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#would it have stayed my favourite show in the entire world ever
nutmeggery · 7 months
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I need Neil Gaiman to know that Good Omens 2 made me feel emotions I haven't felt in nearly a decade.
When I heard there was going to be a Good Omens 2 I was looking forward to it, of course. I just wasn't expecting it do anything super special to my emotions. I was sure I'd enjoy it, though. I really enjoyed s1.
But, for the last few years, I watched shows and afterwards basically thought well, that was fun, and I quickly moved on and didn't think much about them. There was only about 3 shows in the last 5 years that had made me feel truly emotional and stayed on my mind to the point where I felt like I needed to engage in fandom for a while. (Good Omens 1 was one of them.)
I wasn't spoiled by the leak. I never even knew there was a leak. So I had no idea what was coming in s2. And oh boy...
See, I'd watched Our Flag Means Death, a show where you don't expect the lead characters to kiss, because, well, that never happens in these types of shows, right? And this is important because when they did kiss, it felt like a door that had been locked with just about all the high security locks in the world had suddenly, inexplicably, been opened. Something switched inside me. It took me months to understand what it was, but when I thought about Good Omens before s2 came out, I realized what it was.
I would never truly enjoy a bromance they're-only-queer/in love-by-your-own-interpreation story ever again. Stories where nothing is confirmed, just subtext that anyone who doesn't want to see it can easily deny and mock those who wish it was more.
While it was clear that Crowley and Aziraphale cared a lot about each other in s1, and were probably in love, it was still just a fun ship for fans to play with in fanfiction and fanart. Do they love each other? Oh sure. In what way? Well, that's up to interpretation. Ok, cool. But it's not quite Our Flag Means Death, is it?
Then I watched Good Omens 2. And from episode 1 I saw my favourite Angel and Demon duo love each other. And I was having the best time. I hadn't had such a good time watching a show in a long while. It was not only right up my alley, it was an alley I wasn't even aware was my alley until I saw it. I enjoyed seeing the old characters, the new characters. Oh, I was wonderful.
It was clear to me that, of course Crowley and Aziraphale love each other, are IN love with each other, showing it in their own way. And I wasn't expecting it to be THIS obvious.
And then when the kiss happened, I couldn't believe it. I covered my mouth with both hands and gasped and sat up straight in my seat. I had never expected it--the heartbreak it added to the already heartbreaking scene--it rewired something inside me.
It was like my emotions had been locked up in a stall like a horse for so, so long, and now the gate had been opened, the stable door kicked down, and the horse was running out onto the large pasture into the daylight, bucking and kicking up grass. Oh my god, I have to take a few minutes to process that entire 6 hour marathon of emotions.
And by a few minutes I meant a few days.
More than a few, actually.
I didn't need a kiss to understand how much they loved each other, but I did need the kiss to understand how intense and heartbreaking their separation is for them after everything.
But more than that, the kiss broke a barrier. They really did it, I thought. They really dared.
Aziraphale and Crowley aren't human males, no, but they're played by male actors. And that is significant. That makes the kiss significant. In the world we currently live in.
Weeks later, I'm still obsessed with the show, re-watching s1 and 2, reading the book again, listening to the audio drama. And I'm on tumblr, seeing people's posts and art to somehow sate my hunger for a s3 that doesn't exist (yet).
And I'm having a wonderful time.
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winterrrnight · 2 months
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new beginnings
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pairing: stepdad!soft!rafe x mom!reader
detailed summary: You weren’t living such a great life. Your husband had turned his back towards you and was drowned in his addiction to drugs, not giving any mind to what’s happening in the world around him. You knew you couldn’t stay with him, and let him continue ruining your life. So at the next moment you get, you free yourself from him and get a divorce, finally having a chance to breathe.
You were now alone with your toddler, and you knew you had to give her a life which seems perfect even without her father. She became your best friend, your whole world, your favorite person ever. Sage was a spitting image of you, a little enthusiastic kid but very clear at heart.
As much as you tried, you always felt the lack of another parent in Sage’s life. Even though she never showed it, a big smile always on her face as she was always playing around your house, you knew it was best she had two loving parents. But you were so busy with your job, and taking care of her, you never had a chance to go out on your own.
But then, almost like a hurricane, Rafe Cameron walked into your life. He occupied your mind like nothing else, and as you saw Sage loving his company more and more, you fell more for him, and he was very lovingly married into your family.
You never knew love can come knocking down your door at such odd times, when you had your child and no one seemed to take interest in you. But Rafe did. He loved you both with his entire heart, and changed your entire perspective on love.
This is the story of finding comfort and love when it seems the world has stopped spinning, when you feel you’re worthless, and you start to limit your own experiences. It’s about letting your door open for someone at a stage in life when it’s all too risky. It’s about trust, and letting yourself free from the chains you’ve so hurtfully wound yourself in.
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SERIES CHAPTERS:
and so we meet - chapter 1
here we are again - chapter 2
familiar yet unrecognizable faces - chapter 3
the blue in your eyes - chapter 4
ONESHOTS:
BLURBS:
CONCEPTS:
HEADCANONS:
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content warnings: as this is a wip, there isn't much to tell. but, I can assure it won't have any NSFW content in it, or any other dark themes. it may bring up drug addiction, but appropriate warnings will always specified at the start of each part so you can avoid what you don't want to read!
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taglist: @runningfrom2am @saccharinesammie @maybankslover @totalswag @madelynie @chenslucy @ietss @elle-mp3 @viawritesstuff @wallsdreams @tahliac11 @sadfury @newsies-pape-girl @jamesbuckybarneswify @xxxlaura @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @callsignwidow @starkowswife @rafeinterlude @rylie-m @zulema222 @karmasloverrr @leixwhite02 @congratsloserr @rubixgsworld @dilvcv @fandom-life-12 @drewstarkeyswifehoe @jjchaer @f4ll-for-you @fishingirl12 @wearemadeofstardust0 @drewsmusee @stvrligghtt @rafegirly @leighbronk @addriaenne @rafesdrew @bejeweledreverie @crgirlsworld @valenftcrush @lillywildly @julovesurmom @raf3sgff @drewstarkey1bae @aerangi @moneymaybank @spideysimpossiblegirl @the-tortured-poets-depxrtment @mellyie
please let me know if you would like to be added or removed!
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edith speaks: oh my god! this idea is absolutely thriving in my docs and I knew it had to be so much more than just a fic so here it is!! I hope you all really enjoy reading this :) please keep on interacting with me through my asks, discussing headcanons about the fic, and any little thoughts you may have! it's my absolute favourite thing ever to talk about fics <3 you can always talk to me as an anon (I accept anon emojis!) or just as you want! 🤍
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theemporium · 8 months
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Omg please I've been craving eastablished relationship sirius x fem!reader fluff I feel like i've read through the entire tag
What about rockstar!sirius who misses reader and is moping so james and remus set up a surprise and fly her out to a show and she's standing at the baracade and sirius sees her and like jumps off the stage to go to her?
i love rockstar!sirius my beloved<3 thank you for requesting!!
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To be frank, Sirius Black had been insufferable for the last two months.
When the band had been touring around the UK and Europe, you were able to join them at most, if not all, shows. Sirius loved having you by his side, knowing that one of his favourite people on the planet was with him whilst he did something he loved. And you loved watching your boy thrive in his element. 
However, when the tour moved to North America, you were unable to follow. 
Despite his insistence that he had more than enough money to take care of you both (and let you be his full time favourite groupie), he knew how much your degree meant to you and he wouldn’t ever want you to drop your dreams when you supported his so much. So, you had stayed in the UK to continue your education. 
And Sirius was downright miserable with the distance between you.
Not that anyone would notice. To the world, Sirius Black was still going out on stage and performing like every show was his last. He was a rockstar through and through, and the world fell in love with him a little more with each performance. 
But to his bandmates? They had nothing but constant whining and complaining and moping that Sirius didn’t have his girl by his side. And, to be honest, James and Remus had reached their wit’s end. They could deal with a lot, but two months of it?
No. They knew they needed to do something.
It wasn’t hard to convince you at all to fly over and visit for a short leg of the North America tour. You had been just as miserable without your boy back home. The apartment felt empty without him. And his guitars were a little dusty, which was a sight you weren’t used to. And having one side of the bed constantly cold, with his scent long faded from the pillows, it was starting to take a toll on you.
You packed a bag and made your way to the airport without a second thought, landing in Michigan the day of their show. 
“This is ridiculous.”
Remus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s just a precaution.”
“Remus, you want me to get into a suitcase,” you deadpanned, wondering if the tour had finally driven him over the edge. “I am going to suffocate in there!”
“You won’t,” James reassured you with a bright grin. “We’ve done it plenty of times. Plus, it’s just until we can get you into the venue without fans seeing and spoiling the surprise.” 
And you knew he had a point. 
The boys didn’t just want to fly you over and throw you at Sirius. No, they wanted to surprise him, completely knock the air out of his lungs. They didn’t want some lame reunion in a hotel room before he was rushed off onto stage and you were forced to stand backstage until the set ended. 
Go big or go home, and the marauders always chose the former. 
It was why you agreed to get in the suitcase, staying in the cramped space until you reached the venue. It was why you agreed to wear the oversized hoodie, despite standing amongst the fans in the ridiculously hot crowd. It was why you agreed to keep your disguise up until the first few songs passed. 
And then, you threw the hood off your head and you gripped the edge of the barricade as you looked up at the stage, as you looked up at your boyfriend and took in the sight of him for the first time in two months. The tight trousers fitted around his thick thighs, the leather jacket exposing his bare and tattooed torso, the sweat gleaming like a thin layer on his skin and the messy black hair that you missed running your fingers through.
Fuck, you missed your boyfriend.
Sirius lifted his head to look away from his fretboard, his eyes on the crowd as he played the opening riff to the next song, only to stop short when he noticed a familiar face in the crowd. He blinked once, and then twice to make sure it was really you. And by that point, security couldn’t even stop him as he shrugged his guitar off and shoved it into the hands of whoever was closest to him before he hopped off the stage and made a beeline towards you. 
The crowd was going wild as they watched him, the cameras were capturing every moment but you couldn’t care less as Sirius made his way to the barricade, grabbing your face and smashing his lips against yours. It was sloppy, messy and a little desperate, and probably far too much with so many eyes on you but Sirius never really cared about any of that stuff anyways.
“Fuck, I missed you so much, love,” Sirius murmured before he leaned in for another kiss and another and another. And when that wasn’t enough, he all but dragged you over the barricade, grinning wildly when you clung onto him.
“Sirius!” you gasped, your legs wrapped around his waist as his hands rested on your ass.
“God, I missed hearing you scream my name,” he muttered, unable to wipe the smile off his face as he watched you flush at his comment.
“You have a show to perform,” you murmured, nodding your head towards the stage. “I can wait.”
“Well, I can’t,” Sirius told you. “C’mon, let’s go back to the tour bus—”
“Sirius,” you laughed, though there was a hint of warning in your voice which he recognised. “Show first, then sex.”
Sirius grinned cheekily. “Promise?” 
“Promise,” you smiled, leaning down and he pouted his expecting another kiss, only for your lips to brush against his ear instead. “Plus, I want us to have all the time in the world when you see the little surprise I got for you.”
Sirius gulped. “Surprise?” 
“Got ‘em done just before you left,” you told him and his spine straightened in realisation. “Should be healed enough for you to play with them.”
“Show me.”
“Sirius—”
“Baby, show me or so help me, I will lose my mind,” Sirius groaned. 
But you just laughed, patting his cheek as you told him there wasn’t a chance in the world you were going to flash your tits in front of everyone. He groaned as you began untangling yourself from him, making your way backstage where you would watch the rest of the show. Sirius glared at you and your stomach twisted in anticipation. 
“Good luck, baby! Knock ‘em dead!” 
.
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annie115 · 15 days
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Roommates Part 1 (LN4 x Reader) First Person Perspective
Summary: Reader and Lando have been friends for a while but some circumstances make them live together..
A/n: posting that again because it didn’t show on the tag page :(
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Warnings: none, we‘re just getting started ;)
Word count: 1,300
It was just one of those days. I woke up this morning without being able to take a shower simply because my shower didn’t work. Without having time to solve the problem I rushed to work, desperate for a coffee and a sandwich from my favourite bakery. When I arrived at the little coffee shop, it was closed because apparently the owners were on vacation. When I arrived at work everybody needed something from me. I wasn’t able to finish the work I actually had to do, so I had to stay three hours longer.
Now, I was on my way home. I wanted nothing more than taking a shower, ordering pizza and eat it with my pyjamas on in front of the TV. But as you might think, of course my day had to get worse. My phone rang and I sighed before picking it up. “Hello?” I asked and a male voice answered. It was my landlord. “There is a pipe break in your apartment and we have to take car of that. I´m really sorry but I´m afraid you have to find a place to stay for the next one or two weeks.” I wanted to cry. It was official, today was the worst day of my entire life. Leaning back in my seat of the subway, I sighed, thinking of what to do. I couldn’t afford going to a hotel, not for that long. I had a good job, no doubt on that, but I didn’t earn that much.
I was working for McLaren for almost an entire year now. After I finished my studies in Tourism Management, I applied for the job as the hospitality coordinator and was more than surprised when I actually got it.
It was a dream job, really. It was hard work but I got to travel to the world and met so many new people, some of them even became friends.
Four months ago I eventually moved to London. It was closer to the headquarters than my home town and I always wanted to live here. McLaren even supported me and paid a part of my rent for the apartment, happy that I would be closer to the company. They have a big office in London as well which made it easy for me to get to work, during the off-season or between races.
After realizing that I didn’t really have a choice, I called the first person that came to my mind. “Hey Ace, what´s up?” Lando asked when he picked up the phone. Ace. That was his nickname for me. I passed my studies with straight A´s and one day he saw my CV in the headquarters. He´s been mocking me ever since, jokingly of course.
“Lan, I just had the worst day”, I started and noticed that my voice was trembling. “Shit, what happened? Do you want to come over?” he asked with a soft voice. “Actually, could I maybe sleep over at yours tonight? I´ll explain everything then”. “Yeah, of course. Do you want me to pick you up?” “No, it´s fine, thanks. See you in a bit.” I hung up and made my way to my apartment to get some clothes.
After a few knocks, Lando opened the door and welcomed me with a warm hug. I pressed my head against his shoulder and inhaled his scent, immediately relaxing. “Come on in, are you hungry?” he asked and guided me to the living room. “I´m starving to be honest. Can we order a pizza?” I looked up with him with teary eyes and he cooed. “Of course we can”, he answered and I sat down on his couch. “What happened?” he asked while he opened the delivery app on his phone. I sighed before the words started to bubble out of my mouth. I told him about the minor incidents this morning but that the pipe break just made everything extremely worse. I must´ve looked like a little child who was complaining about something unnecessary but he just wrapped his arms around me and gave me a quick kiss on my cheek.
“You can stay here as long as you need, okay? Don´t even think about going to a hotel. I have enough space”, Lando said and you gave him a light smile. “I just don´t have a guest room, unfortunately. But my bed is big enough. Or I can sleep on the couch if you´re uncomfortable with sharing a bed..” “Lan, it´s okay thank you so much. If anyone would sleep on the couch it would be me, but I don’t have a problem sharing a bed with you”, I interrupted him, not wanting him to overthink our sleeping situation. He nodded and got up when the doorbell rang. I looked after him, noticing that he looked extremely handsome tonight. I just couldn’t quite say why. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a black McLaren t-shirt but the outfit somehow underlined his muscular statue. He seemed to have a bad hair day, if that was even possible, because he was wearing a black cap backwards which, let´s be honest, is just hot by itself in most of the times. A familiar feeling was spreading between my legs and I pressed my thighs together. I had those sexual feelings for quite a while but I couldn’t risk a friendship like this with some meaningless sex, could I?
He came back and my stomach grumbled when I inhaled the delicious smell of pizza. He sat down next to me and opened the pizza box, closing his eyes. “Wait, did you not order one for you?” I asked when he handed me the box. He shook his head. “Diet, meal plan, F1 driver”, he said and I laughed. “Poor baby”, I cooed and took a bite of my pizza, looking at him teasingly. “Keep doing that and I´m gonna bend you over my knee”, he said and I almost choked on my pizza which caused him to laugh loudly. I gave him an angry look and he just smirked, giving me a smooch on my cheek.
After the most delicious pizza I´ve ever had, probably because of how hungry I was, I leaned back on the couch. “Do you want to watch a movie?” Lando asked but I just shook my head. “I think I would fall asleep after ten minutes, to be honest. Can I just take a shower and go to bed?” I asked and he laughed. “Yeah, of course. You know where the bathroom is, just make yourself a home okay?” he said and I hugged him once more before making my way to the bathroom. It was connected to the bedroom so that I was able to get my pyjama from my suitcase. I pulled it out of the suitcase and closed my eyes in disbelief. Of course. I had to pick the shortest pyjama I had. I was in such a hurry earlier, with all the plumbers working in my apartment, that I didn’t even realize which one I´ve picked. It was light pink and very pretty, but not exactly appropriate for a sleep over with your male friend. I decided that I didn’t have a choice so I grabbed it together with some fresh underwear and locked myself in the bathroom to take a shower.
Leaving the bathroom, Lando was already sitting on the bed scrolling through his phone. He was only wearing sweatpants, no shirt and I had to swallow. The next weeks could get interesting.
When he looked at me, a wide smirk spread on his face and I rolled my eyes. “Cute outfit, Ace. Wanna seduce me?” he asked and I sticked my tongue out. “I was in a hurry earlier, okay?” I simply said and got into bed. “What time are you getting up tomorrow?” I asked him. “I don´t want to wake you up”. “I usually get up at like 7, you?” he answered and I smiled. “Me too”, I said before putting my phone on the charger.
I fell asleep within seconds, exhausted from the day I had. The last thing I noticed before I entered my world of dreams was Lando´s smell and his body which was coming a little closer after he switched off the lights.
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ferndaphnia · 4 months
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The sixth collection of some of my favourite fics since the release of Good Omens 2. All ineffable husbands/spouses and includes post-season 2 fics, AUs, missing scenes, canon divergence and some spanning the entire show. Some novel-length recs in this one! As always, all are completed.
Please remember to leave comments and kudos on AO3! I've tried to include tumblr handles where they were mentioned. Feel free to drop me a message if you're included and want your handle added.
Previous volumes can be found here.
the best of the world in the palm of our hands | middyblue (daisyblaine)
Crowley seems to be going through a bad breakup and Maggie just wants to help. Apparently, the world is also ending.
How has this not got more comments?!? One of the best post season 2 fics I’ve read. It’s epic in scale, I adored Crowley and Maggie’s friendship and them running about the country trying to save humanity. Such a fantastic fic with brilliant characterisation.
affection and other cravings | JustStandingHere @sightofsea
But you admit it! You did tempt me!” “I offered you warm food during a storm,” Crowley argues. “If you call that temptation, I’d hate to see you talk to an innkeeper.” Aziraphale scowls some more. Crowley shrugs. “Besides, no harm done. You seem to be enjoying yourself.” He has Aziraphale there. “Still,” he says, spreading his hands wide. “It has to be said—” He glances up to the sky. “—for anyone listening, that I am not at fault for my appetite.” “Never said you were,” Crowley says. “Just said you liked the oysters.” or, an examination vis-à-vis food and forgiveness
I adored this. The longing over millennia, the parts that expand on times we did see and the times we didn’t. Aziraphale’s journey of questioning heaven and coming to terms with that is so brilliantly written. And this interaction gave me such major Everything Everywhere All At Once’s ‘In another life…’ feels:
As if Aziraphale could ever be sick of him. He’s gotten sicker from the distance. Even now they stand four feet away from each other, and it’s too far. “You could've stayed longer than that,” he confesses.
Crowley blinks. “Could I have?” he asks, voice soft.
Aziraphale swallows thickly. He smiles ruefully. “Yes,” he says. “I imagine I would have been happy spending the rest of my life with you.”
Postcards From Paris | ghostrat
Crowley has just moved into his Mayfair apartment and finds a postcard addressed to the previous tenant. With no return address, he's left to collect and read the mysterious A.Z.F.'s adventures across Europe, where he hunts for bizarre bibles and rates ridiculously expensive wine in his free time. The question is: How will A.Z.F. react when Crowley finally gets his return address and writes back? --- It was different, he knew, to accidentally read someone else’s postcard versus intentionally perusing one in place of good newspaper over coffee. Crowley decided he was allowed that indecency, to balance out the good deed of safeguarding the mail in the first place. He kicked his feet up onto his desk, scooped up the takeaway coffee that was brought around by their newest intern, and settled in to read some of the most densely crowded handwriting he’d ever laid eyes on.
Coziness is very much a theme in this fic and it’s the perfect word to describe the fic itself. So warm and the perfect fic to have chosen to hunker down with on a miserable day.
Stolen Moments | LyricalKris
Did it really take six thousand years for Aziraphale and Crowley to figure out they were made for each other? Or did they stumble onto the truth, again and again, only to be thwarted by meddling forces for ineffable purposes? Gabriel and Beezlebub are really the worst.
This was such a unique premise - that Aziraphale and Crowley repeatedly get together over the centuries only to be caught and have their memories erased. Really enjoyed how it expanded on moments we say in the series and added times we hadn’t, and ultimately tied into where we’re at in canon post season 2.
Haunted | TawnyOwl95
Professional skeptic Anthony Crowley is down on his luck. Broke and lonely it's hard not to feel jealous of famous medium Aziraphale Fell, especially when Crowley knows it's all a hustle. The problem is, Crowley feels a great many things for Aziraphale. When they agree to spend a night together in Britain's most haunted hospital, it gets increasingly more difficult to hide them.
