression. “Are you okay? Where did you go?”

“Nowhere,” he answers, trying to give TK a smile to ease his worry while inside, he’s reeling. The memory had been as clear as TK standing in front of him now, but more than that, he can remember what he’d been feeling at that moment. The love and adoration he felt for the man in his arms, not wanting to let him go even for a cup of coffee.

“Are you sure?” TK asks again, still concerned.

“Yeah,” he says again, this time his smile coming out a little easier as he wraps himself in the feelings caused by the memory. “Are we still going to the farmer’s market today?”

“Sure,” TK answers as he walks over to the coffee pot that is now full. He pulls out two mugs, pouring them both a cup. “If you’re up to it, that is.”

“I am,” he answers, taking the cup TK offers him. “I thought I could cook this evening,” he suggests, waving his cast at him. “With your help.”

TK shoots him a grin. “Sure, it should be fun to watch you bite your lip to keep from telling me I’m chopping the wrong way.”

“Do you chop the wrong way?” he questions, suddenly concerned.

TK shrugs a shoulder at him. “You seem to think so. You’re always warning me I’m going to cut myself and hover over me like the worrywart you are.”

“I’m suddenly reconsidering letting you help me,” he says honestly, getting another playful grin from TK.

“Too late,” he chirps. “I’m helping. Now I’m gonna head for the shower. We can grab breakfast at this bakery we like near the market.”

Carlos nods in agreement as TK starts to leave the kitchen. He’s about to let him pass when he notices a scar near TK’s left shoulder. “Hey, what is that?” he stops him, bringing a hand to the spot, running a thumb over it. He hears TK’s breath catch, but he ignores it as he realizes with a start what he’s looking at. “Is this a bullet wound, TK?” he asks, his voice coming out higher than usual.

He stares at TK with wide eyes as the man lets out a wince.

“Yeah…see what happened was – “

 ֎֎֎

 “So you’re telling me you have been shot at and kidnapped?” he questions for the third time since TK finished retelling him his unfortunate work calls. Since then, they’ve stopped by the bakery TK mentioned, bought their breakfast – a spinach pie for him and a cherry cheese Danish for TK, and now are walking around the market, reusable grocery bags in hand. Carlos is still at a loss, having trouble understanding how TK can recall the moments so calmly. When Carlos on the other hand, is quietly freaking out and wondering how to hide TK away from the world hellbent on injuring him.

“Yes,” TK answers simply, lifting his hand to offer him half his Danish. “Trade? We usually do because you like the last taste in your mouth to be sweet.”

He distractedly takes the offered pastry, giving TK the last bit of his pie.

“Do I have blood pressure issues?” he questions, looking over at TK as he pops the last bit of food in his mouth. “I feel like I have to because my BP is skyrocketing right now.”

“So dramatic,” TK scoffs, rolling his pretty eyes at him. “As if I would let you have high blood pressure. My dad is a health nut. If you had a high BP, there would be no salt in the house,” he continues with a cheeky smile that makes Carlos huff.

“Cute,” he says sarcastically. “Have I tried to bubblewrap you? I think drastic measures need to be taken here to keep you safe.”

He winces as his voice goes a little manic at the end there, causing TK to stop walking, the amused but exasperated smile on his face dropping.

“Hey,” he starts softly, reaching out to touch Carlos’ wrist, pressing the pads of his fingers against his pulse point, squeezing gently, helping Carlos center himself. “I’m okay,” he says slowly, his eyes locking with Carlos’.

“Yes, they were scary moments, ones I would rather not repeat. But when I was shot, you were there every day waiting for me to wake up.” TK squeezes his wrist again, making sure he’s listening. “And when I got kidnapped, you figured out where we were, and you rescued me.”

“I did?” he asks breathlessly. Leave it to TK to get to the root of Carlos’ freak out. The thought of TK hurt or in danger and Carlos helpless to save him.

“You did,” TK answers. He lets go of Carlos’ wrist, but Carlos instinctively takes his hand before he can get too far.

“Is this okay?” he whispers, holding his breath as he waits for TK to decide if he should pull his hand away or not. He watches his eyes flicker between their joined hands and Carlos’ face, a flash of something too close to sorrow playing over his features for a second. He’s just about to pull away himself and apologize to TK when he links their fingers together, giving Carlos a slight smile.

“Yeah, sweetheart, of course it’s okay,” he whispers back, his smile more honest and less pained. “Take this as a blanket invitation to touch me when you want or need, okay?”

Carlos startles at the offer, staring at TK as he looks back at him.

TK shakes his head softly at him. He reaches up, touching Carlos’ temple gently with his other hand. “This is hard for me,” he admits, brushing one of Carlos’ curls into place. “But I can’t even begin to imagine what’s going on in your head. How scared you must be to have all these missing pieces in your memory. So yeah, Carlos, if holding my hand brings you any kind of comfort, if touching me helps center you, feel free to touch me anytime the urge hits.”

Carlos can’t speak in the face of such an offer when he knows TK hurts every moment Carlos doesn’t remember their life together.

“That might not be fair to you.”

TK gives him another gentle smile, his eyes shining with what Carlos can only call love. “You let me worry about what’s fair to me,” he tells him before wrinkling his nose at him sweetly. “Besides, I’ve never said no to your hands on me, and I’m not about to start now.”

They stay like that, neither moving as they get lost in the moment. It’s only when a sharp whistle pierces the air that TK breaks their eye contact, twisting around to find the source. Carlos doesn’t recognize the elderly woman waving at them from a few stalls away, but TK obviously does by the low noise he lets out.

“Shit,” he mutters, looking back at him. “That’s Martha; we buy jam and honey from her. She’s very old and very sweet and is extremely fond of us. She’s gonna take one look at your arm and fuss, and if we tell her about your memory issues – “

“She’s not going to take it too well?” Carlos finishes for him, getting a nod in return. “Okay,” he says, understanding TK is suggesting they pretend everything is fine. “Martha, you said?”

“Yeah,” TK bites down on his lip nervously.

Carlos gives TK’s fingers a gentle tug. “Let’s go say hello and get some jam. Does she have apricot?” he questions as they start to make their way over to her stall.

TK lets out a breath, smiling slightly as he leans into Carlos’ side. “Yes, she has apricot jam, which she always lets you taste even though we buy it from her all the time.”

“I like her already,” he says honestly. He can see the woman better now. He can see the happy smile on her face as they approach, followed by concern as her eyes stray to his arm.

“Carlos Reyes,” she gasps once they are close enough. “What in the world happened to you?”

“Car accident,” he says as she comes around her stall to get closer. He stands still as she touches his arm and then his cheek with gentle wrinkled hands as she peers up at him.

“Oh my dear boy,” she says softly, her tone caring like a grandmother. “Are you okay?”

He gives her a nod, tilting his head towards TK. “This one over here is taking very good care of me,” he says with a playful waggle of his eyebrows, smiling when she lets out a whistling laugh, her concern easing at his teasing.

“I’m sure he is,” she says with a laughing tone of her own. She turns towards TK, holding out her hands to him. TK places his hands in hers, holding on as she gives them a gentle squeeze. “You okay, dear?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, Martha,” TK answers her softly, sneaking a look at him. “He’s alive and whole, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Martha studies both of them with a gentle look. “Sweet boys,” she whispers. She pats TK’s hands again before letting go of them. “Your love is so special,” she continues with a smile that is then followed by a pointed look. “Beautiful, even though I see no rings yet.”

TK groans out the woman’s name through a tired smile. He looks amused, but it doesn’t hide the gentle blush taking over his face. “We’ve talked about this, Martha,” he reminds her, sneaking a look at him again before focusing on the older woman. “We’re happy the way we are, for now, there is no need to – “

“Rush things,” Martha finishes for TK, rolling her eyes at him. “Blah, blah, blah,” she mocks with her hand.

“Martha!” TK exclaims with a surprised laugh. Carlos looks away, not knowing what to say. He can feel his heart tick up at the subject. Obviously, it’s one the older woman is used to commenting on going off TK’s response, and Carlos wonders what his usual answer is. He doesn’t know. All he knows is that the mention of rings – his on TK’s finger, makes his stomach do a somersault.

“Young people,” Martha mutters as she opens a jar of jam, spreading some over a cracker before passing it over to him.

He takes it from her, popping it into his mouth, letting out a pleased sound as the sweet taste fills his senses. “Delicious,” he says to her, causing her to beam back at him. “Best jam ever.”

“If you put a ring on this boy’s finger already, I might give you my secret recipe,” she says to him, grinning brightly as he feels his face go red.

“Oh my god, Martha,” TK mumbles, turning his face to hide it into Carlos’ shoulder.

Carlos instinctively pulls him closer, trying to shield him from his own embarrassment.

Martha sighs deeply, pursing her lips at them. “Just the jam then?”

 ֎֎֎

 They get home past noon. The ride back is quiet and a little uncomfortable. Martha’s teasing prompting some new questions Carlos is itching to ask.

“I left some chicken out for a southwest salad for lunch?” TK tells him as they place their groceries on the counter. “What do you say?”

“Sounds good,” he answers as he takes out the avocados from the bag, separating the two ripe ones for the salad.

“Great,” TK says, flashing him a strained smile. He starts pulling out what he needs from the cupboards, beans, and corn, while Carlos gets the rest from the fridge.

They work together around the kitchen quietly, Carlos’ assistance limited by his arm. Finally, as TK cooks the chicken on a cast iron skillet, he can’t hold in his questions any longer.

“Have we talked about it?” he asks, holding his breath when TK shoots him a knowing look.

“We haven’t planned anything officially,” he answers, not needing Carlos to clarify his question. “But you know how much I love you, and I know how much you love me. We both know we want to spend the rest of our lives together. There is no doubt about that.”

Carlos takes in a sharp breath at the certainty he hears in TK’s voice as he speaks about their commitment to each other in the present tense, not in the past before Carlos’ accident. TK’s absolute belief in them is humbling, and Carlos is left in awe that someone loves him as much as TK does.

It must show on his face by the way TK’s expression softens. He reaches out, touching Carlos’ side gently for a moment, offering him comfort.

“The chicken is done,” he says as he pulls his hand back.

Carlos doesn’t say anything. Instead, he just watches TK move around the room, getting their salads ready. He takes the plate offered, heading for the dining room table, following TK.

“I have a shift tomorrow,” TK tells him as they eat. “But Captain Vega said I can call out if you need me here with you.”

He looks at him questioningly, but Carlos is already shaking his head. “I don’t want you to miss work because of me,” he tells him. It’s bad enough that he’s on leave for the next few weeks due to his arm and head injury. “I’m healthy enough to be left on my own.”

TK opens his mouth like he wants to argue, pausing when Carlos gives him a pleading look. “Okay then,” he says softly, agreeing. “I’ll tell her I’m good to go, but I’m gonna check in on you.”

Carlos nods.

“A lot,” TK warns him, and this time Carlos smiles.

“I expect nothing less,” he answers softly, affection spreading through him for the man before him.

 ֎֎֎

 They spend the rest of the afternoon and evening lounging around. Carlos’ parents call again, this time facetiming. He and TK press against each other as they talk to them, and Carlos catches the smiles his folks throw their way more than once.

“My parents seem to really like you,” he comments later as they lay back on the couch watching TV. They’re watching the end of an episode of house hunters, and TK has been complaining about the couple and their ridiculously high expectations for most of it. “How did that happen?”

TK turns to him, raising both eyebrows in challenge. “I’m sorry, do you not find me charming enough to win over Gabriel and Andrea Reyes?” he asks with a teasing smirk on his face. “Because I’ll have you know they adore me. Big fans of TK Strand those two.”

Carlos rolls his eyes even as he smiles. “I know. I can tell they love you,” he answers. “And I know you’re charming. You’ve already captivated me, and I’ve only been home two days with you.”

TK looks away from him at that, but Carlos can see the corners of his mouth tug upward anyway.

“I just remember how it used to be between my folks and me when it came to my private life,” he continues though he wants to forget the subject and focus on the smile on TK’s face. He wants to reach out and trace it with his thumb, hating how it drops as he continues. “I guess I don’t understand how we got to this point with them.”

“That’s probably more of a conversation you should have with your folks,” TK answers delicately as he fidgets with his fingers. “But I will say that though it took time, once they knew about us, they were very happy with our relationship, and it greatly improved your own relationship with them. That old hurt you’re remembering of not being able to share your life with them, that mended over time.”

“Thanks to you,” he answers softly, sure of it deep in his bones that TK had everything to do with it.

TK doesn’t deny it; he just gives him a kind smile. “I always have your back,” he tells him. “Just like you have mine.”

Carlos wants to say thank you, but it doesn’t feel nearly enough. The smile TK gives him lets him know he hears it anyway.

“I’m gonna hop in the shower,” TK says as he stands up from the couch. “When I get out, I’ll wrap your arm for you, okay?”

He gives him a nod and watches as he heads upstairs. He waits for a few minutes before he too gets up, turning off the TV and the lights, punching in the security code TK wrote down for him before heading upstairs himself.

A few minutes pass before TK comes out of the shower and into the bedroom, this time in a pair of sleeping shorts and a t-shirt, disappointingly not like the night before with just a towel around him.

“I didn’t even ask how you slept last night,” he says, running a towel over his head, looking at Carlos expectantly.

Carlos goes to tell him he slept fine, not wanting to burden him, but can’t bring himself to lie. “The bed is too big,” he says instead, getting a sympathetic look back from TK.

“We have slept together for a long time now,” he says softly. “We are used to our bodies next to each other. I didn’t get great sleep in the guestroom either,” he admits.

“You could – “ Carlos stops himself, biting down on his lip as his heart starts to race at the same thought he’s had since the night before. He can tell by the way TK’s eyes widen that he knows what he wants to say.

“Yeah?” he questions, pausing hesitantly as he licks his lips. “You wouldn’t be uncomfortable with me in bed with you?”

He lets out a small huff as he closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens them, he can’t help but smile. “I might not remember a lot of stuff right now. But I know for a fact that you have never made me feel uncomfortable, that much I do know.”

He tilts his head to the side as he studies the way TK has gone shy. “What about you? Will you be uncomfortable if we share the same bed?”

“More like relieved,” TK blurts out, going rosy in the cheeks as he speaks. “It’s been a long two weeks without you, sweetheart.”

His eyes darken for a moment, and Carlos feels his breath catch.

“Okay then,” he whispers, swallowing hard as his stomach clenches with anticipation, feeling a fundamental shift between them. “It’s settled.”

 ֎֎֎

 He takes his time in the shower, and by the time he comes out, TK has settled into his side of the bed, his eyes half-closed as they follow him around the room that is dark except for his bedside lamp. It casts a low yellow glow that gives the space a dream-like quality.

“You should know I have been known to cling to you like a koala in the middle of the night,” he warns him sleepily as Carlos gets under the covers. It sounds nice, and he tells TK that, earning a tired chuckle in return.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he sighs out as he turns to his side, facing Carlos with his eyes closed.

Carlos mimics him, turning towards him without turning off the lights just yet, his face inches away from TK’s. He doesn’t mean to stare at him, but he can’t help himself. This is the closest he’s had TK since this started, and he can’t help but want to take him in. He must be staring too hard because after a few minutes, TK’s eyes flutter open. They’re tired but bright in the darkened room. Like two beacons of light, they pull Carlos in. He inches closer until his forehead is pressed against TK’s. Their breathing is loud and heavy, and Carlos can feel every puff that passes TK’s lips touch his face.

He reaches up, giving in to the impulse from earlier, running a trembling finger over TK’s mouth, finding it as soft as he imagined.

“Carlos,” TK whispers, and when Carlos looks up from his mouth, he finds his pupils blown wide.

TK lifts a hand, grabbing at his bicep to pull him closer.

“Are you sure?” he questions even as he wraps an arm around TK’s waist, pulling him tight against his body, his heart racing at the soft moan TK lets out in response.

“If you don’t kiss me, I’m going to lose my mind,” TK mutters, pressing his forehead harder against Carlos’.

Carlos lets out a low groan right as he covers TK’s mouth with his own.

It’s not a tentative kiss.

He might not remember their first, but his mouth and body seem to have no such problem as he sinks his tongue into TK’s mouth. Desperate from the first taste for more.

TK gives as good as he gets; he licks and bites on Carlos’ bottom lip, smiling into the kiss as it makes Carlos gasp. Then, he presses a smaller, gentler one over the sting to soothe it, and this time Carlos’ toes curl at the sweetness of the gesture.

“I must want to kiss you all the damn time,” Carlos whispers frantically as he clings to TK. It gets him a soft, loving laugh from his boyfriend as their kisses slow down to a gentle back and forth of their lips.

“The feeling is very mutual, sweetheart,” he tells him, giving him one last kiss, followed by two smaller ones at the corners of his mouth. He pulls back then, reaching over Carlos’ side to turn off the light. They settle in for the night, neither pulling away from each other’s arms.

He feels TK fall asleep even as he remains wide awake and accepts another sleepless night as TK gets even closer, his face tucked away into Carlos’ neck.

With TK in his arms, this one is already a hundred times better than the night before.

 ֎֎֎

 Carlos is in the middle of mindlessly channel surfing when there is a knock at the door. Most of his morning has been aimless with nothing to do but think of TK and them waking up together in a tangle of limbs.

He had woken up to his breath being stolen by the beauty of a sleeping TK. He’d been helpless but to stare and study every detail of his face, committing it to memory, wondering how in the world he could ever forget such a perfect picture in the first place. Twenty minutes later, right before his alarm went off, TK’s eyes had fluttered open to find his gaze on him. The smile that took over TK’s face as he teasingly called him a weirdo for staring had caused something to squeeze tight under Carlos’ ribcage with a feeling he didn’t dare speak out loud yet.

Getting up from the couch, he opens the door to find his mother on the other side with a bakery box in her hands.

“Conchas?” she asks with a bright smile as she shakes the box back and forth.

Carlos smiles, giving her a head tilt toward the inside of the house, kissing her on the cheek as she comes in.

They head for the kitchen, and Carlos silently starts the coffee machine before pulling a jar of Nutella out of the cupboard.

“You remember that,” she says with a pleased smile as she grabs a knife and starts cutting the conchas down the middle to spread the Nutella over it.

“Mmhmm,” he nods, leaning against the counter, waiting for the coffee to brew.

She passes him a half of the sweet bread with a smile. “How’s it going, cariño?” she questions, her brow wrinkled with worry.

Carlos chews on his concha as he tries to think how to answer that. Physically he’s okay; his arm is healing, and he should have his cast off in a few weeks. Even mentally, the doctors aren’t terribly concern. They’re sure his memory will come back, and given the small but frequent flashes he’s had, he’s inclined to believe them.

Just this morning, he’d made TK’s banana and peanut butter shake – made with oat milk, two tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, and half a scoop of protein powder. TK had taken a sip from it, smiling as he told him it was precisely how he liked it, pausing for a moment as he realized Carlos remembered how to make it before his smile grew even larger. He was remembering, it was slow, but it was happening.

He could tell his mother all of that, but that wasn’t what was on his mind. What’s on his mind is the feel of TK’s mouth against his the night before and then this morning as he let him kiss him before he left for work. What’s on his mind is how right it felt to hold TK as they slept. What is on his mind is how TK’s smile or laugh causes Carlos to go warm all over.

“I think I’m falling in love, Mami,” he says softly, holding his breath once he’s let the words out.

Andrea puts down her treat, wiping her face with a napkin. When she lowers it, Carlos can see the hints of a smile playing on her face. “Well, I hope it’s with your boyfriend, or else this is going to get really awkward for you.”

“Mami,” Carlos groans at her teasing, getting a delighted laugh in return. He pushes off the counter to turn off the coffee maker, pouring the hot liquid into two mugs. “You don’t look particularly surprised by what I just said.”

Andrea smiles at him as she takes the mug he offers her. “Why would I be?” she questions. “Like temporary amnesia is going to destroy what you and TK have? Por favor.”

“What do we have?” he questions, curious to know how his mother sees his relationship with TK. If she really approves.

His mother seems to understand. She places her mug down, crossing the distance between them until she’s standing in front of him, taking his face in her hands.

“I will always regret not asking you more after you came out to us,” she starts, shaking her head when he goes to speak. “You were just a kid, my sweet boy, scared of what we would think, and we messed up so bad. Your father and I thought the best way to let you know it was fine was by acting like nothing had changed, when of course everything had changed for you. We should have asked about your romances, about your heartbreaks.”

“Mami,” he whispers, his heart in his throat as his mother gives him a sad smile.

“We didn’t realize we were hurting you by keeping quiet,” she continues. “I love TK as if he was my own, Carlitos, for a lot of reasons, but two above all.”

Carlos bites down on his lip, waiting for her to tell him her reasons.

“One,” she says with a teary smile. “Him coming into your life gave us a chance to fix our mistakes with you. He became so important to you, you couldn’t keep him from us, and as a result, we got to meet him, know him and get to know you too. The you we had been missing out with our ignorance, and I am so grateful for that.”

“And the second reason?” he asks, swallowing hard around the lump of emotion that has formed in his throat as he starts to get a picture of how he and his parents overcame years of silence about his personal life.

“The second reason answers your original question,” she says with a growing smile that is both loving and proud. “What you and TK have – it’s what I have always wanted for you since I first held you.”

With her hold on his face, she makes sure his eyes are locked with hers, letting Carlos see how sincere she’s being.

“You two have the type of love I always wished for you. Kind, patient, incredibly loving and tender, and above all else, genuine. You, telling me that you’re falling in love with TK all over again isn’t surprising in the least, mi niño. It was the only direction this story could go.”

 ֎֎֎

 Carlos waves at his mother as she drives away after dropping him off at the firehouse. He walks through the bay doors, finding both fire engines parked but an empty space where the rescue 126 rig should be. He sees a few of the faces that visited him while in the hospital over by the back of the firehouse but hesitates about approaching them.

“Carlos? What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

Carlos turns around at the voice to find the fire captain – TK’s father, his brain supplies, coming towards him with a concerned frown on his face.

“Captain Strand,” he greets him with a nervous smile as the older man’s frown deepens.

“We worked long and hard getting you comfortable enough to call me Owen,” he says with a shake of his head. “I know you can’t remember that we get along great right now, but please, let’s not revert to Captain or sir, I beg of you. It’s just Owen.”

“I’m sorry, sir – shit – Owen,” he gets out, cringing a bit as he feels like a school kid in trouble with the teacher. “I’ll work on it.”

“That’s all I ask,” Owen tells him with a smile that doesn’t hide his amusement in the least. “What brings you by? Not that you’re not welcome anytime, of course.”

