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dreamerschroniclesofstories · 5 months

Note

Hey love ! Hope you’re having a wonderful day/night 🩷

Could you please do a Tommy X reader where the reader works for him ( it could be his maid or secretary) and someone says something mean to them and they feel so humiliated that they leave. At first Tommy doesn’t know what happened until someone tells him and he goes ballistic and ends up defending her then they end up together 🩷 it could be angst to fluff please :) thank you so much

Sorry for any mistake !! English is not my first language

Hey lovelie! Thank you so much for your ask, I can definitely do that for you!. Hope you guys enjoy.

This fic will be based around season three, this means that Tommy and grace do not get married, in this she had Charles then left Tommy. Also, in this Lizzie is a bitch but its only for the purpose in the fic x.

Summery: request above

Word count: 2,321

When you were twenty, you had graduated from bed-ford college, which was very uncommon since not many people could read or write, but luckily your mother learnt you from a young age how to both which allowed you to complete your studies.

However, this meant that when people found out you were from London and had gone to one of the most prestigious colleges for young women, you were judged. Most people thought you were a privileged woman from a rich family. Unknownst to anyone but yourself, you aren't. You lived in a one bedroom apartment with your mother and two younger sisters. Your father had left your mother ,after your youngest sister was born, for a younger woman.

As you grew up, your mother had become ill, she had began to suffer from Melancholia, as her doctor described it. She never recovered from it and died when you had moved back home after graduating. When your mother died, your young sisters were left in your care and you decided you wanted to leave London and find somewhere else for your sisters to grow up. After nearly four years, you found your current home, Birmingham.

You loved your job, all you had to do was respond to letters for Tommy, make sure his schedule was up to date, make sure there weren’t any over laps and make meetings on his behalf. The only bad part of the job was sharing the room with tommys other secretary, Lizzie stark. At first, when she had started working two weeks after you started. She was nice, you spoke everyday, had lunch together whilst on break but once you started to get closer to Tommy she began to change.

At the beginning, you pretended not to notice, thinking maybe she was just having a bad day but every time you went into tommys office without knocking or every time Tommy comes in work, he stops to speak to you and asks you how your weekends been and how you sisters are, Lizzie would grumble under her breath and when you weren't looking would steal the paperwork Tommy gave you to sort out so she could do it and claim you weren't.

Today was one of the days that Lizzie was being extremely bitchy, it was a Friday afternoon which meant Tommy wasn't in the office most of the day. He was either at a meeting or in the betting shop. This left you and Lizzie alone.

You had just gone into tommys office to put the paperwork Tommy needed on his desk when Lizzie walks in as well.

“ Tommy has a lot of whores, one for each month, which one are you?”she sits down at the round oak table, getting out a cigarette then lights it.

You turn around to look at Lizzie and frowns, not understanding the purpose of this conversation “ what Mr Shelby does in his personal life is none of my business”

“don't act dumb, you know what i'm talking about Y/N” Lizzie spits, venom lacing her voice.

“ i don't think we should be having this conversation when Mr Shelby isn't here, its not appropriate” you asserted, picking up another pile of paperwork, being to walk back to the double doors that leads out to you desk and Lizzie.

The sound of scuffing catches your attention, making you stop walking and look towards Lizzie once again “ get off your high horse Y/N, this is Birmingham everyone is a whore, they don’t have money to act like they are better then everyone” Lizzie barked, pointing a finger at you.

Your heart begins to race, the blood running through your veins begin to rush to your face, causing your cheeks to begin to heat up, it was like someone had turned up your internal thermostat to the maximum and now your face is a shade of red that would make a tomato jealous.

“ i'm sorry if i offended you in some way, i did not intend too” you apologise, you knew you hadn't said anything offensive but you didn't like confrontation and you wanted to avoid yelling in any possible way.

Lizzie takes a drag of her cigarette “ you are so insufferable, i dont know how your family deals with you” she chuckles under her breath.

At the mention of your family, you take a shakey breath and turn away from lizzie “ i need to start this paperwork” . As soon as you sit back at your desk, you began to look through the paperwork but you couldn't concentrate. what Lizzie said to you runs laps in your head, making your chin begin to quiver as your eyes begin to fill with tears.

Unfortunately, at the same time polly walks through the main doors into the building, she walks over to you. Wiping under your eyes quickly,putting a smile on your face.

“ hello Polly, what can i do for you?” you ask softly, your voice breaking slightly as you try to hold in your emotions.

Polly raises an eyebrow and places her purse down on your desk, watching as Lizzie walks out of tommys office with a smirk on her face but as soon as she sees Polly, she quickly covers it with a smile.

“whats happened?” Polly asks, suspicion filling her words, looking between Lizzie and you.

“ nothing pol, just talking business” Lizzie puts on a smile and looks towards you, her eyes widening for a second to tell you not to say anything.

“yes, just business” you agree, nodding slightly.

Polly hums “ if you say so, anyway is Tommy free in the afternoon this week” she asks.

You grab his schedule from your draw and begins to look through this weeks page he's free Wednesday afternoon from two o'clock onwards” you grab your pen “would you like me to write you in for a meeting with him”

Polly smiles and grabs her purse again “ yes, thank you Y/N, your a doll” she kisses your cheek softly then leaves.

The visit from Polly, helped you distract yourself from the situation with Lizzie, you smile happily as you begin to write down the information bout polly's meeting in tommys schedule. As you begin to write in the book, the ink tub falls onto the page causing you to gasp.

You look up and see Lizzie standing in front of your desk, smirking. she lights another cigarette “opps, i guess you'll have to tell Tommy you ruined his book” she tuts, shaking her head.

Once again, your pulse begins to race, your heart starts to beat so incredibly loudly, louder then gunshots. Your hands shake as you begin to try and pat the ink with her handkerchief but it wasn't working.

“no,no,no” your eyes begin to well up with tears for the second time, in less them an hour. You look up at Lizzie, disbelief in your eyes.

“ why would you do that, this has all of Tommy's schedules” you ask astonished.

“ you don't belong here, I've known Tommy before you even were in Birmingham, i should be sat in your chair. Everyday i have to see you prim and proper, giggling at Tommy” Lizzie rants angrily.

Unknownst, to both of them. Polly was still behind the door listening to the conversation. she knew something was wrong so she wanted to listen in case they were hiding something.

Polly leaves the office, determined to find Tommy to tell him what she heard between his secretaries. however, she couldn't find him.

It had been a few hours since the incident, you were quiet s you write a letter to Tommy, you have decided to leave your position of head secretary, you couldn't cope with the daily taunting from Lizzie.

The sound of the door opening and close catches both of the women's attention, you stand up immediately when you see Tommy.

“ Mr Shelby, i need to speak with you if that's alright” you ask softly as you walk around your desk, to stand beside Tommy.

Tommy nods and lights the cigarette that was resting between his lips “ come through to my office miss Y/N” he gently places his hand on the small of your back as you begin to walk to his office with him.

As the door to his office closes, you didn't notice Lizzie watching you. Her eyes like daggers.

“please sit” Tommy nods to the chair by his desk as he sits in his own chair, slowly blowing out the smoke from his mouth. You gulp and nod, sitting down slowly on the cold brown leather seat. the coldness helping to cool down your skin.

“ I've been thinking for the past couple of weeks, and i didn't want to do this but its the best thing for me” you explain, nervously fiddling with the letter in your hands. Your hand shake as you give Tommy the letter “ i'm giving in my notice as Secretary, i will be leaving this company after we finish this conversation”

Tommy frowns, taking the letter gently “ may i ask why” he raises an eyebrow, looking towards your direction. you end up making eye contact for the first time during this conversation.

You smile slightly, your eyes showing that you were distressed “ no reason, i just feel ready to move on”

The next day

Tommy had organised a company/ family meeting, he had some business to talk about. Lizzie had to sit in the meeting since you use to but now you had left your position, no one else can do it.

Tommy had ordered two peaky blinders to watch your flat, wanting you to be protected since people knew you were associated with them.

The meeting had started nearly half an hour ago, however Polly just noticed Lizzie sitting at the table. She frowns “ Thomas, where is Y/N?”

Tommy sighs and leans against the wall, taking out his cigarette holder then opens it “Y/N has decided to move on with her career and no longer work for me” he announces.

Polly raises an eyebrow, glancing at Lizzie, seeing her smirk slightly “ have something to say Lizzie?” her voice full of bitter.

Lizzie shakes her head, no saying anything. Tommy nods and lights his cigarette “ Lizzie, by tomorrow afternoon i need an advert in the paper for a new head secretary” he explains.

Lizzie frowns “you're looking for someone else, i thought i would take that position” she admits.

Polly chuckles and shakes her head “ is that why you forced Y/N to leave? or is it because you want to fuck Thomas?” she quizzes.

Lizzie blushes slightly as Tommy raises an eyebrow and looks towards her.

“is that right Lizzie?” he asks, his eyes turning cold.

“ it wasn't fair Thomas, she came in and you gave her the job straight away without even knowing her” she snaps, putting down her pen. The room went quiet after lizzies confession.

“you were jealous of her so you made her feel bad about herself so much that she left her job? ey? are you fucking proud of yourself” his voice begins to rise as he speaks.

“it wasn't-” Lizzie begins to defend herself when Tommy interrupts her.

“ By the end of today, i want your desk cleared and you stuff gone, you're fired” he points to the door as he speaks, Polly smirking as she watches Lizzie stand up and rush out of the door. As soon as Lizzie left, a blinder rushes into the room.

“Tommy, shes leaving. we followed her to the train station. shes got bags and her sisters are with her as well” he states, catching his breath.

Tommy immediately grabs his coat and cap, rushing out of the betting shop.

At the train station

The sound of people yelling and rushing to and from trains fills your ears as you carry your bags, your sisters infront of her, walking towards the platform where your train back to London would arrive. The clunking and screeching of train engines makes you flinch slightly, you never get use to that sound.

Your train was due for another hour but you wanted to have enough time for your sisters to say goodbye to their friends before you went to the train station.

As you sat on the bench with your sisters, you didn’t hear Tommy calling your name since the platform was extremely loud. However, in the corner of your eye you see him walking over.

“ girls, stay here” you instruct, standing up.

You walk over to Tommy, looking up at him as you both stand infront of each other. However, you didn’t have time to say anything before Tommy kisses you. You didn’t know what to do at first but after a few seconds you felt your shoulders relax as you ease into the kiss.

Time slows, your lips felt like they were made to connect with each other. The feeling of Tommys hand on your cheek causes goosebumps to arrise on your skin. You had wanted his mouth on your for months, but now it’s happening, you want to savour the moment.

Your lips part softly, chasing tommys as he pulls away “ what was that for?” You whisper, biting your lip ever so softly.

“ I should have done it awhile ago” he whispers, stroking your cheek bone gently “ come back, I know what happened, lizzies gone” he explains, looking into his eyes. His pupils blown.

You smile, chuckling under your breath “ okay” you whisper, putting your hand over his.

Tommy brushes his pad of his thumb over your bottom lip. A silent harmony parts your lips as a soundless breath leaves your mouth. Your eye lids slide shut as Tommy leans in, brushing his lips across yours, feeling the coldness of his skin, like snowflakes trundling down from the sky. The soft pillow of your mouth gives Tommy the pressure that he longed for.

This is the light at the end of the tunnel, and you’re so glad you survived.

A/N: hey guys, I don’t really like this one. It feels rushed and it’s unedited so there are a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes. Please do like and comment, I appreciate all of your support ❤️

#peaky blinders fanfic #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby imagines #peaky blinders masterlist #peaky blinders x reader #tommy shelby angst #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby fic #thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby fanfic

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nevernonline · 7 months

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✽ maybe this means something? ✽ | csc.

001: FALL

Choi Seungcheol used to be the bane of your existence, but through a year of seasonal rotations, something felt different. It has to be overwhelming realizing you're falling for the person you always thought you hated.

𐦍 paring: seungcheol x reader. (svt members mentioned)

𐦍 genre: frenemies (sort of), romance, a little angst, fluff.

𐦍 warnings: drinking, brief mentions of illness, mary jane 🍃, suggestiveness (sort of)

𐦍 word count: 2.8k

𐦍 content: non-idol characters, food/drink, cursing, slightly- suggestive, pet names, fem! reader. bff! hao.

𐦍 notes: every time I listen to Means something by Lizzy McAlpine it makes me think of cheol so I wanted to write a little something with it as inspo, but pls ignore any typos or weird phrasing I'm super rusty when it comes to writing long fics. pls enjoy and give feedback. xo.

intro - fall - winter - spring

Fall: Flashback.

Running out of your childhood home faster than ever onto the first day of college felt so exhilarating, the smell of the fall air and the wind pushing your hair back as you sprinted to your car door made you feel free.

You had around two hours before your first class started, a new start was one of your favorite things. Fresh people, fresh clothes, a new haircut, the smell of new books.

Pulling up to the curb and wailing on your horn to notify your friend you had arrived, made you giggle. This was such a mundane thing you’ve done for years, switching off weeks driving to school, gossiping about your day, but now it felt new again.

Xu Minghao, the constant person in your circle, the one who always had your back and took the words out of your mouth. He understood you more than anyone in the world, even your own family, got you into parties, held your hair when you happen to drink too much, and most of all never judged you.