This was great - always love a good ghost hunting AU and this is such a fun twist. Would love a sequel!
Good Neighbors | Linebreaker
Aziraphale stared down at the assembled collection of white, tan, and silver before him and tried to feel anything other than nervous. When he spoke, his voice was deep and authoritative. “All right, this is how this is going to go: We are all going to work together on this. You will do as I command. If you listen and obey, rest assured that I will help you through this. In the end, you will become more than yourselves. You will become something extraordinary.” He held up a clenched fist, brandishing a whisk like a sword. “Do you understand?” The assortment of flour, sugar, eggs, and other baking ingredients lined up on the counter gave no indication that they heard him or cared about what he wanted. Aziraphale looked over at Crowley. “Does this normally work for you?” Part 5 of Raising Adam
Loving this series where Crowley kidnapped the antichrist instead of doing the baby swap. Fully recommend going back and reading it from the start. Such a fun idea for an AU and love how everyone is written.
trajectory | lupinely
After Aziraphale leaves, Crowley gets on with things. He reads one of Aziraphale’s favorite books. Every now and then, Aziraphale calls from Heaven. Sometimes they even talk. --- Crowley awoke later that night to the sound of his telephone ringing. He fell out of his armchair, stomped over to the phone, and picked it up. “Muriel?” “Who? Oh, no.” A pause. “Crowley? Is that you?” It wasn’t Muriel. “The one and only,” Crowley said stupidly. There was a long silence. “Oh,” said Aziraphale on the other end, at last. “You sound very surprised about that for someone who called me.” “I thought I would get your answering machine.” Aziraphale sounded quite far away, farther than usual when they spoke on the phone. Perhaps Heaven’s connection wasn’t very good. “Well, you’ve got me,” Crowley said, without thinking about it.
Oh, I loved this. How measured Crowley is about the whole situation and how Aziraphale’s reading choices help him cope with his perceived duty.
Something Missing | fishey_me
"See, I manage the records in Heaven, and I found a… problem. They're… wrong?" Crowley blinked. "You're asking me?" "Yes. No. No, sorry. It's hard to explain. I think there's been a murder. In Heaven." He sat straight up. "A what?" Or: Aziraphale gets erased from the Book of Life. Can a Crowley and Muriel who never knew he existed solve the mystery of what happened and save the lost angel?
This was a really fun take on Aziraphale being struck from the Book of Life. I loved his appearances throughout the story and how Muriel still came to Crowley for help without knowing either of them.
Illusion | ddagent @ddagent
Retired illusionist Aziraphale Crowley now spends his days hyping up his boyfriend, the Amazing Mister Fell.
I just love Aziraphale being terrible at magic but Crowley being so besotted that it doesn’t matter one bit. It’s the kind of thing I’d find annoying in real life but with these two I find utterly charming 😂
More Than Shades of Grey | Excalibruh
The world is full of colour. Crowley thinks he has no choice in his shade, and Aziraphale knows there's only ever been one side. Sometimes, the Bentley is yellow.
Really enjoyed this fic but I adored the epilogue chapter. I could picture them so clearly at a town meeting and I love the idea of people intuitively being able to tell they’re not human.
Eggnog and Effervescence | RepQueen15
Crowley turned so as to be able to watch the rest of the movie, and his ear pressed against Aziraphale’s thigh. He felt the angel tremble a little, as though this weren’t just some small service to him either, though that was nothing short of ridicule. Or perhaps…? No. This was just Aziraphale being his perfect, soft self. Though maybe, just maybe, Crowley wasn’t the only one who needed a little more physical contact in his life. *** Crowley and Aziraphale spend a quiet Christmas Eve putting up fairy lights, getting tipsy on eggnog, watching ridiculous Christmas movies and... cuddling.
It’s never too early for a Christmas fic and this is delightful. Loved the intricate rituals to get close without fully admitting the reason why.
love is going to lead you by the hand | mygalfriday (BrinneyFriday)
In all their time together, Aziraphale has grown used to the many and varied ways Crowley looks at him. Mercurial creature that he is, Crowley never runs out of emotions and his face displays them all so clearly. Never, in the whole history of their long acquaintance, has Crowley ever looked at Aziraphale the way he looks at him now.
A finale fix-it based on the ‘Do it again. Please’ quote. Really enjoyed this, it’s brilliantly in character.
whickber street hearsay | Odokuro
“Do you think they’re off on a romantic holiday, or do you think they’ve actually resolved it?” ‘It’ being the relationship that, to the poor knowledge of all the other shopkeepers on Whickber Street, is already established. Nina and Maggie seem to be the only ones who know what’s what, and even then, neither of them feel like they know what’s what. Mr. Crowley chose an excellent time to walk into Nina’s café, alone. - In all the changing of names and faces on Whickber Street, Mr. A. Z. Fell and his husband are the one reliable constant. On a random day in an oddly rainy summer, that constant comes to an end.
This was extremely fun. I loved each of the local business owner’s views on what was going on and how the author fleshed them out as characters.
a rarer height | hyruling @hyruling
Perhaps it wasn’t sin that he’d tempted Eve with after all. Perhaps when she took the apple and chose free will, what she really chose was the freedom to love beyond the compulsory kind that was all she'd known. All because a demon had looked too long at an angel. Aziraphale’s head falls heavily on Crowley’s shoulder, and he stops thinking about God and ineffable plans. He already knows everything he needs to know.
One of those fics that I’ve already read a few times. The narrative use of two timelines is great and I’ve got such a soft spot for fics where Crowley has already bought the cottage.
Tomfoolery and other ways to say It | DoonaRose
Aziraphale and Crowley settle into a relationship with all the frills. Aziraphale has his own ideas about how to refer to what they get up to in the bedroom. Crowley is not, at all, on board with these flowery euphemisms (Actually, he does not care, he's just disgustingly happy). He didn’t have to wait long because the very next evening, Aziraphale was overly fidgety. He turned down a glass of wine and then opened and closed three different books without ever reading a page before standing up quite loudly to ask, “Shall we retire upstairs for some tomfoolery?” Crowley’s face shifted automatically into a sneer which then tumbled into a grimace as his shoulders tightened with concern that Aziraphale would take his revulsion that wrong way. Crowley was very quick to say, “Don’t call it that.”
This was ridiculously fun and such a good exploration of the sheer number of euphemisms in the English language.
run across the river (just to hold you tonight) | hope_in_the_dark @hope-inthedark
In which their first kiss happens differently (and they have five percent better communication.) Based on that one ask where Neil said he meant to give us a Wild West flashback but couldn’t because of budget reasons.
A lovely canon divergence with some incredibly vivid scene setting.
5 Milestones on Wickber Street | ras_elased
“How did you get a baby?" Nina asked. “Long story,” Crowley said casually, tossing the diaper bag into the nearby armchair. “There was kidnapping involved.” “Oh, tosh,” Mr. Fell chided, sounding scandalized. “I prefer to think of it as rescuing.” Nina felt about a thousand new questions arising in her mind. “Seriously, do I need to be telling Inspector Constable over there to have you arrested?” She motioned to Muriel, who was copying Maggie and squeezing chubby hands and feet and whispering to the baby in soft murmurs. Crowley looked over at Muriel. “Oh, we tried that once, it didn’t take.” Muriel glanced up and smiled. “That’s true,” they said, helpfully. “…I need a drink,” Nina said as she headed straight for the stash of alcohol. OR JC's first year from the viewpoint of 5 people who love him. Part 3 of Ineffable Fathers
The third fic in a series and fully recommend reading them all. This is a lovely series of vignettes after Aziraphale kidnaps baby Jesus of his and Crowley’s first year raising him. There’s some lovely Vinylatte development and the last one leading into the South Downs is perfect.
The Subtle Electric Fire | Chash
It's a dark and stormy night, miracles are out of order, and Aziraphale and Crowley still haven't had a real conversation.
This is a lovely idea and lovingly executed. Plus I’m always glad to see good things for Muriel!
On The Side | FeralTuxedo
Aziraphale is far too pure of heart to be anybody’s bit on the side. Or so Crowley thinks. But when his friend starts seeing walking red flag Jim, with his dodgy smiles and mysterious past, Crowley does everything he can to protect Aziraphale from disaster. His own heart might just end up being collateral damage.
This was really fun! Loved how the other characters were woven in and how long it took me to realise who one of them was! So many nods to canon brilliantly woven in too and I adored where Crowley’s career ended up - would happily read a follow up of just that 😂
Bonding Over... Bebop? | WaitingToBeBroken @waitingtobebroken
When Maggie sends that note to Mr. Fell, she expects to have a stern conversation about fiscal responsibility and unpaid rent. Followed by, possibly, her begging for one more week for her to pack her belongings and leave the shop. She doesn't expect the wrong part of "A. Z. Fell And Co." to visit her. Part 4 of Whickber Street Traders and Shopkeepers Association Daily Observations
A really sweet canon divergence to episode 1 of season 2. I love little slice-of-life fics like this and how clear it is that Aziraphale adores Crowley when he finds out what happened.
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Hubristic Asshole Fight: Round 1 Part 1b
Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars) vs Feanor (The Silmarillion)
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Anakin
Decided that he would become stronger than death to stop those he cares about from dying after failing to accept his mother's death. When he begins getting visions/nightmares like he had before losing his mother of his wife dying in childbirth, he decides to team up with an evil sorcerer and mastermind to learn the secret to stopping death. The price he willingly paid was leading the slaughter of the community of peacekeeping monks who had raised him from nine years old, feeling guilt about his heinous betrayal even as he unflichingly continued the massacre (sunk cost fallacy to a very extreme degree). The unintended price he paid was the loss of his limbs and independence after his injuries during a fight with his mentor and brother figure, his wife dying on childbirth due to the great stress of his heinous actions, and being separated from his children until they were adults firmly opposed to the imperial regime he became the attack dog for (only knowing of their survival until after he had personally attacked them both); He literally did not have to do any of that. his wife Padmè very very very very much did not want him to do any of that. He was completely absorbed in his own inability to deal with loss that he deadlock refused to consider losing family again and then he went and killed what amounted to his extended family, his wife and the man who raised and guided him from age 9. And his own kids unknowingly. In terms of accomplishing your goals there really really wasn't much more he could have fucked up. And when it comes down to key moments, all he had to do was not cut off mentor and co-worker Mace Windu's hand with a laser sword and everything would have been fine. He's a nominee for Fail King of All Time to me
He thinks he's hot shit which, he is, but like cool it dude you don't have to mass murder maim mutilate your way through life to prove you're the extra most specialest bestest psychic space wizard;
Hubrised so hard he 1) lost his limbs and his skin 2) became what he hated 3) caused the very death he sought to prevent, betraying and destroying himself for nothing; So soaking wet and self aware that he cried committing atrocities. If he knew what hubris was, he'd agree he has a lot of it
Feanor
The definition of hubris. Created the silmarils who were so perfect even the gods praised them. Got them stolen by the gods evil brother (so essentially fantasy satan). Then decided to go fight the evil god to get the silmarils back and swore an oath binding him and his sons to get them back no matter who would stand in their way. This drastically backfired when some other elves stood in his way so he murdered them. Got cursed by the gods for this (together with his entire family and everyone who followed them). Told the gods that they were of the same kind as fantasy satan and that they would end up following him
Morgoth (a god) shows up at his house and Feanor (professional hater of gods) tells him to get fucked* and slams the door in his face. *”Get thee gone from my gate thou jail-crow of Mandos!”; He has never spent anything wrong ever aside from all the war crimes.
The Valar (gods) asked Feanor for help in saving the world from being in total darkness and he said “no, figure it out yourselves”. Repeatedly and intentionally goes against their orders leading to war and chaos; I know it’s left open ended to what really happened to him after he died, but I hope he never repents. I hope he stays an antagonistic and egotistical bastard after being reimbodied (brought back to life) and continues to make it everyone else’s problem. I love him.
I’m gonna have to try to do this without a sing Tolkien scholarship words so bear with me. Basically my dude is one of the smartest and most talented elves in the world. Unfortunately he has a lot of daddy issues AND mommy issues largely due to the fact that his mom died when he was a kid and decided not to come back (as elves can do). No one else has this problem. He invented a ton of important stuff and had seven sons. His most prized creation was three gems called the Silmarils, which contained the light of the Two Trees, which gave light to the world before they were destroyed. When the Valar (the gods of Tolkien’s world) asked if they could use the Silmarils to potentially create another light source, he emphatically refused and in fact became so jealous of them that he and his sons swore an oath that anyone who so much as touched them would die by their swords. Sauron’s boss steals the gems and Feanor decides that he will lead his people on a crusade to retrieve and avenge them. This results in the death of him, most of his people, and almost his entire family minus one of his sons, Galadriel, and Elrond; He once yelled at the devil to get off his lawn
went to war with morgoth (satan basically) against the will of the gods and made a whole speech to said gods about how they were gonna feel really silly when he killed morgoth and saved the whole world. he never actually did battle with morgoth because he died on like day 1 of getting to middle earth (he left like 2/3 of his forces behind because he didn’t trust them) and spontaneously combusted upon his death; he’s a huge asshole and a mad scientist and linguist and prince with daddy issues and also mommy issues
Dude thought he could win a fight with the devil, tried to just walk into Angband (Mordor before Mordor actually existed), made an oath to kill everyone that tries to take his creations even the Valar (angelic like beings) and ends up causing his death, his sons deaths and a bunch of other deaths; His name is quite literally spirit of fire Is basically regarded as THE greastest elf Is in fact THE best smith of the elves and crafts their most precious jewels (that end up causing so much death) Is THE linguist to the point of creating the alfabet every one uses even after The Crimes, creates a bunch of things that are used even after The Crimes actually Loves his dad more than the things he made Is the only recorded elf with seven kids Is married to a sculpter that is so good that people confuse her statues as actual people (a propaganda because he had to be good to actually bag her you know) Manages to create jewelry so good even the the angelics beings sent by god are surprised he managed to do it So good at making speeches that it leads to a rebellion against said angelic beings and a lot of people to leave paradise with him His mother died because his spirit was too powerful Invented kinslaying after trying to steal some boats for said rebellion Swears an oath that destroys his whole family (but adds a great flavour to the rest of the story) Tells the devil to fuck off and slams his house door on said devils face Dies via auto combustion because his spirit was just too powerful for a normal death Gets stuck in the afterlife (that elves can usually just return from) for spiting the Valar Is said he will have an important role in Tolkien’s version of Ragnarok by letting the jewels he previously promised to kill for be destroyed to defeat the devil
Because of his pride, he went against the gods because the evil god Morgoth stole his life's work (the Silmarils, 3 shiny gems that radiated the light of the two trees that a huge evil spider had sapped dry). Swore (with his 7 sons) an oath to hunt Morgoth and retrieve his shiny gems. Commited kinslaying, burned some boats, combusted to ashes after suffering mortal wounds at the hands of corrupted demi-gods. Consequences of his actions could be seen long long after his death: the oath was passed on to his sons to hopelessly fulfill (failure after failure, including two more kinslayings, one of them casting himself into a fiery volcano, another wandering the shores for eternity);
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elioslover · 1 month
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Red Herring- Harry Styles x Reader.
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[Premise: Harry might just be the pettiest of assassins.] Made possible by my one and only favourite, @harrysonlylover 💞
Word Count: 2.3k.
Warnings: Violence, weapons, death, angst, 3rd person.
Other Writing
🥀
Hair ruffled, tuxedo dishevelled, Harry is a sight for sore eyes. He really does look like the consequences of a mission gone awry. 
Things had gone from zero to a hundred in such a blinding commotion that as soon as it had started, it was over. He hadn’t the time to even process the fact that death had just been on his doorstep, ambushed and beaten from every which way as he did anything possible to defend the blows of at least four assailants. 
If it weren’t for Her showing up, his body already been detained, forced to his knees as a masked man pressed his forearm along Harry’s neck and squeezed it in place, choking tight, lagging his vision and causing his eyes to bulge with panic- there is almost no chance that Harry would have walked away in one piece. 
Like the holiest of angels, she had floated into his line of vision, which was now so blurry that he saw double- left eyelid threatening to swell shut- an amorous apparition beaming as if a spotlight shone from above, twinkling along with the stars, and Harry couldn’t decipher if she were another dream conjured up by his lovesick mind- definitely not out of the ordinary- it’s only as she neared and the blinding white light morphed into a satin white ballgown, wrapped around her statuesque figure, that Harry feels certain of her existence. 
And then things became a stampede of feet stomping, Harry still restricted and unable to see past the mess of curls and blood now dripping down his brows, covering almost all visibility as he was forced to stay put and hope for the best- the last thing he would ever want- whilst the group black-suited men fumbled around in defence, attempting with all might to eradicate the two problems at hand. 
Though valiant, the pack of assassins lose momentum along the way, and as Harry is finally able to twist loose of the weakened grip of the man keeping him bound in place, he quickly uses his full body force to completely free himself and immediately throws his strength into incapacitating the threat breathing beneath him. 
But the ear-shattering crack of a gun going off had Harry’s heart freezing over with fright, immediately expecting the worst. He could only chance a split second, glancing over at the attack ensuing to his right, just as one of the men hit the floor with a thud.
Increasingly impressed by the woman effortlessly holding her own, Harry returns his attention to the man unsuccessfully wriggling against his hold. 
He had hoped he wouldn’t need the thin blade neatly tucked away in his inner blazer pocket. Still, as the assailant struggled and beneath him, furiously flailing, Harry knew that it had to be done, his palm reaching into the secret pocket of his blazer, drawing the weapon, aiming and thrusting it into the man's chest until the myriad of moans and gurgling slows and then silences all together, his body stiffening beneath Harry’s own.                                
Panting over the corpse, another brute hits the floor, the softest and swiftest of bullets finding a home in his skull, and Harry can’t look away as his angel hardly bats an eye, re-cocking the gun- he knows it’s not her usual choice of weaponry- as she saunters over to the last man standing, stopping his chance of charging over by tapping the trigger, watching emotionlessly as the minutest bullet thunders over and lodges into his heart.
And just like that, the threat of death has dissipated and Harry can finally take a proper breath, still panting over the man’s stiffened body. With sudden overwhelming relief, his entire body starts to ache, his head throbbing, injuries ready to render him to the floor in the hopes of recovery. 
Nothing in the world could have convinced him to move- well, nothing but the gut-punching sound of high heels wedging themselves into the scattered stones, singing like clinking marbles as they not only picked up the pace but started to patter into the distant darkness- away from Harry’s crouched figure. 
Back on his feet in a flash, patting down his clothing attire, Harry’is bowtie is long gone, his dress shirt torn and missing several buttons, his pants ripped along the thigh from a blunt blade, and his shoes are scuffed and covered in dust as he leaves the drama behind him and makes a break up the hill. Why? Well, to confront his knight in shining armour, of course. 
Harry almost trips over several dislodged rocks and snapped damp tree branches as he blindly chases her through the dark of night. He thinks back to the six-inch stilettos she’s still wearing, the same heels that pressed into an unknown assailant's pelvis mere minutes ago. How the hell is she moving so fast? 
It doesn’t help that his left knee is busted, bruising with each step. A kick to the hip results in a dull throb, and even though he has hardly caught his breath, his chest as thirsty as his brain, Harry follows after her, trying to garner her attention through his gritted teeth, 
“Hey!” He can hear the leaves rustling as her pace increases. Harry tries to do the same, calling out with all the energy left to muster, “Hey!” 
She spins on her heels, neck-snapping to meet her shoulder with such speed that it nearly results in whiplash, strands of hair wisping in the wind. Face furrowed in a frown, she wants to be anywhere but here,
“Leave me alone.” 
Harry feels such shock that he stumbles on his own steps, barely able to stop himself from falling at her feet. He thinks she’d probably love that- it would definitely have her blood rushing with dominance. But, she needs no more dominance, this ‘incident’ was more than enough to prove her power for years to come. 
She lets him wander over but doesn’t know why. His perpetual need to poke and prod was something that couldn’t be countered, let alone dismissed. She had already fucked up, majorly, what compels her to believe this would be any better? 
As Harry finally finds his footing and gets close enough that they can study one another’s rage-fueled scowls, his stomach rumbles with frustrated ruminating confusion.
The volcanic heat bound between their chest threatens to erupt and douse their companionship with raw hatred and a river of larva courses through Harry’s lungs and expels from his throat,  
“Why did you do that?”
“Save you?” 
“I had it under control.” Harry’s incredulity is so falsified that it infuriates her, and as fast as a whip, her almost bare back walks off once more, mockingly singing out,  
“Sure looked like it when you were in that headlock.” 
“I can take care of myself.” He defends. But she keeps moving, close to disappearing into vast nothingness, and once again Harry is trailing after her, “Hey!”
“What?” This time she stops for real, riddled with stress that pertains to Harry- and he just cannot help but make it worse. She needs him to leave. 
Harry needs to say something before she does. His pointer finger cast her way with confused accusation, his grassy eyes doey, and blotchy purple bruises along the bags of his bottom lashes,
“You had no business interfering with my mission.”
“Jeez, sorry I saved your life.” Her arms are flailing in surrender. 
“You really are one to talk.” He spits, taking a hearty step closer. 
“Don’t go there.”
The life in her voice has left, and a discerning shift in seriousness causes a shiver to dance up Harry’s spine. He’s so angry, though- close to furious at her choices- all of them- and still, she will hardly give him her full attention. 
