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#fic: one thing i'm missing

carolperkinsexgirlfriend · 2 months

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Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 96

Part 1 Part 95

Mom makes him go home when he starts dosing on Steve’s hospital bed. But it’s okay because she kisses Steve’s cheek before she leaves, and Eddie and Wayne stay parked by his side.

The connection’s easier now. It’s like all that time straining for Steve has snapped something into place. He can feel them all the time, a warm buzzing in his chest. He wonders if he runs hot now. If the warmth will diffuse through his whole being, make coats obsolete even in the dead of winter.

Hopper is waiting for them in the waiting room, El burrowed into his side. She looks wan, and tired, drooping into her extravagant coat, eyeliner running down her cheeks like she’s been crying. Something inside him twists when he looks at her.

Before he can untangle that knot of emotion, Hopper stands up, both hands slapping against his knees first the same way Mike’s dad does before he gets up from his recliner. “You ready to go?” he asks, not looking away from Mom.

When Will glances up, Mom’s smiling up at Hopper in a way he doesn’t want to think about. The adults talk quietly in front, leaving El to stumble tiredly along beside Will. She’s staring at the side of his face. Will can’t bring himself to look back.

“Steve,” she says, sounding the word out and making it longer like it still tastes foreign on her tongue. “He is okay?”

When Will gets up the courage to look over, her eyes are big and worried. He smiles at her helplessly. It’s almost funny how innocent she looks; like she’s a bunny dressed up in punk clothes. “He’ll be okay.”

She smiles, small and close lipped, but it still beams out of her like the sun. Will tilts his head to the side and tries to see what Mike sees in her. He wants to hide her in Castle Byers, build a fortress around her, and keep her away from all the lab people for the rest of her life.

Is that howMike felt, hiding her in his basement, giving her frozen eggos and keeping his mouth shut?

But then her lips thin and she looks forward again. The feelings vanishes. It’s just El, hia friend, despite how much of Mike’s attention she’d snapped up just by being herself.

“I’m glad,” she says, looking at Hopper’s broad back as she takes two steps for each one of his.

It’s quiet after that, the way it always is after; all of them too brittle and bruised and bone-deep tired for conversation.

Hopper’s truck rat-a tat-tats itself to life in the hospital parking lot. The radio croons out something quiet and thrumming until Hopper reaches over to shut it off.

El’s heads smushed into the window, vibrating against the pot-holed roads of Hawkins.

Will’s so tired he’s wide awake.

He watches the familiar buildings of Hawkins flicker by. It's been a long time since knowing his surroundings brought any comfort.

Monsters could live behind every door, every tree, every smiling face.

He’s not sure any of them will ever feel safe again.

Will closes his eyes, locking the scenery out so he can focus on the bundle of warmth in his chest. They’re still huddled together, two sparks merging in his chest.

The past couple days have been a necessary violation of Eddie’s private feelings. He’d bared them all with love confessions and grasping hands, trying to pull Steve back from the edge of immolation.

He’s not even sure Steve knows, hopes he does. Steve deserves to hold that love delicately between his palms and choose what to do with it.

He won’t crush it, even if it’s unreturned. He’ll hold it gently like he always does.

Will doesn’t realize he fell asleep, or that they’d arrived home until he’s in free-fall. It feels like one of those falling dreams where you wake up solidly in the middle of your bed, but this time he really is tumbling, only Jonathan’s arms keeping him from hitting the gravel.

“Are you okay?” he asks shakily as he pulls Will into his chest, holding him tight enough to hurt. “I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Mom murmurs, wrapping them both up in her arms, chin landing solidly on Jonathan’s shoulder, sandwiching Will between their bodies. “Everyone’s fine, right Will?”

Will murmurs his affirmation, feeling groggy and confused in the light of day.

“I was with Nancy,” Jonathan whispers. “I was just with Nancy, and you were–I almost–”

“Shh,” Mom cuts him off, reaching up to cradle his face and smile up at him. Will barely catches the edge of his watering eyes from his restricted vantage point between them. “Everyone’s fine.”

“I should have been he–”

“Jonathan,” Mom interrupts again, sharper this time. “Everyone is fine. You deserve a normal life.”

“But Will–”

“I’m fine!” Will cuts in this time.

Jonathan pulls back, looking down at him with worried, droopy eyes. “And Steve? Mike said he was possessed.”

Will feels that bundle of warmth in his heart, lets it shine through his smile as he looks up at his brother. “He’ll be okay.” As Jonathan droops with relief, Will feels his smile turn cheeky. “Eddie will never let you forget that you were on a date while we were fighting monsters, though.”

Jonathan closes his eyes, pained while Mom laughs.

It’s not until they’re walking toward the front door that Will notices the lack of demo-dog bodies. There’s still puddles of black oil-slick blood, but everything else looks normal. Who covered their tracks? The lab? Hopper?

He settles down for the debrief, pillowing his head on Jonathan’s shoulder as Hopper’s even tones flit through his brain.

Maybe familiar places no longer hold any comfort, but Jonathan’s bony frame is enough to lull him into a peaceful sleep.

Part 97

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#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #will byers #steddie upsidedown au #my fic #Steve pov: I'm a wretch and a monster and everything is my fault #will pov: steve's so comforting :)#also Jonathan freaking out because he missed everything is something that is so fun to me. He's like. I'm a terrible brother!#Meanwhile Nancy only has low stakes in the whole thing. And she never got involved so by the time she knew to worry about Mike.#She already knew he was fine. so her main reaction is feeling left out.#Nancy is so fun in this AU because her inciting character incident (Barb's death) shapes so much of who she is #that we have like maybe one episode of characterization to work off of wrt what she was like before #anyway I'm sick so we'll see how much writing I can actually get done while feverish!

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withacapitalp · 1 year

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Out of This World

Read it on AO3 instead

Tw: Depression

There was a black hole inside of Steve.

He would lie down flat on his back in the living room. The stone floor beneath him would pull his mind down from wherever it liked to drift to, and he would be able to focus enough to stare at the ceiling, put his hands on his stomach, and breathe deep into the sensation.

When things got really bad, it was like he could physically feel it. A dark mass that spread out from his core and swallowed everything around it. If he flipped over to lie on his stomach and press his cheek to the cold marble, then it would sprout out of his back like demon wings, menacing and grim.

He had never told anyone about it, but he was sure everyone knew. That was the thing about black holes, they dragged everything towards them. He was a magnetic person, people were drawn to him, but when they got close and saw that there was nothing inside, they ran. The empty expanse living in Steve was terrifying.

He was the only one who couldn’t escape himself.

No matter what he did, inevitably he would be reminded of what was inside of him. He could try to be happy, but he had to remember it wouldn’t last.

Steve could mess around with the kids, dance along to the radio with Robin, try and love the people who chose to stay with everything he had, but the black hole would always return. It would suck up whatever joy he had tried to grow, making it disappear in the blink of an eye, lost to whatever cosmos existed beyond the gnawing hunger in Steve’s stomach.

It was like it was starving, like he was starving, but not for food. There was nothing Steve could give to make it go away, nothing that would satiate whatever was stuck inside of him. There was just the all encompassing need to have more, to get something that would kill the loneliness that lived there.

And, when the people around him realized that they really couldn’t make that black hole go away, they left. They ran to keep themselves from getting pulled in, and Steve couldn’t blame them. He had spent most of his life trying to run from himself.

Even now, lying in bed with Eddie late on Sunday morning, he could feel the first nudges of gravity shifting, the quiet stirrings of empty space needing to be acknowledged.

There was a black hole living inside of Steve, and nothing he could do to change that.

“God I swear it’s like you’re the sun,” Eddie sleepily whispered against his chest, unknowingly cutting straight through the icy black tendrils starting to creep up Steve’s spine.

“The sun?” Steve said, feeling something finally touch the cold dark thing living in his stomach.

“You just keep us alive and warm, don’t you Stevie?” Eddie mumbled, still half asleep, “Pull everyone into your orbit and make sure none of us go flying off into space alone,”

Eddie was already starting to snore by the time Steve jogged himself out of his stunned silence enough to kiss the top of his boyfriend’s head and whisper a reverent declaration of love.

Sometimes Steve felt like there was a black hole living inside of him.

And sometimes he was reminded not everyone saw it that way.

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unfinishedslurs · 1 year

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welcome to eden

this is a love letter. inspired by this song

As soon as Steve picks up the phone, she knows she’s making a mistake.

“Rob?”

“No,” she says instead of hanging up like she should.

“Nancy?” He sounds more alert now, and she can picture him standing up straighter, calling to attention at the sound of her voice. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Not really,” she sniffs, hating herself for it. “I—can we talk?”

He’ll say no. He’ll say no, because it’s one in the morning and he was probably asleep before the phone rang and she shouldn’t be asking to talk years after she broke his heart and didn’t even remember—

“Of course,” he says, and Nancy could kick herself. “Over the phone?”

“No. Not over the phone. I’m sorry, it can wait, you can go back to bed.”

She hears him huff a laugh, even though there’s nothing funny about any of it. “I wasn’t in bed,” he assures her. “Am I picking you up?”

Tears spring anew to her eyes. “If that’s okay.”

“Works for me,” he says. “See you soon.”

“See you,” she echoes, and hangs up.

She spends the time it takes pacing quietly in front of the front door, berating herself for using him like this. But she needs to talk to him, and the sooner it’s over with the better.

Headlights cut through the window way too soon, and she nearly throws herself out the door.

She gives him a look when she opens the car door, telling him she knows how many traffic laws he must have broken to get here this quick. He just grins in return, ready to point out the felony in her closet.

“Where are we going?” He asks, and her heart clenches. He’s so good. He’s so good, and she couldn’t-can’t love him like he wants. She has to tell him.

Tonight probably wasn’t the best night for this conversation, but her skin feels like it’s peeling off and the faster she says something the quicker it will be over with and she can go back to how it was before. Back when she didn’t have anyone to talk to, because Robin might never speak to her again after she breaks her best friend's heart for the second time.

Just rip the bandaid off, Nance.

“I don’t know,” she says instead. Maybe she’s a coward. “A field? Somewhere I can see the stars.”

“I can do that.”

The drive goes by in silence, Nancy staring stubbornly out the window. She can feel Steve periodically checking on her, and she knows he wants to know why she called. She can’t open her mouth to say it in the suffocating enclosure of the car. She rolls down a window.

They get to a field almost out of Hawkins, and the car is barely in park before she’s climbing out, going around to sit on the hood. Steve cuts the engine and follows.

She still doesn’t say anything. She called him to have a talk, why can’t she just open her stupid mouth—

“Nancy?” Steve asks, gentle in a way that used to make her melt. She pulls her legs to her chest, feeling vulnerable. “What’s wrong?”

“Jonathan and I broke up,” she finally gets out.

“Oh shit.” He looks genuinely surprised. “That sucks, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well, it was never going to be forever.” Except she’d thought otherwise. She thought they were Nancy and Jonathan, the two of them against the world. She hunches her shoulders. “We never talk anymore, and he was pulling away from me, and he was lying to me for months-“ she shakes her head, clearing the anger she feels at that. “It doesn’t matter. I’m starting to realize there’s things I need to work on, too. A lot to work on, actually.”

“I don’t know what that could be,” he says, flashing her a smile filled with boyish, roguish charm. “You’re already the best person I know.”

She sniffs, and suddenly she’s crying into her knees, shoulders shaking. He freezes beside her, before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side. She leans in for a second, chasing the comfort, before remembering what she came here to do and ripping away violently.

“Fuck,” she whispers. “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I don’t—I can’t—this isn’t what I—“

“Hey,” he soothes. “Slow down. Let it out.”

She wipes her eyes, suddenly furious. “I don’t want to date you,” she says, finally looking him in the eyes. “I don’t—I’m sorry for calling you. I just remembered how much better you used to make me feel, but then I realized that’s like…really shitty of me.”

“Why?” He asks, as if Nancy didn’t come out here to break his heart again. “I want to make you feel better. I like knowing I can make you feel better.”

“I don’t want to lead you on,” she says, mouth screwing up. “That’s why I called you out here. And I know it’s shitty of me—“

“Nancy, you’re not leading me on. I…I don’t want to date you either.”

That stops her in her tracks. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh,” he echoes quietly. “I—don’t take this the wrong way, okay, ‘cause I know I’m gonna sound like an asshole saying it, but, uh, I can’t do that again. And even outside of that, I don’t like you that way anymore. Uh, sorry.”

She tries not to sag at the overwhelming relief she feels at that.

“Are you sure?” She studies him closely, trying to see if he’s saying this for her sake or if he means it. “Back in the Upside-Down, and when we were fighting Venca, it seemed…”

He grimaces, and Nancy thinks if it wasn’t dark she’d see the beginning of an embarrassed flush on his ears. “I…may have been feeling things,” he admits. “I was testing the waters, I guess. I started feeling nostalgic, and you were there, and everyone was encouraging me, and it all just ended up in this weird…feelings soup. Sorry.”

“You said you wanted to have six kids with me,” Nancy reminds him. “And travel the country in a Winnebago.”

He groans, covering his face with his hands. “I am,” he says, “so sorry. I don’t know why I said that. That had to be so weird for you.”

“It was kind of sweet?” She tries, not letting her relief show. Not yet.

“We haven’t been together in years, and I decided to tell you I used to dream about you having my babies. How do you deal with me?”

“Well it helps to know you were dropped on your head. Puts everything in perspective.”

“Yeah, yeah, yuk it up.” He looks at her, really looks at her, and she tries not to fidget under his gaze. Too earnest, too caring for someone who doesn’t deserve it. He’s always tried so hard. To woo her, to be a better person, to keep back the vicious streak she still sees in him. “I meant it, when I said I loved you,” he tells her gently, no sign of that cruelty that had him painting her as a whore for the whole town to see. “Back then, I mean. I just wanted you to know that.”

She wants to cry. “I know. I’m sorry I couldn’t say it back.”

“It’s okay,” he says like he means it. He leans back against the windshield, looking at the sky. After a moment, she copies him.

They watch the stars together, and the air feels clearer.

“Where do we go from here?” She asks, afraid of the answer.

“What do you mean?”

“What happens with us now?”

“Well,” he says gingerly, like he’s testing the waters. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard you’re a pretty kickass friend.”