A slam came from across the lawn in front of you, Minghao strutted down his home's cobblestone passageway like he was living his own Tyra Banks fantasy.

“Goodmorning, Gorgeous.” he says eleated as his long legs stretched into your vehicle.

“Goodmorning, my love.” you responded, putting your car back into drive. “Coffee?”

Minghao peered at you under the rim of his sunglasses. “For you, I’ll have orange juice and green tea.”

A whistle escaped your lips, “Wow, robbing me for all I have I see?”

“No, but I am trying to teach you healthy habits this year. Are you excited for our first class? I actually can't believe we managed to get nearly the same schedule.”

“Yeah, well my dad insisted on calling the dean and told him that I had a learning disability so I had to be around you as much as I can.” You said cringing. “Luckily they just made him open his wallet and donate to the art department.”

Minghao just giggled and rolled his eyes because he knew how your parents were and how much you didn’t want anyone to know. “Listen, maybe this year you should just lean into telling people about your family if they ask. I’m not saying you have to or anything, but pretending to be average when you’re anything but is below you.”

All you could do was hum at his words. The reason you conceal yourself is because pretending you didn’t have an influential family made people respect all the things you’re able to do more, Hao knew that, but he also knew that you struggled keeping a secret all four years of highschool.

You pulled your car into the local campus cafe and hopped out only to be met by a group of guys yelling for Minghao.

“Who are they?” you questioned laughing at the group of excited looking puppies from across the lot.

Hao mimicked your expression, waving his hands side to side, “Oh, wow. That is the group of guys I met abroad I told you about, they go here too.” He roped his arm through yours pulling you into the lion's den. “You’ll like them, they’re nice I promise.”

Your feet felt like they couldn’t move staring at the four new faces in front of you, one more gorgeous than the next. There was Jun and Chan the dance majors, Wonwoo the literature major, and Seungcheol the business major. Three out of the four automatically welcomed you into their circle, the fourth Choi Seungcheol was icing you out, for a reason you may never understand.

“What major are you again, Y/N?” Jun asked as you continued awkwardly sipping your coffee across from him.

“Oh, I’m an art major same as Hao, mainly digital and my minor is tech and graphic.” You said smiling back thankful he broke the ice for you.

“Wait cool, I think Cheol is also minoring in tech and graphics. Maybe you guys will share a class too.”

A smirk came from the male to his right, Seungcheol. Something about him was bone chilling, the pale skin the raven hair, competitive by nature.

“Don’t ask me to sit with you in class, I don’t do amateur hour.” He said flashing you a gingival smile.

You just smirked back, “Fine with me, I don’t do asshole hour.”

And that's where it all started, your ongoing competition with Choi Seungcheol.

Present:

It’s been a few weeks since your encounter with the bully himself, you just worked and worked behind your desk, with no chance to be out in the real world. You thought about texting your mom to come and visit for the weekend, but ultimately decided on calling Minghao.

“Hello, my beautiful working girl. How are we?” you could almost feel his smile through the phone.

“Love my life, hello. I’m alright, just so busy. I was just wondering what you’re doing all weekend, I desperately need to drink.”

You laugh and he follows along. “Well, well, well. Finally coming to ask me to rescue you from corporate life, huh? I actually made plans to go watch Jun and Hoshi’s concert this weekend, if you wanted to come? There’s a cast party after and they asked about how you were anyway so you can definitely join.”

“Wait, they’re in town? I had no idea.” You put Hao through the speaker phone and check your socials. “They literally messaged me two days ago asking if I was free. Maybe I should listen to you more.”

“I have been trying to influence you for like nearly a decade, y/n. But, come please. It's tomorrow, so we can go shopping tonight, have a little sleep over, and drink for breakfast before we go on Saturday.”

“Wow, yes. I could kiss you. It’s a date.”

Hao hummed over the other end of the phone, “Meet me at my place at five, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, I gotta go, bye.”

┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄

You nearly sprinted out of your desk as the boring work day you had sped past since your conversation with Hao. And you much like the clock speed as fast as you could to find your oasis at his home.

“Honey, I’m home.” you yelled, removing your coat and shoes and dropping them in his entryway.

“Well, hello baby.” A voice spoke, not Minghao, but Seungcheol resting in a large lounge chair watching the news.

With an eye roll, you greeted him back. “What are you doing here?”

“Hao told me to meet him here to go shopping for the show tomorrow, what are you doing here?”

You found your way to Hao’s cloud of a couch and planted yourself on it.

“Uh, he told me the same thing, we were supposed to just hangout and have some drinks tonight.”

Your eyes met him again, something about them made you feel bad for being so cold towards him for years.

“Oh, are you spending the night too?”

“Yeah, did he ask you to stay as well?"

Seungcheol gestured to the similar overnight bag resting on the floor adjacent to yours.

“Yep. Should we fight to the death to see who gets the nicer guest room?”

“I really don’t think I could kick your ass at anything other than Mario Kart.”

“Then let’s play, the loser gets to buy all the alcohol and the winner gets the good guest room.”

Seungcheol’s hand reached towards yours and you decided to take it, like making a deal with the devil.

┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄

About an hour after virtually driving the rainbow, the front door opened again to reveal Minghao in its threshold holding multiple bags of takeout.

“Oh, hey you’re both here. I brought food."

You jumped up at the chance to break the closeness with Seungcheol you found and he followed suit behind you to greet your friend and to help him with the bags of food in hand.

“You did not buy fire noodles again, you will literally be in the bathroom for hours.”

Seungcheol giggled at you while unwrapping the rest of the food.

“You know, Hao. I never realized Y/N’s strength really lay in gaming, she gave me a run for my money at Mario Kart.”

“Shut up, Seungcheol you literally still kicked my ass, enjoy your beautiful guest room.”

You sat sulking at the dining room table, slurping up your bowl of noodles.

“No, you can have it. I actually live two floors up anyway, I was just fucking with you to see if you could take the heat.”

“I see you guys had fun without me.” Hao chuckled. “Did I not tell you Cheol moved into my building recently?”

“No clearly not, he kicked my ass in Mario Kart and now I have to buy you booze hounds alcohol.”

Minghao clearly was loving the fact that the plan he had set out to get you to get closer was working. Cheol didn’t pick up on the fact that you knew what Hao was up to and continued eating in silence for a while before speaking back up.

“You don’t really have to spend your money on us, Y/N.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. I’ve been spending my allowance and paychecks on Hao since eighth grade.”

“Hey! That is not true, our relationship has always been equal.”

Seungcheol stirred, he always assumed you didn’t have much financially. He’d often wondered in college, how you became friends with Minghao who was definitely better than well off. Was he wrong about you using Hao, sure, but he always thought you benefited from the friendship more than him in other ways then the platonic relationship you shared.

Too scared to ask without knowing what outcome he’d get from you he decided to excuse himself to the restroom and find out for himself. Cheol sat on the marble tile of Hao’s bathroom sink and searched your name, but no luck, only your professional profiles and instagram hit.

He searched deeper, and deeper until he stumbled upon an article written in a High School newspaper.

“Wait, her mom is Mina Lee?” he muttered now searching your first name with a newly founded surname following it.

Dozens of articles popped up about your family, their finances, their homes, the illness. Stuff Seungcheol would have never expected, all this time he thought you were everything you weren’t, but this, this made more sense.

He pretended to run the sink water as he bookmarked the article he found talking about the Lee’s hidden children, a gossip blog no less, but maybe it would give him more answers.

┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄ ︰ ┄┄┄┄ ︰ ┄୨୧┄

After hours of shopping, mainly to find Minghao a perfect outfit. You reached your destination, the liquor store. Whipping your card out to hand to Minghao for him and Cheol to spend whatever they wanted to make their night as good as possible, you decided to stay outside and watch the colorful leaves fall.

Dialing your mom’s number on your phone and waiting for her to answer seemed like forever, but you were eventually met by her soft voice.

“Y/N? Darling, are you alright?” Hearing a sweet pet name from your mother, no matter how long it's been since you’ve seen her always felt right.

“Hi, Mom. Yes, I’m okay. I just wanted to check in on you. Is everything alright?”

“Oh, well good. Your father is feeling better, but I’m not sure his chemo is working as well this time” Your mom just sighed, you could hear the pain through the phone. “Why don’t you come visit for Christmas, okay? We can make hot cocoa together and I’ll fill your stocking with Jelly Beans like we did when you were a kid.”

“I will. I’ll book my flight when I get back to Hao’s later tonight. Kiss him for me?”

“Aw, good. Tell Minghao to visit, we miss him too.”

The sound of the bell on the door rings to alarm you Hao and Cheol were coming back to find you.

“I’ll force him, I love you, okay?”

“Alright, dear. We love you, goodnight.”

As you hang up your phone, you fight back the tickling itch of tears forming in your eyes and fall into step with the two men.

“We got you that weird sour beer you like, and-” Minghao pulls out a brown bag full of mini bottles of your favorite alcohol.

“Wow, I see you really treated me and my money well. It’s an honor.”

You pulled three small bottles out of the bag and handed them to Seungcheol and Hao, twisting off the top of yours.

“If you guys walk back to Hao’s building with me, I’ll reward you further.”

You smiled holding up your bottle for a cheers and they followed.

“Deal.”

They both smiled and tipped their heads back to get their night started.

About two blocks from the apartment complex and a few mini bottles of liquor in, you stopped for Hao to run inside a mini mart to grab multiple snacks and a pack of cherry rolling papers you loved.

“So, Y/N Lee? I was wrong about you wasn’t I?”

Seungcheol spoke your full name like he was singing lyrics to a song, but it had you confused.

“What? How did you know that?”

“I will confess I got confused over dinner before, you guys were saying a lot of stuff and I felt bad asking what it was about so I looked for myself. I’m sorry.”

Sorry. A word you’d never thought was in Seungcheol’s vocabulary, so you felt it was sincere.

“It’s alright, it was stupid I lied about it for years anyway. Really, don’t sweat it.”

“Yeah, that's actually really stupid.”

That’s all he could respond with, but he did offer an olive branch by opening you a bottle of beer and offering it to you on the sidewalk.

“Cheers, to getting to know the real you?” Cheol questioned.

“Yes, cheers to getting to know the real me.”

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After a change of clothes and more than a few drinks, you dipped out onto Hao’s balcony to roll yourself a joint only to find Seungcheol drink in hand typing on his phone fearlessly.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt, I’ll go back inside.”

“No, I’m finished, you can sit.”

You nearly stumbled onto the balcony, the alcohol telling your body where to go.

“Isn’t it against your better judgment to send work emails while drunk?”

He laughed, placing his phone back into his sweatshirt pocket.

“Well, isn’t it against your better judgment to roll a joint while drunk? That shit looks fucked.”

You didn’t even ask before you were handing over your stash and papers to him. You watched his fingers and they perfectly packed and fixed your work for you.

“Wow, what the fuck?”

“I’ve had practice, if you need a teacher.”

“I’m much better sober, I promise. Plus it’s cold and I can't feel my fingers.”

Cheol scooted closer to you now holding a lighter up, begging you to spark his good work with his eyes. The flame burned against your lips as you inhaled a big pull from the scented paper.

“Thanks.”

You smiled at him as the smoke poured out of your mouth and you offered him your olive branch, a hit.

He took it with ease and deeply breathed into his lungs to expand his chest.

Your closeness was now inching dangerous territory. His fingers grazing yours with every pass of the small object burning between you. That’s what always been going on, burning between you, passion, former hatred, sparks.

“Here, I’ll help you since it got smaller. Open your mouth.” Seungcheol whispering now, his breath hot on your cheeks.

You just obliged, feeling a little insecure with your mouth open wide watching the smoke leave his lips, you inhaled.

Maybe it was the high, the setting, or the alcohol finally setting in, but you needed his mouth on yours.

“Will you kiss me?”

Without a word from his lips, they came smashing onto yours and before you knew it you were kissing the enemy.

The feeling of him on you left you with a high you’ve never felt before. He never let go before you were ready, his hands found their natural space on your hips.

“Can I confess something, y/n?”

Snuggling into his embrace you nod against his chest, as you fiddle with the ties of his sweatshirt

“I was only mean to you in college because I had a crush on you. And if we were sober right now, I’d ask you to come back to my place, because I just love being around you.”

Suddenly your hands stopped moving and he knew he had missed his chance at a confession once again. His arms scooped you up and carried you all the way into your blissful night of sleep in the good guest room. Little did he know you had been awake the whole time and didn’t sleep a minute.

Feeling the way he kissed you when you got too drunk had to mean something.

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quixoticall · 5 months

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This Could Get Ugly Track 3: The Upside Down Tour

Summary: It's 1983 and The Downsides need another lead singer and you just happen to need a band--it's a perfect match. The only issue? You have to pretend to be in a relationship with your bandmate, Steve Harrington, but you can't help but be drawn to the band's broody guitar player.

pairing: s.h. x fem!reader, e.m. x fem!reader, j.b. x n.w.,

warnings: ANGST, drinking, drug use, some minor panic attacks, mention of serious illness and subsequent treatment (poor ill Will)

A/N: Hello! I want to say thank you to all of you for the lovely feedback! I know it's been a minute, but I've been extra busy because I had family visiting for the holiday! But we're back to regularly scheduled programming!

wc: 7.8k

MASTERLIST🎸

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***

ARGYLE: The first day of tour was always like the first day of school and summer camp and vacation all put together but that very first tour was all of that times a thousand.