Never even in his wildest of nightmares had Harry envisioned himself in this version of hell- the person he once knew better than he did himself is now the person who has the task of killing him. At the least, it’s disappointing, and at the most, his heart is so shattered that heaven itself could not heal his damage. 
“They practically did your job for you.” He’s yearning to yell, to let the whole world know how weird and wrong this all was, “You chose to stop them.”
“It doesn’t mean anything.” Her head shakes with stubborn denial, gearing up to turn away from him.
“Oh, fuck off. It does.” He’s hot on her heels. 
She stops as quickly as she started and Harry hasn't the time to do the same, his sternum nearly bumping into her shoulder. Ignores their chests crashing together, pushing apart, pretending it means nothing to be this close to him again,
“Let me get this straight, you would have preferred it if I had let them kill you?”
“It would have saved you the bullets, no?” He’s not wrong. 
“No, Harry.” Palm pressed to her forehead with sorrow, “That’s not how it works.”
“Oh, so now you want to follow procedure?” He cannot recall a time that they had ever played by the rules. 
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” 
She shudders at the mere thought of their deep-rooted relationship; the first of many rules broken, and the only reason the two of them stand here, faces reddened and glistening under the moonlight. 
Harry swears he feels her skin prickle at the mention of their messily perfect relationship, and he can’t stop the paralysing shiver that skates up along his spine as his head stays bowed, glaring down at her, 
“Christ, at least buy a man some dinner before you take a hit out on him-” 
“I’ve bought you dinner on several occasions-” 
“And you still took out the hit.”
Stomach dropping and splatting against the gravel, all of the blushing blood drains from her features, leaving her with a loss of energy, of deep emptiness. Stepping- stumbling- back, she builds the distance with fatigued frigidity, 
“Harry, I’m warning you. Leave me alone.” 
“No.” Harry’s foot almost stops with lividity. 
This only increases the imminent eruption of fury that she so desperately wishes to spew his way, and they both know that there is hardly a way to stop Harry when he’s determined, so she walks away with dismissal, muttering just loud enough,
“You’re so fucking childish.” 
“Me? What you did was childish!” 
“I don’t think you understand the meaning of ‘leave me alone’.” 
Harry will be damned if she thought he’d ever give up so easily- it’s not like he hadn’t been desperately trying to track her down for three weeks. Heart hurting, headache splitting, his neediness boiling over, he won’t stop until she explains herself,   
“I want to know why.” 
“The hit was set, Harry.” She howls into the void, back still turned, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I took the job so nobody else would.”  
She works overtime to keep her weakened voice from wobbling with each word, and if Harry were even a smidge wiser, he would have let her explain. His wisdom is dwindling though, 
“That doesn’t-” 
“I planned to avoid you for the rest of my life.”
Harry feels sick- sicker than sick- his heart drops to his stomach, where it is swallowed whole and thuds tirelessly, nausea travelling up to his throat, bile burning and poisoning his larynx. He can only stare blankly, lips beginning to babble like a thirsty fish, his tongue sticking to his sandpaper gums. 
His cluelessness is crippling her ability to maintain calmness, each dumbfounded blink makes total destruction the only thing on her mind.
Without hesitation, she takes the largest of steps forward, her shoe-clad toes scraping against his own as her hand reaches up, and bunches a fistful of his cotton shirt collar, tugging Harry down to meet her scowl. 
He can feel her enranged, and breathy exhale fan across his features, her glare so icy that Harry worries he may turn to stone if he gazes a moment more. With sharp polished nails scraping and almost puncturing the skin protecting his jugular.
“For fucks sake, H. Be smart for a change and leave me alone.” 
“Or what?” He challenges and leans in, jaw brushing along her hairline like old times- though the compassion so true to her core is long deceased and decays the closer he comes. 
But what frightens him to the point of utter seriousness is the sudden pressure of steel pushing into his left side, settling over his organs just as the familiar click of a pistol cocking warns Harry that things are quickly crumbling into dangerous territory. Especially when she loses all love and says, 
“Let me get this through your thick skull,” The barrel pressing deeper, “If I see you again, I will shoot you on site.” 
She releases him and doesn’t bother to grant even a small glance as if he were a mere stranger who had threatened her existence. Harry doesn’t follow, she wouldn’t care if he did, and he’s smart enough to know where he stands now. 
There is a swell of staling energy that holds the place in which she once stood, vibrating vicious electricity all through his body, coursing and singeing his vitals as she slips into the forest and possibly out of his life for good- he would welcome death in exchange for seeing her once more.
The one thing he could at least do for her- think smart- was an improbability because Harry had already made a huge mistake… Massive. 
How in the hell is he gonna tell her that his heartache had gotten the best of him- that he had done the worst thing imaginable? 
What’s the best way to break the news, ‘Hey, I hope you don’t mind but my feelings were really hurt so I retaliated and took a hit out on you too’? That will go down swimmingly…
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stylinsoncity · 9 months
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This SEL timestamp takes place about a year after the events in Rio and a few months after they've toured the rest of South America. As mentioned in chp 25, they've started traveling to preternatural villages around the world. This covers some of that.
This is sort of integral to stories about vampires, but there's a lot of talk about feeding, etc. Just fyi!
Enjoy!
The Inner Village might be Harry’s favourite of all the preternatural villages they’ve been to. He’s not saying he’s ready to move to New York City and he can’t imagine Louis is either. But there are pockets of the Inner Village that are incredibly wonderfully gay and coming from their close-minded town, it’s a relief. There, they attend a drag show operated entirely by witches. They also meet Kristen and Teo from the Stonewall Coven, a found coven made up of queer witches. Harry has never met or heard of a found coven, at least not in Europe. He has a loving coven of his own, but the idea that there are witches uniting to support and love each other as family nearly makes him cry. Seated at their dimly lit bar table, the emotion is so obvious on Harry’s face, although only Louis catches it. He smiles and gently squeezes Harry’s hand in his own. The two of them garner some attention of their own, although they’re used to it by now. Even here in such a progressive place, a vampire and witch coupling up is rare.
“Like, sex is a different story,” Teo says. “Obviously, we’ve all fucked a vampire.”
Louis lifts his brows, his lips curling. “Are we just a fetish to you?”
Harry sputters, trying to complete a sip of his martini.
“I mean…” Teo shrugs. “I think most vampires would say fucking a witch is a fetish to them. And listen, I’m trans. I have to deal with men fetishizing me for that too. None of it’s ideal. But when it comes to witches and vampires, it’s like fire and water. Anything beyond a hookup is uncharted territory. And no one ever dares to try.”
“You should,” Louis says. “You’ll have more men to pick from. Ones who aren’t dickheads.”
“Well, if you have a twin brother, send him my way,” says Teo, their gaze lingering on Louis for a second longer than Harry likes.
“We were a bit like that at first, fire and water,” Harry cuts in. “But now, nothing makes more sense than this. We’ve just been told for centuries that witches and vampires can’t get on. And it’s not true.”
“And how long have you been dating?” Kristen asks. “Because if you say it’s only been a month or so, I’ll need more proof than that.”
“It’s been a little over a year officially,” Harry says.
“And also,” Louis says, lifting their joined hands from beneath the table, turning their hands so Harry’s ring catches the scarce light in the room. “We’re engaged.”
“Well, fuck,” Kristen says. And when Louis presses a kiss to Harry’s hand a second later, she adds, “Okay, I’m sold.”
It’s not to say that great love only exists between a vampire and a witch. Harry’s parents had a beautiful marriage, exactly the kind he wanted for himself. And Louis’ mum and Perry love each other deeply.
It’s only to say that great love exists in places some might not think to look. Sometimes it starts between rivals. Sometimes it takes years to flourish. Sometimes it feels like the universe is completely opposed. But sometimes it’s there waiting, in the most uncanny places, if you want it badly enough.
Every day in New York, they get up to something new. They tour museums and art galleries, including one where Louis buys him a painting and has it shipped to the estate for safekeeping. They dine at restaurants from Michelin-starred rooftop establishments to hole-in-the-wall haunts. They day drink (and night drink) and nap in parks in between. They make the most of their month-long stay. No, they won’t be relocating but Harry already knows they’ll be back. Often.
That day, after brunch and a bit of shopping, they retire to their rental penthouse to escape an incoming thunderstorm. The day isn’t a loss at all. He found the stick and poke kit he wanted so that Louis could attempt to tattoo him. After an order of sushi and a shared shower, they get started.
“Was nice to see Teo and Kristen again last night,” Harry says, mostly to distract himself from the initial shock of pain. “And all their friends too.”
“Yeah, they’re a fun lot,” Louis says. “Fucking crazy too. Crazier than us when we want to be.”
“I think Teo has a tiny crush on you.”
“Yeah, but it’ll go away.”
“Oh, so you agree?”
“When we hugged, their heart did a bit of a thing. That’s all.” Louis looks at him. “Now yours is too.”
“Do you think they’re attractive?”
Louis exhales a small laugh. “They’re objectively good-looking. Haven’t thought about it beyond that.”
“Everyone has a crush on you. It’s annoying,” Harry says.
“Who’s everyone?”
“In every place we’ve been to, there’s always someone who starts to fancy you a little. Isabelle in Argentina, remember? Damien? I think he was in Peru. Oh, when we went to Italy. The twins we met? Justine and Luca? They were both into you.”
“Isabelle was technically into both of us,” Louis says. “And I’ve got a list of my own, love. You’re just a bit better with names than I am. The girl with the pink hair last night? She couldn’t stop looking at you.”
“Venus?”
“Should’ve remembered that, to be fair. But yes.”
Harry doesn’t remember her looking at him, but maybe that’s the point.
“I don’t mind, so long as none of them get too close,” Louis says. “I know you’re all mine.”
Then he glances at Harry. Harry actually feels his heart skip a beat. Louis smiles and refocuses on his work. He’s tattooing a bird to match the one Harry tattooed on him a year ago. It’s just a simple outline and for his first shot at tattooing, it’s looking quite nice already.
“Does it hurt?” Louis asks.
Harry shrugs. “Not too much. You’re gentler than I am when I tattoo myself,” he says. He watches him wipe blood and ink away. A thought strikes him. “Do you feel thirsty doing that?”
Louis’ hand stills momentarily.
“Just a question,” Harry says tentatively.
“I always feel thirsty around you,” Louis says, his gaze focused intently on the tattoo. “I’ve said so before.”
“But not literally.”
“No, literally.”
“So, even after you’ve fed?”
“I’ve said so before,” Louis says again. “Even when I’ve fed, the thirst is still there. Just…quieter or something.”
“So, if you could keep drinking, you would?”
Louis pauses and looks at him, lifting the needle away from Harry’s skin. “I don’t get the question.”
Harry's senses tingle slightly due to a subtle shift in Louis' mood. He tries to choose his words carefully, but no matter how he twists and shapes the sentences in his head nothing really works.
“I’d never hurt you,” Louis says. “It’s impossible for me to hurt you. Because I love you and you’re my mate. And if something were to happen to you and you weren’t here, I wouldn’t want to be either.”
“I know that,” Harry says quietly. And he should leave it there, but— “I don’t know if that fully answers the question.”
“Have you got infinite blood? ‘Cause that’d be news to me. There’s no universe where if I kept drinking, it wouldn’t kill you, is there? So, no. The answer is fuck no.”
“Why are you getting so angry? It’s just a question.”
“Why are you asking me if I want to drain you of blood?” Louis fires back.
“It’s not like it’d kill me, Louis. I’d come back.”
Louis blinks. “What?”
“I can’t die. We’ve established that.”
“But you did die!” Louis says. His voice breaks. His jaw locks. Willow finally appears in the room and curls herself around Louis’ ankle. After a breath, Louis tries again. “Your heart stopped for long enough that you were dead. I know it.”
“Yes, but I came back,” Harry says.
“But you still died, yeah? Whether you came back or not, you’d be dead. So, no, I don’t want to fucking kill you. I don’t think about it. I don’t want to think about it.”
“Okay.”
“Now, explain to me why it sounds like you want me to?” And when Harry doesn’t immediately refute that, Louis’ eyes go wide. He puts the needle down on the sterile tray beside them with the small ink pots and stained tissues. “Are you actually serious right now?”
Harry just wants to be honest. Because truthfully, he never considered these thoughts so egregious, but he also never dared to share them with Louis either. Now, that he mostly has, it feels deceitful to not come out with all of it. And he’s also learned that it’s better to expose the whole truth as uncomfortable and as painful as it may be. Better to do that than spend an eternity keeping this to himself.
“Before, when I thought I’d die from the curse, I thought about it,” Harry says. “But only ‘cause I feel safest with you, and it seemed like the most ideal way to go if I had to go at all.”
Louis laughs. Actually cackles. And stands. “Good thing you didn’t think to ask. I would’ve assumed you’d gone completely insane.” He yanks his latex glove off and tosses it onto the coffee table.
“Where are you going?”
“I need a drink,” Louis says, strolling off towards the kitchen.
Harry puts his face in his palms for a moment. They bicker on occasion, solely because they’re both stubborn, highly opinionated people. But he can’t remember the last time either of them was genuinely cross with the other. He feels Louis’ cloying anger even when they’re in separate rooms.
Willow lingers in the corridor, visibly uncertain about who needs the most comfort. Mentally, Harry sends her to Louis. He could use a drink himself. He loiters there on the couch for a minute or two longer, waiting for Louis to come back. And when he doesn’t, Harry sighs and goes after him.
In the kitchen, Louis has a beer open in front of him while he taps away furiously at his phone.
“Will you please relax?” Harry asks. 
“No, I don’t think so,” Louis says. “Here we are having a nice night and you reveal you’ve got a death kink or whatever it is.”
“I haven’t got a death kink,” Harry says. “For fuck’s sake…”
Louis sets his phone down. “When you had that thought back then, did you also consider what it’d be like for me? To watch you slip away? To be the cause of that?”
“I did, actually. Which is why I didn’t bring it up back then. I knew you wouldn’t do it.”
“Because I can’t.”
“Fine. But you clearly don’t know how it feels for me either. On the receiving end of things. It’s like…euphoric. It feels like I could just sink into it and stay there forever. And I’m sorry if that worries you or whatever. I’m not saying I want to die. I’m not saying I want you to kill me. I’m saying when you feed, if there was a way to feel the way I feel infinitely, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I’m just saying I’ve thought about it. That’s all.”
“But that’s impossible. Without me killing you.”
“Yes, you’ve said. I get it.”
“I could never.”
“You said that too,” Harry says. “There’s the blood curse anyway, so—”
“Even without the blood curse…never.”
“Okay,” Harry says. “I’m sorry I mentioned it at all, alright? Can you finish my tattoo, please? Before you get drunk?”
Louis rolls his eyes and has another swig of his beer.
“I’m sorry,” Harry says again. “Come on, Lou, please?”
Louis looks at him, his eyes slightly narrowed as he thinks. With a shake of his head and a sigh, he says, “Yeah, alright,” and starts back to the living room. Quietly he puts his glove back on and sterilises the needle. Then he starts on the tattoo again.
Harry pushes his fingers through Louis’ fringe. “Are you cross with me?”
“No,” Louis says. “Just let me concentrate. Or I’ll tattoo a penis here and be done with it.”
“I don’t mind a penis, though, do I?”
“A lopsided one,” Louis clarifies. “With very hairy wrinkly balls.”
Harry laughs and relaxes his arm. “Such an arsehole.”
“I can add one of those too.”
When they laugh, the tiny hint of tension left between them is hardly of any consequence at all. And later, when they crawl into bed, Louis draws him into his arm like always. Harry traces his collarbone with his fingertip while listening to Willow scurrying about on the floor. For a cat who can phase silently through the air, she’s making plenty of noise with every move. When she darts up onto the bed and then immediately flings herself to the floor, Louis laughs.
“You wouldn’t think a familiar would get the Zoomies, would you?” Harry says.
“She’s just like any cat, I guess,” Louis says.
“I don’t think she’d like that,” Harry says. “I think she considers herself a very unique, one-of-a-kind cat.”
“Makes sense, considering who she’s bound to.”
“Are you saying I think too highly of myself?”
“No,” Louis says. “You should think highly of yourself. And you’re definitely one of a kind.”
Harry smiles. “So are you. There could never be anyone like you.”
Louis turns and presses a kiss on Harry’s forehead. Harry nestles more comfortably into Louis’ side, his eyes slipping shut.
“I’m sorry I lost it a bit earlier,” Louis says quietly.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t share things with me. Even something like that.”
“I don’t. But if it’s something you’re uncomfortable with, I should be more careful. And I will be.”
Then there’s silence and more inexplicable tension. Harry suddenly feels less sleepy than he did seconds ago. He lifts his head off Louis’ shoulder and looks at him.
“It’s impossible for me to do it, I mean that,” Louis says, meeting his gaze.
“I know, Louis,” Harry says. “And I’m not asking you to.”
“But I am who I am,” Louis goes on. “Or what I am. So it’d be a lie to say I haven’t thought about it.”
Harry hesitates. “About draining…”
Louis pinches his eyelids. “Don’t say it like that.”
“Okay. How would you put it then?”
“There’ve been times after I’ve fed, especially…if we’re fucking at the same time, when I want to drink again or I want to keep drinking, even though I know… And there was a time when I was drunk and it was a little hard to stop.”
As he speaks, he doesn’t look at Harry. As if he’s ashamed. Harry reclines again and takes Louis’ face between his palms.
“Look at me. That’s alright,” Harry says. “I love you. I love how much you want me.”
Louis winces at that. “That makes it sound more innocent than it is.”
“Whatever. I won’t lie and say it’s not…sort of exciting? And like…It’s not that much different from when you choke me a little, is it?”
“It’s completely different.”
“Not to me. Not completely. You say you wouldn’t hurt me but spanking hurts,” Harry says with a laugh. “And I like it.”
“Also, different.”
“If you say so,” Harry says. “I know that for you it’s something you have to control. For me, I know you’re in control, so I don’t worry. I just let go. And it feels nice to let go. I know you’ve got me.”
“I do,” Louis says. “Always.”
“You’re getting enough to drink, though, yeah? Like that’s not the reason you want to keep going, is it?”
“Trust me, it’s not. I get enough,” Louis says.
“You’re just greedy then.”
“I’m a vampire,” Louis says. “Greed is what we’re all about.”
“You’re not like most vampires, though.”
“Maybe not, but there are things that are just biological. Like my bond with you. Can’t do anything about that. And no matter what, if you say something like you said today, offering yourself up like that, there’s a part of me, even if it’s small, that wants to take you up on it. And just…devour you.”
Harry looks at his mouth. “And I’m meant to be afraid of that?”
“Maybe,” Louis says. “Not of me, but the general idea of a vampire wanting you in that way, yeah.”
“You’re the only vampire that matters.”
Louis grins, his ego visibly stroked. Harry can’t take his eyes off of him.
“If it were any other vampire, I’d never say the things I said today. It’s only because it’s you. I trust you. Completely.”
Louis looks at him. He takes Harry’s hand and presses a quick kiss to his palm. “I can’t do it, though.”
“I know,” Harry says. “I thought I lost you that day too, you know? I felt like I couldn’t breathe. And like the world was closing in on me or something. So, I know what it’s like. And I’d never want you to have to go through that again.”
Louis nods. “Me neither.”
Harry looks at his mouth again. “But I think you should feed,” he says. “Right now.”
Louis lifts his brows. With a small exhale, he says, “You’re going to be the death of me.”
“Literally the opposite. I’m offering you a late-night snack.”
Louis laughs. “You’re definitely that,” he says. He licks his lips. Then, after a second, he leans in and kisses Harry slowly, capturing his jaw between his fingers and his thumb. He kisses him for so long Harry nearly forgets what they were talking about at all. He’s hypnotized by Louis’ tongue against his own. He’s lulled by the comfort of their bodies close.
Their lives are not perfect because no one’s is. They still have occasional worries, especially when they have to decide which parties and gatherings to attend back home when everywhere they go, they’re a topic of discussion or gossip. Returning to Ravenoir even for short periods is often stressful. And like earlier has proven, they can still misunderstand each other.
Life might not be perfect but being with Louis is. There’s nothing questionable or unsatisfactory about this kiss or the way Louis holds him. There’s nothing as sublime as the moment he pulls away suddenly, holds Harry’s jaw firmly and sinks into his jugular.
Harry shudders and digs his fingers into Louis’ bicep. The burst of pain is quickly washed over with warmth that floods his whole body. His head feels light and airy as if he’s floating on a cloud. Weightless and worriless with nothing to fear. With Louis’ need so evident and certain and all-encompassing.
Louis pulls away with a deep breath and kisses him again. Now that Harry can move, he moves with purpose, shoving Louis' pyjamas down past his waist, wrestling with his own.
“Thought I was only getting a late-night snack,” Louis says.
“It’s more like a late-night buffet,” Harry says. “All you can eat.”
Louis laughs as he sinks down Harry’s body, leaving kisses all along his chest and abs. “Mm, I do like the sound of that,” he says.
Harry will have to blame it on all the pent-up tension, good and bad, but when Louis deepthroats his cock, he thinks he could come with just another second more of that pressure. Then Louis pulls off, smiling as if he knows it, and licks a few times along the length of his cock instead. Because as he’s clarified thoroughly today, Louis is a vampire. Vampires like to toy with and tease their prey. And Harry knows Louis doesn’t think of him as prey, but sometimes Harry feels like he is. And he doesn’t mind at all.
The truth is that Harry would bare every part of himself to Louis without hesitation or fear. He would accept whatever Louis wanted to give or take from him. Maybe if it were another vampire, that sort of thinking would be insane. But it’s solely this vampire who matters. No other would do.