“I was restless at home,” he answers with a shrug as he looks around the place. “I figured I’d come and visit TK, but – “ he trails off.

“He and his team are answering a call,” Owen finishes for him, his smile growing fond and meaningful. It makes Carlos want to squirm under the man’s watchful eye.

“What?” he blurts out finally as Owen seems to grow even more amused with him.

The captain lets out a chuckle, holding his hands up in a silent apologetic gesture. “It’s just that nothing has changed. You might have trouble remembering a lot of things right now, but you still seek TK out when you’re anxious.”

“How do you know I’m anxious?” he questions, surprised. He gets a sympathetic fatherly look from Owen that seems vaguely familiar in the back of his mind.

“Because you and I are friends,” he answers, slapping his back gently as he gestures towards the kitchen with a tilt of his head, asking him to follow him.

Carlos does, sitting on one of the stools when Owen points to it.

“And hopefully someday soon we’ll be family,” he continues with a smirk when Carlos jerks his head up to stare at him. “Officially anyway, we’re already family.”

Carlos doesn’t say anything as Owen pulls a slim pitcher with green gunk in it out of the fridge.

“I’m usually a good listener,” the fire captain tells him, placing a glass of the green liquid in front of him. “You and I talk sometimes.”

Carlos brings the glass to his mouth, taking a sip, instantly making a face that causes Owen to snort.

“You usually hide your distaste for my power greens smoothies better,” he says to him, laughing when Carlos scowls.

“You know I hate it and still offer it to me?” he questions, getting a cheeky grin and a nod.

“Just waiting for the day you finally have the guts to tell me you don’t like it.”

“Well, that day has arrived, Owen,” he says dryly, even as he blushes in the face of the older man’s enjoyment.

“At last,” Owen smirks, and it’s so reminiscent of TK it forces Carlos to smile back reluctantly.

“Strand men, troublemakers to the core,” he mutters, his eyes widening moments later. “I remember that,” he whispers, catching Owen’s eyes. “You two are brats.”

“Hey, now,” Owen says with faux offense, even as he looks at him brightly and hopefully. “Hurtful, truthful, but hurtful.”

Carlos huffs, shaking his head with amusement.

“You’re starting to remember,” Owen says kindly, his expression softening as he says it, relieved as Carlos gives him a nod. “That’s so good, kid. We all miss you, but especially my son.”

Carlos licks his lips nervously, parting them to speak when the beeping of the ambulance coming back echoes through the place.

“Speak of the devil,” Owen says quietly, the corners of his mouth tilting upward. “Go on then. He’s who you came to see, and I know he’ll be happy to see your face. He’s been worried all day about being away from you.”

Carlos quickly gets up, flashing Owen a grateful look before heading back towards the front of the firehouse. He watches as TK’s partner and Captain joke with him for a moment before heading off together, leaving TK alone by the rig.

“Hey,” he calls out, watching as TK’s head snaps up at his voice.

“Hi,” TK says back, walking over to him quickly. “Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” he says softly, touching TK’s bicep, running his hand up and down his arm. “I’m fine. Nothing is wrong,” he continues, pulling TK towards him as his shoulders drop in relief. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispers, wrapping his good arm around TK, holding him to his chest. “I just missed you and wanted to see your face.”

TK pulls back just enough to look up at him from where he has tucked his face into Carlos’ chest. “Really?” he whispers, his green eyes bright and oh so pretty.

“Yeah,” he answers, licking his lips, his stomach clenching as TK tracks the movement, and he wonders if it’s okay for him to kiss TK here. If now that they have kissed, he can just kiss him when the urge hits. He thinks probably not, or he would be kissing TK nonstop seeing as the urge seems to always be there.

Instead, he takes a small step back to resist the urge to give in to the temptation and says. “Let’s go out tonight.”

TK raises an eyebrow at him, a small, shy smile playing on his lips. “Like a date?” he questions, his smile blossoming when Carlos nods.

“Yeah,” he exhales to calm down his sudden nerves. “Let’s go out on a date.”

“Okay,” TK grins, looking giddy. “I get off at 7. I’ll pick you up. I know exactly where to go.”

 ֎֎֎

 “This is really where you want to have our date?” Carlos asks dubiously as TK parks in the middle of an empty field – the burgers and fries they had picked up in a brown bag on his lap.

TK kills the engine, flashing him a grin as he unhooks his seatbelt. “It’s a special place for us,” he says mysteriously as he opens his door, stepping out of the car and grabbing their drinks. “Come on,” he motions for him to follow him to the back.

Popping the flatbed, Carlos finds a blanket laid out on the back of the truck.

“You prepped for this,” he comments, smiling when TK gives him a shy shrug of his shoulders. He takes the food from Carlos to allow him to get in first, following him seconds later.

“This is nice,” he says softly, looking around, picking at a loose thread of the blanket underneath them while TK unwraps their food. “Why is this place special for us?” he asks curiously. The field is elevated, and over the edge, there is a nice view of the city.

“This is where you and I officially started,” TK answers him as he looks up at the night sky. “We laid on top of your car looking at the sky and really began that night.”

Carlos looks up at the sky too. They’re far enough from the city that the stars gleam brightly. They’re beautiful, but Carlos just knows they were stunning the night TK is talking about.

Different shades of blue and green streak through the sky, lighting it up above them. They’re one of the most beautiful things he’s ever seen. So stunning, and yet they pale in comparison to the man resting next to him on the hood of his car.

He looks up because he’s supposed to and has to resist the urge of turning his head towards what he really wants to be looking at.

“What are you thinking?” he asks finally, holding his breath as he waits for an answer.

“I’m thinking,” TK starts to say, his voice soft but pleased. “We make a pretty good team.”

Carlos’ breath catches his throat, a thread of hope spreading through him before he can tell himself to rein it in. Finally, he allows himself to turn his head, looking at TK, finding him smiling up at the sky.

“We really do, don’t we?” he asks, his heart skipping a beat as TK turns to face him, his smile growing the longer he looks at Carlos.

“’fraid so,” he whispers as he reaches for Carlos’ hand, intertwining their fingers together before he brings their hands to rest over his stomach.

Carlos blinks, but the memory doesn’t fade. If anything, it gleams brighter. He remembers leaning in closer to TK until their mouths were but a whisper away from each other. He remembers the half-moan-half-grumble TK let out the longer their lips didn’t touch until Carlos was chuckling into their kiss – moaning himself when TK licked into his mouth, pent-up passion engulfing them after weeks of being something like friends.

“You with me?” TK questions curiously as he takes a sip from his soft drink.

“We make a pretty good team,” he answers and watches as TK’s hand freezes midway to the fries between them. His green eyes snap to his, fearful, hopeful, and everything else in between as he stares at him.

“You remember that?” he questions, and Carlos can tell he’s holding his breath as he waits for Carlos to answer. So he does.

“We made out on the hood of my car like teenagers,” he says with a smile as the memory plays again. “You almost pulled on your stitches. I warned you that if you pulled them out again, you were going to have to call your father and explain how it happened.”

“I was excited,” TK grumbles, giving him a pout. “Making out with you is the most fun I have ever had making out with anyone. The stitches were fine but you invoking my dad totally killed the mood.”

“No, it didn’t,” Carlos counters with a grin. He pushes the food away so he can get closer to TK until their faces are only inches apart. “You kept kissing me. We kissed at every red light from here to your dad’s place, and then when we got there, we made out for another ten minutes until he turned the living room lights on and off.”

“That was so embarrassing,” TK groans, leaning his head forward to let it rest against Carlos’. They stay like that for a moment, their eyes locked on each other.

“You remember that night,” TK breathes out in awe. “It’s coming back.”

Carlos nods, his nose rubbing against TK’s as he does so. “It’s coming back, TK,” he whispers back, swallowing hard as he lets himself ask for what he fears the most. “Please don’t stop loving me.”

 ֎֎֎

 Carlos wakes up after ten. It’s later than he’s used to, but with still being on leave at least until he’s out of his cast, he allows himself the indulgence of a late morning. He lets his good arm reach over to TK’s side of the bed. It’s empty, he knows, remembering the touch of TK’s lips to his forehead earlier in the morning before he left for work. Still, he touches the cool sheets, turning to press his face into TK’s pillow, breathing in his boyfriend’s scent, smiling to himself as he remembers the night before.

They’d come home after their date out in the field, kissing at every red light just like the first time, and by the time they pulled into the driveway, Carlos was vibrating out of his skin with desire.

He all but sprained his neck, nodding his consent when TK asked him if he was sure he wanted them to be intimate before his full memory came back. The smile on TK’s lips as he let out a soft chuckle was worth how red in the face he turned at his own eagerness.

He lets out an exhale, his good hand sliding down his body to cup himself through his sleep pants as he relives the night before.

TK helping him out of his clothes, laying gentle kisses over every inch of bare skin – he had laid back on the bed, his heart racing as TK took his own clothes off before he straddled his thighs, kissing him until he was a shaking mess underneath him. Only then had TK reached over to grab supplies out of the bedside table. And if he thought making out with TK was hot, nothing had prepared him for watching TK open himself up slowly for him with wet fingers, eyes fluttering shut, soft moans escaping his kiss-bruised lips as he found the right spot that made his thighs clench around Carlos’.

By the time TK was ready, reaching back to take him in his hand, lining him up to his opening, Carlos had been pleading, needing to be inside TK more than he has needed anything in his life.

Carlos lets out a low moan, tightening his hold on himself as he remembers the complete bliss he felt as TK sank down on him, taking in every last inch while Carlos stared up at him in awe as he started to move his hips.

Never in his life has he felt more connected to another person than to TK the night before.

He continues to picture it, recalling every beautiful sound TK made as he pushed them higher and higher, right up to the edge until he curved his body over Carlos’, his forehead pressed against his, his eyes wide as he stared down at him.

“I’m never going to stop loving you, Carlos,” TK whispered, drawing out a whimper from Carlos as he rolled his hips again. “Ever, I can promise you that. You can remember our life tomorrow or never again. I’ll always love you.”

Carlos comes in his fist with TK’s voice echoing in his ears just as he had done the night before. TK’s sureness of his love for him tipping him over the edge.

He lays there for a few minutes, waiting for his heart to stop racing before he gets up to clean himself. Without TK there to wrap his arm, it takes him longer to hop in the shower, but he manages. He has another week and a half with the cast on and honestly can’t wait to have it removed.

Once out of the shower, he’s looking through his dresser for clothes when his phone rings. Picking it up, he smiles as TK’s face appears on the caller ID.

“Hey,” he says, smiling into the speaker, his stomach doing a flip at TK’s voice, and he would roll his eyes at his silly schoolboy with a crush reaction if he wasn’t so happy and in love with the man on the other side of the phone.

“Hi,” TK says softly back, going quiet for a moment, and Carlos can just picture him biting down on his bottom lip. “I just wanted to check in with you. I had to leave for work early, and you were still mostly asleep. We didn’t get a chance to talk after last night, and I wanted to see how you were feeling this morning.”

Carlos smiles into the phone at the concern for him he hears in TK’s voice and wonders how he got so lucky to have such a caring partner.

“I’m good,” he answers as he keeps looking for a shirt he wants to wear. “I’m great, actually,” he continues honestly. “Last night was amazing.”

“No regrets?” TK questions hesitantly, causing Carlos to let out a snort.

“Only that we didn’t do that the night I came home,” he answers, grinning when TK lets out a laugh.

He pulls out a green shirt, throwing it on the bed with the jeans he’s already picked out. Then, opening the top drawer, he sticks his hand in to grab a pair of fresh underwear and socks, frowning when his hand finds a small hard box.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asks, and TK repeats himself as he suggests they do a movie night when he’s done with work. Carlos makes a sound of agreement as he stares at the small black box in his hand, his head racing as he realizes what it is.

A ring box.

“That sounds great,” he says, distracted, whispering a goodbye when TK tells him he has to go.

Ending the call, he places his phone down before focusing on the little box in his hand. He holds his breath as he opens the box to find a simple but beautiful wedding band, white gold or platinum, with a strip of small diamonds around it. On the inside is engraved ‘Eternally yours, te amo.’

The words hit him hard, and he has to take a seat at the edge of the bed as he realizes with startling clarity what he’s holding in his hand is his ring for TK.

He already knew he loved TK, has been falling for him all over again despite his lack of memory, and now, in his hand is the proof of just how much he loves him.

A hot tear lands on the hand holding the ring before he realizes he’s started crying, and by the time he reaches up to touch his face, he’s sobbing. It feels like the dam breaking after weeks of not even noticing it was filling up in the first place.

He cries over the moments he’s lost and is terrified he won’t get back. He cries as he realizes he could have lost so much more if he hadn’t made it out of the accident. He cries for TK, because if he feels this broken over a life he can’t remember well, he can only imagine what TK feels remembering it all. He cries in hope. Hope that forgotten life will come flooding back at some point. Finally, he cries in relief as TK’s voice promising to love him forever echoes again. Relief that even if the past doesn’t come back to him by some cruel twist of fate, he and TK still have a future.

He cries, and cries and cries some more, letting every last bit of it out.

 ֎֎֎

 If someone had asked Carlos how he thought he would get his memory back, he’s pretty sure his answer wouldn’t have been ‘on a random Thursday morning while brushing his teeth,’ but that’s precisely how it happens. He’s finished his shower, happy to no longer need to wrap his arm in plastic after having his cast removed a few days earlier.

It’s been three weeks since finding his engagement ring for TK and the minor breakdown that followed. He didn’t tell TK of either thing, not wanting him to worry or make him sad at his discovery. He knows it’s not the right time just as much as he knows that eventually, he’s going to put that ring on TK’s finger, memory back or not. He’s in love with his boyfriend – has fallen for him all over again.

His doctors are happy with his progress and the memories that are starting to seep through more and more as the days go on. They promise him if he just keeps living his life, doing what he usually does, they will all come back soon enough.

Carlos believes them, but he’s still surprised as he stares at his reflection, and it all comes back in an almost blinding flash. One second it’s not there, and then the next it is. He spits out the toothpaste in his mouth, barely passing a wet hand over it before he’s running out of the bathroom and down the stairs, tripping in his need to find the one person he needs the most right now.

“Scramble eggs for breakfast? We should probably go grocery shopping today since I’m off,” TK says to him as he turns to face him with a cup of coffee in his hand.

“TK stands for Tyler Kennedy,” he blurts out, watching as TK makes a face at the name before he realizes what he’s said, and his eyes widen. “And you always make that put-out face when I use it, but it’s followed by a smile because as much as you hate your name, you like it when I say it.”

“Carlos – “ TK whispers as he puts down his mug, and he can see it shaking slightly.

“When you are nervous or restless, you chew on the strings of your hoodies,” he continues. “And you bitch about Texas pizza, claiming it’s not real pizza because it’s not from New York.”

“Oh my god,” TK exhales, bringing a hand to his mouth as his eyes fill with tears.

Carlos swallows around the lump in his throat as his own eyes sting. “You play with my hair when I’ve had a hard day. You blush when I turn my cow eyes as you like to call them on you, and I love that I can make you blush even after three years.”

“You remember?” TK asks, and it breaks Carlos’ heart to hear the fear in his boyfriend’s voice, too scared to hope.

“I remember everything, baby,” he whispers back, taking a step toward him and then another. “And I love you, I love you so damn much TK – “

Carlos lets out a small grunt as TK slams into him, clinging to him as he starts to cry. He holds him tight to his chest, pressing his face into TK’s shoulder, rubbing his back, trying to soothe him as he continues to cry. It takes a few minutes for TK to calm down; by the time he does and pulls back to look at Carlos, his eyes are red from his tears.

“You remember me,” he says softly with a trembling smile.

“I’m so sorry I forgot,” he answers, reaching up to touch TK’s mouth when his boyfriend starts shaking his head, ready to tell him he doesn’t need to be sorry. “I know I don’t have to be and that it was an accident, but I’m still sorry you had to go through this. But you need to know, TK, that even without my memories, I still loved you, almost from the start. I loved you.”

TK wraps his fingers around Carlos’ wrist, pulling his hand away as he gives him a teary but beautiful smile. “I know that, my love. I know.”

Carlos nods as his eyes sting again, a tear slipping down his cheek. “I love you, TK. Then, now, and forever.”

TK lets out a shaky exhale, and when he tugs Carlos forward, he goes easily, sighing against TK’s lips as he kisses him gently. “And I love you, Carlos,” he says against his lips with another smile. “Exactly the same way.”

#911 lone star #tarlos fic #911 lone star fic #tarlos #tk x carlos #my writing #long post

[harringrovetrashrat]

Tagged by @disdaidal !!!  Thank you!  Omg I’m like 🥺💖🥺💖

So, I figure since I have so many things I’m working on, and no idea when I’ll actually finish them (outside of my Big Bang Project), I should share the bits of them that I do actually have dhfoiahfiosh

What we have are these:

A fic where Billy meets some older queer people while kicked out, and learns from them how to love himself

“So I’m guessing you’ve never met a queen before,” they said. Billy shook his head.

“I’ve never met any royalty.” Juicy laughed and it made Billy feel like he’d said the wrong thing until she looked at him again, practically beaming.

“Well honey, there’s queens abound in here. Drag Queens, specifically.” Billy’s mouth formed a small ‘o’.

“So, you’re a… man?” Juicy shook her head.

“Personally, I find man and woman too limiting. All gender is a costume, darling. I just think dresses are prettier than suits.”

“You haven’t been in the right suits,” Cindy said with a smirk. Juicy gave her the finger without looking.

“It’s called taste, sweetie.” Cindy just laughed. Billy stared at Juicy, feeling awed by them. They were so tall, toned and beautiful. Their skin was dark and glistened with the glitter they’d spread over it. “I’m sure you have taste, don’t you munchkin?” Billy couldn’t help it and he pouted.

“I’m not short, I’m average for my age,” he snapped. Juicy just smiled.

“I like you,” they said, pointing a long nailed finger at him.

A Cheesy Summer Camp Horror fic, with romance and comedy because Like.  Y’all know me.

“Let’s stop talking about her,” Heather cut in. “Let’s talk about this weekend.”

“This weekend?” Billy asked, perking up. “What about it?”

“Well, I was thinking we could celebrate the end of the first week with a skinny dip,” she said, eyes sparkling. Billy didn’t miss the flush that crossed over Robin’s face, though he wasn’t entirely sure who it was directed at. He definitely had a guess.

“I’m game!” Tommy piped up, grin wide, anger disappearing from his face. Billy rolled his eyes and snorted, but raised his hand, tongue running over his top teeth.

“Why not,” he said, giving his eyebrows a quirk. “I ain’t no pussy.”

“Of course,” Adam muttered, rolling his eyes. Billy’s eyes snapped over and narrowed. “Isn’t it a little, I dunno, juvenile?”

“Oh come on,” Steve chimed in, munching on the cookie now, relaxing with the change of topic. “Maybe so, but it’s summer, it’s camp, why not, right? Start it off with a bang?” His smile was teasing, bright, and Billy found it hard to look away, hard to deny that smile what it wanted.

The Reverse AU where Steve moves to Hawkins with his father and step family, Claudia and Dustin, and Billy was adopted into the Mayfields

“I’m not--! It’s just midterms! That’s what has me all out of sorts.” He opened his notebook and tried to will his blush away. There was a soft thud and Nancy joined them.

“What has you out of sorts?” She asked.

“Mid--”

“Billy so has a crush on that new guy from New York,” Heather said. Billy made a noise of protest when Nancy smiled, leaning over.

“Oh he’s so cute! Truly impeccable taste you have,” she teased. Billy rested his head on the table.

“I hate both of you so fucking much,” he hissed.

“No you don’t,” they chorused.

“I do, I really do,” Billy replied.

Mermaid AU where Steve and Billy were young friends before being separated.  Steve tries to reunite them obviously

“I can show you a bunch of cool stuff,” Billy said, feeling oddly proud of himself. And well, the ocean was his home. And he never got the chance to really show it off to someone who didn’t already know it. “If I show you the ocean, will you tell me more about humans?” Steve nodded. “Like, why are all the ships girls?”

“Huh,” Steve said, tapping his chin with his finger. “I don’t actually know… Usually I think ‘cause a guy names them. I’ll ask my tutor. He knows everything.” Steve wasn’t a huge fan of Professor Owens, but he was nice enough. He let Steve find things to bring in and ask questions about, he didn’t get mad like Steve’s other tutors had when he had trouble reading. So even though Owens still pushed for Steve to focus more on his future, he was better than the other adults in Steve’s life.

“Tutor?” Billy asked. “What’s that?”

“Like a teacher,” Steve replied. “But like… Different.” In fact, Steve wasn’t totally sure what the difference was. Billy just squinted, looking confused.

“Different… how?”

“Uh, tutors are… are taller,” Steve replied matter of factly. Professor Owens was taller than Ms. Joyce had been, so there wasn’t anything to argue against that. Billy nodded seriously, making a note.

There was a ringing bell and a distant voice calling Steve’s name, making him sigh dramatically. It was already time? Billy’s ears twitched a little and he looked at Steve.

“What’s that?”

“That’s my nanny,” Steve said, mopey and pouting.

More of You’ll Find Me Looking Over the Edge of the World

“Oh, King Steve thinking about skipping?” Billy tugged him down, making Steve stumble as a fist started rubbing against his scalp and messing up his hair.

“Fuck, dude!” Steve cried, nearly dropping his tray. Billy just cackled, letting him go and shoving his hands in his pockets.

“No,” Nancy said through grit teeth. “He’s thinking about staying and taking--”

“He can’t go around looking like that,” Billy said with faux concern, eyes all worried as he leaned on the table with one hand and used the other to point at Steve’s, now fully messed up, hair. “I think Steve’ll have to take the afternoon, don’t you?” Billy turned to look over his shoulder, not seeing the way Nancy rubbed at her temples as Jonathan very obviously tried not to snicker. Steve almost felt bad. Billy knocked on the table with his knuckles, pushing up with a grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him home safely.”

“Get me home--” Steve began, but before he could finish his sentence, Billy was shoving him around and out of the cafeteria. Nancy sighed, shaking her head, giving Steve a look he knew would turn into a talk later. “Sorry guys!” Steve tossed over his shoulder.

Billy with a rat he named Max to piss off Max (he calls her human Max and she hates it)

“And what the fuck are you doing here?!” He asked her. Max, the little trouble maker, just squeaked at him, wriggling in his grip. “No fucking wonder I didn’t see you in Barbie’s house this morning, you decided to be a fucking Houndini, didn’t you.” She squeaked again, tail swirling and dragging along his wrist. He heard footsteps behind him and moved to shove her back into his jacket sleeve when Steve approached.