They had these buses that had the name of the band on one side and our faces on the other, man, like huge Argyle and Eddie and Nancy and everyone else, it was crazy. Jonathan bought his camera and he took photos of all of us next to our giant selves as the crew was loading up. I sent mine to my mom.

It was all good vibes at the beginning, everyone was so excited. Hopper even brought his kid. We didn’t know Hopper had a kid before that. We didn’t know a lot about Hopper, actually. But it was nice to have the kid around, kept us all on our best behaviors, well during the day anyway.

***

February 1984, On the Road: Upside Down Tour

“There’s no way my jaw is that crooked, Robin come look at the angle of Big Steve's jaw, will ya?”

“Shut up, Steve, Jonathan’s taking my picture with Big Robin, have someone else measure the angle of your jaw!”

Steve turns imploringly to you and you can’t help but indulge him.

“Your jaw looks fine, Steve, very symmetrical.”

“Eddie, man, if you stand right there, and kinda lean this way, it looks like you’re eating yourself!”

“Ah, that’s sick, Byers come here and take a picture of me eating myself when you’re done with Buckley!”

“Hey, no fair, we were next!”

“Worry about fixing your crooked jaw first, man.”

“You said my jaw looked fine,” Steve turned towards you, accusingly.

“Hmmm, let me take a closer look,” you say, teasingly taking Steve’s face in your hands and making a big show of moving your gaze between the giant, two-dimensional Steve and the real Steve in front of you. You tilt his head one way, and then the next a few times over, pretending to be deep in thought.

“It looks fine,” you finally say, “no more crooked than the real thing.”

You punctuate your statement with a light tap on his cheek and he grins at you before coming to a realization.

“Are you saying my jaw is crooked?”

He chases you around the tour buses until you are both out of breath and then when Jonathan comes up to you, camera in hand, and the two of you pose stop to strike a pose that mirrors your giant selves, turned towards in each other, lips slightly pursed, as if preparing for a kiss. That kiss of course, never comes.

Things have been like this between you and Steve since the press tour, warmer, affectionate even, but with the understanding that there was no deeper meaning behind the affection. You were simply doing your job.

When Hopper is finally able to wrangle everyone onto their respective busses, you are already behind schedule. His threats don’t have their usual impact though, because even he’s been infected with the band’s giddiness at being on the road.

You think you even see him smile when he introduces his daughter, a soft-spoken girl named Jane who immediately asks everyone to call her El and looks about 15.

Something about Hopper feeling comfortable enough to have his daughter join the tour made you feel like there was a huge responsibility on your shoulders to be a good role model—a feeling you’d never really had before.

There was a lot about being on tour that was strange and foreign in a way that was specific to you, like bunking with Nancy and Robin on the tour bus.

“It’ll be like a slumber party!” Robin exclaimed. You could see Nancy’s eyes go wide behind her at this, almost as if she’s questioning what she’s gotten herself into.

“I’ve never been to a slumber party,” you tell them, unsure if your reaction should be more like Robin’s or Nancy’s.

“Well, we are honored to be your first,” Robin says as she bounces off her bunk to sit next to you, looping an arm through yours and leaning her head on your shoulder.

***

EDDIE: The first stop of the tour was San Francisco—we got there two days before the show and checked into a hotel that was nice as fuck—well, compared to what I was used to, anyways— and they gave us all our own rooms down the hall from one another. I remember asking Wheeler if that was what college was like and she just laughed and said, “Kinda, but it smelled way worse.”

Everyone was so happy to be there, even me. It was a far cry from Corroded Coffin, sure. But at the end of the day, I was making music and even though I wasn’t really that close to the rest of the band, they were good people. Everyone respected each other and partied just the right amount. Wheeler did a good job of keeping us in line. Plus, we were still so wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, we hadn’t really fallen into our new old habits by then.

***

Once in the hotel, Hopper handed out room assignments and he even looking a bit apologetic when he lets you and Steve know that, at label’s request, you and Steve were assigned connecting rooms.

You didn’t have it in you to let the fact that Starcourt was controlling where you slept get to you and instead decide to try an enjoy where you are.

Nancy, who was as much of an older sister to the group as she was to her real family, had organized an evening of sightseeing for the band around the city during your first night there.

Walking through downtown, you had a hard time taking in the sites because you were too preoccupied watching Eddie. Eddie, who, from what little you knew of his past, never had the opportunity to travel, was like a child, taking in the sights, pointing to anything of interest, and excitedly exclaiming, “Can you believe that shit?” to anyone within earshot, including El and Hopper.

“You watch your mouth around my fucking kid, Munson,” Hopper had told him.

The entire drive to the Golden Gate Bridge he just kept saying “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit,” like he could genuinely not contain his excitement.

It was oddly endearing.

***

EDDIE: I know you know how fucking awesome the GGB is.

***

February 4th, 1984, San Francisco, CA. The Upside Down Tour

The same lighthearted energy carried over to the next day’s soundcheck and until a few hours before the show when a cloud of nervous energy seemed to descend all at once.

The entire time you were in hair and makeup all you could think about was all the different ways the show could go wrong. Were you prepared enough? What if the audience was a dud? Could you keep them entertained for two hours? Each question wound you tighter and tighter until you could not think straight and by the time you were set to go backstage you had half-convinced yourself to call it all off. But you immediately sobered at the sight of the madness that had overtaken your bandmates backstage: Robin was pacing from one corner to the next, wringing her hands and muttering to herself in a language you weren’t completely sure was English; Jonathan and Nancy sat huddled together on the floor while Nancy recited the setlist over and over again like a prayer; Argyle was sitting by himself in a corner, tapping his drumsticks erratically against his knees with one hand while trying to braid his hair with the other; Eddie stood utterly stock still hold his guitar in front of him in an outstretched hand, talking to it like they were having a conversation; and worst of all, Steve was nowhere to be found. You looked around for Hopper, but he was also missing, so you went to the next best thing.

“Nancy, babe, look at me,” you say, kneeling next to her on the ground.

Her eyes bounce up to yours and in them, panic.

“Nancy,” you repeat her name again in a way that you hope is calming, “I know that you’re nervous, but I need you right now. Look around at the mess that everyone’s in. I need you to help me talk them down. I need you to make them believe it’s going to be fine. I need you to believe it’s going to be fine, okay? Because it will be. And because I can’t find Steve.” You say the last part low, in a meek attempt to mask the panic that is seeping into your tone.

Nancy, who, as you had predicted, flourished in a crisis, hardens her jaw and narrows her eyes in focus.

“I’ll start with Jonathan and you go to Eddie, maybe we can get them to help us look for Steve in the bathrooms.”

You nod eagerly before making your way over to Eddie, who is still mid-conversation with his guitar. You approach slowly, careful not to spook him.

“Hey, hello, I don’t mean to interrupt, but are you doing okay, Eddie?”

Eddie’s eyes snap to you like it’s the first time he’s noticed you were there.

“Who? Us? Yup, totally fine, just having a bit of a pep talk,” he says between haggard breaths. Where the hell is Hopper?

“Hm, yeah, see, the words that you’re saying and the way that you’re saying them lead me to believe that maybe you’re not fine,” you try to sound as gentle as you can when you say this and try not to flinch as Eddie turns to face you, his whole face taunt with fear.

“Well, it’s not like I’m not a total fraud and loser who completely blew it with his last band and is only part of this band because he sold his soul to an evil corporation that told the rest of you you had to let him play with you, right? Because then I would have reason to be nervous. Oh, wait—"

“Eddie,” you interrupt, reaching up to grasp his face in your hands, bringing him down to your eye level, “you’re being too hard on yourself right now, okay? You have earned your spot here just as much as anyone else in the band. You’re a great guitarist, and a great songwriter—almost as good as me—“ he lets out a breathless laugh”— and you’re gonna go on that stage tonight and be your usual talented self and blow their minds because you’re Eddie Fucking Munson, got it?”

“Got it,” he whispers, eyes blown wide, and at that moment you realize that you’re so close now your nose almost brushes up against his.

“Good,” you say, pealing your hands away from his face to fall at your sides.

“Now, do you want to do some deep breaths or do you think you’re good to go on?”

“I think I’m good,” he croaks out, still a bit out of focus, but much more mellow.

“Great. Now, can you please help us look for Steve? We can’t find him.”

“Steve?” Eddie repeats, eyes narrowing in confusion.

“Yeah, we can’t find him anywhere and everyone’s freaking out and Hopper’s not here either so Nancy and I were hoping you could help us by checking the bathrooms.”

“Right, Harrington, your boyfriend. The bathrooms, I’ll go check.”

You watch as he turns away and heads in the direction of the bathroom and try not to think about the way his shoulders dropped, the tiniest amount as he did.

Then, you turn your attention to the still-pacing Robin. “Robin, honey, can you please look at me?”

***

EDDIE: It was 20 minutes until the doors opened and Harrington was nowhere to be found. Jonathan and I checked all the bathrooms in the building and nothing. Finally, I got the bright idea to go out to the smoking area, not sure why, but, to my surprise there he was. I’m not going to lie, he looked a total mess: pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair, muttering to himself.

I asked him what the hell he was doing there. He asked if he could bum a cigarette. I said, “Didn’t know you smoked, Harrington.”

And he responded, “I don’t but the smell reminds me of my mom.”

That’s when I knew the situation was grim—if someone shares information like that about a parent, unprovoked, they’re probably losing it. It was also at that point that I knew I was totally out of my depth. I had half a mind to turn around and go grab one of the girls or Jonathan, but I didn’t want him to run off on me again.

INTERVIEWER: So, what did you do?

EDDIE: I stayed and let him bum a cigarette. We stood there for a minute, smoking. The guy was coughing up a storm but he kept going. Harrington was always like that—just kept going no matter what. Eventually I just straight up asked him if he was nervous.

He responded with, “Theoretically, I’m not nervous at all, but in a much more, like real sense, I am shitting it, man.”

To this day, I don’t think he knows what the word ‘theoretical’ means.

I asked him what he had to be nervous about, it was just a show, and he was half of the reason people were there to see us, plus he was too talented to bomb.

And then he looked at me with his big Harrington eyes and said, “I’m not worried about bombing I’m worried about everything else. Like, what if we get up there and we realize that everything we’ve given up, everything we’ve had to go through was for something mediocre and ordinary?”

I told him that was a stupid question and asked him what if it was the opposite. What if it was everything he had wanted? I mean he was halfway there already, right? He had the girl, the sold-out tour, it was only a matter of time before he had everything else he could’ve dreamed of.

I thought I was being comforting but that only made him freak out more because then he said, “The more you have, the more you can lose and I don’t think I could handle losing any of this.”

It took me a minute to respond because, I mean, on one hand, it was hard to sympathize with the guy who had everything I wanted and then some. On the other hand, though, I had been there.

So, I told him about Chrissy and rehab and Corroded Coffin and that whole shit show. Like a testimonial: “Local Fuck Up, Loses everything and somehow still keeps going!” I didn’t hold back either, I told him how much it sucked to fall so far on your own. I also told him that unlike me, he would never have to worry about that because he actually did have people looking out for him. That whole band was like his team, they wouldn’t let him fall like that, at least, not alone.

Something I said must’ve resonated because he snapped out of it after that. We finished our cigarettes and we went inside. Right on time too, because Hopper was about to send out a manhunt for him.

***

There were 10 minutes until the doors opened and Steve was still missing, and now, Eddie was gone too. Your mind flits to the possibility that you’ll have to go one without both of your key guitarists but even just the thought of that is too much to stomach.

Meanwhile, Hopper is back and yelling at everyone in the vicinity.

Robin, who’s at your side as the entire scene unfold, pulls in closer to whisper in your ear, “what if they ran away together?”

And just as you were getting ready to turn and ask her exactly what had possessed her to ask such a thing the two missing members of your band burst through the door harried, out of breath, and smelling of smoke, to come face-to-face with their furious manager.

Hopper dismisses Eddie with a wave of his hand and then turns his ire towards Steve.

“Thank you,” you whisper to Eddie as he makes his way to your side. You reach down and give his hand an appreciative squeeze for good measure.

“No problem,” he responds thickly, “couldn’t leave a queen without her king.” Something about his tone makes you wince.

After Steve had been properly chastised by Hopper, the stage manager calls for places and everyone begins to disperse.

You’re making your way towards the stage when Steve reaches out for your hand. “Hey, sorry about that,” he starts, “nerves got to me, I guess.”

“ You know you could’ve talked to us, right? We were all nervous, too. We could’ve been nervous together. We’re supposed to be a team, aren’t we?”

Steve looks more ashamed now than he did when Hopper was yelling at him.

“You’re right,” he says, “I promise to do better. You’ve got me and I’ve got you.”

You smile back.

“I’ve got you and you’ve got me.”

And suddenly, the curtain rises.

***

ARGYLE: That night in San Fran we were a mess but then, you get us all on stage and it’s like none of that ever mattered. We were freaking rock stars, dude, and we were good too and I’m not just saying that because it was us— I would’ve been a fan even if I wasn’t in the band.

EDDIE: Yeah, we were all good, but what really brought people through the door was our lead singers. Them bouncing around on stage together, dancing and making eyes at each other—the audience loved it. They both knew how to play up to a crowd too. She would dance and move around the stage like a total natural—hot but not too hot, ya know? And Harrington had his cool guy act down pat. They were in total sync. It was like they belonged together.