He often likes to hold Louis atop him after they’ve come to prolong the closeness. He likes the weight of him. He likes running his fingers through his hair until Louis drifts off. "Louis?"
"Hm?"
“It’s not difficult, is it? Feeling thirsty all the time?” Harry asks quietly. Because the thought is on his mind and if he doesn’t ask, he’ll just stay awake worrying about it.
“No,” Louis says sleepily. “Not at all."
"You're sure?"
"I promise," Louis says. He draws a breath. "Thirst is tied to emotion. Like lust and love… And you’re a triple threat, that’s all. You’re hot. You taste incredible. Can’t help that. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Harry smiles. "Makes sense..." He listens to Louis’ breathing evening out. He feels his limbs loosening further. “Wait, what’s the third thing?”
“What?”
“You said triple threat.”
“Oh,” Louis says. “You’re hot. You taste incredible.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you fishing for compliments?”
“Just tell me,” Harry pleads.
“You’re the love of my life, Harry,” Louis says. “I reckon that’s the biggest one of all.”
It’s not the first time Louis has said so, but it’s also impossible to get used to something like that. Hearing the person he loves most affirm the inverse is true will never cease to amaze him. So, he feels his eyes prickle slightly, but he doesn’t actually burst into tears or anything. He simply wraps his arms more tightly around his fiance. “And you’re mine.”
“I know,” Louis says. “Can I sleep now, babe?”
“Yeah. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Good night.”
“Night,” Louis says.
“I love you so much.”
“Harry.”
“Okay. Sleep well.”
“You too,” Louis says. And then after a second, he whispers, “I love you.”
Willow hops up onto the bed in the midst of their laughter at which point, they mutually decide to turn their love on her. Because great love is also infinite, which means there’s plenty to spare.
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lisbeth-kk · 3 months
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Sherlock fandom.
I can’t get you off my mind
I knew Mrs. Hudson was wrong when she told me marriage changes people. 
Not my John, I thought.
How wrong I was.  
Seen in hindsight; has it been three months already, she was right. I should have known that. After all, she was more of an expert on relationships than me. What did I have to show for? My only relationship, if you didn’t count family, had been with John. He was the only one who could fit that term. 
I told Mrs. Hudson that Mary would be reasonable when I needed John on a case. Her response baffled me. 
“Don’t ever use that word and her name in the same sentence, Sherlock. They don’t match. At all.”
Then she huffed and clenched her jaw tight, unwilling to explain herself. So, I’d turned to Mycroft. If anyone knew what was going on, it was him.
“Brother mine,” he said quietly when I came forth with my request about John’s wife. 
“Don’t patronise me, Mycroft,” I snapped. “Just tell me what’s going on. Is John safe?”
“Why would you ask…” Mycroft began, but something about my appearance stopped him from whatever nonsense he was going to utter. 
He sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. Neither were good signs. 
“She’s an assassin with a prize on her head. We have her under surveillance. I suspect she’ll attempt to flee any day to escape,” Mycroft told me. 
My brain buzzed, analysed, and calculated in quick succession, but in vain. All I could think of was John, unknowing, unsafe, and the baby.
“Mary isn’t pregnant, Sherlock,” Mycroft said. 
“Excuse me?” Were you ever going to tell me any of this?” I asked furiously.
*** 
It’s over now. John’s personal Armageddon. His wife gone when he woke. A letter explaining nothing. The fake pregnancy belly was the final nail in the coffin. I tried to reach out to him, but he was so angry. Thought I’d known all along. He didn’t want to listen to reason. I didn’t blame him. I still don’t. 
Again, it’s Mrs. Hudson’s words putting things in motion.
“Are you just going to let it slide? He needs you, Sherlock! You are his best friend, his entire world. Save him, dear, and yourself. Ask him to come home.”
“He is home,” I protest. 
The look she gives me, makes me feel like a five-year old again. She doesn’t pester me further, but it’s enough. I fetch my laptop and start to write an email. The most important one I’ve ever written.
Dear, John
Believe me when I say I didn’t know anything about Mary or the baby until the day before she left. I would’ve told you if I knew. I was terrified when Mycroft told me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of you being unsafe and unknowing. My plan was to tell you the day you woke up without her, but by then it was too late. 
I don’t blame you for not believing me, John. After all, I’ve lied to you about severe things in the past. If you want to talk, we can. Whenever you want. I’m just a text away. And if you can’t bear the thought of staying where you live; know that you’re always welcome at Baker Street. It was your home, and it’s empty without you. 
We’re not good with words, John. Not these kinds, anyway, but don’t let our friendship end like this. I want you in my life, in my home, our home. I can’t get you off my mind, John. I never could. Please, consider coming back. 
If you don’t answer this email, text, phone or come to Baker Street, I’ll understand, but I hope you’ll do at least one of those things. To let me know where we stand. 
SH
***
I’m mentally exhausted after I’ve sent the email, and go to bed, sleeping like the dead for almost ten hours. When I’ve showered and had some tea and toast, I take out my violin and play all of John’s favourites. 
This can’t be how it ends; I think when I lower the violin and bow. After I’ve placed the instrument back in its case, I hear a sound. I’d been so lost in my own head and haven’t been paying attention to my surroundings. And why would I? I’ve lived alone for months, but now I sense a presence. 
I turn, slowly, alert, and there he is, in his chair, looking at me with eyes filled with unshed tears. Any second now they will trickle down his cheeks. In an instant I’m kneeling in front of him, letting my hands rest on his knees. 
“John, is everything okay? Are you…”
“I’m okay, Sherlock. Just…”
His voice his hoarse. I can tell this isn’t the first time he’s been crying today. Something catches my eye just inside the door. John’s duffle bag. I jerk my head back to look at him.
“John?”
“I’m coming home, Sherlock. For good,” he says and manages to smile while he’s crying. 
***
So, this is how it ends. With a pair of broken hearts that are going to be mended. We only have to give it some time, and we will get there. Together.
@flashfictionfridayofficial @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @calaisreno @a-victorian-girl @phoenix27884 @sabsi221b @safedistancefrombeingsmart @gregorovitchworld @raina-at @helloliriels @peanitbear @topsyturvy-turtely
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starryeyedstories · 1 year
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Pride and Prejudice and Peanut Butter Sundaes
Pairing: Steve Harrington x f!reader (1980s Pride and Prejudice AU)
Summary: It is a truth universally acknowledged that all high school graduates not in possession of a college acceptance letter must be in want of a summer job. Unfortunately for you, that means having to work with Steve Harrington who, in high school, you swore to hate forever.
Word count: 6.8k
Warnings: Enemies to lovers (à la Lizzie and Darcy), miscommunication, swearing, getting rejected from college, reader judging Steve based on his King Steve era, Steve’s dad is awful, mentions of hypothetically being cut off financially, food mentions (sorry if you have a peanut allergy)
A/N: I give you my pride and joy, the loosest adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that there has ever been. I’m honestly so proud of how this turned out so reblogs and comments would mean the world! Also, keep an eye out for a few Austen-esque Easter eggs sprinkled throughout this!
Read on AO3
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“Did you hear that the summer vacancy’s been filled at last?”
You almost hit your head off the upper wall of the freezer at Robin's words, your hunt for a fresh tub of peanut butter ice cream momentarily paused. Shuffling carefully backwards so as to avoid any further injury, you sat back on your heels on the break room floor and looked up at her as you tried to warm your frozen hands on the ridiculous navy shorts that company policy forced you to wear. Your best friend sat at the break room table in the same uniform, her sailor’s hat sitting at a jaunty angle on her head. 
“Really?” you asked curiously, “Who’s the lucky bastard joining us scooping ice cream all summer?”
She shrugged. “No idea. There was just a note on the board that they're starting today.”
Giving up on your search for the elusive peanut butter ice cream- what was the point in working in an ice cream parlour when your favourite flavour was never around for you to steal?- you joined her at the table and grinned knowingly.
“What if it's Tammy Thomson?” you teased. 
As expected, she turned bright red and threw her hat at you at the mention of her crush. You swatted the hat away with a giggle.
“If Tammy ever sees me wearing this-” She gestured to the striped shirt, navy waistcoat and shorts, and ridiculous red necktie that you were both wearing. “-I want you to take your scooper and murder me with it. I’m serious.”
The two of you dissolved into laughter as you mirrored her pose and kicked your feet up onto the table. Ever since Starcourt had opened its doors, the two of you had been the only weekend employees in Scoops Ahoy and it had been great. Now that summer had arrived, meaning that Robin was on vacation and you had graduated, you were both picking up extra shifts for the extra cash. Summer seemed to stretch ahead of you in a blur of shifts spent laughing with your best friend and days off spent enjoying the sunshine. You were determinedly not thinking about what you were going to do when the summer ended. 
“Did you hear the news about Ellie Wood from my year?” you asked, having glanced at your watch and seen that you still had ten minutes before opening time.
“No?”
“Oh my god, okay.” You pulled your legs off of the table in favour of leaning in conspiratorially. “So she was, like, totally in love with this guy, Ed, right? And it seemed like he was in love with her too but then out of nowhere last week this other girl shows up and says that she’s been dating him in secret for six months!”
“No way.”
“Uh-huh. And apparently he still hasn't decided which one of them he's gonna stay with!”
“Holy shit.”
“Hey, guys.”
You and Robin both jumped in fright at a male voice coming from the doorway that led out to the storefront, with you twisting in your seat to see who it was and your jaw dropping when you did. 
Steve Harrington was standing before you. The same Steve Harrington who had ruled the halls of Hawkins High for the entire time that you were both students there, who had disrupted almost every class you had ever shared with him, and who had had almost every girl in Hawkins flinging themselves at his feet with just a flick of his stupid hair. The guy was practically a school celebrity, with his perfect hair and his perfect parties and his perfect girlfriend (although you had heard that that had ended nearly a year ago), and in four years of high school he had never spoken a single sentence to you. 
And he was standing in front of you now, wearing a Scoops Ahoy uniform. 
“No fucking way,” you blurted out before you could stop yourself. 
Steve Harrington was not a guy who had to spend his summer selling ice cream. Everyone knew he stayed in Loch Nora and that his father ran some fancy company. You’d cycled past the guy’s BMW parked outside school enough times to know that he had serious money. 
He cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder. 
“Uh, I’m Steve?” he offered, sounding unsure of that fact, “I’m supposed to be starting working with you guys today? The manager told me to ask for Robin?”
Every sentence he spoke came out like an increasingly uncertain question, and you resisted the urge to scoff at the final one. He didn’t even know who Robin was, and she'd sat behind him in class all year. You wouldn't have expected anything less. 
“That's me,” she piped up when the silence became awkward, “And you probably already know...”
You waited a few seconds until it became abundantly obvious that he had no idea what your name was before putting him out of his misery and telling him. 
“Don’t worry,” you added as you stood from the table and made to walk past him out to the storefront, “We usually wear name badges. You’ll pick them up eventually.”
The break room door swung back and forth on its hinges for a few seconds after you disappeared through it and Steve stood staring after you, a little stunned by your frosty greeting. Robin, for all her years of knowing you, found herself doing the same for a second or two before shaking herself out of it and clearing her throat to get the newcomer’s attention. 
“She isn't usually like that,” she offered, “She, uh...slept badly last night.”
“Right,” Steve replied, still sounding doubtful. 
Checking her watch, she stood up with a dramatic groan. 
“Come on, Harrington. I’d better teach you all about the magical world of Scoops Ahoy.”
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A week had passed, and you still couldn't quite believe that you were working with Steve Harrington. 
It didn’t help that he barely spoke to you, preferring to ask Robin if he was unsure about how to make up an order or how a machine worked. Really, it was just like high school, except he had to occasionally acknowledge your existence to move past you behind the counter. Beyond that, your interactions were limited to “good morning”, “goodnight”, and “can I borrow your scooper?”. 
He was manning the counter on his own for the first time whilst you and Robin occupied the break room table, sorting through the order forms for ingredients for the next week. The sliding window between the storefront and the break room was open, letting Steve’s voice drift through every now and again as he served customers. 
“How come you don't talk to Steve?” Robin asked suddenly, keeping her voice low enough that he wouldn't be able to hear her. 
You frowned at her in confusion. 
“What do you mean? It’s him that doesn't talk to me. He never has. Besides, he’s too busy flirting with all his fans.”
It was true. In just a week of Steve working there, Scoops Ahoy had amassed a very specific new customer group of giggling teenage girls, and you were getting sick of the disappointed expressions they always wore when you were the one who had to serve them. 
Robin shrugged.
“He talks to me. I dunno, it’s like he's changed a bit since high school. Grown up.”
You opened your mouth to respond but were cut off by a loud shout from the storefront. 
“Holy shit, Harrington!”
The two of you looked at each other in confusion before sneaking over to the sliding window, climbing up onto the counter to sit on either side of it to listen without being seen. 
“Carver!” Steve hollered back, sounding just like he had in the halls of high school.
You and Robin made disgusted faces at each other at the implication that Jason Carver, the creepiest jock you'd ever met, was in the store. There was just something about his perfect persona that you didn’t trust. 
You listened with amusement to Jason and Steve bantering back and forth, sounding more like they were in the school locker rooms than anywhere else. Your assertion that Steve was still stuck in his high school ways grew stronger with every word until you heard Jason saying your name and Robin’s.
“They work with you, right? You must love working here, only guy with all these girls. Are they hot?” Jason asked. 
“Who, Robin? She’s great, yeah, but she’s not really my type,” Steve answered.
Across from you, Robin mimed a tear falling down her cheek and you fought the urge to giggle. 
“What about the other one?” 
For some reason, you found yourself straining your ears to hear his response, as though it mattered to you at all what Steve Harrington thought of you. 
“She’s cute, I guess. Not cute enough for me, though, know what I mean?” 
The twist in your gut at his dismissive words took you by surprise. Pushing the feeling down, you raised your eyebrows at Robin, I-told-you-so written all over your face. 
“Still think he’s changed?”
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As soon as Jason turned to leave, tub of ice cream in hand, Steve’s shoulders dropped with a groan. He’d never liked the little creep, even before he realised that his choice of friend group left a lot to be desired. 
He hated how he’d slipped back into his old King Steve persona at the sight of Jason. Sure, it was easier than explaining what he was sure Carver already knew- that he was down to maybe two or three friends who weren't middle school nerds- but he felt like a coward for it. 
Glancing over his shoulder through the window, he saw that you and Robin still had your heads bowed over the paperwork on the table and hoped that neither of you had overheard the conversation. He liked to think that he was close to being able to count Robin as a friend. You, on the other hand, had made it clear that you had nothing to say to him...nothing nice, at least. Every time he tried to start a conversation with you, you either completely ignored him or roped Robin in so that you wouldn't have to speak directly to him. He sighed, looking through the window again and resisting the urge to smile at the way you wrinkled your nose in distaste at the forms in front of you. You really were cute.
It was just a shame that you hated him. 
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A month into Steve Harrington’s career at Scoops Ahoy, you were late to work. By the time you entered the empty (miraculously so, for a Friday) ice cream parlour, you were grumpy and sweating from the intense July heat, and the blast of the air conditioning was blissful as you entered the break room. 
Robin and Steve looked up at you in surprise, as though they’d forgotten that you were even supposed to be there. You clenched your jaw at the sight of Steve sitting in what was usually your seat and turned to cram your backpack into your locker, just missing the shy wave he sent your way in greeting. Robin called your name to get your attention. 
“You need to back me up. Tammy Thomson's cute, right?”
You turned slowly, staring at your best friend incredulously. She caught the meaning of your pointed glance at Steve and smiled bashfully.
“It's okay. He knows,” she told you, “But he doesn't think Tammy’s cute, and I need you to tell him he's wrong.”
“I didn’t say she’s not cute!” he said, his tone defensive but his grin relaxed, “I said she sounds like a Muppet when she sings. There's a difference.”
Your head was still spinning with the revelation that Robin had come out to Steve freaking Harrington. 
“She’s really cute,” you said eventually and, unable to resist the urge to disagree with Steve on everything, added: “And I think she's a great singer.”
You absolutely didn’t, but he didn’t need to know that. 
“I told you!” Robin announced triumphantly, sticking her tongue out at Steve before turning back to you, “How come you’re late anyway?” 
“My bike had a flat tire. I had to walk.”
Steve cleared his throat as you moved to lean against the counter. 
“You should have called. I would have given you a ride.”
You snorted.
“Sure you would have. Doesn't matter anyway. I like walking.”
He sighed heavily, twisting in his seat to glare at you. 
“Alright, that's it. What is your problem with me?” he demanded. 
The air in the break room was suddenly tense, and Robin was quick to excuse herself. What with the creak of the door swinging back and forth on its hinges, it almost felt like that scene that seemed to feature in every Western movie you'd ever seen, an unwanted character walking into the saloon bar to absolute silence. In your experience, that scene was almost always followed by a blazing gunfight. 
You arched an eyebrow at him. 
“Excuse me?” 
“You’ve clearly got a problem with me.” 
You rolled your eyes, making to walk away from him and join Robin. 
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 
Behind you, you heard his chair scrape along the floor as he stood up. 
“Then what the fuck is your problem?” 
Your hand was on the door, ready to push through it, but something within you snapped and made you whirl round to glare at him. 
“You really wanna know what my problem is?” you asked. 
“Yeah, I really do,” he shot back, his hands on his hips. 
“Fine! My problem is that this was supposed to be the perfect summer. I was gonna work with my best friend for a few months and then go off to college, but I didn’t fucking get into college and now I’m stuck working with you, an asshole who didn’t notice me when we were in high school and hates me now that we’re out of it. Are you happy now?” you demanded, eyebrows raised in challenge. 
“I don’t-” He stopped whatever he had been about to say, seemingly changing his mind as the rest of your words hit him; in a flash, his confrontation had given way to confusion. “Wait, you didn’t get into college? How? You’re, like, a genius.” 
You made a derisive sound, rolling your eyes. 
“Clearly.” 
“I’m serious. You used to answer, like, every single question in Mrs Click’s class, and you were always right.”
He wouldn’t meet your eyes, as though he’d said something he hadn’t meant to. You stared at him in disbelief.
“You seriously remember that?” you asked quietly. 
“I do.” His eyes finally met yours, and it scared you that you couldn't decipher the expression in them. “But I don’t remember ever saying that I hate you.” 
The comment had you raising your hackles again. 
“You barely even speak to me!” 
He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, knocking his hat to the ground. 
“Because you barely speak to me!” He let out a mirthless laugh. “Do you wanna know what my problem is with you? I think you’re awesome, and you’ve made it clear from the moment I started here that you hate me. Clearly I was wrong.” 
His words had you feeling off balance as though he'd shoved you. They left you feeling vulnerable, exposed, like he had you cornered. It was a fight-or-flight moment...and you absolutely were not about to run away from Steve Harrington. Glaring so hard it made your head ache, you stepped up to him and poked him roughly in the chest. 
“Bull. Shit. You thought I was awesome? Is that why you spent all of high school acting like you were so much better than the rest of us? You didn’t even know my name when you started here. Admit it, we were all just background characters in the King Steve show, and now you can’t cope with the fact that the show is over.” You lifted your chin and your nose almost brushed his. “Screw you, Harrington. Screw. You.”
You were vaguely aware of Robin calling your name as you stormed out of the store but you ignored her, thinking only of the fact that you absolutely refused to spend another minute of your life with Steve Harrington. 
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The following two weeks were blissful. You had swapped all of your shifts so that you were never working at the same time as Steve and, by the time Robin’s birthday came around, you had all but forgotten that he existed.
Until you walked into Robin’s house for her birthday party and immediately spotted him standing across the room from you. 
His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of you, and you were sure that you were wearing a matching expression. Before either of you could say a word, Robin dragged you into the kitchen. You stared at her incredulously, leaning back against the sink.
“What the fuck, Rob?”
“I know, I know. I just...I thought you wouldn’t come if I told you he was gonna be here.”
“You’re right!”
She sighed before giving you a pleading look, squeezing your hands in hers. 
“You don’t have to talk to him. You’re my best friend and I want you here, but he's my friend too and I want him here too. Just...please be civil with him for one day? I’ll make sure we get peanut butter ice cream on the next order if you do. I promise.”
You wanted to walk out, preferably after throwing something at the guy in the next room, but you weren't going to let him ruin your best friend’s birthday party. Sighing, you squeezed her hands.
“Fine. But I'm holding you to that promise.”
Her face lit up and she hugged you tightly. 
“You’re the best. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I do.” You cleared your throat as she pulled away. “Do you mind if I get some air before I have to see him?”
She smiled in understanding. 
“Go ahead.”
You didn’t have to go back into the living room, instead slipping out the back door of the kitchen and out onto the porch. Night was falling in the slow, lazy manner it always did in summer, the heat of the day lingering as the sky turned into a haze of lilac and orange. Sitting down on the edge of the porch, you let all the air drain from your lungs, your shoulders relaxing from the tense position you hadn't even noticed them adopting. 
The Harrington Effect, you thought to yourself with amusement.
Only a few peaceful minutes had passed before you heard the kitchen door opening behind you.
“I’ll be inside in a minute, Robin,” you said without looking over your shoulder. 
“Hey.”
Your shoulders shot almost up to your ears at the sound of his voice. Reminding yourself of your promise to your best friend, you took a slow, deep breath before turning your head to look at him. You had to crane your neck to see his face from your seated position. 
“Hey,” you replied, forcing yourself to keep your tone neutral, if not light. 
He looked nervous, you noticed. He also looked really nice out of his Scoops uniform, in a well-fitting yellow sweater and light blue jeans, his hair free from the confines of a sailor's hat. You frowned to yourself: since when did you care what Steve Harrington wore?