Friends. She doesn’t know that she and Steve have ever been friends, not properly. Even after the apologies they made to each other, she doesn’t know that she could call what they had friendship. It wasn’t substantial on its own, needing Jonathan as the barrier between them. When it fell, so did they.

“I haven’t had a friend in a while,” she admits. “Robin is kind of a novelty for me. She’s amazing.”

It’s funny, in a way. She was so jealous of Robin, of how close she was with Steve in a way Nancy wasn’t. She’d thought, at first, that it was because they were so clearly dating. After Robin told her they weren’t, she realized how badly she’d just wanted friends. She missed hanging out with Steve, missed his laugh and his squint and his bitchy attitude. She’d hoped that eventually they’d get to that point, was sure they were almost there before Starcourt. In a way, she’d been jealous of Robin for stealing Steve. She knew it was ridiculous. Steve had found a friend, a real friend who hadn’t cheated on him or slept with his girlfriend. She couldn’t begrudge him that.

She just missed him.

“She is, isn’t she?” Steve grins, but sobers up quickly. “I didn’t really think about that. How lonely you must be, since…”

She’s already shaking her head. “It’s not your fault. I didn’t reach out.”

“I didn’t exactly reach out either.”

They fall silent again, at a loss for words. Barb’s death, as always, the canyon between them.

Finally Nancy huffs. “It’s both of our faults,” she declares, “or neither of our faults. I don’t know. I just missed you.”

“Well shit, Nance, I missed you too,” he says, touched.

“I’ve heard you’re a pretty kickass friend too, you know,” she says, glancing at him. He smiles.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, Nancy Wheeler, I would be honored to be friends with you,” he says, and sticks out his hand to shake, like they’re meeting for the first time.

She stares at him, and starts laughing. “You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington.”

She shakes his hand.

Max has always felt like a mirror. One Nancy wanted to smash, pull her out of the shards of her reflective grief and hug. Stroke her hair the way she wanted someone to do for her and say you’ll get through this. So Max could hear it from someone who knows.

Except Nancy doesn’t know anything. Still drowns in her guilt, the ball and chain dragging her into the depths. She can’t help when she’s still such a mess, three years later.

Her hands clench when Mike says Max is pulling away from Lucas. She wishes she could look her in the eye and tell her you don’t have to be me. You can be better.

She’s Mike’s friend. They barely know each other outside of a quick hello as they cross paths or fighting monsters. Max has enough on her plate, she doesn’t need her friend’s weird older sister butting in to tell her how to mourn the right way.

Nancy just hopes she’s getting out of bed. Remembering to eat. Brushing her teeth. She had more cavities in the year after Barb died than she’d ever had in her life, and she knows Max doesn’t have insurance.

Now, sitting next to Max’s hospital bed, Nancy wishes she’d reached out.

With school back comes studying, and with studying comes Eddie Munson, in all his super-senior glory. Nancy is going to get him a diploma if it kills her.

He laughs when she tells him so. “Shit, Wheeler,” he says. “The day something manages to get you is the day this shithole goes down for good.”

Robin turns down her offer to form a study group. “I’m pretty sure if I joined, I’d just distract Eddie, and let him distract me, and we’d end up throwing things at each other until you killed us. Sorry. Steve’s going to help me study for finals, though!”

She looks at Steve, eyebrow raised. She’s pretty sure it’s fair to be dubious, since she was the reason Steve passed his finals in the first place.

“I’m her rubber duck,” he says as an explanation, and she nods in understanding.

Her mom isn’t about to let her study alone with a boy in her room, though, and especially not a boy like Eddie, so she drags him to the library three times a week. He complains, he bitches, he tells her he doesn’t care about his fucking history class anymore. She just hands him a Rubik’s Cube she found to keep his hands busy as she quizzes him.

Three sessions in, he slowly puts a worksheet down and screams into his hands.

“Stop that!” She kicks him in the shin. “If you get me kicked out of the library I’m never forgiving you.”

“I can’t do it,” he says, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m so fucking stupid, Nancy. I can’t even get past question two. Is this torture? Did I die and go to hell? That would be fitting, wouldn’t it? Doomed to repeat high school for the rest of eternity?”

“Stupid” her ass. She knows what kind of work goes into those campaigns of his, has absently flipped through his annotated fantasy novels and left feeling as if she’d seen the story anew. Plus, she went and made a tape of everyone’s favorite songs, just in case, and she knew damn well how quickly he’d taught himself to play the song he did in the Upside-Down. “Stupid” and “Eddie Munson” don’t belong in the same sentence, much less belong in the same space in his brain. She hates Hawkins High just a little bit more for it. “Stop being dramatic. What are you stuck on?”

“Fucking nothing! I can’t focus, it’s driving me fucking insane. I keep trying, I swear, but it’s like I can’t even read anymore! This always happens, I swear to God it’s killing me more than the fucking demobats ever did.”

“Don’t joke about that,” she snaps. “You’re smart, Eddie, you know that. You just need to try.”

His face twists, and she realizes that was the wrong thing to say.

“Oh, thank you, Miss Wheeler, why haven’t I thought of that? Sorry for wasting your time, I’ll get out of your perfect hair now—“

“Sit down,” she protests as he gathers up his stuff. “Eddie, I’ll help you work through the problem, okay? Just sit down, please.”

“No, Nancy!” He swings around, eyes wild. “It’s what everyone always says. Just sit still, stop doodling, be quiet, pay attention, try fucking harder…I tried, okay! I’ve been trying, I tried for fifteen fucking years, and I can’t do it! I might as well just drop out and get it over with. I’m fucking sick of this.”

“Okay!” She feels herself getting riled up. “You want to fail so bad, fine! I’m not your keeper, do whatever you want.”

“I will!”

“Fine!”

They stare at each other, not moving. Finally Eddie storms off in a huff, flinging open the library door in a grand gesture she pretends not to see. There’s a sinking feeling in her stomach, but she can ignore it.

She pretends not to notice when he comes slinking back five minutes later, shuffling his feet.

“Sorry.”

“For what?” She asks primly, going over her notes.

“Nancy, please.”

She sighs. “I’m sorry too. I’m just…frustrated.”

“I’ve been told I’m pretty frustrating,” he offers.

“It’s not…”

“It is,” he says, sitting down. “It’s okay. God knows I piss myself off with this shit.”

She studies him, looking over his defeated face like he’s one of her flashcards. “You’re trying your best,” she says, sounding it out. She can’t really make sense of it. After all, trying her best has always been straight A’s, not stopping until she knew everything she needed to and more.

“It’s not good enough.”

“It will be,” she says. “You’ve got me this time.”

“Listen, I know you’re trying to help—“

“Do you want fries?”

“What?” He blinks at her, shocked, as she starts packing up her things.

“We’re not getting anywhere today. Sometimes you have to step back, and come back with a clearer head.” Usually she locks her door and cleans her guns, the repetitive motion soothing her mind until she can think again, but she has a feeling that won’t work for Eddie.

“I usually just give up.”

“I don’t. Get your backpack, we’re going to the diner. Dinner’s on me tonight.”

At the diner, he makes her laugh so hard soda comes out her nose. The next day, they go to the library again.

After a couple of days, he solves the cube. After three weeks, he nearly kicks her door down rushing to show her the B he got on a test.

Two months later, he throws his cap into the air and his cane on the ground. Swings her around, both of them laughing.

“Nancy fucking Wheeler!” He crows. “Achieving the impossible yet again!”

“Eddie, put me down!” She shrieks gleefully as he stumbles. She barely makes it back to solid ground before two more bodies are slamming into them, Steve and Robin whooping in their ears.

It was weird, to see Steve and Robin effortlessly communicate the way she and Jonathan always had and have it be so unabashedly unromantic. She’d always thought that knowing someone like that was a sign you were meant to be, and they did it while still loudly proclaiming Platonic with a capital P.

She and Jonathan didn’t do it much anymore. It was like dancing to a song that was always a beat off, syncing for just one moment before stumbling again, unsure that they were still allowed this.

She’d known him better than anyone, once, and he’d known her the same. Now she wonders if that was ever true.

“So,” Eddie says, throwing himself onto her bed. “Steve.”

She sits in her desk chair, raising an eyebrow. “What about him?”

“You broke up with Jonathan, right? Are you going to get back with him? I thought you would, but it's been months and neither of you said anything.”

“No,” she says. “No, that’s not what I want. It’s not what either of us want.”

“Really?” He rolls over, eyes searching. “What happened there, anyway? With both your boys. I’m a nosy little asshole, and I wanna hear it from you.”

It makes her laugh, the way he admits to it so freely. He grins wolfishly at her, baring his teeth in a grin. That’s probably why she tells him the truth.

“I wasn’t okay, when I was with Steve,” she says honestly. “I was distant, grieving…I was a mess, and I stayed with him because I didn’t know what else to do. With Jonathan…I was getting closure, I was healing, and things were good between us. They were so good, but after a while, we just started to…deteriorate. I don’t know if we lost momentum, or if the stress just got to us, but we started fighting more and more,” She traces the desk with a finger, remembering the sour taste of Oliver Twist on her tongue. It was a shitty thing to say. “I thought we’d figured it out, for a little while, but then we just…stopped talking. I think, maybe if we’d talked more, we could have worked it out. But I’m…not upset that we didn’t, you know?”

It’s a different kind of loneliness when your partner won’t talk to you. It was different than grieving, different than not having anyone to talk to at all. Because even when she didn’t have friends, she had Jonathan. And then, slowly, she didn’t anymore.

“Nancy, you’re one of my best friends, so-”

“Steve is your best friend.”

“Steve is my best best friend,” she agrees. “But he’s also more than that? Like, I think we’re literally soulmates. Platonic with a capital P soulmates, but, like, it feels like more than friendship sometimes? Like sometimes it’s like he can literally feel my bad days even when I haven’t talked to him yet. He told me once he just knows sometimes. It’s like I hit my hip on my desk and he felt it, but emotionally. It’s wild. It’s like the drugs literally combined our minds. Where was I going with this?”

“I don’t know,” she says, slightly bewildered. She wants to ask how they do that, but Robin barrels forward.

“Right. So outside of mine and Steve’s platonic more-than-friendship, you’re kind of my best friend? And you’re, like, the coolest person I know.”

She blinks. She’s not sure she’s ever been described as cool before.

After Barb, Nancy tried to cut her own hair.

Her mom found her in the bathroom, unshed tears in her eyes and hair a mess on the sink and floor.

She hadn’t laughed, hadn't said oh, honey, your beautiful hair. Just clucked her tongue and took the scissors from her hands. Stepped behind her and took over, took the uneven mess and made it something good, something presentable.

She didn’t say anything until she was done, setting the scissors on the counter. “Sometimes,” she said, wetting her lips. “Sometimes we need a change, before we can move forward.”

The closer she gets to Emerson, the more she feels like she’s letting someone down. Mike. Max. Jonathan. All the people who have relied on her, all the people who trusted her to fight.

In a strange turn of events, her mom is the only one she doesn’t feel is disappointed in her. Her mom is more excited about college than she is sometimes. Chattering excitedly over dishes about the classes she’s going to take as Nancy dries and smiles and tries not to feel like the ground is being pulled from under her feet.

This is everything she’s ever wanted. Why does it feel so wrong?

She takes Eddie to the gun range, because having a gun in her hands has always made her feel safer. More in control. More like the badass protector she wants to be, than the scared little girl she feels sometimes.

Eddie stares down the scope of the gun and shoots like he has experience, but doesn’t hit a single bullseye.

“Your hands are shaking.”

“I’m in a fucking gun range and a bunch of small town hicks were hunting me not too long ago,” he snaps, taking another shot and missing the target completely. He swears and changes the magazine. “Excuse me if I’m a little bit on edge.”

She hadn’t really thought of it like that. “You didn’t have to come,” she says. “I just thought with everything that’s happened, you should know how to use one. Just in case.”

“I know how to use a gun,” he rolls his eyes.

“You know how to shoot one.” She looks from him to the target pointedly. “Not the same thing.”

“Deep. I could really feel the judgement there. Tell me, is there anything else wrong with me?”

“There’s security cameras all over this place. We’re not in Hawkins, so there’s no mob coming after you. I’m here, and I do know how to use a gun. No one is going to hurt you here.”

“I know all that.”

“Do you?”

He scowls at her. She looks back unflinchingly. She’s been here plenty of times, and the guys laughed at her until they didn’t anymore. By the time she brought Eddie, all she got was a raised eyebrow and a “boyfriend?” from Hunter at the desk. She didn’t know what was more incriminating, so she just shrugged.

“You’re kind of a pain in the ass, you know that?”

She rolls her eyes, taking the gun from his hands and lining up a shot. “I’ve heard worse,” she says, thinking about Nancy Dre-ew, and Nancy “the slut” Wheeler, and priss, and shoots. It hits the bullseye.

So do her next five shots.

Eddie looks begrudgingly impressed when she reloads and hands the gun back to him. It’s more satisfying than it should be, to realize that while he’d known she had guns he’s never seen her actually shoot before.

She raises a challenging eyebrow at him, and he huffs around a smile. “All right, all right,” he says good naturedly. “Let’s try this again.”

He does a little better this time around, now that he’s actually trying. He does a little dance when he hits one of the inner rings.

“Take that!” He crows. “I bet Steve couldn’t do this. In your face, Harrington!”

“He’s much more of a close-combat kind of guy, isn’t he?” Nancy agrees.

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” he says. “Does he really have a bat with nails?”

She blinks, caught off guard by the fact that Eddie hadn’t seen it. She never registered that he hadn’t used it during Vecna. Something about the fact seems weird somehow, as if it was as integral to Steve as his coiffed hair. “He keeps it in his trunk.”

“You and Byers need to update your Steve manuals. He said it’s under his bed now.”

“Ah,” Nancy says, thinking of all the times she’s slept with her pistol under her pillow. Empty, because she’s not stupid enough to sleep with a loaded gun when her little brother sometimes wakes her up after a nightmare, but the comforting weight of it alone makes it easier.

“Just tell me one thing,” he says, widening his eyes imploringly at her. “Did he look as sexy as I think he did? Byers won’t give me a straight answer.”

It’s a joke, but his cheeks are a little pink. She’s not dumb, she’s seen the looks the two of them share, as if he and Steve were circling each other. Caught in a whirlpool, waiting for the moment the vortex would drag them down and they could finally touch.