***

Walking down the stage steps, your head was abuzz with the excitement and satisfaction.

The band had done a great job, even better than during rehearsal and the audience’s energy was addicting.

This had been what you were looking for all along.

Backstage, you had made sure to give each one of them a hug, even Hopper— as a congratulation, as a thank you, as an expression of disbelief that you were finally here. They all understood and they all returned the sentiment. For the first time it felt that you were all on equal footing as members of the band. For the first time, it felt like you belonged and that was worth celebrating.

Eddie’s the last one off stage, and for a moment you debate hugging him. You’re not too sure if he’d return the gesture, given your history. But to your surprise, his arms are already open and you fall into them. And then, he did something surprises you even further: he pulled you close, picks you up, and spins you around in his arms.

***

ARGYLE: I’m pretty sure he smelled her hair before putting her down.

***

February 28th, 1984, New Orleans, LA. The Upside Down Tour

A few weeks into the tour, Hopper pulls you and Eddie one morning while the rest of the band is off exploring the French Quarter.

“Hopper, can you do us a favor and let us know how long this’ll take? We’re supposed to get beg-nets with the gang today.”

“It’s pronounced ben-yays, Eddie,” you correct automatically as the two of you are ushered into the hotel room that doubled as your manager’s temporary office.

“Whatever it’s called, it’s fried dough with sugar and I refuse to miss that.”

“Can you two just sit down?” Hopper says exasperatedly motioning you two towards a couple of chairs that crowded his small, makeshift desk before sitting down himself and reaching for the phone.

“I got them both here, Murray,” Hopper says gruffly as the crackle of the speakers fills the room.

Before Murray can fully greet you on the other line, Eddie interrupts.

“Are we in trouble?”

“No. Should you be, Munson?“

“Murray, can we hurry this along? I’m taking my kid on a ghost tour.”

“Fine, fine, listen, kids, I just heard from Brenner and the Big Wigs—the rest of the tour is completely sold out which means that they want to start recording about five weeks after you get back from touring. This means we need songs by then and since you two wrote the best song on the last album, you’ve been promoted (with no pay) to main songwriters. So your homework is to get us at least 20 passable songs by the first week of July.”

“But we get back from tour in mid-June, Murray, that’s a really short turnaround time, don’t you think?” Your eyes dart to the other two in the room, to gauge their reactions.

Hopper shrugs, “Sometimes that’s just the way it is, kid.”

“Which is exactly why you two should start writing now while you’re on the road, trust me,” Murray’s voice crackles over the line.

You look at Eddie, who cocks an eyebrow at you as if he’s letting you know that it’s your call.

“Okay, we’ll start writing as soon as possible,” you speak out loud.

“That’s what I like to hear! We can check back in once you get to LA.”

The three of you say your goodbyes and Hopper dismisses you and Eddie to join the others.

As the two of you walk down the hall towards the elevators, your mind is already bubbling over with ideas. This was your first big shot to do exactly what you’ve always wanted to do. This was more than just writing a few songs, it was about creating an album, and an image of where the band was going. This was huge.

***

EDDIE: To be honest I never really thought about my writing process. I would just pull out a notebook and a pen and start writing when I had something I thought was good—little bits here and there. She took everything so seriously though. The entire elevator ride down, she was talking my ear off about concepts and inspiration and “sonic vision”. Eventually, I just had to say, “Listen, why don’t we meet up in your hotel room after the show tonight and talk about it then?”

***

The rest of the day, it was like only part of your mind was present. The rest was floating around, thinking about what you wanted to write.

Of course, you had plenty of things written, but you weren’t sure if any of that would work. The next album needed to meet the rising momentum of the band’s popularity: it needed to be current but also true to where you were as a band. You needed to say the right things—and most importantly, you needed to say them in the right way.

Before you knew it, you were back in the hotel after soundcheck, freshly showered, standing in the threshold that connected Steve’s room to yours.

“Are you sure that’s how it’s pronounced?” Steve's voice echoed from his bathroom, where he was brushing his teeth.

“I swear to you that it’s not pronounced Ee-too-fee, Steve. Why do you think the waiter laughed when you ordered?”

You come up behind him in the mirror running a brush through your still-wet hair.

“Because I’m naturally endearing and everything I say is charming,” he responds, catching your eye in the mirror.

“Whatever you say, Harrington.”

Before he can retort, a knock thunders through your room into his.

“Oh, that must be Eddie,” you say, turning on your heel to cross the threshold into your room.

“Munson?” Steve asks, befuddled.

“Yeah, he’s coming over to start writing some stuff. Murray’s on our case, remember?”

“Right, I just didn’t think you’d start tonight.”

You just shrug before disappearing into your room, “The sooner we get started, the sooner we finish.”

You don’t hear his response because you’re already at your door, swinging it open to reveal Eddie Munson standing in the hotel hallway, guitar case in one hand and beat-up notebook in the other.

“The Eagles?” He asked, eyeing the logon on the oversized t-shirt you wore.

You bristle as your fingers brush against your shirt suddenly self-conscious of the length.

His gaze follows the movement of your hand and then settles right where the hem of your shirt grazes your thigh.

It takes you a moment to find your voice. “What can I say? I’m a woman of taste.”

***

EDDIE: I became an Eagles fan after that night.

***

You lead Eddie into your hotel room and gesture towards the small sofa in the corner for him to set his things down.

Before joining him, you peek into Steve’s room to see him fully peering through the door. “Night, Steve,” you say with a gentle wave as you move to close the door.

“Night,” he says back softly, his eyes bouncing from your face to the room behind you where Eddie was setting up his things.

“Night, Munson,” he says finally, voice a bit tighter.

“Goodnight Sweet Prince,” Eddie waves theatrically as you close the door between the two rooms and walk over to sit by his side.

“You two always leave the door open?” he asks, fiddling with his guitar strings.

The question makes you feel defensive.

“Um, no, not always, we just, say goodnight, sometimes we will talk about the shows a bit before. bed.”

Eddie quips an eyebrow at this but says nothing.

“Should we get started then?”

***

EDDIE: That was my first time writing with her. That was my first time writing with anyone else, honestly. She asked me a lot of questions: about what themes I wanted to include; what concepts I thought would fit; if I had seen any movies that I thought could be good inspiration. It felt like a job interview.

I could tell that she’d been thinking a lot about this, maybe too much, actually. So, I told her that maybe we just needed to slow down a little bit, talk about what we had first, and then go from there. She agreed, but she still seemed pretty wound up, so I suggested we bust open the mini bar and we drank for a bit. I think we were both a little nervous to share our songs. It’s something kinda personal, to share your art with someone, ya know? And it’s always worse when it’s someone you know in your regular life—it’s like someone slices you open and takes a walk around your brain but then you have to see them the next day at work or whatever and you have to pretend they haven’t just taken a tour of the best and worst parts of you.

And it wasn’t like we were particularly close back then, so there was some extra nerves there. Hence, the liquid courage.

***

You and Eddie are about two (maybe three?) shooters in by the time you decide to get properly started.

Eddie volunteers his work for the two of you to go through first and you’re secretly grateful as he hands you his beat-up spiral notebook and you splay it across your lap to read over what he has. Eddie leans in to read too, and in doing so, his leg is flush against yours. He’s so close that his hair brushes against your cheek when he moves and you can smell him—earthy like pine and a tiny bit like menthol cigarettes.

You realize you might be a bit tipsier than you had thought because it takes extra effort to focus on the words in front of you.

His first few songs are good, but they don't match the vibe of the band.

"Too metal,” you say to him, pointing out the songs you’re referencing.

“Yeah, that makes sense, those were meant to be for my old band,” he responds.

You know enough about Eddie’s professional past to know that he used to be in a metal band before joining The Downsides and that it ended poorly, but not much else.

You flip through a few more pages before a few lines of lyrics catch your eye:

Don’t remember who I was then

Can’t keep straight where I was when

What’s my name? Where have I been?

Where did I start? Where does it end?

You’re the one thing I hold dear

The only thing that’s crystal clear

I live and die if you’re near

And all the scars disappears.

“This is something,” you hold the page up to Eddie.

He reads over the lines and grimaces.

“I wrote that right after I got out of rehab a few years ago. It didn’t really go anywhere...as you can see.”

This realization is sobering to hear. Mostly because it enlightens you to how little you know about your bandmate. You spend a moment trying to categorize everything you know about Eddie and you come up sparse. You weren’t even entirely sure you knew how old he was.

He seems to take your silence as you process this as judgment because you feel him scoot away, his face and body angled away from you.

You reach out and lay a hand on his arm, and he freezes.

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” you say slowly, before picking up his notebook again, this time with a newfound care.

“This,” you tap the lyrics, “doesn’t need to go anywhere. It can just stay here or wherever you want it to.”

***

EDDIE: It wasn’t the reaction I expected from her, but it was really nice to hear.

***

You and Eddie flip through the rest of your respective songs, not really finding anything that both of you can agree on. There are a few stray lines that jump out from both your books but beyond that, there was nothing the two of you could agree on. It was pretty clear that you were both writing songs for artists that you no longer were.

Right around the third hour together, you both decide to call it a night, but only under the condition that the next time you meet, you’ll both have come with something brand new written.

“Hey, thanks for coming,” you say, voice hushed as you usher Eddie to the door, “and thanks for letting me read your work.”

He just smiles in response, wide and beautiful and rare.

“Don’t worry, princess, we’ll get there. This was just a test run,” he reminds you.

You watch him make his way down the hall Until he disappears but not before throwing one last, rare, smile your way.

Once Eddie is gone, you all but drag yourself to your bed, yearning for that special hotel-pillow softness when you hear another knock. This time, from the door connecting your room to Steve’s.

“Steve,” you pull the door open, “why are you awake? It’s like 4 AM.”

“Can’t sleep,” he mumbles. “Can I hang out with you for a bit?”

His eyes are barely open and his hair is disheveled beyond belief. He looks young standing there in his worn-out pajama pants.

“Fine,” you say as you turn back into your room, “but I’m getting into bed because I’m tired.”

He follows you into your room and shuts the door behind him. You make a beeline for your bed to slide under the covers and Steve, meanwhile moves towards the couch.

“Why can’t you sleep, Steve?” you ask, burrowing into your duvet, eyes already closed.

“I dunno, can’t stop thinking.”

“Thinking? You don’t need to be doing that.”

By the time he responds, you’re already asleep.

When you wake up the next morning, Steve is still there, asleep strewn across the tiny couch, hair even wilder than the night before.

***

ARGYLE: Tour life was the best life. A new city every night, the music was good, the crowds were crazy and the drugs were plentiful. And the parties! My dude, the parties! After every show we’d end the night at some bar or club with the band, the crew and more groupies than a dude could ever want.

***

March 6th, 1984, Atlanta, GA. The Upside Down Tour

“You know, it’s not what you think.” Nancy’s voice can barely be heard over the sound of the thumping music of the basement bar that you’re in.

“What?” You ask the keyboardist.

She gestures subtly with a nod towards the corner that had been occupying your attention. Robin and Steve were huddled together in deep conversation, both leaning against the bar. A few spots away, Eddie sat with a pretty girl with locs. Over the last few minutes, you had watched as his hand made its way slowly up her thigh with an almost morbid sense of curiosity.

Your eyes turn back to Nancy, unsure as to why she would weigh in on the flirtation between Eddie and the groupie.

“Steve and Robin,” she elaborates, “I’ve seen you staring and I know what it looks like, but it’s not what you think. They’re close but just friends.”

Oh. Steve and Robin. Right.

“It doesn’t matter what they are and what I think of it, Nancy, because it’s none of my business,” you respond.

She turns to face you, clearly ready to argue something back but you cut her off.

“Where’s Jonathan? I haven’t seen him all night.”

A grimace flashes across her face for brief moment, nearly imperceptible, but you catch it.

”He’s back at the hotel room,” she replies tersely, “on the phone with his mom. Will had another surgery today.”

You wince. It was no secret that Jonathan‘s younger brother had fallen ill again. You had seen less and less of the bassist as the tour had progressed. He’d been spending any time that he wasn’t on stage trying to get ahold of his mom back home to ask about the progress of the youngest Byers boy.

You smile at Nancy in a way that you hope is reassuring and say, “Weren’t his chances of recovery high after his surgery, though?”

Nancy exhaled deeply, “If everything goes well, then yes, chances of recovery are high.”

She looks like she wants to say something more but cuts herself short. Her eyes float past you, to the newly appeared figure to your right. Steve.

He smiles in greeting, his arm falling to graze in between your shoulder blades. His pupils are blown wide— a dead give away that he had partaken in whatever substance Argyle had been touting earlier in the evening.

Even high, he seemed to pick up on the serious mood between the two of you and asks if everything is alright. You smile softly and nod, arm snaking around his back lightly.

Nancy sighs in response. “We were just talking about Jonathan, actually I think I’m going to go check on him. Have a good night, you two,” she says and she looks at you and Steve, her eyes catching on the points where your bodies touch.

As she pushes herself forward, ready to move towards the exit, Steve calls out after her.