“I, uh, didn’t know you'd be here,” he said awkwardly. 
You gave him a tight-lipped smile. 
“Likewise.”
You had decided that sticking to one word answers was the safest course of action. 
He cleared his throat, and then cleared it again, as though he was trying to work up the courage to say something. You waited patiently for him to ask you to leave, or to tell you that the very sight of you had ruined his day.
“Do you maybe wanna get dinner tomorrow? With me?”
Your head snapped up to look at him so sharply you were fairly sure you'd given yourself whiplash. Surely you had misheard him...no, the quietly hopeful look on his face was unmistakably the expression of a guy who had just asked someone out. Your mouth opened and closed several times as you tried to think of something eloquent to say. 
“What the fuck?” was the best you could manage. 
He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. 
“I know we've had our disagreements, and that you've got some stuff you need to work through before you can admit that we’d make a pretty great couple-” Your eyes flashed dangerously at that but he ploughed on, as though he couldn't stop talking now that he had started. “-but I still think you're awesome. I really like you, and I really hope you'll give me a chance.”
You were lost for words for a few seconds, your hands gripping the edge of the porch until they shook. 
“You really like me,” you repeated slowly.
He nodded.
“I do.”
“...even though I have some stuff to work through?”
He seemed to realise the hole he had dug himself into as you stared at him in disbelief. As you got to your feet, he took a step back from you without meaning to. 
“Do you actually expect me to want anything to do with you after saying that?” you asked incredulously, just barely keeping yourself from shouting- for Robin's sake, not for his, “Did you think that...what, exactly? You'd tell me that you think I’m awesome except for my glaringly obvious faults, and I’d throw myself at your feet? Jesus Christ, Harrington, if we’re gonna talk about each other's faults then you might wanna sit down for yours because we’re gonna be here a while.”
“Listen-”
“No, you listen to me because I’m only gonna say this once.” You stepped into his personal space, your chest and his heaving with the argument. You could feel his breath on your lips as you glared at him. “You are the last guy in Hawkins I could ever be persuaded to date, Steve Harrington.”
You had planned to head inside the second you were finished speaking, but you found yourself lingering in front of him. A summer thunderstorm seemed on the brink of breaking as you stared at him, and your stomach twisted as his eyes drifted unmistakably to your lips. His face moved the tiniest bit closer to yours and your breath hitched as you realised that he was about to kiss you, your eyelids drifting shut on instinct only to fly open again as he stepped away. He didn’t look at you or say another word before heading inside, and you sagged against one of the supporting beams of the porch, your mind going at a thousand thoughts a minute. 
He liked you.
He had been about to kiss you.
You had been about to let him.
He had never hated you before.
He was sure to hate you now.
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You had no idea how either of you made it through the rest of the party without Robin realising that something had happened. He stayed on one side of the room, trapped in conversation with Robin's socially awkward cousin, Colin, and you kept yourself firmly beside Emma and Cathy, two of her friends from band. You’d always found Emma a little self-centred, but you were more than willing to listen to her ramble on about herself all evening if it kept you away from Steve.
When you got home and went to bed, you expected to lie awake for hours, but the next thing you were aware of was being woken by your phone ringing shrilly, the sound spiking your veins with adrenaline in the darkness of your bedroom. Your eyes were barely open as you fumbled blindly to answer it, your voice hoarse from sleep.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it's Steve.”
Your eyes shot open in confusion, and you scrambled to turn on your bedside lamp and sit up in bed.
“Steve? It’s the middle of the night,” you hissed, aware that your parents were asleep in the next room, “How did you even get my number?” Despite your self-proclaimed hatred for him, worry suddenly shot through your veins and you pressed the phone closer to your ear. “Wait, are you okay? Why are you calling-”
“I’m okay. I just...I needed to explain myself to you.”
You groaned and slumped against your pillows. 
“Steve, I think I made myself pretty clear earlier.”
“I know, and I respect that. I’m not calling to ask you out again.”
You were torn between hearing him out and slamming the phone down. Eventually, curiosity triumphed over exhaustion, and you sighed. 
“Alright, I’m listening.”
You heard him take a shaky breath.
“I was an asshole in high school, and I was an asshole to you today.”
Strong start, you thought to yourself, but you resisted the urge to interrupt him and instead let him keep talking. 
“I was insecure and addicted to the feeling of being liked, of being popular, and I know now that it was all meaningless bullshit. I missed out on having good friends, real friends, like Robin and...and you, all because I was too much of a coward to risk losing the shitty friends I already had.”
Your lips parted in surprise at his honesty.
“The truth is...I was so fucking lonely. My parents were never around, and it felt easier to fill the house with parties with people I didn’t even like than to make an effort and find people I actually did like, who I could be myself around.”
Before you knew it, your eyes were welling with tears.
“And now I’ve found people I like, and I’ve fucked it all up. I’ve ruined your summer and any chance I ever had with you. Robin's gonna take your side when she finds out, as she should. And my dad’s given me until the end of summer to decide if I’m gonna go and work for him, and if I don't he's gonna kick me out of the house.” He let out a humourless laugh, but it didn’t hide the thickness of threatened tears in his voice. “I guess karma’s a bitch.”
Silence fell between the two of you as you tried to process everything he'd told you. Wiping your eyes, you searched for the right words. 
“Steve, I-”
“I really do think you're amazing, just the way you are.”
“Steve-”
“I made sure we’re not rota’d on the same shift again for the rest of summer. You won’t have to put up with me anymore.”
The unmistakeable sound of him hanging up the phone beat you to saying another word, and you were left once again lying in bed, tears on your cheeks as you realised that you had never known Steve at all.
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You felt like an idiot. You had gotten what you wanted; in the three weeks since Robin’s birthday, you hadn’t seen Steve at all. You hadn’t had to put up with his stupid hair, or his infuriating habit of humming along to the radio, or the sharp twist of something you always felt in your stomach when you had to listen to the girls that came into the store just to flirt with him. And you missed it all.
You missed him. 
Every shift you came onto seemed to bring some kind of reminder that you had been so completely and utterly wrong about him. You’d get to work on Tuesday and he’d have remade all the fading flavour labels that you'd been complaining about for weeks. Wednesday would bring a gaggle of middle school nerds into the store, begging to be allowed through the staff door into the cinema because “Steve always lets us”, because apparently the guy was some kind of babysitter extraordinaire now too. By the time Thursday came around, you were half-expecting to find out that he ran an orphanage and rescued abandoned puppies in his free time. 
No evidence of charitable hobbies was to be found when you did clock in on Thursday, but you found something with your name scrawled on a pink post-it note in the freezer that made you considerably happier. Grinning, you grabbed it and headed through to the storefront where Robin was wiping down the counter before opening. 
“Thanks for getting peanut butter,” you said, “I thought you'd forget.”
She turned and stared at you, her eyes landing on the perfectly made ice cream sundae you were holding. 
“What?”
“What do you mean, what? You promised you'd order peanut butter ice cream for me ages ago.” When she still looked confused, you held the sundae up as if it would remind her. “And you made me this. It was in the freezer with my name on it.”
She frowned.
“As much as I would love to take the credit, I totally forgot that I was supposed to order peanut butter. And I didn’t make you that. I got here after you today, remember?”
Your smile faded, confusion wrinkling your brow.
“But then who-”
Your eyes landed on the handwritten flavour labels in the display freezer beside you, and your jaw dropped. The handwriting was the same as the writing on the post-it note...which meant...
“Oh my god,” you whispered, tears welling in your eyes as you connected the dots.
Alarm flashed across Robin’s face at the distress on yours. 
“Oh my god, are you okay?” 
You shook your head, tears spilling down your cheeks.
“I’ve been so stupid, Rob.”
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You passed the first few hours of the shift in a daydream, barely aware of what you were doing as you served customers. You had told Robin everything, from Steve asking you out at her birthday to his phone call that night to the fact that- in your weeks away from him- you had realised too late that you really fucking liked him. On hearing the last piece of information, she had urged you to find him and tell him how you felt, but you were adamant that it was too late, that the ice cream sundae was nothing but a peace offering and an attempt to be friends. He had obviously ruled out anything more with you weeks ago. 
Just after the lunchtime rush, a man who looked to be in his late forties entered the store. He was dressed in what was clearly an expensive suit- definitely a businessman- and you couldn't help but stare at him from behind the counter; he didn’t look like the type to eat ice cream. 
“I’m looking for my son.”
You raised your eyebrows at his blunt greeting, but plastered on a smile anyway. 
“There haven’t been any little boys in here today, sir. But if you go to the information desk-”
“Yeah, no,” he interrupted you, “My son’s about your age, probably wearing one of those stupid sailor costumes, answers to Steve.”
Your lips parted in surprise; behind you, you heard the quiet squeak of Robin sliding the window open a little to eavesdrop from the break room. The man looked nothing like Steve, except perhaps a little bit around the eyes, but there was nothing of Steve's easy smile in his expression. You cleared your throat to get your composure back. 
“Uh, Steve isn’t working today-”
“Well, he isn’t answering the phone either so any idea where he is?”
You felt like you were being interrogated, barely keeping up with his interruptions, and it was starting to piss you off. Lifting your chin, you made sure to look him straight in the eye with as much dignity as you could muster whilst wearing a sailor’s costume. 
“I’m not sure what you think you know about working in retail, sir, but they disable our tracking chips when we leave the building.” He narrowed his eyes at you in suspicion at your sarcastic tone and you leaned forward on the counter. “I don’t know where Steve is.”
“Well, when you do see my son, you tell him to call me unless he wants to be stuck slinging ice cream without two pennies to rub together for the rest of his life.”
With that, he turned his back on you to walk out. Clenching your fists, you shook your head. 
“Yeah, no. I’m not gonna tell him that.”
Mr Harrington froze with his back to you before turning slowly to face you, a disbelieving expression on his face. 
“What did you just say to me?”
It briefly occurred to you that starting an argument with his father might not have been the best way to get back into Steve’s good books, but then the dismissive tone that the man had used to talk about his son came back to you and had you lifting your chin defiantly.
“I don’t know when the last time you actually spoke to your son was but he’s got more going for him than working for you or slinging ice cream. He’s a really great guy these days and he’s worked so hard to become one when literally no one expected him to.”
Mr Harrington’s eyes flashed dangerously. 
“Alright, enough-”
You glared at him. 
“No! I don’t think you know anything about Steve and that’s not fucking right. He’s kind and selfless and he’ll…he’ll give you a ride to work when your bike is broken so that you don’t have to walk. God, he’ll even order your favourite flavour of ice cream for you even when you’ve been an absolute idiot.” He was staring at you as though you’d sprouted an extra head in front of him and you laughed, even as you felt the sting of threatened tears behind your eyes. “You seem surprised. Believe me, I was too, but there’s no escaping it. Steve Harrington is a great guy. And he became one all by himself.”
He looked as though no one had ever spoken to him like that before; they probably hadn't. All the fight had gone out of you with the end of your speech and, as he stared at you, you had visions of him reporting you to your manager and getting you fired by the end of the day. Still, you stared back at him, waiting for the hit. 
To your surprise, he turned and left without another word. 
You released the breath you hadn't realised you'd been holding, leaning back against the counter and dragging your hands down your face in complete disbelief both at what you had just said and to whom you had said it. You barely registered the sound of the phone being hung up in the break room a few seconds before Robin appeared beside you and pulled you silently into a hug, your head resting heavily on her shoulder as you came to yet another realisation.
You were not the same girl you had been at the start of summer.
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The rest of the shift was mercifully quiet, so much so that you were able to persuade Robin to head home an hour early and leave you to close on your own. There was no point in you both hanging around until closing time when it wasn't necessary. 
Five o’clock had just arrived and you had just disappeared into the break room to get changed when you heard the ding of the bell on the counter. You sighed, pulling your bag out of your locker.
“We’re closed!” 
The bell sounded again, more insistently, and you dropped your bag on the table in frustration before heading back out to the storefront.
“I said, we’re-”
Your eyes landed on Steve, standing on the other side of the counter, and your jaw went slack.
“-closed.”
He gave you a small smile, a nervous one.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” you replied in surprise, before the events from earlier in the shift came back to you and worry for him crept into your mind, “Shit, are you okay? Steve, your dad-”
“Robin told me.” He cleared his throat. “She told me he was here…and she told me everything you said.”
You felt as though the ground had given out beneath your feet at the revelation. Taking a deep breath in preparation for the scathing words you undoubtedly deserved from him, you rounded the counter to explain. 
“Steve, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have-”
“Did you mean it?” he interrupted you.
You stopped in your tracks, a few feet away from him. 
“What?”
You had seen the expression he was wearing before, the quietly hopeful one. Your heart stuttered in your chest as you tried to decipher just what it meant that you were seeing it again. 
“The things you said about me to my dad. Did you mean them?” he asked softly.
That feeling of being knocked off balance by him was back, but the teetering sensation had lost its terrifying aspect. It still left you vulnerable, exposed, but what had changed was that you were no longer afraid of him seeing you.
Not now that you both saw each other clearly at last. 
“Yes,” you told him honestly. 
He took a deep breath and stepped closer to you, his hand resting a few inches away from yours on the edge of the counter. As you watched, his fingers twitched as though he was barely resisting the urge to take your hand. 
“If I’m reading this completely wrong, if I’m still the last guy in Hawkins you’d ever date, just say the word and I’ll shut up right now,” he told you, his eyes pleading with you.
You believed him. You knew that if you told him you weren't interested, he would never bother you again. He would keep changing his shifts to stay out of your way, and he would keep on being the sweetest, most changed guy you had ever met, because it wasn't an act or a plot to lure you in. It was who he was. He hadn’t changed himself for you, but rather had changed himself because of you, and he wouldn't hold even the tiniest grudge against you if you still didn’t want him. 
But fuck, did you want him. 
His eyes lit up with hope as you slowly moved your hand to cover his without saying a word, biting your lip to hold back a smile. 
“But if you’ve really changed your mind…will you please let me buy you dinner? Now?” he asked. 
"On one condition,” you told him. 
“Anything.”
You grinned at him. 
“You’ve gotta make me one of those peanut butter sundaes at least once a week.”
His face split into a beautiful grin and you felt your heart racing as he ducked his head bashfully.
“It’s a deal.” You made to turn away to finally get changed but his hand catching yours stopped you. “Wait. I have a condition too.”
You raised your eyebrows in surprise. 
“Go on.”
He stepped closer to you, nudging the toe of your shoe with his. When you looked up, your nose almost brushed against his, and your breath hitched.
“When your bike has a flat tire, you call me for a ride,” he murmured, “No more walking to work.”
“But I-”
“I know you like walking,” he said before you could get another word out, grinning at you, “But you don’t have to. Do we have a deal?”
You could feel his breath on your lips and knew that he was about to kiss you...and that you were about to let him.
“Deal,” you whispered, and then his lips were on yours. 
There were no fireworks, but then you were fairly certain the two of you had had enough of explosions and short fuses over the course of the summer. The kiss was soft and sweet, a peaceful ending to the war you'd inadvertently been fighting for weeks. He left his forehead resting against yours even when you broke the kiss to nuzzle his nose with yours, your hand coming to stroke his cheek gently.
"Your hands are cold,” he murmured, and you smiled without opening your eyes.
“So are yours.”
“I suppose that’s what we get for being a pair of useless ice cream slingers.”
You could hear the grin in his voice as he leaned his cheek into your palm.
“I suppose it is.”
As you stood there in his arms, trusting him with your eyes closed, you both had the same thought. 
You both owed Robin so much ice cream for making the call. 
A/N: I really hope you loved this! This is the first one shot I’ve written in months and I’m so proud of it, so feedback in any form (asks, replies, reblogs, even comments in the tags!) would mean the absolute world to me! I hope you have a wonderful day and remember that you are absolutely amazing, just the way you are xx
772 notes · View notes
eds6ngel · 9 months
Note
Hello love! I was wondering if you could do Eddie and a girl new to Hawkins High! Maybe just like Eddie shows her around the school and the town and they develop a little crush on each other and start dating??
hi my love! i absolutely adored this ask, so this fic is a lot longer than my others, but i hope you enjoy regardless <3
warnings: fem!reader. sunshine!reader. cheerleader!reader. fem descriptions of clothing. blushing mentioned, so lighter skinned (i apologise :’)). enemies to lovers-ish. wayne mention!! (we love wayne). mentions of eddie’s past. lil bit of hurt. mostly comfort. tooth-rotting fluff. kissing. food mention. j*son c*rver mention [6.5k].
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“Oh my God,” Eddie groans out frustratedly, “She’s literally new. Why wouldn’t she show up early?”
Eddie was currently sitting in Principal Higgins office, waiting for a new student to arrive at Hawkins High. Due to apparent “bad behaviour” Eddie’s punishment was to befriend and guide the new student around the school.
“You’ve been here for six years, Edward. You should know this place very well to help our new student feel welcomed,” is what Higgins told him when he shared said news. Why wouldn’t he get someone like Jason Carver to guide her? That prick would do anything to get another girl wrapped around his finger to join his basketball cult.
But, Eddie didn’t want to do this, not one bit. Which is exactly why Higgins set him up with the task. Thank God he was on track to graduating this year. He doesn’t think he could take another year of Higgins’ shenanigans.
“Mr. Munson, please calm down,” Higgins asks him sternly, “This is your mandatory punishment. My other option was to expel you for the rest of the week, but I assumed you wouldn’t want that, considering that would’ve definitely prevented you from graduating.”
Eddie rubs his hands over his face as he leans back in the green leather chair. Higgins was right after all, he would take anything over staying at this shithole for another year.
Another five minutes pass, Eddie practically staring at his watch the entire time, before a faint knock is heard at the door.
“Hi!” you beam, “Ms. Lockwood at the front desk said I should come down to your office, so here I am,” you giggle.
Eddie looked up and down at you, taking in your yellow sundress and white sneakers, your hair styled in two pigtails, and minimal make-up on your face. He just knew you were going to be extremely annoying. So incredibly happy all the time, the most aggravating type of woman he could know.
“Ah, yes! Ms. L/N. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Principal Higgins says, getting out of his chair and shaking your hand, you reciprocating with a smile on your face.
“Eddie,” he turns to him, “This is the new student. Eddie, meet Y/N. Y/N, meet Eddie.”
You wave to him, “Hi Eddie! It’s nice to meet you!”
Yeah, annoying was definitely an appropriate description.
“Yeah… good to meet you too,” he grumbles, slowly rising from his seat, the glint in Higgins’ eyes showing his patience running thin.
“Right. I’m going to let you two go,” Higgins says with a clap of his hands, “Eddie, don’t turn her into a troublemaker, I don’t need another one of you in my school.”
“Don’t worry Higs,” he replies with a sarcastic smile, “Miss. L/N here will become the most perfect student Hawkins High has ever seen with the benefit of my gracious help,” he pats you on the shoulder.
Principal Higgins shakes his head and sighs, “All right. Off you go, you two.”
The two of you turn and leave his office, Higgins flopping down into his seat and mumbling to himself, “Should’ve just expelled the boy.”
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“So, uh…” Eddie begins, “What class do you have first?”
“World History,” you begin to ramble, “It’s probably my second favourite class. Well, at least it was at my old school, I don’t know what it is like here. I just find it so interesting to learn about how different countries have operated in the past and how we worked together to combat and build the world we live in today. Like, we were fighting with Germany only forty years ago and now we’re pretty much on good terms! It’s crazy how little time can change how we interact as a society.”
Eddie walks beside you with a straight face the entire time. My God, would you ever shut up? He had to refrain from rolling his eyes the entire time.
“Cool, cool…” he replies, quite frankly shutting his brain off after you told him what class you were in. “Well, I have Math… Calculus, to be specific. What other classes do you have today?”
“Oh, my favourite ever class I have second period which is English!” you beam, opening the front pocket of your backpack and pulling out the sheet of paper which was your schedule. You point to the Wednesday timings, “And then I have lunch, then Drama, which I’m not the best at, but that’s okay! And then finally I have Chemistry. Which if there was any class I’d rather not have, it would be Chem, but not everything can go our way in life, right?”
“Yeah, right…”
“What’s your favourite class, Eddie?” you ask, looking up into his eyes smiling.
“Oh, uh… English, I suppose,” he mumbles out, “All depends on what we do in English though. What book we study and shit.”
You giggle at his answer, “You’re pretty quiet, you know that? I’m not scary, I don’t bite. Sure, I’ve been told I come off as a bit much, but that’s just me!”
“Yeah, you could say that…” he grumbles. “Anyway,” he clears his throat, “That’s your room.”
He signals to the door as he looks at the floor, scuffing his feet along the white tiles.
“Thank you, Eddie!” you say with a grin. “Is it okay if I ask you to meet me here when class is over?” you ask, “I haven’t really had the chance to map out this place yet.”
“Uh, yeah… Sure,” he replies, secretly thinking that this would earn him bonus points from Higgins.
“Thank you, you’re the best!” you bounce, giving him a hug as you turn around and enter the classroom, “See you later, Eddie!”
He froze to the spot when you hugged him. Not only did you not stop talking, but you were brave enough to instantly wrap your arms around his neck as if you’d been friends for years. He already knew he was going to hate you, and yet he was probably stuck being your first friend in a new town. Just great.
He lifts his hand up in a wave and watched you sit next to Chrissy Cunningham in the classroom, praying to God that you two would get along instantly so he wasn’t trapped with you.
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But, as he arrived at your classroom at the end of first period, you saw him through the glass of the door, smiling as you waved, packing away your stationery into your backpack.
