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sleepyhollands · 9 months

Text

false god

PAIRING harry styles x reader

SUMMARY harry’s having trouble finding enough time to spend with y/n, even after she drops everything and joins him on tour. when they talk, they only seem to argue. when they don’t, they only seem to fuck.

WARNINGS she’s an angsty one— lots of miscommunication, poorly executed arguments, and general couple fighting content. BUT!! there is lots of really cute fluff at the end :> also, beware of smutty content such as soft!dom harry (my favorite), oral (f!receiving, implied m!receiving), unprotected p in v, a brief hesitation to get naked on y/n’s part, an even more brief mention of bondage play, harry leaves like one love bite, and tooth-rotting holding each other while having sex content. lmk if i missed anything!

WORD COUNT 5.5k

AUTHOR’S NOTE fun fact this was supposed to be done months ago and then literally everything that could have gotten in my way did just that. but she’s here now!! writing this was a challenge but i feel so good about it now that it’s complete and i can’t wait for you all to read it. please lmk you enjoyed by leaving feedback and/or reblogging!! special thanks to @cherryjuiceblues for beta reading for me <3 ily <3

LOVER SELECTION one-shots here.

“harry, it doesn’t matter if—”

“it does to me!”

“hey, there are two people in this relationship, you know.”

“yeah, an‘ one of ’em feels like right shit on what’s meant to be the greatest tour of his life! doesn’t that mean anythin‘ to you?”

“of course it does, i just—”

“really? ’cause y’could’ve fooled me, love.”

“harry, i swear, if you interrupt me one more time, i’m booking the next flight home.”

… tour had been going really well for harry! he was playing back to back sold out shows in some of the biggest cities in the world, with adoring fans lining up by the thousands, itching to hear him sing live. he’d already had some really sweet interactions on stage, and no crazy mishaps had occurred (he was especially proud of himself for having ensured everyone’s safety so far). just in the last week alone, he’d been nominated for three different awards for his newest album and performances. anyone could see that he was living a dream— the dream, really. the kind that only comes true once in a blue moon.

and yet… tour had been going really poorly for harry. now, he doesn’t like to complain about much; he knows just how fortunate he is, and actively tries to see the bigger picture when frustrated. but it was really hard to zoom out of his particular situation when he was so zeroed in on a particular aspect that had been bugging him for weeks— y/n.

don’t get him wrong! y/n herself wasn’t what was bothering him. it was more so her presence, and his… lack thereof.

if there’s one thing harry prides himself on more than anything, it’s being an attentive lover— even in the most innocent and platonic of ways. he tries his absolute hardest to be a supportive brother, a considerate son, a (hopefully) decent role model to those who look up to him, and especially a present, loving boyfriend. and for the most part, he’s just as successful in those aspects as he is in his career. in fact, y/n regularly speaks of how harry treats her like she hangs the stars in the sky just for him, how he makes her feel like the most special girl in the world.

but this tour was taking its toll, and harry was taking it out on y/n. he’s never been great at communicating everything in the most positive of ways— that’s where he turns to songwriting— and he’d let his emotions get the better of him after letting them build up for the past couple of weeks. he wasn’t proud of himself, but he needed an outlet.

harry didn’t mean to start the fight. but when y/n asked him where he’d been after a last minute management meeting following that night’s show kept him an extra half hour later than he said he’d be, it was like all the frustration just erupted. inadequacy is one of his least favorite feelings (next to loneliness), and being a barely-there or only-sometimes-there boyfriend couldn’t be more of a trigger for that particular emotion.

now here they were, vexation filling the tour bus around them like a fog they could barely see through, inhaling it with every breath and releasing it back into the atmosphere surrounding them. harry huffed out a sigh, arms crossed and brow furrowed as he angrily looked out the window of the tour bus to distract himself for a moment, having to mentally step away from the argument at hand, even if just for a few seconds. watching as the dark streets outside shined with the headlights of other vehicles, he found himself wishing he were in one of them. it would be nice to be in a car alone, nothing but his thoughts and some music to keep him company.

but he had real company. she was standing not six feet away from him, emulating his defensive position with her arms drawn across her own chest, jaw clenching and relaxing every other moment. when he finally turned to look at her again, he exhaled loudly.

“we were crazy to think that this could work,” he mumbled, barely audible to y/n, but she was able to make it out.

even when they fought, the girl seemed to be in sync with him, inhaling deeply, subconsciously countering his previous expulsion of breath. the yin to his yang.

“what are you talking about?”

harry groaned at her words. how didn’t she get this? “y/n, i’m never around! i wake up when you’re still asleep, prepare for the day, go to the venue, help set up the stage, sound check, rehearse a bit, and then ’m off t’go get ready for a show that lasts two hours. almost each night! i come back exhausted and aching to sleep! where d’you see yourself fitting in there?”

when y/n realized it was her turn to speak again, she said, “first off, do you think you could please calm down a little? i can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”

his eyes narrowed. “like what?”

“when you’re acting like a child, harry! i mean, for god’s sake, i’m not nine! i can handle hanging out on my own for a few days at a time and just getting to cuddle with you at night until you have a day off. it’s not like i don’t have things to do throughout the day, too.”

while harry tended to say things he didn’t exactly believe in the heat of the moment, y/n meant every word she uttered. she really was content relaxing in the tour bus or a hotel room taking care of work on her laptop, catching up on new episodes of her favorite shows, or even going out to explore whatever new city they were in by herself. harry had breaks between show days once or twice a week, and the thought of having those days to themselves was enough to sate her desire to spend time with him. it annoyed her that he didn’t understand that, as she’d never been the clingy type and was always very self-sufficient.

“oh, i’m acting like a child, am i? right, i didn’t realize that wanting t’be present in my relationship with my girlfriend was childish, but hey, you learn something new every day, i s’pose.”

oh, y/n was really starting to seethe now. letting her arms fall to her sides with a frustrated puff, she began again.

“god, harry, you’re not childish for wanting to spend time together! i’m saying you need to realize that i’m perfectly capable of waiting for your days off to really spend time with you. you’re acting like we can’t function without each other!”

“the whole idea of you comin‘ on tour with me was to have this time together, y/n,” harry fired back. “if we’re barely going to get to see each other anyways, then what’s the bloody point?”

…

harry might have spoken too soon. at least, that’s what he thought as he laid overtop y/n on the tour bus couch, because now the point might very well be getting to just feel her lips on his every now and again.

it was late; harry had just come back from a show. usually, he’s too tired to do anything but crash onto a cloud-like mattress after all the jumping around he does on that stage, but this time all he wanted was his girl. it’d started innocently enough, with harry pulling y/n into his lap on the worn, red leather of the couch. his hands roamed along her hips and down to her waist beneath her soft hoodie (which wasn’t even technically her’s, but is it really theft if harry just leaves his clothes lying around for her to nab?), exploring the soft expanse of her skin, not straying any lower. her own hands were hidden in his curls, lightly scratching at his scalp in what she hoped were soothing motions.

harry knew he was done for once he initiated the kiss. tentative at first, he pressed light pecks along the corner of her mouth, quick and feathery, like he didn’t really care if he got to kiss her so much as he got to hold her, or simply be with her. but soon, the eagerness set in, like he wasn’t sure when the next time he’d get to have her was, and suddenly he was capturing her mouth with his own, barely giving her a chance to breathe as he tasted her. while harry never really believed in a higher power, he could have sworn he found religion in her lips.

things only escalated from there. it wasn’t long before harry was wrapping his muscular arms around y/n, so tight that he accidentally squeezed too hard, earning a squeak from the girl. he muttered a hushed but sincere “’m sorry, darling,” to compensate. one hand supported her head, the other splayed across her back as he laid her against the cushions so that he could keep loving on her on the way down. he relished her little whimpers that she tried so hard to suppress, grinning against her jawbone, her neck, any skin he came across on his journey south to more pressing territory.

harry didn’t bother removing y/n’s hoodie, opting instead to push it up past her naval in favor of gaining access to the waistband of her fluffy sleep shorts. he felt her hands tighten their grip ever so slightly on his shoulders as he hooked his fingers under it, relaxing again when he rubbed the pad of his thumb delicately along her hipbone, reminding her it was only him.

it was a thing with y/n. she loved harry, of course she did, and she trusted him more than anyone. and maybe it was the way she was brought up, or perhaps a few poor experiences with sexual partners in the past, but there was always a fleeting moment of anxiety before shedding the clothing barrier before sex. like dipping a toe into a cold lake and hesitating a little, then ultimately deciding that jumping in wouldn’t be so bad.

harry never pried. the first few times they’d slept together, he noticed her nerves, and asked her if she was sure she wanted to continue. y/n had said yes each time, and after a while, he stopped asking. but still, whenever he noticed that brief nervous shift, harry gave her a chance to change her mind.

this time, he bided his time by sponging tender kisses right above where his fingers were still half hidden under her shorts. he wanted her to feel safe, and taken care of, and he hoped his gentle touches and even breathing could remedy her anxiety. as he waited, harry’s mind drifted…. he was getting lost in the feel of her soft skin, its dips and curves and blemishes. he thought about her waist, how his hands fit so perfectly against its sides; her tummy, and how the muscles there jolted when he tickled them; and her hips… god, if y/n’s body was a church, her hips could be the altar. harry was ready to say a prayer right then, thanking every higher power for blessing him with this gorgeous girl—

“harry?” his love’s melodic voice interrupted his thoughts, and harry’s eyes snapped up to meet hers, his nose continuing to skim just above her navel. “um… you can keep going. please.”

the corner of harry’s mouth quirked upward, and y/n could have sworn she caught a glimpse of mischief in the jade of his irises, but it was gone in an instant, as he wasted no time in stripping her of her bottoms.

…

“god, h-harry,” panted y/n, her grip on his curls constricting with every lick to her core, “’s so good, oh—”

“would feel even better if y’stopped trying t’run away from me, wouldn’t it? don’t wanna have to tie you down.”

y/n couldn’t help it! it wasn’t her fault if harry’s tongue was just too good and her body’s natural reaction was to attempt to escape his grip for a little relief. if anything, he should be happy— they’d been at this for so long y/n lost count of the minutes, and after two toe-curling orgasms, one would think harry’s jaw could use a break.

but that thought flew out the window when y/n remembered who she was metaphorically in bed with.

“’m sorry…,” she whimpered, gripping the side of the couch cushion as her eyes squeezed shut.

“don‘ have to be sorry, darling,” harry mumbled against her folds, chin glistening with her arousal as he placed a soft kiss to y/n’s clit, making her jolt in his hold. he breathed a short laugh, adjusting his arms so that one held her upper thigh next to his head, while the other pinned her hips to the red leather, restricting her ability to move. “jus’ wanna make you feel as good as possible, is all. will y’let me?”

harry turned his head, nipping at the inside of the girl’s thigh, and she gasped at the brief assault on the softest skin of her body, now adorning the mark of his front teeth that she loved so much. she shuddered a breath as best she could, and harry could tell by the way her knuckles were turning white in their grip on the couch that she was trying her best to be good. feeling a twinge of guilt, he figured maybe he should offer her a second to breathe. y/n opened her eyes when she felt harry’s lips retreat from her aching cunt and the weight of his head rest against the love bite.

“hey.”

y/n cast her gaze down upon the boy (who looked far too innocent, considering what they were doing) with his cheek laid on her inner thigh, stray hairs tickling her just a tad. playfulness swam in his eyes, but there was an underlying current of concern.

“doin‘ okay?”

she nodded, gulping. harry noticed.

“because we can take a break if you want to. just say the word, okay?”

“i will, i-i promise. but… can you please keep going?”

that was all he needed to get right back into it, only with even more fervor than before. when y/n reached her third and final peak of the night, her whole body shook, and harry had the pleasure of getting to watch as he helped her ride out her high. he almost came in his pants, rutting his hips into the sofa, moaning against her core, begging her give it t’me, love, that’s it.

harry pulled back when she started pushing at his head, whining for relief as he gave one final lap at her core. he grinned at her fucked-out figure as he wiped his face on his forearm, then took her hand that had been grasping at the cushion in one of his, bringing the back of it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

“feel all right, baby?”

“mhm,” she hummed between heaving breaths, glancing at what she assumed could only be a quite painful stiffy between his legs as he sat up, “do you?”

harry followed her line of vision, offering her a chuckle and an i’m fine, using his free hand to smooth his thumb along her brow. before he could even register it, her palm slipped from the grip of his other hand and traveled down to rub against the bulge in his pants, earning a sharp hiss from her boyfriend and a deep groan soon after.

“why don’t you let me repay the favor?”

…

harry was pretty sure y/n was asleep. if she wasn’t, she was definitely on the verge— her breaths were deep and even as she laid in his hold, her head on his chest, ear pressed overtop his steadily beating heart. and who could blame her? the evening’s activities had worn her out, which meant harry had done his job properly. he was more than happy to be wide awake, running his fingertips up and down her arm, inhaling the sweet scent of her fruity body wash while she dreamt if it meant she was rested and content and happy.

moments like these made harry think they could get away with it. the long hours spent apart, the hectic schedules, the fighting. sure, it was tough, and yes, they both had a temper that rivaled one another’s for the ‘least amount of patience award’ on any given day. but every missing ounce of patience was compensated by double its weight in love. they loved one another enough to make it work.

they could make this work.

right?

…

“jesus, harry, how do you think that makes me feel? you’d honestly rather i not be here? are you actually that insecure?”

“c’mon, y/n, you know tha’s not what i meant.”

y/n felt like they were going around in circles, having the same fight over and over again. only this time, the couple found themselves in a beautiful hotel room, with a beautiful view overlooking a beautiful city. and instead of getting to enjoy it, y/n was glaring at harry though the vanity mirror, his back facing her as he tamed his wild curls for tonight’s show… which he had to leave for in just a few short minutes.

the balled up fist on y/n’s hip flew up to her face, fingers flexing to pinch at the bridge of her nose as her eyes squeezed shut for a moment.

“i can’t believe this. i dropped everything to be here with you— to support you on the most incredible tour of your career— and instead of being happy i’m here as opposed to the alternative of thousands of miles away in a different time zone for months, you’re sitting here bitching about being too tired?”

harry sighed deeply, only infuriating y/n more. “you’re missing the point. ’s not that i don’t want you here, or just that ’m too tired. ’s knowing you’re sitting around by yourself, waiting on me while ’m working, when you could be out with friends and family, or sleeping in the comfort of your own bed—”

“that you’re not in!” the girl loudly interjected— how didn’t he get this? “i put all those things aside for us, har. it’s not like i’m leaving my life behind for years. christ’s sake, the tour is over in two months! but somehow, being away from my home and routine is easier than being in the same room as you right now.”

harry contemplated his next words carefully, turning them over in his head a few times and editing any obvious mistakes, leaving the pair of them to marinate in suffocating silence for a good ten or so seconds before he finally spoke.

“y/n… i can’t be a good boyfriend and a serious artist simultaneously, okay? not while ’m on tour. i can’t keep losing sleep over how well i’m balancing—”

“okay, you know what, harry? you know what? maybe you should just leave me, then. wouldn’t that be easier? you’d be able to sleep better at night, right?”

they both knew she didn’t mean it, though harry couldn’t lie and say it didn’t hurt to hear. but she was pissed, and harry knew better than to try to reason with her when she was like this.

when she realized he wasn’t going to respond, instead electing to stare brokenly into the mirror, she continued. “you know damn well how hard i work for this relationship. i’ve flown across the oceans that have separated us, driven for hours just to get to see you for, like, one— hell, i’ve skipped some of my most important classes so we could go to shitty dive bars in the middle of the day together! yeah, remember that? i love you, okay? people who love each other are supposed to be grateful for any time they have together at all, no matter if it’s every day or once a year.”

y/n took a breath, finally cooling down after her heated rant. she took a moment to take in the sight of her boyfriend, dressed so vibrantly, feeling anything but.

“they warned us about times like this,” the defeated tone of y/n’s whisper was enough to finally get harry to say something.

“what was that, love?”

the girl swallowed the little saliva in her mouth before speaking up a mere decibel. “remember what my parents said? ‘the road gets hard, and you get lost when you’re led by blind faith,’” she imitated her father’s deep voice, and if not for the circumstances, harry might’ve laughed.

they weren’t lost, were they?

…

if there was such a thing as heaven on earth, y/n is pretty sure she’s been there. in fact, she goes there whenever harry so much as touches her.

when he kisses her shin as they lay watching a movie together on the couch, pulling her leg up off his lap and craning his neck downward to meet it in the middle. when he runs his fingers down the bridge of her nose, making an exaggerated boop! noise once he reaches the tip, gently pressing against it like a doorbell. and especially when he has her like this.

harry’s arms felt secure wrapped around y/n’s torso, her hips moving back and forth atop his own. the feeling of his cock twitching and shifting inside her while her nipples rub deliciously along his chest made her dizzy, like she had just gotten off a loopy rollercoaster. harry’s back arched just slightly off the plush mattress of their hotel suite’s bed when y/n gave a little bounce, arms constricting around her and forcing a pleased sigh to fall from her lips.

the girl hid her face in the crook of his neck, and harry could feel each and every hot breath against his skin. lost in pleasure, he let his large hands migrate from her hips down to her bum, where he gave a small pinch to the flesh, eliciting a yelp and a small jolt from y/n.

“sorry, baby,” he laughed, “couldn’t help m’self.” harry gently flattened his palm against the now tender skin, rubbing there softly in an attempt to soothe the little ache he left. when he felt satisfied, he shifted to rubbing between her shoulder blades instead, his other arm still wrapped around her lower back as she returned to her previous rhythm above him.

y/n could tell harry was enjoying himself. his groans alone were evidence enough, not to mention the little utterances of “shit, darling,” and “so good t’me,” he frequently let slip. but perhaps he just needed a bit more to reach his high, because without warning his hands were on her thighs, gripping tightly as he began to thrust upwards into her at a much quicker pace than she had originally set— it had her seeing stars in a matter of mere seconds.

“oh, god— harry,” y/n gasped out, gripping the edge of the plush pillow by harry’s ear. she could feel him hitting that special spot inside her with every snap of his hips, and she couldn’t stop her eyes from rolling back into her head, muscles tightening all throughout her body.