The two of them lock eyes and they seem to be holding yet another silent conversation. While you can not decipher their secret language of raised eyebrows and scrunched noses, you can that they’re arguing about something and by the way their eyes keep bouncing to you, you can’t help but wonder if it’s you they’re arguing about and what you could’ve possible done to warrant that.

Whatever their argument is about, it doesn’t seem to come to a resolution based on the way Nancy scoffs at Steve and rolls her eyes before bidding her final goodbye.

“What was that all about?” You ask, when she’s finally out of sight.

“Nothing,” Steve says tightly, “Nance is trying to convince me she’s right about something that I knowshe’s wrong about and she won’t let it go.”

This catches your attention.

“Oh, yeah? And what possible could Nancy Wheeler be wrong about, pray tell,” you plea conspiratorially, turning fully to face him and drawing closer.

This leaves Steve gasping for words in a way that makes you wonder if he’s higher than you originally thought.

Before you can ask him if he’s alright, he freezes as he spots something over your shoulder a weird expression taking over his face. You turn, following his line of sight to Robin locked in a very intimate embrace with the female bartender that was serving her and Steve earlier in the evening. The bartender leans upward to catch Robin’s lips and you hear Steve hiss, “Damn it,” under his breath.

Of course, this must have been the thing that Steve and Nancy were arguing about. Steve and Robin must be in a fight.

You scan back through your recent memories of them wondering if perhaps there had been signs of a growing rift that you may have missed but as far as you’d noticed things were normal between the two of them.

“Oh, Steve, I’m so sorry,” you sooth, finally turning back to face him.

“Don’t be, it’s only $50,” he dismisses with a wave of his hand. He must really be higher than you thought.

“What?”

“The bet was only 50 bucks,” he explains, way too calm for someone who just saw the girl he’s in love with kissing another girl in a crowded bar.

“I’m not sure I’m following,” you say slowly, before the realization dawns, “wait, is this some where sex thing the two of you do? Listen, as much as I like you both as friends and appreciate that you trust me with the details of your romantic relationship, we’re still, like, coworkers and I don’t really think I should be hearing what the two of you get up to intimately—“

“Woah, woah, woah, romantic relationship? Me and Robin are not in a romantic relationship and we definitely are not intimate in any sense of the word, and the fact that you think that makes me want to barf, actually. Why would you think that?” He asks, a wildness coloring his tone.

“Well, you’re always together and you’re so close, and you’ve always been so secretive, sneaking around together and stuff,” you struggle to answer under his confused gaze.

“No, we’re friends, capital ‘P’ platonic,” he explains, “always have been, always will.” He can clearly tell you’re still confused because he then begins to explain further, “ The bartender, and her have been flirting all night, but Robin was too chickenshit to make a move so I bet her $50 that she couldn’t get her phone number by the end of the night but it seems like she got more than just her phone number. Which I guess is a good thing because maybe now she’ll stop moping about that girl back in LA but it sucks that I’m out $50.”

“Wait, Robin dates girls?”

Steve winces, as if the realization of what he’s told you has just now hit him.

“Sorry, that was not my information to reveal. Please, don’t mention it. Please. It’s not that Robin doesn’t trust you or like you it’s just that she’s trying to be extra careful about it. She doesn’t want it to get, you know, out out. Especially with all the new press we’re getting.”

You nod back in understanding, “don’t worry, I won’t say anything. To anyone. I promise. I would never put Robin in that spot.”

Relief immediately runs through Steve’s features.

“Although, if she wants to keep things under wraps,” you begin, glancing back to where Robin is still kissing the bartender, “maybe she doesn’t want to be making out with women in public?”

Steve nods rapidly in response, “Yup, good call, we should take her back to the hotel.”

Rob proves to be a stubborn drunk, and it takes you and Steve about 20 minutes to cajole her out of the bartenders arms and into the back of a cab.

She spend the entire ride back to the hotel going on and on about ”star-crossed love” and the “malignant force is keeping her from her beloved disguising themselves as friends”. In response you simply nod along and your hand up and down her back in a way that you hope is soothing.

“At least you two have each other,” she says softly, patting your cheek as the cab slows to a stop in front of your downtown hotel.

Then, as she steps out onto the sidewalk, her stance wavers and she leans in, essentially pinning you to the side of the cab.

You think she might try to kiss you too, but instead she whispers, “Please be careful with his heart. Steve’s softer than you think, you know.”

***

It’s a joint effort between you and Steve to put Robin to bed.

Makeup is gently removed, hair is pulled up, and pajamas put on, and a slumbering Robin is safely tucked into bed with a receipt with the bartender’s number and $50 bill placed on her nightstand, ready to greet her in the morning.

“She’s gonna be so hung over tomorrow,” Steve remarks as the two of you amble down the hallway to your own rooms.

“Does she always get like that when she drinks?” You ask.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, all, Shakespearean and nonsensical? She was saying all sorts of weird things back there. I think she even thought we were together. Which is actually kinda funny considering early tonight I thought the two of you were together,” you chuckle at the irony.

Steve, however, looks distraught at this observation. Suddenly, he stops in front of your rooms and turns to you.

“Is that why you’ve been acting so distant with me, because you thought I was with Robin?”

You blush.

“Partially, sure,” you stutter, “it’s hard to pretend to date your bandmate when you think he’s in love with your other bandmate. But, I also think it’s good that we maintain a healthy distance.”

“Why?”

The severity in his voice when he asks that takes you by surprise.

“Well, because it helps us remember that none of it’s really,” you admit, carefully.

You struggle to meet Steve’s eyes when you say this because, while it’s a fact that your relationship is a farce, speaking that out loud feels particularly cruel.

You catch the movement of his throat as he swallows thickly but you can’t brave a look at his face.

When he finally speaks, his voice is unsteady, “If there was no Starcourt and no contract and you and I were just two normal people, would you want us to be real?”

He sounds so scared you can’t help but reach out for him, trying to offer some comfort. He accepts your small hand in both of his, thumbs grazing the back of your hand with much more gentleness than you’ve ever been offered. Than you think you deserve.

You can’t help but meet his gaze then, and the way he looks at you, vulnerable and hopeful is nearly too much to bear.

“I don’t know,” you begin, tears building at your lash line, because you truly don’t.

You think back, in earnest, to all you’ve come to learn about one another and how easy it is to be around him. You think about the way you find comfort in his touch and he in yours. And you think about the two of you performing and how every time you’re on stage with him, it feels like there’s no one else but you and Steve.

The shrill ding of the elevator brings you crashing down to reality, to the dingy hotel hallway and the beautiful boy in front of you with the pleading eyes.

Footsteps and giggles make echo down the hall, coming closer. Both you and Steve turn towards the noise, temporarily forgetting your very serious conversation.

Suddenly, Eddie appears around the corner, the pretty girl from bar on his heels.

He stops abruptly at the sight of you and Steve. You turn your face in the other direction, quickly. You don’t want him to see you in this state, teary and distressed, especially not while he’s with this beautiful stranger, so you hide yourself against Steve’s chest.

There’s a terse quiet that follows while you’re sure Eddie assesses the situation.

You can tell by the way Steve gently curls his arm around your shoulder that the two of them must be having some weird silent standoff.

“Wait,” you hear Eddie’s companion shrill, “are you Steve Harrington and—“

“Yes, that’s them, sweetheart, in the flesh,” Eddie cuts her off and you can hear them start moving down the hallway again, “How about we give the lovebirds their privacy and you and I pick up where we left off in the cab?”

You listen to their footsteps growing fainter and fainter and when you’re sure it’s just you and Steve, you pull yourself out of his embrace, to face him once again.

“What I want doesn’t matter, Steve,” you admit, sadly, “not when everyone is depending on us fulfilling our contract.”

He sighs, “I don’t understand why we can’t fulfill the contract while being together? Wouldn’t we be more believable if we didn’t have to pretend? If it was actually real?”

He didn’t get it.

“Maybe, but what if things go badly? What if we’re happy for a little while but then we realize we can’t stand each other? Then what? We either break up the band or we are forced to keep pretending just like we are now but this time, we hate each other? ”

You think of your parents and how they lived separate lives for as long as you could remember, speaking to each other only when absolutely necessary. You’re sure they didn’t intend to hate each other at first.

“What if we find out we really like each other?” He argues back gently, “what if things work out great and we’re happy?”

You wouldn’t know how to do that. No one ever taught you how to love without it hurting.

“No,” you say, sadly shaking your head, “someone will just end up getting hurt.”

Steve clutches your hand tighter, one final supplication. “If someone has to get hurt, I’ll make sure it’s me.”

Full tears are streaming down your face now as you gently pull your hand out of Steve’s grasp.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” you tell him, turning away from him while you still can, leaving him standing alone in the hall.

PLAY NEXT TRACK

Taglist:

@rexorangecouny , @persophonekarter @mystargirl-interlude @brinleighsstuff @thegaysaretired @nothing2-see

#steve harrington x reader #eddie munson x reader #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #steve harrington #stranger things x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things x you #stranger things imagine #jonathan byers

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skyler10fic · 4 months

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New Year’s Revelations: Ch. 1 - No Matter How Far Away You Roam

Summary:

Over Christmas and New Year's, Carol is moving back home to the LA area after years away in Houston. But she has a secret: she's been in love with her best friend and old college roommate, Daisy, for years. But Daisy has a secret of her own. :) From friends to getting snowed in with only one bed!

Read on Ao3

“Carol Danvers is coming home for Christmas this year,” Melinda casually remarked to her husband Phil, in strategic earshot of their grown daughter, Daisy, who was supposed to be on Christmas vacation but was still working on her laptop from her parents’ living room.

Daisy’s posture straightened, but she didn’t give any response. Her parents continued wrapping presents nearby.

“Yeah,” Phil confirmed, “I heard from her aunt that she’s got a job lined up back here—in Pasadena, actually. So she’ll be near Daisy.”

They paused. Daisy hadn’t typed a single keystroke since Carol’s name was mentioned, but she was still pretending not to hear.

“That will be nice for her family,” Melinda remarked, “and for her friends to have her closer. Daisy, you should get together with her while you’re off work.”

“Remember?” Phil hinted, “We all took off work to spend time together for the holidays?”

Daisy shut her laptop and called them out on their suspiciously flawed logic. “If you want to spend time together, wouldn’t me hanging out with Carol kinda defeat the purpose?”

Melinda kept wrapping. “She could come over here, then.”

“Ugh, Moooom,” Daisy whined like a teenager, “Carol hasn’t texted me in months. If she wanted to hang out, don’t you think she would have told me herself? She probably wants to make her own life with her super-cool rocket scientisty people, not hang out with us dorks.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard.” Melinda scoffed. “Her aunt Wendy said your name comes up a lot.” But the accompanying pointed expression told Daisy that’s all the information her mother was willing to reveal.

Phil glanced up to catch Daisy’s face turning pink in a tell-tale blush. Daisy’s crush on Carol Danvers was still in full force. From casual friends in high school to best friends and eventual housemates in college, Daisy had been very bad at hiding her feelings for Carol from her parents. But between Daisy’s flings with boys who could never measure up and Carol’s humility to the point of missing what was clear as day to everyone else, Carol had somehow remained oblivious. She had gone far away to grad school and worked for a big space program, while Daisy had gotten a high-pressure cybersecurity job that took her to conferences around the world. They had gone years with only texts, occasional video calls, and quick dinners when they happened to be in the same place at the same time, and recently, those had all dwindled as they grew apart.

Daisy secretly wondered if any of the girls in Carol’s social media photos were dating her. If Carol had found someone who deserved her. If Daisy would have to sit through Carol’s wedding to someone else, nothing more than an “old college buddy” at a table in the back of a reception hall, just someone she used to know. The prospect of finding out this information face to face made Daisy ill just thinking about it. But then, not knowing was tearing her up inside too.

“You know she’d love that new pub with the karaoke and pinball and the old plane memorabilia,” Phil suggested, a knowledgable collector himself. He had always liked Carol from the moment she took an interest in his rare antique spy gear and airplane curios.

He was right. And Daisy knew Carol would probably text with a vague offer to get together anyway once she was bored of her family.

“Okay, I’ll see when she’s getting back and what her schedule looks like,” Daisy relented. “She’ll probably be busy, but at least I tried.”

Phil and Melinda remained unconvinced by Daisy’s pessimism. Even if Carol didn’t return Daisy’s specific feelings, they could tell from Carol’s aunt’s phrasing that Daisy being in the city was a significant factor in Carol’s decision to accept this new job. Third-hand is a tricky business for interpreting subtext, but what was clear was that Carol missed Daisy. Best to let poor Daisy hear it for herself, though, and not let her misunderstand or get her hopes up if the time-enduring crush wasn’t mutual.

“I’m sure she’ll be excited to hear from you,” Melinda ended the conversation as she finished her last gift wrapping. She neatly stacked her gifts under the tree, and Phil followed not long after, leaving Daisy to her choice: to continue working away at problems someone else in the office should be handling while she was home for the holidays … or sign off and text Carol.

She opted for the latter but went for the safest option of a group chat with their college friends who had also stayed in the L.A. area.

Daisy: My parents just told me the news!! Carol, are you really moving back?

Daisy paced the living room as she waited. Then the texts started to come in, making her heart skip a beat at the notification and then sink as she saw it was just their friends replying with their excitement and questions. Maybe a group chat wasn’t the best choice after all.