Although, you were talking to Chrissy, which was a bonus. Hopefully you two would become friends, perhaps even best friends. If so, you’d grow to despise him the same way he despised you, an absolutely perfect solution in Eddie’s eyes.
As the door swung open, Eddie was leaning against the lockers just to the side of the History class door. You and Chrissy were giggling together before you wave goodbye and turned back to Eddie. “Hey! How was Calculus?”
“Pretty crap, same ‘ol boring shit,” he replies, chuckling to himself, to which you giggle too. “How was World History?”
He mentally facepalms himself. Why did he ask you how it went? You rambled enough when you brought up the topic yourself.
And ramble you did, “It’s going well! We’re learning about the Korean War. I’ve kind of missed a chunk of the content because I’ve only just joined, but that’s okay! We’re learning about the Northern and Southern zones that the United States and Soviet Union divided up. It’s pretty rad actually. Well, probably not rad for the Koreans, but you get what I mean,” you giggle once again.
“Sounds great,” he simply replies, “What class do you have next again?”
“I have English, what about you?”
Shit. That’s exactly what he had.
“Uh… I actually have English too.” If there’s one way to make English unenjoyable, it would be having you there. He used to sit in the back of the class, minding his own business, but that was now virtually impossible since it was a given that you would want to sit next to him.
“Oh great!” you gushed, “We can sit next to each other. If that’s alright with you, of course,” you check, just to make sure you aren’t overstepping anything.
“Yeah… sure,” he grumbles, knowing that this was gonna be a day from Hell.
As you enter the classroom together, you follow Eddie to his normal seat at the back, perching yourself on one of the uncomfortable metal chairs, sitting to Eddie’s right.
“So…” he breaks the silence, “What do you think of Hawkins High so far?”
“It’s not too bad,” you reply, “I met this girl Chrissy in World History, she seems pretty nice. She said she was on the cheerleading squad, which I hope I can join if possible. I was the cheer captain at my old school before I left. I know I’ll never get to be captain here being a senior and all, but being on the team would be nice nonetheless.”
A cheerleader, of course. You were one social group away from throwing death threats into his ear, and putting threatening notes inside of his locker. But, you did befriend him despite being a cheerleader before, although, you could just be putting on a fake persona to appeal to Higgins. He wouldn’t be surprised if that happened with your type.
He can’t help but scoff, “Cheerleading, huh? Surprised you aren’t gagging at my pure existence.”
You giggle at this, “People are judgemental here too, I’m assuming.”
“You could say that,” he tuts, rolling his eyes whilst looking at her.
“You know, I never got why people judge others. Like, there’s good in everyone, right? Why judge someone on the mere basis that they aren’t the same as you? Life would be boring if everybody acted the same.”
It’s like you put his thoughts into words. This is exactly the rhetoric he had been shouting from atop the cafeteria tables since he got targeted in freshman year. If only he had the potential popularity of you to speak those words for him.
“Sorry,” you embarrassingly giggle, “I got a bit carried away there.”
He looks over at you, you avoiding eye contact as you twiddle with your thumbs. You had spent the previous conversations rambling about your love for World History, but suddenly you point out the flaws of stereotypes and stigmas, and you’ve become the shyest person on the planet. It’s like you didn’t want to be confident about something that went against the mould that society had carved out for you.
“You don’t need to apologise. I’ve been saying this since the day I arrived in this shithole, I totally agree with you.”
You look up at him, “Well, it’s a shame nobody has took the time to hear you out.”
Before Eddie can say another word, Mrs. Click walks in the room, slamming her books on the table as her loud voice booms across the classroom.
At least you had one trait going for you.
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“Dude, who are you staring at?” Gareth asks, shoving a piece of crunchy broccoli into his mouth, an undercooked staple from the school cafeteria.
Eddie clears his throat, “Uh… nobody. Nobody…”
The whole table turns over to where Eddie was looking, Eddie looking down and shoving another pretzel into his mouth.
“Oh, is that the new girl?” Dustin queries.
“That makes a ton more sense now,” Gareth realises, “Weren’t you supposed to be guiding her around the place?”
Eddie grumbles, “Yeah, but as you can see,” he gestures over to you standing by Chrissy, Jason and the other jocks and cheerleaders, “She’s already found her place here.”
Jeff whistles as Gareth clicks his tongue, “Damn, that’s rough man…”
Eddie shakes his head, “Nah, it’s okay. I mean,” he lightly chuckles, “She wouldn’t stop rambling anyway. Kept going on about her World History class and the divided borders of Korea or some shit. Sounds pretty boring if you ask me.”
“I mean, you’re the one who remembered, dude,” Jeff laughed, the other boys nodding along.
“Only because she wouldn’t shut up. I would’ve drowned her out if I could.”
But, that’s the thing: he did have the choice to drown you out. He could’ve stopped listening to you, ignored every word you were saying. But he didn’t, and his brain didn’t allow him to forget it. He remembered every goddamn thing you said.
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“All right, class!” Mrs. Click yelled out, directing the attention of every student.
For some reason, despite some of your new jock friends being in this class, you still sat next to Eddie, much to his surprise. Maybe it was just because they already had friends to share a two-seater table with.
“Today marks the start of our new group assignment! Since we have recently started reading ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and we are very aware of the social context surrounding the Theory of Evolution being a key theme of the book, I would like you all in the assigned groups I will give you in a second to produce a newspaper article as someone against the book.”
“But, Miss,” Jason butts in, Eddie looking at you and rolling his eyes, you trying to contain a laugh. “This is ridiculous. I mean, most of this class disagrees with that very theory. It’s a preposterous theory! How can you suggest we do an assignment on this when it goes against our own values?”
You turn around in your seat, looking Jason in the eye, “Jason, if anything, doesn’t that help? If the task is to give alternative viewpoints in disagreement to that theory, couldn’t you use your own beliefs as a way to fuel a solid argument point?”
You quickly remember you are in the middle of a classroom when you feel all eyes staring at you, including Eddie’s, who is sat there in astonishment as you stood up to Jason.
You swivel back around and play with your thumbs as Mrs. Click says, “Miss. L/N has a brilliant point there, Jason. Besides, this is a mandatory assignment. Like you, although I don’t agree with the theory myself, you are still required to complete this task.”
The whole room stays silent as Jason simply nods, looking away from Mrs. Click as she begins to tell the class their partners for the assignment, “Okay, starting with Jason, you are paired with Patrick. Nancy, you are with Robin. Eddie, you are paired with our latest addition, Y/N, who you already seem plenty accustomed to,” she smiles.
Brilliant. Great. Now you had to spend extra time together. He knew that you would definitely want to get this assignment done, and complete it to the highest standard. But, that meant equal effort, you doing all of the work would not just damage his grade, but yours too.
“So,” you turn to face him, “Do you have any ideas on what you want to include in this paper?”
“Well, if you haven’t already heard from your cheerleader friends, I am very well-known as the ‘Town Freak,’ so I don’t doubt the people opposed to that theory said the same sort of things the people of this town say to me now,” he chuckles, you noticing the sadness behind his tough exterior.
“Probably sadly so,” you reply, “But, even if you disagree with something, it doesn’t mean you get to hurt the person who does agree with it. As I said the other day, it’s just differences. Plain and simple. We can’t all be alike, that would be the collapse of society. It’s always better to be different than fall into the crowds that make you hide who you are.”
And God, did that last sentence hit deep for him. That’s exactly what he had been trying to show since he was a kid. None of the bullshit that his parents had tried to make him out to be, he was who he was, and he couldn’t care less with who disagreed about that.
You put your hands over your face, “God, I need to stop rambling to you about that.”
“Hey,” Eddie says, “If there’s anyone who would agree with your thoughts on this, it would be me,” he chuckles.
You peered through your hands to laugh along, before removing them from your face, looking up into Eddie’s eyes. Were they always that deep of a brown? And did they always glisten in the light like that?
Eddie was having the same thoughts, but he would never admit that to anyone. Yet, he couldn’t help but notice the way your hair fell in front of your face when you laughed, or how your cheeks turned bright pink when you got embarrassed.
He coughs, “So… I assume you want to meet up outside of here to work on this?”
“If you don’t mind, yeah. I’m free tonight, if that’s okay with you?”
He thinks, “Um… I have Hellfire until, well… when we finish. Campaigns usually last around two hours-ish, so we should be done around six?”
“Yeah, that’ll work,” you reply, “I’ve heard the library stays open at night here, so I’ll just hang around in there and you can meet me afterwards?”
“Yeah, sure. Sure…”
“Cool…”
Luckily, the awkward silence between the two of you is broken by Mrs. Click redirecting everyone back to the current content of the class. And thank God she did, the tension could be cut with a knife it was so thick.
Why were you acting like this? You were rambling so much to him a mere two days ago. You even hugged him for God’s sake, and now you can’t even make basic conversation? What was wrong with you?
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Eddie collected you from the library at 6:30, profusely apologising for leaving a girl alone, saying how he “Wasn’t raised like that.”
Although, you didn’t mind. It actually gave you extra time to complete your World History homework, something that you wanted to be perfect, hoping to make a lasting impression on your teacher.
It was only a fifteen minute drive to Eddie’s place, you not realising he lived in the Trailer Park until he drove up the wet road towards the place. You didn’t want to say anything that would potentially offend him, so you kept your mouth shut. You had no problem with anyone that lived there, but was bringing the fact up worse? Was you rambling about how there was no problem making it into a big deal? It was just easier to stay quiet in the already silent atmosphere of his van.
Opening the front door, he gestures you inside politely. Thanking him quietly, you are alerted of another presence in the trailer by the sound of the TV lowly playing in front of you.
“Hey son, how was—“ he starts, seeing your face as Eddie stands awkwardly behind you. “Sorry, I didn’t know Eddie had brought company over.”
He laughs, scratching the back of his neck, “Yeah, sorry about that Wayne. This is Y/N, she’s the girl I had to show around the school, and we’re also now English partners, so…”
“No need to apologise, I don’t mind you being here. Don’t mind me darlin’, you two can get on with whatever you need to do,” Wayne says, relaxing back into the couch once more.
But, you’ve already decided to take in your surroundings. The place is quite messy, but it also matches the personality of the two Munsons. Random beer cans, empty wrappers and dirty clothes are scattered across various objects around the house. There’s both a line of mugs and hats hooked to the wall, a vast collection on display. Something that you can’t help but bring up.
“I really love your mug collection,” you compliment, pointing to it and flicking your gaze between both Munsons.
“That would be mine,” Wayne replies, “And thank you. I take great pride in it.”
You giggle, “Especially this one,” you say, pointing to the Garfield mug to the right of you, “I love the TV special.”
“So do I!” Wayne beams, “It’s so good, isn’t it?”
“Just the greatest,” you gush back, “Well, it was nice meeting you Mr. Munson.”
“Ah, no need for that mister crap, just call me Wayne,” he replies with a wave of his hand.
“Well, Wayne,” you smile, “Nice to meet you. Eddie, am I going this way?” you ask, signalling to the left.
“Yeah, straight down the hall,” he replies, “We’ll just be in my room if you need us Wayne.”
“Got it, you kids have fun with that English assignment,” he happily says, raising his eyebrows at Eddie when you aren’t looking, Eddie supporting an annoyed eye roll back.
“Your dad seems pretty cool,” you say, walking down the hall and to his room.
Eddie freezes up a little at the realisation that he never put emphasis on what relation Wayne was to him, “Actually, uh… Wayne is my… my Uncle.”
“Oh…” you let out, stumbling over your words, “That wasn’t a bad ‘oh’ by the way, that was more of just a shocked ‘oh’ at myself, mixed with an ‘I shouldn’t have assumed ‘oh.’’” You turn back to look at Eddie who is simply staring at the floor, “Maybe I should just shut up,” you say with a soft laugh.
“Nah, it’s okay…” he lies, trying to hide the pain of his past, “Most people would assume. I don’t live in the most… conventional household, should I say.”
“Which isn’t a problem, if I haven’t made that evidently clear over these past few days,” you giggle, “I think you’ve got the point that I’m not one for judgement.”
“Very clearly noted,” he replies back, laughing along with you.
You reach his room, slowly pushing open the door to find the most decorated room in your life. His walls are filled with posters, little trinkets decorating every corner, almost every space filled up with something he owns.
“Whoa,” you simply admire, “A good ‘whoa,’ again, just to clarify. You took decorating to the max, huh?“
He chuckles, “Yeah. This is my baby, you know? Gotta treat ‘er right after all.”
“Very true,” you reply, “Mind if I just take it all in a minute?”
“Go ahead,” he says, standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets in the middle of his own bedroom.
You come to his bedside table, noticing the packet of un-opened condoms which your brain decides to evidently point out, “Don’t worry. It’ll happen one day.”
He scratches the back of his neck as you mention the condoms, “Oh, uh… Maybe I should’ve cleaned up in here a little…”
“It’s okay,” you say, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of really. Better to be safe than sorry.”
Eddie wasn’t sure whether your casualness was better or worse. On the one hand, a girl not making a big deal out of it was a nice change, usually guys were shamed for that. But, on the other hand, you even bringing it up just didn’t make him feel good regardless of your positive words.
You bend down just underneath his bedside table, noticing a small collection of books.
You smile as you turn to him and quote, “It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.”
Eddie breathes out, “Fellowship of the Ring.”
“Mhmm,” you hum, “One of the best book trilogies ever written. Plus, the Hobbit of course, can’t forget about that. I bet I can guess your favourite character.”
Eddie sits on the edge of his bed in shock. A girl had read his favourite book series? And had called it the best book trilogy ever written?
You break him out of his trance, “Eddie, you doing okay there?” you slightly giggle.
He blinks a few times, trying to bring himself back to reality. A girl reading Lord of the Rings… A cheerleader reading Lord of the Rings… A pretty cheerleader reading Lord of the Rings…
Shit, this couldn’t be happening to him.
“Uh… Yeah, yeah. Sorry, what were you saying?”
You laugh, “I said, I bet I can guess who your favourite character is.”
He’s still staring at you with a slightly parted mouth and a still expression as he breathes out, “Okay… Yeah, try me.”
“Frodo,” you simply say, shocking Eddie to his core once more. How did you know that?
“How… How did you know that?”
“You live with your Uncle, I’m assuming were adopted by him, or at least it feels like that. Frodo went through the exact same thing with Bilbo,” you explain, “We choose our favourite characters based on who we relate to. It’s comforting to us as humans to have a fictional being that’s like us, our life experiences.”
You were a nerd. You were a fucking nerd. Not just a World History nerd, but a proper fantasy nerd. Just like him.
“Yeah,” he scoffs, “Well, you got that right. What’s yours?”
“You’re not going to try to guess?”
He chuckles, “You’re a little hard to read for me sweetheart, so I think I’ll just let you tell me,” he grins.
“Well, if you must,” you say, climbing from up off the floor, taking a seat next to him on the edge of his bed, “Sure you wanna ask? I’m going to talk for a long time, I hope you know that.”
He looks at you in the eyes and smiles, “I like it when you ramble.”
You giggle, “Well, if you insist…”
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“I’m just saying, there’s nothing inherently wrong with choosing Frodo, but I would argue Éowyn is just a tad bit cooler.”
You had no idea how long had passed, your notebook still in your backpack which was sat against the leg of Eddie’s bed, the two of you now lying flat back against the mattress.
“I guess to each of their own.”
You both laugh as you hear a faint knock on Eddie’s door, his uncle standing in the entrance. “I don’t mean to interrupt you kids from anything, but it’s 10:30, and I start work at 7 tomorrow, so I need to be gettin’ some sleep. Don’t mean to kick you out or anything darlin’.”
You shake your head, sitting up from your place on Eddie’s bed, him following in your motion, “It’s okay Mr. Mun— I mean, Wayne. I totally get it. It’s probably best if I get home too, if you don’t mind Eddie.”
“Of course not,” he replies, “It’s a good idea.”
You nod as you pick up your backpack from off the floor, seeing Wayne walk back down the hallway and lie on the couch.
Something suddenly clicks in you, “Wait, does Wayne not have a—?”
“Um… No, no he doesn’t,” Eddie sighs sadly, “He used to live here alone, you know, before he took me in. And… we don’t have the most money in the world, so he just gave up his room for me and he’s been sleeping on the couch ever since.”
“That’s awful Eddie,” you reply, a sadness laced in your tone, mixed in with a sense of sympathy, “Have you never asked for help?”
“You probably haven’t been here long enough to notice, but the government here doesn’t really give a shit about us trailer trash…”
You rub his shoulder lightly, “You aren’t trash, that’s just a bad stereotype. If I’ve learnt anything about you today, you’re more valuable than you think you are. Just because things come out of people’s mouths doesn’t mean they hold any truth to them, okay?”
He notices your warm touch through the many layers of his clothes, he can feel how soft your hands are despite the restrictions. “Yeah… I suppose I just let it get to me sometimes. If multiple people tell you the same thing for years on end, especially as a kid, a part of your brain begins to believe it is true, even if you know it isn’t deep down.”
Why are you telling this random girl you’ve known less than a week your darkest truths?
“Well,” you think, choosing your wording carefully, “I think the important thing is to remember who you truly are. And to me? That’s a cool, nerdy guy who has a great love for all things fantasy, and that makes you incredibly special.”
He shakes his head, a smile creeping on his face, “Yeah, I guess so,” the two of you laugh together softly.
But, as your chuckles come to a stop, there’s a tension between you two. A sort of admiration where you both simply stare at one another, taking in every feature of the other’s face.
It was like you were both realising something neither of you wanted to admit.
“Um…” Eddie coughs, “I should get you home.”
“Yeah, totally…” you reply awkwardly, Eddie signalling you to the door as you walk out. You smile at Wayne and give him a quick wave as his eyes begin to drift off, Eddie shutting the front door behind him as you both climb into his van.
Eddie needed to see his friends. It was a whole two days until band practice, but the start of it would have to wait as he was in deep shit…
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“I think I like her, man,” he admits, staring at Gareth, the rest of the band huddled behind.
Gareth chuckles, holding his drumsticks in his hand, “Yeah, dude, we know.”
“What?” Eddie yells out, “How?”
The boys laugh as Jeff lets out, “It was kind of obvious.”
“No it wasn’t,” Eddie denies, “I literally hated her the day before she started rambling about Lord of the fucking Rings.”
Gareth laughs, “Yeah, man, you hated her because she’s exactly like you. She’s a girl who’s naturally really passionate about her interests, and you hated that because you felt threatened and intimidated.”
Eddie thinks for a moment before mumbling, “Fuck…” realising that his friends were right. Him finding your rambling annoying in the beginning was him taking on the role of how others reacted to his rambling. His brain was telling him to find it irritating because that’s what he’s been conditioned to think his entire life. Until, you rambled about the same thing as him, then he viewed you in the same light he views himself.
“Yeah, man. The first day we caught you staring you literally remembered the exact content she learnt in her class. You normally couldn’t remember that if the teacher spelled it out in front of you,” Jeff laughs.
“What do I do, guys? I can’t just ask her out in front of everyone. She would definitely deny me then!” Eddie freaks out.
“You said you’re spending the evening at yours again on Monday, right? To do the assignment?”
“Yeah, yeah we are,” Eddie breathes out.
“Okay, so just ask her then,” Gareth states.
“Dude, we literally didn’t get any work done last time. She’ll kill me if we don’t get through anything this time. The assignment is due in on Friday, man.”
The guys think for a second, before Jeff pipes up, “Why don’t you ask her during your breaks? Or set up something romantic, fool her into taking an extended break?” he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
“Don’t make it gross, dude,” Eddie grimaces, “I guess I could try that.” Eddie sighs, “But, what if she says no? That’s going to make our group assignment so awkward to get through…”
“Well, you’ll never know until you try,” Gareth admits the truth, “It’s either you give it a shot, or you keep your feelings buried. It’s up to you, man.”
Eddie couldn’t deny that the boys were right, like they usually were on most of his problems. He just has to hope and pray that you say yes, or if you don’t, you won’t be too uncomfortable and ruin the building friendship you have brewing.
“Okay, yeah, I’ll give it a shot,” he says, “Thanks guys.”
“You’re all good, man,” Gareth says, patting Eddie on the shoulder, “Let us know how it goes on Tuesday, all right?”
Eddie nods, “You got it.”
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“This theory goes against the very evolution principle enlisted in the Bible. The Bible says that God created man in his own image, therefore debunking this very theory. Does that sound too formal Eddie?”
He shrugs, “I mean, it’s a newspaper. It’s gotta have some formality to it, right?”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Besides, I’ve written it down now, there’s no going back,” you giggle.
He doesn’t know how he was focusing at all, his mind racing about what he had set up above the very ceiling of his bedroom.
You look at your watch, placing your pencil down on the desk, “Okay. Five minute break time,” you say, outstretching your arms.
It was now or never.
“Um…” Eddie begins, “I actually have an idea on how we can pass that time.”
“Oh yeah?” you ask, “How so?”
He jogs over to his window, opening it up and proceeding to jump out of it.
You get up out of your seat, gasping as you look out of his window to see him proudly standing with his hands on his hips on the grass below.
“Come on sweetheart, jump down!”
You purse your lips, trying not to laugh, “I think you forget I’m a lot shorter than you, Munson.”
He shakes his hand, “You’ll be fine. Just swing your legs around and leap down. I’m here to catch you if you need it,” he smiles.
You clutch at your heart dramatically, “Oh, my hero!”
You follow his words, leaping down, Eddie grabbing onto your waist as you reach the ground. You could’ve sworn he did it on purpose, you landed solidly on the floor, visibly not needing the extra support.