“almost there, angel… just…,” harry’s thrusts began to slow, becoming more deliberate, and now he was moving her hips to grind against his each time they met, sending y/n over the edge.

y/n’s moans were long and drawn out as she came, body spasms making her hold on more tightly to harry for stability. she didn’t even hear him finish, too busy reveling in the euphoric feeling of cumming in his arms, surrounded by warmth and love and feeling the safest she had in a long while.

it was moments like these where y/n couldn’t fathom how she’s ever been upset with harry. he was perfect, lying here under her unsteady body, breathing deeply not only to catch his breath, but to take in the smell of her. she wanted this for eternity. and if this was heaven, then surely hell was when they fought with each other.

…

y/n thought she was dreaming at first, not used to being roused from her slumber by anything other than her well-timed alarm and the occasional bark of a dog on a nearby street. she expected that after blinking the sleep from her eyes a few times, the vague image of her favorite boy would dissipate, and she’d fall back into the comfort of her warm pillow. but when she squeezed them shut once, then twice, and her boyfriend’s face was still a foot away from her’s, brushing his fingertips up her nose and along her brow, she set aside her exhaustion in exchange for confusion.

now, harry knew better than to wake y/n up. in most circumstances, she’d tell him off, or gently kick at him to get him to leave her alone. he found it rather endearing, and it’s one of the reasons he’s so protective of her in her sleep— always holding her close to keep her safe, shielding her eyes from any light intruding on the space she lay, making sure both their phones were set to ‘do not disturb.’ but he had to make an exception, just this once.

“darling,” she barely registered his whisper, “wake up f’me, please?”

a whine fell from y/n’s lips, her eyes scrunching shut as she turned her body away from him, which harry knew was code for let me sleep, for fuck’s sake! a smile graced his lips at the action, jotting down a mental note to make this up to her later.

compensating for the newfound distance between them, harry scooted closer to her. he kneeled on the floor next to the bed, close to the pillows she rested upon. he laid one arm against the mattress, perching his chin on the back of his wrist. using his free hand, he continued to brush his fingertips lightly against his love’s cheek, her jaw— all along her face, really. god, her loves her face so much.

“please, baby?”

harry had just come back from one of his best performances yet— the crowd’s energy was unmatched, the chemistry between him and his band members was palpable, and he’d managed to not get hit with any flying objects all night! but what really did it for him was the fan project he was surprised with at the end of the show. thousands of people in the room wore light-up bracelets that shone pink and blue during one of his favorite songs, ‘love of my life.’ if harry’s heart had been any more full in that moment, it might’ve exploded right there in his chest.

he had been on cloud nine for a moment. but soon, realization washed over him in a way that squeezed at his lungs, stealing his breath for a second. the love of his life was somewhere miles away, probably sitting in their hotel room watching a comfort film, oblivious to anything he was feeling on that stage. he just wanted to go home to her and gush about what had happened, and how he wished she’d been there, and how it made so much sense that it would happen during ‘love of my life’ because it was the perfect representation of the amount of love he had for his, and how if she’d have been there, he would have looked directly at her and smiled the whole time.

it made him realize how bloody stupid he was.

in retrospect, the conversation he’d needlessly just woken y/n up for could have waited until morning. but then harry wouldn’t have been able to sleep if he didn’t tell her he was sorry right away.

a groan sounded through the room, followed by the ruffling of bedsheets as the girl turned back over to glare annoyedly at harry. he let out a soft laugh at her behavior.

“’m sorry, baby. know you jus‘ wanna sleep right now, but ’s it okay if we talk for a mo‘?”

“now?” y/n asked in a gravelly voice.

“now, m‘ love.”

with a soft sigh, she relented, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her knuckles. harry caught the motion, bringing his hands up to pull hers away from her face. he didn’t like when y/n did that, as she always managed to do it too roughly. instead, he held her smaller hands in his own, getting up to sit on the edge of the bed, facing her.

“what is it?” y/n asked through a yawn. harry looked at her for a moment— really looked at her— before responding.

“i’m sorry.”

it took her a moment to register his words. “for waking me up?”

harry laughed that dreamy laugh she loved so much, and it almost made up for the fact that she was up at twelve thirty in the morning. “no, y’little minx. not for that. well, yes, for that, but that’s not what i meant.”

“what are you sorry for, then?”

harry looked at her with an expression y/n couldn’t place. it look him a few beats to speak. “i… i’m sorry i was such a prick before. i love that you’re here, an‘ that i get t’see you when i’m off. know you put aside a lot for this, an‘ i ruined it with m’own problems. didn’t mean to.”

y/n’s features softened at the boy’s sincerity, and if it weren’t for the warmth his hands encapsulating hers provided, she’d have reached out and held his face, peppering kisses over every dip and curve.

“i know you didn’t…. i’m sorry, too.”

“for what?”

“i should’ve listened better. you were trying to tell me how you felt and i just disregarded it. that wasn’t very nice of me, either.”

the right corner of harry’s lips tugged upwards, morphing his mouth into that little half-grin y/n adored so much. “think we can get past it, darling?”

the girl scooted forward the tiniest bit, harry’s magnetic pull too hard to resist. though they were the only two in the room, she whispered, “i’ll forgive you if you forgive me.” harry liked how she made something so simple sound like a secret deal between them.

harry’s half-smile quickly quirked up, completing itself, and y/n swooned over his dimples and adorable bunny teeth. a short and quiet breath of a laugh fell past his lips, and for a moment, he just looked at her. but his gaze caught a glimpse of uncertainty in her eyes, and his grin faltered a bit.

y/n was always good at hiding her true emotions when she wanted to. not when it really mattered, don’t get her wrong— she wasn’t one to take anyone’s shit. but at dinner with her parents or meetings at work, she was able to pretend she wasn’t exhausted or annoyed. it never worked with harry, though. he could read and understand her like his own lyrics, and tonight was no exception. he saw through the mask of humor at her uncertainty, and a pang of guilt bloomed in his chest.

he let out a sigh as he beckoned her forward by gently tugging her hands, still in his, toward him. “c’mere, baby,” he said softly, pulling his love into his lap. y/n curled into him, knees tucked upward into her chest as his strong arms found purchase around her frame, holding her tenderly but securely. one of harry’s large hands held the back of her head against him, her ear right over his heart, listening to it beat for her.

“love you like crazy. you’ve no idea.” he peppered light kisses to the top of her head, so softly she might’ve missed one or two. “thank you for comin‘ an‘ s’porting me. means the world, honestly.”

“i’m happy to be anywhere with you, har,” she replied in a voice honey-thick with sleep. “even if it’s just for a few minutes. always so happy to have you.”

harry closed his eyes, laying back into the pillows, bringing y/n down with him so that she was laying overtop his sturdy body, inhaling his every exhale.

“you have me,” he said, though he was almost certain she didn’t hear him, likely already pulled into the void of sleep, drawn in by the comfort of harry’s arms, his smell, him.

“you’ll always have me.”

taglist (final time using the old one, see new link in bio): @fahsey @caswinchester2000 @lmaotshollandd @jackiehollanderr @nervousdadmode @amii-nyc @skitmix @auggie2000 @voguesir @yourgoldengirls @hunnybunimdun @lolooo22 @atoris-fantasy

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number1mingyustan · 7 months

Text

After Party ☾

rockstar!vernon x fem!reader

Warnings: cursing, explicit smut, alcohol consumption, drug use (weed), established relationship, brief dry humping, oral (f. + m.), 69, unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, penetrative sex (riding)

Summary: The afterparty is where the real memories are made

Word Count: 3.1k

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(a/n: literally wrote this whole high but i haven’t posted in so long so enjoy my loves!!)

Vernon held your hand the entire bus ride to the party. You sat on his lap in the crowded space for the entirety of the ride. One of his hands lay on your waist and the other interlaced with yours.

You were wearing one of his leather jackets over your dress. His outfit was similar to yours, all black layered with a leather jacket. He loved matching with you, especially for his after-parties.

His band, 'Black Eye' just played their last show on tour. It's been a long and exhausting few months, but Vernon knows he'll miss the thrill of it. Now that they've made it big, the time he spends performing has never been more rewarding. Besides, he had you with him the whole time.

He really couldnt complain when he's able to spend months on end with you traveling the world. You weren't a member of the band, but you were his girlfriend. Where Vernon went, his girl went.

However, all good things must come to an end. They closed their last show on tour out with a banger and now after a bittersweet ending, they were ready to celebrate.

The tour bus rolled up to the house in the dark, causing Hoshi, the drummer to spill his second bottle of champagne. Of course, the party started the moment you stepped onto the tour bus. The boys were gathered alongside you popping champagne in celebration along the bumpy ride.

The bus stopped in front of the large house and opened its doors. The four boys and you stumbled off the bus and into the house drunkenly.

Guests had already started filling the large house, but the party really started when you and the boys arrived. There were instant cheers and alcohol being thrown your way as you walked through the doors of the house. Vernon kept his arm on your waist, holding you close to him as he guided you through the crowded walls of the house.

He stopped a few times to speak to friends. You stayed quiet, but your eyes remained fixated on him. There was something about the way your boyfriend carried himself that you found so attractive. He simply dapped up his friends, but it left you feeling some type of way and the snap he did after seemed to tickle your brain in the right way.

You made your way into the kitchen where Vernon started pouring shots for the two of you. You downed them easily despite the sting in your throat. You both slam the empty cups down onto the counter at the same time before Vernon pulls you in and kisses you. He's got a boyish grin that you only see when he's intoxicated plastered on his face.

He pulls away from the kiss silently before dragging you back through the crowd of people.

__________

Vernon leans back onto the couch and slings his arm over your shoulder. The music is pumping loudly through the house, but you can't seem to concentrate on anything but the painting on the wall.

You've been sitting still next to him and staring at the painting of a sailboat for nearly 10 minutes now. It only hits him now that you've been dead silent next to him and he hasn't felt you move.

You're too busy enthralled by the sailboat painting on the wall.

"You good, baby?" Vernon turns and looks at you. His eyes are half-lidded and his pupils are dilated.

You turn your head to face him slowly. You blink a few times with half-lidded eyes before nodding your head lazily.

Vernon grins at you like a teenage boy and lets out a breathy laugh. "Fuck.... you're gone."

"No?" You raise an eyebrow with confusion. "I'm right here."

He lets out another breathy chuckle and licks his lips slowly. "That's not how I meant it, baby. Don't worry about it. Just sit there and look pretty like always."

He's still got his arm around your shoulder and his legs are manspread widely across the couch.

Your face falls into a frown and you pout at him wordlessly. You lean closer against him, playing one hand on his chest, lightly tugging at the black shirt clinging to his skin. "No... I don't get it. Explain it to me."

"No baby," he mumbles. "I'm way too fucking crossed right now to explain anything. I promise it's nothing bad."

You whine. "Just tell me. I can't be gone if I'm right–"

You're cut off by his lips suddenly. It takes you by surprise, but you melt like ice cream against his lips. His hands cup your cheek gently and he kisses you lazily. His lips move against yours sloppily and you kiss him back in the same manner.

You moan into his mouth, causing vibrations along his skin. You kiss him needily, enveloping your tongue with his and resting your hand on the back of his neck.

He pulls away from the kiss slowly, keeping his face just inches away from yours. "You talk too much sometimes, you know." His hand has moved up your thigh, drawing small circles along your soft skin.

He leaves you breathless and needy. Every light touch is like electricity on your skin due to your heightened awareness. It leaves you aching for more.

Vernon is never really touchy with you in public. Small touches on your knee for comfort and hands gripping your waist to keep you close is really all he does in public. He's never really been big on PDA.

Unless he's under the influence.

You're the same way. Once there's a little bit in your systems, it's like no one else in the world exists and it hardly feels like you're even in public.

The hand cupping your cheek makes its way back to the table sitting in front of you. There's an ashtray and the remainder of the blunt he rolled for the two of you earlier.

He lifts it between his fingers before taking a long hit and inhaling. You watch intensely as the smoke leaves his lips and blows into your face.

Your eyes follow the blunt wedged between his fingers and reach out to take it from his hands. He hands it to you, licking his lips slowly as he watches you bring the blunt to your lips.

You move slowly, taking a large hit before exhaling the smoke into his face. Despite neither of your eyes being open all the way, you don't break eye contact with him.

You hand him back the blunt and move your face closer to his.

"Then shut me up," You reply, just loud enough for him to hear you.

His lips are back on yours in seconds. He leans over to his side, pressing his body against yours to deepen the kiss. He kisses you hungrily, lips still moving sloppily and lazily.

The scent of his cologne is intoxicating in the best way possible. That and the faint traces of weed and alcohol fill your nostrils as he holds your body close.

He puts the remainder of the blunt out and drops it in the ashtray. He uses his now free hand to pull you onto his lap. Your short dress rides up a little more and he smirks against your lips. His hands hold you by the waist and he pushes you down against his crotch.

He groans into your mouth and pulls away from the kiss. "Shit, you're making me hard."

You grin, noticing the way a bulge is forming against your inner thigh from beneath to constrains of his black jeans. You roll your hips against his once. Your core is throbbing and he can feel it against his cock.

"Should I blow you? Right here in front of everyone?" You smirk.

Vernon groans and tilts his head back against the couch. He lets out another breathy laugh in disbelief. "You're crazy, baby."

"That doesn't sound like a no to me" You look down at him, batting your eyelashes as your manicured fingers trace the outline of his cock.

He grips your hair in the back of your head and forces you to look at him. The look in your eyes is hazy and lustful. "I don't need an audience while you choke on my cock."

You frown. "No one's even paying attention. I just wanna taste."

"Then be patient. We can go back to the hotel if you're done partying."

You nod your head. He pats your butt. "Get up."

You comply like a puppet on strings. You climb off his lap, adjusting your dress and standing on your feet. He rises to his full height, adjusting his pants before grabbing you by the wrist and dragging you out the doors of the house.

He orders an Uber on his phone as you make your way through the crowded house. He holds you protectively until the moment you climb in the back of the uber.

The entire car ride, you struggle to keep your hands to yourself. Vernon has the decency to stop you before anything goes too far, but you still have a hard time retreating.

The moment the uber approaches the hotel, the two of you stumble out of the car and upstairs. You're extremely handsy and sloppy with all your movements.

Your back meets the door of the hotel room with a thud. Vernon is fumbling around trying to swipe the key card, but you're distracting him. You're kissing him eagerly as your hands undo the belt of his jeans.

Luckily there's no one in the hallways at this time of the night, although the security cameras must be getting a bit of a show. "Want your cock in my mouth." You moan against his lips.

"You gotta give me a sec," he says breathlessly as he tries fishing the keycard out of his pocket. His pants are halfway off and he's still a bit disoriented.

"You already made me wait so long," You pout, slipping a hand into his underwear.

He exhales shakily and finds the keycard in his pocket. He still has a hard time with your hands all over his skin, but he manages to get the door open before you take off his clothes in the middle of the hallway.

The two of you stumble into the hotel room and he kicks the door closed with his foot. Your back meets the bed and he climbs on top of you. You're quick to get his pants off fully and drop to your knees on the edge of the bed.

His cock is straining against his black briefs. And he's leaking through the dark material and you stare at him hungrily. You're practically drooling before his cock is even out.

He looks down at you lustfully and uses two fingers to tilt your head up and face him. "You're taking an awfully long time for someone who was so desperate."

You've always loved a challenge.

His briefs are pooled at his ankles moments later and your lips are wrapped around his cock. Your hand strokes what doesn't fit in your mouth and you're slobbering around his length.

His head is thrown back and he's moaning and groaning above you. One of his hands is buried in your hair while the other grips the hotel bedsheets beneath him.

You've completely soaked his cock, taking it into the depths of your throat with ease. He guides your head, pushing it down to take his length further into your throat.

It causes you to gag, but it doesn't cause you to stop.

You look up, seeing he's discarded the leather jacket that once clung to his body. You kneel between his legs, looking up at him in admiration. He's wearing nothing but a black t-shirt that clings to his body more as he sweats with each passing second. You can see the sharpness of his sculpted jawline. His adam's apple is prominent with his head tilted back and deep moans released from between his chapped lips.

"Oh yeah... fuckkkkk" He moans.

You continue bobbing your head, allowing the tip of his cock to gag you and press against the back of your throat. When you stop to catching your breath, he pulls you up by your hair.

"Need to taste you too," He groans. He pulls your damp panties down and tosses them before lifting your dress. He doesn't bother to take it off all the way, simply lifting you up and placing you down on the bed.

He buries his head between your thighs and dives in. Your hands grip his dark hair as his tongue laps your cunt.

"Wasn't–done" You moan out.

He ignores you, continuing to allow his lips to do the talking. He sucks on your clit and you whine out pathetically.

With shaky arms, you manage to find the strength in you to pull his mouth off your cunt. You push him down onto the bed and climb back on top of him. "I have a better idea."

He doesn't get a chance to respond before you're pressing your cunt back down onto his face. You shift your body and lick your lips once the tip of his cock presses against your cheek.

You take him back into your mouth. It sends shivers through your body when he moans against your pussy from the sudden stimulation.

You grind your cunt into his face weakly as you take him deeper down your throat. It’s so hard to concentrate and your body is going into overdrive. The mix of drugs, alcohol, and just Vernon’s presence is enough to have your head fuzzy. On top of that, his tongue is lapping your folds and you find it hard to bob your head.

Vernon thrusts his hips up, forcing his cock deeper down your throat as he moans into your pussy. You groan around his cock, sending child through his body that only make him fuck his cock down your throat faster.

He hooks his arms around your legs, pressing your hips down onto his face more. You’re both desperate to get off and get each other off.

You cum first, body growing stiff as you ride out your orgasm on his face. He cringes at the sudden loss of contact when you release his cock from your mouth, but he’s still determined to get you off. He continues to lap your folds, focusing on your clit as you cum on his face.

The feeling is euphoric and it leaves your legs uncontrollably shaky. He releases his hold on your thighs and allows you to roll onto the bed next to him.

You’re panting with your thighs squeezes shut. “Shit, that was good.”

He pulls your body in close against his and nods. You feel his throbbing hard cock press against your thigh. It twitches and aches for release. “Oh, you didn’t cum.”