The looks between Eddie and Jonathan, too, that share a certain camaraderie she doesn’t entirely understand and at the same time understands all too well. Steve and Jonathan had always had a strange relationship, too close to not be friendship but not quite there. Surprisingly enough it was better after she and Steve broke up, Jonathan no longer avoiding them and the talk she’d forced the three of them into clearing the air. Sometimes, she’d wake up to Jonathan climbing into her bed, smelling of cigarettes and a hint of something stronger, and he’d tell her it was Steve who drove him there.

She’s a journalist. It’s her job to notice things. She just wasn’t ready to confront that reality, where the two boys she’d wanted wanted each other as well. But she’s grown since then.

She also knows that whoever Steve chooses, it won’t be easy.

“You know,” she says, considering, “when we were dating, Steve never pressed me up against the wall or anything you’d expect from the King.”

Eddie gets this look on his face, caught between confusion and caught out. “…okay? Did you want him to do that or something? Are you trying to ask me to hint to him?”

“No,” she says. “I’m just saying, he never did any of that. It was kind of funny. He always made it so that he was the one pressed against the wall.”

Eddie misses the next five shots entirely, and she laughs at him through it all.

She’s hyper aware of touching other girls now. She didn’t used to be. Even with Robin, who is a lesbian and definitely won’t hate her. Who’s probably gone through the same thing. She can’t help it.

What if they get the wrong idea? What if someone else sees? What if they can tell, what if they know, what if they hate me?

She hates feeling like this. She doesn’t know why it started, doesn’t know what’s wrong with her. She’s no stranger to casual affection—or at least she didn’t used to be. Why does it make her feel so tense now? It’s been years since she realized she liked girls, shouldn’t this have happened back then?

Deep down, she knows why. The Reagan sign in her front yard. Her dad sitting in his chair, the news always on. “Always that nasty disease, Karen, I swear some people are just asking for it.” She’s always known she could never tell him, but now she knows that if she gets sick he’ll say she deserves it. She doesn’t know what her mother thinks. She’s afraid to find out.

She’s growing up, and her fear is growing with her.

Objectively, Nancy knows she and Eddie don’t make sense.

They’re not cut from the same cloth, like Steve and Robin. They don’t calm each other down, like Jonathan and Argyle. They’re too different, too alike in all the wrong ways, for them to get along. They’re both snappy, a little mean. Eddie’s dramatic enough to get on her nerves, and she’s prim enough to get on his. At their worst, they have earth shattering arguments that end in them not speaking to each other for days.

When people see them walking down the street together, they whisper about “that nice girl Nancy Wheeler” and “that awful Munson boy.”

It’s not fair, never has been. Nancy hasn’t felt nice for a long time, maybe before Barb ever disappeared. Eddie isn’t always particularly nice either, but the court of public opinion takes it to extremes, twists him into something cruel instead of the kindness he carries under his leather armor. Someone to keep their children away from. It really is a shame, because Eddie loves kids in a way Nancy never has. She can see it in the way he interacts with them, his bright smile fading when a parent comes to drag them away. Even when he’s expecting it, his face falls, just for an instant, before spinning around with a grin that won’t reach his eyes.

Nancy wants to take him out of here. There’s an offer on the tip of her tongue that she knows he’d refuse.

He’s not her brother, but he’s not…unlike one. It’s almost like talking to an older, flashier Mike. He’s annoying, is what he is. He picks at her, keeps pressing over the littlest things. Tries to get under her skin, succeeds, until she’s on the verge of stabbing him with her pencil. Looks triumphant whenever Robin has to grab her arm to drag her away, rambling an excuse about “some girl thing I totally forgot, yeah it’s an emergency,” while Steve drags him the other way to have bro time.

“She loves it,” she’d heard Eddie crow delightedly once, when Robin didn’t get her out of hearing range fast enough. “Do you see that fire in her eyes?”

“Do I?” She asked Robin. “Love it?”

“I mean, far be it from me to tell you what you do and don’t like,” Robin answered. “But, uh, as far as I can tell, you totally love it. You look like you’re going to rip him to pieces and enjoy it, and he loves that. I didn’t think you’d be this much of a nightmare together, seriously, like, how are you two at each other’s throats one second and then best friends the next? Steve and I have debated locking you in a bathroom until you get along, but we’re kind of afraid you’ll kill each other.”

So no, Nancy and Eddie don’t get along. They’re kind of a nightmare together. They don’t make sense, and they don’t try to. They have other friends, who they get along with better, that they can seek out.

But when Eddie knocks on her window, the only surprise is that he could even get there.

“How?” She hisses, opening the window. He tumbles in, doesn’t even try to play off the utter gracelessness he’s displaying.

“Wowie, I am never doing that again,” he breathes, flat on his back. “You’re going to have to help me down the stairs when I leave, had to leave my cane at the bottom and I cannot get back down that way.”

She doesn’t even want to know what he had to do to get up on her roof with his bad leg. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m but another lover, nothing but an ant in the face of your unwavering beauty, my queen,” he says, batting his eyes at her. The dramatics don’t hit the way he intends, given that he’s stuck on the floor. He holds a hand out pleadingly, and she rolls her eyes, hauling him up until she can get him to her bed.

“Never mind.” She puts her hands on her hips, a gesture that is so obviously Steve she removes them immediately. From the glint in Eddie’s eyes, he notices.

She tries not to be jealous. She tries, she swears, but…

Three of the four (five? she doesn’t know what Argyle thinks of her) friends she has are dating each other. Two of them dated her, first. She can’t help but wonder, if she’d known that was an option, if everything would have been different. If she wouldn’t have this aching bitterness between her teeth.

(Nothing would have changed, she knows. She’d been too desperate for other things. Trying so hard with Steve so her best friend didn’t die for nothing. Staying with Jonathan because he understood her more than anyone else, so maybe they didn’t need to talk. It wouldn’t have helped anything. She still wonders.)

It doesn’t matter. What’s past is past, and she needs to move forward. She can’t stop to think about could-have-beens, because thinking about boys is what got her into this mess in the first place.

She closes her eyes, taking a shaky breath. That’s not fair. None of this is fair. None of it is fucking fair because Nancy stopped caring about fair when Barb died.

She needs a drink. She needs a nap. She needs to stop feeling like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.

She doesn’t do any of that. She calls Robin.

“Barb was my first kiss.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Nancy says, and keeps talking, because Barb is dead and Robin is a lesbian and she’s long forgotten what Barb’s favorite chapstick was back then. “We were seven, and I liked it but I didn’t know if I liked her. But I was convinced I was going to marry her, until my mom told me that girls don’t marry other girls. And I knew she liked girls when she died. She told me when we were fifteen, and I didn’t know the word bisexual but I knew I loved her and that was all that mattered. Not—not like that, not romantic, or maybe it was but it doesn’t matter because she was my best friend and I still love her but she’s gone forever. I loved her.”

She feels Robin lay a tentative hand on her back.

“I had to look her parents in the eye and pretend. All those fucking NDA’s, I had to pretend there was hope. Pretend she was still missing. It was like everyone forgot about her except for me and them, and they sold their house to find their dead daughter and I wasn’t supposed to say anything and Steve kept reminding me about the fucking NDA’s—“

“Nancy…”

“It’s my fault,” Nancy says, staring at the water. “I lumped in Steve, because it was easier than being alone. He didn’t know her like I did. She was worried about me. She stayed because she cared, and look where that got her.”

“That’s bullshit!” Robin’s eyes are wide, and she waves her hands around as she talks. “If it’s anyones fault, it’s those—those scientist guys experimenting on El! They knew there was a problem, and they tried to cover it up instead of making sure people were safe. You didn’t know it was dangerous. How were you supposed to know it was going to end up as anything other than normal teenage drama? None of this is supposed to be real, you didn’t know—“

“But I left her,” Nancy cuts in. “I left her alone to go lose my virginity to a boy she didn’t even like—“

“He was your boyfriend, it shouldn’t have mattered if she liked him—“

“It doesn’t matter!” Nancy shouts, and Robin falls silent, mouth still moving. “It doesn’t fucking matter how it happened, because it did and now she’s dead and she’s never coming back and it’s all my fault.”

Nancy is sick of crying. Sick of feeling helpless. Sick of not being able to change the past.

“It’s not just Barb. I took Fred to the trailer park—he didn’t even want to be there, and now he’s dead. Eddie needs a cane, Max is almost completely blind and might never walk again and it was my plan that put them there. My plan that almost killed them. I’m responsible—“

“Fuck that.”

“Robin…”

“No, you listen to me, Nancy Wheeler,” Robin says, grabbing her by the shoulders. “You are one of the most remarkable people I have ever known. Max would have died without that plan. We all would have died. Venca-slash-Henry-slash-One would have won without that plan, and I am not going to sit here and listen to you blame yourself for saving lives. And-and Fred! Venca had already marked him, you know that. You couldn’t have done anything! And Barb is not your fault, okay? I-I-I know I can’t convince you, but I’ll say it as many times as it takes until you start believing it, because it’s true. You didn’t kill her. You didn’t kill anyone.”

“I killed Bruce,” she says, just to prove Robin wrong. And isn’t that shitty of her, to forget about him until she can use him to prove a point? She’s a fucking awful person.

“I don’t know who Bruce is, but given your track record I highly doubt that.”

“I bashed his head in with a fire extinguisher.”

Robin pauses, and Nancy’s stomach sinks. This is it, she thinks. This is what will convince her, this is what will make her see that I’m wrong, that I’m poison-

“What was he doing?”

“What?”

“Bruce. You had to have a reason for it. What was he doing?”

It’s like Robin doesn’t even care that Nancy just admitted to first degree murder. “He was flayed,” she admits, knowing Robin will take it as proof that she’s right.

“That’s not murder, that’s self defense,” Robin says, just like she knew she would. “Also, if he was flayed he was already dead. Sorry, I’m sticking to your side on this.”

“But I’m less torn up about killing my asshole coworker than I am about anything else. How does that not make me a monster?”

“He was already dead, Nancy!” Robin shakes her. “You’re not beating yourself up over it because you know he was already dead, a-a-and I know you’re using him to try and push me away and I won’t let you.”

“Robin…” she says, tears springing to her eyes. She’s so fucking sick of crying. So sick of the way she never seems to stop anymore.

“Nancy,” Robin says. “None of us are going to leave you. Stop trying to make us.”

She pulls her into a hug, and Nancy sags into it, boneless.

There, sandwiched between the sky and the water, Nancy starts to feel like she could forgive herself.

“Nancy,” Steve says, putting a hand on her shoulder and ducking his chin to look her in the eye. “They won’t be alone.”

Tears well up, unbidden, at the way he seems to understand her now in a way he never did before.

“I want this,” she insists.

“I know you do,” he says. “Which is why you’re going to go out there, kick ass, and take names. We’ll be here, okay? We’ll keep an eye on them.”

“I know you will.” She swipes a hand across her eyes. “Can you talk to Holly, too? She gets lonely.”

Steve smiles. He’d always loved Holly, when they were dating. He used to braid her hair sometimes. Asked her about her drawings, her TV shows, listened to her talk with the same attentiveness Nancy’s father had never shown any of them. He’ll be a good dad, someday. To someone else’s children.

“I’ll talk to Holly,” he promises. “Does she still like princesses?”

“Ladybugs,” she says. “It’s ladybugs, now.”

“Ladybugs. I can do that. Black and red, and they’re all ladies. What’s not to like?”

“There are male ladybugs.”

“Wait, seriously?”

She laughs, tearfully, but they’re happy tears. Steve wipes them away gently, and she smiles at him to let him know she’s okay. “You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington.”

“You’re the best person I know, Nancy Wheeler,” he replies, achingly sincere. “You’re gonna have the whole world under your thumb, I just know it. Ever thought of running for President?”

“Can’t be worse than the one we have now,” she says, grimaces as her own joke lands too bitterly to be funny. She sees his jaw tighten before he forces himself to relax.

“I’d vote for you.”

She grins at him, sharp to punch through the tension she’d made. “I’ll make Eddie my Vice President.”

“Oh, fuck no. You lost me,” he says, and Eddie makes an offended noise from where he’s stealing snacks from the glovebox. Jonathan swats him, and she smiles at him too. He smiles back, tentatively, and wanders to her side.

“You gonna be okay up there?” He asks quietly. She can hear the guilt in it, still, and she reaches down to squeeze his hand. The one with the scar that matches hers, so their palms line up. It feels full circle, somehow, the three of them together like this.

“I’ll be okay,” she confirms, and feels the truth of it in her chest. Her boys are here with her, the ones who have been there since the beginning. Eddie’s watching them fondly, munching on a granola bar. Robin is inside somewhere, rambling at her mother. Mike and Holly are probably still bickering over the last cupcake. She loves them so much, all of them.

“Of course you will,” Steve says. “You’re Nancy fuckin’ Wheeler. Nothing stops you.”

She wants that to be true. She can feel in her bones that it will be. Eighteen has nothing on who she’ll be at thirty.

She’s Nancy Wheeler, and the world won’t see her coming.

#welcome to eden au #stranger things fanfic #nancy wheeler #eddie munson #steve harrington #robin buckley #jonathan byers #this is the biggest thing i've posted so far #i ran out of the little fics i'm gonna have to start figuring out how to format the big ones #there's background steve/eddie/jonathan bc this was originally a companion piece to a seperate fic about them #that was 22k before i lost interest #i'll post that one eventually #can you tell nancy is my favorite character. i love u miss survivors guilt <3 #sometimes i think about how nancy has no friends for p much three seasons after barb died and i get very upset #jonathan could count but he also wanted to date her so i'm not counting it #I JUST WANT HER TO HAVE FRIENDS #i also love nancy/eddie friendship they're both judgy bitches #so is steve frankly. nightmare trio #i'm gonna write that ot3 one day (don't hold me to that)

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feroluce · 15 days

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Lucid Dreamer (2/2)

part 1

Gepard stalls almost a week before he finally goes out to the safehouse, and it takes him a couple days to find it because Sampo didn't have the time left to be wasn't super specific about the location. But he does find it.

It's pretty bare bones, really. Gepard knows that was probably to be expected, but… It feels crushing, when he realizes there are so few personal things here. It's nothing specific to Sampo. Just some food, some medical supplies. A cot and a heater and a lot of mismatched blankets. Nothing to remember someone by.

But he does find the letters, in a metal box stashed away under the bed.

There are two for him. Three for Natasha, and two for Seele. One for Hook, one for Serval, one for Pela, one for Bronya.