Eventually, Carol did reply with a big yes, that she’d only just officially accepted the offer yesterday, and answers to whens and wheres and whys and hows and what she’d be doing at her new job, only a few blocks away from Daisy’s company. Then someone came up with an idea: to welcome Carol back with a New Year’s ski trip to the mountains. The meteorologists said that while no white Christmas was on the horizon, a long look at the rest of the year might see fresh snow at the mountain resorts soon after, making for ideal skiing and snowboarding conditions. Fitz used his wealthy stepdad’s connections to book a big luxury cabin at a steep discount, and suddenly the conversation was on the New Year’s reunion trip and tales of ski incidents past.

Daisy texted Carol individually: I’m glad you’re coming home.

Carol responded simply: Me too :)

Daisy told her about the aviation-themed pub and they set a night for just the two of them to catch up the soonest they could get away from family: Dec. 26.

Daisy wondered if she was the only one in the world adding an extra day to all the countdowns. Her anticipation wasn’t for Santa Claus but for a visit from someone else far more special.

—------

Christmas with the Danvers/Lawson extended family was over, and no one had left the table in anger or shouted at each other this year. Carol should be feeling relieved. As she tied back her honey-blonde ponytail, she chastised herself for not being more grateful. The job offer was a dream realized, with a salary that would help her pay off her student loans in a few years. She’d be working in a city she knew, just half an hour (with no traffic, that is) from the suburbs she’d grown up in. She already had a few prospective apartments to check out, and now her friends from college all knew she’d be coming back.

Taking a moment to think about it as she applied her mascara, the stomachache wasn’t heaviness from disappointment that the surprise had been ruined, nor was she frustrated with her aunt for telling the whole town within a few hours. This familiar feeling was the pure anxiety that heightened every time Daisy crossed her mind.

She grabbed her keys and set all her stubbornness on driving to this themed pub for a very normal and casual dinner with Daisy. Just two old friends meeting up. Something they had done a thousand times with just the two of them, hanging out and catching up on each other’s lives. Still, Carol tried to focus on the road instead of her nerves at seeing Daisy again.

Carol had fallen for Daisy slowly but with equal parts grief and longing. There was one problem: Daisy was straight. At least, as far as Carol knew. Daisy had only ever dated guys. Well, one in high school and a few dates in college. Though Daisy hadn’t ever said explicitly that she was straight, Carol would know, of all people… surely? They weren’t as close anymore, but in all their time together, Daisy had never talked about crushes on girls or gone on a date with one. So Carol figured it was safe to assume her feelings were eternally unrequited, though Daisy had always been a vocal, proud, exceptional ally. Again, Carol should be grateful.

Her worst fear was accidentally crossing the line from best friends to flirting and pushing Daisy away. Her nightmares consisted of Daisy’s repulsed and pitying face if she found out the truth about the feelings Carol had been hiding all these years. Despite all of life’s griefs and heartaches, Daisy had been so open and trusting, so physically affectionate and quick to smile. Daisy made her feel like the only person in the room, the most special girl in the world. Carol had spent years trying to reciprocate without getting too attached or letting her heart run away with her. It wasn’t fair to Daisy, or to herself, to ruin that with her terrible secret.

Some days, Carol hated that she couldn’t just turn off her feelings by distance or time. So she drifted away. It would have been easy to blame on Daisy’s all-consuming career or Carol’s all-consuming graduate studies and work, but the cold, hard truth was that having to mourn what could never be while playing the supportive, chill, unattached best friend was harder and harder to do as their peers and friends got married, bought houses together, and started families. Carol knew one day it could be Daisy falling for Mr. Right, getting engaged, bragging about her hunky husband, celebrating a pregnancy announcement… And Carol would have to be thrilled. Which was easier to pretend to do through text. Though no Prince Charming had shown up on Daisy’s social media posts, it was only a matter of time before she became a walking Hallmark Christmas movie plot with a handsome love interest to lure her away from the intensity of the high-tech corporate rat race.

Carol had rehearsed this so often, she practically had the script written. She couldn’t play the Best Friend role, but she also couldn’t hurt Daisy, so it had been best to fade to a background character in Daisy’s life.

She took a deep breath and headed into the pub, leather jacket and scarf wrapped tightly around her to protect from the cold and any harsh realities that might be waiting for her inside.

—--------------

The pub was decorated for the holidays—all of the wintery ones, from Hanukkah to Christmas to Kwanzaa to Yule. There were kitschy knick-knacks and banners and table centerpieces from the world’s cultures among various movie references, Santa Mickey Mouses, and a giant inflatable Frosty the Snowman. The visual busyness stood out particularly on this quiet night for the pub. It was too early for the nightlife crowd, and most of the regulars were at home with family or on vacations away.

So Daisy sat in a booth anxiously waiting for Carol, heart leaping every time the door opened. Eventually, Carol appeared and waved, and Daisy couldn’t help but light up like a Christmas tree. The room felt warmer as Carol approached, and as Carol took in the sight of her, Carol seemed to glow too.

“Hi,” Daisy finally said when Carol was close enough.

“Hi.” Carol exhaled and sat down. The silence between them was broken by the waitress coming to take their drink order. Enticed by the special holiday cider on tap, they took a chance on something new and different.

“It’s been a while,” Daisy hinted, masking a bittersweet tone with a light smile. “Tell me about your life. What have you been up to?”

But Carol could still see right through Daisy’s facade, just like old times.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Carol sighed. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you myself. I…”

“Things get busy!” Daisy interrupted. “It’s okay.”

“No, no,” Carol rushed out and then paused. She couldn’t tell Daisy the real reason, but lying to her felt so wrong. “I was just jealous, I guess. You have an amazing life, and I don’t want to get in the way of that or mess anything up by coming back…”

Daisy snorted. “What are you talking about? You are the one with the impressive degree and stories about all these new places and people. I thought you just didn’t think we were cool enough for you—”

“Oh c’mon,” Carol interrupted back. “You know I’m still a total nerd and you’re…” Carol stopped herself and gestured to Daisy’s whole body with a wave of her hand. “You know.”

Daisy brushed off the implied compliment and leaned in, relaxing into the conversation. “No, you’re not getting in the way, ever. It’s not hearing from you that is the hard part.”

“I’m sorry.” Carol’s puppy dog eyes were all that Daisy needed to melt fully into forgiveness, at least for the moment. She couldn’t be mad when Carol was so sincere. Daisy’s hand found Carol’s on the table and squeezed, but then pulled away as the waitress returned with their hard ciders. She took their food orders (shepherd’s pie for both of them) and disappeared into the kitchen once more.

Carol sipped on her cider in its tall glass etched with a snowflake and the brand name. “Mmm, that’s really good.”

Daisy almost forgot to drink her own, fully wrapped up in witnessing Carol’s reaction. Shaking herself out of her trance, Daisy took a sip of her own and agreed. Carol filled Daisy in on the details of the job and the plan for the move, and Daisy reciprocated with details about her own daily life here since they’d last talked. Their shepherd’s pies came, and they settled into their old familiar banter and gossip and teasing.

“You know what?” Carol said between final bites of her meal. “I’ve been to five weddings this year, but only one required heels. I was a bridesmaid for my cousin and she was NOT open to negotiation on that. Super formal.”

“Okay, I definitely have to see pictures of that.” Daisy laughed. “So many people getting married! You know Jemma and Fitz finally set a date for next fall.”

“Yeah, but she put a hard no on Halloween weekend?”

“Yes!” Daisy laughed. “Fitz’s friends would definitely have used that to prank them somehow. Anyway. How about you? Any special ladies in your life?”

The lighthearted tone between them faded, but they both pretended it hadn’t. Carol set down her fork and looked away, missing the glimmer of hope and fear in Daisy’s eyes.

“Nah, way too busy, you know how it goes.” Carol shrugged casually and met Daisy’s glance. “I mean, if I can’t even text you back, I definitely don’t have time for a girlfriend, and I knew I was moving away from there anyway after graduation…” Carol trailed off just as it started to sound like a list of excuses.

“Yeah, me too,” Daisy agreed. “With the job, way too crazy.”

Things fell silent again as the waitress came back for their dishes and offered another round of cider, but they refused. She left them with their check instead.

“I’ve got it,” Daisy offered, taking the check before Carol had a chance. “Consider it a Christmas gift. Or a welcome home present. Whichever you want.”

“Thanks. I should probably get going,” Carol said, but her voice and expression said the opposite.

“Tomorrow is family game night. Want to come and be my partner, make it an even four?”

“Yeah, okay.” Carol nodded and added, “Just like old times.”

Daisy’s phone buzzed. As she glanced down at it, Carol’s gaze followed. Daisy rolled her eyes at the name and number on the screen before she dismissed the call. “Work. Sorry, I should call them back. But tomorrow at 6. There will be chili!” Daisy grinned, knowing how much Carol loved Phil’s famous chili.

Carol sat processing the evening after Daisy left, but one final detail in particular. Daisy’s phone background was, unmistakably, a Christmas tree in bi Pride flag colors with the same indigo blue, purple, and pink in snowflakes around it and rainbow-flag-wrapped gifts under the tree.

It could be a coincidence. Perhaps Daisy just liked the colors. But Carol had taken her to plenty of Pride events in college and knew she knew enough to get the symbolism of those particular colors. Why hadn’t Daisy told her?

Unless. Oh. Of course. Daisy didn’t want Carol to think that by coming out, it meant that Daisy felt that way about her. Carol resolved to pretend she hadn’t seen it. If Daisy felt comfortable coming out to her, she would. And if it was all a big misunderstanding, just a festive graphic, no harm done in avoiding assumptions.

Still, that night in bed, a part of her, the part that dealt in dreams where her rational mind was helpless to stop it, dared to send her into a sleepworld where Daisy had run into her arms at the pub and kissed her like in the movies. In the dream, there was no waitress or staff or food, just the two of them and the tables at an unrealistically convenient height.

When she woke up in the morning, the harsh winter light was all the colder for the loss of the fantasy that clearly wasn’t meant to be.

—--------------------

“You’ve got…” Daisy reached up reflexively and wiped away a bit of hot cocoa and whipped cream from just above Carol’s upper lip. Phil and Melinda watched on in amusement but said nothing.

Carol blushed. “Your turn.”

It took Daisy a second to get her head back in the game.

Chili had been delicious but that was hours ago, and now they had moved on from Pictionary to charades to late-night hot cocoa and a final game involving strategic moves and countermoves: the epic battlefield of Scrabble.

It felt like every word Daisy could think of was entirely inappropriate or could be twisted to be dirty. She was far too distracted by Carol’s presence: her laugh, her genuine interest in Phil and Melinda’s lives, the way she fit right in here at family game night. Needless to say, Daisy’s score was significantly less competitive than normal. Phil won, with Carol in a close second. They all agreed to a rematch now that Carol was back.

“Where she belongs,” Daisy finished. She hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but there it was.

“Aww,” Phil smiled warmly at Carol.

“Thanks,” Carol replied in happiness. “I swear this with just the four of us feels more like family sometimes than my loud, big family with all my cousins and nephews and everyone.” She rolled her eyes, recounting the dysfunctional chaos of the past week.

“You always have a place here,” Melinda affirmed with a simple nod.

“Getting late,” Phil hinted to Melinda, “Why don’t we clean up here and let the girls say goodnight.”

With that, Daisy walked Carol to the door. They both lingered, wanting what they were convinced the other didn’t.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” Carol asked finally.

“Oh, were we supposed to…?”

“No, no,” Carol rushed out. “I guess that was my way of asking if you wanted to hang out again tomorrow. Or another time. Whenever.”

Daisy tucked a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. “I would, but we’re going to see my grandparents tomorrow. I’ll text you, though. If you promise to text back.” She teased Carol with the last bit, her tongue peaking out of her smile.

“Yes, touché,” Carol laughed. “I promise. I’m never gonna leave you hanging like that again.”

“Good.” Daisy opened the door, as if she’d been waiting for those magic words to allow Carol to go.

“Goodnight.” Carol had to pull herself away like taffy, literally attracted to Daisy here in the low lighting of the entryway as if drawn in by a goodnight-kiss magnet.

Little did she know, Daisy felt it too, but responded in the opposite way: she drew Carol in for a hug.

“I’m really glad you’re back. Not just for Christmas, but for real.” Daisy let go and Carol backed away, out onto the stoop.

“Me too.” Carol smiled and turned to walk away. She noted when she reached her old truck that Daisy was still watching from the open front door, letting in the chill but refusing to take her eyes off Carol until Carol had waved and driven away into the night.

“I love you,” Daisy whispered to the fading taillights of Carol’s truck.

Inside the truck, Carol skipped Joni Mitchell’s “River” and turned up “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” too loud in an attempt to drown out her aching heart.

---------------

Read chapter two on Ao3

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esta-elavaris · 6 months

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Venting beneath the cut so I can build a bridge and get over it xoxo

Just found out my unhinged (derogatory) aunt has a bunch of time off work coming up, so she'll be here for 12 hours a day doing everything she can to pick a fight with me, including detailing every single way she thinks I'm going wrong in life (it's a long list), telling me I'm wasting my time with my writing and being delusional (she's never read a thing I've written), and just generally being a cunt. She's actually insane. I went to a party when I first moved here, had one glass of wine, and she started a rumour that I'm an alcoholic that still brings on rumours in the family the two times per year I drink.