“You okay-- Oh!” Steve blinked, brows raised as he saw Max reach with her small, cute little pink hands to grab for Billy’s hard nipple again. “So…”

“Cut that out!” Billy hissed, moving her down to cradle her against his stomach. She settled in, but she was definitely hungry and would get restless again quickly. “I didn’t see her this morning but just assumed she was hiding in her little pile.”

“Me too,” Steve said, checking around the hallway for anyone who was late. Luckily, there was no one around to see them trying to hide a rat in Billy’s jacket. “How’d she even get out?”

“I mean, we are keeping her in a Barbie dream house instead of a cage--”

“Really? You’re gonna sass me now? After you insisted that she ‘live like the princess she is’--”

Stranger Than Fiction AU

“Billy, I swear to fucking god if you don’t get out there right now--” Billy stumbled out from the back, head turned to glare at Max, who was pushing him from behind. She pushed until he was at the counter, face to face with Steve. He glared, though his face was flush. Max crossed her arms. “Like we fuckin’ practiced.” Billy shot her another angry glance, but then looked back to Steve. Who was so confused.

“Max may have, uhm, brought it to my attention that I may have overreacted just the tiniest little bit.”

“That’s not at all right,” Max said under her breath. Billy swatted behind him without looking, missing her completely.

“Anyway,” he pressed on, “I just,” he sighed, pushing an errant curl behind his ear. Steve watched the movement before snapping his eyes back to Billy’s. “I don’t often take the chance to be nice, so I got maybe a little offended.” Max scoffed. “Okay a lot offended,” he said with an eye roll. Steve couldn’t help it; he snorted. Billy’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes lit up, like a kid who just learned Santa was real. Steve blushed, looking away, but he couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

“It’s okay,” he replied, turning back to look at Billy. The sun lit up the stray blonde hairs poking out of his messy bun, making a light halo around him. Steve had to catch his breath.

It was like looking at an angel, vengeful and dangerous, but exciting all at once. His eyes seemed to shine, bright and gleeful, but also full of mischief.

“It’s okay,” Steve repeated, feeling his face heat up more. “I would have taken them if I could. They were amazing.” He smiled, nodding towards the stairs. “I should get to it though. Last day and all.” Something sad briefly flickered over Billy’s face, but it was gone as soon as it was there, and Steve thought he must have imagined it.

“Yeah, good luck,” Billy said. Max was smiling, smug, and she punched Billy’s shoulder.

Leverage AU

“Well,” he said slowly, letting the trio shake off their shadows. “The lab closed.” This isn’t about the kid was the underlying message. “But, what’s happening now is that Mayor Kline accepted a lot of weird bribes. They’re from a company called Starcourt Industries. Now, that’s the name of the mall that opened, Starcourt, but what’s weird--”

“--Is that they didn’t exist for very long before suddenly popping up in Indiana,” Alec cut in. “It reads like one of our companies. General background, seems legit, but I did a lot of poking around most of this stuff leads to loose ends. It took a while to get there, so at first glance…” The group nodded. At first glance everything checked out, and even a little digging would provide a general cover that most people wouldn’t think to look past.

Of course, none of them were most people.

“So who are they?” Eliot asked.

“All of the loose ends lead back to Russia,” Alec said. “But nothing concrete or connected, just more companies that do really general stuff. It goes real deep.” The implications there were discomforting. Alec was a genius, and excelled in his line of work, but this kind of grand scale cover up meant one thing: this was bigger than just a few bad apples in a company. This was a plan.

“So who’s the client?” Sophie asked. Nate pulled up a picture of a grumpy looking man, mustache groomed and eyes hard, but kind.

“Chief Jim Hopper.” That got Parker’s attention, bringing her out of the funk she’d been in since the mention of San Diego and Billy.

“Like, Police Chief?”

“Yep,” Nate said, popping the P. “He’s the one who found the kid, found out there was something going on at the lab. Now, he’s positive something weird is going on. Knows he’s done everything he can to legally take the Mayor down, but the man has a lot of friends in high places, and Jim can’t do anything. And that’s,” he smiled, “Where we come in.”

That’s still merely some of what I have going on, but that’s what I’ll share rn. Anyway, tag me in ur WIPs! I’d love to read them :) tag ur it

#harringrove #tommy h #stranger things #angst #fluff #aus #tag game

[crimsonheart01]

The Jackpot Question (Fred Weasley x Female!Reader)

A/N: I love Fred so much that I couldn’t write just one for him! Here’s another Freddie for y’all. 

Prompt: 18. “Wanna go skating in Central Park?” 

Word Count: 1.5K Words

Playlist: What’re You Doing New Years Eve? - Nancy Wilson [Spotify] [YouTube]

Warnings: Some alcohol consumption, but nothing but fluff, fluff and more fluff! 

“But in case, I stand one little chance Here comes the jackpot question in advance What are you doing New Year’s? New Year’s Eve?” What’re You Doing New Year’s Eve? – Nancy Wilson

Fred found her with her back leaning against the railing while she stared up and the dancing sugarplums, and they had enchanted all over the ceiling. He eyed the empty champagne flute hanging in her hand, and he smiled. With a swift twirl of his wand, he had it refilling and, in turn, subtly alerting her to his presence. He paused on the top step, taking his time to appreciate her standing there. He watched as a smile spread across her lips with the filling of her glass.

Taking her time, she lifted the flute to her mouth and took a long sip before casting a sideways glance over at him. She winked at him, and he chuckled. Running his hand on the opposite bannister, he stepped up towards her, he raised his glass to hers, and she inclined hers so that they made a small clink as they connected.

“You certainly outdid yourself this year, Freddie.” She complimented.

Their gazes met, and he held out his other hand to her. She accepted his offer and laid her free hand in his. He clasped his fingers around hers and squeezed.

He grinned, “High praise coming from you, my wallflower.”

She laughed and pushed away from the railing and into him. He readjusted to tuck her into his side. Together they both looked down at the remaining guests. The party had started to wind down now that the new year was officially upon them. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up close to her favourite twin. Fred seemed to be one of the only people who understood her need for quiet socializing.

She loved a good party, she loved a good prank, but she preferred to experience them from the sidelines. Being the centre of attention was never where she wanted to be. Thus, why she spent the majority of her evening up here on the walkway. She got to experience the whole party but at a distance where she wasn’t being pulled in several directions and conversations.

“Thank you for coming out,” Fred murmured into her ear after draining the rest of his champagne.

Turning into him, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, “Thanks for inviting me.”

His grip on her tightened at her affection and tone, signalling her that he wasn’t ready to let the night end. He stepped around her, lining her against the railing while keeping a tight hold on her hips. He nuzzled into her neck, breathing in the smell of her perfume.

“I don’t want to say goodbye yet,” He murmured against her skin.

She shivered as his breath cascaded down the column of her neck. She waved her hand to vanish both their drinks and wrapped both her hands around his shoulders. She ducked her head down to rest against the side of his.

“Oi, Gred!” A similar voice came from below them, calling them out of their intimate moment. Shifting slightly, they both looked down to find George smirking up at the two of them, “Angie and I are closing up the shop.”

Neither of them had noticed that everyone had filed out, gone home, except for them.

Fred nodded and called back, “Alright, Forge.”

Angie winked up at the two of them as George wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” George sing-songed, as he retreated through the back door with Angie, tucked snugly into his side.

“That’s not saying much!” Fred hollered back, causing all four of them to laugh.

George and Angie’s laughter faded, leaving it only him and her chuckling under their breath. Fred stroked one hand across her hip and then down the inside of her arm before lacing his fingers together with hers. Following his lead, they took the stairs down back into the central part of the shop. Fred was casting numerous spells and charms in their wake, shutting everything down.

As they walked towards the front of the shop, Fred locked up and put up the corresponding wards to keep everything safe. He turned to begin leading her to the back, where they’d inevitably part ways, but she wasn’t ready to say goodbye either. She wanted to spend more than the first few minutes of the new year with him.

She tugged back on his hand, causing him to glance at her over his shoulder. She smirked at him, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. She’d just had a perfect idea.

He raised his eyebrows at her, “I know that look. What do you have up your sleeve?”

“If you could go back in time, and experience tonight all over again, what would you differently?” She asked, baiting him.

He turned around to face her fully and pouted in thought. After a long moment, he shrugged, “I don’t think I’d change a thing. I got to ring in the new year with my friends, my family, and you.”

His voice softened as he spoke of her and her heartbeat wildly in her chest. She gripped his hand tighter and pulled him closer, their noses only a centimetre apart. She could hear as he swallowed at their close proximity, but she didn’t falter.

“Tonight was wonderous, but if there was one thing I’d change,” She murmured, “It would be to spend more time with you. The two of us.”

He nodded, understanding what she was getting at. Or at least what he thought she was getting at. He didn’t want to be too hopeful. This was their first official date, after all. It didn’t matter that he’d been head over heels with her for the better part of a year.

“Ok,” He breathed, “How do you suppose we adjust the evening? Are you hiding a time-turner under that dress of yours?”

She let out a huff of laughter and shook her head, “No, but wanna go skating in Central Park?”

He did a double-take, leaning back as he took in her expression. He couldn’t figure out if she was joking or not. She laughed at the incredulous look on his face, and that’s when he realized she wasn’t taking the mickey.

“International apparition is illegal,” He responded before thinking.

Her eyebrows shot up at his response, and she pushed back away from him. He frowned on the loss of her warmth, but she didn’t stray too far.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” She waved one hand as she spoke, hitting him with a playful glare, “I thought I was talking to one of the infamous Weasley Twins.”

It wasn’t often that he found himself rivalled for mischief, and even then, it was almost always George. He opened his mouth to respond, although he was still unsure how but she cut him off.

“Who knew that something as insignificant as the law would stop Fred Weasley, a war hero, from enjoying the little things in life.”

This time he scoffed, challenged. He reached out for her, curling her into his arms.

“If skating in Central Park is what you want to do, then skating in Central Park is what we’ll do.”

Without any hesitation, he set the final wards of the shop up, concentrated on their destination and spun on his heel. Illegal transportation be damned.

They popped up in the brush of Central Park, thankfully shrouded by the trees and the darkness of the evening. With a round of laughter, the two of them transfigured their outfits to something more fitting to the snowy winter night of New York City.

Wrapping her gloved hand around one of his, she pulled him out of their hiding place and began trotting down towards the path. He tripped over his feet to catch up, only to knock into her gently when she stopped to ask for directions. The older couple who spotted the two of them smiled as they watched them run off in the direction of the skating rink.

Together they explored the foreign city. Skating, drinking hot chocolate and mulled wine, then finding themselves smack dab in the middle of the second celebration of the new year. They stood hand in hand, staring up at the vast, illuminated ball. Everyone around them gearing up for the inevitable countdown. Snow began to fall again, this time in large fluffy flakes. She looked up to admire it as it came down.

Caught up in the moment, she turned to Fred beside her and smiled over at him. The ten-second countdown had started around them, but this wasn’t their first time. They’d already done this earlier in the evening.

“Happy New Year, Fred,” She whispered.

Fred beamed at her, brushing a few snowflakes out of her hair, “Happy New Year.”

The city around them erupted into chaos, but neither of them cared about it. They stood in the center of Times Square, caught up in each other. If you asked them who instigated the embrace, neither of them could say for sure. All that they knew was that within a moment, they were kissing accompanied by whistles, hollering and clapping.

Celebrating two new years consecutively, together. A tradition they would continue for the years to follow.

#fred weasley #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley imagine #fred weasley imagines #harry potter imagines #harry potter imagine #12 days of ficmas 2020 #holiday prompts

[sh1tbird-shantytown]

Ah thank you for answering my Stommy ask i loved it a lot. Can i get some more Stommy.

Okay so like what if Tommy finally sees what Steve's doing with the kids amd the mindflayer and acts like he's down to help and he is he wants to help steve.

But at the same time he has a bit of a breakdown infront of everyone and his whole bad boy persona drops and he's scared he didn't expect this, he didn't believe in anything like this before and he doesn't understand how steve does it.

Can i get some Johnathan being sympathetic to Tommy and sort coming to an understanding with him, and they get eachother, (i like to think that Tommy isn't rich like steve and is more like the byers than everyone thought. Like he comes from a broken home and all the fancy clothes he gets from steve)

Ooo and some tommy and johnathan being like ugh "rich people"

Will and Tommy moment though where will is like :O and Tommy takes him under his wing like Steve did with Dustin

Whoa this is long. Im so sorry. I hope you have a good day.

stommy for sure. thanks, hun!

===

He didn’t expect it to happen. He never really did, he would get a call from Hopper or Joyce or Dustin usually. Cancel everything and go play near death whack-a-mole for a few hours. He’s gotten real good at it at this point. Tommy was suspicious, started asking questions.

“Where are you going off to?” he’d shown up at the Harrington house. Steve wouldn’t let him in, his bag of monster hunting supplies and his stained nail bat poking out prominently. “Or do you have someone in there with you?” Tommy moved his head around to search behind Steve’s shoulders.

“No, Tom,” Steve put his hands up, “Some stuff just came up. An emergency.”

“Is your mother in the hospital? Is your father back home and he’s sending you out for errands so he can invite his side chick over—“

Steve leaned against the doorway, unamused, “—Come on, Tom, that’s not funny.”

But Tommy didn’t stop, “—Is Dustin sick? What’s so important that you had to cancel twice on me this week? Huh!” Steve closed his eyes for a brief moment, collecting his bearings. He stepped out and closed the door behind him.

“Look,” he slowly took Tommy’s hand, the other watching with clear suspicion. “I would much rather stay in with you and watch your stupid drama movies.” The other’s face twisted a little but he listened. “Hopper needs me right now, important, top secret, emergency.” He squeezed Tommy’s fingers a little with every accentuated word. “It’s best that you don’t know, you’re safer that way.” He had hoped that would get Tommy to back off. Wishful thinking.

Tommy shook his head and crossed his arms defiantly, “I’m coming with you for sure now. You don’t get to keep things like this from me now. No secrets.” Steve opened his mouth but Tommy pinched his arm, interrupting him. “No secrets! Okay? You don’t get to go risk yourself, or whatever you’re implying, and leave me in the dark!” Tommy stomped his foot and Steve had the mind to assume he’d been paying attention to all his sisters way of dealing with their own boyfriends. Tommy cupped both sides of his cheeks when Steve sighed. “I am your boyfriend,” he made Steve look at him. Tommy looked concerned, face wrinkled and cheeks pale. “I deserve to know.”

His shoulders sank as he gave in, “You’re not going to like it. Probably won’t even believe it.”

Tommy glared, “Try me.”

Steve went back into the house and grabbed his bag. Tommy quickly noticed the bat, obvious about it with his wide eyes not meeting Steve’s own and instead on the spikes peaking out over his shoulder. He didn’t ask yet though. Instead, he followed Steve all the way to the BMW and then got in the passenger side.

Steve looked over at Tommy sitting rigidly before starting the ignition. There were intense lines between his eyebrows and his lips were being abused by him biting them. He started gnawing on his fingernails when Steve made a decision.

He stepped out quick and Tommy startled, “Where are you going now?”

Steve leaned back in, antsy, “I’m going to get you a weapon.” Tommy looked like he desperately wanted to ask, Steve waited, but Tommy just sat back with his leg bouncing. He sighed again and Tommy glanced over at the noise. “You don’t have to come. It’d be better if you just stayed here until I get back.” Tommy folded his arms, leg still going up and down due to the weight of his hand not lessening it.

“Like hell I am,” he grumbled, “Go get me something if it’s so necessary.” Steve’s shoulders and ankles were tense and locked a little in place. This wasn’t going to end well even if Tommy believe him. He wasn’t supposed to add anyone else to the group. All he had as an excuse was Tommy’s unrelenting behavior and how immediate and stressed Hopper had sounded when he called. The excuse that maybe more help was necessary.

So Steve went to the shed and found a chain. A long iron chain that his father had used to hold the fence gate between theirs and the neighbors’ yards shut. He went back to the car with it in hand. When he sat back down Tommy stared wonderingly at it. Steve dropped it in his lap, the sound heavy as it slipped slowly to the car floor and clanked together.

“Can you still lasso?” he asked quietly. Didn’t want to trigger Tommy into some spell of hysterics.

Tommy swallowed and his eyes grew even more serious than before, “Yeah, yeah I can still lasso.”

Steve looked from the chain to Tommy’s face a few times, “Can you do to the same with that as you can a rope if we need you to?” He’d seen Tommy lasso, done some himself in the summers on the Hagan farm. Their small farm that housed loads of milk cows. It was a nice escape, mostly outdoors and their house was rundown only a little. Obviously warn from love and family and sweet time. Something real against the Harrington’s artificial capsule.

Tommy nodded again, “I can make it work.” When Steve didn’t catch Tommy’s eye for another minute or so, he started out to the Byers’ house. He could tell Tommy was trying to pay attention to the route but he kept messing with the chain. Steve knew he was forming it around to form the lasso correctly. Had seen Tommy sit on a bale of hay and mess with a rope the same way.

They pulled up to the dusty driveway and Tommy finally looked up with recognization, “Who exactly is involved in all this?”

Steve parked and neither of them moved, “Well, we’ve got all the Byers, Mike and Nancy Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin, and Hopper”

Tommy glared over at him and opened his door, “What kind of shit have you gotten yourself into?”

Steve only smiled thinly and he stepped out to grab his bag from the backseat before heading up to the door. Hopper was smoking and watched him as Tommy slowly gathered his chain.

“What did you do now?” Hopper didn’t sound surprised.

Steve could only shrug, “He insisted.”

Hopper took a drawn out puff, “Well you should have resisted.”

Steve turned his neck to glimpse as Tommy closing the car door, “You trying resisting a Hagan and then get back to me.”

Hopper raised a brow and flicked the ash off the filter, “Just keep him by you and make sure he doesn’t get hurt. I don’t want to have to explain to his parents.”

Steve rubbed his upper arm as Tommy walked up to his side, “Why would I get hurt? And what’s wrong with my parents?” he ordered defensively.

Hopper sighed and squished the cherry out in an outdoor ashtray balanced on the porch railing, “Nothing, kid. Your father just doesn’t like me.”

Tommy muttered something Steve only just barely caught, “You just can’t leave an innocent drunk man alone on a Friday night.”

“What’s that?” Hopper’s eyes narrowed. Tommy folded his arms and didn’t respond, only shook his head once.

Steve looked between the two. He knew Tommy’s father liked to drink sometimes. Mostly after a long day working on harvesting hay bales and tending to their cows. Knew his mother and Tommy’s sisters hated when he did. Tommy didn’t know how to feel, got mad at Steve when he tried to sympathize. A few of their fights had ended in Tommy throwing the fact that Steve’s father was never really around back in his face. Yelling he wouldn’t understand. Couldn’t. Not the same way.

“What’s the code?” he asked to break the heavy tensions, to at least try. Instead a new sort of shadow surrounded them.

“Orange,” Hopper took his hat off and rubbed his forehead, “Looks like more strays are picking off cattle at night. We need to go catch them.”

Tommy perked up, “Cattle? So you do know what’s been picking our calves off?” he shouted. “What is it? Why are you hiding it from the town? Us farmers!” He was livid and when Steve touched his arm to comfort, it was whacked away. He stepped back, a bit betrayed. The adrenaline in Tommy must have picked up already. He only acted like this when he was wound up tight and angry. Hopper was silent for a long moment as Tommy huffed his breaths in and out, upset.

He turned around to the house and said, “You’re about to find out,” before the door opened and closed.

“What is going on, Harrington?” Tommy asked, desperate now. Desperate for answers he hadn’t asked for. Made Steve annoyed that he allowed himself to get pent up again. Out of control of himself, the opposite of what they’d been working on. He took Tommy’s hands gently, at least thankful for Tommy allowing that much.

“I need you to take a few deep breaths, Sweetheart,” he used his calm tone. Used it for the kids when they got too scared sometimes. “This isn’t going to get any easier, so if you want to step out, do it now.” He waited and Tommy didn’t move, didn’t really do anything besides stare at him. “Is that a no?”

“I’m not leaving,” Tommy stated stubbornly.

“No one would think any less of you,” Steve said deeply, “We all wish we didn’t have to deal with this shit. You can go back home, you wouldn’t be able to tell people about this. The government will confiscate you otherwise.”

Tommy scoffed, “So my father isn’t some crazy conspiracy theorist.” Steve didn’t answer, didn’t really want to, didn’t think he needed to.

“It’s scary, Tom.”

Tommy puffed out his chest, “I don’t care. I’m staying with you and that’s final.”

The door opened and Dustin started yelling, “Son of a bitch, why is he here, Steve? Get your ass in here, we need to start planning!” Steve turned and Dustin started attempting to drag him up the porch. “We’ve got target on three different farms tonight.” He stopped and Steve almost tripped on the last stop. He asked Tommy, “Dont you live on one?”

Tommy’s shoulders rose, “What’s it to you?” Dustin glanced at Steve, who was giving a warning glance, shrugged his shoulders and headed inside again.

Steve grabbed the door and held it open for Tommy, “Come on then!” Tommy ran up and into the house, the warm waft of heat blown into their faces. Joyce met them first, Dustin rushing back into the other room.

She eyes Tommy worriedly, “Did you tell him anything yet?” Steve shook his head. She wasn’t mad, she instead waved then in more, “Well then we have quite a bit to catch you up then, huh?” she smiled welcoming. Walked them in through to where everyone was already staring over a map of Hawkins. Red circles around what Steve assumed were the farms being threatened.

Nancy’s face twisted, “What’s up with this?” she gestured to Tommy and his chain clutched in his fist.

“He wants in,” Steve shrugged and stepped forward to look at the map between Hopper and Dustin, “Not like we couldn’t use the help.”

Nancy scowled, “We can manage.”

“Yeah,” Mike butted in.

Steve glared at her, “Let it go, Nance. He’s here and that’s it, please.” She looked at Johnathan but John looked at Tommy just as openly as his mother had.

“You know how to throw that?” he looked at the dark chain links.

Tommy nodded and pointed to the west circle, “That’s my farm. Well, my dad’s.” He looked sheepish, like he was admitting something.

“Cool,” Steve heard Will whisper.

Johnathan smiled more just as Nancy’s frown deepened, “Didn’t know you were in the lower levels like us.” Tommy frowned and Nancy scolded John with a slap to the arm. “It’s just cool is all,” he defended himself from her onslaught.

Tommy grew confused, “Cool?”

John nodded, “Tuff,” he grinned. Tommy smirked and eased down, comfortably joining Steve by his side.