Bronya's is mostly business. They knew each other from the whole Stellaron incident, but not much beyond that, and the incoming catastrophe is a more pressing matter. Seele's is actually two copies of the same letter, and Gepard realizes why when Seele is so angry she rips the first one up without reading it. He gives her the copy a couple days later, and she slinks off without a word.

Pela seems completely normal after hers is delivered, but Gepard knows better than to trust that. The next day, he finds her asleep in bed with Serval, bottles abandoned on the floor, both their eye makeup smeared and running and Pela's glasses horribly smudged and crooked on her face. Serval doesn't read hers in front of him, but she's clingy with Gepard, Pela, and Lynx for quite a while after. She throws herself into her work a lot. She insists the heater from the safehouse is busted and she needs to keep it. It's too dangerous for use by someone who's not an engineer. Might burn their house down or something. Gepard doesn't argue.

Hook's letter is short, with easy to read words. The rest of it is actually a treasure map, and she and the moles spend the next several days running through the Underground, finding hidden candy and toys. Hook asks them when Sampo is coming back, because one of the marbles she found from his map looks green, just like his eyes, and she wants to give it to him. Natasha shoos Gepard out of the clinic before he can even begin to think of an answer.

Natasha refuses to let him see what's in her letters, which ok, fine, he'll respect that. He hears from Bronya who heard from Seele who heard from Natasha herself though that one of the letters was a map and the other a catalogue, with all of Sampo's hidden "warehouses." Gepard promptly marches himself back out to the frontlines, where he can turn a blind eye. If a ton of stolen goods suddenly enters the black market, and if the orphanage and the clinic suddenly have new supplies, well, technically that's none of his business.

Gepard goes to bed, curls up under mismatched blankets and closes his eyes.

He doesn't dream.

One of Gepard's letters was also business, like Bronya's and Natasha's. He and Bronya follow everything meticulously, down to the letter, because there has to be some good to get out of all this, there has to be. Gepard can't let it all be for nothing, it would bury him.

And so the catastrophe passes. Not without casualties, and not without a lot of damage and destruction. But Belobog survives.

And after that, time just kind of…goes on. Gepard has been a part of the Silvermanes since he was old enough to enlist. The Fragmentum had gotten so much worse in the years before Welt sealed the Stellaron. He knows the statistics, it is literally his and Pela's jobs to keep track. He knows when he sees a face everyday in the camps and then it's suddenly gone. He's not unfamiliar with things like grief and loss.

He still catches himself checking the trashcans and the supply crates and soldiers' footprints sometimes, though.

But there comes a night where Gepard goes to bed, holding the mismatched blankets to his face, and he dreams. And it's strange, it's off, it sticks with him. Sampo doesn't look the same. He's thinner. His muscles have atrophied. He looks like how Gepard has seen soldiers after months in the hospital.

The most unsettling difference is there's a scar across the left side of his head, Gepard can see it over his ear, peeking out past his hairline, carving towards his cheek. Sampo is always careful about his face. Gepard once saw him dodge a Fragmentum monster and literally let it cut across his neck just to keep his face clear. He wouldn't let that happen for nothing.

Their actions in the dream itself aren't new. Sampo seems tired, run down and worn out, but he announces his presence with aplomb by lobbing a bunch of smoke bombs off the rooftops and sending his soldiers scrambling. Same shit, different day.

The new part is what he says when Gepard chases him out to the edges of the camp, tackles him into the snow. Gepard pins him to the frozen ground to detain him and Sampo doesn't even fight it, just looks up at him like he's seeing sunrise for the first time in months.

"I'll be home in one week."

#sampard #gepo #hsr gepard #hsr sampo #gepard landau #sampo koski #hsr natasha #pelageya sergeyevna #serval landau #bronya rand #hsr seele #hsr hook #honkai star rail #my fics #lucid dreamer #I was initially just going to let Sampo stay dead because I love that kind of thing #but I ended up liking this ending so I guess I'll let it stay haha #I love thinking about Sampo's relationships with the rest of the cast and their reactions to all this #he was a founding member of Mechanical Fever. he still plays shows with Pela and Serval.#Pela is constantly giving him second chances like in the museum event and letting him volunteer with the Silvermanes.#And Serval could say SO much about him but all she says is 'hah that guy' and mentions Gepard is going to catch him someday.#I need the three of them to be a weird trio of buddies fdksaljfdkl #Sampo is seen with Seele plenty and he's with Natasha so much that Hook literally thought he was horribly ill for a long time.#I love them having some kind of odd comraderie #and oh my god I am the biggest Hook & Sampo stan ever they're so so cute and sweet and precious and WAH #so I think Sampo would want to be prepared for just in case he didn't make it back. that he would have a contingency plan for everything.#and he would miss these people and this city enough to show up in their dreams one last time.#but I'd like to think he saved Gepard for last #and it is not just because he has a crush or any kind of romantic feelings for him. There's more to it than that.#(If I'm being super honest I don't even really ship them with romance involved. I have a hard time picturing them like that.)

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bulkyphrase · 8 months

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Stucky for Steve Stans

I feel like I don't rec enough Stucky, so please have this list of some of my favorite Steve-forward Stucky fics!

Not a Perfect Soldier by TooManyBattles (Skarabrae_stone) (@captaintoomanybattles) (Mature | Graphic Depictions Of Violence | 93,354 words)

Summary: In a world where HYDRA was wiped out in the '40s, Steve is found by the Army rather than SHIELD. General Thaddeus Ross wants a perfectly obedient super-soldier at his command, and to that end, he sets out to break Steve to his will. As Steve struggles to come to terms with all he has lost, his life in captivity is only made bearable by the presence of another prisoner-- another super-soldier known only as "Soldat". Then the Avengers strike a deal with Ross to "borrow" him for missions, and Steve is faced with a team who dislikes him, an organization he doesn't trust, and the question of what he's willing to do to escape Ross's clutches.

Lessons in Normality by relenafanel (@relenafanel) (Explicit | No Archive Warnings Apply | 38,002 words)

Summary: Things Steve knows about his boyfriend Bucky: How he looks with his face relaxed in sleep. That he can perfectly flip pancakes. The way he’s open about things Steve is still adapting to, like therapy and depression and sex toys and being a millennial. The way he laughs with his mouth wide open and his eyes squinted, and the cheerful way he cheats at cards and loses at laser tag. The way he seduces Steve with a knowing glint in his eye. The way Steve responds to it, stronger each time, taken by his beauty and competence and snark and compassion (or the compassionate way he boots Steve in the ass when he needs a push). Things Steve doesn’t know about his boyfriend Bucky: That he’s an undercover operative gathering intel on Hydra, SHIELD, and which Steve is affiliated with. Otherwise known as The Honey Pot AU

I Remembered You Were Mine by hobbitdragon (Explicit | Rape/Non-Con | 4,455 words)

Summary: Steve awakes in a strange place with a familiar face standing over him. He has no idea where he is or how he got there, but at least Bucky is with him. Also available as a podfic read by Tipsy_Kitty (@tipsyxkitty)

More below the cut!

Demon Seed by SucculentHyena (@succulent-hyena) (Mature | Graphic Depictions Of Violence | 92,478 words)

Summary: [Transcript 00:11:48] MS: You were with him the most throughout the course of events, both before and after. Your account could shed light on something we may have missed. JB: What difference will that make? MS: It could make all the difference. Captain Rogers’ case is unprecedented, he’s the most intact victim we’ve ever recovered- JB: [laughing] You call that intact? -Excerpt of Interview with Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes regarding the Incident.

How Can You Go On With Such Conviction? by Jaune_Chat (@jaune-chat) (Explicit | No Archive Warnings Apply | 23,085 words)

Summary: Steve Rogers is a professional alpha with an unfortunately famous name. A veteran who specializes in people with top-secret clearance, he’s been having some particularly interesting clients lately. This brings him to the attention of SHIELD, who think an alpha like him could be just the person to help a very ill Asset they have. But Steve has more up his sleeve than just one set of skills when it comes to helping the people he cares for.

Ring the Bell Backward by Dira Sudis (dsudis) (@dsudis) (Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | 13,234 words)

Summary: "I know how it is," Wanda said. "Being half of something. I would go anywhere if I knew he was there waiting for me." Also available as a podfic read by sallysparrow017

only living boy in new york by beardsley (Mature | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | 2,683 words)

Summary: Steve wakes up in a VA hospital in Manhattan, and nothing is the same.

darling heart, i loved you from the start (but that's no excuse for the state i'm in) by voxofthevoid (@voxofthevoid) (Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | 19,727 words)

Summary: “I thought you’d make a terrible Nazi but turns out you’d make a terrifying one instead.” The year is 2012. Loki has vanished with the Tesseract, and Manhattan is a blazing wreck. A very tired Steve Rogers goes home and meets another very tired Steve Rogers. Or, the one where Steve saves the mind stone for last and decides to fuck the timeline beyond all recognition, which regrettably involves crawling delicately up Hydra's asshole and less regrettably involves showering a very confused Bucky Barnes with affection.

On a Pale Horse by leveragehunters (Monkeygreen) (@leveragehunters) (Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | 25,765 words)

Summary: Fast and fierce, the Horse Guard protect the Kingdom and its people, and they welcome anyone into their ranks-noble, commoner, or peasant-so long as they can ride a horse like they were born to it. Guard Barnes—Bucky—has come to the Kingdom's largest horse fair to find a new horse. He's supposed to choose from one of the approved horses; instead he finds himself buying a tall, skinny, angry stallion with the ridiculous name of Steve. Bucky can't leave him behind, but he's nothing like what Bucky's looking for and everything Bucky doesn't want. But Bucky's more right than even he knows because Steve's not a horse at all. He's a man under a curse, victim of a powerful sorcerer's temper and magic, and he's bound to never, by action or deed, reveal what he truly is. It's gonna be one hell of a ride. Also available as a podfic read by Tipsy_Kitty (@tipsyxkitty)

Steve Rogers Is (Not) A Good Influence by attackofthezee (noxlunate) (@attackofthezee) (Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | 4,181 words)

Summary: Steve’s left staring at the kid- Peter, his brain helpfully reminds him. The kid is staring back. “So, you’re, like, Captain America, huh?” Peter asks, and he looks a little starstruck but less so than he did when he’d stared at Tony Stark’s jet taking off. “Uh, yeah.” Steve says, staring hard at a spot just past the kid’s shoulder as he shoves his hands as deep as they can go into the pockets of his jeans. “Call me Steve.” “Cool.” Parker breathes, and Steve tries not to think about just how badly this is going to go. Aka Steve Rogers' American Tour Of Waiting For His Brainwashed Boyfriend To Come Back And Blowing Up Hydra is interrupted when Tony Stark dumps Peter Parker into his lap.

cascades. by orange_crushed (Mature | Graphic Depictions Of Violence | 152,138 words)

Summary: “Holy shit,” Howard says, crackling through the speakers. “You alive in there?” Lying is a sin, of course, but Steve’s not sure what else he can do. He’s already lied to the government and Bucky and God Almighty; and himself, himself most of all. He ought to tell the truth. That he’s not quite what they hoped for. That perhaps they should put him back into the ocean. “Probably,” he says, instead, listening to Howard’s tinny laughter; and waits for the blast doors to unlock. Also available as a podfic read by quietnight (@quietnighty)

Into That Good Night by Nonymos (Explicit | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence | 73,540 words)

Summary: Steve Rogers has lived for entirely too long—long enough to see the world's end. The heroes are gone, and the Earth is pushing what's left of mankind towards the exit. But when a makeshift team rises from the ashes, when a mysterious presence all but drags Steve there, he begins to think there may be hope yet. As they shoot for the stars one last time, Steve will get proof yet again that the future is nothing if not an echo of the past.

How to Woo the Winter Soldier by writeonclara (@writeonclara) (General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | 21,570 words)

Summary: “I think I’m ready to date again,” Steve said. “What,” Natasha said. “What?” Clint said, lowering his binoculars. He blinked at the dumbstruck look on the Captain’s face, then followed his gaze to where he was staring dopily at—at the Winter fucking Soldier. “Steve, no,” Clint groaned. Or: Steve courts the Winter Soldier. Also available as a podfic read by Akaihyou (@akaihyou)

Bait and Switch by galwednesday (@galwednesday) (Teen And Up Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | 2,650 words)

Summary: "Post-action tacos?” Tony suggested. “I’m thinking that place by Fordham. BattleBot, you in?” “Can’t,” the Soldier said, typing something into his phone. “I have a date.” Tony stopped talking for an entire three seconds. “You. Have a date.” The Soldier looked up and blinked, clearly nonplussed to find Sam and Tony both staring at him. “Yes.” “With who?” “My boyfriend.” “You have a boyfriend. You have a boyfriend?” Tony looked like he’d just walked into a lamppost, and then the lamppost had handed him a birthday present. Also available as a podfic read by Nendian

#stucky #steve rogers #bucky barnes #marvel fic rec #whether or not a story is steve-centric is based purely on vibes so ymmv #please imagine me going through my bookmarks one by one konmari-style and trying to see if they sparked steve feels #also my city used to have a 'biscuit-forward' restaurant and i miss it so much #but it added '[thing]-forward' to my vocabulary and i'm not even sure that's a common and understood construction?

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transingthoseformers · 10 months

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I like to think that whatever site Tarn posts his fanfiction on has an intricate tagging system like AO3, but he just... Does not tag his fics nearly enough. They're like one of those surprise grab bags.

Is it going to be an energon cafe au? Is it going to be Tarn getting railed by Megatron? Is it going to have unexpected oviposition? Is it going to be a trinefic because I feel like those are still super common in the tfp au even though Starscream lost her trinemates ages ago? Is it going to be ocs that oh totally aren't Tarn's "discreet" self insert and a stand in for Pharma nope no sirree he swears? Are there going to be kinks that are directly stolen from other races? Is it gonna be sfw fluff for once? Is it gonna be the most gruesome hurt/no comfort revenge fantasy? Is it going to be a thinly vieled "I walked into the djd having an orgy" fic because I know he's certainly considered writing that? Is it going to have surprise untagged mpreg? (which I've seen so many people on TikTok complain about untagged slash "oh fuck I missed a tag" mpreg or watersports) Is it going to be an omegaverse fic where I stg Tarn you stole that from the human internet?

You'll never know until you click!