“Thank you,” you whisper, him coughing as he removes his hands from your waist, walking over to the ladder that is attached to the side of the trailer.
“M’lady,” he signals to you, you curtsying as you begin to climb up the ladder, Eddie following closely behind you.
As you reach the top, you notice the picnic blanket laid down, a bunch of different foods from sandwiches to strawberries decorated around the blue material.
“So, uh…” he stutters, “What do you think?”
“Eddie, it’s lovely, thank you! Just…” you pause, “When did you set this whole thing up?”
“This morning… Why?”
“Not to embarrass you honey, but I don’t think those sandwiches are gonna taste nice after being left out in the sun all day,” you wince.
Honey. You called him honey. That’s not what he should be focused on. He fucked up the entire plan by leaving the sandwiches out in the boiling hot Indiana heat, but you called him honey. Nobody’s ever called him honey before.
“Ah, shit,” he curses, “Yeah, maybe I should’ve thought that through,” he replies, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.
“It’s okay!” you beam, “We can just relax on the blanket anyway!”
God, you were good at turning any negative into a positive. It was like your given superpower.
He walks over and takes a seat to your left where you had already made yourself comfortable on the blanket.
“Open your mouth,” you say, Eddie asking “Why?” as you shove one of the sandwiches into his mouth.
He can feel the warmness of the bread, dirt from the air tickling the top of his mouth as he pulls the sandwich out, “Gross!” he exclaims, “Why did you do that?”
You giggle, “Punishment for you forcing me to eat that disgusting sandwich.”
He does an exaggerated gasp, “How dare you accuse me of forcing you! I am a man of consent, I wouldn’t dare force a lady into anything.”
“Wayne did a good job raising you then,” you smile.
Just that little comment made Eddie’s heart flutter. In amongst the joking nature, you still managed to compliment his upbringing. Something he had been so harshly criticised and judged for his entire life. You didn’t care, and that’s what made him love you even more.
Suddenly, you felt a droplet land on your cheek, Eddie feeling a drop on his hand as you both look up, the sky now a grey colour as the downpour begins to get heavier.
“You know what that is?” Eddie asks with a smirk, “Karma.”
You shake your head with a snort, “I hate you.”
Eddie laughs with you as he takes off his leather jacket, holding it above his head as he signals you closer, “Don’t want you getting wet, sweetheart.”
You shuffle closer as you ask, “Isn’t it just easier to go inside?”
“We climbed all the way up here,” he says, “Gotta make the most of it.”
As he turns to look at you, you both register how close your bodies are underneath the dryness that his jacket was providing. You look up at his cheeks, which you now noticed are decorated with freckles, a feature that made him all the more unique.
“Stay still,” you whisper, moving your hand up to his cheek and wiping away the droplets of water that had landed there. Eddie tried his best not to nuzzle his face into your warm and soft palm, your touch making him feel dizzy.
Your faces were a few inches apart, your eyes locked, difficult for the pair of you to look away. This was his chance.
“Y/N, um—“
“Can I kiss you?” you whisper out, looking away as you mutter the words.
Eddie swears he could feel his heart beating out of his chest as you said those four words, rendering himself speechless as he gains the courage to whisper back, “Yeah…”
You’re the first to lean in, taking his top lip between yours and pressing down, sealing your lips together as your palm remains placed on his right cheek. Eddie follows suit, dropping the leather jacket held above the both of you as he grabs your face with his large hands, the coolness of his metal rings making your body shiver.
You move your hands to the back of his neck, threading your hands through his matted curls, something you would for sure fix when you get back into his bedroom. But, that was a task for another time.
When you both part for air, you lean your foreheads against one another, the rain pouring down as it falls on both of your faces, your hair drenched in rainwater.
Both of your eyes remain closed as you smile, Eddie whispering out, “I like you.”
You giggle, “I like you too, handsome.”
Eddie places a tender kiss on your cheek as you move the bangs that had stuck themselves to his forehead, the curls loosening the wetter they got.
Eddie lowly speaks, “I think our five minutes is up, princess. Our assignment awaits us.”
You open your eyes, a glint in your eyes as you stare at Eddie, a mischievous grin plastered on your face as you say: “Fuck the assignment.”
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i hope you enjoyed this! and i absolutely enjoyed it so much, that you also get a lil epilogue, so enjoy <3
“So, how did it go?” Gareth asks Eddie, curious as to how asking you out went.
“Well, why don’t you see for yourselves, gentlemen?” he answers proudly, the boys turning around to see you walking over with your tray of cafeteria food.
You smile as you reach the table, placing your tray down and leaning to place a kiss on Eddie’s lips, cupping his cheek as you say, “Hi, Eds.”
He grins as he whispers back, “Hi, sweetheart.”
You begin to take the empty seat next to Mike when Eddie interrupts, “Nuh uh uh, I don’t think so,” he says, patting his left thigh, “The princess gets the most special seat in the house.”
“Are you sure, Eddie?” you ask shyly. You had only had your first kiss last night and didn’t want to be crossing any boundaries too quickly.
“Positive sweetheart. C’mon,” he motions to you with his arms.
You giggle, pushing your tray over in front of Eddie and taking a seat on top of his rough, denim-covered thigh, him wrapping his arms around your waist to keep you balanced. He quickly snatches a cucumber stick from your tray, biting into it as you yell, “Hey!”
He chews on the vegetable, humming out, “Hmm, not bad actually.”
You shake your head as you lean over to take a bite out of your mashed potato with your plastic fork, Eddie asking, “So, does that answer your question boys?”
Jeff snorts, “Yeah, dude, you skipped the first date and scored a kiss already!”
Eddie shoves a pretzel into his mouth, “Many actually. Not much work was done after we made out in the rain.”
“Great,” Dustin grumbles, “Now we have lovebirds over at the far end, “Can you please not do all that kissing stuff in front of us?”
You and Eddie look at each other with a mischievous glint in your eyes, leaning in and sharing a passionate kiss, opening up your mouths a little wider than normal in an obvious attempt to tease Dustin. Which evidently worked.
“Ugh! Gross, dude!”
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astrolavas · 11 months
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what are your favourite toh dynamics?
AGHGHGHHHHH OKAY, SO- this is mostly gonna be me talking abt hunter dynamics cuz kxjsjks i'm predictable, that's where my brainrot lies, but boy. i love toh dynamics so much
my probably Favorite favorite dynamics are hunter & flapjack and hunter & luz.
like, flapjack being hunter's first ever friend, the first instance of someone caring abt him genuinely and unconditionally, the first step to him breaking free from belos... the fact that he brought so much love and joy into hunter's life.
hunter had always had so much love in his heart, he loved his "uncle", but he'd never known what being loved was supposed to feel like; he thought love was conditional, and angry outbursts were just a normal part of it. but then flapjack came into his life and showed hunter what it felt like to love and BE LOVED BACK. he helped him open up, helped him find ppl who'd care abt him, helped him realize that whatever belos felt towards him…. wasn't love, that being loved wasn't supposed to feel like how he felt near belos; but that being loved was supposed to feel GOOD and WARM. (hunter being near tears because flapjack offered him a half of his berry instead of getting angry and lashing out at him like he'd predicted he would, since that's what he was always used to..... not comprehending this amount of kindness was even a possibility UGHHHGH)
they genuinely cared abt/for each other so much. flapjack was with hunter every step of the way, he supported him ALWAYS and he helped him and was such a big comfort in the scariest and most uncertain moments of hunter's life; like, this little magical bird loved his boy like no one else in the entire world. he was always by hunter's side and always indulging that boy's dumb ideas kxjsjk ughhh... the way flapjack didn't even hesitate to sacrifice his own life so that his boy could live, and even though he's gone, a part of his soul will always live inside of hunter. and hunter also cared abt flapjack so much, that was his BEST FRIEND. the apple of his eye!!!! the way belos almost crushing flapjack was the only thing that managed to give hunter enough strength and motivation to break through belos' possession and take back control of his own body. the way hunter always made sure that flapjack had the best care he could possibly have offered him, he loved him and still DOES... and always will. just!!!! gah. hunter and flapjack...
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now, hunter and luz's dynamic is also just...... SOOOO SO interesting and full of SO many little nuances. how much it progresses, how much they go through together, how much they change. the fact that they started off on the wrong foot, on "opposite sites", but even then luz didn't consider hunter an enemy- they bickered a lot and luz didn't hold back from calling hunter out but ever since hunting palismen she saw him as hunter, not just the golden guard; and then as time progressed, they slowly grew to care abt each other and became some of the most important ppl in each other's lives.
thinking abt hollow mind, how traumatic of an event it was and how that mutual shared trauma that only they can understand affected and strengthened their bond. how luz gradually went from being angry/irritated at hunter for defending belos to being more protective of him and worried for his safety when she saw what his and belos' relationship REALLY looked like, that this situation wasn't safe for hunter, that he needed help, that he needed to be away from belos asap. her offering him to stay at the owl house, assuring him that everything was going to be okay as he was being pulled underground..... GOD. hunter immediately switching from calling luz "human" to her name after finding out the truth.
thinking abt their secret-keeping deal and how it rly wasn't healthy for them at ALL because they kept comforting each other from their VERY similar perspectives/stances, which just further locked in their mentality of "haha yeah they'll hate both of us when they find out our secrets!" during their stay in the human realm. how they were ensuring each other's fears by relating to each other; like a circle. but nevertheless, they still cared about each other and have only grown to care about each other even more throughout the few months and, ah!!!! them becoming so comfortable in each other's presence to the point where they allowed themselves to be vulnerable and voice their fears and worries around each other. luz calling hunter family and hunter truly letting his emotions out and letting himself cry next to another person for the first time in, like… EVER…….. HHHGHGHGHHH !!!!!
there's just so many factors to their dynamic, i love it so much....
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but just in general, i love all the different relationships hunter has with everyone so much. emerald trio and all the distinctive dynamics within it... GAHHHHH hunter and gus, hunter and willow, willow and gus; they're all so unique and independently interesting and built upon, which makes the whole trio just WORK, so naturally. they're best friends, they're the trio ever, they care abt each other... ugh. LOVE THEM. you don't understand how much emerald trio brainrot i've got, they torment me on a daily basis.
hunter and gus... labyrinth brothers... they've got such fun, supportive friendship. both treated as "prodigies" of sort, both knowing what it's like to feel naive or used. both just wanting the best for one another. nerds (affectionate), i love them sm...
huntlow, how well they fit together and how supportive they are of one another... they just work so well because they're truly equals, their relationship is full of understanding and respect, but also comfort, and silliness. they're silly! and fun! and they get each other, and comfort/protect each other when the other truly needs it, just- ughhgh the bi4pan couple ever...... they're so good.
gus and willow, how they were each other's first ever friend (willow was gus' first genuine friend and gus was willow's first friend ever since amity suddenly broke it off with her)... how they've been inseparable since they met and know each other so well.
emerald trio, man
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i love the potential of hunter and amity's dynamic as well; he may not be as close with her as he is with other members of hexsquad but there's stuff that they just get abt each other's home/family situations. them having this... playful/bickery dynamic at times but still being able to have serious, comforting conversations abt things they both relate to when they need to >>>> (also no, they wouldn't genuinely hate each other, and amity wouldn't ever threaten hunter or hold a grudge cuz of what happened at eclipse lake, like some ppl seem to think; that's not what their canon interactions or personalities suggest to us at all)
hunter and vee's dynamic also had SOOOO much potential, i will forever mourn that we didn't get to see it on-screen cuz of the shortening. ugh... the complex nature of hunter having been the golden guard and vee also having had a very traumatizing past related to the emperor's coven. her being distrustful of hunter at first, being uneasy in his presence; hunter also feeling guilty solely cuz of his past involvement in the emperor's coven and staying away from vee himself, in order not to make her more uncomfortable. then, slowly, gradually, them becoming friends... hunter assuring vee he isn't going to hurt her; vee noticing that some of hunter's behaviors are worrying (like maybe him flinching when camila raises her hand a little too fast near him, or him saying sth deeply disturbing that he considers normal, etc etc); them talking... vee finding out what hunter's life at the emperor's coven was actually like, what his relationship with belos was like. them realizing they actually have a lot in common, that they were both mistreated by belos, both his victims. getting to know each other and being supportive of each other's experiences. i could even imagine that hunter could tell vee that he's a grimwalker at some point, before ttt, making her the second person to know. if she expressed sth abt being one of the few last remaining basilisks or belos' experiment, or a species brought back from the dead, hunter would want to show that he sympathizes by relating to her, cuz that's how he shows he cares and understands. and the thing that relates him to this the most is his grimwalker identity. and so they could talk abt it too, maybe... (and the stakes here wouldn't be as high as sharing his secret to willow and gus was to hunter, since he was truly afraid of being rejected there; he thought he'd lose his best friends forever if they knew the truth abt him)
hunter and darius' dynamic..... gah. there's so much complexity and nuance here, so much potential to explore their past as well as future. with darius taking hunter in, there's definitely a LOT they must've worked on during those first few months. there's this specific trauma that has come from their stay in the coven, the specific ways in which this hostile environment had affected their behaviours and the way they both acted... that's definitely not sth that was just automatically dealt with, they had to work through that.
we know darius cared abt and respected his mentor a lot, so much to the point where he thought hunter wasn't worthy to be the next golden guard and was taking that feeling out on him, thinking he didn't deserve to inherit such important title after the previous GG's death; didn't rly respect or care abt hunter until any sport in a storm. i feel like darius definitely had a lot of guilt abt the way he treated hunter in the past, so moving forward he really tried his best, especially since hunter's had this deep need to impress him and make him proud and all. he wanted that kid to have a good life and to stay safe. we know their relationship has progressed throughout the rest of season 2, with the implication of them growing closer and spending more time together, but even as of watching & dreaming, it all definitely wasn't just sunshine and rainbows + darius rly didn't have much experience in being a parent. but he tried his best, darius (and eberwolf) definitely did everything in their power so that hunter could have the best possible environment to live in, and eventually they've worked through this complicated past and post-coven habits, and made their living space a comfortable home... made sure to always be supportive to hunter, to accomodate his needs, made sure he isn't overworking himself or trying to "earn" the right to live with them; made sure that he's flourishing and taking care of himself and being a kid. made sure he feels loved and safe and sleeps well and hgghh yeah....... also, thinking abt darius and hunter sharing that experience of grief, abt darius teaching hunter how to sew, abt how darius sent hunter on that mission to "keep luz safe" to keep him away from the danger of the day of unity... man!!!! (i do wish we'd seen their relationship progress and develop on-screen more though, rather than in the background/through subtext... but h)
hunter and camila's relationship is also... SO precious to me. the fact that during their first meeting, she made sure to let him know he doesn't have to be overly respectful to her, that they're on an equal ground; he kneeled and she told him to never do that again. hunter's stay at camila's was the first time he was under long-term care of an adult who truly cared abt his well-being. lots of it was probably so confusing to him, cuz of how different it was from his relationship dynamic with belos, and it was definitely trial-and-error in many instances, and it was a while until these more healthy habits started to feel more natural to hunter, but it also made him feel loved. apprecciated. safe. i just know camila was always just... so patient with hunter. never raised a hand at him, made sure he'd never fear her, didn't let him overwork himself... she taught him how to use a sewing machine, told him all abt wolves. she definitely picked up on some of hunter's behaviours and deduced what it meant regarding his family past, and tried her best to make him feel comfortable. just!!!!! the fact that this was the first time where hunter truly felt cared for, where he lived in safe conditions..... GAHghghhhh (thinks abt the scrapped ttt credits idea featuring hunter helping camila out at her vet clinic. so normal abt it... i love winning... brainrot lvl 2000. man...)
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there are so many more hunter dynamics that exist in my head...... hunter and raine, them being able to bond abt their (very traumatic) possession experience and their post-possession scars; raine being one of the very few ppl who seemed to have been nice to hunter in the coven, rather than cruel or dismissive of him. the fact that hunter (and dell) canonically helped fix raine's palisman after their battle with belos. GAHHHGHH...
hunter and the clawthornes; the fact that he works with dell, gwendolyn and the bat queen, that he canonically has been mentored by them!!! the fact that he and the clawthornes are in a way related but haven't discovered it yet, but are going to discover it eventually (love to imagine eda and lilith's reactions cuz this is like, comedy material). he works with them, he spends there so much time... i just know they've grown to be fond of that boy, he's like their unofficial grandson.
hunter and king, and their identity-related arcs. finding out you've been lied to your whole life and that you're the last representant of an extinct/legendary species, after thinking you were sth else all these years.... man! also the fact that king wrote one of hunter's favorite books xksjjsk AND hunter's whole...... religious trauma thing with "titan has big plans for you" versus king being an actual titan. AND the fact that king saw the uncountable piles of bones and skeletons of hunter's "family", the other golden guards, grimwalkers. do you see the vision-
even hunter and the collector! the fact that since the collector didn't understand death, they thought belos murdering all the grimwalkers and then making new ones was him just playing and then "fixing" the grimwalker, rather than actually KILLING a whole bunch of people. the collector realizing this... hunter having mixed feelings knowing how they didn't see grimwalkers (him included) as people and feeling bitter remembering how they spoke abt him with belos in the memory he'd seen in hollow mind, but also knowing they were belos' victim too, and it wasn't entirely their fault; that they know better now. sympathizing with that... the fact that both hunter and the collector have a traumatic, abusive past with belos; they were both manipulated and mistreated by him, used for his own selfish goals. it all coming together to just two kids with a complicated past who've gone through terrible things, trying to heal… hhgh
and soooo many more! i love lumity, i love raeda, i love the collector and king's friendship, the owl trio, luz and camila's dynamic, i hate-love belos and hunter's relationship cuz i love how it's written but Uggh. GOD. PAIN.... but it's written so very well. philip and caleb's dynamic is too, it's so interesting. and more! there are just so, so many good, interesting dynamics in toh, i could brainrot abt them forever...... man.
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riordanness · 6 months
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breathe - [r.cameron]
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requested: no
warnings: panic attack
wordcount: 0.8K
Rafe Cameron has never been the most likeable guy in the Outer Banks. He’s the son of Ward Cameron, one of the wealthiest guys on the island, as well as the cruellest and most manipulative. If you knew what was best for you, you stayed well away from anyone in the Cameron family.
I personally had never had any real interactions with Rafe or his family, my opinions on him based almost entirely on the words of my friends. The other teens, mostly the Pogues I hung around with, would whisper behind his back about how he was a 'spoiled rich brat' and 'arrogant' – something that only pushed him further away from any kind of meaningful social interaction.
I wouldn’t say I’m the nicest person ever, but I try my best to act friendly towards everyone I can, as you never know what someone is going through behind the scenes. I try to treat everyone with kindness, except for Rafe, who she intensely disliked. I know all too well about his 'bad boy' reputation and that makes me want to steer as far away in the opposite direction as I can.
One day, a few weeks into the first term of my senior year, I’m sitting in history class when I suddenly begin to feel faint and lightheaded. I start struggling to breathe, and my chest pulls tight, painfully even. I hastily stand, not bothering to ask to be excused, and rush from the room.
Mr Sunn calls after me, but doesn't seem too bothered by my disappearance. He definitely has worse things to worry about than a girl leaving his classroom.
I crumple to the floor in the empty hallway, leaning my back against the wall for support. My head drops to my knees, drawn up to my chest, and I cry, my throat constricting, my breathing shallow.
I’m no stranger to panic attacks, growing up in a home that resulted in many an attack, usually late at night, alone under my covers. You’d think I’d be better at dealing with them by now, but I still have no idea how to help myself through them. Waiting it out is my best and only strategy at the moment.
I become vaguely aware of someone sliding down the wall to sit beside me, their hand on my shoulder. I lift my head, vision blurry with hot tears, only to find Rafe Cameron sitting next to me.
“It's okay,” he softly mutters, his deep-set voice oddly soothing in the moment. He runs a hand through my hair, gently trying to direct my gaze to his.
I cry harder, not wanting his presence, but being unable to even communicate with anything but more tears.
“Just try to breathe, y/n. I'm here. I'll help you calm down.”
I’m honestly kind of surprised he knows my name, as I never speak to him and try to generally avoid all contact with the blond boy.
My initial reaction is to push him away, my intense dislike for him still a presence in the room. But as I look into his pretty, concerned blue eyes, I begin to realise that at this moment, Rafe isn't trying to prove a point or show off his wealth. Instead, he is trying to genuinely help me in a moment of need.
With shaky breaths, I continue to focus on him, as if the words coming out of his mouth are an anchor. Rafe continues to talk, describing his family’s boat, and how pretty the waves look in the morning sunrise. I don’t know how he knows me well enough to know that the water is my favourite thing in the world, but each sentence carries a tone of assurance that things will, indeed, get better in time.
It wasn't long until I feel my heart rate slowing down and my breathing grow more consistent. I shakily stand up, still processing the fact that it is Rafe Cameron who was the one to bring her back to reality.
We simply stand there in silence for a minute, the atmosphere filled with a strange awkwardness. I’m not quite sure how to react – I had gone from intensely disliking this boy to having feelings of admiration and gratitude towards him.
“Thank you, Rafe,” I say, my voice a mixture of surprise and appreciation. “You… you didn't have to do that for me, you know.”