“So do I get the backstory or what?” Everyone else looked at Hopper.

The man rolled his eyes but relented, “Keep up,” he pointed at Tommy gruffly. The boy nodded and Steve planted a grounding hand on his shoulder. “When Will went missing he was actually trapped in a different dimension. There’s El, who isn’t here right now, she was an experiment.” His voice with filled with distaste. “ She has powers, telekinesis. She’s resting right now so she can—“

“Which is stupid,” Mike snapped, “She’s not ready—“ Lucas and Dustin elbowed him to shut him up.

Hopper didn’t even look at the kids, “She’s getting ready to fight the bigger problem, the mindflayer. Something that likes possessing people. Watch out for that,” he tipped his hat back. “But there are big dogs from that other dimension sneaking in like your average coyote onto farms. So we have to go out and clean them out.” Steve eyed Tommy’s face which was stoney. Hopper turned back to the table and map when he fingered Tommy had at least taken all of what he said in through his ears to process eventually. “We’re hitting it by groups. Joyce and I will go to Merrill’s. Nancy, Johnathan, Will, and Mike are going to Tinnerman’s. Steve, Tommy, Dustin, and Lucas are at Hagan’s. Got that?” he looked around. When no one disagreed he backed away.

Steve took his bag off and set it on top of the map, “You still have that tire iron?” he asked Dustin as he took out his lighter.

“Yep,” the kid nodded, “Still behind the house, I’ll go get it,” he ran off.

Steve only had to look at Lucas for an answer, “Got my pockets full of rocks and marbles this time.”

Steve smiled small but assuring, “Good.”

Everyone walked off to retrieve their own weapons or start their own vehicles. Except Steve and Tommy. Tommy was pale and his eyes were greyish.

“Hey,” Steve rubbed a thumb across his freckled cheek, “What’s going on in your head?” he whispered.

Tommy looked up and took in a shaky breath, “I’m ready to kill some monsters?” The questioning tone didn’t surprise Steve, the words did though. He didn’t ask, didn’t want to over work Tommy’s mind already. Not when they still had a long night ahead.

===

The Hagan property was the smallest of the three Hawkins farms. Fencing behind them that was meant to keep cattle on grounds, then a big barn, then the Hagan house. But it wasn’t meant to be called “small” either. The cattle were safe in the barn as long as they all stayed attentive and ready to kill off any demodog invaders. Simple, all in a days work. But Tommy was shaking like a leaf and Steve heard rustling from their right.

He stepped ahead a few steps just as Dustin and Lucas yelled out at the shadow creeping out of the trees. Tommy cursed loudly, so much so Steve feared Tommy’s mother would wake from it all the way in the house. He swung his bat to stabilize himself and then went to town on the thing’s neck, back, and head. It went down quick and others started coming out more and more. Lucas slung-shot his own ammunition and Dustin kept them back with Steve’s lighter and a can of hairspray.

“Can you get that one, Tom?” he shouted over the growls of a new dog as one ran past him to the fence.

It was a pretty quick success all things considering. The carcasses laid around Steve in wide diameter, gunk sprung all over the grass and tree bark. But as silence carried no more sounds carried out from the darkness.

He faced the group, Dustin parking things back into Steve bag and pulling out water bottles. Lucas was trying to wipe the sweat from his face.

Then Steve caught sight of Tommy standing still. Too still. He panicked.

“Tom?” he whisper yelled as he ran up to him. Grabbed his arms and then his head, “Tommy, are you alright?” Tommy’s pale face reflected streaks of luminescent tracks in the moonlight. His eyes looked frozen wide. “Hey,” he wiped away the tears with his thumbs and made Tommy make eye contact. Which seems to blow him out of his stupor. He started breathing sporadically. Steve hugged him and started breathing in and out exaggeratedly. “Match me, Sweetheart,” he whispered. Breathed in and waited as Tommy matched it. Exhaled and patiently listened.

By the time Tommy was lax against him, exhausted and adrenaline all gone, Steve had decided they were done. He snapped his fingers to grab Lucas and Dustin’s attention.

“Yo, call Hopper and see what they’re up to, please,” he threw one of Tommy’s arms over his shoulders. Started leading them back to his car a little ways away. Tommy wouldn’t speak, Steve had the mind to assume he was in shock. Knew the feeling himself. But the amount Tommy was still partially immobile on his own was concerning. “Can you signal to me how your feeling, Tommy? What can I do for you?” he asked as he opened the car door and worked his boyfriend into the passenger seat. He knelt on the wet road, his jeans getting damp at the knees.

Tommy finally made eye contact on his own and pressed his lips together, “That was scary.” Steve nodded understandingly. Tommy continued, “This is fucked,” he sat back and forcibly enclosed Steve hand in between his own. Steve distantly heard Dustin yapping to someone on the walkie talkie. “How do you all do it?” he asked exasperatedly. He deflated and shook his head, lost, “How do you do it all? You were amazing back there, didn’t hesitate or flinch.”

Steve smiled and leaned up to give Tommy a kiss to the cheek, “No one is going to be upset with you Tommy. We don’t even have to mention it. The important thing is,” he stepped back, “That we’re all safe and the dogs are done with.”

“But—“

“We won’t hold it against you,” he promised and Tommy closed his mouth slowly. Nodding in agreement a little reluctantly.

Dustin was messing with the dials on the walkie when he left Tommy there, “I’m gonna go clean the mess up, you two get in the car and wait.

Lucas stepped up though, “I’ll help.” Steve gave him a look but he persisted, “Please?”

He rolled his eyes, “I guess you’d be better help than Dustin.”

“Hey!” the other scolded.

Lucas flicked him, “Please, you gag every time the goo gets on you.”

“I wonder why!” Dustin called back as he got into the car with Tommy.

===

It was a few weeks later and Tommy was a little more comfortable in the Party and their occasional missions to take out other dimensional monsters. Tommy was good with the chain when he wasn’t completely petrified. Caught and wrangled multiple dogs out of the way on occasions. Sure he stopped out a few time but they didn’t fight him about it. Knew he knew what he couldn’t handle.

He was teaching Will a thing or two now. They each sat on logs in the Byers’ backyard with ropes in their hands and on their laps. Steve watched as he leaned against the back door doorframe with Joyce. Johnathan had tried to follow along but had quickly knotted his bad. Had encouraged them both instead as Tommy directed Will step by step.

Then, Steve joined them as they worked on tossing and capturing low tree branches. Tommy lassoed them all and Steve got some. But Will grew his skills fast apparently because he was right behind Tommy, grasping all the practicing targets with concentrated ease.

Tommy fist bumped the kid and Steve used his height to pull the rope back down, “Good job, Byers!”

“I was actually good at it,” Will beamed proudly. Tommy slung an arm over Wills shoulders and headed towards the house as Joyce called for dinner.

“You know, you should come take Steve’s place on the farm over the summer.” Will bounced on the souls of his feet a bit at the excitement and giggled when Steve scoffed dramatically.

“I’m just rusty.”

Tommy chuckled, “Come on, Byers One and Byers Two, let’s leave the Rich Boy to clean up.” Will laughed and followed him loyally.

Johnathan stood with a definite nod, “Agreed.” Steve stopped to watch them race to the house like they were all young boys.

Tommy fit in just fine.

#steve harrington #tommy hagan #stommy #stranger things #will byers #jim hopper #johnathan byers #i’ll edit this more later but here! #hope it’s alright. i was unsure on how to end it but i didn’t want to keep you waiting even longer #:) <3

[stanbillyhargrove]

Demons - The Rewrite

Chapter 16: Please Don't Make Me Beg You To Stay

Tw: eating disorders, purging, drugs

Steve’s POV

The party raged around me, bodies moving all around me and music pounding so loud I could feel it in my chest, replacing the beat of my heart. Nancy has been acting weird lately, distant and cold, and she’d decided not to come to this party, leaving me to drink with my friends. We were having a pretty good time, getting drunk and joking around for a while.

But it didn't feel right.

I wandered away to the makeshift bar near the kitchen. I was mixing myself a drink when a girl walked up behind me and ran a hand over my shoulder. I turned around to meet her drunken gaze.

“Hey there, pretty boy,” she slurred.

I tried to turn her down, tell her I had a girlfriend, but the girl just kept babbling.

I tuned out her constant talking when I saw Cat stumble into the other side of the kitchen, holding her head as she slumped against the counter. I didn’t think anything of it when a guy I’d never seen before followed her, just someone she met checking on her I thought. When she slumped to the floor I watched the new guy join a couple other guys, all of them sneering to each other. They were like a pack of wolves, snapping their teeth as they watched their prey fall. A couple people paused to talk to her but I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

I knew I should go to her but I didn't, just threw back my drink and turned to find another.

“She’ll be out any second,” a voice behind me sneered.

The pack loomed, staying far enough away from their leader to not startle the prey. Cat was starting to fade against the counter, struggling to keep her eyes open. When he hoisted her over his shoulder and started upstairs with her hanging limp, dread settled heavy in my gut. I quickly scanned for a head of blonde curls but didn’t see Billy anywhere near me.

Cause he hadn't been there.

I tried to walk away from the girl but was grabbed by the arm as she started to cry. I watched them all disappear upstairs and felt my mouth go dry. I desperately hoped for Billy to appear but knew he wouldn’t. It took a while for me to shake off the drunk girl to run up the stairs after them. When I worked up the courage to open the door my blood ran cold, like ice. The leader was on top of Cat, sliding her pants down her thighs. The pack loomed, salivating over their catch.

I announced my presence with a meager, “leave her alone.”

They turned on me, ready to devour me too.

“Hey man, private party,” the leader growled.

“She doesn’t want this, leave her alone,” I tried again.

One of the pack lept forward to shove me, “why don’t you fuck off? You don’t know what she wants.”

I bristled, squaring up to challenge them, “I know that she can’t walk or tell you what she wants when she’s passed out.”

The leader slid off Cat and met my challenge, offered a worse one, “we’ll let you join if you keep your fucking mouth shut.”

I gaped at him, “are you fucking serious? No! Get the hell out of here, you fucking assholes!”

He glared at me and reluctantly backed down.

“Whatever man,” he spat, “you can fucking have her.”

He shouldered past me, his crew all taking a turn to shove me as they followed him out of the room. The interaction left me feeling dirty, like they had left a mark on me that I would spend the next few days scrubbing at. I crossed the room to the bed and grabbed Cat’s shoulders to shake her. She didn’t respond, her entire body was limp in my hands.

Too much to drink, I thought.

I gently wiggled her pants back up her hipbones, over the scars and scabs that littered them. Scooped her up and carried her back downstairs, past the leering pack and out to my car to bring her back to my house to sleep it off.

I woke up with Cat curled into my side. When I looked over at her and saw her sunken, frail frame, I realized that I had been dreaming. Dreaming about what I wished had happened that night instead of what actually happened. A weight settled over me. A weight dragging me down into an endless ocean.

An ocean of should of's and could of's.

Of guilt.

Because it's my fault.

If I hadn’t been so caught up in myself I could have done something, I could have stopped her from being drugged in the first place. I should have tried harder to keep an eye on her. I failed Cat when she needed me most and I was failing her now as she got sicker and sicker.

I dont know what to do anymore, how to help, how to quit being a failure.

--

I woke again later in the morning to Cat rummaging loudly through a box just outside my bedroom door. I could just barely see her, sitting in the doorway pulling on strings of lights.

"Cat?"

She scrambled up, "oh! You’re awake! Did I wake you up? I was trying to be quiet."

"What are you doing?"

She smiled, holding up a string of lights, "I found some lights, I thought we could hang them up over the bed. It'll be cute."

I nodded, slightly confused, "yeah..okay, I can do that..where did you find those?"

"I made breakfast too! Get up so we can go shopping!"

"Shopping?"

"Yeah," she skipped and jumped to sit on the edge of the bed, "remember? For the dance?"

I nodded, sitting up, "right. Yeah, okay."

--

"I've never been in the city," Cat beamed, looking at all the stores lining the street.

I pulled to the side of the road, in front of a little boutique. Large windows boasted racks full of dresses and suits.

"Can we get coffee, Stevie?" Cat asked, pointing at the little Cafe across the street.

"Did you eat anything this morning?"

"Yeah, before you got up."

For a second, I could look at her smiling and let myself believe her.

She was running across the road before I could answer. Didn't look for cars, just dashed out.

"Cat!" I yelled.

"Come on, slow poke!" She yelled back, laughing from the sidewalk.

--

"Young Mr. Harrington," a woman beamed when we walked into the boutique, "how's your father? I haven't seen him in a while."

I smiled tightly, "he's fine, Tam. Busy."

"Good, good," she nodded, coming around the counter, "what can I help you with?"

Cat linked her arm in mine, "looking for a dress. And Steve here needs a new shirt."

"Will this be on your father's account?"

"No, I have money," Cat protested.

"Put it on his account. I need my jacket tailored too," I held up the jacket in my other arm.

Cat spun to me, "Stevie, I can-"

I shook my head, "really, it's okay. He doesn't care. Probably won't even notice. Lead the way, Tam."

Tammy nodded, leading us through the racks. Rows upon rows of billowing tulle and shining sequins. Soft silks and delicate lace.

Cat loaded her arms with as many dresses as she could carry and eagerly followed Tammy to a changing room.

Tammy pulled the curtain closed and came over to me, "another brunette, you certainly have a type."

I scrunched my eyebrows, confused, "huh?"

"I like this one, she's pretty. Much nicer than that last one I saw you with. What was her name again? Nina? Natasha?"

"Nancy," I answered, dryly.

"Nancy! Yeah, she didn't seem like a very nice girl. Not right for you."

I was about to protest when Cat called from the change room, "zip me, please?"

Tammy hurried behind the curtain and Cat walked out a moment later in a bright red dress. Tulle poofing up from her shoulders and layering down the skirt. It engulfed and swallowed Cat like flames.

"What do you think?" Tammy asked, smoothing her hands over the offending fabric.

"It's...something," I murmured, trying to control my expression.

Cat turned and burst out laughed looking at herself in the mirror, "oh no, this is terrible," she clapped a hand over her mouth, "I'm sorry! It's just not good on me!"

Tammy smiled gently, "don't worry, sweetheart. I'm not the designer. Let's try a different one."

An hour later we were on our way home, a new shirt, dress and shoes wrapped in boxes in the backseat.

-- a week later

"You sure you don't want to come pick up my jacket with me?" I asked.

Cat smiled and shook her head, "I'm okay, I'll spend some time with Rocky. Maybe go home for some stuff."

"Okay, I'll be back in a couple hours."

--

I came back to find a quiet house and a half eaten chocolate cake in the kitchen.

"Cat?" I called, tossing my suit jacket over a chair.

A fork with smeared remnants of icing gleamed next to the paper box.

A distant, painful retch perked my ears. I followed it through the house. Through the shadows of my parents unlit room. Following the thin strip of yellow light coming from under their bathroom door.

"Cat?"

Another retch and a sobbed, "fuck!"

I pushed the door open, "are you sick?"

She was kneeling in front of the toilet, one arm bent to brace herself and choking on the middle two fingers of her other hand.

I froze for a moment, "what the?"

"It won't come out," she cried, "it's stuck."

Her fingers were raw and irritated from being pushed down her throat.

"It won't come out, I can feel it."

She was shaking, fingers trembling against pink, slick lips. Tears sprung to my eyes, disappointed, angry and confused. My mouth opened and closed, lost for words. She pushed her fingers forward, gagging when nails scratched the back of her throat.

"Don't," I whispered.

She hesitated, "I can feel it, I need it out. I didn't mean to...I was so good."

Broken eyes met mine. Shameful before they scrunched closed and she dry heaved into the toilet. I shut my eyes tight, turning away from the door and leaving my parents room.

--

I hadn't moved from my spot near the pool. Just sat staring into the crystal blue water. The way it lapped lightly at my ankles. The way the stars reflected on the surface and danced when a stray tear fell.

The patio door slid open and shut behind me. Soft feet padding out onto the stone. I sniffed and wiped my nose with the back of my hand.

"Stevie," she rasped.

A new round of tears burned like acid.

"What the fuck was that?"

"I..I don't..."

I whirled around to face her, splashing water when I hurried to stand. Her eyes hardened when she flinched.

"What the fuck was that!" I yelled, "how could you do that to me! You were fine yesterday, what the hell happened?!"

"N-nothing."

"Nothing?" I scoffed.

"Yeah, nothing," she ground out, chin wavering even with her teeth clenched.

The lying stung almost worse than the truth.

"How can you stand there and lie to me?!"

She looked away, lips tightening.

"It's like you're trying to fuck this up."

Cat stood quiet, swallowing thickly.

"Is that it? You want to be sick? You want to push everyone away so you can pretend nobody cares and try to kill yourself again?"

Her eyebrows twitched, angry. Nostrils flared while she searched for the words to hurt me.

"I don't love you."

I was taken aback. Confused and hurt.

"I don't love you, Steve. And we're not in a fucking relationship," she spat venom, closing off, "I know you think you're my knight in shining armor but you can't save me."

"Fuck you," I growled.

"Your parents left, Nancy left. Nobody stays. Do you ever think maybe it's your fault?"

Yes.

All the time.

I hold people too close until they suffocate and leave.

I scoffed, sharp words falling from my lips before I could think, "tell me again where your parents are? You pushed Billy away. I'm the only one you have left. You need me."

"I don't need you. I never needed you!"

"Then leave!" I shouted, "my life would be a lot fucking easier!"

Hurt flashed behind her eyes before she turned and stomped away.

--

Tommy’s POV

Booze flowed, bottles passed and plastic cups emptied. Cigarettes and joints created a blue haze above us all. Flashing lights and thumping music disoriented the senses further.

Sweat dripped down foreheads, mixing into the sticky floor.

White powder covered a table in the middle of the room. Dusted noses.

Glimpses of familiar faces made it through the haze. Carol laughing, wild and free. Dancing out of sight. That girl I saw with Steve, Billy's girl. Cat? Chugging from a clear bottle. Leaning over the table.

"Tommy!" Carol yelled, snapping me back to reality.

I was in the backyard, lying face up in the grass. I smiled lazily up at her.

"You look beautiful," I mumbled.

Pink bloomed in her cheeks, "Tommy, you've been gone for hours. What happened?"

I laughed, "hours? Wow.."

"Tommy," she snapped, "get it together. We have a problem."

--

“Hall?” Billy grumbled over the phone.

“What?

He huffed loudly, “keep an eye on her until someone gets her?”

I sighed, “yeah, sure, okay.”

I hung up and looked back at Carol, "he can't get her."

"Fuck, try...try Steve maybe? I'm gunna try to talk to her."

--

I led Steve through the house to the bathroom upstairs, furthest from the noise.

"Carol pulled her away from a bunch of creeps, brought her up here to calm down a little."

Carol leaned against the bathroom door, knocking loudly.

"Carol? What's going on?"

"She flipped. Pushed me out and locked the door."

Steve sighed, "thanks, guys. I'll take care of her."

@charmed-asylum

#billy hargrove #stranger things #fanfic #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove fic #stranger things fanfiction #billy hargrove series #steve harrington #stranger things fanfic #billy hargrove fanfic #fanfiction

[thecreelhouse]

feral love || pt. 9

Paring: Steve Harrington x Witch!Reader

Summary: You come from a long line of witches in dark magic. You’ve never felt like you belonged, always feeling like you’d rather do good than evil with your magic. Another escape attempt leads your life’s path overlapping with Steve Harrington’s life, and things take a turn darker than you’d ever imagine.

Catch up here!

Word count: 4.8k

Warnings: language, violence, light gore/body horror

A/N: This is The Big Chapter™️ y’all, hope you’re ready. I may or may not have gotten weepy while writing* 😅 Next part will be the last! Enjoy! <3

———

Seconds turned to minutes turned to hours, long, excruciating hours as you watched time pass, waiting for the day to begin anew. It was just a waiting game until the sun would rise, then set again on Halloween, only to finally reveal the cover of darkness you waited for. It was a narrow window already, and the time it’d be open didn’t give much grace to work with. It wasn’t just a waiting game, it was a game of survival.

You glanced over at the clock, reading 3:33 A.M. and sighed, feeling exhausted but unable to sleep. Not until you had a plan on how to rescue Steve and erase Victoria’s existence from the face of the Earth. It was the only way to insure safety for both Steve and you, if you ever reached that finish line to begin with.

“You’re falling asleep sitting up, you should try to sleep for awhile.” Robin said, also carrying weariness in her own features. She had shown up after finishing a shift, long after Victoria vanished with Steve.

“Can’t. Not until we have a solid plan.” You mumbled, burning a small bundle of dried dandelions over a candle, being careful enough that you controlled the smoke with your powers. Still, you were thankful that Mr. & Mrs. Wheeler weren’t home to question their kids about any details of the night so far.

Nancy and Jonathan got back late, too, already fast asleep with most of the kids. The only one awake besides you and Robin was El, quietly watching you work over the worn coffee table.

“I still can’t believe the neighbors didn’t hear a damn thing,” Robin wondered out loud, and you laughed bitterly.

“That’s Victoria for you, always working her dirty tricks in a bubble, hiding it away from anyone nearby.” You explained, holding the bundle with one hand as you shaped the smoke with another into an orb. “I’m surprised the kids saw everything. I wish they didn’t.”

El frowned, looking at the smoke. “What is that?”

“It’s supposed to let me find people, kind of like your powers, but it’s not working the way I want it.” You admitted, gazing into the slow swirls of the smoke. “This spell isn’t really designed to work past our dimension.”

“So- so you really think she took Steve to- to the-“ Robin kept stalling, afraid to speak what was possibly the truth.

Sighing, you nodded, “The Upside Down? Unfortunately, yes.”

“Why can’t she leave you both alone for good?” El asked, brows knitting together.

Your heart sank at the innocence of her question; If only it were that easy.

“Practicing only dark magic for multiple lifetimes turns you cold enough to hurt others. She doesn’t know how to express emotions without negativity, so she uses that to hurt me for trying to break out of this cycle.”

You rested your head in your hands as your elbows rested against the table’s surface. You had a skull splitting headache for hours now, and the warning pain that shot up your spine still left a warm sting. Tears kept creeping up throughout the night, but you did your best to hold them back. Exhaustion finally broke you, though, and a sob escaped your lips.

“Hey, we’re gonna find him,” Robin assured as her arm wrapped around your shoulders, squeezing you into a side hug. “We’re gonna fix this, we’re not going to let Victoria win again.”