#maccadam #transformers #tfp au #tf tarn #tfp megatron #tfp starscream #decepticon justice division #i swear accidentally missing a tag will put the fear of god into you #I'm staring at breakdown thinking he writes mostly original fiction or fictional fanfics and tags them pretty well #at least one of the moderators on the site have a link to robo-urban dictionary as a ''go here if you don't know what a tag means'' thing #tarn tags his rpf likd it's ff.net #look this bitch in the optics and tell me he properly tags his fics

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jojosgaylittleadventure · 5 days

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This is the fourth fic in my Josuyaus series that takes place while they're still in high school You can find my series here I also have a master post of all my Josuyasu writing here

Summary: After a study session gone wrong, Josuke finds himself needing somewhere he can feel safe and at home and that some where turns out to be Okuyasu. Tags: Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, the following tags are not from/between the ship (just an fyi), Non-Consensual Kissing, Non-Consensual Touching, Side Character/Main Character Attempted Sexual Assault, Attempted Sexual Assault, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Victim Blaming

#I LIIIIIVVVVVEEE!!!!!!!!#sorry for going missing for like 500 years and then coming at you with a heavy ass fic #this is one of the longest fics i've written so far and it took so long because i wanted to do it right #any of my regular readers please read the tags as this is a heavier fic that might cover topics that some people might find triggering #i know that's not my normal thing so i just wanted to give an extra warning so no one get's jump scared tho a lot of it is rather mild #in my opinion #anyways...#Jojo Part 4 #jjba Part 4 #Diamond is Unbreakable #Josuke Higashikata #Okuyasu Nijimura #Josuyasu #Sophia Writes #Part 4 #Josuke #Okuyasu #Tomoko #She's in there for a scene or two lol #Fic #i'm low-key nervous about posting this one because it feels like it really took a lot of me to write it >.>#it was emotionally taxing but i really wanted to write it

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mari-lair · 8 months

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Wip of the Phantom Thieves AU prequel

Rated M

Pairing: Terukane.

Warning: OOC for being a decade older. Violence. Teru and Akane are mostly in the 'enemies' stage of their relationship here so they are assholes. Sexual Tension. Sexual Comments. Lust. Questionable consent in 1 scene. Incompleted scenes. No beta reader.

Word count: 9000 (HOLY SHIT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THAT LONG)

Title: Catch Me (I Know You Can)

There was something off with this room. He knows some rich assholes consider minimalistic decor fancy, but the cheap glass roof, and colorful paintings didn’t scream money, just a marble floor isn’t enough to mask how barren it all feels. No furniture. No decor.

Like the room has been emptied beforehand.

He narrowed his eyes at the lack of windows

Or maybe it was never occupied in the first place, build like a cage, not a room.

Click.

A door opened.

Akane immediately jumped to the darkest corner of this fancy cage.

The unwelcome visitor glowed in the weak moonlight the glass ceiling offered, so it must be a high-ranking officer with their pristine white uniform. Not that Akane cares, recruits and admirals alike are child’s play to deal with.

Akane picked a spoon roughly the same weight as a key from his pants pocket and approached the officer as quietly as possible, noticing a sheeted sword and the metallic hint of a gun partially hidden by his cape, focusing on a much smaller glint on the opposite side of his belt.

Bingo.

Akane lunged, as quiet as he could in this echo-y marble floor, touching the edge of the key and freezing when his moves were stopped by a firm grip on his arm.

That’s unusual, he tends to be too fast to be caught.

“Phantom Thief, so glad you came.” The cop said, his smile polite but his blue eyes cold, glowing like radiation in the dark “You’re as foolish as the rumors say.”

Foolish?!

Akane bristled, abandoning his jacket to slip out of his hold. The man stared at the empty sleeve in his hands with a frown, but he didn’t panic, throwing his jacket on the ground “And just as slippery.”

Akane didn’t comment, trying to search for a way out. The room was pretty big, but just as he had suspected: there wasn’t a window he could use for a grand escape in sight.

“You’re under arrest for multiple robberies, unauthorized possession of poison-”

“Poison?” He doesn’t have poison, what the fuck is he talking about?

“-and assault of seven officers,” The man said, raising two fingers up and immediately turning on the lights, making everything too fucking bright. It confirmed his suspicions this place only has one exit, but now what? “If you turn yourself I’ll be generous in your sentence.”

“Does that offer ever works?” Akane mocked, walking towards the only door and feeling just a tiny bit wary of the calm way this man followed him, still composed after witnessing Akane's speed.

“You would be surprised,” The man said, grabbing a whip from behind his cape, which is an odd weapon for a police officer, odd enough for Akane to pause, connecting the dots: Golden hair. Glowy eyes. Whip. Now that’s a combo that sounded familiar.

Akane resisted the urge to laugh, realizing he is dealing with the very top of the food chain, the chief of the police, infamous for being a monster in every criminal bar Hanako had dragged him against his will.

Akane doesn’t feel any camaraderie with other criminals, finding way too many rotten people in the ‘business’, but their popular rumors are worth listening to: The sewer is a good emergency exit, no cop will ever dirty themselves for their dear law. The industrial area is so loud you can fire a gun without being noticed if you time it right, so criminals and police officers alike are bolder. And if you fall for one of Chief Minamoto’s traps, it’s wiser to surrender on the spot.

It made his heart speed up, getting some hope for the asshole in the uniform. He would hate to end the night with his hands empty, but if he steal something from this monster, he will be unbeatable.

The chief badge is perfect. He wants it.

What he wants, he takes.

Akane has never been caught before, no doubt his name has plenty of rumors attached to it as well. He isn’t scared of monsters, just because he never ‘raised the bar’ of his crimes, as Hanako so stupidly puts it, doesn’t means he isn’t the best in his field. He can handle a pompous asshole with a whip.

Akane threw his cape at his face and run for it the second it got close enough to hide Teru's eye, cursing the easy way he keep his predatory eyes on Akane’s shadow, slashing the air in a perfect arc that caught Akane’s cape mid-air and slammed the ground far too close for comfort, the sound of his whip breaking the air made Akane’s ears ring, forced to jump back.

This demon is fast.

Teru's voice changed from coldly polite to authoritarian, “Get on your knees and put your hands where I can see them or I’ll be forced to use violence.”

“Fuck you-” Akane eyes widened, barely dodging his attack and running farther out of range, waiting for an opportunity to try to steal his keys again-

He yelped when a slash nearly hit his head, the force of it damaging the wall behind him. Holy shit, is the bastard trying to kill him?? Akane sped up, needing a proper plan-

He felt something wrap around his leg, yelping at how it burned his skin and losing equilibrium when Teru pulled. Akane slammed on the ground, hitting his chest on the hard tiles and breathlessly cursing the fucker.

“Watch your tongue, thief.”

This piece of shit-

Akane tried to jump back on his feet, but was smashed on the ground by a slash on his spine. The impact hurts like hell, and the fall didn’t help, making him get familiar with the ground again in the spam of a minute.

Something heavy pressed on his back.

Shit shit shit

“Get off me!” He tried to shake him off, panicking at how little he could move as he feel his arms be restrained “Watch your hands you son of a-”

Click.

Hard metal wrapped around his wrists. Akane froze, having not been caught in one of these in years.

Teru pushed him by his restrained wrists and analyzed him as if he was a chore, Akane tensed up, doing the same: The chief looks weirdly young, can’t be older than thirty, his disgusting cop uniform and the cold apathy in his eyes putting Akane on edge.

Akane usually likes beauty, but it was impossible to care about his ‘long lashes and ocean blue eyes’ when the bastard looked at him like he was a piece of trash.

“What’s your name.” Teru ordered.

Akane spat in his eye, annoyed by the easy way he dodged, acting as if Akane was a badly behaved child. He grabbed his handcuffed wrists and roughly pushed him back on his feet.

“Get off me!” Akane snarled, his cursing cut by a pained hiss when Teru pushed his hair.

“Name.”

Akane just snarled, trying to get off the handcuff. These chains aren’t the cheap ones but he can do it.

Akane waited until he was sure the bastard wasn’t looking to slip the hairpin he hides inside his gloves to the tip of his finger.

“I’ll save the interrogation for later.” Teru commented, keeping a firm hold on his shoulder as he dragged him. His grip was uncomfortably tight, even if Akane didn’t have handcuffs on, he wouldn’t be able to slip out of it.

Tch.

Akane pretended to have given up, not resisting when Teru unlocked the door and pushed him out but still glaring when the chief narrowed his eyes, wary of his ‘docile’ attitude.

Teru grabbed his hand and confiscated his hairpin, startling Akane.

Teru ignored his curse, keeping a firm hold on his shoulder as he confiscated the hairpin on his other glove and pat him down.

Akane snarled, watching all the tricks he hide up his sleeves, shoes and pants be confiscated, feeling almost naked without any of it.

He was visibly more grumpy but he didn’t complainwhen Teru picked up the pace, taking note of an open window ahead. It was the one he had used to get inside this hell hole: two meters up, which isn’t ideal: Still, an escape route is an escape route, if he used Teru’s body as a step ladder he could make it.

He tried to steal his key, able to do so the second Teru glanced at the window Akane has his eyes on, but his victory was short lived, barely getting enough time to twist himself out of Teru’s hold before his scalp burned, the damn cop not gentle when pushing his ponytail.

“Escape attempts will only increase your sentence.” He said in a pleasant tone, smile falling as Akan’s handcuffs clattered on the ground. “You already unlocked?”

He sounded almost impressed. Almost.

“What else would I do with a key?” Akane hissed, changing his approach. If the wary bastard won’t let him out he’ll do it by force.

He grabbed his arm, aware his shoulder throw is a force to be reckoned with, but being tripped the second he touched Teru, losing his balance.

There must be metal on his boots cause his kick hurts.

Akane held his injured leg, cursing when he was restrained again.

“Keep this up and I’ll resort to violence.” He said calmly.

Ha! As if he wasn’t already fucking using violence.

“Eat shit and die.”

“Very well.” Teru's smile gained a sadistic edge to it, punching him straight in the gut.

Akane felt the air leave his lungs, swaying on his feet, his vision got blurry at the edges. The only reason he did not fall was the firm grip on his arm, dragging him.

“...Bastard.” He groaned, trying to dig his feet on the ground to make his life harder but all he achieved was to trip on the stairs.

He was shoved on a cell, his clothes changed into an awful striped prison uniform. Even his tie was confiscated, making his long hair stick to his neck.

…Great.

At least the handcuffs are off, this city’s prison cleaner and more spacious than the one on his old town.

“They really caught you, pal” a very familiar and annoying voice said “Thats rough.”

Great. Just who he wanted to see in this shithole.

“I’m not your pal No.7” Akane glared, his mood dropping even lower “What are you doing here?”

“Just visiting, thought you would be lonely in this cold cell.”

“I will call the cops” Akane deadpaned, hoping that demon whipped the smirk off Hanako’s face.

“Awww~” Hanako eyes crinkled, amused “You want me as your cellmate that bad? I missed you too my fellow thief!”

One of these days he will be charged with murder and if the bastard doesn’t disappear right now, he’s afraid the allegations will have basis.

“Police! Help!” He yelled, pretty sure they wouldn’t care, but trying to send Hanako a message by giving him a deadpan stare “I am being harrased.”

“You’re so mean to me~” Hanako whined but he looked happy.

The lonely brat probably just wants attention, doesn't matter if is good or not.

Loud footsteps made Hanako immediately shut up, getting out when the door opened.

Hanako didn’t even grab a key for him. What a waste of space of a ‘partner’.

“Thief!” A young officer with bright blue eyes and way too much enthusiasm said “What’s the problem?”

Akane raised a brow, both by how similar to the chief he looked, and by his question “I am in a cell”

“For your evil deeds,”

He snorted.

Sure. Very evil. “Like stealing?”

“Of course”

“And trapping and hurting a person?” He said, snorted went the young man nodded, taking a moment to notice Akane was showing off his damaged wrists.

The boy opened his mouth but didn’t come up with anything to say, looking stupid.

Must be an amateur

Akane tried to steal his keys, surprised by how quickly the young man grabbed his hand “You’re not escaping this prison, evil villain!” He gave him a determined look “I, Minamoto Kou, will make sure of it.”

Another Minamoto?

Just his luck.

His meal was way better here than in his last city's prison, it actually tasted pretty alright, filled him up too... Who would have thought?

Akane was pretty sure he figured out a way to escape by the end of the day, Kou may be fast but he seems easy to trick, eager to impress.

“Hey Minamoto!” Akane yelled, getting ready to put his plan into action, when the wrong Minamoto opened the door, his high-heeled boots clicking on the concrete floor.

Well, shit.

Akane held on tighter to his prison bars, looking up at Teru with a mocking smirk “Well well, if it isn’t the chief! What brings you to my cell?”

“Phantom Thief.” He greeted back, with the same cold smile. “I have a few questions for you.”

Of course he does. It would be a miracle if they could shut up.

“Were you behind the heist of the central bank last week?”

“Yes?” Akane was so confused he didn’t even try to withhold information “I thought that was the whole reason I am here?”

“Just making sure,” Teru commented, sounding a bit curious…? Maybe? It’s hard to read his mood. “Why?”

“I like kicking your arrogant subordinate back in their places” Akane was honest, staying as close as he could to the bars “The money is a good bonus.”

“I see” Teru gave him that cold smile “I’m glad I’m working with such an honest criminal." He picked up a sheet of paper "Now, I have countless witnessed that claim the phantom thief have smuggled poison.” His eyes narrowed “Would you care to tell me more about It?”

“Wrong thief.” Akane sighed. “Hanako is the one you're after. Bastard stole my title. I think he is butthurt I don’t want to be his partner, but I have no idea what goes on in his head.”

Instead of not believing him, Teru nodded, putting a hand on his chin “So there truly are two phantom thieves… What is your name then?”

“None of your business.” Akane waved him off, walking away.

“Are you an illegal immigrant?”

Akane didn’t reply.

“Very well” Teru grabbed his whip.

click

Akane froze, turning around and lo and behold, Teru entered the cell, that coldly polite smile on his face “Now now, we don’t need to drag this out longer than it have to.” His eyes flashed dangerously “I have better things to do”

Akane felt a shiver down his spine, his muscles still aching where he had slashed him.

Akane spat blood on the ground of his empty cell, narrowing his eyes at the stain in his otherwise clean cell.