He blinks slowly. “ ‘S okay. I know that was a lot of you.”

You shake your head, climbing back onto his lap. “Wanna fuck… have you cum inside me.”

He lets out a strangled groan. You rub the tip of his cock against your folds before sinking down onto him. He stretches you open, tip nuzzling deep inside your walls.

You both gasp at the feeling.

You hold onto his shoulders for support as you start bouncing on his length. You ride him slowly, fluidly moving your hips along his.

It’s a lazy fuck, but every movement is hitting just right. Your walls are squeezing him so tight and he knows he’s a goner.

He leans back against the wall and crosses his arms behind his head. “Hear that?” He smirks. “So wet for me… pussy was fucking made for this cock.”

He’s way too far gone to actually fuck you right now so he lets you do all the work. You bounce on his cock, squeezing around him each time he pushes deeper inside of you.

However, you’re farther gone and it only takes a few minute before your body betrays you. Your movements slow down and your hips nearly come to a stop.

Vernon groans. “C’mon baby… I’m almost there. Promise.”

“I can’t” You whine. “ ‘S too much.”

“You can,” he encourages you softly. He lifts his hips to meet yours. He doesn’t fuck you properly, simply picking up your slack to provide mutual pleasure.

His eyebrows are furrowed as he watches you ride him. His eyes are fixated on where your bodies meet. His cock is soaked from your arousal and he finds himself completely enamored with the sight. His cock swells and grows impossibly harder.

You can feel everything. The effects from your previous orgasm are still lingering, building toward your second.

You dress is still clinging to your sweaty body tighter. Vernon sits up, leaning into you and pulling down the strings of your dress. He doesn’t take it off, simply pulling it down enough to free your tits from underneath the fabric.

He buries his face between the soft flesh and latches his lips onto your nipple. You’re so sensitive already, the feeling is felt has your back arching.

His hand finds it’s way between your thighs and he begins circling your clit with his fingers. You hiss, squeezing him tighter as your body jolts.

His eyes roll back into his head and you can tell he’s getting close. You’re not much further than him, hips moving sloppily against his as you chase your own high.

“Gotta give you want you wanted,” He groans.

His thrusts meet your movements, fucking his cock deeper into you as you chase your highs.When it comes, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.

His fingers continue working on your sensitive clit and it has you falling apart in mere seconds. Your second orgasm is more intense than the first.

Vernon barely fucks you through it when his approaches simultaneously. You’re both moaning and groaning out to each other as his cock twitches inside of you. He pumps his load into you and his cock quickly grows sensitive.

Neither of you have ever cum that hard before.

It takes time for both of you to come down and fully recover from the intensity. He lifts you off his sensitive cock and allows you to rest beside him on the bed.

“That was…”

“Intense” He finishes your sentence for you.

“Yeah,” you breathe out.

He pulls your body close against his again. The two of you lay there in comfortable silence. You’re still v much under the influence and a moment of silence and bliss is much needed.

“Love you,” you mumble against his chest, breaking the silence after what felt like an eternity. “ ‘M so proud of you.”

“Love you too,” he pats the top of your head. “Thank you baby.”

You know you’ll need to clean up sooner or later, but for now, staying like this feels almost rewarding.

_______________________________________________

#seventeen smut #seventeen #seventeen fanfic #seventeen drabbles #vernon seventeen #vernon smut #vernon #chwe vernon #chwe hansol x reader #vernon chwe x reader #vernon chwe smut #kpop #svt smut #svt hard hours #svt hard thoughts #seventeen hard hours #seventeen hansol

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iamnotalemon · 8 months

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Chapter 4 of Kikuri’s manga got me really excited to see where the story goes. I remember seeing comments about Kikuri and how BTR made light of her potentially tragic story as an alcoholic.

This little shot of her at the beginning of the chapter being in a good mood to see Kessoku Band play regardless of the weather shows just how excited she is to see Bocchi play and be successful.

Then of course the rest of the Chapter is Kikuri crashing at the Ijichi household with a couple moments from Seika talking about how she was such a different person before being in a band ie before becoming an alcoholic. Which it’s also just wonderful to see Seika actually complimenting and even defending her considering how outwardly annoyed she is with her in BTR.

Finally, this little bit of sleepy drunk talk from Kikuri kind of confirms the huge implication with her attachment to Bocchi which is even hinted at in BTR:

She sees her young, sober self in Bocchi. She wants Bocchi to succeed through her own skill and perseverance; whereas Kikuri feels that the only way she’s capable of being at her best is when she’s drunk. Kikuri doesn’t live a good life. She’s broke, she’s a constant annoyance to her closest relationships, and depends almost entirely upon the fleeting kindness of strangers who only know and love her because of her flamboyant drunken performances.

Kikuri is stuck in more than just the “Happiness Spiral” she mentions in BTR. She’s stuck in a cycle of alcoholism where she can’t perform without alcohol and without her performance she can’t survive. She wishes she had a second chance where she hadn’t gotten stuck in the cycle, she wishes she was in Bocchi’s place again.

I’m very much looking forward to see more serious subjects being tackled in Kikuri’s manga, as BTR seems to stick very heavy to its 4 Koma comedic nature. I still love BTR, but hopefully this manga will give more depth to some of the source material.

#btr #bocchi the rock!#manga #kikuri hiroi #hiroi kikuri #seika ijichi #ijichi seika #lore #manga discussion

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hopelesslyromanticshark · 29 days

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HI, HEY, HELLO can i get leo with apollo!fem!reader? (plsplsplsplspls i'm beggin') where she performs a song like solo concert for camp (for inspiration new romantics by taylor swift) and leo is just so in love

i think new romantics is freakingly well describes her personality and exactly the energy that she wants to give to the camp (y'know about circumstances)

take your time, lovely! ♡

⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ He Can't See It In My Face, But I'm About To Play My Ace

content: leo valdez x daughter of apollo! reader fic warning: language, i believe, but that's about it!! author's note: okay okay, this was the secret fic with the explanation. i do not listen to taylor swift, in fact she's a blocked artist on my spotify, and let me explain why. my best friend is her biggest fan, like huge huge fan of hers. and i love in strange ways. my least favorite colors, colors in which i refused to buy anything in, are the favorite colors of my loved ones. because i associate them with those colors and see it as their thing. and id know how id feel it someone was trying to take something i viewed as mine, i guess??? its the same way with music. i feel like if i become a huge swiftie, then we're competing and i dunno. it sounds stupid writing all this out, BUT me and her have had talks about it and she understands and tbh, that's all that matters to me lmao. sooooo yeah that's just what i wanted to say and i wanted to say it here with the fic because i think it would have been strange as a sort of stand alone comment, ya know??? anyways, to surmise, nothing agaisnt taylor swift, huge fan of her like as a person or human being, but unwilling to listen to her music because i love people weird. okay okay im done ranting lmao (also i shouldn't have to clarify this but i will; IT IS NOT FOR PICK ME REASONS FR IF I HAVE TO BEG A MAN TO PICK ME BY BEING QUIRKY I DO NOT WANT THAT MAN)

admittedly, it had been a stupid bet to take. but the stoll's were egging her on and she really wasn't one to let clarisse of all people walk all over her. plus, she had some minor confidence in the athena cabin to keep their flag out of the ares cabin's grimy hands. apparently, it was misplaced. but, really their were worse bets she could have lost, like shaving her head or getting a tattoo, all bets the stolls have had to follow through with.

"can't wait to see your next show, songbird," clarisse mocked playfully as she marched past with her siblings, laurels proudly set on her curls. you sighed, sticking your tongue out at her back. and really, you weren't sure why you were complaining. you loved to sing! but, it's probably tied to the fact that you hated to lose. then, you started to plot, growing more excited with every passing second.

no one said this bet had to be a bad thing.

leo knew something was up from the moment he sat down for lunch. he could just sense it in the air, glaring over at the stoll's suspiciously. they shrugged and leo couldn't quite tell if they were playing innocent or truly were innocent. damn hermes genes. then a beat started playing through the pavilion, everyone looking around in confusion. chrion and mr. d both stood from there seats, also glancing around in confusion.

"what-" mr. d tried but then you were standing from your table, a played up face of confusion plastered on your face. leo squinted suspiciously at the girl of his dreams, having already caught on that this was her doing from the twinkle in her eyes alone. that twinkle that had his stomach doing flips and his lips curling upwards.

"hey, what's going on?" you called over the music, trying to hide your smile as one of your other siblings shot up from his seat.

"i dunno, y/n, maybe someone lost a bet?!" he called, the apollo cabin giggling among themselves as though they were in on an inside joke. and while the rest of the cabins weren't entirely sure what was happening, they couldn't help but smile and laugh too. except for chiron and mr. d, who were growing increasingly more upset at the interruption to their lunch.

"miss l/n, if you will-"

"oh yeah. i did!" you cheered before using one of your sibling's hands and pulling yourself up to stand on the apollo table, eyes scouring the crowd before pulling a microphone to your lips.

we're all bored we're all so tired of everything we wait for trains that just aren't coming we show off our different scarlet letters trust me, mine is better

as per usually, y/n was an amazing singer with a natural stage presence. she was dancing while singing, her siblings doing some choreographed moves. following the end of the first verse, some sunkissed hands shot up and tugged at the girl's sweatpants and baggy shirt, ripping it off to reveal a sparkly, frilly, and short dress that had leo questioning if he needed to take a 'bathroom break' during the performance.

we're so young but we're on the road to ruin we play dumb but we know exactly what we're doin' we cry tears of mascara in the bathroom honey, life is just a classroom (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)

y/n now moved from where she was dancing on her father's table, with the help of her siblings. she was now, basically, prancing around the dining pavilion. clearly, a lot of planning went into this, as the apollo cabin perfectly presented their camp necklaces whilst y/n sang about life being just like a classroom. the group had now danced it's way to jason's table, who looked at the group with a raised brow, causing y/n's giggles to waver her voice in a way that had leo falling deeper in love with her.

'cause baby, i could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me and every day is like a battle but every night with us is like a dream

whilst singing about bricks, the apollo cabin presented them to jason, who in turn laughed and shoved them away kindly. this caused an uproar in the pavilion, laughter spewing from most everyone's mouths as someone (leo) had made them aware of jason's past with bricks. you patted the ares cabin as you raced by, singing off battles that was met with kind hearted 'boo's. then, whilst singing of dreams, you dramatically draped yourself across the hypnos table, clover hovering a bundle of grapes over your mouth like you were a goddess. which leo was starting to come to the same conclusion as you shot forwards and caught one between your teeth, quickly swallowing it as your next verse came up.

baby, we're the new romantics come on, come along with me heartbreak is the national anthem we sing it proudly

we are too busy dancing to get knocked off our feet baby, we're the new romantics the best people in life are free

by this point, you were waving over at the hermes cabin, which leo has vague memories of being on your capture the flag team last time, who pretended to be surprised before shooting out of their seats and joining in the flash mob. they weren't nearly as fluid as the apollo kids, but their atrociously bad moves brought a lightheartedness to the whole thing. long ago, chrion had given up, sitting back down and enjoying the show like the rest of the campers. but poor mr. d was attempting to chase the flash mob, which they must have predicted as lou ellen, another capture the flag member of the losing team, shot her hand out and caught y/n's, the girl disappearing for a moment before reappearing, this time standing proudly on the ares table.

we're all here the lights and noise are blinding we hang back it's all in the timing it's poker he can't see it in my face but i'm about to play my ace (ah)

y/n danced around on the ares table, hopping and skipping as they pulled their plates out of the way. she made an exaggerated movement towards her wrist while singing about timing, though there was no watch there. then, seemingly from nowhere, she produced a playing card, holding it proudly up in the air between her two fingers so that everyone could see it.

we need love but all we want is danger we team up then switch sides like a record changer the rumors are terrible and cruel but honey, most of them are true (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)

with a wink during the final line, y/n threw down the card. a puff of smoke quickly covered the ares table. when it cleared, the girl was gone, along with the rest of the flash mob. everyone looked around, knowing it wasn't the end, many refusing to be jump-scared by a stupid flash mob. then they came running back, basically flooding the pavilion with how many of them there were.

'cause baby, i could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me and every day is like a battle but every night with us is like a dream

baby, we're the new romantics come on, come along with me heartbreak is the national anthem we sing it proudly

once more, y/n waved another group over to join in the dancing and fun. this time, the aphrodite cabin bounced out of their seats and raced to join shouting about heartbreak just a little too loud. and you were smiling so widely that leo couldn't help but smile too, completely enamored by the shameless daughter of apollo.

we are too busy dancing to get knocked off our feet baby, we're the new romantics the best people in life are free oh-oh (oh, oh, oh-oh, oh) so, come on, come along with me (oh, oh, oh-oh, oh) the best people in life are free (oh, oh, oh-oh, oh)

the third and final group was summoned, annabeth proudly pulling her siblings up from their table and linking arms with you and piper. percy was laughing loudly from his lonely table, clearly unaware that this was going on, let alone that his girlfriend was involved. then, with another clasp of lou ellen's hand, you were gone. only to appear before leo, standing on his father's table, your eyes darting around until the landed on leo, who swallowed thickly at how pretty you looked in that moment.

please take my hand and

you presented your hand to leo from your higher position and he wasn't even thinking twice before grasping it and allowing you to pull him up to stand on the table as well.

please take me dancing, and

without needing to be prompted, leo spun you and you blushed, which was blurring due to the spinning and leo just barely caught on that it was happening. you then, subtly, pulled him towards the edge of the table, the boy too starstruck to notice until you rested a hand against his heaving chest, the only thing between our lips was a couple of inches and your bedazzled microphone.

please leave me stranded

you punctuated your words with a push against his chest, sending him falling backwards safely into the arms of your siblings. you couldn't help but laugh at the shocked look on his face and leo couldn't help but look at you like you were the whole world, the only thing that'd ever matter to him, and so much more.

it's so romantic (it's so romantic) (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)

#postcards from covey ౨ৎ #all my love ౨ৎ #hoo #pjo #heroes of olympus x reader #leo valdez x reader #leo valdez

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chelscait · 8 months

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stupid, but i still love you. | Laura Wienroither

category: angst with a civil ending.

summary: where you thought what you were doing was right but Laura disagreed, causing you to say some pretty mean things. (kinda)

word count: 3.3k.

a/n: this was another ficlet req. probably really bad, rushed the end and i haven’t proofread. also probably makes no sense.

A champions league game is always a game you want to be playing the full 90 minutes, especially a semi final.

Due to arsenals long injury list, the team was only travelling with half of the squad they started the season with, making it all the more important to stay focused and prepared.

Arsenal didn’t need another player added to their ‘end of their season’ long list.

On the way to Germany, you couldn’t help the anxiety flow through you. The strikers in this historic team weren’t living up to its standards which put a lot of pressure on yourself and Stina.

Also the fact that you’ve started every game since Beth and Viv got injured, it’s fair to say you were rather exhausted. This game wasn’t the one where you needed to feel it’s affects.

As much as you were heaving under tired eyes, you didn’t fail to notice the cautious looks of your girlfriend whenever you visibly showed the affects. Apparently you weren’t being as discreet as you thought.

She chose to keep quiet though, not wanting to risk anything to do with the teams communication and cause a dispute.

When the day came for the game, you sat unsocially in your locker with your headphones on after tactics were discussed, your name and number being up front on the starting line up as always. You didn’t often huff at the picture but now it was a different story.

You felt a tap on the top of your head, your eyes opening to reveal the number 26 on the girls shorts, looking up at your girlfriend who mimes to take your headphones off.

You sat up from resting your elbows on your knees, sighing as you shifted them to lay around your neck.

“Everything okay?”

“Mhm.” You gave her your curt answer, attempting to return back to your music.

“Hey, i’m not finished.” Laura gave you a slap on the shoulder at your bluntness whilst her other hand snatched them off your head. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. Nerves is all.”

“You need to stop putting pressure on yourself, it’s not just you playing and making the chances. It’s a team sport, Y/N.” Sighing, she sat beside you with your knees touching for that discreet support.

“Yeah, but i’m the one that’s expected to get it in the back of the net.”

“Not all the time, you’re only human. Don’t over do it.”

“Laura, the reason i’ve been picked at senior level and on the starting team is to over do it, to perform at my absolute best. You have to over do it, otherwise you’re not good enough.” You leant back in your cubby, rubbing your hands over your thighs as you let out a deep breath.

It was too much to explain, women’s football was too much to explain.

“I don’t over do it and..”

“That’s why your not in the starting eleven. Always on the bench.” You nodded towards her training kit that was still on, not thinking about what just came out of your mouth.

“Excuse me?” Hearing the tremble in her voice made your heart sink, however your face didn’t show it. “Fuck you, Y/N. Sort yourself out.”

You caught Kim’s eyes from across the room after Laura had rushed to wherever she escaped to, disconnecting your view by covering your face with your hands.

The game started worse than any of the team was really expecting, the ball was always on Arsenals side and every shot was on target, inching closer towards the back of the net.

Your position as a forward was not what you were playing in the first half, the whole 11 players was in the back line, desperately trying to limit the risk of a goal but it didn’t work out.

You didn’t know the perfect techniques around playing in defense, only thinking tackles was all they had to put in. How wrong you were, and you thought playing up front was hard.

Halfway through the first half you had managed to find yourself on the wing, chasing against Jonsdottir to recover the ball.

She was quick, too quick and managed to shoulder you to the side, yourself not managing it too well when your studs got caught, your ankle twisting with all your body weight resting on top of it.

The pain shot up your leg and you fell onto the floor, covering your face with your hand whilst your other grabbed hold of your ankle, wanting to withdraw the small snapping sound you just heard from your mind.

You could still just about hear the continue of play around you, as well as the erupt of the crowd as they managed to get one in just as you sat up. Noticing the physios on the sideline, watching you, you decided to try your best to stand up and continue.

Doing so with a hiss, placing your foot flat on the ground before taking small steps. The pain was near to dull, but you think the adrenaline was wearing it off a bit allowing you to ignore it.

“She is hurt. It’s affecting her.” Laura spoke to nobody in particular, but mostly towards the physios keeping her eye on you as you tried your hardest to keep up.