Tears fell from your face onto the table as you thought of the last time, nearly a century ago. Last time Victoria won, you thought it was Death this whole time who sent you to your early graves. It had only been Victoria glamoured as Death, meaning Death never came for you in the first place, never came after either you or your soulmate.

You rubbed your hands over your face with a sigh, “Maybe so, but the cost will be high.”

“What do you mean?” El asked with a frown.

“I—“ You hesitated for a moment, looking at El, then at Robin, then over at the rest of the Party, still sound asleep. “— I have an idea, and it might be the only shot we have, but I’m taking it if it guarantees Steve’s safe return.”

“Which is?” Robin asked, almost afraid for the answer.

Your gaze trailed back to the smoke, dissipating from its former sphere shape.

“I’ll have to play as dirty as she always has.”

———

Sleep didn’t rest long enough over your bones; you spent the time curled up on the old couch tossing and turning, having nightmares of the moment Steve was taken from you. You were lucky if you got at least an hour of sleep at a time, waking up each time clutching the pillow next to you tightly, eyes opening with disappointment that your hands weren’t around Steve. That he wasn’t here, he wasn’t safe, and you couldn’t even imagine the ways Victoria had been torturing him this whole time.

As the sun began to rise, marking the new day, you figured it was best to get something done while you couldn’t sleep, and off you went into the woods behind the Wheelers’ home. This part right now, was something you had to do alone, had to do without endangering anyone else.

The deeper you went into the woods, the stronger the energy felt around you. Wind blew in from behind you, almost pushing you in the direction you walked, guiding you. The air was crisp, almost sharp, a late fall frost crept along the surface of everything the sun had yet to touch. You walked until you found a clearing in the woods, an open circle where the thick forest wrapped around you.

Summoning Death, under any circumstances, was a risky, foolish move, but calling for her without any offerings was simply asking her to put you into an early grave. Still, you had no choices left, and you’d take your chances to save Steve.

Arms held out in front of you as your eyes closed, you began muttering incantations, calling for Death, begging for her help. A black static with a purple glow bounced between your fingers, and you turned your palms upright to the sky, releasing the twisting static to the air above you. It cracked into the sky, tearing a small opening in between the clouds of the early morning sky, invisible to those with mundane sight.

The static turned to lightning, cracking rapidly back into the ground, inches from your feet. You held your stance, though felt your legs wobble at the force of the shock. Thick smoke swirled around you, vanishing at the center as it continued swirling into a protective wall around you, just outside of the clearing’s edge.

Before you stood Death, in all her horrifying glory. To be fair, Death was as beautiful as she could be; wrapped in a hooded cloak like the mundane pictured the grim reaper in, only she wasn’t fully a skeleton underneath. Death’s face was half intact, half rotted off, but the side untouched was naturally beautiful, features glowing, almost to outshine the side that fell apart.

Legend had it her body hidden underneath was mostly rotting, too. Frozen in the process of decomposition. Her hair was long, silver, wiry but wavy. Her good eye had a silver glow to it, no pupil, just a solid, glowing silver orb. A sleeping, ghostly cat hung off her shoulder.

“My dear, it’s been a long while,” She spoke, her voice held an elegance above what most would expect Death to sound like. She looked to the ground, empty, then to your hands, empty again, before looking up at you, brow quirking. “Very bold to call upon me with nothing to offer.”

You bit your lip, wondering if this really was the only option. You made it this far, though and couldn’t turn back now.

“I know, I’m sorry, I desperately need your help.” You plead, trying to hold your shaking body still.

Death reached her partially bony hand out to you, cupping your face gently. The bones felt strange against your living, breathing skin, but you stomached it. This would all be worth it, for Steve.

“You’re losing him again, aren’t you, sweet child?” She spoke, and the sentence stung enough to prick tears at your eyes. You tried blinking them back. “Let it go, dear. Let the pain out.”

The destructive feelings that had been building up since you watched Victoria snatch Steve away from you broke, and broke with ease. You didn’t realize how tired you had become trying to hold them back for the last several hours. Tears fell, hot and fast, stinging your skin as they rolled down. Sobs racked your body, just like the night before.

“Please, please don’t take him from this lifetime.” You pleaded in between sobs, looking past your blurry tears to see Death frowning sympathetically at you. “Please, I’ll do anything. He doesn’t deserve to hurt again. He doesn’t deserve to die again.”

Death pulled back, reaching out to the cat waking up and crawling down her arm. She cradled the small cat, tickling its belly softly as she looked back at you. “You know, asking for such a favor is tampering with fate. Why are you so worried, child? You’ll find each other in the next life.”

“I don’t want him in the next life, I want Steve here, safe and sound!” You yelled, desperate for any help at this point. “I don’t want to keep this torture up of losing each other to find each other again. The curse is rotten enough without all of this on top of it.”

Death stopped petting the cat, gently setting it to her feet before bending back up to look at you. “My dear, what curse do you speak of?”

Your eyes glanced off from Death, in disbelief at her question, then back to her. “The curse you help carry through when dark magic witches stray from their roots. The one where we fall in love and are punished terribly for it.”

Death slipped a sharp laugh out, which only confused you further.

“What? What’s so funny about this? Nothing! Why are you amused by this pain!”

Death continued laughing, a tear slipping from her healthy eye, wiping it off with an exposed, bony finger.

“My child, that was always an urban legend. Simply a myth.” She said, trying to compose herself. You felt sick as her words hit your ears, bile rising in your throat. She finally noticed you were serious, and calmed down completely. “Nobody told you?”

You tried controlling your emotions, shaking your head ‘no’ while rage began pumping rapidly through your veins. Death’s face fell into an expression filled with sorrow, with pity. Your stomach only continued to churn with dread.

“Covens on the dark side of magic tell that to the children to keep them from straying away from the dark path.” Death explained softly. “Most find out in their teen or young adult years—“

“Yeah, something I’ve never reached this far until now, in this life,” You chuckled bitterly, thinking back to not just the past life in 1897, but the ones in between that life and this. You never had the chance to actually live a full, long lifetime. No one in your family let you. You never had the chance to grow up and grow old simply because your family put their selfish needs first, hoping with each reincarnation you’d be who they’ve always wanted.

In each new life you were born into, though, you had the same rebellious fire in your heart that kept you fighting towards the side of light, hoping you could finally break free.

“This whole time it was a lie. We lost our lives then over a lie.” You mumbled, looking off to the smoke that still swirled around the two of you. “So the time Victoria glamoured herself as you-“

“Excuse me? When was this?” Death interrupted, looking confused. The swirls of smoke formed into their own dark clouds, lightning cracking within them as Death’s demeanor shifted. “When did this happen?”

You didn’t realize Death was unaware of your sister’s betrayal, posing as Death to solidify her own wicked plan.

“Impersonating Death... what a coward Victoria is.” Death spoke calmly, though you could hear the anger laced in her words. “Glamouring either goddess of Life or Death is a punishable crime in our world, did you know that?”

As you shook your head again, you felt an unusual twist of fate begin to chase out the dread that was flooding your body. Was she saying what you thought she was?

“My sweet witch, where your family has failed you, I will not.” Death spoke, grasping your hands gently in her decomposing ones. You did your best not to flinch at the feeling, not wanting to offend her. “Victoria must learn once and for all that magic is and never was a game. I’ll assist you on taking her, banishing her from the Universe, once and for all. No do-overs, no rebirths.”

You couldn’t believe the words as they met your ears, trembling at the gift Death was giving you. The excitement didn’t last long, though, as you remembered with each gift she offers, Death always has a price.

“I’m afraid to ask what the cost of this could be,” You mumbled, heart racing at the thought. “What about Steve? Will he be safe? Can he stay?”

Death hummed knowingly, giving you a peculiar look, like you should’ve already known the answer. She was right, you did.

“One can stay, one must go. That is all I ask.” Death backed up from you, exhaling and pushing her hands towards your body. An unseen force hit you like a ton of bricks, but left you feeling more powerful than before. You looked down at your hands, where black lightning zipped between your fingertips, then looking up to find Death, and all the smoke surrounding you two, had vanished instantly.

Death’s last words rang in your ears, leaving a chill down your spine.

One can stay, one must go.

There was only one way this could finally, truly end.

———

The crisp, deep orange sun began to set beyond the trees out west of Hawkins as night was ready to fall. The moon hung low, impatiently waiting for her time to rise up from behind the trees in the east. You noticed already the blood red ring peeking out between the foliage, another sobering reminder that this was real. This was the last shot you had at fixing this mess, for good.

Though you argued with the kids to stay home, they all refused, and you knew you couldn’t stop them. They wanted to be there to help and support you and El in the fight, and welcome Steve back as soon as they could. Naturally, Robin mentioned her and the older teens should come along with, also wanting to help and protect the kids as well.

You really had no room to screw this up, not with everyone else’s lives on the line, but a small, silent part of you was grateful, as you didn’t want to go this alone.

Some of the Party brought their own weapons; Lucas with his trusty wrist-rocket, Nancy kept her gun close, El with her own powers, of course, and Robin with Steve’s nail-ridden bat. The kids promised to stay hidden and safe, only jumping in if necessary. El was the only one of the Party closer to the danger.

Following the sense in your powers that Death had heightened, you lead the group into the woods, where you could feel Victoria’s power source growing stronger with each step you took closer.

El was walking right behind you, alert with her hands ready to throw her telekinetic forces if necessary. You kept thinking about the meeting with Death, and how you hadn’t told the group everything you and Death agreed on. You slowed a bit to El’s side, and she looked up at you with a questioning expression.

“El, can I trust you with something?” You asked, and El nodded softly, trying not to bring attention to either of you. “I need you to close the gate when I say so, got it?”

El frowned, brows furrowed. “When everyone is safe?”

“Most importantly Steve and all of you.”

El grew quiet, connecting the dots in her head. “And you?”

You gulped, nervous for your plans to skew away from everyone else’s. “I— It’ll be okay. I just need you to do this for me, for everyone, okay? When I say so, you have to close it.”

El reached for your hand and tugged, looking up at you, “It’s not far behind.”

You were the one left in confusion this time, but knew El had seen something, and knew not to question it, for it would make sense in time. You rustled her hair gently, earning a giggle from her as you pushed on toward the spot where your sister was waiting.

The moon was high, now, beaming through the trees, still a deep red. Something within you told you ‘Stop’, so, you did, holding your arms out to signal to the group to stop, too. It was an open clearing, like earlier, but the woods were thicker around it, keeping you from seeing much beyond them. The moon hung over the opening, practically covering the sky from here, like a giant lamp overhead.

Robin hung back behind you, looked up, then back at you, bat balanced over her shoulder. “This is it?”

Before you could answer, deep red lightning struck down from the clear sky, splitting a tall oak tree right down the middle. The crater it opened within the tree’s trunk glowed red, with a gooey, slimy mass at its edges.

“Is- is that-“

“Yeah,” Nancy answered quickly, nervous to see a gate in person again.

“Remember what I said, stay safe, and if you are in danger, get out, run. Do not let Victoria fool you.” You muttered under your breath quickly, watching the gate yawn open, while a gruesome looking creature climbed out, flapping its petal like head open while growling.

“Shit, not demodogs again,” Dustin cursed, and you looked over to him, about to ask, when Will cut in.

“I can feel him, but he- he’s not here.” Will panicked, “His- his powers are here, but he’s not-“

“The Mind Flayer?” Mike asked, and Will nodded. Another demodog tumbled out of the gate.

Lucas stretched the band of his wrist rocket as his eyes landed on a few more, all growling as they stepped foot into their dimension; he held his aim to protect his friends. “Do you think... Victoria has his powers?”

“What happens if she does?” Jonathan asked, but that wasn’t something you had an answer to.

“Fuck, we’re so screwed.” Max grumbled as her hands tightened into sturdy fists, raising them in front of her, too.

“Stay alert, who knows what kind of rotten tricks she has lying in wait.” You warned, stepping forward into the circle. The demodogs all turned towards you, growling viciously, and you gulped. You never dealt with a monster like that before.

A long, bony hand emerged from the gate, and another, pushing themselves up and out of the gate. Victoria dusted herself off as she stepped onto the ground, covered in crunchy leaves, before walking towards you. The demodogs guarded her, and she had a sinister smirk upon her face.

“Ah! My dearest sibling! So elated you could join us!” Victoria laughed sharply, standing tall and proud.

“Where’s Steve?” You firmly asked, and she shrugged. Your blood began to boil. “Where is Steve?!”

“We can’t make things fun anymore, can we?” Victoria whined, rolling her eyes as she snapped her fingers, sending another strike of red lightning down from the sky. As the smoke cleared, Steve laid in the leaves, unconscious, limp and restrained. Your heart shattered at the sight of him, roughed up and weakened down to this state. His skin was faded to a ghastly pale colour, and his breathing was shallow. Anger coiled in your gut.

“Let’s not waste any time, shall we? The veil is thin, and I think this is a perfect send off for your lover, again.” Victoria said boldly, smirking. Her hand held out above the demodogs, then flickered her gaze up to you, then just beyond you, where the rest of the group stood.

“Head’s up!” You screamed back, throwing your own hands up to cast a sheer, black and silver shield of power behind you, covering your friends in safety. A demodog slipped through just before the shield went up, but El wasted no time flinging the dog into the darkness of the woods. Its whines echoed as it flew off in the air.

“Ah, you brought your friends to play, too, hm?” Victoria implored, twisting her arm to another demodog, sending it off. It hit your shield, whimpering in pain, but fought through it, heading towards the kids. “I love a good challenge.”

Lucas shot a rock at the demodog before it could take notice of how close it was to Will. While it was distracted, Nancy shot it, causing it to stumble backwards and keel over.

Victoria moved quickly, teleporting at a rapid pace, darting from one side to the other, making you dizzy as she disappeared and reappeared over and over again. She appeared directly in front of you, sending you flying into a tree. Your body hit the tree with an incredible force, pain radiating through your body, though it dissipated quickly, much to your surprise.

Every turn to your powers, you knew Death had a hand in. She wanted you to win this, wanted to wipe Victoria’s existence into the void of the unknown, wanted justice once and for all. Still, Victoria wasn’t about to give in easily.

Holding her arms out, she screamed, and black shadows erupted from her finger tips, whipping around the trees to reach for you at all angles. The ghastly limbs wrapped around your ankles and wrists, pulling you into the air as you struggled to be free.

“You really think you and your friends were a match to my powers? With my powers combined with Mother and Father’s, as well as the Mind Flayer, you’re bound to lose, little sibling.” Victoria spat as she rose to your level. Your eyes darted to Steve, still unconscious on the forest floor, then to the rest of the group fighting off the demodogs who kept coming their way, avoiding your shield.

“You don’t need to live this way, Victoria.” You said, searching her eyes for any empathy left. She was reborn again and again with nothing but selfishness deep in her bones.

“And what? Fall in love like you have? How pathetic, wasting your potential on the mundane. Your precious Steve was an absolute bore to hold hostage.” Victoria snarked, and your fists balled up at the mention of him being held against his will. “Was my warning all those ages ago not good enough? Was me playing Death not enough to scare you back onto the path of darkness?”

You tugged at the restraints more, eyes keeping a check on the scene below. You held your eyes back from lighting up at the sight of Robin, Nancy and Jonathan sneaking over to Steve, hoping Victoria wouldn’t notice. The few dogs left were pummeled to a pulp by Robin as she swung the bat, or where Lucas hit them skillfully in the places that inflicted damage the most, eventually obliterated by El. Nancy and Jonathan grabbed Steve, moving him quickly to the edge of the clearing, where he’d be safe, out of reach of Victoria’s cast circle.

Victoria twisted her hand, and one of the shadowy limbs twisted your wrist, causing you to yelp in pain. She did it again with the other wrist, feeling your bones twist individually as they cracked under the pressure.

“You’ll never hurt a single soul, mundane or magical, ever again, Victoria.” You forced out, face scrunched in pain as the effects spread up your arms, up your legs, twisting your bones individually.

“Oh, is that so?” She laughed, reaching out to pinch your face. “Enlighten me, dear sibling.”

Your head hung lows as you winced in pain, holding back your own tears before breathing out, “Death has no mercy among those in her debt.”

Victoria’s eyes widened in fear as black lightning shot down from the sky, knocking Victoria out of the air. Her body fell like a rag doll, slamming on the ground with a sickening sound. Still, she pushed her shaking body up to her feet, sending off red lightning to the branches of the trees around the circle. Branches reached out like greedy hands, tossing your body across the circle effortlessly. You hit a tree again, and slid down the bark, vision dizzy and mind clouded. You couldn’t give up, not yet.

The distant cries and screams from the Party muffled out even more as your vision tunneled in, and you reached a hand out towards Victoria, holding her in a chokehold by an unseen force. She grasped at her neck helplessly while gasping for air. What would’ve been a difficult spell for you, Death made a piece of cake. Holding your grip, you looked back at the group, just beyond the cast circle, and back at Victoria before throwing her body high into the air, and slamming it back down. You knew it’d only stun her for a moment, but you’d take any time you could get.

Sprinting towards the edge of the circle, you fell to the ground, quickly taking Steve up into your arms. He began to stir, groaning weakly, but his hands gently gripped you back.

You ignored the questions and concerns pouring from everyone else, and grabbed Steve’s face, shaking him gently. His eyes opened, barely, but enough to see a blurry outline of you.

“Y/N?... Is that you?” Steve asked, bewildered as he tried to bring himself into reality faster. Whatever spells Victoria had over him were nearly drugging him, to say the least.

“Steve, you’re safe now,” You said quickly, looking over your shoulder to see Victoria stir, groaning in pain. You looked back at Steve, “I don’t have much time, love.”

Steve’s eyes slowly began to open more, adjusting to his surroundings. His brows crinkled at the scene finally appearing before him. The exhaustion leftover from the spells made him feel dizzy and heavy. “Much time f- for what?”

You heard Victoria growl in anger, writhing around on the forest floor, but didn’t take your eyes off Steve as you continued to cup his face. “I love you, always. I told you I’d do anything to protect you, to make up for the mistakes long ago.”

Steve sat up more, pushing past his own aches and pains while he coughed, but looked at you panicked. “What are you doing? Wait- wait- hold on-“

You pulled him close, kissing him firmly, memorizing the shape of his lips against yours, the way his hands gripped your hips, the sound of his sharp breath as you kissed him quickly, before pulling away.

“We’ll find each other again,” You promised, unable to hold tears back, and Steve’s eyes grew wide at the sight, realizing what this meant. He scrambled to hold onto you, but you pushed yourself back into the circle, out of arm’s reach.

“No, no! I can’t lose you again!” Steve yelled, but the older teens held him back, knowing the main priority of this mission was to get Steve back, and keep him safe.

You ignored his cries, ignored the way your heart crumbled at his voice breaking, and lunged for Victoria, who had finally gotten back up, only to be knocked off her feet again. She wailed, unable to accept defeat, while trying to claw at your face. You held her in a chokehold, just the way she held Steve the night she stole him away. You floated above the open gate in the tree’s trunk, and with a great, inhuman force, one that could move a thousand mountains, snapped Victoria’s neck, crushing her bones into dust. The gory crunch echoed out into the woods as you dropped her limp body into the gate below.

Steve’s eyes met yours, and your chest felt heavy with grief. For a moment, you almost stayed back. You wanted so badly to stay behind, but this wasn’t the way the plan was made, and you weren’t one to rise up against Death, especially not after all she had done for you.

“Eleven! Close it, now!” You screamed, and El pushed forward in front of the group, hands out, already screaming into the night sky while blood gushed from her nose and ears. You took a deep breath, and dropped yourself into the darkness of the Upside Down.

This isn’t where it had started, but this was where it would end, once and for all.

———

Taglist: @harringtown @harrington-ofhawkins @nxncywheeler @heart-eye-harrington @comedy-witch @mochminnie @starssscary @anotherr-fine-mess @asheseiler

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x witch!reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fic #stranger things x witch!reader #stranger things x you #stranger things x reader #witch!au #feral love #my fics

[getthesamovarready]

First Sight

Also on ao3

Because they absolutely should have slept together after that bar scene. Nobody talks like that to someone they don't fancy. "Trying to assert your dominance" you'd like that wouldn't you Owen.

Chapter 3: dancing is a dangerous game

She makes a box from paper on her desk, for the cupcake. It's flimsy, and it would probably be easier to just carry the thing, but she does it anyway. She's bone tired, the long first day catching up with her, so she's grateful for the quiet moment she takes to fold the paper. "Hey Cap." Nancy hovers in the doorway, already changed. "You coming?"

"I gotta go home and change." She tells her. "Can't have this new team think we can't be fancy." A sweater and sneakers isn't exactly the fanciest outfit she could wear. And she's absolutely not thinking of a dress for Owen's sake. Not at all. 

"I don't know if these people would see the Honky Tonk as a real night out." Nancy raises her eyebrows. "Hell, I don't see it as a night out." She smirks when realisation dawns on her. "Trying to impress someone?" She grins, and Michelle feels a flush creep up her neck. She is, not that she'd even admit it to herself.

"Don't be ridiculous Gillian." She scoffs. "I'm just going home to throw something different on. It's no big deal."

It seems an awful lot like a big deal when she's putting on makeup. And perfume. And it definitely feels like a big deal when she bypasses her usuals, reaching instead for one of her slightly more fitted dresses in the back. She doesn't choose it because she knows Owen will look, not at all. She just felt like it, obviously. 

It's not her most sensible choice. She has to put concealer on her shoulder, and arrange her hair so the mark is covered, even though she knows she will forget to keep it that way. 

She's not quite finished when she hears Carlos pull into the driveway, so she runs her fingers through her hair instead of brushing it, only just remembering to grab the cupcake before heading out the door. 

"You look nice." He tells her, with the slightest hint of judgement, when she opens the car door. "Don't know why you had to change though, I mean, it's not exactly high class." His eyes flick to the box in her lap. "What's that?" 

"A birthday cupcake. I thought we should split it." His face falls, nodding slowly, before he starts the car up again. 

"So…" he starts, when they get on the road. "The guy from last night. Hoping he's there again? That why you're wearing one of your, "trying-but-not-obviously-trying dresses"?" There's no judgement, only a teasing smile, and she relaxes into the seat. 

"It's just a random dress Carlos." She rolls her eyes. "It's nothing."

"I know you, Chica. I've seen this all before." She says nothing, just glares at him. "It's a nice dress, don't pretend it's not. So unless someone on the new team is worth trying for, this is about the guy from last night."

"And what if it's neither?" It's both, but she's not exactly going to give Carlos the satisfaction. "What if I just want to celebrate my sister's birthday?"