Bastard is clearly holding back but his lashes still fucking hurt, those cold eyes making him feel like a bug he would have no qualms in ripping it limbs one by one.

Despite what some people may say, Akane doesn’t like pain, so he gave Teru the fake name of “Shiki Nagisa” to buy himself time. It was incredibly annoying to give the bastard the satisfaction of even a fake full name.

‘You didn’t win anything’ Akane wanted to growl at the cop's pleased face, but he held back to only a glare ‘Good luck finding Nagisa, bitch.’

He tries to steal from Kou again the next time he saw the guard, playing up his injuries and putting effort into distracting him, able to keep the conversation going for long enough for the teen to lower his guard and not realize the keys in his belt were missing.

When Kou got out to get him bandages, Akane was soon to follow, leaving his cell behind.

He spotted Teru talking to a lieutenant near the building entrance, and fought back the urge to punch him. Even with the element of surprise, Akane isn’t sure he is faster than Teru's reflexes, so he settled with stealing more keys and throwing them to every captive he crossed.

“Akane-kun.” Aoi greeted him with big eyes, “Did something happen? You didn’t visit last week at all.”

Akane smiled awkwardly, not sure how to tell her he was in prison. She knows about his late-night robberies but not in detail, not that he is the phantom thief or that he is considered one of the seven most skilled criminals in town.

(...Which he doesn’t particularly like, hating the other thieves he have been lumped with)

“I was on a trip, for my night job”

“How exciting! I hope you had fun,” Aoi hummed, understanding he was talking about his life as a thief when he mentioned a night job “Do you want the usual?”

“I will like a blue lagoon today, Aoi-chan” He smiled “And a raspberry juice too.”

Aoi nodded, going to the kitchen.

The raspberry juice was a bit emptier than his by the time she came, both knowing it was asked for Aoi.

“You don’t usually ask for alcohol, is everything alright?”

“Met an asshole on this trip” Akane sighed “I have a feeling my job will get harder”

Aoi either hate his heists, or is jealous of them. Till this day, even after knowing her for three years, he wasn’t sure.

She had once told him he isn’t fit for thievery, that he likes to give more than he likes to take, and that he should become a waiter at the cozy coffee she works on.

It is a lovely idea, Akane know they would have fun talking about clients behind their back and working side by side, but he can’t picture this dream like scenario lasting.

He was born to be on the run, filling his pockets with gemstones and wallets and on instinct, his insides burning when he set his sights on something that he cannot have. There is an itch under his skin that didn’t let him stay still or play nice for long, lingering in the danger zone to catch every hint of fear and awe in his chaser’s eyes, the insult thrown his way only fuelling the fire in his veins.

He shouldn’t worry her.

Akane had no trouble finding Teru’s house. It wasn’t as stupidly extravagant as most noble mansions but it was still far too big for someone that reportedly lives alone.

Akane very carefully sneaked to a balcony on the second floor, expecting the chief to already be out and about, leaving his house free to be robbed but finding someone curled up in bed, engulfed by fancy blankets.

What.

It’s already 7 am. The police station opens in half an hour.

…Was his info-gathering flawed? Does Teru actually live with someone? Did he have a secret lover no one is aware of??

Akane was about to open the window, and do proper research, when a yawn made him freeze up, ducking and only occasionally glancing at the very sleepy man stretching: the man was slim, and not very intimidating, but he knew that pale hair and glowy eyes anywhere.

The chief rubbed his eyes like a little kid and dragged himself to one of the three doors in this bedroom. Of course the rich bastard's bedroom has a personal closet and a private bathroom.

Akane waited in pure silence for a bit, relaxing at the sound of the sink being turned on and using it as cover to sneak the window open, testing the floor.

Akane glared when Teru slammed him on the ground, keeping his restrained wrists in an uncomfortably tight hold above his head.

He tried to get free but teru only used more force, his smile tenserp “You never learn, thief.”

“You're a bad teacher"

Teru grabbed his neck and Akane snarled.

Teru narrowed his eyes when Akane threw his handcuff into the horizon but immediately started running after him, jumping high, and hitting the ground with a roll, the sword on his hip scratched the concrete, his long coat not made for this, but Teru kept his eyes on him, not slowing down.

Akane cursed, jumping off the roof and sliding into a balcony, using it to reach the fire escape in the next building and yelping at the feeling of a whip wrapping around his leg.

Shit

His jump lost power, barely able to reach the edge of the fire escape, holding on tight to the rusty metal.

“Too slow.” Teru pulled him back to his side, stepping on his chest the second he his back landed on the rooftop ground, his heavy boots digging in his ribs.

“I hate you,” Akane groaned, trying to kick him, and freezing at the way he grabbed his cravat, pushing it until the back of his neck hurt.

Teru took his cravat off and give it a quick once over, throwing it away.

“Hey!”

Teru ignored him, putting a hand on his hips and making Akane freeze, his eyes widening when Teru took off his belt, his gloved hand on his stomach far too warm.

Akane heart skipped a beat, panicking.

He tried to fight him with more vigor, face growing hot with frustration but the chief just held him tighter, keeping him pressed on the concrete.

Akane shivered at the dark look in those eyes, not remembering anyone who had ever immobilized him so easily.

“That should do,” Teru said.

“What?”

Teru wrapped the belt around his wrists, keeping it extra tight and pulling at it as if it was a leash, forcing their faces near “Now,” His polite smile was overflowing with malice, “be a good boy.”

Akane felt blood rush to his face as he stumbled to his side, the spark he had felt turning into rage. He tried to bite his nose, hating how unimpressed he looked, grabbing his neck before he could even scrap his teeth on his face. “Keep treating me like a fucking dog, and I’ll bite you.”

Teru's nearly choked him, the pressure making Akane cough.

“Don’t make me buy a leash.”

Akane snarled, finally having the bastard off him, and hurrying up to keep up with his pace, barring his teeth. Teru seemed amused by it.

Asshole.

They walked in silence. Akane tried to undo the dead knot of his belt restrain, but it didn’t budge, all attempts rewarded by Teru tightening the knot.

Well... This sucks.

'At least my pants are tight enough to not fall without the belt,' he tried to be optimistic. 'it could be worst'

drip.

Akane blinked.

drip

He frowned, staring at the grey sky. It will rain.

Great. Wonderful even...

Teru pulled at the tie when he slowed down, seemingly ignoring the increasing rain as he headed to a small store “Have you ever hurt a civilian?”

“...No?” Akane blinked, not expecting this line of questioning. Frankly, it was a bit offensive “I am a criminal, not a monster.”

Teru was unimpressed, but his track of only bullying cops must have led to enough credibility to earn the benefit of the doubt.

“Can I trust you to behave inside the store?”

He hissed “I can ‘behave’ just fine when people aren’t a stuck up pieces of sh-”

“If you make civilians feel threatened I’ll punish you.” Teru tugged harshly at his wrists, dragging him far too close for comfort, and narrowing his glowy eyes without a hint of a smile, the rain sliding down his cap forming a small waterfall between them “I want your word.”

Akane felt a sting in his chest, never seeing himself as a danger for civilians, but understanding how someone might get wary about a ‘criminal’ in a bad mood.

“...Fine.” Akane said as if it physically hurt him, hating that he can see Teru’s point. “I promise I’ll behave.”

Just while they are at the store, it will be quick.

Teru nodded sharply, the silent warning heavy in the air, and twisted his hoster, putting his gun in the back, out of view, before stopping in front of a big store.

He forced himself to relax when Teru opened the door, wearing an innocent look and staying quiet. He looked at Teru instead of the customers, even if he could feel their eyes on him.

He was surprised by the way Teru behaved, not teasing him for playing nice, merely buying an umbrella and a bag to guard his wet cape, smile far kinder than the one Akane is used to, tone comforting, far from humble but still grateful when the owner gave him a discount, the warm talk alluding Teru have helped them before.

The energy was so cozy it felt like being hit in the head. Either he is one hell of a good actor, laying deep into the image he was given, or Teru has more than violence in his heart, he just… doesn’t see Akane as a person.

The idea was annoying.

(It hurt, but Akane refused to acknowledge anything about the demon could hurt him.)

Akane tried to pocket a candy to distract himself from this creepy ‘sweet’ side of Teru, but before he could dream of touching it, Teru made a show of raising his hand to scratch his cheek, which tugged at the belt trying Akane’s hands, keeping them far away from his goal.

Tch.

He didn’t glare though, he keep his promises.

When they got out Teru was back to being a dick “I’m impressed you only tried to steal once.” He opened the umbrella “Good job, I’ll give you a treat~”

“Oh, I’ll show you a treat you two-faced pig.” Akane dropped the docile attitude too, yelping when he was tripped, nearly stumbling on his arm.

“Watch where you’re walking” He mocked.

He made a face at the way he had to almost lean on the bastard’s arm to escape the rain, “Watch your step, bitch.”

Akane huffed, but he reluctantly appreciates being protected from the rain, Teru’s fancy jacket was warm and dry from having been under his discarded cloak.

Akane had no idea what to do so he stayed silent, watching the downpour eat up the city, the road infested by puddles. His socks was wet and uncomfortable, clearly more on the edge of the umbrella than Teru, they haven’t even crossed a block and half of his fringe was already dripping wet.

Teru was starring at him when he focused on the asshole again.

“Like what you see?” He mocked,

The chief wordlessly tilted their umbrella, soaking Akane to the bone.

Akane spluttered, trying to take his wet fringe off his eyes and yelping when it only earned him a harsh tug, his belt digging into his wrists, burning his skin.

“Oh I do” Teru smiled maliciously.

Akane glared at him, uncomfortable at the way the demon blushed, liking to make his life harder. So he wasn’t imagining, the bastard really is a sadist.

He smiled pleasantly at his anger, and Akane resisted the urge to spit on his eye again.

After two blocks, the rain slowed down, still strong but not enough to create a river on the streets.

“It’s weaker” Teru commented, keeping his hold on the tie tighter, but his shoulder was not as tense.

“You stole Hyuuga’s necklace haven’t you?”

“Damn right,” He smirked “You couldn’t catch me.”

Teru gave him a side look, mood impossible to decipher “And you returned it”

Akane's smirk fell “So what?”

“Why?”

Akane sighed “He was bawling his eyes out about it, I can’t just take his only connection to his lover or whatever his 'Lady' is”

“How nice of you” He mocked.

“Fuck you too”

When they had to climb a set of stairs, he noticed Teru was making an effort to keep him under the umbrella, focusing more on measuring their steps. It was… admittedly not something he had expected of him, but he still wouldn’t call it ‘kind’: Teru pulls are harsh when Akane slows down, and he doesn’t try to warm him up, letting akane stay soaked, smile still unreadable and eyes cold.

Is a blessing in disguise. The idea of being hugged or borrowing his jacket makes Akane stomach twist, not wanting to cozy up to the sadistic cop with a rotten personality or feel comfortable while being led to prison.

Prison...

He bet the cell will be very cold tonight. Way too cold.

He can’t have that.

Akane tripped Teru when they were near the end of the wet stairs, being pulled down with him but able to sneak out of his belt, and running away and grabbing the umbrella while he was at it by instinct “See you later chief,”

Teru got back on his feet quickly. Always fast to act.

Akane smirked, disappearing into a back alley. It was hard to hold on to drenched posts and plants littering the wall with his hands tied but he managed.

Akane peeked from the balcony, not surprised, but still feeling adrenaline make his heartbeat ring in his ears at the way Teru was chasing after him, with his little cape and cap, rain be damned.

Akane jumped away from his whip with a smirk, umbrella under his arm, making his escape harder, but worth it from how being wet annoyed Teru. There was a sharp edge on a window, so Akane used it to nick his belt and get enough of an edge to undo his restraints, picking up speed and leaving the chief in the dust.

Teru had taken the fire escape, his cap getting lost at some point, rain dripping down his hair, getting in his eyes.

Akane opened the umbrella, more to show off his victory than really get any safety from the rain. He is drenched already, they both are. It’s no wonder Teru isn’t smiling, a cold look in his eyes.

There was something about watching him struggle to catch up, hair darker and flatter, that was hard to look away from. The way he whipped his fringe off his eyes is too pretty for such a bastard, it’s a wonder he turned into a cop instead of a cover model.

“You look like you’re having trouble” Akane yelled to be heard over the rain, throwing a closed umbrella at him, watching him grab it before it hit him in the face “Don’t catch a cold chief!”

And off he went.

“Careful, you wouldn’t want me to involve your sibling-”

Teru kicked hard enough to feel like he broke his spine when he hit the ground, barely able to cough before he stepped on his chest and put a blade on his throat, the tip of the cold metal pressing him on the ground with enough force to damage some of his skim.

“Touch my family and I’ll kill you” He has never seen such a cold expression on his face, his tone making it clear this isn’t a threat. It’s a promise.

Akane narrowed his eyes, feeling scared, but unwilling to show it “Ha!" The laugh made the blade dig deeper "Bet Kou would adore to learn his dear bro killed someone-”

A sharp pain made Akane scream, surprised to have Teru slash his chest, soaking his shirt with blood.

He only got his wound treated at his cell, when Teru realized he wasn't being serious.

He didn't let Kou guard him Akane again tough.

Akane clenched his fists as he cleaned his bleeding shoulder, sure it would be harder to escape now.

Akane usually only went out into the night after careful planning, once every two week, or every month depending on how busy his life have become, but there was a buzz under his skin, a desire to see Teru again, attracted to those glowing eyes like a moth to a flame, wanting to scream at him, prove to himself that he is worthy of the chief's attention.

It’s no good, no good at all.

He is no fool, he knows the chief is a real threat, but he still wants his eyes on him, he wants to be the one to trip him, to tear that condescending smile apart with his teeth.

So he went out again.

Akane smirked, the chimney proving to be a good shortcut. He stopped right before he hit the ground and stepped out of the coal’s way.

He grabbed a bag of expensive clothes and jumped out the window, using the electricity post as a boost and support to reach the top of fancy wall, feet in between two spikes.

“Too late chief!” He laughed darkly, looking back with malice and feeling this euphoric adrenaline crash at the sight of a baffled commander whose name he doesn’t even know.

What.

No!

He want to leave Teru in the dirt, outrun him- It wasn’t worth trying something new on these guys, he could have escaped even by walking through the front door.

Akane glared, slipping into the house he jumped over instead of running back to his home.

Where was that stupid cop?