Arsenal was down 2-1 by the half time whistle, thankful for Rafa for doing your job.

Hobbling off the pitch, you held eyesight with your girlfriend, her face did not look to happy but it had a hint of concern.

She brushed past you into the tunnel and you stared at the back of head as she made her way to the changing room, glaring at you as she pushed it open.

Once sat back in your cubby, you lifted your sock up from your ankle and tugged down your ankle sock, noticing the top of what possibly is a large bruise a long with a bit of swelling.

“Knew it. You’re injured.” You jumped as a voice appeared beside you, wincing as you quickly covered your ankle up and placed your foot down on the floor.

“What, no? It just a cut that’s all.”

Laura completely ignored you, plopping down beside you and harshly grabbed your ankle off the floor and into her lap.

“Laura!” You yelped as she did so, the pain escalating throughout your whole body. Nearly letting out a cry.

Your teammates heads snapped towards you, staring in confusion as you tried to tug your foot away from her.

“Laura, please.” The look on your face revealed a whole lot of vulnerability you never normally showed, especially not since the season started.

Laura couldn’t remember the last time you acted human and not some kind of machine with no thoughts of feelings whatsoever.

“I’m going to get the physios.”

“No! Do you want this team to lose?” You gritted your teeth at her, grabbing her arm to pull her back, her face full of shock at your tone.

“Y/N, stop being so arrogant. This isn’t you, i don’t even recognise you. You are injured and you’re going to make it worse, not better, for yourself or for the team.”

“I have to play.” You didn’t look at her as you spoke, voice calming as you realised she was right but you couldn’t give in. You couldn’t let the reds down, not now.

“No, you don’t.”

“Hey! What’s going on?” You both snapped your heads up at the voice of your captain, who was at that moment injured like most of the team was.

Your argument was the first thing Kim saw as she opened the door, you both squabbling in the corner as the rest talked about the second half.

“Ask Y/N. She’s..”

“Nothing, everything’s fine.” You cut her off along with a glare, your fingers gripping the edge of the bench as you hunched over.

She rolled her eyes at your naïvety, you knew you had fucked it up earlier and you can’t stop yourself which is consequently making it worse.

“Well, both of you get a grip, this is champions league not a sunday league game down your local rec.” Kim’s accent was broad, which only increased the stern attitude, like a mum telling off her kids. “Get your asses in gear, we can’t be showing any signs of weaknesses in this club anymore, we’ve been through far too much.”

You open your mouth to reply before being cut off.

“And, if you are injured and are going to continue playing.. i won’t take it lightly if i found out you lied to me.” She poked a finger in your face and it felt just like school times, your eyes wide as she stared you down before making her way out of the changing rooms.

“Now what? You still going to play?”

You sighed, rubbing a hand over your face. “I’m not injured.”

“You’re such an idiot, Y/N. Don’t come crying to me when you have to miss the rest of the season.”

You were subbed off in the 70th minute, your performance decreasing and your pace faltered, your ankle now betraying you.

Weirdly, you were being subbed off for Laura and you saw her mention something to the physios as you tried to hide your limp.

You immediately knew what she had done and you didn’t bother to make any effort with her, brushing past her before she ran on the pitch.

“Y/N?” The physio called you as you tried to make your way to the bench, groaning as you turned to her with a timid smile.

She saw straight through you, raising her eyebrows at your stance, quite used to your antics by now.

“I’m fine, i don’t need treatment.”

“Y/N, I can see you’re in pain. You’re not hiding it from me this time, come on.”

At this point your club physio was a bit like your mother, stern face and a ‘get in there now’ attitude. Yourself accompanying it like a child.

She told you to get on top of the bed in the medical room after she allowed you to sort yourself out in the changing room, no sympathy laced in her voice as she sorted what she needed.

You slumped into the plastic thin mattress, your arms crossed with a pout on your face, one which the woman laughed at as she turned around.

Trying not to wince or groan, she took your boot off as well as your sock before gasping in a deep breath at the sight.

“Y/N.. you really didn’t feel any pain with this?” She let out the breath she was holding as she spoke, hands resting on the end of the bed as like she was unsure what she was supposed to do.

“No, it’s not even that.. bad…” You sat up to get a better look at it. “oh.”

“Yeah, oh. Y/N, that could be fractured.”

Her face made you panic, your breathing quickening as you moved your foot closer towards you and away from her.

“Well can’t you tell?”

“Not without an x-ray, but by the amount of swelling and bruising i’d say you have a positive chance of being out for a while.”

“No.” You shook your head as you swung your legs over the side, careful to not bang your ankle as the aim was to escape.

“Y/N! Don’t let me call in you know who.” She took hold of your shoulders, almost restraining you from getting up.

“I’m sure just some ice will do, no? I bet it’s a small sprain.” You panicked, tears welling up in your eyes.

You didn’t want to let the team down with being another of the many injured players.

“It is not a small sprain, Y/N. Now, back on the table.” You heard another voice enter, groaning as Kim sauntered into the room with a disappointed face.

You gave your physio a pleading look to make her leave, she only gave a shrug as a response making you whine.

“What did i say, Y/N? You’ve ruined it, for yourself and for the team. If you had gotten treatment earlier and not have been so selfless to continue playing, you may have avoided such a season-threatening injury.”

You stared at her as she rambled on, her words going in one ear and out the other. Responding to her frustrations with a simple shrug.

“Is that it? You don’t ca-.”

“I don’t know, Kim. Try putting yourself in my shoes right now, all of these injuries aren’t just affecting the ones injured but also the players that are left to play for this club. The pressure is way beyond even describing, i mean, look at me! I barely played before beth and viv got injured. I was put on the pitch like a headless chicken.. and i needed to prove myself and i tried, you cant blame me for that.” You let the tears spill as you reacted, known to the fact that what you did was stupid but you had your reasons. You didn’t need another telling you.

“You didn’t need to put your health at risk though.” Her voice was calmer than before, pulling your head in to her chest. “I don’t blame you, Y/N.. but sometimes you have to be selfish, for your benefit. If you don’t, then you won’t have a very long career. Believe me when i say, i was the same as you.. but I turned selfish and did what was needed for me and look where i am now.”

“Injured?” You huffed out a laugh through your tears, peaking out of her jumper as you felt pressure on your ankle which reminded you both weren’t alone.

“Very funny.” She rolled her eyes, pushing your head away jokingly. “For me, Y/N. Don’t do this again.”

“Promise.”

“Also, apologise to Laura. She was only trying to help and you were a bit of a cunt to her.”

You winced at the strong noun that was used to describe your behaviour, threading your fingers through your hair as your remembered what you had said to her, the guilt and regret encasing you.

You nodded at her before she left, leaving you and you looked at the end of the bed where your physio was staring at you.

“I’m fucked, she isn’t going to forgive me that easily.”

“And who’s fault is that.” She grinned sarcastically, patting the boot that was now on your foot a bit too hard.

“Ow!”

After half an hour of trying to hype yourself up to reveal yourself and your new ‘accessory’ to your team, you made your way out and towards the changing room where everyone stopped and stared at you. Including your girlfriend.

You ignored everyone’s questions, heading straight towards Laura who was busy stripping her kit off.

“Laura.” You tried to catch her attention, her name guiltily slipping out your throat.

She ignored you and you could see the way you’ve made her feel from her expression, biting the inside of her cheek as she began chucking stuff haphazardly.

“Laura, can i please talk to you?”

She kept her silence, snatching her towel and knocking her shoulder into yours, making her way towards the showers.

You were about to give up before you caught Kim’s glare again, urging you to make more of an effort and you nodded before gradually making your way to the showers.

You poked your head round the corner to be able to see inside the shower room, spotting Laura, whom you couldn’t help but admire. “Laura..”

“Y/N, for fuck sake, leave me alone!” She examined as she moved to cover herself from you, her front partially pressed to the shower wall.

“Just please let me talk to you.”

“I’m naked and in the shower right now, Y/N, now isn’t the perfect time.”

“I’ve seen you naked before, hardly makes a difference.” You explored how you said that, fingers tapping the edge of the wall whilst you made sure no water was touching your boot.

“Well i dont feel comfortable being naked around you right now and i still wont be with the conversation you want to have.” She turned her head over her shoulder, elbows shielding anything from your view. “Just.. wait out there.”

You pursed your lips as you nodded but didn’t make any movement other than that, your eyes still staring into the room.

“Y/N!”

“Sorry.”

Hobbling back into the main dressing area, you cowered as some of the girls stared at you, though mostly your foot.

You didn’t mention anything, letting them figure it out for themselves that you were in fact injured and you now couldn’t do anything about it.

You decided to sit down in front Laura’s cubby, that way she couldn’t avoid talking to you as she’d have to get you to move if she wanted to successfully get changed.

You reached over towards your own locker, rummaging for your phone to update your family that you were most likely out of playing for a while and they wouldn’t be able to see you at the emirates.

Spotting a pair of feet in front of you as you leant your elbows on your thighs, you traced your gaze up towards her face.

“Move. Get out of my locker.”

You shuffled slightly to the right, still in reach of her and she rolled her eyes as she reached for her clothes and started to redress.

“I’m sorry.”

She scoffed as she pulled her joggers up, her wet hair falling in front of her face pulling you in to tuck it behind her ear but before you could she slapped your hand away.

“Don’t pull that shit with me.”

“What else do you want me to say, Laura? What i did was wrong but it was in the spur of the moment.”

“You embarrassed me, made me feel like shit.”

“How did i embarrass you? All i did was say i could play.”

“Yeah whilst you said that, you basically continued to say that you deserve to play more injured than i do not injured.” She mentioned as she tucked her hair behind her ears before crossing her arms over her chest.

“Bullshit.” You moaned, lulling your head back.

“My god, Y/N.. you can never admit you’re wrong. Always trying to argue back your innocence.” She stopped what she was doing to glare at you, the words practically seething from her mouth. “I told you that you needed to stop playing, you ignored me and here you are. That’s one way you were wrong, the bits you said about me and to me just added to it. This never works, we can never communicate in this relationship!”

You spotted a single tear flow down her face, biting her lip as she tried to suppress any following emotion.

“I’m sorry, i’m really sorry, Laura. I never meant to take my insecurities out on you, it’s just that i’m fed up with not being able to live up to the fans standards. I wanted to prove myself and i can see how i’ve taken it too far. I love you, please don’t.”

You reached out to her, gripping her hands in yours so she couldn’t escape your touch.

“Don’t what?”

“Break up with me.”

She sighed and sat down beside you, leaning the side of her head against the wall as she looked at your joint hands.

“I couldn’t break up with you. Even though you’re downright stupid and fucking annoyingly hard to persuade, i still love you.”

You perked up at her confession, herself raising an eyebrow as you shuffled closer to her and raise your hands closer to your body.

“I love you too, and i promise you i will not bother you with my problems when it come to my rehab and i’ll come up with many ways to make you forgive me.”

“Why the first part?”

“Because i vaguely remember you saying to not come crying to you..”

“You know i’d still help, you’re too useless to do it alone.” She smiled slightly, sitting up as she did so.

“Hey, not funny.”

#laura wienroither x reader #laura wienroither #woso x reader #woso imagines #woso oneshots #woso #wwc 2023 #awfc x reader

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thelostgirl21 · 7 months

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Am I the only one that somehow can't get over how confused Jaskier looks whenever Radovid is interacting with his lute?

I once made a post about headcanoning Jaskier as having ADHD, and, one of the many things people with ADHD also have, is a tendency to personify objects and get attached to them (not exactly as much, or in the same way, as human beings, but yeah...).

And I remember Jaskier going "Yeah, she is a bit sexy, isn't she?" in reference to the lute Filivandrel gave him in season 1...

Since the way Radovid's own brain works appear to share a certain similitude to Jaskier's, and object personification is not actually exclusive to ADHD; at times, it feels like the lute becomes its own character.

Because one of the things I've always found kinda funny, in the scene where Radovid catches Jaskier's lute, is that he's totally ignoring Jaskier and Philippa at first, and really just looking at the lute, turning her over, studying her... Like mentally going:

"Hey... Hey there. Now where did you come from? It's okay, you're safe now... Not going to hurt you... I'm Radovid, by the way..."

He only looks up when Philippa breaks his focus and starts talking to him.

And poor Jaskier just basically freezes and stands there while watching Radovid be totally captivated with his "girl"; apparently ignoring that she's already in a "relationship" with someone...

"Okay, so... He's just saved her life... Does this means she's his now, or... Should I ask to get her back?"

Because, to be fair, Jaskier is sort of the reason someone threw her off a balcony and she was endangered in the first place! She wouldn't even be "existing" anymore, if not for Radovid.

So what's the protocol in these situations? "Catcher's keeper"? Is she his lute now?

At least, Radovid's being very gentle with her and seems to like her... Might be less uncomfortable if his damn lute didn't look like she liked him back...

"Wait. What's fortunate? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh no, you're hot. She's hot. You and my lute look hot together and it's all very hot. Things are usually hot, but not that hot. Fuck. I mean me, preferably. Fuck me."

Later, when Jaskier keeps saying that he's not in the mood for singing... Radovid just goes:

"Here. Help me out please, would you? He's being really stubborn about this. So, maybe you could help me convince him?"

And poor Jaskier realizes his lute is actually on the prince's side... Plus, she basically just took an arrow for him a few days ago, so it's not like he can just say "no" to her after that, right?

"Alright, fine! You win, you traitor! We'll play for him, if you insist. But we'll be so talking about this later... *Sigh* You're really lucky he's cute..."

"Stupid dumb sexy lutes and stupid dumb sexy princes... Joining forces together, determined to ruin my life..."

"Yeah, I know, I started playing while strolling in first because I was totally counting on him taking the opportunity to check out my arse. Don't judge me! I'll have you know it's a perfectly fine arse, and if I'm going to be uncomfortably aroused during that performance, so shall he!"

Of course, Radovid asks for one more song, providing Jaskier with a rather unique opportunity to make a genuine connection, while also leaving himself "a way out" (i.e. pretending the song wasn't specifically meant to be about him, but he was simply singing about "universal matters" of love and intimacy, you know?) should Radovid fail to respond.

"Yeah, I think you're right... I think, deep down, he does like me as more than 'just a fan', too. The prince might be more likely to take a risk at being honest with us if I show him I'm not just 'playing games' with him first... It's worth a shot, at least."

And respond, Radovid does...

"Well, fuck my life, then... I'll just have to ensure my brother keeps Ciri safe with us like I promised, try to show Dijkstra there are better ways to get shit done than constantly seeking to control and use people, find a way to protect Jaskier and his family from - well, pretty much everyone at this point! - and make things work between us... *Sigh* Stupid dumb sexy bards playing their stupid dumb sexy lutes... Again, why did I ask for this?"

Then, when Radovid decides to properly attempt to woo our bard, he reaches, once again, for Jaskier's lute. And, at first, Jaskier's definitely not too sure about this...

"Okay, fine. You can hold her. But seriously, though, what is it between you two? Should I start being jealous? Is she the best thing you've met - thanks to this whole mess - or am I? It's all getting quite a bit confusing!"

The moment Radovid has the lute in hands, he's once again really focusing on her, like:

"Look, I'm going to be honest with you... My playing is not very good, but it does come from the heart... So, I'm hoping you'll help me sound okay... I swear, I'm being sincere and I really, really like him... Please don't let me mess this up..."

Meanwhile, Jaskier is just looking so adorably intrigued, while watching Radovid get settled to play...

"What are you...? Wow. Okay... so you really do know how to hold her, then? Firm and secure, but not too rough... Nice form... Didn't expect things to get so intimate between you two so fast... Are you... actually planning to letting me watch whilst your caress her strings? Not that I'm complaining, but..."

And Radovid is just trying to be really brave about this...

"Alright, we've got this... I trust you. Just, don't let me down... I really appreciate the help, by the way... Did I mention it's the first time I do anything like this for anyone?"

And the moment he starts playing, poor Jaskier looks like his legs are just about to give up on him...

"Oh Gods.... That's just... the most erotic thing I've ever heard and seen in my life... I swear, if he keeps going much longer, that stupid dumb sexy prince with his stupid fluffy hair, dumb nimble fingers and deep sexy voice will just end up making me come untouched!"

"That's it! For the record, you can get as close, as fast, and as intimately as you want with my lute as long as I'm allowed to watch and listen. So please... just continue gently strum those strings, firmly wrap your hand around her neck, and hold her safely against your body in a tight embrace as much as you'd like... Actually, can I be a lute, too? I've never wanted to be a musical instrument so badly in my life!"

And poor Radovid is so focused on his actual playing that he never notices the way Jaskier has been looking at him during the entire performance...

He's just still nervously moving his fingers along her neck, shifting his hold, unsure of how well he did...

"So um... Yeah... Once again, thanks for the help... Whatever happens, just so you know, you were perfect. I just wish I was a better player..."

Meanwhile, Jaskier is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the prince not only learned his song after having listened to him perform it only once, but genuinely looks like he's got absolutely no idea how affected he is by the whole experience...

"You know, I really think you should play my song again... On me this time..."

Radovid is just looking a bit hopeful there...

"Okay, so... this is good, right? I mean, he doesn't look displeased that I learned his song... I think...."

Totally oblivious to the fact that, thanks to him, Jaskier has suddenly discovered himself a new kink...

"Yeah, you should definitely play me next... I'd love to explore all the sounds you could manage to get out of me if you held me by the neck like like you just did with her, kept my back firmly pressed against your chest, stroked my body, caressed all those strings, and let it all resonate..."

Meanwhile, poor Radovid's going into 'gay panic mode', apologizing for his playing being "shit", with his full attention returning to the lute...

"I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, luv... I didn't mean to embarrass you, I promise... I just thought that maybe we - Wha - umf?!"

Seriously, this moment kills me every time, because you've got Jaskier confidently advancing towards Radovid - like a missile locked on target - and Radovid's just awkwardly standing there, staring at the lute, totally oblivious to what's happening to the point where he manages to be caught off guard by the kiss!

Small detail, but I really like the way that Jaskier's eyes move fom Radovid's forehead when he's gently pulling his hair away from his face, to briefly seeking his gaze, and then his lips... Especially with the way his left hand comes to frame and tenderly hold his face on the other side, too...