"It's not neither, but I'll let it go." He concedes, before flicking his eyes over to her briefly. "But this guy, would you see him again? Did he give you his number?"

"He did." She bites on her smirk.

"Are you gonna call it?" 

"No." Her smile falls, and he examines her curiously out of the corner of his eye. "I did think about it." She admits. She had thought about it nearly constantly all day. She's actually surprised that she would have called it, had Owen not showed up at work. Maybe she would have dwelled on it, debated against it. But she would have called him, eventually. "It would be a bad idea though." She shakes the thought out of her head. 

"I know I was a dick about it this morning." Carlos sighs. "I'm sorry, I was just...I dunno. I was angry that I had to arrest you again I guess. And maybe I'm a little over cautious about stuff. And I shouldn't have been so judgy. You liked that guy, I know you did, so don't not call him because I wasn't happy about it." 

"That's not why I'm not going to call him Carlos." She really needs someone to talk to about this, because it's such a bizarre situation that she can't just not talk about it. But they are about to walk into a bar with Owen, and all her new colleagues. And Carlos doesn't have the best poker face she's ever seen.

"Then why not? I know you want to." He pulls into the parking lot. 

"It's just a bad idea." She decides to say. Best to keep the real reason to herself tonight. 

She grabs them a table not far from the team while he gets their drinks. She wants to do this just the two of them, and she's sure the team can manage without her for a little while longer. She's just finished unfolding the box when he arrives with two tequilas. "Why didn't you cut it before you left?" He chuckles as she folds the paper to cut the cupcake. "Wouldn't that have been easier? And like way less messy?"

"Yes." She huffs. "But this works, so leave me alone, or I won't split it, and you don't get anything." It shuts him up, and she manages to cut a squished and uneven line down the centre of the cupcake. "See? It works." She grins, presenting him his half with a flourish. 

Carlos slides her glass towards her. "Thanks Michelle." He raises his glass. "To Iris."

Behind Carlos's head, he sees Owen smile at her, and she raises her own glass with a nod. "Happy Birthday Iris." She downs her drink, settling the glass on the table with a dull thud. Her chest tightens, and she chokes down a corner of cupcake with a shudder. 

It really is a delicious cupcake, and somehow that makes it all worse. "Wow this is good." Carlos mumbles through a mouthful of cupcake. "Iris would approve." 

"I wasn't going to do anything like this." She sighs, breaking off another piece of the cake. "I didn't really see the point." There is no point, really. Iris isn't really alive, or really dead, in her mind. She's just...gone. And she has nowhere to direct her thoughts. "He said it would be a good idea." She rolls her eyes. 

"It was." Carlos takes her hand. "It was a good idea. Not everything has to be so difficult all the time." She shrugs, nodding. "I feel a lot better." A smirk forms on his lips. "You should thank him… for his good idea." He quirks his eyebrows, and she swats him on the arm. 

She hears someone on the team call her over. "Come on," she nudges Carlos. "I'll introduce you." 

The team toast to their first day, a success all round they agree. "To the 126, past and present." Owen smiles sadly at Michelle, Tim, and Nancy. "Cheers." 

The team resume their chatter, Tim and Nancy pulling Carlos in for a catch up, giving Michelle an opportunity to sidle up to Owen. "I should thank you." She smiles. "For the toast," she quirks her head to Nancy, still holding back tears. "That was sweet of you." He waves it off, it was nothing, really. "And I should thank you again, for your advice. And the cupcake." 

His gaze softens, before it twinkles with humour and he smiles. "Speaking of, you got a little…" And then he reaches out, his thumb brushing against her lip, wiping at a stray smudge of frosting. Halfway through the motion, he seems to realise what he's doing, his thumb pausing on her lip. Neither of them move, until a fraction of a second later, she hears TK cough behind Owen, and he jumps, pulling his hand away. 

She shakes herself slightly, laughing. The music shifts, and an idea pops into her head. "Well Captain Stand, shall we?" She turns slightly to the middle of the bar, where a crowd is clearing away. 

"Oh I see, that's why you brought us here, I see you." He chuckles, their tension diffusing. "You wanted to assert your dominance." She flushes madly, glad of the low lighting. If there is one thing she wasn't doing this time last night, it was asserting any dominance.

"I just think a man should have to earn his spurs." She smirks, eyes twinkling. It's suggestive, and she sees TK's eyes widen behind Owen. She also sees Owen spinning the thought around in his head.

"Trust me, you don't want to see me dance." He shakes his head, tensing when TK laughs behind him. 

"Are you shy?" She challenges, stepping slightly closer. There's no way he won't concede. Not with TK ready to mock him. And not when she's looking at him like that.

He concedes, just like she knew he would. He isn't nearly as bad as he suggested he might be, but her plan to pull him away from the team to talk fails miserably. The entire team joins them, eager to celebrate the move to Texas with some bad line dancing. So she keeps her conversation to teasing him, that seems to be how they talk in front of everyone else. 

So they dance, and if they flirt a little, and dance a little too closely, then it's a good thing everyone else is so distracted. 

She knows exactly what's wrong with him when panic crosses his face, and he ducks out of the crowd, hand on his chest. She glances around only briefly, no one is watching them, and if they were she thinks it's worth the risk to follow him anyway. 

"Owen?" She calls from the doorway, catching sight of him doubled over, gasping for breath. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." He gasps out, clearly not fine. She insists that she let her check, she's a paramedic after all. "It's nothing, just a little short of breath."

"Dancing too strenuous an activity for you, Captain?" She asks, giving him a once-over. It makes him flush, and his breath stutters even more. "Didn't think it would be a problem for you, not after last night." Her hand is on his chest, for purely examination purposes, and she feels it shudder. "I'm serious Owen." Her face loses its teasing edge. "This isn't common for you, is it? If it is, you're putting yourself at a lot of risk working right now."

"No, it's not common." He assures her. "First time." She sighs and pulls away from him. "It's really not a big deal." 

"Owen you're sick. Even if you feel fine most of the time, it's risky." If she ends up having to save his life during a call because he decided to work as a goddamned firefighter with lung cancer, she might just let him die. 

"I know." He huffs, his breath finally back to normal. "I'll stop when I have to, I promise." She doesn't seem satisfied, but she shakes the look off when someone calls his name.

"Captain Strand?" The woman steps towards them. "Michelle?" 

Michelle's face brightens at the woman's presence. "Grace!" She smiles, pulling the woman into a hug. "How are you?" She asks, face falling with her second, more serious, question. "How's Judd?"

"That's actually why I came out here." Grace steps towards Owen. "Grace Ryder, Judd Ryder's my husband."

"Nice to meet you." He holds out his hand in greeting. 

"Actually, we've met." She shakes his hand. 

"Grace works 9-1-1 dispatch." Michelle explains at Owen's puzzled look. 

"I took the call that night." She tells him, and he sees Michelle start to fidget uncomfortably. "I was on the line with my husband when the explosion happened." Michelle remembers. Remembers being halfway there when the call came in that they couldn't go to the scene, that another crew had to take over. "He was running, back towards the danger."

"Yeah I read the report." He assures her, a sad kind of understanding on his face. "And his commendation." 

"And I read yours." Grace smiles at him, and he knows where this is going. She's right, he and Judd are a lot alike, but the difference is, he put the work into recovery.

"Yeah well, he needs to take a little time to take care of himself, before he can take care of anyone else." Michelle shifts behind Grace, and he realizes exactly how hypocritical he must sound to her. 

"I'm not asking you to throw him back into the action right away Captain, I know he's not ready for that." 

"So what are you asking?" There really isn't very much that Owen can do without the man's total cooperation. And if they are as alike as Grace says, Judd Ryder might just be too stubborn for that. 

"I'm asking you to do what you do best." Grace swallows. "I'm asking you to save him." It's pleading, and she has to wipe at her eye before she backs away from them, re-entering the bar with just a quick look back. 

"Owen." Michelle steps forward at his sigh. "I'm not just saying this because he's my friend, but you should really give him a chance. He's a good guy to have in your corner."  She rests a hand on his shoulder. "I understand why you're still working. And I know you understand why he has to." 

“Michelle…” He sighs. “The man is traumatised. He can’t do our job with that kind of untreated trauma.”

“And you can do it with compromised lungs?” She counters, though not harshly. “Just think about it? Talk to him?” 

“Fine.” He concedes. “I’ll talk to him again.” 

“Come on.” She cocks her head towards the door. “You look like you could use a drink.” 

He could use a drink, in fact he uses several. "Are you even allowed to be a paramedic?" He asks her, many, many, drinks later. "How can someone get arrested fourteen times and still have your job?" There's no one around them, with half of the team already gone home, and the other half still dancing. So there's no one to see when she swats his arm in mock offense. 

"I'll have you know, Captain Strand." She giggles. "It's been fifteen times." She says it as though it is something to be proud of, and he has to laugh at her. 

"You got arrested again?" He looks around. "Or did you lie to me last night?"

"You told me to celebrate her birthday!" She defends, back straightening on her stool. 

"I didn't tell you to get yourself arrested! Again!" His idea of a birthday celebration had been more along the lines of the drink and cake she had tonight, not violating a restraining order.

"No one ever does." She shrugs. "But it keeps happening." She giggles into her glass, before knocking back the rest of her drink. "It's my turn." She shimmies out of her seat, stopping him when he goes to do the same. 

He watches her the whole way to the bar, jumping violently when TK appears at his side. "You can't sleep with Captain Blake dad." He warns, eyes narrowing. "Don't do it."

"What makes you think I would?" He splutters. 

"You're flirting with her. You've been flirting with her all day." He's actually been trying his best not to flirt with her all day. 

"No I haven't." He tries to defend, stopping immediately at TK's glare.

"Captain Blake seems really nice." He warns. "I don't know her, but she seems like a really nice lady. But most importantly, she's Captain Blake! You can't sleep with the paramedic Captain. We just got here, and you can't make it awkward and weird." 

"I'm not going to sleep with her." He assures him. Michelle had made that clear earlier, even if he'd been doubting how much she meant that with every interaction they've had since. 

"Good." TK nods. "Plus, her best friend is a cop, who could kick your ass if you did anything." Owen watches TK glance back at Carlos, eyes lingering for a moment. 

"You sure you're not only warning me off her," Owen smirks. "Because that would make it awkward for you to see her best friend?"

TK flushes madly, his hands flailing, very nearly knocking over Owen's empty glass. "No." He chokes. "I'm just saying. Don't do it." He catches Michelle turning to walk back to the table, and ducks away. 

"Here you go!" Michelle sets a tall glass of water in front of him. "I figured you'd need it, I'll be right back with the real drinks." She grins at him, turning back towards the bar, hips swaying as she walks. 

"Oh, yeah." TK appears again. "Probably won't be home tonight." He tells him, before disappearing again. Owen watches him brush his hand against Carlos's arm, and chuckles, shaking his head. 

"Those two really hit it off, huh?" Michelle asks, setting his drink in front of him and settling herself into her seat again. 

"Yeah." He sips his water. "Apparently TK won't be home tonight." 

Michelle shifts in her seat, a tiny smile gracing her features, eyes shining. "He won't?" 

#michelle x owen #owelle #owen strand #911 lonestar #michelle blake

[harringtown]

(time flies by) in the yellow & green | alternate ending

its alternate ending time!!

i call this: i worked very hard on the logistics of the original fic and that was the only ending that worked, but im also a self-indulgent emo fuck, and am willing to disregard my own created world logic for a happy ending! 

the first two sections are very similar to the OG ending, but the third section is the legit alternate ending! I figured it was easier just to post the whole chapter with the reworked elements rather than jumping in mid part so! sorry ya gotta scroll! (Also catch my agents of shield reference in there at the end lol)

read the rest (and the original ending) here!

-

The twelve of you stood just outside Steve’s backyard, five of you gearing up for what could be a battle. The younger kids had fought Joyce tooth and nail in an attempt to let them come with you, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve, but she hadn’t budged an inch. She was already a buzzing ball of anxiety, fluttering around all of you and double-checking weapons and gas mask straps.

“You’ll come see us?” El asked, the younger kids gathered around you to say their goodbyes. You’d already said them to Nancy and Robin and assured them you’d call and let them know you were safe as soon as you could.

Tears welled in your eyes but you smiled through them, wrapping El and Max in a hug. The boys hesitantly joined, forming a big group hug on the lawn.

“I promise,” you said. “As long as you guys promise not to forget about me.”

The kids pulled apart, faces filled with various levels of sadness. The girls, Mike, and Dustin had tears in their eyes.

“Never,” Mike said.

“Good. I expect big things from you kids.”

Next was Joyce, who came over to hug you, gripping you tightly in the way only a mom could.

“You be careful in there,” she said, pulling back to look at you.

“I will,” you said. Someone cocked a gun behind you and you glanced over your shoulder at Steve, loading his shotgun. Your stomach twisted painfully.

Joyce smiled sympathetically and brushed the stray hairs from your forehead, drawing your attention to her.

“I know it hurts,” she said, “but I promise you’ll be alright. You’re strong.”

“I don’t know if I’m that strong.”

She smiled. “You are.”

A hand touched your arm and you turned to find Steve, who jerked his chin toward the trees. You gave Joyce a quick hug before following him, moving until you were just out of sight of the others.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Steve said.

“You’ve fought these things before. If it shows up, you know what to do. All we have to do is-”

“Not that,” Steve said. You frowned and crossed the short distance between you. Steve’s head drooped, shoulders sagging.

“We don’t have a choice.”

Steve lifted his head and shook it, flushed and frustrated, but sad above all, the sorrow tearing through the roaring anger, making him wilt.  

“We-I’ve-lost everything twice already. I can’t do it again. Not you,” he said, sounding young and fragile, not at all like the hot-headed, brave boy from the stories.

“We can’t close the gate with me on this side. That’s why I was brought here,” you said, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek. His brows furrowed, but he leaned into your touch.

“It’s time to end this,” you said.

Steve shook his head again, backing up.

“By the time you get back, or however the hell that works, I’ll be…”

“Old.”

He blinked rapidly, shrugging his shoulders.

“I bet you’ll still have that hair,” you said. His lips curled up in a small, lopsided smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I wish I could stay. I wish I could stay forever and grow up here, with all of you. But I have a life. I have people that are missing me. And if I don’t go, it’s not safe for them, and it’s not safe for you. I can’t risk all of that happening because I want more time.”

“It’s not enough,” he said, like a child.

“I think we got lucky. We got more time than we were ever supposed to have.”

“I don’t want you to go,” he said. Your heart tore in half and you grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him against you, arms winding around him. He hugged you back fiercely, face buried in your hair, his fingers gripping your sides.

You pulled back to look at him, determined to memorize the lines of his face, the scars and the bumpy nose and the hair and the thick, pink lips. You ran her fingers through his hair, tugging him back to you and pressing your lips against his. His hesitation came from his pain, but his resolve disappeared and he kissed you back with a fierce intensity. Your lip stung, reopened with the pressure, but you couldn’t bring herself to care, not even when you tasted copper. Steve didn’t seem to mind, either, pressing closer.

It was the last. That fact was blisteringly obvious, woven into every touch and movement. It was the one to hold onto, like the first. There was something shattering in the knowing, a pain so big it was almost numbing, in watching the door start to slam shut behind them.

“Don’t you dare forget about me, Harrington,” you whispered against his lips. He smiled, fingers tangled in your hair, mouth hot on yours.

“Not a chance.” He tipped his forehead against yours, arms slung around you.

“Everyone gets rid of them where I’m from, but promise me you’ll get a home phone. It’ll be listed, so I can find you. Let you know I get home safe,” you said, lips quirking up.

“Hilarious,” he said, “but I promise. Anything for you.”

“Anything?”

His lips quirked up suggestively, though it wasn’t the time or place, and the Steveness of it made your chest ache. You’d miss him, god, you’d miss him.

“Stop being so hard on yourself. When I look you up, I know you’ll be someone great. You’ll get there. You’ll figure it out. Even if you don’t think you will,” you said.  

“I want to figure it out with you.”

“I wish we had that choice.”

“Why can’t we?”

You reached up and brushed your thumb across his cheek before letting your hand settle.

“You know why,” you said, “You can’t come with me. You have a life here. I can’t take that away.”

“You’re my life.”

“You’ll find another one. A better one.”

He frowned, but leaned into your hand, his eyes fluttering shut.

“It’s time to go,” you said. Steve opened his eyes and pulled you against him, burying his face in your neck. The hurt yawned open inside you, plucking the breath from your chest. You wanted to stay here, right here, forever.

For a moment, you pretended you could, pretended it wasn’t all about to end.

The reality was too hard to face. The reality was this: you were going home, and when you got there, Steve would be grown. All of them would be. Even the little ones. They’d all have lives of their own. And you’ll still be at the beginning of yours.

You pulled back and tilted your chin up, kissing him softly. His lips parted against yours for one blissful moment before you broke away.

“Ready?” You asked.

“Not at all,” he said, one side of his mouth quirking up.

“Me neither.”

Steve took your hand, threading your fingers together. He looked down at your hands and back up at you.

“Stay together,” he said.

“Until we can’t,” you said. Steve didn’t say anything else.

-

For three whole minutes, everything was fine. The five of you made your way through the hole and into the Upside Down without fault, halfway to the town square without interruption.

Nancy heard the growl first. The second was loud - and close - enough to send you all into action, weapons raised and pace quickening. By the third, you were at an all-out run, the others following you and Steve through the dark, murky streets.

You snuck a glance back; the Demogorgon was gaining speed, and another had turned the corner to join it.

“Go!” Nancy screamed, stopping long enough to shoot twice before running again. The five of you raced toward the stop sign, tripping over debris and things that used to be alive.

Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin stopped as the first creature reached you, their shots piercing your ears. You and Steve slammed to a halt and turned to fight, raising your guns. The second creature was nowhere to be seen, and its absence your stomach dropped. These things had one job: protect the heart. You knew it wasn’t going to let you through without a fight. It was there, somewhere, and you couldn’t see it. You opened your mouth to yell - to warn them - but the first Demagorgon’s mouth split open and the roar that followed drowned out any other sound.

Everything happened so fast. The creature roared again, and something silver flashed in your peripheral vision, and then something sharp was shoved through Jonathnan’s stomach, and the world moved a mile a minute.

“Jonathan!” Nancy screamed, her composure falling as she ran toward him, her gun clattering to the ground. She caught him just as his knees buckled and lowered him to the ground. You, Robin, and Steve took up post beside you, firing at the creatures until their bodies joined Jonathan’s on the ground.

“We have to get him out of here,” Nancy said.

“How? Where? We can’t-” Robin rambled, her panic stringing her tight.

“Robin, you help me carry him,” Nancy ordered. She looked at you and something unbearably sad filled her eyes.

“Can you do it? Can you do it on your own?” She asked. You looked down at Jonathan; still alive, barely conscious, but dying nonetheless. 

You didn’t have a choice.

“Get him out of here. I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can do it,” you said, heart-ripping in two - between the family you were born into, and the family that was hurt in front of you. You touched Nancy’s arm, hoping to reassure her. There wasn’t a lot of time; there wasn’t any time for more goodbyes. There would be more enemies to fight the longer this took.

“Save him,” you said to Nancy and Robin, who knew now wasn’t the time to niceties or more goodbyes. They carefully gathered Jonathan in their arms. Steve reloaded beside him, cocking the gun and lifting it.

“I’ll keep those things off you as long as I can,” he said.

“Thank you,” you said, “for everything.” It wasn’t enough, couldn’t possibly sum up what you wanted, but it was all there was.

And then they were all gone, and you were alone with blood on the pavement and Demagorgon’s lurking in the shadows.

You only needed a moment. Just a moment. You took off running, darting around cars and debris. A shot rang from the direction of the gate; Steve. The noises moved closer, and though you knew that meant they were getting pushed back, it wasn’t yours to worry about. Your priority was the Upside Down’s heart, not your own: even if your own was a trampled, bleeding, worried mess.

You found it again, the bubbling bulge in the ground, pulsing and bright and alive. You dropped to your knees in front of it, images of Steve flickering behind your eyes. You could almost swear you heard his voice, but there was no more time to hesitate. You plunged the blade into the bubble. It ripped open and liquid burst out, burning your skin, but you didn’t stop. You stabbed and cut and slashed until the light went out, and when the fire licking your skin was too much, you let go, falling back to the ground, the knife falling with you.

-

You woke in the forest just the way you had all that time ago, covered in burns and bruises and abrasions. The worn path through the trees was undeniably yours; which meant that this was, undeniably, your time.

That fact hurt more than all the aches and stings on your body combined. A sob bubbled up in your chest and you clamped a hand over your mouth, buckling. You dropped to your knees, hands finding purchase in the dirt.

The hole was closed. As if it had never even been there at all. As if you’d never gone anywhere at all.

“Jesus. I’m gonna have to take twenty showers to wash all this off.”

You jumped, scrambling back to your feet in the direction of the voice you couldn’t possibly have heard. You turned to find the one boy who couldn’t possibly be there.

Steve.

You should have been angry at him. Angry for doing something so stupid, so risky. Angry for throwing his future away for the chance of one with you. But all you were was relieved. So, so, so relieved. It was as if the boulders that had settled between your shoulders the first time you’d crossed the gate had finally fallen, and all that remained was love so overwhelming it was almost painful, in the best way.

“Steve?” You breathed.

He wiped some off the grime off his pants, meeting your gaze with a sly grin.

“Hey.”

“What are you-you-you’re not supposed to-”

“Yeah, I know.”

“How are you here?”

“I followed you,” he said as if it wasn’t the biggest thing in the world.

“What if something happens? If the gate closing with you on the wrong side…”

“The Upside Down only cared about you. I guess I’m like…a Trojan horse.”

“I’m the Trojan horse. You’re inside.”

“Whatever,” he said, “same thing.” He still had that cocky smile, like he hadn’t just risked everything.

“If something happens to you because of me, I-”

He crossed the distance between you, taking your face in his hands.

“Hey. If something happens to me, it was worth it.”

Your brows furrowed, and you asked, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

You stared at him, stared like you’d never seen him before. You knew that, had it been possible, you’d have stayed. You’d have pretended 2019 didn’t exist until you reached it, taken the life that wasn’t rightfully yours and lived it. But Steve…Steve had no one here. Was no one here. And he’d followed you anyway.

“What? Do I have mucus on my face?” He asked.

“You jumped through a hole in the universe for me.”

“More for your mass collection of yoga pants, but yeah,” he said. Tears welled in your eyes and you threw your arms around him, infinitely grateful to have something other than memory to hold onto: the person himself.

“The others. They don't know what happened to you. They-”

Steve pulled back and smiled.