At that, he smirks, a faint look of satisfaction in his expression. “I know I didn't,” he says. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
I smile hesitantly, my heart suddenly warming up to this boy I thought I’d known all too well. It was at that moment that I realise that maybe even the mean, rich, arrogant Rafe Cameron has a heart after all.
taglist: @drewstarkeysbae <33
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taxkha · 10 months
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would LOVE to hear your klapollo fic recs!! Personally I love anything by cosmicpoet on A03
Oh I have a bunch of cosmicpoets fics in my bookmarks! but okay okay, here we go! And if my wishes could all come true by SeaMint
“‘Our son’ my ass. You’re getting way too into this,” Apollo grumbles, rolling his eyes. “Is this your dream? Do you dream of being divorced and paying alimony, Gavin?”  Klavier doesn’t tell him that as far as dreams go, his is to live in a world where a relationship with Apollo, past tense or otherwise, is at all possible. Apollo doesn’t need specifics, or terrible confessions in vet clinics that show how badly Klavier wants to play pretend with him.
Or, Klavier, Apollo, and how cats bring people together in the most convoluted ways possible. Okay so. This one is my favourite Klapollo fanfiction, I literally left a big ass love confession in the comment section because I enjoyed it so much.
Lookin' for a boyfriend (I see that) by SeaMint Five times Apollo tells Klavier about his dates, and the one time Klavier finally gets him to stop. Love this one as well ahh ;_; if it's really me you seek by SeaMint
“Anyway,” Ema keeps going, fully ignoring his sarcasm in favor of staring at a neat corner where the walls meet the ceiling. “I asked if he wanted to go to your party together, but he said he wasn’t going.” “What?” Apollo suddenly finds it very hard to breathe. “Why?” “Hell if I know,” Ema says nonchalantly, but then she turns to him with a smirk. “See if you can figure it out: I believe he told me, and I quote—ahem—'Ach, I would, Fräulein, but I believe Herr Justice would be more comfortable without me there.’”
Or, when Apollo comes home from Khura'in only to learn that Prosecutor Gavin is avoiding him, the last thing he expected was for Gavin to offer to let Apollo stay at his house while he looks for a new apartment. Can you tell that I really like this author shjhsamd Hot for Justice by indirectkissesiniceland
After the events of State v. Misham, Klavier finds himself in a slump, stressed at the prosecutor's office and unable to pen new songs. To his surprise, he finds creative inspiration—and unexpected feelings—spending time with Apollo. Now if only he could release the new tracks without raising any suspicion as to whom his love songs are for. Do...I even need to say anything I think this one is one of the most well known fics, ive seen it in pretty much every fic rec post so far.
just finally say you love me by ahmackalak
“Backpacking through Europe?”
“Ja! I’ve wanted to go for ages – it’s been so long since I’ve been back home, I figure I might as well make it a whole journey.” Klavier’s smile is as easy and agreeable as always, but Apollo isn’t buying it.
Barcelona, Paris, Geneva, Rome, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen.
A trip to Europe with Klavier Gavin...this’ll be fine, right? I like this one a lot too, its very sweet and ahh. Pining. PINING. Stupid Cupid by KrisseyCrystal (IceCreAMS) In which Klavier botches his attempt to confess his feelings to Apollo, and somehow instead sends the entirely wrong message that he's already involved with someone else--a certain brooding and hawkish prosecutor, of all people. Cue the clown music. This is probably one of the funniest fics Ive ever read, I lost it at several instances. Monster Movie Monday by contritecactite
Klavier attends a bad movie marathon at the WAA, gets a boyfriend, and makes peace with Phoenix Wright. Somehow, the last part is the least awkward.
Set sometime post-DD but pre-SOJ. This one is very cute and wholesome, I love the idea of the wright agency kiddos hanging out with Klavier :") Need more of that. love at first sight (and other common misconceptions)  by experimentaldragonfire
Klavier's always been certain that when he runs into the person he's going to fall in love with, he'll just know. Apollo believes the exact opposite--that you can't fall in love with someone without getting to know them first.
After a bit of convincing, Klavier's starting to see Apollo's point.
Just read everything by this author, one of my fave authors. 10/10 humor and writing :3c in effigy by experimentaldragonfire
Apollo discovers some scandalous Gavinners merchandise in Klavier's closet. Klavier, having no shame, decides that this is an excellent opportunity to have some fun with it.
or, The One With The Official Gavinners Dildos This ones nsfw which I don't have to mention considering the...summary 8"D morning revelations (to sleep beside you from now on) by experimentaldragonfire
It’s not until he sees Klavier beside him, golden hair strewn over the pillow like some sort of Renaissance heroine, that Apollo Justice realizes he’s in love.
Apollo wakes up next to Klavier and has to come to terms with his feelings for the prosecutor. It's very cute!! This Is What You Do At Sleepovers, Right? by grimsparkblue
“Let me guess,” Phoenix said, one of those lazy, evil smiles he had back when he wore the same hoodie for weeks on end making an appearance, “You two were in the court library and the power went off. The front and back doors were locked because this place is ancient, so you two decided to tough it out until the cavalry arrived. Then the Brokeback Mountain itch hit you.”
Apollo and Klavier get stuck in the courthouse during a blackout. Enjoyed this one a lot, it's funny and sweet, as the summary suggests.
Just a Curiosity by GigglingGrave  Klavier is curious about how Apollo can see through lies. So, of course, he tries to figure it out. What he learns, however, is really much better than what he set out for. Apollo is really cool in this one and I love it when my boy gets to be cool. Baggage by u_andcloud
“Herr Forehead!” Klavier is calling out the nickname before he even realizes what he’s doing. Never mind that this is a German airport and people are giving him strange looks.
Apollo reacts immediately, and the instinctive response is gratifying on its own. His brow creases, he turns, and when he catches sight of Klavier, a disbelieving smile spreads across his lips, and Klavier realizes quite suddenly that, even after two years, he has not gotten over Apollo Justice, not even a little. This one is also really sweet. Jamais Vu by spaceburgers Apollo Justice, at 27 years old, is many things: a defense attorney, Khura’in’s Acting Minister of Justice, a mentor, a brother, a friend. And also, apparently, about to enact one of the biggest clichés of all time by sleeping with his ex at his former boss’s wedding. I LOVE THIS ONE, I already loved spaceburgers fics when I was still super into Sylvix, was very excited to see that they also wrote for Klapollo!! This one has nsfw in it! scoop of the century (read all about it!) by experimentaldragonfire
Working at a gossip magazine aimed at teenage girls is just a way for Apollo Justice to pay his law school tuition--until his article rating Klavier Gavin's outfits goes viral.
After that, he's got half the Internet reading his articles, and it's inevitable that Klavier finds out. This one is so funny!!! Also, read the second part of it which I'm not gonna link here now because its linked in the fic anyway, as its a collection. pen to paper, heart to heart by shepherd Written for the tumblr prompt, ‘instead of drawing the model in our art class ive been drawing you instead because i think youre really cute and oh my god all my papers just fell out of my folder and you saw them and oh my god theres hearts on some of them please kill me now’. Listen, I'm a simple gal. And a simple artist. Artist AUs really speak to me and this one spoke to me loudly. Its super sweet!! Loose Lips by judojudo "Please disregard all prior questions and instead just tell me one thing, Apollo," Miles Edgeworth's tone was half-smug and completely mocking and all Apollo wanted to do was melt into a puddle on the floor, never to be seen or heard from again. "Why are you on Klavier Gavin's wikipedia page?" I like fics that make me laugh and this one did, haha. we caught fire like california in july by lady_mab
n his head, Apollo mentally scolds himself for asking such a dumb question. Because of course Klavier likes him, right?
(Right? Being treated differently from a swarm of adoring fans isn’t necessarily a precursor for LIKE liking someone and what the fuck he’s twenty-four why does he sound like a high school girl from a manga trying to figure out if her crush likes her back?)
(Oh, that suddenly puts a lot of things into perspective, actually.)
(in which apollo contemplates the line between boyfriends and boys that are friends that sometimes kiss, and also contemplates turning into a crab)
This one is one of my faves! home is wherever i'm with you by bevioletskies At Athena’s request - or more accurately, her demand - the members of the Wright Anything Agency are spending their week-long winter holiday at a cozy lakeside cabin together for some quality team bonding. Much to Apollo’s dismay, she also invited their closest companions from the prosecutor’s office to tag along. With everything he thought he knew about Klavier and everything he has yet to learn, Apollo finds himself thinking he might have someone to ring in the new year with, after all. It's a bunch of AA characters having holidays together. What more do you want. Bricks, Lockets, and Other Christmas Presents by apolloyoostice Present shopping is always easier with someone you love, even if they do have a terrible sense of humor. This one is super sweet!! fame vs infamy (the price of writing fanfic out of spite) by experimentaldragonfire
In which Apollo Justice becomes the most popular fic-writer in the Gavinners fandom.
(and, along the way, realizes his Big Gay Crush on Klavier Gavin might not be as hopeless as he thought)
Honestly, when I read the summary I wasnt expecting to like it at all because this is usually not the kinda premise I'm into buuut I read it anyway because I liked the authors other works and man I had such a good time and many good laughs. The Main Event by ItsyRoyal Apollo had no idea that the flirty busker outside of his favorite cafe was his boss's brother. To be fair, Apollo also had no idea his boss had a brother. Theres a specific line around the end of the fic that had me wheezing. The rest of the fic is of course really good too!! The Definition Of Home by Hikari_Kaitou All Apollo wanted was to go right home after the legal conference in Seattle, instead of spending the night like his colleagues. He's never been able to sleep well in unfamiliar places. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond his control prevent him from returning to LA as planned, and in desperation he turns to Klavier for help. Klavier generously opens up his hotel room to him, which in turn leads Apollo to opening up his heart. Agh just. read it. Loved it. 13 Hours by Powerpossessor Apollo and Klavier are stuck together in a 13 hour layover. Stupid and hilarious antics ensue. Also, is it normal to slow dance with your friend in a dimly lit airport at 3am? THIS ONE IS SO SWEET AND FUN!!! can i go where you go by parchmints
Apollo Justice has rotten luck: he actually wins the grand prize for a mail-in contest, but It's a couple's getaway to a fancy ski lodge in the mountains and Apollo is aggressively single. With no one to go with, Apollo offers them to Klavier since surely, a rockstar would be able to find a date before then, but Klavier has a better idea—they go together and pretend they're a couple. That way, they both get a vacation, plus free food and wine.
And well, Apollo's never been one to pass up free food. VERY CUTE AND SWEET AND AHH. PINING. I love pining!! sweeping you off your feet by shepherd A short piece for a prompt on tumblr, for the quote "Please put me down, it's just a sprained ankle," featuring clumsy Apollo and his marriage to Klavier. A very sweet short piece!! Things Are As They Are by hechima
Klapollo cabin fic. That's really all this is.
Based on the events of "You Ever Been In Love?", in which Edgeworth gets drunk and rents a romantic cabin for Klavier and Apollo in Joshua Tree. Things go about as well as one could expect.
This is the most recent one in my bookmarks so the list ends here. I have a lot more bookmarked but these are the ones that made the biggest impression on me! Hope you or anyone else on here can find something they havent read yet! x)
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bogkeep · 1 year
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HAIZ EXPLAINS AMATONORMATIVITY: REDUX
it's 2014. a teenager rummages through the newspaper at breakfast. they're looking for comic strips, but instead see the headline of the sports pages, proclaiming some famous sports guy is "NOT INTERESTED IN RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT NOW."
"really?" thinks the young haiz, "that's meant to be news? the sports news??"
it's not like they'd ever read the sports pages before, but the scandal in that headline would not leave their brain zeitgeist of the day. it was a metaphorical pebble thrown at them — not the first, but the one that made them go "HEY. STOP THAT???" so they took to the keyboard to yell into the void to hey, stop that.
then the void responded.
what i wrote that day was probably one of the first posts about amatonormativity to make rounds on tumblr. i did not expect it to get thousands of notes, and it's no longer on my blog. even though the majority of the response to it was positive, i wouldn't want to bring it back, because
- it was written in a very 2014 way
- with very 2014 thoughts
- some people were really cruel to me for writing it
- i still can't read it without wincing
but:
i can write a new one.
this is not an argument about who is or isn't oppressed. that is not an argument i'm interested in entertaining, and it's not what this post is about. human life on earth is incredibly diverse and complex and i'm just here to-
OH MY GOD WHAT IS AMATONORMATIVITY ALREADY
okay so amatonormativity is like. the idea that A Lasting, Monogamous & Exclusive Romantic Relationship is the most important type of relationship in the entire world and the thing we should all strive for in our lives. (insert obligatory "the term was coined by professor elizabeth brake in the book minimizing marriage" here.)
it's not exclusively an "omg it's so hard to be aro :(" thing, because it's like, an all-encompassing Narrative foisted upon us that shapes the way we view and talk about relationships, and it does everyone a disservice (as is the case with all Normativities! we want to break 'em ALL down!! for everyone!!!!!!). nor is it intended to make people feel bad for wanting long-lasting monogamous romantic relationships! that's your personal business and i wish you well!
(it IS kind of hard to be aro in a world that constantly argues that you're lacking The Most Important Experience That Makes You Human And Life Worth Living though. not gonna lie.)
- an easy example is how the word Love is, in a Lot of instances, for a Lot of people, basically synonymous with Red Hearts Kissy Kissy Smooch Smooch. like we ALL KNOW love is more than that, we love friends and family and strangers who were nice to us that one time and our pets and our favourite foods and our favourite shows. you kind of have to clarify when you mean Love in any other way than Romantic Love. which is wild, considering how Love is such a vast emotion that covers a lot of ground, and it keeps zeroing in on this specific kind.
- related to that, i have a whole internalised powerpoint presentation about how, if you put all of your relationships with other people in a pie chart, the Romantic Partner slice is likely to be very small compared to the Family slice and Friend slice and Acquaintance slice and all these other connections you have - yet it has, comparatively, a LOT of publicity and framework that some of the other categories find themself lacking. yes, a romantic partner/s is/are someone you're likely to share a lot of time and life with, so it makes some sense for sure - but not everyone has romantic partners, or the same priorities as far as commitment goes.
- the stigmatisation of being single/unpartnered. i get the impression that a lot of people have stayed in unsatisfactory relationships because it sounds better than the Dreadful, Terrible Alternative of Not Being In A Relationship. i think there has been a lot of pushback against this particular mindset in recent years, always flaring up around valentine's day for some reason - but it still feels like it's expected to be a Temporary State, not something you'd choose or prefer.
- romance as a Humanising Component in storytelling. say you've got some sort of non-human character, such as a Robot or a Beast. what is the easiest way for them to gain Personhood in the eyes of the audience? probably by falling in love, because falling in love is the Most Human Thing There Is. i think this also extends to queer stories in a similar way - a queer romance may win over a non-queer audience in a way other queer narratives may not, an "oh they're just like us" moment, if you will. these aren't bad stories to have, and queer romances are important stories to tell! it's just... tinged with a taste of "very well.... if it's TRUE LOVE... i can find it in me to extend some compassion......."
(and! on the flipside! an easy way to dehumanise an antagonist is to be like "AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN FEEL LOVE THEY JUST HAD NO HEART THEY WERE SO INHUMAN ")
(speaking of stories you know when a series ends and they partner up all the remaining single characters in a hurry or in the epilogue because god forbid they dON'T GET PARTNERS)
- you know how the reason for legalizing same-sex marriage wasn't because marriage is THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION TRUE LOVE, but because it comes with a lot of legal rights such as tax benefits and hospital visitation rights? and uhhhhh isn't it kind of weird that marriage is the One thing that gives u a lot of those rights and it's 1) still presented as The Ultimate Expression Of True Love And The End Goal Of Life rather than a legal contract, and 2) not available to everyone? I THINK IT'S KIND OF WEIRD.
- polyamorous relationships are also stigmatised & there's a lot of work to do when it comes to marriage & parental rights for polyamorous couples. i'm sure one could write an entire list on this topic from a polyam/relationship anarchy angle.
- the stigma against sex In General is rooted in so many things, and i believe that a huge part of breaking down amatonormativity is to destigmatize casual sex, sexual relationships that aren't romantic, sex work + sex worker rights & everything in this category. thinking about sex as a thing you can/should only do with the love of your life after you're married hasn't served us very well, i think.
- the idea that our entire life is building up to The One Important Relationship is garbage. we have a lot of relationships in our lives, many of them temporary, and all of them matter to us in some way. you are not a half looking for another half to complete you - even the most compatible person on the earth is still going to be a human person who is flawed and ever changing.
- ok so there's a thing that happens when people want to prove a gay couple is Actually Dating and not Just Gal Pals and it's like "WOULD FRIENDS EVER DO THIS???" referring to some kind of intimate moment - and it's like, i get what you're trying to prove, but... some friends Would Do That, Actually. there is no act on earth wholly exclusive to romantic relationships. i subscribe to the idea that everyone gets to decide how they define their relationships, and what boundaries they have for each kind. maybe they WILL kiss their homies on the lips. with tongue.
- queerplatonic relationships: not only did we have to create a term for a Kind of committed relationship that isn't a romantic one, but we have to fight the deluge of "but that's just dating!!!!!" and "that's just having a best friend!!!!" - the thing is, it CAN be those things if you choose to, or it can be A Secret Third Thing. the way i see it, a queerplatonic relationship is just a Framework you can apply to a relationship that's like, There, but doesn't seem to fully fit into existing categories. because the human experience is vast and weird! i think it's unfair and kinda normative to reduce it to "dating, but for aros" - an Oddly Intimate Connection That Is Hard To Categorize can befall anyone, and as i presented in my pie chart theory, we don't have a lot of framework to discuss them.
that's all i've got for today. i hope this was enlightening or affirming for some <3
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mvrtaiswriting · 1 year
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Hello, I really like your work and this event seems promising so can i request the prompt 11 with Ace please?
Ace x prompt 11: their entire body freezing for a second when their love kisses them.
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hi, I'm so glad you enjoy my work and I hope you'll like this piece too! <3 i love my firey boy, he deserves all the love, all the happiness, ALL THE BEST *sobs*.
gender neutral! spoiler free although marine ford is mentioned. ace is loved and a clumsy mess.
feel free to reblog, like, and leave a comment. i would very much appreciate it. if you enjoy my works, click here to read more or buy me a coffee.- from this event.
After confessing your love for each other during the Marineford battle, things between you and Ace changed. He knew he loved you the very first time the two of you met - and seeing you join Pop's crew felt like a dream come true. He watched you grow into the furious, brave pirate you were now, ready to die for him. But everything that happened after that did not leave enough room for you to talk it out.
Although he hoped his crew would come to the rescue, a part of Ace wished you'd just let him go, accept his destiny and move on with your life. He spent all his imprisonment days relieving the best memories he had with the crew, with Pops - and with you; he missed your laugh, he even missed the way you would annoy him all the time. You managed to surprise him every day; you were his little miracle, the best thing that ever happened to him. The thought of not being able to stay by your side anymore was what scared him the most - not death, not the long agony he was experiencing. No pain could have compared to losing you.
So when he saw you there, in the middle of the battlefield right next to his brother, drenched in sweat and blood, his heart was about to betray him - skipping a beat just right were he needed it the most. Your vision was just angelic, despite all the injuries and dirt your body was covered with.
"Please don't die." you screamed, rivers of tears streaming down your face; you were ready to flip the world upside down for him, nothing would have stopped you.
Running towards him, you threw your body against his, wrapping your arms around his neck and hugging him tight, hiding your head in his chest. One of your hands wondered towards his hair as you burst into tears, feeling his skin on yours once again. "Damn it, I love you." you sobbed, holding him closer. He kissed your head in response, holding you tight in his embrace before jumping and avoiding the enemy's attack, moving both of you to a safest place.
"Let's get out of here." he winked at you, before joining the rest of his friends in the battle, finally able to fight.
When the two of you returned to your ship, everything was different. What happened has shaken everyone's soul more than anything else - you caused an historical event just to save Ace, becoming one of the most wanted pirates. The ship had to be updated, the crews needed to be rearranged, and most importantly all of you needed to rest, to recover. And this took a while, months - for some, even years. The battle revealed traitors and showed who the weakest ring of the chain were; both of these things needed to be addressed. Some chose to stay, others chose to go train on a certain island, others more just left. There was no time to discuss feelings. You were just grateful Ace made it out alive.
Until one night, months after the Marineford battle, Ace joined you on the crow's nest. Knowing it was your favourite spot, he silently sat next to you.
"Mh?" you asked, welcoming him with a timid smile. He shrugged in response, resting his head on your shoulder. Lightly stretching your arm, you gently placed your hand on his cheek, your thumb delicately caressing his warm skin.
"Thank you for saving me." he mumbled, leaving a kiss on the palm of your hand. "And.." he tried to continue, taking a deep breath as it could help him find the right words.
"I love you too." he finally admitted, almost whispering. "I kn- I know I should have said it before - actually months ago, but -" he said anxiously, speaking faster than usual.
Hearing this words paralysed you. You were starting to accept that he just didn't reciprocate, and although it hurt there was too much going on around you to grieve a love that never existed in the first place. You could still hear Ace mumbling some excuses, but you weren't listening - you were stil overwhelmed by his confession, his voice felt so distant, almost muffled.
When you finally snapped to your senses again, you simply changed position so that you could now face him. Taking a minute to appreciate just how beautiful - and logorrheic - he looked under the moonlight, you leaned towards him to press a soft kiss on his lips, finally shushing him and his no-sense.
For a brief moment, Ace did not reciprocate. He swore he could feel his brain completely melting causing his body to freeze and not respond to any command. It wasn't until a little flame escaped his fingertips that he realised what was happening. A little, guilty laugh escaped his lips before he pulled you closer to him, his hands drifting to your hips as he helped you sitting on his lap. His lips met yours again in an hungry, hasty kiss.
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