There's just so much care and attention that goes into the whole gesture, that it really gives the impression that the kiss is driven by a need to express physical intimacy and sensual attraction first, and sexual passion second.

Actually, there's another moment in that scene that I feel hasn't been praised enough, so I'm just going to take a few seconds to express my appreciation for just how beautiful and perfect it is...

This. This little moment right here...

Where - although they are no longer kissing - Jaskier just continues to hold Radovid close as they breathe together, lips and faces touching, looking so very soft for each other and febrile...

Just the way their shoulders suddenly relax together on that deeper exhale (it's most obvious on Jaskier's side, but if you pay close attention, Radovid has the same physical response...), with such a sense of togetherness and relief...

They're just so in tune with each other, and it's so gorgeous to watch, and it feels so loving, intimate, and peaceful, and okay I'll have to stop now, else all I'll be doing for the next 15 minutes is talking about all the tiny details of this freaking kiss (well, technically it's two kisses, with one of the most gorgeous moments of physical intimacy I've ever seen depicted on screen sandwiched in between them...)...

But yeah! Let's get back on track!

Somehow, Radovid manages to be caught off guard by the kiss, initially just going very stiff and freezing a bit before relaxing into it..

And if Radovid is so concerned about his lute playing skills, well...

"How are you even real? I swear..."

So, basically, what I'm saying is that Jaskier's lute is essentially the ultimate "wingwoman" in season 3, and that, from the very moment Radovid caught her, she totally decided that she would get these two together!

#Jaskier #Radovid #Radskier #The Witcher #Jaskier's lute #Headcanons #Of the slightly crack variety #My Posts #My Thoughts #My Stuff #ADHD #Adult ADHD #I'm still not sure how my own brain works at times!

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lukethompsonupdates · 14 days

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He is best known for Netflix hit Bridgerton, but Luke Thompson’s theatre pedigree encompasses Shakespeare, Greek tragedy and Ivo van Hove’s marathon A Little Life. He talks to Fergus Morgan about his passion for the stage and his worries for its future

Luke Thompson might have shot to stardom thanks to his role as Benedict in Netflix’s smash-hit series Bridgerton, but the 35-year-old actor is most at home on stage.

“I spectate on myself,” Thompson says. “I always have done. It’s been a bit painful in my life. And the only place on earth it doesn’t happen is on stage when someone else is spectating instead and so I don’t have to worry. You’re watching me so I don’t have to watch myself. I feel free. Those are the best moments of my life.”

Fortunately, Thompson has not been short of stage work. Born in Southampton in 1988, he grew up just outside Paris, returning to the UK to study English and drama at the University of Bristol, before training at RADA. He landed his first job almost immediately after graduating in 2013: playing Lysander in Dominic Dromgoole’s staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

Since then, alongside screen roles in BBC One’s In the Club and Bridgerton, Thompson has starred in Julius Caesar at the Globe, Oresteia and Hamlet – opposite Andrew Scott – at London’s Almeida, and King Lear and A Little Life in the West End. Both he and co-star James Norton were nominated for Olivier awards for their performances in Ivo van Hove’s acclaimed adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara’s hard-hitting novel.

“A Little Life was such an intense experience,” Thompson says. “Intense in a good way, I mean. The material was very bleak, but acting is always pleasurable because you are indulging in a fantasy, even if it’s a dark one, and that is inherently fun.”

Thompson also thinks that theatre has lost some of its belief in itself. “Theatre is supposed to be provocative. I’m not on social media, but I think it can be very aggressive and vicious, and I think theatres cave to that a bit. Deep down, theatre is the opposite of social media. It is about people being in a room, exchanging opinions and emotions. I worry that social media is spoiling that a bit, which is a shame.”

What production made you fall in love with theatre?

I remember standing in the Yard at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2009 and watching Thea Sharrock’s production of As You Like It, and thinking: ‘Oh, wow, this is really funny and it actually works. When done simply and confidently, Shakespeare still speaks to us today.’ For my first job to be at the Globe a few years later was magical.

What are you finding inspiring at the moment?

I love watching Ivo [van Hove]’s company do stuff. There is something so wild about the acting in his shows. We get very bogged down with facts in this country, but Ivo understands the dream logic of plays. Some of the most moving things I’ve seen don’t completely make sense. I find that inspiring.

What do you wish you could change about the performing arts industry?

I wish theatre had more confidence. Right now, it feels unsure about how useful it is and about how taboo, complex and provocative it should be. I feel as though theatre has lost confidence in its societal function.

What is the worst thing that has happened to you on stage?

There was a scene in A Little Life in which James ran around naked for a bit, then I would bring him clothes. During one show, I couldn’t find his underpants, so I just brought him his trousers and he put them on. But I forgot that people pulled his trousers off again later and they were expecting him to be wearing underpants. James knew it was coming and I knew it was coming and we couldn’t look at each other for the rest of the play. I hope he doesn’t mind me telling that story. It was so funny.

What is the best thing that has happened to you on stage?

There are so many. That sounds naff but I don’t care. I love the challenge of going on stage night after night and trying to make something feel alive in front of an audience.

What role do you really want to play?

I would work with Ivo again at the drop of a hat. And there are loads and loads of roles I would love to play. I did a reading of a rewriting of The Seagull the other day. The role of Konstantin is really beautiful. I’d love to play that. I’d love to play Iago one day, too. Of course, I’d love to play Hamlet but it’s boring to say that.

What projects are you involved in at the moment?

I’m playing Berowne in Emily Burns’ production of Love’s Labour’s Lost with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has set it on a Polynesian island owned by these big tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, of which I am one. It’s a really smart concept that unlocks a lot of very interesting stuff in the play. Season three of Bridgerton is coming out in May and June, too. And we will be filming season four soon after that. There’s a lot still to come.

Source: The Stage

#luke thompson #interview

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pricetagofficial · 1 year

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For Every Loss, There is a Win -W.W. [18+]

Warnings: Language, angst, smut, face riding, oral sex, wally being too adorable for words, is my love for soccer seeping through?

Pairing: Soccer Player!Wally West x Reader

Masterlist

Word Count: 2.26K

A/n: Big thanks to Fish for helpign me with this! Love you! This is a part two to my previous soccer wally fic! I hope you enjoy!

It killed you to see him like this, Wally never took losing a game easy but this was a new low. His eyes were glued to his phone, taking in every negative comment fans and rivals had to say about the game, and how he flubbed the final shot. What made it worse was the sports channel was playing on the T.V. highlighting moments from the game, including Wally’s performance.

“I’m not sure what West was doing out there today Rob, but as you can see he immediately stepped wrong from the get go.”

“You’re right Nick. What he should have done was pass, and let someone else take the shot.”

“Maybe West has let the fame and glory get to his–”

You couldn’t take it, ripping the plug out of the wall you walked over and took Wally’s phone out of his hand.

“Hey! Babe I–” he protested, before you walked off with his phone and hid it where he wouldn’t find it.

“Wally, you have got to stop listening to them,”

“Y/N, they’re right! I was getting too ahead of myself and I–”

Pinching his lips shut, you frowned. “If I hear one more negative comment, you won’t get any of the tacos I made.”

Wally slumped his shoulders and nodded, with a muffled “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, now go sit your cute butt down and eat and then we can snuggle.”

Once you released his lips, Wally sulked off to the couch and ate. Your dinner was silent, Wally still stuck in this pit of depression he couldn’t seem to find his way free from. You had to find a way to get him out of this rut he found himself in.

Not even bothering to take care of the dishes, you grabbed Wally’s hands and led him back towards the couch. Taking a seat, you pulled him down with you and rested your head on his chest. Wally’s hand found its place on your waist, holding you close on his lap as you turned on the television, and found the perfect thing to get his mind off the game.

The mind numbing mediocreness that is known as Dora the Explorer.

Wally snorted a little, and pulled you closer. “Dora, really?”

“I think you need to work on your Spanish babe,” you teased, pecking his cheek.

“It can’t be that bad,”

“We’ll decide that at the end,”

Rolling his eyes, Wally relaxed with you in his hold as he watched the T.V. The short program seemed to be just what he needed, the mundane task of watching a children’s show and poking at him to participate when Dora asked for help.

“Babe, I’m not saying it.”

“Wally, Dora clearly needs your help.”

“Nope,” he shook his head. “Not doing it.”

Raising a brow, you turned him to look at you. “I’ll give you a kiss if you do,”

You watched as the thought passed through his mind, Wally side-eyeing the T.V. before turning to you. “Swiper, no swiping.”

Ever so softly, you leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his lips, before looking at him with a smile.

“Swiper, no swiping.” he said again, with a hint of his humor returning to his voice.

You obliged, and leaned in for a kiss again, this one lasting a second longer than the last. Wally’s hold on your waist tightened slightly, before he relaxed again.

“Swiper, no swiping.” he said again, his eyes not leaving you.

“You’re just looking for an excuse to kiss me now,”

“Am not, Dora has to say it three times before Swiper goes away.”

Turning so you’re straddling his lap, you pressed a third kiss to his lips. This time Wally held your waist with both hands, keeping you closer long enough he could inhale your scent as he kissed you.

Pulling away, you couldn’t fight the smile at his wide eyes. Every time you kissed him, he looked like it was your first all over again. You never got tired of the adoring look on his face.

“Nicely done babe, you got rid of Swiper.” you teased, poking his chest.

“¡Lo hicimos!”

“Now you’re just looking for an excuse,” you giggled,

“Dora says it every episode, I’m learning, see?” he hummed expectantly, looking at your lips he craved so much at this point.

Gripping your waist tightly, Wally watched as you leaned in and gave him another kiss. This one was different from the others, it was more urgent and needy than before, almost like you didn’t want to stop.

“Eres hermosa”,

“I don’t think you learned that from Dora, Wally.” you giggled,

“I’m pretty sure I did,” he grinned, knowing full well you couldn’t resist kissing him again.

“You’re insufferable,” you smiled, leaning in to kiss him once again. This time, Wally didn’t intend to let you go so soon.

Having you on his lap was driving him insane, but he had to control his urges. You were just wanting to cheer him up, not have sex. Not wanting to lose it, Wally moved a hand to cradle your head.

Big mistake.

The cute little noise you made sent all the blood rushing straight to his dick Wally was sure you could feel pressing against your thigh now. Pulling back from the kiss, Wally could feel your breath fanning over his face as you panted to catch your breath.

The smell of you enveloped him, making it harder to not flip you and fuck you right there on the couch. He had to find a way to calm down, not wanting to make you do something you didn’t want.

You weren’t sure what was going through his mind, but you watched all thoughts halt as you reached down to grasp his cock in your hand, pulling a pathetic whine from his lips.

“Babe–” he gasped, against your lips.

“Yes?” you tilted your head to press a kiss to his cheek.

“You-You sure you w–want this?” he stammered, trying to hold back his moans from you fondling him through his pants.

Stopping your movements, you leaned back to look at him. “I’m the one who just grabbed your dick, and you’re the one asking me if I want to?”

Wally’s ears went pink.

“Do I need to grind on it for you to get the hint?” you grinned.

“No, but I would not complain. Maybe if you sit on my face, I might.”

You slapped his arm, giggling as he waggled his eyebrows.

Tightening his grip on you, Wally grinned. “Hurt me good, Babe.”

Raising a brow at him, you pushed Wally back onto the couch and watched as he landed with wide eyes looking up at you. Adjusting your hips, you grinned seeing the shocked look on Wally’s face.

“What’s the matter babe, cat got your tongue?”

Wally leaned back into the couch, watching as you moved your hips up his body slowly left speechless at your actions. Before he knew it, your thighs were beside his head, giving him a perfect view up your skirt.

Hooking your thumbs into the band of your underwear, Wally watched as you slowly slid them down your hips, his mouth watering at the sight of your soaked pussy.

Once you got them down to your legs, Wally helped you get them off and tossed them across the room. Running your hands down his chest, you felt Wally shudder under your touch as you lowered your hips onto his face.

His hands came up to grip your hips, moaning at the taste of you on his tongue. Wally lapped his tongue through your folds, pulling you impossibly closer to his face, listening to the sweet moans coming from you. You were sure his hands were going to leave marks from how tight he was gripping you.

"If you behave, maybe I'll let you do the same to me."

Immediately, Wally’s tongue picked up the pace as he tried to taste every inch of you he could.

Gripping the bottom of his shirt, you rocked your hips into his face moaning as he ate you out like it was his last meal.

“Oh–Just like that baby,” you moaned, closing your eyes and tossing your head back. “Such a good boy for me.”

Wally whined at the nickname, your name lost on his tongue as he continued as you canted your hips against his face. The raunchy sounds of Wally’s tongue entering and suckling all he could out of you.

Leaning forward, you slowly unzipped Wally’s pants hearing him groan softly at the release of his jeans. Letting out a low moan, you mouthed at this length of his cock your breath fanning over his crotch.

“Does my good boy want me to suck his cock?” you asked, gripping his thighs tightly as you slowly lost yourself in the pleasure of Wally’s tongue on your pussy.

Wally bucked his hips in response, pulling you lower onto his face not caring one bit about coming up for air. If he wanted, Wally could live out the rest of his days with his face buried between your thighs, lapping at your sweet cunt and listening to the pretty sounds you made for him.

Pulling his pants and his boxers down, you stroked your finger and thumb up and down his cock, smearing the precum over his shaft before taking it into your mouth.

Wally moaned loudly, digging his fingers into the supple flesh of your thighs as you swallowed his cock. Bobbing your head, you felt Wally melt under your touch as he continued to eat your pussy.

Rocking your hips, you whined around his cock feeling the familiar build up of your orgasm. Your cries were muffled as you chased your high, unable to focus on Wally’s cock in your mouth. Wally felt your walls tighten around his tongue, before you released on his face coating it in your juices.

Wally moaned, lapping up every bit he could, savoring every drop. Swallowing all he could, Wally lifted your hips.

“Ba–Babe,” he gasped in between breaths. “Turn over, now.”

You barely heard his request before you were flipped onto your back and Wally was shoving his cock down your throat. A loud moan left him as he thrusted his hips, listening to the wet sounds of you choking on his cock.

Looking down at you, Wally saw the fucked out look on your face and grinned. “Look at my baby girl taking my cock so well,” he hummed.

“Should I reward her?”

There were muffled pleas from you, followed by gagging as Wally shoved his cock deeper. Leaning down, Wally licked a strip between your folds that had you squealing around his shaft. Wally loved the taste of your pussy, your release sweet on his tongue as he devoured you.

Moving his hips, Wally continued to lap at your wall and press his thumb to your clit as he nipped at your folds slightly. Each one had you curling your toes and kicking your legs.

Feeling his balls tighten, Wally moaned against your pussy as he continued to move his hips.

“Just a little more baby,” he hummed, kissing your cunt. “Just a little more and you can have my cock all you want, okay?”

Thrusting his hips, Wally moaned your name as he cummed down your throat, before you cried out and reached your climax.

Thoroughly exhausted, Wally carefully rolled off you and flipped around before pulling you close. Placing kisses all over your face, Wally began taking his shirt and pants off. Once done, Wally pressed a kiss to every bit of exposed skin as he helped you get the rest of your clothes off, covering you in kisses still before slowly slipping his cock into you.

Letting out a low moan, Wally held you close and kissed your shoulder. “So fucking perfect, just for me.”

“Imagine how I feel,” you gasped, clenching around his shaft as you adjusted to his girth.

“After we nap, I promise to fuck you properly baby.”

Leaning back into him, you hummed. “I look forward to it.”

A couple hours later, and some wonderful wake-up sex, you and Wally were tangled up on the couch in a woolen blanket knitted by Wally’s mother, whom you’ve met and had dinner with.

Wally’s face was nuzzled into your shoulder as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer.

His hair tickled your face making you giggle, “Wally, what are you doing?”

“Loving you,” he muttered, pressing a soft kiss to your tacky skin.

Stroking your fingers through his hair, you held him close. “You still aren’t thinking about the game are you?”

Wally’s sudden silence gave you all the confirmation you needed.

“Babe, you can’t let them get to you.”

“Y/N, you haven’t seen what these people are capable of.”

Raising a brow, you turned your head to look at him. “I’ve shown you what people have said about me being your girlfriend, do you have any idea how much that hurts?”

“Probably something like this?” he muttered, peeking an eye to look up at you.

“Something of the sort, yeah. It never gets any easier, but knowing I get to come home to you every day makes it that much more worth it.”

Wally stayed silent, thinking over your words and of course you were right but he wasn’t going to say that out loud. Wally had an ego to protect after all.

Instead, he snuggled closer to you.

“You know I love you right?”

A small smile formed on your lips. “Of course I do, and I love you too, Wally.”

Taglist: @subtleappreciation @catxsnow @niggxrette @offendedfishnoises @batarella @restwellsoon @littleredwing89 @starflyer-104 @alienstardust @illzarr @sambucky8 @sladewilson-deathstroke @kiwijulia @sadlyreagan @chanel-23 @rory-cakes

#Costly Affairs #Wally West #Wally West smut #Wally West x reader #wally west x you #wally west x y/n #wally west reader insert #wally west fic #wally west fanfic #wally west fanfiction #the flash #the flash smut #the flash x you #the flash x reader #the flash x y/n #the flash reader insert #the flash fic #the flash fanfic #the flash fanfiction

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absolutebl · 7 months

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I've been thinking obsessively about story structure lately. Are there any BLs you consider particularly well structured/paced? Or at least very typical? Especially for Thai BL, since so many are 12 episodes and that makes it easier to compare. I know we can all think of examples of shows that just kind of happened without any structure...

Now in the above post I wasn't thinking specifically about pace. I think that post is more about what you're calling structure (the narrative backbone brought to light via the script).

Thai stuff is always gonna be slower paced than Korean stuff. Because it's longer and jsut less tightly controlled by the directors.

Also something like 4 or 6 act structure (popular in China, Taiwan, and sometimes Japan) will often FEEL slow to western viewers.

I think the pace of a show is partly a judgement call on behalf of the viewer, but also heavily cultural, so let me try to explain.

Structure, Pace, Plot

Structure, or the writing of a narrative script, can be divided into plot vs pace as follows:

Plot: movement of characters through time (scene by scene) and space (setting) and the people they meet along the way (dialogue).