“I might have mentioned something to Nancy. She thought it was insane, too. But I figured, if I didn’t make it back, someone should know I’m not dead.”

“We’ll find them.”

Steve’s brows knotted together.

“Dustin’s older than me, now. Hell, even Erica has twenty years on me.”

“Now you know how I feel.”

He looked around, something like confusion settling on his features. This was a world completely foreign to him. One you got to show him.

“Your parents, and the others…”

“If you’re asking if I regret it, the answer is still no. Don’t regret anything when it comes to you,” he said.

“They’ll have no idea where you went.”

“My parents already don't know I exist. Nancy will tell them I ran away, or something. I don't know. It’s not my problem, I guess.”

“By now, it’s definitely worked itself out.”

The words alleviated some of his guilt, leeching it away visibly.

“You’re right.”

You reached out to take his hand, threading your fingers together and looking down at them before meeting his gaze again.

“You want to see your new life?” You asked. He squeezed your hand and smiled.

“Ours, you mean?”

“Yeah. Ours,” you said.

Then, you walked hand in hand out of the trees, into a world where no one had the answers. But, for the first time, you didn’t mind. You were content to go back to a life without Demogorgon’s and without parallel universes and losing friends, so long as Steve was by your side.

A lifetime had passed since you left your friends in the Upside Down. Years, and years, and years that the others spent waiting to see you again.

But for you, and for Steve, the beginning has looped back around. You have an entire life ahead of you. Things to do and places to go and time, time above all. Time to live and time to love and time to learn. More time with Steve than you were ever supposed to get. And that, you realized, was the strangest thing of all.

#brooke writes fic #time flies by au

[heart-eye-harrington]

mallory

Summary: Steve’s been seeing the same girl in his dreams for 10 years. What will he do when he sees her in real life or when he realizes she’s taken by his favorite co-worker?

Anon request:  hi! could you make a steve x female reader where steve has been always dreaming of her but he doesn’t know her (like maybe her name in the dream is like mallory or something like that) and one day robin starts dating someone and steve goes to meet the girl and it’s reader(who he has been dreaming all his life) please and thank you!

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: a few curse words here and there

Author’s Note: Hi! Anon I’m so sorry this took so long! This was really fun to write, so I hope you like it! ♡

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Recurring dreams can be maddening. Trying to decipher why your mind keeps planting these movies in your head, what they’re trying to say, it can grip you for days as you try to solve the mystery. Why did something as blissful as sleep have to be juxtaposed with terrible dreams you couldn’t shake? Luckily, the madness is often short-lived. The dream lasts for maybe a week or so, but that’s it. 

Steve Harrington had something equally maddening yet, oddly comforting. Instead of the same dream playing out night after night, he’s been seeing the same girl since childhood. No matter what it was about, she was there. 

At first, she was just in the background, a student in the crowd when he dreamed he was giving a terrible presentation, another smiling face when his imagination took him to a carnival, or a village girl when he was prince Steve. 

He first took notice of her during a nightmare when he was nine. He was being chased through a forest. The monster behind him snarled and flashed its yellow teeth anytime Steve dared to turn around to gauge how far away it was. The bare branches knicked his skin, their long fingers reaching out for him. The twisting roots slithered to just the right spot so that he’d trip. Every force around him seemed to want him to fail. One of the roots grew, hooking up to trap his foot. The monster was gaining, certainly moments away from catching him. He screwed his eyes shut, prepared for the pain he knew was following the monster’s musty breath fanning his face. 

But, the pain never came, quite the opposite actually. He felt the pressure that held his foot disappear. He opened his eyes and was meet the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. 

She kneels beside him, a kind smile upon her face. The dark forest and the fear it held over him fades away, pushed out by the warmth she radiated. The sun begins to rise behind her, as if eager to greet her, and it paints the sky with rich oranges and yellows. She holds out a hand to him, offering to help him up. It takes Steve a moment to process all the change she brought, but he gladly accepts her hand. She flashes his a bright smile, taking both his hands in hers once he’s to his feet.  

“You’re okay. Everything is okay” her voice was gentle and reassuring, her grin beaming like the sun behind her. He felt her warmth on his face, closing his eyes to revel in the feeling. 

When he opened his eyes he was met with his bedroom ceiling. He brought a hand to his cheek, still feeling the lingering warmth he’d felt with her. I’ll see you when I fall asleep he thought, a smile ghosting his face.

He walked around the rest of the day in a daze. A million questions whizzed through his little head. Who was she? Why did she save him? How could she bring light to everything she touched? He was determined to find out. 

The day went by like any other. The only thing out of the norm was his eagerness to go to sleep. His mother laughed, asking if he had a fever as she usually had to fight him tooth and nail to get him to bed at a reasonable time. She thanked whatever angel had let this happen as she kissed his forehead, flicked on his car night light, and wished her son a goodnight. Steve shimmied himself deeper into his soft mattress, brought the covers up to his chin, and closed his eyes. It took him longer than he’d hoped, but he eventually fell asleep.

When he came to, he found himself in a spring forest. Light peaked through the tree canopy, newly green leaves and small flowers dotted the branches. He was nearly overwhelmed with the fresh smell of newly fallen rain and the dew left on the grass tickling his bare feet. As he wandered deeper into the forest, Steve found a glittering lake. 

The light danced across the surface, waltzing across the slow and steady ripples. As he got closer he saw a silhouette, someone perched on the water’s edge. Warmth returned to his cheeks. He brought a hand to his face, gingerly touching his skin to feel the same heat he felt the night before. He’s a deer caught in headlights, disbelief ensnaring him. 

He’s back. She’s back.

His feet move before his mind can. It doesn’t catch up until it feels the cool water on his toes. He looks down at the girl, the smile on her face mirroring his. He wordlessly sits beside her and cautiously places his hand next to hers. She shyly takes it, allowing Steve to calmly exhale, any tension he held released in an instant. There is so much Steve wants to ask her, but he feels deep down that he’s got time. 

He knows that he’ll be seeing her more often, and could slowly unravel the mystery over time. As for now, he can enjoy sitting next to her, feeling her hand in his and the crisp water on his feet. 

Steve’s suspicions were true. He saw her every time he dreamed for the next ten years. Though they spoke in his dreams, she never revealed anything about herself. She told him reassuring words during nightmares and sent the occasional quip when his mind granted him more blissful visions. He learned everything through her actions. She was kind, attentive, helpful, smart, funny, a bit clumsy, fierce, and beautiful.

 The one thing he felt certain about was her name. Mallory. It was an unspoken truth. It was the reality of his dreams, similar to how a random building wasn’t truly his house, but it was in the reality of his dream. Maybe her name wasn’t truly Mallory, but he held on to any puzzle piece she dropped. 

He searched for her when he was awake, desperate to put the pieces together. He looked at school, customers at Scoops Ahoy, and anytime he was pulled from a daydream. No matter how hard he looked, she was nowhere to be found. 

He convinced himself she was his guardian angel, watching over him in his dreams, a tiny compensation for all the shit he had to deal with when he was awake. She was there when his parents were away on trips, for when he was scared of leaving middle school for high school. She was there after the demogorgons, she was there after Nancy. She was always there to look out for him. She made sure he felt loved. Was it romantic love? He didn’t think so. It just felt like she cared, and that’s all he needed. 

His favorite dreams with her were when he could go back to the forest. It was constantly glowing and bright, just as he had seen it as a kid. He’d always find her at the lake, the twinkling water reflected in her eyes. He’d take her hand to help her up, and guide it on his shoulder. He’d gingerly place his hand on her waist, and they would dance. They moved with a grace only permitted to Steve in sleep. They’d bounce and twirl all across the lake, laughter filling the warm spring air. It was magic. Her loose dress would move beautifully, a third partner in their choreography. 

Eventually, they’d stop, catching their breath after what was simultaneously hours and mere seconds of dancing. She’d tuck the stray hairs that fell into his face, and before she could lower her hand he’d hold it there, allowing her to feel the warmth she perpetually brought to his cheeks, a byproduct of the obvious care she felt for him. The outer corner of her lips turns up just the slightest bit. The change in her expression was so small anyone would have missed it, but it couldn’t hide from Steve’s soft gaze. He blinks, 

and she’s gone. He’s in his cold bed, alarms clock blaring.

 It was time to wake up. 

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The neon open sign above the Family Video wasn’t the only sign that the store was full of life. Music is pouring from the shop, letting Steve know Robin was already inside. What surprised him was that she wasn’t slumped over the counter counting the minutes till she was out, but instead her swinging arms were carrying her around the store to the rocking beat of The Police

             ♫ Every time that I come near her, I just lose my nerve, as I've done from the staaaaaaaaaaaaaart♫

Robin continues her air drumming as the music builds, only stopping during the brief moment before the chorus

             ♫ Every little thing she does is magic ♫

With the chorus drops, so does her head for a fleeting moment before instantly raising it in a sort of headbanging. A brunette tornado oblivious to Steve’s presence. 

He stands in the doorway, hands on his hips as he chuckles. Robin’s been like this ever since she’s gotten a girlfriend. He’s never met the lucky lady, but it’s obvious she makes Robin happy. A chuckle sneaks from him, effectively freezing Robin’s head, her hair falling in a million different directions. Guilt sinks into Steve’s gut realizing that he interrupted her moves.

“Sorry to bring you down from the clouds. How long have you had your head up there?” 

“Oh, shove it” she jabs back, attempting to regain her cool, but the red spreading to her cheeks deceives her. 

“When am I gonna meet this dream girl?” Steve asks, seeing the perfect opportunity to pop the question. 

“Well, we’re going to a diner tonight. I’ll call her and ask if it’s okay if we have a dingus as a third wheel.” She pokes him in his side before walking off, back in work mode. Steve follows, grabbing a stack of returned movies from the counter. 

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You answer your phone after the second ring 

“Hey y/n! How are you?” a smile instantly brought to your face as your girlfriend’s voice vibrates from the receiver. You subconsciously clutch the phone tighter, as if embracing her. 

“Hi Robin. I’m good! How’s work? We still good for dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, about that…” a sinking feeling fills your stomach. She only cancels plans when something is really wrong, and she’s tough, so it takes a lot for her to opt-out.

“Is it okay if Steve comes? He’s been asking to meet you for a while now. I know it’s date night and you love spending time together and he’s just gonna awkwardly third wheel but I feel bad and I think you guys would hit it off but then again he is a moron so I -”

You chuckle “Robin, you’re rambling. Yeah, that’s fine! I think it’s about time I meet the infamous Steve Harrington” Robin sighs in relief on the other end of the phone. You talk for a bit more before she has to go back to work. You place the phone back on the wall and go about getting ready for tonight.

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Steve arrives at the diner a few minutes before the agreed time. If this girl was as special as Robin made her seem, he wanted to make a good first impression. He strolls through the doors and is met with an empty hostess stand. As he waits, he takes survey of the almost empty diner. 

A few truck drivers sit on the stools, swapping stories of the road. An old couple is situated in a corner booth, taking advantage of the senior discount. Finally, he spots a girl sitting alone in a booth. As soon as he sees her, he’s caught in a trance.

Golden light only brought about before sunset streams in through the window, illuminating her with a beautiful warmth. It seemed as though the sun wanted to keep her company as she waited. It illuminated features he had seen countless times in dreams, but never right before him. Her eyes sparkled as they did at the lake. He’s pulled from his trance when she sends him a shy wave. 

Still not quite believing what he’s seeing, he takes bashful steps toward her booth. Before he realizes what he’s doing, he blurts out

“Mallory?”

Her soft expression melts into one of curiosity.

“No, sorry. I’m y/n. I’m sorry for waving you over, I thought you were someone else. I’m supposed to meet my girlfriend and her friend.”

Emotional waves crash against Steve’s skull. After all these years of searching, she’s right here. Right in front of him, breathing, in the flesh, is the girl he’s dreamed about since childhood. It was like grabbing at hot sand on the beach, warm and calming for a beautiful moment before it drains away, slipping through your fingers. As quickly as he’d had you, he lost you. 

“No no, I’m sorry. You just...reminded me of someone.”

The wave of pain sinks to the sea as he realizes what this means. The rough water quiets as Robin walks in. Admiration bubbles through her features as she locks eyes with you, practically skipping over to the table. It’s not till she stands beside Steve that she senses something is off.

“Sorry I’m late, biking uphill to get here was a real bitch.” both you and Steve chuckle at her breathless words, easing some of the awkwardness. 

“Soooooooo, have you two meet?” She looks between her seated girlfriend and Steve. He shakes his head, finding a sudden interest in the checkered tiles. You could say that, he thought

“Yeah, um-” his hand comes up to rub his neck, closing his eyes and focusing on the sensation.

“I never introduced myself though. I’m Steve, nice to meet you y/n” he lowers his hand and extends it to you, which you take in a polite handshake. Steve and Robin sit with you in the booth, Robin beside you and Steve across. 

Despite your less than ideal introductions, any lingering stiffness dissolved. The evening filled with stories and laughter. It was as if you’d known each other for a lifetime, an understatement for Steve. 

He had to admit, you two complimented each other perfectly. Robin deserved to be happy and it was beyond obvious you made her feel that way. Her posture softened, eyes sparkled, and she looked loved. 

A content smile came to him as he realized that’s all he ever wanted for her. If anyone deserved a dream girl, it was Robin. He was comforted in knowing he’d be seeing more of you, awake or asleep.

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington one shot #steve harrington writing

[chicgeekgirl89]

T.K. and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Fandom: 911 Lone Star

Characters: Carlos Reyes, T.K. Strand

Summary: T.K. comes home cranky from a terrible day, and the only thing that can fix it is Carlos. For the @badthingshappenbingo​ square "headache."

A/N: Eternal gratitude to @bluenet13​ for being the best and beta reading everything! 

Read on AO3

T.K. Strand was generally a fun, happy, enjoyable person to be around. But Carlos had learned early on in their relationship that when his boyfriend was grouchy, it was like dealing with a toddler having a temper tantrum. And today T.K. had come home from work C. R. A. N. K. Y. 

T.K. let out a sigh and closed a cabinet door with a little more force than necessary for about the fifteenth time in the last hour.

“Can I help you find something?” Carlos offered lightly from where he sat on the couch.

“No,” T.K. said, wandering to the refrigerator, looking inside, and closing that in huff too. “There’s nothing to eat here.”

Carlos knew for a fact that wasn’t true. They had gone shopping two days ago and restocked on snacks and drinks, including Ranch Pringles, one of T.K.’s guilty pleasure snacks. There were plenty of options for T.K. to choose from. “There’s leftover pizza,” Carlos told him. “And beef bourguinon.” 

“I don’t want that,” T.K. said, slightly petulant.

“Why don’t I make you something?” Carlos started to get up, but T.K. waved him off. “No, you worked all day, I don’t want you to have to do that.”

Carlos sank back down into the couch cushions. “We could order something in?”

“It’ll be too late by the time it gets here,” T.K. groused, wandering aimlessly around the room.

“Well just come sit and watch this with me then,” Carlos offered, patting the open spot on the couch next to him invitingly.

“I don’t like this show,” T.K. said immediately.

“I can change the channel,” Carlos said patiently.

“It’s fine, whatever,” T.K. huffed. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” Carlos said, reaching for the remote and turning the TV off. “Come here.”

T.K. moved toward him with a look of long suffering, like a teenager who had been asked to do the dishes. 

“Sit down,” Carlos commanded and T.K. slouched onto the sofa next to him, his arms crossed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing,” T.K. muttered.

“It’s not nothing, you’ve been moping around here since you got home.” He ducked his head, trying to catch T.K.’s eye. “Talk to me. Let me help.”

T.K. looked at him moodily for a minute and then sighed, deflating a little bit. “I had a bad day.”

“Oh really? I couldn’t tell,” Carlos teased.

T.K. harrumphed. “It wasn’t like a bad day, bad day. But Tommy is all freaking out about the twins going to summer camp, and Nancy is mad because she went on a date and they still haven’t texted her back and I accidentally left the jump bag at a playground so we had to go back for it, which made us miss lunch, and then I got chased by a dog and a kid threw up on me and I’m tired and hungry and I have a headache.”

“I’m sorry,” Carlos said sympathetically. “That does sound like a bad day.”

“It was,” T.K. said. “It was very bad and I didn’t like it.”

“I really think you should let me make you something to eat.”

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

“Do you want me to get you something for your headache?”

“No.”

Carlos cast around for another suggestion. “Do you…want to hug in the shower for ten minutes?”

T.K. was on his feet in an instant, grabbing Carlos’ hand and towing him toward the staircase. “Yes I want to hug in the shower,” he said in a tone that suggested Carlos should have known all along that this was what would make the day better.

Half an hour later, they lay cuddled in their bed. Carlos’ hair had gone extra curly as it dried, a stray curl falling into his eyes as he slowly ran a hand up and down T.K.’s back. “How’s your headache?” he asked.

“Better,” T.K. mumbled, his eyes closed. “Thanks.”

Carlos pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Good. In the future, let’s skip the moping around and go straight to shower cuddling, okay?”

“Mhmm…” T.K. nuzzled in closer to Carlos’ chest, making him smile. If shower cuddles were what it took to turn a bad day around, he was happy to help. 

#Tarlos #911 Lone Star #911lsfic #Carlos Reyes #T.K. Strand #Soft boys #Boys in love #Headache #Bad Things Happen Bingo #Cranky T.K. #Sweet Carlos #Whump #Shower cuddles

[theunboundmeg]

Nefarious (Chapter One)

Summary: It wasn’t a year ago and Y/N can still remember being the new girl in school. Now it’s a new year, SENIOR year...and there’s another new kid at Hawkins High School. Billy Hargrove is a jerk, headstrong, and extremely presumptuous. And yet...he still manages to find his way in Y/N’s path...and it’s really starting to cause some “problems.”

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Y/N (Reader)

Word Count: 2,973 Words

Rating: 18+ (For the Future)

Warnings: Cussing, insinuation, angsty angst! And some other stuff!

Other: Please note, this story takes place at the beginning of Season Two and actually follows to the storyline. I thought it would be interesting to write from a different perspective of the main story and see what happened to one of our favorite characters while the others were off fighting the demodogs! Enjoy this and if you guys like this chapter, I’ll probably write more! <3 Also note that there is no planned amount of chapters for this yet. I will write this story until it just naturally folds up. So...look forward to MANY more to come!

________________________________________________________________

Chapter One: Tell Your Friends It Was Nice to Meet Them

   The first day was always supposedly the worst day, right? Well, this wasn’t exactly the first day...but still. I looked in the mirror at myself, cringing slightly. What in the world was with my sense of fashion today? Seriously? And why was it that no matter what I put on, I felt as though I was an imposter? It just felt...different. That day did, anyway. 

“Y/N! YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE!”

 My mother’s voice echoed up the stairs and floated about the space in my room. She wasn’t wrong. And it wouldn’t be the first time either. One more tardy mark in homeroom and I’d be serving detention for a week. That was just how “serious” Mrs. Perkins had become with me. I didn’t exactly have a great relationship with my homeroom teacher, but we still managed to coexist...for the most part.

“Coming!” I screamed, grabbing up my backpack and taking one last look in the mirror. Out of control hair, high rise skinnies and a tank. Fine. It would do.

___

  Just as the last bell sounded off, so did my footsteps on the tile of my classroom.

“Ah, Y/N! You did manage to make it on time! How gracious of you!”

  Mrs. Perkins, along with the twenty or so other students in the classroom all gazed at me, causing my face to flush even more than it already was.

“Yeah, sorry. Just...tough morning” Not much to really say on the matter, I just shrugged and made my way to the back of the classroom.

  Nancy and Jonathan were both there, seemingly lost in a hushed conversation that was only becoming more hurried and hushed the closer I got. I let my backpack hit the tabletop of my desk, causing Nancy to nearly jump out of her skin, which in turn brought a snort from Jonathan.

“You guys talking about creepy monsters again? Or am I actually going to understand the conversation you’re having this time around?” I asked.

  Their adventures from before weren’t exactly a mystery to me. In fact, Nancy and I had become so close, she’d disclosed nearly everything that had happened before our friendship had blossomed. She’d told me all of it: from the Upside Down to how some small chick named Eleven or Elle or...Ellen...(I honestly couldn’t recall half of the time) had saved everyone in Hawkins. And while I’d be forever grateful to the girl I’d never meet for saving the small town I’d only just recently moved to with my mother, it was just difficult for me to buy...most days. Naturally, the thought of such a story intrigued me, it even drove my imagination on the dullest of my days. But still...monsters? Right here in this place? Come on now. 

“Nooo...I was just telling Jonathan that he should reconsider the Halloween party. They’ll eventually be handing out flyers, but I already heard something about it.” Nancy replied, shrugging her shoulders and leaning back slightly.

  I perked a brow and looked to Jonathan, who began to shake his head immediately.

“No.”

“Come on.”

“Nooooo.”

“Seriously?”

“No.” he hissed, clearly firm on the answer.

  I glanced to Nancy then and shrugged again. 

“I’d tell him to come but, he’s clearly made up his mind.”

“We’ll see.” Nancy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

  She wasn’t really in the wrong for wanting him to come. Jonathan hardly got out much lately. Ever since the incident with his brother Will, he’d always made a point of trying to be home with him as often as possible. Then again, who could blame him? If I’d almost lost my mother, I’d be the same way. She was the only person I had left in the world, after all. It was then my attention was yanked back to the present by the door creaking open. The male walking in seemed to attract the attention of pretty much everyone in the room, even Mrs. Perkins. A mullet well kept, jean jacket and tight fighting jeans to boot and one would almost assume they were looking at a model. 

“Mrs. Perkins! Sorry for the interruption! I’ve got a Mister Hargrove for you.”

  The Principal pressed his lips together firmly as Billy moved past him, looking around for a chair. Something about him already seemed to pick at me. Not a word had escaped from between his lips and there was just something that was off about him. Cockiness? Or maybe he was an asshole.

“Mister Hargrove, are you-”

“We probably won’t be here for long, so maybe it would be worthwhile to just skip over my introduction and move on to better things...Mrs. Perkins, was it?”

  While Billy had pretty much insulted Mrs. Perkins and talked over her, he’d done so in a way that oozed charisma. Asshole. Definitely asshole. I frowned and glanced downwards.

“Please...find a seat then.”

  It wasn’t long and Billy was making his way between the desks, girls giggling and whispering about him as he passed them. Nancy leaned over towards me, lowering her voice.

“Steve and I saw him pull up outside earlier. Think he’s got a sister too.”