She uses the abusive alcoholic I was abused by growing up as evidence for her argument, because it's "in the genetics", which makes me fucking sick.

Like in one conversation she will, in the span of 60 seconds, flip from "you're not even mentally ill, you fake it just to be lazy and weak" to "you're not getting any better, you clearly need to change your medication" (I literally did not want to be a live 5 years ago bestie I've gotten a lot better) depending on what argument suits her at that precise second.

Last time it got so bad that my grandfather, who never gets involved in arguments beyond sighing and shaking his head, actually lost it at her - shouting at her that she's looking for trouble and if she's going to behave like that she can fuck off home. But I can't even bank on that because it all just depends on whether they want to actually get involved or sit back and pretend I'm somehow in the wrong because I won't cause nuclear drama for everybody the same way she will, so I'm the safe bet there.

It's just fucking exhausting man, and I'm very open on here about how self doubt is the biggest thing I struggle with in terms of trying to make a career of this writing thing - like novel work is so slow because every other sentence my brain is just a constant stream of "this is terrible nobody will want to publish this you've wasted years of your life writing this thing" and it's absolutely a me issue and I have external evidence that it's not the case, but it's just something I'll be grappling with until it's actually done and a literary agent wants to take it on.

So like, hearing her BS on top of that is just not easy, it's exhausting, and I'm genuinely considering switching to a nocturnal schedule this weekend in the run-up to her being here just so I don't have to see her at all. In my old city, I used to break out in stress rashes all over my face the day she was set to turn up when she visited.

And if I just go out all week to avoid her, she will use it as an opportunity to root through my belongings 🙃 it's happened before.

#ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh #ok vent over i'm fine

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justadragonn · 11 months

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tw mental health - need to put some words to things

this med was supposed to make things better. caplyta, if anyone is curious. all it does so far is wreck my sleep schedule, triggering depersonalization and derealization. i can barely form coherent thoughts - this post alone is taking everything i have to write. im spending the majority of my time unable to process the fact that i have a physical body, and once i do start to process it i have a breakdown about the burden that it is. i wish dysphoria was my only problem. moderate to severe joint pain, nerve pain, and connective tissue pain. flare ups as a result of some unknown illness. i have to dissociate from my body or ill go insane, yet doing so is having the same effect. i look at the world around me and realize its all animated. at least inside my home things feel comfortable, but the moment i step outside everything feels wrong, the colors are off, the framerate stutters. the people all lie, not an ounce of truth to their interactions, all pretending to be people, but im the only one who can see through it. outside of my bubble, nothing feels real, and i fear how i will react when the bubble pops and it too becomes foreign. maybe one day ill wake up to find the past few weeks never happened, i cant ever be sure anymore. i dont even know what day it is most of the time. and it wont ever get better, not really, not permanently. it always comes back, and its worse every time, and i have long since lost the will to keep going. i dont know how much longer i will last.

#mentally fucked #mental illness #tw sui ideation #tw dissociation #tw depersonalization #tw derealization

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puffpasstea · 1 year

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Help!

A/N: here’s an overly specific SATELLITE blurb about a situation I’m currently dealing with. Except, despite my best efforts, I don’t currently live with Harry Styles, so my thing in real life has a slightly different ending. Mostly writing this for myself, not gonna lie, lol. But I hope it can bring someone some comfort too.

summary: Alice can’t get her antidepressants and shit happens. This is the unglamorous, unromantic side of mental illness. warnings: mentions of mental illness, prescription meds, Harry being a supportive partner. —

I pushed my bangs off my forehead, dotting moisturizer onto the outlines of my face and rubbing it in. I could hear the faint sound of Harry’s singing, downstairs, in the kitchen. He’d clearly made it to The Beatles playlist, which means he’s making breakfast.

I need somebody (Help!)

not just anybody (Help!)

you know I need someone

heeelppp!

I closed my eyes, smiling, as I listened to him belt out alongside John Lennon on the speakers. He’d been on a Beatles kick lately. He and Mitch were rediscovering the Lennon-McCartney hits, but they got all flustered and weird whenever I said that their partnership was kind of similar, minus the years of toxic rivalry. this new found obsession gave me comfort, thought. It’d become something of a routine for Harry to listen to the same songs every morning. I loved hearing him sing along as I got ready for the day and tracking his activity by the song that he had reached.

I opened the medicine cabinet and reached for my morning meds. The bottle felt light, I was running low, so I made a mental note to call my psychiatrist later today. ———

Help me if you can, I’m feeling dowwwnnn

and I do appreciate you being ‘rounnndd

In the kitchen, Harry hummed to himself, flipping the omelette in the pan, and gyrating his hips the way he usually did onstage. He was still in his sweaty running clothes, but boy did he look good.

I stood in the doorway, watching him, and wondering how I got so lucky. He was perfect. Harry turned around, getting startled when he saw me, but not for long. The surprise immediately gave way to mischief. He smiled, raising an eyebrow and dancing his way towards me. With his body facing mine, he reached a hand behind him, turning the stove off, and then wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. “Dance with me.” He demanded.

“W-what?” I laughed, kissing his lips. “You stink” “C’mon, Matilda, dance with me.”

Won’t you please, please help meee?!

—

I wasn’t the kind of person to congratulate herself very often, mostly because I always found faults within even my biggest accomplishments, but I must admit, I was proud of myself this time. for managing to remember the refill I needed, getting over my anxiety long enough to schedule the follow up without any external help, and even making sure it would get refilled while I still had a few pills in my older bottle. In all my years of being on antidepressants, this had never happened. I usually put off making the calls because of how anxious they all made me, waited until the last possible moment, when I was one pill away from running out, and then having to pay a whole lot of extra money for some temporary pills to tide me over. But, it appeared Harry’s encouragement and support were starting to rub off on me. For once, I had my shit together. Or so I thought. "I’m sorry what?! What do you mean you have no record of the prescription? No, it’s fine. I’ll call my doctor. Thank you.”

just my luck. I felt heart racing in my chest. My breath quickened, my hands felt clammy. I can’t do this…

—

“honey, I’m homeeee!” Harry’s voice announced in the distance. As always, he was back from his morning run and would probably want to make breakfast soon. I ran back upstairs and jumped into bed quickly, shutting my eyes and pretending to be asleep. Moments later, Harry walked in. “oh, she’s asleep.” He whispered to himself. He made his way over to my side of the bed, pulling the blankets over me and tucking me in. The scent of his sweaty workout hung in the air as he leaned over and gave my forehead a quick kiss. I’m a horrible person for lying to him…

—

“Babe? Hand me the salt please?” My hands shook as I reached into the spice cabinet and grabbed the salt container. I waited a moment for it to steady before turning towards Harry, but it was too late. He’d noticed. “What was that?” damn him and his attention to detail. “what was what?” Maybe if I pretended not to know what he’s talking about…

“Your hands are shaking. Look! Do you seriously not feel that?” The salt container slipped out of my hand and went crashing into the ground.

“fuck!” I jumped as the shards of glass hit my leg. “you alright?”

“yes, god! I’ll clean it up okay? Let it go already!”

Harry frowned, staring at me, no doubt confused by my overreaction.

I rushed to the broom and began to busy myself with cleanup, trying my best not to focus on the fact that Harry was still fixated on me.

“what’s the matter, Alice? Talk to me.”

shit. Now he wanted to talk.

when I said nothing, Harry walked over to me and grabbed the broom, prying it out of my hands and setting it aside. “Look at me. Why won’t you look at me? Alice! What’s going on with you?”

“nothing.” I whispered, barely loud enough for Harry to hear. “it’s clearly not nothing, baby.” His hand cupped my face, gently tilting it so my eyes would meet his. “Is - is this about the other night? Cuz, if it is…you know, I don’t care about that…it’s no big deal!”

“the other night?” It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about. “Oh, god, no! Harry, no!” I pushed his hand off my face, turning away from him, and tiptoeing around the glass remains of the salt container to find a seat at the dining table. “so, you couldn’t cum. Big fuckin deal. Happens to the best of us! It’s no reason to be embarrassed, really.”

“Oh my god, shut up, Harry, will you” as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized how rude I was being. “Sorry.”

Harry followed me, taking a seat next to me. He had clearly run out of things to say, so he stared at me expectantly, awaiting some kind of explanation.

“I, uh, look,” I cleared my throat. “Headaches, anxiety, dizziness, nausea, uncontrollable shaking, flu-like symptoms including chills and body aches, irritability, difficulty getting and maintaining arousal….” I was out of breath and positively blushing. So, I paused, looking away from Harry’s intense gaze. His brows furrowed, shaking his head in confusion.

“these are all symptoms of withdrawal.” I said matter-of-factly.

“sorry, withdrawal?”

“from my antidepressants.”

“you- you haven’t been taking your meds?” His expression had now changed from confusion to concern.

“I haven’t been able to!” The frustration that I’d been refusing to confront for days now bubbled to the surface. I exhaled loudly, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

“Why, why not?”

“I’ve run out….and, I don’t know. I called my doctor. She said she sent the prescription over to the pharmacy, but-“ I was full on sobbing now. harry, to his credit, jumped right into action, pulling me out of my chair and onto his lap, rubbing my back. I let myself cry for a second before catching my breath and speaking again “every time I call the pharmacy they say I need to tell her to do it again. And, I- I tried. Her secretary doesn’t- she doesn’t-“

“breathe, baby, breathe.” Harry squeezed my shoulders gently.

“I keep trying to explain to her, but she doesn’t get it. And I’m so bad at this confrontation thing…I get so anxious and….”

I buried my face into Harry chest, sobbing like a child. He sat there, completely still except for the hand that continued to rub my back soothingly.

“honey, why didn’t you say anything?” He finally asked when my cries had died down.

“it’s embarrassing, Harry! It’s, like, so dumb. I should be able to do this one thing by myself. I didn’t know how to tell you that I’d failed to obtain a simple fucking refill.”

“‘S not dumb-“

“oh but it is!! Why would you wanna be with someone who can’t sort out her own problems and cries all over your clothes at the most minor of inconveniences. How exhausting is that?!”

“Baby, this isn’t minor.” The hand that had been rubbing my back suddenly stopped. He used to to pull me away so he could look into my eyes as he spoke. “Alice, you need this medicine to function. How are you supposed to sort it out on your own if literally you can’t function? Hmm? This isn’t like your vitamins or whatever. Miss a day and it’s no big deal…this is like the biggest deal!”

hearing him explain it made everything sound logical, in my head, though, I felt like a helpless idiot who could get dumped for mentioning it out loud. “does that make sense? Plus, it’s what I’m here for. You can tell me these things, baby. I can help. I can call on your behalf and sort it out.”

I nodded, wiping the stray tears in my eyes with the back of my arm. “Guess I just don’t know how to ask for help, sometimes.”

“It’s simple, really, you can just say ‘help! I need somebody…help! Not just any body’” I rolled my eyes, shoving my elbow into his chest.

Harry laughed, continuing to sing. “Help! I need someone. heeeelp!”

“alright, John Lennon. I get it. So, could you please help me?” “it would be my pleasure.”

#harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fluff #harry styles writing #harry styles x oc #harry styles blurb

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nicklloydnow · 8 months

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“The New Dumb

Something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

- Bob Dylan

No sir, not a chance. Mr. Jones does not even pretend to know what's happening in America Right now, and neither does anyone else.

We have seen weird Times in this country before, but the year 2000 is beginning to look super weird. This time there really is nobody flying the plane....We are living in dangerously weird times now. Smart people just shrug and admit they're dazed and confused. The only ones left with any confidence at all are the New Dumb. It is the beginning of the end of our world as we knew it. Doom is the operative ethic.

The autumn months are never a calm time in America. Back to Work, Back to Football Practice, etc....Autumn is a very Traditional period, a time of strong Rituals and the celebrating of strange annual holidays like Halloween and Satanism and the fateful Harvest Moon, which can have ominous implications for some people.

Autumn is always a time of Fear and Greed and Hoarding for the winter coming on. Debt collectors are active on old people and fleece the weak and helpless. They want to lay in enough cash to weather the known horrors of January and February. There is always a rash of kidnapping and abductions of schoolchildren in the football months. Preteens of both sexes are traditionally seized and grabbed off the streets by gangs of organized perverts who traditionally give them as Christmas gifts to each other to be personal sex slaves and playthings.

Most of these things are obviously Wrong and Evil and Ugly - but at least they are Traditional. They will happen. Your driveway will ice over, your furnace will blow up, and you will be rammed in traffic by an uninsured driver in a stolen car.

But what the hell? That's why we have Insurance, eh? And the Inevitability of these nightmares is what makes them so reassuring. Life will go on, for good or ill. But some things are forever, right? The structure may be a little Crooked, but the foundations are still strong and unshakable.

Ho ho. Think again, buster. Look around you. There is an eerie sense of Panic in the air, a silent Fear and uncertainty that comes with once-reliable faiths and truths and solid Institutions that are no longer safe to believe in....There is a Presidential Election, right on schedule, but somehow there is no President. A new Congress is elected, like always, but somehow there is no real Congress at all - not as we knew it, anyway, and whatever passes for Congress will be as helpless and weak as whoever has to pass for the "New President."

In the world of sports, it is like playing a Super Bowl that goes into 19 scoreless Overtimes and never actually Ends...or four LA Lakers stars being murdered in different cities on the same day. Guaranteed Fear and Loathing. Abandon all hope. Prepare for the Weirdness. Get familiar with Cannibalism.