After picking from three more houses, with no sight of Teru, Akane huffed, frustrated by his absence.

He grabbed the haul successfully though so he should be happy. Usually this would be a big win, but he only felt a vague disappointment. Dropping the gems in his bed and freezing at the realization he had been looking forward to mocking Teru.

Oh, would you look at that! the missing chief!

Akane silently moved through the shadows, smirking at the way he analyzed writing on the walls, Sumire’s doing, that one is a dangerous girl. Till this day he has no idea if she causes destruction on accident or on purpose.

“My, if it isn't th-” Akane started his monologue, surprised by the gun pointed his way, the barrel dead set on his face.

Akane froze, too tense to notice his finger wasn’t on the trigger.

Teru's unreadable look didn’t disappear, but his shoulder slumped “Thief.” He lowered his gun, still far more tense than usual.

“On edge aren’t we?” He mocked, feeling a drop of sweat on the back of his neck. “Did a filthy criminal outsmart you?”

Teru's face closed up “Do you have any ties with the masked murderer?”

“I don’t associate with murderers” Akane deadpaned “and masks aren’t uncommon for criminals-”

“A skull mask.”

Oh.

Akane face closed up, he know the guy. Hates his guts, sure No.6 used to work with a cop, a while bback. A true disgrace for a criminal.

“Why would I tell you?”

“I won’t try to run after you if you do”

“Oh?” He smiled “You’ll let a filthy thief get away?”

“A murderer is my priority over stolen jewelry” Teru deadpaned “Do you have any information or not?”

Murderer…? Sumire is not a murderer.

He froze.

There is blood on his cape. He cannot tell if it’s Teru’s or someone’s else, but from the bloodstain angle, he is inclined to say it’s someone else.

Ha.

“Shouldn’t you lock yourself up then?” Akane mocked.

Teru smiled politely “No info then.”

Akane dodged his whip, still not on the same level as the bastard, but knowing him well enough to hold his own in a chase.

When they saw each other again, he had the urge to make him bleed.

Everything about the chief always felt too cold, too calculated. He wonders if he is even human underneath it all, if he will drop the politely amused smile if Akane choked something out of him.

He didn’t care about an image anymore, he grabbed Teru's jacket and kicked him as hard as he could, dragged Teru to the ground with him.

He probably sprained his ankle, it hurt, but Teru was down as well, immediately focusing on grabbing his arm so Akane didn’t run, “Why would you think this would work?” Teru hissed, a hint of annoyance in his voice “Stop always struggling!”

“Sorry for not liking jail, asshole.” Akane sassed, spotting a hint of red under his fringe.

Hah

He does bleed.

When Teru dragged him by the collar, Akane felt a shiver down his spine, wary of his smirk, panicking when it looked like he was going to kiss him-

“Watch your tongue” Teru used his authoritarian voice, shaking his bones. It made him tense up for all the wrong reasons “If you tell me how you got to the museum, I’ll give you a blanket for the night.”

The disappointment when the kiss didn’t happen was such a shock Akane didn’t have a witty comeback.

Akane glared as Teru disappeared.

That’s not good.

Akane paced his cell, understanding the man is beautiful but this is ridiculous.

Akane hates cops, disgusted by their superior attitude and their incompetence, the way they stretch the definition of what’s ‘legal’ the second it becomes convenient, putting a price on lives as easily as the criminals they condemn.

The highlight of his heists is always outsmarting them, the rush of pulling the rug from under their feet, to kick them off their high horse with only his shadow in their memories, watch what rumor they come up with to protect their pride.

And Teru is everything he hates the most, the arrogance, the clear sense of superiority, and sadistic tendencies. He would never get excited by his pretty face.

‘Behave’ That mocking smile came to mind, as infuriating as it was attractive, dark gloves holding on tight to his hair. ‘Or you’ll be punished'

Akane shook his head at the mental image, disgusted with himself. If he was that needy he should just get a one-night stand.

Akane isn’t very fond of those, he may not be as romantic as he used to be in his childhood, but he still believes being intimate is better with someone you trust.

(Even if the thrill of bringing a stranger to his bed and dangling his identity in plain sight is hard to beat, a road that can get addicting.)

Akane huffed, rubbing his wrists, unable to get any fluttering feelings when he pictured the asshole, at most begrudging respect for his skills, so at least it wasn't something as stupid as a crush.

Akane laughed, distracted by how close they are “And here I thought I was being subtle.”

“Oh thief,” He leaned even closer, his amusement cruel, the condescending smirk begging to be ripped to shreds “You’re as subtle as a dog near a slab of meat-”

Akane closed the distance, stealing a kiss to shut him up.

Teru’s lips are far softer than he expected.

The chief’s hold grew slack when he forced his mouth to open, eyes wide in a way Akane haven’t seen before.

(It set of a spark in his stomach, adoring how big his eyes looked when knocked out of his high horse.)

He will be lashed for this regardless of what he does now, so Akane didn’t hold back, sneaking out of his restraints to grab his silky hair and deepen the kiss, intrigued to feel something sharp, a pair of small fangs on an otherwise flawless set of teeth. He could feel Teru’s mouth turn into a snarl, unsurprised Teru wrapped his fist on his collar the second the shock passed, pushing Akane off and slamming him into the wall.

Akane's brain bounced at the impact, not sure if he felt dizzy because of the blow or because he actually kissed the bastard. He inwardly laughed in the the face of his anger, not giving Teru the time to get his cool back before he dragged him down again for another kiss, trying to take the lead and succeeding, shivering at the way Teru tasted, getting on his tiptoes when Teru was able to straighten his back, lifting Akane to his level by lifting him up and scraped his back on the concrete wall, the pain only serving to blur his vision, making it all feel more surreal.

Akane got his tongue bitten for his audacity but he couldn’t stop, having never seen those icy eyes so wide before, his discomfort tasted like victory.

He wrapped a hand around his neck when he felt the pressure on his back lessen, not wanting to lose this equal height, and tilted Teru’s head, getting more demanding. Teru did not like that, slamming him back on the wall and sinking his fangs where he could hurt him, but kissing back regardless. The hand on the collar of his shirt choked him at some point. It hurt.

He was out of breath by the time Teru threw him away, straight to the ground. The persistent ache on his bitten tongue even after getting air back, and blood on his gums, reassuring Akane this is real.

Teru stared at him with hatred, his shoulders tense, hands turned into fists as he breathed a bit faster than usual. He wasn’t amused anymore, his wet lips with a brand new bruise on it.

Akane felt heat coil in his stomach at the sight, addicted to his unease, for once being the one to look down on him.

Akane resisted the urge to kiss him again, using Teru’s wariness as an opportunity to jump away, feeling invincible to taste freedom while his mouth is still bleeding.

(He could have run, but he stayed near, watching him, mesmerized)

Teru spat on the ground, and cleaned his lips with the back of his glove, positively furious “Have you grown desperate enough to use cheap seduction tricks?”

“Have you sunk low enough to enjoy them? ” He licked his bruised lip, “You’re pathetic,” His smirk widened into something cruel, high on the way his eyes glowed with hatred, forgetting it all to focus on Akane and Akane only “Just throw your badge away chief, go use your mouth for something useful, I’m sure you’ll have fun sucking dic-”

Teru jumped his way with a murderous glint in his eyes, fast as lightning.

Akane tried to run away, heart skipping a beat for all the wrong reasons, but he was grabbed by the neck before he could jump to the next building, coughing harshly at the tight grip but still high on the way he had ripped that condescending smile off his face, his anger uncontrolled for once.

“W-What?” Akane wheezed out, well aware he can’t escape his iron grip but still feeling victorious “Can’t handle the truth? Thirsty bitc-”

He expected the punch, frankly, he had expected sooner, but the explosion of pain in his gut was far stronger than usual, packing enough power to make him lose his conscience.

Akane woke up to see a dirty concrete floor, his vision blurry… Body moving without his consent. He vaguely registered that Teru was dragging him by his hair because of a sting on his scalp.

Hah…

He really angered the asshole this time.

Akane felt a hint of satisfaction before blacking out for good. A few days in jail is worth it.

Akane startled awake, cursing at the feeling of water dripping all over him.

He shivered, trying to clean his face and nearly falling, realizing he was sitting on a slippery surface, his hands handcuffed behind his back and wrists aching from the awkward pose, completely unprotected from the rain.

Akane froze, slowly processing that he was trapped on the rooftop of what seemed to be an abandoned house located who knows where, his stomach still hurt from Teru’s punch, and the creeping night made the surroundings dim.

That son of a bitch.

Akane rested his back on the cold chimney he was handcuffed too and groaned at the way it was too short to offer much back support, its cone tip digging his spine. The rain didn’t take long to completely soak through his clothes as he tried to get out of his restrains and not slip down the wet shins. There is a window near this chimney, so at least he will get immediate cover once he is out-

Akane paused his struggles, taking a better look at the dirty window and noticing a shine on the windowsill, the key to his handcuffs innocently resting on it, out of reach but only by a meter.

Ha!

“You’re one petty fucking bastard.” He hissed, remembering Teru’s anger and smirking.

The chief was always so cold, so high and mighty and unbearable, it felt strange to realize he is endearing.

He hid it well, rigid when Akane forced him into a dance, always ready to use violence, but he got tense by his flirting after being kissed, making a conscious effort to not let his eyes linger on his lips, clearly affected by his stupid taunts-

That’s so cute.

He was aware he should run, but the urge to make him angry, see if he could make him cry, made him greedy. The feeling was addicting, not resisting when Teru grabbed his hand, counting on it.

“You can kiss me back, is only fair~”

Teru laughed, so disgusted Akane may have misunderstood his intentions “Fair.” He grabbed his chin, fingers digging into his jaw “Is to put you in your place.”

Akane shivered, wanting to kiss him, pour gasoline until his eyes burned with hatred again but the merciless kiss he had hoped expected never happened, pushed down the fire escape stairs.

“I wish he’d fuck me” Akane admitted after swallowing another glass of alcohol, blinking slowly when Hanako choked on his wine, but unfortunately didn’t die from it.

“What?” Hanako was looking at him like he was insane.

“He is pretty.” Akane shrugged, not understanding why Hanako looked sick, or why his body was shaking so much.

Or wobbling? Yeah wobbling. Everything was kind of wobbly now the he think about it...

Wait no, Akane’s vision is the wobbly one.

Hum…

… Maybe he is a bit drunk.

Or tipsy? It’s been a long while since he drank more than a polite glass of wine.

Was this even wine? What the hell is he drinking?

His head hurt when he tried to read the label of his bottle so he just re filled his cup. It tasted good. So whatever.

“He nearly cut your arm off.” Hanako pointed out.

“Pretty and strong” Akane agreed, smirking at his discomfort but feeling a hint of annoyance at the thought of Teru's stupid face as he watched Akane scream “Mean too… Hate his guts. Need to get off his stuuupid high horse.” Akane frowned at his glass, imagining his bitten lip and blushing at the memory of his undivided attention as he glared at Akane, wanting more of it, “I want him to look at me. Break his back for once, bastard is so cold...”

He would lose a limb if he try to kiss him again, definitively die if he squeezes his ass, but it would be so worth it, just to see the rage in his eyes again.

‘He has been more violent with me lately… Bet he can’t get me out of his head’ Akane licked his bruised lips with self-satisfaction.

Hanako seemed traumatized.

Heh… That’s funny.

“Pussy.” Akane mocked, stumbling out of his seat and raising his glass up high “Hey! Who here wanna fuck the police chief?!”

He expected a solid three people to agree, aware that much beauty can blind some folks even after said pretty man ruin their lives, but a solid one third of the bar raised their glasses, starting a roll of yelling both of agreement and of judgment.

“Make him pay!” someone in the back snarled.

“Yeah!” Akane cheered, taking a swing of his drink. Something about the number was too high for comfort, it made him annoyed, he wasn’t sure why, but he really didn’t like it.

Half these people wouldn’t be able to escape prison, so they must have never gotten their face smushed on the ground within seconds by Teru, or felt their lips split open by his fangs.

What do they know? Bet they don't even know the bastard have fangs.

Akane frowned, feeling an annoying itch in his stomach. Surely they would have bragged about it if they had kissed Teru.

…Right?

Fuck it, he raised his glass again “Who here has kissed the guy?!”

The bar got silent.

Akane laughed, this time louder, far more genuine.

“...You didn’t” Hanako paled.

Akane smirked, giggly with victory. Now that’s more like it. “And I’ll do it again!”

“Thief, what the fuck-”

“How are you still alive??”

Akane woke up with a hangover and four different wallets on his bed, two more on the floor, which had likely fallen when he moved in his sleep.

He has no idea who he stole from, but he really hopes one of his targets was Hanako.

Akane got up, groaning at his aching head and drinking a generous amount of water before looking through his haul, smirking when he found a flashy wallet with 320 bucks in it, and another with no identity card and way too much paper money, the picture of the newbie reporter, Yashiro, making it obvious Hanako was the owner.

Nice.

Akane blinked at a picture of the youngest Minamoto hidden between two bills, amused to realize the fool also seemed to be interested in a Minamoto.

He feels sorry for the kid, Hanako's way of flirting make people's life hell. Akane would know.

Akane agreed to be his informant.

Why? He doesn’t fucking know.

He seriously considered not showing up to their meeting spot, but the mental image of Teru's disappointed look and a condescending “Shouldn’t have expected anything else from a thief” made him fume.

Akane kept his hair in a tight bun and wore a pair of reading glasses, which is a low-effort disguise but it worked since people rarely see the phantom thief in the night anyway, seemingly only knowing him from his cape and his ponytail. On his way he could hear a commotion, reluctantly checking it out when he realized it came from a jewelry store he planned to rob when he had the time.

He couldn’t get too close, police were blocking the way, but he could see a broken window and hear a girl, around twelve, maybe less, screaming for her mom.

Teru was speaking to her in a tone that was very gentle, too soft for Akane to discern words. He looked uncomfortable.

The girl stopped screaming but she still cried and shook her head, visibly shaken.

The chief orders were noticeably less loud and authoritarian when he asked his subordinate to get her a blanket, measuring his volume near the civilian.

Akane just stared, noticing Teru never touched her, keeping a certain professional distance, but he let her hold on to the edge of his long coat for support, seemingly genuinely trying to calm the girl down despite his discomfort, talking in a quiet tone.