Pace: how the plot is executed in terms of which scenes follow which, length of scenes and shots, presence or absence of flashbacks, cuts, voice-over work, but also literal words on the page - staging instructions, dialogue sentence structures, monologuing, and so forth.

Plot = what is written in the script

Pace = how it's written in that script

This is going to get further complicated once an entire film crew gets ahold of that script.

Plot is characters moving through time, space, and interactions in the show AKA WHAT the characters are doing.

Pace is how that script and story now in the hands of the performers is relayed to the viewers using camera angles, dialogue delivery, staging AKA HOW those characters are filmed.

Plot is the responsibility of the actors and script writers to convey.

Pace is the responsibility of the directorial and editing teams to convey.

Thus a part of the world that has good talent but poor production values (like Thailand, Philippines, or Vietnam) will always be weaker on pacing. But they can churn out something raw and brilliant IF they have a good script.

On the other hand, a place that has great everything but just really likes to mess with story structure and style, like Japan, might ALSO have weak pacing because that isn't their focus or interest.

In the first case, they lack the editing talent, money, and technology, in the second they just like to play with structure A LOT.

But it means each country that produces BL ends up needing to be judged on its own merits and choices (or lack of options) IMHO.

So, I stand by my list above. I think of it as representing all round story execution to the capacity of the country of origin. They are still the best story, although by western standards that story structure may feel a little off - depending on how you feel about that country's style of BL.

I might add a few to the above list (from late 2022-2023)

Semantic Error - of course. This show is perfect, after all.

The Eighth Sense - Korea went gritty and tense, outside their comfort zone, and executed it sublimely well

Love Tractor - Korea frmly and entirely in their comfort zone but the pace never lets up

Jun & Jun - a master class in pure sappy fluffy romance but still knuckle biting tension, I was upset at the end of every episode that i couldn't watch the next one INSTANTLY, in TV that = pitch perfect pacing

Tokyo in April is... - this is paced beautifully for Japan, very tense but with Japan's signature artsy atmosphere, it's not it's fault I didn't like the story

Laws of Attraction - this is a plot-based pacing story, like UWMA, and these tend to be the ones Thailand paces best using plot to amp up tension, unfortunately that best can still feel a little weak on actual story strcture and basic plotting, e.g. they can go off the rails easily like Manner of Death or KinnPorsche, but at least this kind of Thai show keep us intrigued for the next episode.

I'm gonna mention Bed Friend here as a lesson in pacing. If this show had stuck to it's guns and stayed 8 episodes, rather than stretching to fill 10 at the last minute, it would have been a near perfect high heat show out of Thailand. But it didn't have the confidence, and it likely wanted the money from those two added episodes. It's a real shame.

I gotta say I think this is the fans. fault.

People always want more of a good thing, or more of the same thing, it's why we get shitty 2nd seasons. Sometimes what we need to truly better cinema is LESS of the good thing - better editing, tighter scripts - because that way the pace will be superior.

Bah, anyway,

Be you didnt' want a film lesson with your spontaneous ask?

#asked and answered #plot and pace in BL #wel in romance #I also added this to the original post of story structre

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corrodedseraphine · 1 year

Text

jazz | one shot

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

summary: Eddie always felt that jazz was not his cup of tea, so when Steve offered to devote one evening a week just to it, he wasn't convinced. Until he met you. After all, jazz may not turn out to be so bad, right? angst/fluff, strangers to lovers

TW: use of drugs

the one shot is also avaliable on ao3

11 738 words

taglist: @i-me-mine and here I would love to thank you because you are the first person ever that have asked to be tagged under my work, it is crazy for me, and I really hope you won't be dissapointed 🙈

I really hope it is not too long or boring or cringe or too bad, in my head it looked much better, oh god

eddie munson masterlist | general masterlist

When the small town of Hawkins was almost all pulled underground in 1986, many people lost their entire livelihood and left the cursed place in terror and desperation. Thus, the population of Hawkins was reduced by more than half. It took years to try to rebuild it however nothing could return to normal. This disaster, nevertheless, brought something good. People all over the world wanted to see the town absorbed by the earth, so over time tourism became the main income. The place where the trailer park used to be was now the biggest attraction, with people lining up to see the most damaged part of the city, around which many legends appeared. The official version was an earthquake, but many people said it was hell's gate and the damage that had been done was caused by Satan himself. In a way, these beliefs were true, but not everyone needed to know that.

After defeating Vecna, Joyce and her children returned to Hawkins and moved in with Hopper. The rest of the team didn't leave either. The traumatic experience, instead of propelling them to escape, the bond with this town prevented them from doing so. When Eddie miraculously survived an attack by demobats and was carried out of there in an unconscious state by Steve and Dustin he spent several weeks in the hospital. Fortunately, with Hopper's help, they were able to guarantee that all medical expenses would be covered by the government so as not to burden Wayne with it. In addition, they both received very generous compensation.

When it turned out that the owner of the Hideout, the bar where Corroded Coffin played every Thursday, was leaving town Eddie and Steve decided to buy the place back and invest in its development. In addition, above the bar was the apartment in which the Munsons took up residence. It was much larger than the trailer. A large living room connected to the kitchen, a bathroom and two separate rooms.

The first few years were very tough, but the more tourists showed up in Hawkins, the more the Hideout made a profit. Eventually the income was large enough that they could afford to renovate the place. Every night since then, many passersby and locals have treated the Hideout as one of the main social spots in and around Hawkins. Of course, Corroded Coffin didn't stop giving their performances, but in addition to them there were many different artists.

"No way!" shouted Eddie, sitting down on a stool at the bar. "I'm not going to let this place turn into a retirement home!"

"It's only one evening a week! Why do you have to be so dramatic?"

"Besides, there are young people in the world who like jazz you wuss," interjected Robin standing behind the bar. Despite being a manager, she claimed that standing behind the bar was one of her favorite activities. This was especially true when her newly hired bartender, Laura, was with her on shift.

"Fine! But only once a week. We can't afford to go more days without doing anything." he rolled his eyes.

"You'll be surprised how there will be even more people than at your concerts." laughed Steve pleased with his friend's agreement.

"A blow below the belt Harrington! A blow below the belt!"

To Munson's surprise, the Jazz evenings proved to be a success. Every week many people of all ages gathered there. He himself dreaded avoiding his workplace on this day, but today, exceptionally, due to the flurry of paperwork, he and Steve were stuck in the office, which was located in the back of the bar.

"I'm fed up, this paperwork is killing me." said Steve laying his head on the desk. "How about a little break?"

"It's totally like you're reading my mind, big boy." replied Eddie and quickly got up. When they came out, a large crowd of people appeared to their eyes. Almost all the seats were occupied. People were immersed in conversation sipping drinks and enjoying the pleasant sounds of trumpets, piano and other instruments. Scanning the room, his gaze settled on you. You were sitting at a two-person table bent over some papers and a red pen in your hand. He must have been looking at you for too long and it didn't escape Robin's attention.

"I told you that young people can like jazz too." she said patting him on the shoulder.

"Huh?" he replied exasperatedly.

"It's y/n. She moved to Hawkins a few months ago to teach at the high school. Ever since we started holding jazz nights she's been here every week in the same place loaded with tests. She says that with this music she concentrates best and grading doesn't get so tiring at all."

"Do you know her shoe size, too?" he asked sarcastically impressed by how much information Robin knows about you.

"Not yet." She winked at him. "Unlike you, instead of just staring at her I also started talking. I would advise you to do the same, I have a strange feeling that you would like each other."

"I can already see it, a teacher and a guy who repeated the last grade twice and was allergic to school?"

"Sounds pretty romantic to me." interjected Steve. "It would be a nice change in your life if you tried something more than being limited to quickies with random tourists in the back of a bar."

"Just shut up." replied an annoyed Eddie and walked away from them to make himself a drink. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew they were right. Many times, after "quickies" as Steve called it, he tried to ask someone out but no one was ever interested. No one ever wanted to get to know him better. He knew he was just a little adventure they would later tell their friends about when they got home. He found you attractive. That was a fact. Sipping a whiskey and Coke, he watched as you wrote something on a piece of paper in concentration and occasionally your focus shifted to the band playing on stage. In those moments, a gentle smile appeared on your face.

"Here." Robin said, approaching him with a colorful drink in her hand. Seeing his surprised face, she continued. "This is her favorite drink, go carry it and get a few words out." There was a moment of hesitation. He didn't know if he should listen to them. On the other hand, he had nothing to lose. He took the drink from Robin's hands and slowly moved toward you. When you noticed someone approaching you, you raised your eyes. You thought it was Steve or Robin. Since you started coming here you could tell that you had become so friendly with them that they always sat down to talk to you for a while. This time you didn't recognize the person walking towards you. It was a man dressed in black ripped jeans and a black T-shirt. He had long curly hair chaotically pinned up in a low bun. A few curls fell over his face. He was looking straight at you smiling slightly, by which you could see the slight dimples in his cheeks. In his hand he was holding one of your favorite drinks, which you had not ordered. At first you thought it was for someone else however when your eyes met you reciprocated the smile. The stranger was already opening his mouth to say something when he suddenly slipped on a napkin and in the next few seconds landed on the floor, and the drink spilled on the table and the sheets of paper that lay on it.

"Oh my god are you okay?" got up quickly from the chair to help him up.

"Shit!" he replied and looked panickedly at the soaked tests.

Before you had time to respond anything Steve and Robin were next to you with a huge roll of paper towel. In confusion, you started wiping everything down, and an embarrassed Eddie took advantage of the moment when your attention wasn't on him and ran off to the office. When you finished cleaning you looked around for him, but couldn't spot him anywhere.

"I'll take them into the office and put them on the radiator maybe they'll dry out a bit." Steve said.

"Thank you." you said handing him the soaked papers. "And uh- Steve?"

"Yes?"

"This is your new employee?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I've never seen him here, but if he is, don't be mad at him, okay? It could happen to anyone. I'm sure once these tests dry I can continue checking." Harrington just sent you a smile and moved toward the back room.

"Not a bad first impression, dude!" he laughed when he noticed Eddie who was sitting in an armchair and staring aimlessly out the window.

"Can you stop talking and get to work?" retorted a frustrated Eddie.

"Yes, sir!" he saluted. "But I still have to tell you that you have a chance. I guess you caught her eye since she wasn't even angry that you flooded her students' work."

"Work!" shouted Munson, trying with all his might to focus on the documents they had to fill out and forget the earlier situation, the memories of which had already haunted him until he fell asleep and caused a wave of embarrassment to wash over his entire body.

Since then, Eddie has avoided Thursdays even more than usual. As bad as it was, even if he wasn't there he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that you were just sitting there probably bent over the next batch of tests. Steve and Robin tried many times to persuade him to come and try again but the vision of being humiliated once more was stronger and made him always refuse.

Friday nights were reserved for Corroded Coffin performances. The whole band, as always, gave an amazing show, but halfway through when Eddie was carelessly running around the small stage with his guitar he spotted you at the end of the room. You were sitting alone at the same table as always, but this time you looked different. Dressed this time in an airy dress, with your hair down and makeup on your face, you attracted his attention even more, so he didn't let you out of his sight for the rest of the performance. When your gazes crossed you sent him a shy smile and he looked away panicked. What happened to the confidence that always radiated from him when he performed? It evaporated.

When they finished and another band took the stage after them, he and the guys moved toward the bar. Robin was already waiting with ready, filled glasses.

"Another good performance, you guys deserved an extra ice cube as a reward." she said, causing Laura to laugh. Eddie just shook his head and gave a thumbs up as he saw his friend's face light up seeing her co-worker's reaction. Holding his glass, he walked behind the bar again returned his gaze to you. Each time the bar door closed your hopeful sight hung on them and then hope turned to disappointment. You sipped your favorite drink nervously looking around the room and checking your watch from time to time.

"The picture goes like this." Robin said, snapping him out of his reverie. "She's supposed to have a date here, but as you can see the idiot didn't deign to show up."

"How do you know?" how could anyone double-cross you? Knowing the reason for your disappointed face, he felt a slight sting of sadness.

"Because she told me? I asked her when she came to get a second drink."

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at her, or are you finally going to join her?" asked Gareth. "Unless you don't want to, in which case I'll be more than happy to do it and take the place of whoever she was supposed to be here with."

"Don't!" the metalhead snapped, seeing Gareth get up from the bar stool. Embarrassed by his reaction, he sighed rolling his eyes.

"Dude, I've never seen you like this," laughed Jeff. "What happened to Eddie, who was throwing his charm like some crazy spell?"

"I don't know!" he whined.

"This is your chance to at least make a good second impression. I'll prepare a drink for you, and you carry it to her this time without spilling it." Robin decided.

As she said so it happened. This time with extreme care Munson managed to reach his destination and put the drink in front of you without any accidents. All the time he felt the eyes of his friends on him, but the closer he got to you the more he managed to ignore it.

"May I join you?" he asked.

"Sure." You replied sending a slight smile. "You were great." you commented.

"Oh, thank you. We play every week, if you'd like to see us again sometime." He winked at you, smiling broadly while sliding his drink in your direction. "On the house."

"Steve won't mind?"

"Why would he?"

"I didn't know musicians could give away free drinks."

"Yeah, right. I think we didn't get a chance to get to know each other the right way." he laughed scratching the back of his neck with his hand. "I'm Eddie. Eddie Munson. And Steve and I are the owners of this place."

"Oh." You replied slightly shocked. "Now I feel quite strange, after our last meeting I thought you were the bartender and I asked Steve not to be angry with that situation."

"For which I am very sorry. I hope you didn't get in trouble because of it?"

"No, fortunately after drying off I was still able to read and finish checking."

"I'm glad. And it's very nice what you said to Harrington, I appreciate it."

"I'm y/n." you said suddenly extending your hand toward him. "Y/n y/l/n. I moved here recently to work at Hawkins High."

"Well, I'd love to get to know you better, if you don't mind."

"I mean...I've already been stood up anyway, so I'd be happy to spend time with someone who actually feels like it."

In this way, for the next few hours you sat getting to know each other better. At first everything was quite strange and awkward, until finally, unbeknownst to you, you found common ground. Eddie told you his story related to The Hideout, and also mentioned his other hobby, which turned out to be a fantasy board game. You listened with pleasure as he recalled the days when he ran Hellfire in high school. Meanwhile, clearly interested, he also asked questions about you and your life, which you happily answered. The hands of the clock were moving at an incredibly fast tempo when it came time to close the bar. You thanked Eddie for saving the evening and you both parted, feeling a flock of butterflies rise in your bellies at the thought of each other.

That's how you became a regular at Corroded Coffin performances in addition to the Thursday jazz evenings (at which Eddie suddenly started appearing). Munson introduced you to his bandmates with whom you also caught on well. Eventually Hawskins was no longer a stranger to you. At first you felt very lonely in it, but now you looked forward to your weekly trips to the bar.

You were sitting bent over a test when out of the corner of your eye you noticed someone sitting down to you. Your first thought was none other than Eddie, who always sat down with you when you came in and you spent hours talking together. However, when you raised your head and noticed that it wasn't him the smile from your face quickly disappeared and was replaced by uncertainty.

"Can I help you somehow?" you asked the man.

"I figured a beautiful woman like you couldn't spend an evening alone, so I hope it won't be a problem for me to join you." he replied. You took a slightly better look at him. He looked a few years older than you, dressed in a black shirt and jeans. A watch that you would have had to work for over a year was shining on his wrist. He definitely made no secret of his wealth. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"Oh, no need." you said.

"I insist."

"Uhm... apple juice will do, thank you." you replied confused, and your new companion moved toward the bar. As Laura served him, Robin sent you a questioning look. You just shrugged your shoulders and shifted your gaze back to the test.

You didn't have time to check too much because after a while you had company again. The man's name was Dave and he was the owner of a fairly well-known company in a town near Hawkins. He had no problem telling you almost everything about himself over the next several minutes. You just nodded politely while sipping your juice. The funniest thing in all this was that he didn't even ask you what your name was.

At the same time, Eddie's attention did not escape the fact that someone had taken his place at your table. All day he had been gathering the courage to finally ask you out. The better you knew each other, the more he convinced himself that it was worth a try. He loved your conversations, loved hearing about how your day was going, how you spoke with amusement about your students' next crazy ideas. Your presence definitely brought a lot of light into his life, so now seeing someone else sitting across from you, he felt a pretty strong sting of jealousy. Did you date someone else here? Did he miss his chance? Resigned, he hid in the office, to which he left the door slightly ajar.

"What's this guy sitting with y/n?" asked Steve when he saw his friend.

"I have no idea." he replied, pretending to be unimpressed.

"I don't like him." Steve commented without taking his eyes off you.

The time in Dave's company passed... weirdly. His mouth wouldn't close and his self-deprecation and hearing about his company's utilities didn't interest you at all. You started to feel dizzy from the overload of unnecessary information. Wait a minute. You were really dizzy. You moved your gaze quickly to one of the sheets of paper, on which the letters suddenly began to move. What's wrong with you? You haven't drunk anything today, except for the juice you got from a stranger. Oh no.

"Are you all right? Why don't we go outside? Can I drive you home?" he began to propose. No way. The remnants of your consciousness screamed for you to run as far away as possible. With a shaky step, you quickly walked toward Robin. At the bar, you could barely stay on your feet.

"Jesus, y/n what happened?" she asked worriedly.

"I feel very strange... Everything around me is... blurry." suddenly speaking seemed much more challenging than usual.

"Are you okay dariling?" the voice of Dave reached you faster than his hand which after a moment landed on your back. "Can you give her a bottle of water for the road? We're about to leave." You were stunned.

"She's not going anywhere with you." Said Robin in a raised voice.

"Robin...very bad...I-I feel...bad." You mumbled out. As soon as Dave associated the facts that you knew this barmaid immediately began to retreat.

"Did you drink anything besides juice?" you nodded your head negatively.

Suddenly all the dots in Robin's head were connected. "You son of a bitch!" she shouted. "What did you give to her?!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Bathroom." you whispered and hearing this, Laura immediately jumped out from behind the bar and helped you with getting there.

"What's going on here?" suddenly Steve's voice reached everyone.