  She tilted her head, her tone holding that of a curious nature. Other than that, she didn’t really seem to have much more to offer. The scrape of a chair caused me to jerk my gaze away and look to my left. Billy had apparently decided to make himself at home in the empty desk next to mine. Just my luck...a whole fucking classroom full of other people and he’d chosen to sit by me. Great.I made a point of looking away from him and back over towards Nancy.

“So about this Halloween party? I’ve got nothing to wear, but I thought I might go out today and see if I can find something at one of the thrift stores in town. Think there might be something good?”

  Jonathan scoffed. 

“Could always go looking like a goddess or a cat? Like most other girls do.” he replied.

  I shrugged. “I happen to like cats, Jonathan.”

   The chair scraped again, this time forcing my attention away once more and back over towards Billy as he leaned back, seemingly considering whether or not he could balance himself in his chair with his feet up on the desk. The look on my face must have said enough, because he took the time to actually stare back, inquiring now.

“You got a problem?” he asked, eyebrows shooting up.

“Not yet.” I replied, sniffing.

“Not. Yet?” he repeated, furrowing his brow.

“Did I stutter?” I asked.

  Okay, perhaps that’d been a bit too forward or rude. After all, I’d been the new kid once as well...and I’d known how hard it was to acclimate to a new setting and new people. Just as I opened my mouth to apologize, he began to laugh. Billy actually began to laugh and just shook his head.

“My first day at this place and I thought I was going to run in with a bunch of airheads. Instead, I only run into a few airheads and one smartass. Might even be too smart for her own good!” he barked.

I could feel my face going hot as his chair finally sat back on all fours and he leaned over towards me.

“Sweetheart, lighten up. I’m not going to bite you. Unless you’re into that sort of thing.” 

His gaze roamed downwards slowly, then back up, causing the heat in my face to travel to my ears and neck. Finally catching hold of myself, I inhaled sharply and shook my head.

“You know...I WAS going to apologize for being an asshole, but I feel like you feed into that sort of thing.” I retorted.

“I feed into whatever feeds me.”

  It suddenly felt like a sparring match of sorts. The more I threw at this guy, the more willing he became to throw it right back at me. Dealing with my mom and her various boyfriends had always caused me to become a bit more straight edged...perhaps even cold. I’d never really been able to flirt well and guys tended to stray away. Usually. So, this encounter was different. He was flirting...but he was also being a dick about it. THAT was what made me feel more irritated.

“By the way, cat ears would look good on you. Don’t let the guy who’s clearly never been laid tell you otherwise.” Billy said, jerking his chin in Jonathan’s direction.

“God. Welcome to Hawkins.” I grumbled, looking away.

  Nancy had managed to keep herself quiet during the small exchange. Her gaze darted between me and Billy, and then back again. Jonathan seemed to be struggling with something to say, perhaps even something towards Billy for his comment about the cat ears.

“Christ...” I mumbled, glad to hear the bell ringing to signal the beginning of classes. 

Chairs were pushed and shoved and the stampede of feet began towards the door. I grabbed up my things and nodded to my two friends. “I’ll see you guys in second. Going to head to Chem and hope I don’t die from boredom.” And I’m also in desperate need to get away from this jerk.

I glanced towards Billy one last time, who seemed to be in no rush to get to his first class of the day and shook my head. He was going to end up being one of those. You know the one. He gets in good with the Kings and Queens of the school. Cool guy, cool hair...cool car probably too. And they’d suck him dry. Or perhaps it would be the other way around. Of course, that crowd didn’t exactly exclude me either. I’d been very lucky my mother had the money she did. And because of that, I’d earned a free ticket into the club as well. And while I never really partook in any of the “cool” kid activities, I made myself known there ever so often with Nancy and Steve.

“Come and get sheet faced?” I heard Jonathan say to Nancy as they left the classroom.

  If I’d been paying any sort of attention, I would have seen the flyer that had been waved in my face before the girl had given up and given it to the person behind me. The flyers they were talking about were the Halloween party ones everyone had been buzzing about. Well, perhaps cat ears would end up being a thing after all. I shrugged, my backpack shifting weight on my back, and began heading off to class.

___

The day hadn’t really been anything to write home about. Classes had dragged and by the time sixth period had rolled around, my brain was fried. Chemistry test in first period, and countless amounts of note copying in the classes after had made me wish I’d stayed home. The only thing that had pretty much gotten me through the day were my friends and trying to figure out what costume I’d be wearing to the party. I pushed open the door to the front building and began making my way around. The courtyard was empty, save for a few students rushing from the back building to the front. I had my last class of the day in the detached building and like most, enjoyed the possibility of skipping. Such was the freedom of being able to actually...you know...go outside between classes.

“Hey! Cat Ears!”

I stopped and looked around. Cat Ears? I furrowed my brow and searched until my gaze fell on Hargrove. He stood there, just out of sight enough of the common passerby so that he could sneak his cigarettes under the stairwell on the side of the building.

“You going to class or you actually doing what I think you’re doing?” 

   I moved over towards him, nose wrinkling at the smoke curling upwards into the air. I’d only ever smoked once in my life. While I didn’t really complain about it, I’d heard from my mother it was probably something I shouldn’t pick up. The smell was just something she didn’t enjoy...therefore I shouldn’t either.

“We have a back building. I’ve got my last class of the day there.” I huffed. “I do have a name, you know?”

“Cat Ears just fits you so much better though. Makes you seem...more...crafty.”

“Crafty?”

“Did I stutter?”

There it was...he was throwing it back at me again. Then again, I’d probably deserved it. Especially since I’d said it to him earlier.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be? Like class?” I asked, shifting the weight of my backpack again.

Billy’s eyes roamed over my face and he reached up, plucking the cig from between his lips.

“Sure, I’ve got class.” he replied, “But I figured I’d take in the scenery first.”

  He motioned towards me, causing me to feel that hot feeling creeping up my neck again. He wasn’t terrible to look at. But he also seemed like the sort of guy that had a shit personality...and enjoyed collecting women like he collected trophies. And I wasn’t about to fall for THAT sort of type. He stepped forward and circled around me, causing me to turn and watch him. Now, my back was near the wall and he stood out in the open.

“What’s your name?” he asked, finishing off the cigarette and flicking it away.

“Y/N.” I replied, curtly as possible.

“You don’t seem like the other Hawkins girls. Sure, you dress like the royalty, but you don’t seem like them.”

“I’m not from here.” I replied, “ My mother and I just moved here this past year.”

“Ohhhh, so we DO have something in common.” he jested, grinning that wolflike grin.

“We have NOTHING in common,” I said, stepping forward to try and pass him.

Billy sidestepped and put himself directly in between me and my route to freedom. It wasn’t long and he was stalking forward, causing me to back up until my back was firmly planted against the wall. He paused...eventually. He stood close enough that I could smell the mix of cigarettes and cologne on his jacket. He was clean and the way his jaw worked, it almost made me hold my breath.

“Here’s the thing Y/N. Usually, I get what I want. And right now, I’m wanting to know more about you...a lot more. Want to skip class with me and find out more about me to?”

Was he actually asking what I think he was asking? For fuck’s sake.

“Listen...buddy...” I reached forward and gave him a small push, causing him to blink in surprise.

“You might not be used to being turned down by girls, so let me go ahead and educate you. I’m not some prize to be won. I don’t just randomly go off with guys and explore with them. You seem like the type that enjoys an easy catch, so how about I point you in the direction of Carol and her flock of bitches.”

If Carol had heard me talking about her like that, she’d probably have ousted me from the “group” then and there. But she hadn’t...and this guy knew nothing about the social system at Hawkins High. Yet. Billy stood there, taken aback, before letting out another round of that barking laughter.

“You’re actually-?”

“Yes. I’m actually turning you down. A nice looking guy who is acting vile and quite frankly looks like he enjoys the feeling of being on top.”

“Well, you got one of those things right for sure.” he affirmed, nodding slowly.

  He watched me, like a predator hunting his prey. But I wasn’t about to become his prey. Not today. Not ever. And yet? Some part of me...deep down...I felt that feeling. I felt it. He ENJOYED that about me. And perhaps that was why we were in the situation we were in now. He held his hands up and backed up. 

“Pretty girl like you...I just couldn’t NOT ask. Was worth a shot.”

The smell of his cologne lingered on my jacket and in my nose. That’s how close he’d been to me...and it was going to haunt me for the rest of the day, I just knew it. I let out a breath and perked a brow.

“Maybe if you didn’t put off that asshole vibe, I would be more inclined to be curious about you.” I said, stepping back further.

“What can I say? People just seem to love that about me.” he replied, opening his arms wide. 

 It was sarcasm, but I understood what he was saying. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried not to think about the way he’d looked at me. It was a look that had made me feel something I almost wished I’d never felt. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit curious about him. But I knew Billy’s type. I knew we’d only destroy each other if we got close enough.

“I hope I see you at the party!” he called after me as I turned and began to walk away. 

I shook my head and looked to the ground, feet carrying me as quickly as I could. I only just made it to class and sat down, clearly looking as though I’d run a marathon.

“What’s wrong with you?” hissed Nancy. 

Yeah, having class with her this many times in the day had brought about a great friendship. And an open one at that. Though, part of me didn’t want to tell her about running into Billy. News was already spreading around the school about the hot, new guy...and I really didn’t want to get THAT look from my friend.

“We’re going to that stupid Halloween party.” I replied, “And need to find some fucking cat ears.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Chapter Two>

Author’s Note:

Hey guys! So, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything and I’m super sorry! I apologize if this chapter seems a bit short, but I’m rusty and finally starting to get back into writing again. This story idea came to me while I was lying in bed one night and I just couldn’t help but get started on it. I really love the idea of seeing a more thoroughly explored story for Billy during the events of season two and even season three...so I’ve decided to give us one! I hope you liked this and stay tuned for Chapter Two! Let me know if you guys have ANY suggestions!

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove x y/n #billy x reader #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove fanfic #fluff #angst #y/n #chapters #fanfics #billy #stranger things fanfictions #stranger thinga fanfiction #bily hargrove fanfiction #billy gargrove fan fic #billy hargrove x reader #steve harrington #reader x billy hargrove

[jbbarnesnnoble]

Where the Moonlight Shines (Part One)

Summary:  You’re a junior deputy in Hope County, Montana when things go to hell in a handbasket with the local cult. It’s months before help arrives in the form of the Avengers, taking you down a road you never expected.

Features: Mild violence

Pairing: TBD

Series Warnings: Canon typical violence; depictions/mentions of torture; depictions/mentions of brainwashing; will add more as they become relevant

Notes: Part One has dialogue directly from Far Cry 5; Series will primarily focus on the fallout of Hope County and Rook’s (Reader’s) recovery. While I have through part seven written, posting will likely be every other week if not longer as I go back through for the 1000th time and expand the story even more. Because of this, more warnings may be added. The story diverges entirely from MCU canon. Bucky is part of the team, IW and Endgame don’t happen and Civil War is ignored. 

This is a crossover between Far Cry 5 and the MCU

Word Count: 2631

You were the newest Junior Deputy with the Hope County Sheriff’s Department. Newest was a relative term. Hope County rarely saw newcomers, unless they were flocking to that damned Project. You had spent summers there growing up, sure, but there was something different about living there full time. It was a home away from home. You’d returned to Montana on a permanent basis for peace and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of a more populated area. It was easier to keep to yourself there, even with everyone knowing you. You had healing abilities, something that happened when you were in high school, interning in a science lab. It was something you kept to yourself. 

Everyone called you Rook, even the people who had known you since you were a kid. You had started there as a dispatcher when you moved to Hope County, went through the academy when you saw the way things were heading with the Project, and got offered the position two years ago. The one thing you hated about the job was Nancy. If you had to hear Nancy go on one more time about whatever mundane thing was going on in her life, you were going to lose it. 

You had been in Hope County a few years when they started causing major issues. The Project at Eden’s Gate. Locals called the members of the Project Peggies. The Project had a dark cloud over it. Suspected kidnappings. Coercing businesses into closing. They had strict policies on alcohol. Namely that it wasn’t allowed. They had seemed innocent enough when they arrived years back. Joseph Seed, the so called ‘Father’, had worked with Father Jerome for a time. You weren’t sure when things started shifting, but they did. You hated working calls dealing with the Project. Especially calls in the Henbane, because inevitably, you would end up dealing with Faith Seed. You figured if you kept to yourself, only interacting when it was required for work, you’d be fine. You were wrong. So terribly wrong.

The real trouble started when you were at the bar in Fall’s End, the Spread Eagle. It was owned by Mary May Fairgrave, who was one of the toughest women you knew and one of your oldest friends. You had just settled in to have a beer and a burger, catching up with her, when trouble walked in. 

One of the leaders of the Project at Eden’s Gate came in looking smug as always. You knew which brother it was by the designer clothes he wore and the look of disdain plastered upon his face. John Seed was an arrogant bastard. He was always trying to get Mary May to close up shop, going on about how alcohol was immoral and how it drove people to sin. Preaching about how he had been lost to the vice before his brother found him. You rolled your eyes at him and continued your conversation with the bartender, pretending he wasn’t there. You considered her one of your closest friends in the county outside of Joey Hudson and Staci Pratt. You knew being ignored would only serve to rile him up. 

“I’m sorry, I thought it was rude to ignore a customer,” he said, flashing a smile that was so fake it put Barbie to shame. 

“What can I get you?” Mary May asked through grit teeth. You watched the interaction with caution. You could never trust a Seed. 

“A water, please, and a moment of your time,” he replied. You choked back a laugh. Of course he’d only order water. You took a sip of the drink in front of you, a watered down beer that reminded you of the bonfires in high school, when everything seemed so much more simple. Nights curled up against Staci’s side, his hand never straying from your back. Staci Pratt, ex-boyfriend turned colleague and one of your best friends. You remembered nights spent laughing with Rachel Jessop, now Faith Seed. Before the drugs. Before the Project. You knew Tracey had taken it hard when Rachel joined the cult. You all had. And now there were rumors about her and something called the Bliss. You didn’t like it and investigations into it had turned up nothing, the Seeds stonewalling you at every turn. 

“You know, Deputy, it is certainly unbecoming of an officer of the law to be in a place like this,” John said, drawing out the syllables in the word deputy. You narrowed your eyes at him.

“Seed, this is one of the local watering holes. You’d be hard pressed to find an officer who doesn’t come in on a night off,” you snapped. Mary May set the glass of water down on the bar, water sloshing over the side with the force, earning a dirty look from John. 

“We want you to stop serving alcohol, Ms. Fairgrave. It’s a temptation for many of our flock,” John said. 

“Too damn bad, Seed. This bar was here long before you and it’ll be here long after,” she said. 

“We’ll see about that,” you heard him mutter before he spoke again, “I’d hate to see something happen because of one of our more zealous members. We cannot be held accountable for their actions,” he said before standing and walking out the door.  As the man left the bar, she gave you a look of concern. 

“I don’t trust him or those brothers of his, Rook. Sooner or later something is going to give. Did you hear about the Anderson’s kids? They just up and left, leaving a note for their parents sayin’ they were leaving their life of sin to join the Project,” Mary-May said. 

“I’m sure they’re harmless. If they weren’t surely the feds would be closing in on them...hell, maybe even the Avengers. Every time we’ve carried out a welfare check, the person was accounted for,” you said. You wondered if you’d ever believe that yourself. 

You had seen things when carrying out those checks that set you on edge. But there was no proof that the Seeds were doing anything illegal, no proof that people were being kidnapped. You couldn’t even get a warrant to search their properties, John Seed made sure of that. Damned Georgia lawyer. He was a massive thorn in the side of the Sheriff's Department. The hands of the department were tied, no matter how much you all hated it. 

“Now that’d be a sight, the Avengers here in Hope County,” she said with a shake of her head. 

“For all we know, the Project could be an arm of Hydra, now wouldn’t that be something? With the rumors that swirl about those brothers, it wouldn’t surprise me is all I’m saying,” you said. 

“Keep talking like that and I’ll send ya to hang out with Zip,” she said as she wiped down the bar. You laughed. Zip Kupka was the local conspiracy theorist. You’d answered more than your fair share of calls out to his place. The only other person who could top Zip for crazy theories was Larry Parker. You sat talking for a while, until she was closing for the night. Things happened in a blur. Something went through the front window as she was flipping the chairs up and hit her. You rushed to her side.

“Mary May, stay awake...stay awake damn it,” you said as you pressed your hand to the gash on her head. You focused on the injury. Your powers were jarring when you hadn’t used them in awhile. Blue encased your hand as you worked to heal the damage. She looked at you stunned.

“That ain’t normal,” she said. You sighed as you helped her sit up. You didn’t see the two figures watching the scene from across the street in their car.

“It’s...complicated. Come on, let’s get some food and water in you,” you said, helping her up. You covered the broken window up while she sat down. You picked up the rock. There was a note attached.

“What’s it say?” she asked.

“Last warning. Close up shop, or else...Mary, I’m taking this down the station,” you said. She frowned.

“I don’t see what that’s going to do. We don’t have proof it came from the Seeds,” she said. 

“John Seed has been pressuring you for weeks now to stop selling alcohol and to close down...but you’re probably right. He’ll just say it was an overzealous member of the Project,” you said, feeling defeated. You stayed the night, worried that something else would happen. You left early, glad you had the day off. You headed up to the station to drop the rock and the note off with the Eden’s Gate files before you headed home. Something was coming, you just weren’t so sure what. 

 -------------------------------------------------

A few days later, Cameron Burke arrived in town, with a warrant from the Federal Marshals for the arrest of Joseph seed. You had a bad feeling about the arrest. None of you were comfortable with the task. Sheriff Whitehorse had tried to talk him out of it. He had no idea what he was doing. You knew it would only provoke the hornets nest, not destroy it. 

“You sure you’re alright? You can sit this one out, no judgment,” Staci said as your group headed to the helicopter. 

“Alright is subjective, Pratt. I just have a bad feeling about this arrest,” you said. He nodded.

“I don’t like it either but the Marshal won’t change his mind. You know that as well as I do. He’s bullheaded. All he’s gonna do is rile them up,” he said. You nodded in agreement. 

“We’ll be alright,” you said. You knew neither of you believed it. Through the flight, you tried re-watching the videos. The videos were the closest thing to evidence of wrong doing. Your stomach churned at the thought. Joseph Seed was shown on video gouging out the eyes of someone. 

Pratt landed the helicopter and your feelings of unease grew. Members of the Project stood with guns at the ready. You could hear the sounds of their music playing, some song about Jacob Seed setting the sinners free. You hated the Project music, even if it was catchy. It was creepy. 

“Hudson, on the door, watch our backs, don’t let any of these people get in. Rookie, on me,” Sheriff Whitehorse said. Whitehorse was like a father figure. You knew he had reservations about the arrest, which was why he told the Marshal to follow his lead. You didn’t like how cocky the Marshal was. As the three of you entered the church a chill ran down your spine as Joseph Seed spoke. His flock were listening intently, hanging on every word the man said. 

“They will come, try to take from us, take our guns, take our freedom, take our faith! We will not let them!” Joseph preached. Anxiety had made itself at home, feeling like a rock in your stomach. Everything in you said to run, far away and never look back. 

“Sheriff come on,” Burke said. His impatience grated on you. He didn’t understand just how tenuous the situation was. 

“Just hold on Marshal,” Whitehorse said. You were saying a silent prayer, hoping Burke wouldn’t do something stupid. 

“We will not let their greed, or their immorality, or their depravity hurt us anymore, there will be no more suffering,” Joseph said before the Marshal interrupted, against the warnings of the sheriff. 

“Joseph Seed! I have a warrant issued for your arrest on the suspicion of kidnapping with the intent to harm. Now, I want you to step forward and keep your hands where I can see them,” Burke said. And there it was. Whatever happened now, Burke had all but sealed your fates. 

You thought about what you knew about the Seeds. John was a lawyer. You’d had to deal with him on multiple occasions. He was smart, good at what he did. He was the youngest brother and owned a ranch in the valley. Jacob was the oldest, a veteran. When the family bought up St. Francis, up in the Whitetail Mountains, he’d made himself at home there. And then there was Faith Seed. Rachel Jessop. Joseph Seed had taken her under his wing and suddenly, she was known as Faith, Rachel just a memory. You avoided her if you could. She was a friend, once upon a time. 

“Here they are, locusts in our garden. See they’ve come from me. They’ve come to take me away from you. They’ve come to destroy all that we’ve built!” Joseph said. The jeering from the crowd grew louder. Your breathing grew more shallow. You were terrified. There were far more of them than there were of you. Even with Hudson at the door, just outside, you were outnumbered and outgunned. Burke made a move for his gun.

“Don’t touch that service weapon!” Whitehorse snapped. He called for calm as Joseph did the same for his congregants. 

“We knew this moment would come. We have prepared for it. Go, go, God will not let them take me,” Joseph said, as his siblings moved behind him. He raised his arms in the air, head tilted up toward the ceiling as members of his congregation walked toward the doors.

“I saw when the Lamb opened the first seal and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts say “come and see” and I saw. And behold, it was a white horse, and hell followed with him,” Joseph said, his gaze falling on you as he held his arms out. 

“Rookie, cuff this son of a bitch,” Burke said. You felt a cold sweat form. Why you? Why did you have to be the one to cuff him when the Marshal was the one who came to arrest him? You were there as back up, not to be the arresting officer. You looked at him. You felt the eyes of all four Seeds on you, curious about what you would do. You were frozen to the spot. You could refuse, walk away, pretend it never happened. Live your life.

“Rookie, come on,” Burke said, getting impatient. You went against your gut. Your hands shook as you took your cuffs from your belt. You closed your eyes as you locked them in place, feeling as though you had just set something in motion you couldn’t take back. 

As you got Joseph into the chopper, his people snapped into action. They were not going to let you go. Even as Pratt went to take off, people were still climbing on the chopper and soon, it was falling from the sky as Joseph sang Amazing Grace. You blacked out for a moment, opening your eyes to see Joseph staring at you. You reached for the dangling headset as Nancy’s voice came over the radio. Joseph responded, and when you heard her call him Father, you cursed her out in your head. You should have known she was one of them. 

“Let the Reaping begin!” Joseph yelled. As much as you wanted to help your colleagues, your friends, you knew you couldn’t save them and yourself. You got yourself out and took off. You found Burke and the two of you attempted to make a get away, only to end up going off the bridge and into the water. When you next came to, you found yourself cuffed to a bed in a bunker, only to find it belonged to Dutch, a prepper who saved you from the Seeds and the Project when you came on shore. You couldn’t help but think back to what Whitehorse had said before you’d headed to the church. Sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone.

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