When the officer he requested a blanket shook his head, Teru seemed a bit troubled, unclasping his cape, offering it to the girl with a gentle smile, and letting her wrap herself in it.

Akane felt frustrated by it all, ceirtain now that Teru isn't a demon, he just just doesn't consider Akane human enough for kindness.

( but also felt weird at the sight, something more sticky and troublesome. )

He has been vaguely aware Teru, in all his arrogant and cruel ways, is not as simple to pin down as the other cops he dealt with: He carried a sword and a gun, but rarely used them. He refused bribes, only locking up those he was confident were guilty for their crimes but Akane know nobles well enough to know there must be something shady going on with the Minamotos. Teru failed in many areas, treating people like garbage the second they were deemed a criminal, but he made an effort into keeping his men in check, putting work. He doesn't seem to trust anyone. But he help citizen.

Is odd, even if he reluctantly understands Teru lowered the town crime rate considerably, he does not like his approach, he can’t help but tense up at his presence. Hating his arrogance, his stubborn attitude, and his pristine little murderer uniform.

And yet…

When Teru smiled at the girl, the stranger, there was so much kindness put in the spotlight, the dangerous glow of his eyes soft and comforting.

For the first time, he perfectly understood why so many civilians called him a prince, a hero.

‘I’ll protect you, everything will be alright’ His actions seemed to say, keeping his energy light when asking her to describe the “bad guy” that invaded the place.

(It felt wrong, like a fake advertisement, and yet…

Akane couldn’t help but remember the umbrella store.

He couldn't look away.)

Akane held his face, his gentle touch making Teru narrow his eyes. Hard to read.

‘I want you’ He thought, but he couldn’t have that, so he settled for gently brushing his fringe behind his ear and using his shock to steal his hat, hiding it behind his back and flashing him a smug smirk “See ya chief!” He gave him a mock salute, only exchanging his small tophat for the chief’s cap when he reached the next house roof, smirking at the immediate sound of footsteps after him.

“Thief!” Teru hissed, his voice commanding, reaching his very soul. “Return it. Now.”

He looks good without a hat.

“Came get it!” Akane egged him on, jumping on top of a lamp post and using the momentum to dive straight into a four-story mansion balcony, disappearing inside the room and walking out too quickly for the arguing couple in front of the fancy bathroom to notice he was ever in their house.

From there he just had to climb one store up and hop around, determined to run away, keep the cap as a souvenir. He run until his legs ached, crossing many restricted areas and civilian houses any law-abiding citizen would have trouble walking around willy nilly.

He lost Teru after a few blocks, disappearing into the night and slipping inside his bedroom window.

“My win” Akane laughed in his empty room, touching the dumb white cap in his head with pride, the sight of him with it in the mirror made him feel weird. He hates cops and their pretentious uniforms, but he couldn't deny he felt something at the idea this isn’t just a cop’s hat, but a part of Teru’s uniform.

It made him feel closer to the chief.

“How pathetic” He mocked his reflection.

#i'm going to post one wip at a time. all at the same time would be too much #ao3 phantom thieves au #this was supposed to be around four big chapters (like the red house fic!) so a lot of big things are missing rip #ngl i added a scene while i was editing the wip cause i forgot how fun it is to write thief akane #there is tiny tiny microscopic hints of other ships but they aren't worth mentioning i feel #terukane

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ghostwise · 1 year

Text

ironbark, opal, and gold

words: 1.6k tags: zevran arainai, mahariel, zevran/m!warden, wedding rings, antiva, original characters, fluff

The jeweler’s shop is smaller than expected. Every surface is cluttered with tools, and there is a layer of grime along the wall but not the floor, indicating the type of person who only bothers to clean when the mess is actively interfering with their work. Nor does the jeweler have a proper storefront; just his counter, from which he greets Zevran with a nod before remembering he ought to speak to the customers.

This all means one of two things: either the jeweler is a hack, or a genius. But does it matter?

“Buenas, compadre,” the man tells him. He produces from behind the counter a small case of necklaces and bracelets. “Bonifacio, at your service. What can I help you find today?”

Zevran greets him. He glances over the jewelry, noting the traditional hammered Antivan style, the little swirls of silver, all requiring a steady hand.

“Tell me,” he says, “do you make all these yourself?”

“But of course! Finest silver and gold in Antiva, and anything not to your liking, I can alter.”

“Wonderful!” Zevran says, not really looking at any of the items in the case. “How much could I pay you to make use of your workshop for the day?”

The jeweler sets the case down and scowls.

Zevran smiles at him. He’s already been turned away at two other shops and has a few more to go. This time, he tries a bit of coaxing.

“I am getting married,” he confides, and it’s thrilling to share the news, even with a stranger.

“Ah,” Bonifacio says with a sigh. Holding up a finger he walks away from the counter. Moments later he returns with another case, this one full of sparkling rings.

“I see what you are getting at, young man,” he says, “but for something so important, why leave it to chance? Look at this. White gold and diamonds. Amethysts, rubies. Tell me about this girl. What does she like?”

“He is not so gaudy,” Zevran laughs. “My man is not one for gems. What else do you have?”

“Of course, of course! I have such a variety. Let me bring out the men’s rings. Of course.”

He hasn’t been thrown out yet, and that is encouraging. Instead, case after case of rings is brought out for his perusal. Zevran looks at them all, declining every one, and when the last case has been rejected, Bonifacio sighs again.

“Ten andris for the use of the shop,” he says finally. “Plus materials.”

“Thief,” Zevran scoffs. “I come here with my heart bared and you say ten andris?”

“Nine, then.”

“Has anyone even come in before me today? I very much doubt it. Look at the state of this place—you need to mop your baseboards and clean your windows—”

“Alright you bastard, how’s eight andris and you do the cleaning yourself?”

“Deal,” Zevran quickly agrees and thrusts out his hand. It is midday, and he needs this to work.

Haggling concluded, Bonifacio shakes his hand firmly, like a merchant or a noble.

“Now if you could show me to the work room—”

“Not yet,” Bonifacio says. “Tidy up first. Then you pay, then you use the workshop out back.”

“A fair agreement,” Zevran says, unable to keep the grin off his face.

He gets started right away. Organizing as he goes, he cleans efficiently, the way he grew up knowing one speck of dust could mean retaliation. All the while Bonifacio tinkers at the counter, peering through a lens at the broken links in an old necklace. Nobody comes into the shop. But Bonifacio interrogates him, leaving lengthy gaps between each question.

“So when are you getting married?” he asks.

“Ah,” Zevran says, wringing out a washcloth by the window. “Soon.”

“You don’t have a date?”

“We are traveling, and we need to first find a Chantry willing to marry us,” Zevran says.

“Willing?” Bonifacio asks.

“My fiancé,” Zevran says, and the word glimmers like a big ruby, “is Dalish.”

Bonifacio lets out a low whistle. Few Chantries will bless unions with non-Andrastians.

He’s quiet for a while before speaking again.

“Congratulations. And good luck with, uh, all that.”

Zevran pauses, looking up at the man. “Thank you,” he says, not sure what he means exactly.

Bonifacio grunts. A quarter of an hour passes before he speaks up again.

“My wife was Dalish,” he says, unbidden.

Zevran glances over.

“Lovely woman, but not for the city. Always felt like I was keeping a bird caged. We were happy enough. She called me Bon-Bon,” Bonifacio says with a smile. “It’s just different. That’s all I mean. Parents had their opinion, half the town did. It is what it is. Worth it, though. Right?”

It comes out in a rush, as if he’s been dying to talk about it. Zevran watches him, this middle-aged man with fine tools in his hands, still tinkering on the broken necklace. He thinks about the state of the shop, and the lack of clientele.

“What happened to her?” he asks.

“She passed,” Bonifacio says gruffly. “Last year.”

“My condolences,” Zevran offers. “She must have meant a lot to you.”

“Mmh. Yes.”

The jeweler holds up the necklace, now mended. Every broken link has been repaired. Zevran returns to his sweeping, but Bonifacio pushes himself up off the counter.

“Finish up,” he tells him. “Let’s get started on that ring of yours.”

Zevran leaves the city with his pockets twenty andris lighter, and a velvet pouch clutched in his hands. He’s worked through the day, and the sun has set when he reaches the campsite far past the outskirts of town.

Hamal is there, stoking the fire, singing to it as he does every night. Zevran pauses just out of sight, listening.

He’s thinking, also, of the old jeweler, and his advice.

By Dalish and Chantry law alike, only Death can undo the vow you’re about to take. Cherish the time you have, my friend.

Zevran wastes no time. He walks directly into the light.

“Ma vhenan,” Hamal says, “there you are.”

Zevran drops to one knee before him and kisses him. Hamal hooks a finger into the collar of his shirt, tugging him closer. It’s good that they tend to agree on these things. Zevran is the one to finally pull away, only because he can’t rightly give him the ring while attached to his face, can he?

“Hamal,” he says. He holds out the pouch, takes his hand.

“Wait,” Hamal exclaims, and scrambles to his feet.

Zevran blinks, watching him dash off into the tent. He emerges with a rucksack, tearing through it, tugging out pouches and bowstrings and a hat—

“I am not familiar with these customs—I thought we did this at the Chantry, not before—where is it? Oh!”

Whatever he was searching for, he rushes back to Zevran’s side, a wide grin on his face, hair unbraided and eyes dancing.

“Whatever are you doing, love?” Zevran asks. He starts a laugh, and before he knows it he’s overcome by it, enamorado, muy risueño. And Hamal laughs too.

“I thought—well, aren’t we exchanging rings now?”

“You have a ring?”

Hamal nods eagerly, holding it up in the light. It is a little thing of carved ironbark and gold, mottled in brassy colors only a Dalish craftsman could create. Zevran feels like he’s wanted this precise ring his whole life, and only realized it just now.

“It’s beautiful,” he says.

“I traded Master Varathorn for it,” Hamal says, and Zevran stares.

“Varathorn. That was months ago,” he tells him.

“Yes.” Hamal smiles. “The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted it for you. I just wasn’t sure… the Archdemon…” He pauses, unsure how to say this. “I planned to leave it to you. After… In case…”

He can’t say it and Zevran doesn’t want him to.

Zevran quickly takes the ring he’d crafted out of its velvet pouch. “I made this for you,” he says.

It is a simple band of gold inlaid with opal. Zevran turns it and points to the inside of the band, where the words vhenan and corazon are carved, a tiny opal set between them.

Hamal takes a long look at it.

“Here,” Zevran says, taking his hand. “Listen, because I am not sure that I will get it right in the Chantry, and it is more for you, anyway. You are my home. All my life, I never had one or even thought I could find one; yet I have never felt an orphan since meeting you. So there is no alternative for me, you understand? There is nowhere else for me to go, other than wherever you are. I mean that, amor… more than allegiance to any country or creed. Let me declare myself, then, a citizen of You, municipality of a country called Us, of which we two are the sole happy inhabitants.”

Hamal watches him place the ring onto his finger with what can only be described as sincere adoration, the words filling his thoughts like honey.

“I didn’t have a speech prepared,” he says softly. He gives Zevran his ring and kisses it, which suits Zevran just fine.

“Creators! But I cannot fucking wait to marry you, Zevran! Can we do it right now? Quick! Where is the nearest clergy?”

It is lovely to be understood so thoroughly. Zevran could laugh, or kiss him again, or ravish him right then and there. In the absence of a revered mother, and thus forced to wait, he opts for all three.

#rinnywrites #dragon age #dao #zevran arainai #zevran x warden #mahariel #oc: hamal mahariel #valentine's day piece :-)#i wrote this during the week and had a rough day so i decided to try and edit it after work #polished it up but it still feels like it's missing something; feels like two fics instead of one #but one thing i will always do is highlight like um community and the support ppl show each other and um #sappiness #this also feels like it's bridging 'four little crows off to meet the maker' with 'picture our wedding itd be summer sour and summer sweet'#and i'm gonna try to do less one-shots and more actual writing of qdt lmao or i'll never finish #ok now i sleep zzz zzzz zzz

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ghostbusterscantcatchme · 4 months

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Hey!!! I wanted to ask what fandoms you're in? I think I know of a few, but I would love to see how many we have in common! I hope you're having a great day/night wherever you are <3

EVA!!!!!!!! HI !

I have so so many fandoms so here's a list of the ones I can think of right now. Not super active in all of them but, I do think about them a lot.

- Star Wars (currently rewatching all of the films and the clones wars in chronological order, Rogue One and Andor are my favourites though)

- DC (Batgirls, Teen Titans 2003, and Young Justice 1998 are my top comics but i’m slowly working my way through most of pre-crisis, also have watched Titans (netflix) and loved it (Brenton Thwaites did an amazing job of Dick Grayson))

- The Maze Runner (i could talk about the books and films for literal hours and never don’t think about them. my roman empire)

- Marvel (mainly mcu but also the ms marvel comics (Kamala is everything to me), also i watched the Hawkeye finale on xmas eve because its THE Christmas show to me)

- both Percy Jackson and Hero’s of Olympus of course (also Magnus Chase)

- Grishaverse (leigh bardugo is life)

- The Raven Cycle (everything about them i'm in love with and the writing is such an inspiration for me)

- Half Bad: the Bastard Son and the Devil Himself (all time favourite tv show, so mad it was cancelled)

- The Manifold Worlds by Foz Meadows (pretty sure the fandom consists of me and the author of the single fic on ao3)

- Outer Banks (it’s summer here so i’m thinking about them a lot, and also you were literally my motivation for finishing s3)

- the Hunger Games (ballad of songbirds and snakes is such a masterpiece and has transported me back to my hunger games self)

- the magnus archives (was really active last year but not so much anymore)

- a good girls guide to murder (I'm so excited for the show)

#i’m like 90% sure i missed some #my problem is that i am not normal about any media i consume #so i just end up thinking about all of them #of the ones you’ve written for i’ve also watched #the bear #and i loved it so much #desperately need another season #also i’ve watched the first season of stranger things and am waiting for my mum to catch up so we can finish s2 #used to be super active in the marauders but not really anymore #i’m in aedt so it’s night for me #hope you have a good day/night as well <3 #the only fandoms i've written for so far are a marauders fic that i started and proceeded to immediately become uninterested in #and young justice 1998 #want to do a batgirls fic tbh because i love them #asks <3 #most of the fandoms i'm in are tagged in my archive as well with fanart tags so i can find my favourites #about me #eva!!!

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