"Your bartender put drugs into my friend's juice!"

"Dude are you crazy?!"

"The police will take care of it. Both of you to the office, now!" Steve knew that pretending to believe the man was the only option to keep him here until Hopper's arrival. "Eddie go stand behind the bar, when Hopper comes send him here," he said.

"What's wrong?" asked Eddie, seeing Robin sending a murderous look to the guy who was sitting at the table with you just a moment ago. Hearing his question she was already opening her mouth to answer, but Steve interrupted her right away.

"I'll tell you later, for now someone has to go stand behind the bar." Harrington was aware that your friendship with Eddie had grown significantly. He also knew that you meant much more than just a friend to him and he really didn't want to risk an additional ambulance call. Munson wordlessly left the room and did what Steve instructed. All the time, he was wondering what had happened. Many different scenarios were running through his head when suddenly Laura came running to him.

"Where's Steve?" she asked panicked.

"In the office with Robin and some dude. Why don't you tell me what happened?"

"Uh...This guy added something to y/n's juice and accused Robin of it. I took y/n to the bathroom, she probably returned everything she had in the system, but she's still too weak to move. She can't lie on the bathroom floor all evening." He added something to the y/n juice. These words rolled around in his head causing his rage to grow with each passing second. He was halfway to the office when he felt the barmaid grab his wrist. "She needs your help Eddie."

"Stay here." He replied and with a quick step moved toward the women's bathroom. You were leaning against the wall in a half-lying position. Your legs and arms suddenly became ten times heavier. Your eyes were bloodshot and tears were rolling down your cheeks. You didn't even have the strength to wipe them away. Everything seemed distant to you, as if behind a fog.

"Jesus Christ, what did he do to you y/n" suddenly a familiar tumbling curls appeared in front of your eyes. "I'll kill him, I'll kill the bastard" he muttered and quickly grabbed the toilet paper, ripped off a piece and wiped your face with it. Your condition made his heart ache. At the very thought of how Dave wanted to take advantage of your vulnerability he felt like going back to the office and really killing him.

"Eddie?" you whispered

"Yes, sweetheart, it's me," he said. When he looked into your unconscious eyes he immediately softened. Steve had called Hopper so he would take care of appointing justice. The priority was you and taking care of you.

"W-what's goin' on?" your voice was so weak it was barely audible.

"Some idiot put something in your juice, sweetheart."

"Oh." you heard his words but you were so stunned that they didn't reach you. Eddie was aware of that. He was also aware that when you get up in the morning and the events of the previous evening hit you in their entirety, in addition to shock, you may be hit by a whole range of negative emotions. Later you will be faced with giving a statement to the police, which will certainly not improve the situation.

"I'll take care of you, okay? Are you okay with it?" he asked grabbing your hand. You just nodded. "Are you able to get up?"

"I don't...know." The very act of speaking seemed to be awfully difficult for you. "I'm very h-heavy."

"I will help you, okay?"

"'kay" hearing the permission he put his arms around you tightly, resting all your weight on him, helped you up. He knew that you wouldn't get very far in this state, so he decided to take you to his apartment. When you came out of the bathroom a worried Laura informed you that Hopper had already arrived, and in the meantime she gathered all your things from the table and carried them to her locker. Eddie said he was taking you to his place and told her to tell the others.

To get to the apartment you had to go out the back exit. The change in the air was a shock to you compared to the warmth that prevailed inside. The worst was ahead of you. To reach your destination you still had to climb the stairs, which in your case was a huge challenge. After a few stumbles, you found yourself in a small hallway that led to a large living room. At the mere sight of the couch, your eyes began to close on their own. Eddie, seeing you fly off, quickly helped you pull off your shoes and led you deeper into the apartment. To your surprise you passed the couch you wanted and after a while you were in a small room, most of which was occupied by a huge bed. You were relieved to sit on it, but you felt the soft mattress attracting your whole body like a magnet.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" he asked, sitting down next to you.

"No." You muttered into the bedclothes.

"You know I don't want to hurt you right?" this question made you look at him with all the remaining power you had.

"I trust you, Eddie." you replied. The words meant much more to him than he expected. They went straight to his heart, crumbling the thick stone wall he had been building around him for years. He reached out his hand toward you and, after a moment's hesitation, brushed a few strands of hair away from your face, then stroked your cheek gently. "But I shouldn't," you laughed with sudden residual strength.

"What? Why?" he asked surprised. The second part of your statement slightly scared him.

"Robin told me that you don't like jazz." Feeling relieved, he only laughed. You were wrong. Eddie had enjoyed jazz a lot for some time. Eddie might even love jazz, but this was not the moment for such a conversation.

"Let me make you some tea okay? Fortunately, you got rid of the bad stuff out of your system fairly quickly, so you should be fine, but if anything call out. I'll be right back."

I trust you Eddie. Your words rolled around in his head making him smile to himself. The warmth that spread through his body was indescribable. He thought he would never feel like this again, but you gave him hope that things would be different.

When he returned to the room with a mug of warm tea in his hands you were already asleep. Not wanting to wake you, he gently covered you with a blanket that lay at the other end of the bed and turned off the light. He left the door open, just in case. He himself took a seat on the couch in the living room analyzing everything connected with you and your relationship with him.

That morning when Wayne came home from work he found his nephew sleeping on the couch. Walking to his room, he noticed that the door to Eddie's room was unusually open. Curiosity won, so he looked inside and saw an unfamiliar girl sleeping on the edge. This was strange. Wayne was used to Eddie bringing girls here from time to time. Sometimes he would pass them at the door when he came home from work, sometimes a little later they would escape from the apartment in a hurry. Wayne did not approve of such behavior but had no intention of interfering. There was nothing left for him to do but pray in his soul that fate would eventually send someone who would be happy to stay for breakfast and, in time, even for dinner.

When the man entered the room there was a piece of paper lying on his bed.

Hi Wayne,

You've probably already noticed that we have a visitor. This evening was full of sensations. Remember how I told you about the girl who likes jazz? The one I recently befriended, and you laughed that you never would have thought that your nephew who is allergic to everything school-related would have a crush on a teacher? That's y/n. Some asshole put something in her drink. As far as I know there is no one in Hawkins who could help her, so I took it upon myself. I couldn't leave her there alone, I hope you understand. I don't know how much she will remember when she gets up in the morning, she will definitely be in shock so act calmly, okay? To be clear, nothing happened between us, I know what you're thinking, but she's not like the rest. You can also expect a visit from Hopper, I told him he would find her at our place.

It was one of the few moments in Wayne's life in which he knew that despite the problems his boy attracted to him like a magnet, he had raised him well. He was proud of him.

The morning fell on you like a ton of rubble. The slightest sound tore your head apart causing terrible pain. The rest of your body was also not in the best condition to that you woke up very sweaty. When you opened your eyes you were horrified to see that the room you were in was not yours at all. When you raised yourself slightly in its corner you noticed three guitars lined up in a row. One of them seemed familiar to you. You started looking around further on the wall there were many posters of various bands, some of which you associated. Shifting your gaze to yourself, you were slightly relieved that you were wearing yesterday's clothes. At that moment a wave of memories also came over you, some more clear others terribly fuzzy. Dave. Dave who added something to your juice. Is Robin in trouble now because of you? Laura dragging you behind her to the bathroom. The icy white tiles and which you leaned against after vomiting. Eddie. Eddie came to help you. He said something to you, but you couldn't remember what. Cold air and then a lot of stairs. And darkness. You were in Eddie's apartment. It was his bedroom. You slept in his bed. But where is Eddie? You had to go to the bathroom. You sluggishly raised yourself from the bed and with arms spread so as to better catch your balance you left the room and walked to the living room where a metalhead was sitting on the couch and writing something in a thick notebook. Hearing footsteps he turned towards you and greeted with a smile.

"Mornin', how are you feeling?" he asked.

"I-I don't know." you answered honestly. You were now an emotional explosive mix. "Can I use the bathroom?" you asked quietly.

"Of course! I've prepared a towel for you there and some clothes to change into if you'd like."

"Thank you Eddie."

"You're welcome, the bathroom is over there." he said pointing to the door.

When you disappeared behind the bathroom door Eddie got up and started preparing breakfast. He stated that he would prepare scrambled eggs, but as an emergency, if you didn't like it he also prepared sandwiches. He didn't know whether you preferred coffee or tea, so with that he preferred to wait until you came out of the bathroom. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice when his uncle joined him in the kitchen.

"Hey, kid." he said quietly.

"Hey, Wayne, sorry-" he began.

"Boy, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm proud of you." replied the man putting his hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"Wayne..." Eddie didn't have time to say when they heard the bathroom door opening. You were overwhelmed. The sense of shame didn't leave you either. "y/n? Are you all right? Is something wrong?" he asked seeing your gaze quickly jump from him to Wayne. Silence. Silence was the only answer he got, so he repeated your name a few more times.

"I'm so sorry Eddie." you howled. "I feel so ashamed, I shouldn't be here, I'm sorry." your voice was breaking. You felt awful in every possible way. Used, naive, humiliated, scared, embarrassed. You couldn't contain your emotions, you still felt too weak for all this.

"What? what are you apologizing for?" he said slowly extending his hand toward you asking for silent permission to touch you. You, feeling yourself crumbling, came closer to him and hugged him tightly wanting his arms to stop the remains of you and prevent them from falling apart. After a moment's hesitation, you felt him reciprocate the hug. The warmth of his body made you feel safe, which ironically made you start crying. Still holding you in his arms, he began to gently rock you, whispering from time to time that you had nothing to apologize for and that everything was fine. The closeness you felt was very comforting, so when you calmed down and opened your eyes you saw the other man looking at you with a slight smile. Seeing the shock on your face he immediately introduced himself.

"I'm Wayne" he said. "Eddie's uncle."

"G-good morning Mr. Munson." you said embarrassed, pulling away from his nephew. "I'm so sorry about all this, I'll just get my stuff and get out of here." you could feel the panic rising.

"Won't you stay for breakfast? We're having scrambled eggs today."

"Oh, I-" You didn't know what to say.

"It's okay y/n." interjected Eddie. He wanted to assure you that you were welcome here. "If you want I can drive you home, but if you just feel like staying there's nothing stopping you. Yesterday I told them to tell Hopper that you will be here when it's time to write up the statements, I thought you didn't want to be alone with all this." He was right, you didn't want to. Sitting alone in empty four walls would drive you crazy.

"I... really don't want to be a trouble, you've done enough for me already Eddie, I don't want to overuse your kindness."

"Everything is fine. I promise, okay?"

"Okay."

Convinced by his sincerity, you decided to stay until the police arrived. The three of you sat down at the table and began to eat breakfast. The radio was playing quietly in the background and you listened to the men's conversation, trying not to think about the previous night. When you finished you wanted to help clean up that the table, but they both categorically forbade you to go near the dishes. Feeling your tiredness catch up with you, you retreated back to Eddie's room. You lay down against the wall covering yourself with a blanket. The material was very fluffy and pleasant, soothing.

"May I come in?"

"This is your room." you replied. Eddie sat down next to you.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked with concern.

"I don't know. I feel awful." You could feel tears coming to your eyes. "I have no idea how I could have been so careless."

"Hey, don't blame yourself for that. Luckily, you noticed pretty quickly that something was wrong and went to Robin with it. You acted very well." he said grabbing your hand.

"You saved me." you said quietly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled. You saved me. Hearing these words, his heart beat faster and heat spread throughout his body. Your words very often had that effect on him. He looked at your face. Your gaze focused on your hands, which you were still holding. Despite your apparent sadness and fatigue you still looked beautiful. The most beautiful. He thought. He wanted to tell you this, but this was definitely not the time or season for such confessions. He noticed how you struggled not to close your eyes and fall asleep.

"Do you want to take a nap before Hopper comes?" he asked quietly.

"I think it would be good for me." you admitted.

"Would you mind if I stayed?" he asked uncertainly.

"Of course not." After all, it was his bed. Besides, in truth, you didn't mind. You felt safe.

As Wayne walked to his room through the ajar door, he could see you lying on the two ends of the bed, with your hands in the middle between you, still joined. The sight made him feel happy and hopeful. He wanted nothing more for Eddie than to finally find someone who would give him the love he deserved. And he deserved the truest and most beautiful one. Like any parent, he wanted the best for his son.

After two hours, you were awakened by the doorbell. The conversation with Hopper did not last long, Eddie sat next to you the whole time, supporting in silence. It turned out that you were not Dave's first victim. Fortunately, the first one who managed to be protected, from his intentions. Once you had made your statement, you and Eddie went down to the bar to get your belongings, which were left there, and then he drove you home, where, already alone, you had to deal with memories and thoughts that would haunt you for a long time.

Two weeks have passed since that day. You still couldn't come to terms with the situation and the feeling of shame you felt every time you thought about it. You wanted to sink into the ground, and dissapear, which is why you were unwilling to leave the house. Aside from work and a quick shopping, you spent your entire days on the living room couch. Your absence in the Hideout was felt by everyone. Your regular seat was empty, and every Thursday Eddie sat at that table hoping you would show up at the door any minute. He didn't want to impose, he wanted to give you the space and time you may have needed, but he couldn't stop thinking about you and missing you.

No matter how hard you tried to focus on something else, the smiling, handsome face surrounded by battered curls always returned to your thoughts like a boomerang, making your heart beat faster.

For the third Thursday in a row, Eddie was sitting alone at your table sending sad glances toward the door when someone joined him. Wayne sat down across from him, and Steve and Robin appeared on either side of him, pushing back chairs.

"Shouldn't you be at work right now?" asked the younger Munson.

"I have two days off, so I thought I'd go crazy and pop in for some good beer." the man smiled.

"And I see you've found yourself some good company..." he sighed. "Buckley, shouldn't you be standing behind the bar right now? And you Harrington flirting with some lady in charge of liquor delivery, so that we can get a discount based on your beautiful eyes and charming personality?"

"That can wait, Eddie. We need to talk." Steve replied while rolling his eyes.

"About what?"

"We're sick of you wandering around the bar all day with the face of a sad puppy, dingus," said Robin.

"Apparently I haven't had reason to be happy."

"Son, if you miss her, just go and tell her so." interjected Wayne.

"How can you be sure it's about that?"

"For three Thursdays you've been sitting at the table where y/n sat all the time. What's more, every time the door opens you look at it as if Ozzy Osbourne is about to appear there." Robin concluded.

"That would be pretty metal." Eddie shrugged his shoulders. He wanted to pretend they weren't right, wanted to fool himself that he didn't care about you that much at all and your disappearance didn't affect him. But it had. He hated the fact that they were right once again.

"Go to her, invite this girl to a good dinner, buy her flowers, do something that will make her smile." continued the old man.

"Uncle Wayne is right." Steve backed him up. After several months of sitting together and keeping watch at Eddie's hospital bed, the entire group adopted Wayne as their uncle. Dustin was the first to do so, when he came to Eddie one day and greeted him with the words "hi Uncle Wayne." From then on, everyone started addressing him that way. At first it was a bit of a shock to him, but the more time he spent with the kids and the rest of the group he got used to it and had to admit he loved it.

"I can't just go and ask her out!"

"Why not?"

"Someone drugged her in my bar? Maybe she doesn't want to see me at all now because of it? I pretty much took her semi-conscious to MY apartment, maybe she thinks that I wanted to use her too? Maybe she doesn't want to know me anymore?"

"Son, we all know you would never hurt her, she knows that too." Wayne sighed.

"Okay, I have an idea!" exclaimed Robin and clapped her hands. "Since you don't want to ask her out on an official date, you'll do it by tricking her."

"What?"

"Steve do you remember the last time a jazz band came here and told us that they would like to play at the Hideout one Thursday?" a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

"Yes."

"So, we all know that y/n loves jazz, after all, it brought her here to us. I think Eddie would love to handle auditioning a new band, but since unfortunately the poor guy doesn't know much about this kind of music, he'd be happy to accept help from someone who has a knowledge of the subject."

"Shit, Robin, this is good," said Steve.

"I know." she smiled triumphantly. "You'll sense the situation during the audition, in the meantime arrange something warm to eat, a romantic dinner for two, after a private jazz concert? The girl will lose her head for you if she hasn't already!"

Eddie wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and took a deep breath. Stress was eating him alive however, after a few minutes of staring at the door of your house he got the courage to knock. Seeing the surprise on your face he felt like turning on his heel and running away, but your voice was quicker.

"Hi." you said quietly. The surprise quickly turned into a warm smile that made his knees soften.

"Hi." he replied. "I'm not disturbing?"

"No, come in." You said making a pass at the door for him. You were glad to see him, shyly you had to admit that you missed him a lot.

"If you are tired I can go." he said looking at you with a slight smile. In fact, his arrival woke you up from the little nap you had taken on the living room couch.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting visitors." you suddenly remembered that you were wearing old stretched out sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt.

"You look very nice," he said seeing your embarrassment. "I just wanted to see how you were feeling, it's been a long time since you were at our place, I was worried. We were all worried." He said looking around the apartment. It was one room smaller than his. On a table set up in the living room was a large box of tapes that immediately caught his attention, so he moved toward it. On the windowsill was a player from which soft trumpet and piano sounds flowed.

"I thought you didn't want to see me after all that..." you confessed.

"What? Why?" he asked shocked. On the contrary, he wanted nothing more than to see you.

"I caused you some trouble...Especially Robin, she got it the most. Later you had to give up your plans for the evening to take care of me, for which I thank you very much and I am truly grateful."

"Nothing that happened that evening was your fault, Robin was fine, except that if it hadn't been for Steve she would have scratched that asshole's eyes out. Hopper said poor Harrington couldn't hold her." You laughed lightly imagining it. "As for later...I wanted to take care of you, after all, that's what sa friend is for, right?" he said grabbing one of the tapes in the carton. He focused on it to avoid seeing your reaction. Turning the small box in his hand, he noticed the inscription "Your smile is brighter than the sun" on it. Curious, he began to look through more. Each of the tapes had some kind of inscription on it. "For worse days" ,"Take it easy, baby" , "I'll always be there for you"

"They belonged to my grandmother." You said seeing his interest and sat down on the couch, taking the box in your lap. Eddie sat down next to you, close enough that your shoulders were touching. The warmth of his body made you feel comfortable enough to rest your head against his shoulder. You couldn't resist. "She met my grandfather at a bar. She worked as a waitress, and he and his friends sometimes played small concerts there."

"I bet they were famous for jazz?" he chuckled.

"Yes. Grandpa's best friend played the saxophone and infected him with a love of jazz, and since Grandpa was playing the piano from a young age it was a matter of time until they started playing together, and later other friends joined them."

"So this music flows through your veins?"

"You can say that." You replied giggling while digging through the tapes in the box. "Got it!" you exclaimed. "This is my favorite," you said holding up a box labeled "Always in my heart"

"Your grandfather must have been a huge romantic."

"Oh, yes, he definitely was. Once a week Grandma always got flowers from him. Sometimes he would buy them, and when we didn't have much money he would pluck one from someone's garden on the way home from work." you laughed. "But, hush, it's a secret."

"Your secrets are safe with me." You are, too. He almost slipped up.

"On Sundays when neither of them went to work they always played this tape and danced to it. I still remember that sight. One of the most beautiful memories I have."

"It sounds really beautiful," he said.

"When I was younger I always dreamed of such love, theirs seemed indestructible. Even after the worst argument they were somehow able to find a way to reconcile. My favorite song is the third on the cassette, it's called "Lost In Your Eyes" He always played it for Grandma when she had bad days. It always calmed her down."

"Did you manage to find it?"

"What?"

"That love" He didn't know why you were even being asked that question. Deep down, Eddie himself didn't know if he wanted to know the answer to that question. What if you answer that yes, that someone is waiting for you somewhere after all, or suddenly there is some secret fiancé you haven't had a chance to mention before? You quickly dispelled his worry.

"No, as you had a chance to see I don't have much luck with love, I'm a magnet for disasters." you said. "But that's not a conversation for the moment, because I think I'd burn with embarrassment."

"Okay, so maybe tell me more about your grandparents and jazz? Did you visit them often?"

"Oh, they raised me. My mother decided that motherhood was not her specialty so when I was two years old she ran away from home leaving me with my grandparents. And I don't know my father. It was always just the three of us. If I passed someone that my family on the street I wouldn't even know about it."

"Shit, when you said you didn't have anyone I thought it was just about Hawkins. I'm so sorry y/n."

"Don't be. It was very hard for me after they died, but I'm fine now. Moving here helped me. A change of environment, new people, a job I like. Although if I'm honest my favorite new thing is Hideout."

"I'm very pleased to hear that." he replied and winked at you.

"Especially on Thursdays, my grandfather would love jazz Thursdays, just like me." Why do you confide in him? You have no idea. Or maybe you do. Maybe it's because you feel wonderful in his company. That when he's close you feel safe and comfortable. Maybe it's because you're awfully thirsty for the closeness of another person, you're thirsty for the company of someone close in your life, and you terribly want Eddie to become your closest person. But won't that be crossing some boundaries? Does he want the same thing?

"I'm sure he always accompanies you during them. I hope he's not mad about some long-haired freak taking his place at your table." What he said melted your heart, touched every part of your body. After two weeks of isolation from the world and longing, you finally didn't feel so alone.

"Thank you Eddie." you said and you looked at him. His face very close to yours, beautiful big eyes gazed into yours and his lips formed in a small smile. You wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips. You were sure the feeling must be amazing.

"You don't have to thank me." he replied.

"I have. From the very beginning, I always waited for Thursday. Just to go to the Hideout. Even before we met, when I only knew Robin, Steve and Laura. It was a place where I never felt lonely, where I always felt welcome, and then you spilled a drink on my tests, and along with that spilled drink I found another person who makes living here easier and more enjoyable." emotions took over and words flew out of your mouth on their own, "I am so grateful for all of you and I miss it."

"We miss you too." He said and put his arm around you, you immediately accepted the gesture and after a while the embrace turned into a warm hug. "Your table looks so sad when it's empty. And my company is not enough for him." he said hugging you even tighter. You wanted time to stop and this moment to never end.

"I don't know if I can go back. I'm afraid to look Robin in the eye after that night."

"If we only let her, she would strangle that asshole with her bare hands for what he did to you. She misses you too, and she doesn't resent you, because nothing that happened that night is your fault, as I've said many times before."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know it." This time it was you who squeezed him tighter. Silence fell between the two of you. You were sitting on the couch snuggled into each other, jazz was quietly playing in the background, and Eddie was gently tracing shapes on your arm with his finger. You couldn't remember the last time you felt so good. The silence between you was not jarring. On the contrary, it gave a sense of peace. Eddie, on the other hand, could not control the thoughts running through his head at the speed of light. He had so many things to say to you, yet he didn't want to spoil the moment. He didn't want the bubble that had just surrounded you to burst and tear you apart.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" you asked after a long moment.

"With pleasure, what are we cooking?"

"I have no idea. You can think about it and I'll change in the meantime." you replied and reluctantly left the area of his arms.

You decided that you would make spaghetti. While you waited for the pasta to boil you told him more about your life with your grandparents. You even pulled out a photo album. Eddie absorbed the information about you like a sponge, he wanted to know everything you wanted to tell him. And you no longer defended yourself against the feelings that grew in you when your hands accidentally met, or the way your knees weakened when he sent you a smile. You were happy to let him into your life, hoping that he would want to stay in it.

You ate in front of the TV, laughing and commenting on some comedy that was on. The time flew by pleasantly, but also mercilessly. After dinner Eddie wordlessly helped you clean up and announced that he had to get to work.

"Thank you for coming." you said.

"It's me who thanks you for your hospitality and delicious dinner m'lady."

"Wait, I'll put some in the box for you for later! We made such a huge portion I won't be able to eat it myself." you said and quickly ran to the kitchen leaving Eddie alone. His gaze fell on the box with "Always in my heart" written on it. He knew what he wanted to do. The idea immediately popped into his head, so before he had a chance to think, he quickly walked over to the tape, took it and put it in his jacket pocket. Moments later, you returned to him with a box full of spaghetti.

"I put in a little more because I thought you'd want to share with your uncle." You said, smiling.

"Thank you." he said a bit nervously, fearing that you would immediately notice that the cassette was missing and it would turn out that he had taken it. "I have one more question for you, actually a request." he said quickly wanting you to focus your attention on him.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing next week on Saturday?"

"I have no plans," you said.

" A jazz band that would like to try out on Thursdays has applied, and I need to audition them."

"I thought you didn't like jazz."

"Damn Robin and her unbridled tongue." he laughed nervously. "Actually, I admit that I was not fond of it, but that has changed. In fact, I'm starting to like jazz, even a lot. That's why I'm very eager to do an audition, but I thought I could use the help of a jazz expert."

"You mean me?" you asked surprised.

"Of course I do."

"I'd be very happy to help you."

"Great! But I hope to see you on Thursday? You don't want your table to crumble from nostalgia, do you?" his playful smile became infectious.

"You can tell my table that I also miss it and I'm already looking forward to sitting by it again on Thursday." You replied smiling widely.

When you were left alone in the air you could still smell the faint scent of his perfume. Feeling his presence still, the smile did not leave your face, making your cheeks start to ache after a while. The gray clouds from your sky slowly departed into the distance and the sun appeared again with small steps. Again you waited impatiently for Thursday.

The week flew by quickly, the days passed by as you counted down to Thursday, and Thursday evening itself turned out to be wonderful. This time as soon as you crossed the doorstep of the Hideout you noticed that there was not only Eddie sitting at the table, but also Robin and Steve. You sat and caught up all evening laughing and enjoying each other's company. You felt happy.

For Eddie, the week was a bit busier. Stressed about Saturday and what he had planned for you, he kept wondering if he was doing the right thing. The cassette he took from your apartment was playing non-stop. Especially song number three. He spent every spare moment sitting at the piano and trying to learn it. On the night from Friday to Saturday, nerves and stress were eating him alive. He processed every possible scenario in his head as if tonight might turn out differently. Unable to sleep at five in the morning, he went downstairs to continue practicing. He could already play the song from memory, but the fear of getting something wrong was worse. Lost in a musical trance, he didn't hear when someone came inside.

"Eddie? What the hell are you doing here at this hour son?" A puzzled Wayne walked closer.

"Y'know, just practicing..."

"I didn't know you'd gone back to playing the piano."

"I never thought I'd go back to it either." He sighed, turning toward his uncle.

"You haven't played for a very long time, since..."

"Since mom died. I know." Eddie's love of music was inherited from his mother who taught him to play the piano. From a young age they spent hours at the instrument. Unfortunately, after her death it was too painful for him, but he was not able to live long without playing. That's why he started playing the guitar instead of the piano.

"What's going on boy?"

"Do you remember y/n?"

"Of course I do. What about her? Didn't your plan with the 'audition' succeed?"

"It succeeded and that's the problem. I wanted to do something special for her, something that made her feel special..."

"You wrote her a song?"

"Not really. The last time I visited her, she told me about her grandfather who played jazz. He recorded a lot of tapes and she showed me her favorite one, she even said which song from it she liked best, so I thought I'd learn and when we were left alone I'd play it for her, but the more I think about it the more it all scares me."

"Listen kid, feelings are not a simple thing. But you're one of the bravest people I know, so I'm sure you can handle it."

"What if I take it all wrong and she doesn't feel the same? What if she gets too upset that I stole her beloved souvenir of her grandparents and she doesn't want to listen to me?"

"You think too much. I understand that you have doubts, everyone has them, but you can't let them overshadow the purpose of it all. Even if she doesn't reciprocate your feelings, we can handle it. I'll be here for you."

"Thanks, Wayne." The younger Munson felt a weight fall from his heart to some extent and be replaced by a slight flame of hope. Conversations with his uncle always have that effect on him.

"Which doesn't change the fact that I'm ninety-nine percent sure she'll appreciate the gesture and won't even get too angry about the stolen tape. I have a good feeling about this girl, and you know your old man is rarely wrong." The man laughed and sat down in a chair. "Now play this song, I want to hear it."

Saturday evening came sooner than Eddie would have expected. Normally the Hideout would now be filled to the brim but this time there was emptiness and silence. Silence that seemed too loud for him. The black shirt he had buttoned up to his neck seemed to choke him, so he unbuttoned the first two buttons. The stress still made him incredibly hot. Suddenly he heard a door opening in which you appeared. At the sight of you, his heart sped up twice as fast, he became more and more aware that tonight would bring many changes, but he still wasn't sure if they were good ones.

"I know I'm a little early, but I couldn't wait." you said smiling broadly.

"That's okay, you look beautiful." he replied.

"You equally. It suits you in that shirt." It was a fact. It was the first time you'd seen him in a more elegant version, and you'd have to be lying if you said it hadn't crossed your mind what would happen if he undid a few more buttons. "It's creepy here without a crowd of people." you commented, wanting to dismiss those thoughts and change the subject. You sat down at a table opposite the stage. "This place is always full of life," you said.

"It reminds me of our early days when practically every day was like this." He responded by sitting down across from you. "Fortunately, it has grown more vibrant over time."

"I'm glad. I can't imagine life in Hawkins without this place."

Eddie wanted to reply that he couldn't imagine Hawkins without you now, but bit his tongue. Not yet. Before he had time to say anything the door opened again letting in a band of 5 musicians. They were in their early twenties. Excitedly, they introduced themselves to you and began to spread out on stage. Ironically, the most stressed person in the room was still Munson. When they started playing you focused all your attention on the performers, Eddie, however, was unable to. You listened to the performance with a smile on your lips, enjoying every note they played. The songs varied, some fast and cheerful, others a bit sadder or calm and soothing. You were absorbed in each of them, the emotions conveyed in the music flowing through you while painting different facial expressions that Eddie could read like a book. From time to time he forced himself to look at the stage, but then quickly returned his gaze to you. He was unable to think about anything else but how beautiful you looked. He had already seen you in various states and no matter what, you were always beautiful to him. He felt like stopping the show and shouting right in your face all the emotions that were blowing up inside him. But he had to endure for a few more moments. He had to be patient to tell you in the right way that every time you are close to him he feels a pain in his ribs which is caused by his heart, which wants to escape from its cage straight to you.

"Will you stay here with them for a while? I have to go upstairs quickly, I promise I'll be right back." he said nervously, when the audition finished.

"Is something wrong?" you asked worriedly.

"No, just wait here for me, okay?"

"Sure."

In the meantime, while the band was packing up the instruments he rushed upstairs where hot food prepared by Wayne, who had already left for work, was waiting for him. The portions were packed in boxes, and on one of them was a note saying "Good luck son!". The metalhead took a deep breath and, together with the food, headed back downstairs.

When he returned the musicians were ready to leave, he thanked them and said he would call on Monday with an answer and possible details.

"I thought a little snack wouldn't hurt us." he said turning toward you and began to take out the containers. "I'm sorry that I didn't prepare the porcelain crockery," he said.

"Whatever it is it doesn't need porcelain crockery to smell delicious." you replied and helped him lay everything out.

The meal passed you in a very pleasant atmosphere. You joked and talked about the audition. In your opinion, they should definitely give them a chance, and Eddie had no choice but to agree because, first of all, he didn't pay a bit of attention to the music they were playing because he was too busy melting at the sight of you, and secondly, he would do anything you wanted. There was also the third, he knew you wouldn't do him any harm.

"So... do you feel like another little performance?" he asked when silence fell between you. Seeing your curious face he continued. "I'm saying in advance that I haven't done this in years." He walked toward the piano. When he sat down at it, nerves and stress took over completely causing momentary paralysis. He stuck his gaze into the keys and felt his palms flood with sweat and begin to shake. Come on, Eddie, you can do it. He repeated over and over in his mind, but it didn't help. He was so preoccupied with all this that he didn't notice when you got up from the table and slowly walked toward him, only to sit down next to him a moment later.

"I would love to hear you play Eddie." you said grabbing his hand. You didn't mind how wet with sweat it was. When you saw a smile creep onto his face along with that small gesture, you thought you'd like to hold it forever. When your touch eased his nerves and his fingers didn't shake so badly he began to play. At first his uncertainty made him barely touch the keys, but every time he glanced in your direction and saw your delight when you recognized the next moments of the song he became more and more confident. And with each successive note your heart grew.

"Lost In Your Eyes," you whispered when he finished.

"Yeah, so lost." he replied grabbing your hand. Now or never. He thought, Your faces were now very close together, Eddie rested his forehead against yours and took a deep breath. His eyes were big and dark. Beautiful. It was a beauty in which you could get lost and wander for the rest of your life. "I feel so lost right now that I don't even know how to say what has been going on in my head for a very long time," he said.

"Try it, I have a feeling that in our minds we think alike." you encouraged him.

"I've really liked jazz lately, y'know?" his voice was very quiet and low, but every word reached you with redoubled force.

"Well...I didn't think I'd ever become a metal fan, but recently I've found that metal can be very magnetic..."

"Do you think you could fall in love with metal? Because I think I've been falling in love with jazz for a while now."

You were just about to answer, when suddenly a loud bang came from the office. You both jumped up and looked away from each other, directing your gaze toward the source of the noise. Eddie slowly got up walking there, so you followed him. From a distance you heard muffled voices from behind the door, which became more and more clear the closer you got.

"I thought you were as stealthy as a nina, idiot. You weren't supposed to knock over a whole cabinet!" It was Robin.

"Oh I'm sorry I took away your role as a bull in a china shop!" Steve hissed back. "I don't hear anything, they are quiet, do you think they heard us?"

"Move your ass, dingus."

Eddie showed you to be quiet, but you had a hard time holding back the laughter that was gathering inside you. What the hell were they doing there? Suddenly Munson abruptly opened the door while yelling as loudly as he could. Surprised and somewhat frightened eavesdroppers fell to the floor.

"What the fuck dude?!" shouted Steve putting his hand over his heart. "Do you want me to have a heart attack?"

"Yeah Steve, what the fuck?" replied Eddie crossing his arms over his chest. "Can anyone know why you are spying on us? I thought you guys had enough spies, especially Russian ones."

"Oh come on! We were just curious how you were doing, you know very well how strongly we are rooting for you!" exclaimed Robin.

"And that was the reason for you to break in here through the window?" he asked amused, pointing to the open 'entrance'.

"Maybe it didn't work out so well, we just wanted to see how it was going and back out the same way." Steve tried to defend himself.

"Oh my God Steve, that sounds so much worse said out loud." sighed Robin and hid her face in her hands. "Come on creep, we should go now."

"Yes, you should, and this time PLEASE use the damn door."

"Yeah, we are sorry. Bye crab, bye y/n." said Robin, and on her way out she gestured that you should call her later.

"Bye stalkers!" you replied waving your hand.

When you were left alone again Eddie brought a tape recorder from the office. "I hope you won't hate me and forgive me, but last time I was at your place I borrowed something without asking." he said while putting the cassette inside.

"I connected the dots the moment you started playing the piano." You laughed lightly as you approached him. "I think I'm able to forgive you for stealing my favorite heirloom from my grandfather."

"That sounds awful, don't say it that way," he said.

"Then what way should I put it?"

"Maybe that I borrowed it without asking to impress you? And to ask you to dance now?" he pulled you to him putting his hands on your waist. You wrapped yours around his neck.

"Actually, it sounds better."

"Right?"

"Yeah..."

"So where were we before the two morons interrupted us?"

"You said you started falling in love with jazz..." you stepped closer to him, and his hands tightened around you. "And I was just about to answer you that metal and jazz is a very uncommon combination." A look of mild shock and sadness flashed across his face. He started to pull away when you pulled him as close to you as you could. Your chests touched and your lips were separated by millimeters. "But this very rare connection could turn out to be something really beautiful," you said.

"Do you really think so?" your proximity made it difficult for him to breathe evenly.

"That's what I hope for." you whispered and your lips lightly brushed his when you said it, and he put his hand on your cheek.

"I'd like to know what it's like to feel jazz all over me." he whispered while nudging yours with his nose.

"Nothing stands in the way." you replied and he finally brought your lips together in a passionate kiss. The music in the background enchanted the moment you were in and you felt that you would never have to feel lonely again. You had a feeling that with Eddie, Hawkins would become your home.

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