Good luck,

DOC

- November 20, 2000”

#thompson #hunter s thompson #dylan #bob dylan #dumb #new dumb #hey rube #johnny depp #fear and loathing in las vegas #autumn #rituals #tradition #halloween #satanism

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maknaesdancersrappers · 10 months

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YUPPPPPP JAEHYUN IS CONFIRMED TO BE A MAIN CHARACTER IN “6 Hours Later, You’ll Die.” WHICH IS LIKE A MYSTERY THRILLER apparently his character is a killer who pretends to be nice (and the cute thing is when dojaejung had a fancon here in manila, they were asked about what genre would they like to see jaehyun in and they said mystery because they wanna see jaehyun’s evil or creepy smile!!! they were teasing BECAUSE THEY KNEW omfg i’m so excited to see how jaehyun will act out for this role and i’m hoping that it’s his real big break for his acting career considering dear m’s difficulties because of her co-actress’ issue 😭)

2 major Ws for us today for receiving this news about jae and us receiving a devoted update 🥳 but i feel bad for being happy when you had the update as a distraction for what you’re going through. i hope you’re taking care of yourself despite what happened 🩷 i hope that u heal and feel better soon!

just some Qs!!! what are some things up for devoted now? are the questions for the characters still open? i remember readers sending in questions for the characters here!!! idk how to navigate that much here in tumblr so i cant tell but did you update last friday at 1:27? is that going to be a thing again? missed your active era omg i might as well be again too after your update 😭 i literally told my friend to stfu since i thought she was pranking me about a devoted update to get my attention lmfaooo

and if only you’re comfortable to answer and share! how are you, really? what have you been up to? just wanted to check on u since you’ve shared some life updates before.

sorry about this long ass message but i just wanted u to feel that we’re still here 🩷 i used to be a silent reader but i realized how much it means to authors when readers leave a message whether its short or a long one :) hope this one cheered u up! thank you again, rj!

i never watched dear.m bec my attention span wont let me

but thats so cool!! THE UNIVERSE REALLY SAID YALL LIKE PSYCHO JAEHYUN, HERE U GO ugh manifested me thinks

regarding OPEN FORUM, you can definitely send some in as always!!

for update schedules, i can't promise a proper timeline for it since i'm back to full time* but i can promise that i'll be writing more often now and will have it updated as soon as i proofread it!

will hide the rest of my answer since im gonna rant AHAHAH

as for my... well being, i guess -- i'm in a gray area at the moment. *i said i'm back to full time earlier because for the months of May and June, I asked to be a part timer since it's slow season for our company. but that also meant my paycheck would be cut in half. I'm not really happy with work right now since it's so draining (i work 10 hours/5 days) and i want to quit and look for work but im not in a position to do so (i have no savings bc of family medical issues). so im considering finding another source of income, but idk what to do really.

so ye thats whats been happening in mi life 😪 ill be fine eventually ^^

#replies #anon

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so-emo-i-fell-apart · 1 year

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Hi I'm newish with FOB can you suggest some songs and maybe explain what's happening rn?

Hello Anon! Absolutely!

Right away a good place to start if you're overwhelmed is the Believers Never Die Volumes 1 and 2. Kinda a highlight reel, has all the popular songs. I'm the kind of person who likes to hear a band in order when I deep dive into them so Evening out with your girlfriend is also a good place to start, though many of us pretend this doesn't exist and to the best of my knowledge they don't play any of the songs live. If you prefer to skip then of course hop right into Take this to your grave. Ik you said SOME songs but I really love everything theres no such thing as a bad FOB song. If you're looking for what they might play at a concert I haven't been to a show where Dance Dance, Sugar, or Thnks Fr Th Mmrs haven't been played. And Every show I've been to has closed with Saturday.

Onto today's news. I'm sure you've already heard that a single dropped yesterday called "Love From The Other Side" Its wonderful. Album is coming out March 24th. the main news today is about Joe.

Quick rundown on the members Patrick is the singer and sometimes rhythm guitarist some times pianist whatever he's gotta do. Fun fact he originally played drums which is why we have the wonderful drum off video. Anyways he overheard Joe (who we will circle back to) talking in a book store and in true Patrick fashion jumped into the conversation. Joe invites him to play with him and Pete and thats where they get their start. Pete is the bassist, frontman, and screamer/some backing vocals he has written most of the songs and had been in a few bands previous which is how he knew Joe (and Andy but we'll get to that later), there's a lot of info on Pete but were just doing the basics so moving on. Joe is the lead guitar and does some backing vocals as well, as mentioned before Fall Out Boy basically only exists because of him. At the very beginning the three went through a couple of rhythm guitarists and drummers before Patrick took up rhythm guitar and enter Andy Hurley. Andy is from Milwaukee and knew Pete from shows he would travel to there. Andy is the drummer and all around cool dude.

Anyways back to the news about Joe. Last night he posted on both his personal instagram and the Fall Out Boy Instagram that he was going to be taking a break due to his mental health. Yes it's not ideal timing but anyone who has any sort of mental illness knows it goes downhill randomly and it doesn't care whats going on. I for one am thankful he has recognized that he needs this break instead of trying to push through this and only getting worse. There will be jokes here and there, because this is fob they are goofy nerds, but in general we are respecting Joe's decision and hoping for him to feel better. I'm not sure how far the other three are going to go without him. Like interviews and what not that they're already scheduled for probably will still happen as we saw with jimmy kimmel last night. As of right now as no tour is scheduled I think they will at least hold off until he's back for that but it's really up to Joe and the rest of the band for what will happen with all of this.

As always please be respectful of Joe while he's away.

Hope this helps anon!

#Asks #Anon #Fall out boy #fob #fob8 #jtroh #pw #ps #hurley #long post #sorry theres so much i love talking about my boys

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newstorym · 1 year

Text

*Beep Beep*…Sorry the person you are trying to reach is unavailable please leave a message after the tone Long Beep

Ally: Hello Mom..Dad it’s me,… I’m sorry I just can’t put on a fake smile anymore… I can't pretend to be happy…and to wake up believing it is going to get better. Nothing in my life is changing… I-I can't be here knowing… that I am a disappointment and I will never make you proud…but I-I will mi-miss you G-goodbye

Girl falls from the building

THUD

She lands on a car

Women: AAAAAAHHHHH?

People start gathering and whispering

Women1: Gasps oh my god, what just happened?

Women2: How could she do this?

Man: How could she do this to the parents? The parents will be devastated when they find out

Women:Her parent’s don’t deserve this pain

Girl: People talk and pretend to know who to blame when they don’t know the whole story in a person’s life. Of course neither I myself know none of their business and isn’t mine to know but, it hurts knowing no one wants to stop or change the problem. It is scary but this is the reality of our lives repeating a cycle that never seems to stop….sigh Why can’t there be an end to this.

The Spirit orb leaves the body and drops down to the girl's hand. It turns into a bright white butterfly and they release it watching it fly away into the night.

*Beep..Beep..Beep*

Arlo opens his eyes

[Arlo’s Mind] Five more minutes

And proceeds to go to sleep

Mom: ARLO GET DOWN HERE!!!

Arlo: Ah! OK I’M UP

Arlo gets up from bed and starts getting ready for school

He heads down to eat and goes in the kitchen

Mom:Finally your up, now go eat your breakfast

Arlo: ok

Arlo sits down and starts eating as the mom is watching the news on the tv

The News: In today's breaking news. Last night, it was reported that a 16 years old girl had committed suicide. She was able to access a tall building roof and took her own life. It is known that she was in a psychiatric hospital and was mentally ill. Nobody knows who she was or how she got out but we will get back to you with more information

Mom:That’s horrible, poor girl. Her parents must be devastated

Arlo:Ya devastated

[Arlo’s Mind]:Yea right! They could have helped her or done something about it but they didn’t.

Arlo:I’m done eating. I’m heading to school now. Bye

Mom:Ok study hard!

Arlo gets up and walks out the door

As arlo walks to school he pass a lake and stares at it

He remembers the happy moments he had and now there all gone along with his happiness

[Arlo’s Mind]:It really hurts

Arlo continues to walk to school

As he goes inside the school he sees his best friend

Gregory: Hey man how have you been?

Arlo: Great it was just really boring this summer and just working at the coffee shop you know.

Gregory: Oh yea! I had fun too, went to a lot of places and remember the field trip the school was doing on going to Italy?

Arlo: Ya

Gregory: I actually went and it was amazing. I also talked to a lot of people from our school that went and now we are friends.

[Arlo’s Mind]: Now that hurts. It hurts knowing he is meeting new people and now I am scared he will leave or ignore me. What to do?

Arlo: That's a great man. I am happy for you

Gregory: Ya and they invited me to go eat with them at lunch, wanna join us?

Arlo: Nah, I am a good man. I was actually planning to go to the library.

Gregory: Ok well I will see you later bye

Arlo: Oh wait…. What’s your schedule and he’s gone sigh

Arlo Heads to class

Arlo makes it to first period and takes a seat

Mrs.Hensley: Hello class, who is ready for their last year and finally graduating

The whole class cheers

Mrs.Hensley: Oh kay class settles down before I start teaching each of you is going to get pulled out of class and go to the counselors office to talk about your future ok. Now I am going by last name Mr.Alden

Arlo:H-here

Mrs.Hensley: Ok you are up first head to the counselors office.

Arlo gets up and heads to the office

In the office

Counselor:Hello Mr.Arlo how have you been?

Arlo:good I guess

Counselor: Well that's great..we are here to discuss your future since you are in your last year how do you feel about that?

Arlo:Well ok I guess

Counselor:Well I think you should be excited going into a new journey

Arlo:Ya, I guess

Counselor: Or do you know what you want to be

Arlo: Not really my parents want me to go into business

Counselor: Well that is interesting. But is that what you want?

Arlo: Well I am not sure what I want?

Counselor:Well it’s about what you want and I suggest you figure it out fast because, it won’t take much time till you start applying and figuring your college.

Think about it ok

Arlo got nervous and scared hearing that

Arlo: O-ok

Counselor: Well are time is up I wish we could have talked more but I have other students coming in,have a nice day.

Arlo:you t-too

Arlo got up and went back to his class

Time Flies and he is now at lunch sitting alone

A group of boys walk up to him

Boy:Hey, the loser is all by himself.

Boy2:aww did your friend finally abandon you.

Boy3 pours milk on his head

Boy3:I'm so sorry I thought you were the trash

They all start laughing

Arlo gets angry but doesn't react instead he gets up and heads out the cafeteria

As Arlo was heading to the office Gregory started to call him

Gregory: Arlo! wait up man.

Arlo: Annoyed, what do you want?

Gregory: Hey why are getting mad at me

Arlo: I don't know maybe because you abandoned me to hang out with your new cool friends

Gregory:I invited you to come eat with us but you said NO!!

Arlo: Raises voice YOU KNOW THAT I CAN'T DO THAT

Gregory: Raises voice WHY BECAUSE YOU ARE SUCH A SCAREDY CAT WHO CAN'T TALK OR TRUST KNOW ONE!!

Arlo:YOU KNOW WHAT I DON’T KNOW HOW I EVER BECAME FRIENDS WITH YOU

Gregory: ME TOO,...

know wonder why everyone was right about you being a pathetic, depressed, and loner

Arlo was so angry, all he saw was red he wants to punch Gregory but can't and so he walks away and leaves the school

Arlo is so mad and frustrated and is walking through the forest, as he is walking he sees the lake and all his anger and frustration goes away. For some reason instead of fear he feels comforted by the lake

That's because this is where he met the only person that really understood him.

Arlo:I need to stop with these memories it will only bring me more pain

Int. (Interior) Vintage Shop - Woods- Mid Day-

As Arlo continues to walk in the forest the air starts turning cold and the sky starts getting stormy he suddenly looks to his left and sees a little shop. It looks old and he looks through the window. His body is drawn into the shop. He enters and starts to think.

Arlo’s Thoughts

Why is there a shop in the middle of the forest?

Arlo continues to roam around the shop, he sees something to his left, there is a table with a phone from the 50s and it looks new and looks like the owner takes good care of it, he then proceeds to look around and for some reason he feels like his feet are taking control of him. He then proceeds to walk to a table with old pictures he feels a little weirded out because who would want to collect old photos then his hand reaches out for a small purple album and in the front it has a golden plate that says 1980 he opens it but there is nothing. None of the folds have a picture. He started to flip through them until the last fold that had a picture in it his eyes widened and started to water as he was looking at the picture and out of nowhere a girl's hand appeared behind him and reached out to hold his shoulders. Arlo feels the hand and gets startled which makes him drop the album and it falls to the ground, he is scared to turn around but for some reason he feels like he has to turn around and with the little bravery he still has left he turns

Old Man

“Do you need any help?”

Arlo:

no I am good just checking out the stuff

Old Man

If you need something don't be afraid to ask

Arlo:

Ya thank you

The old man walks away to the cash register

Arlo's Mind: That scared me

Arlo pics up the album and heads to the register

Arlo:I want to buy this please

Old Man: Nice choice that is a very good photo album. Do you want me to take any photos out of the album? Some customers forget to take out the pictures

Arlo: It is ok there were no pictures I checked

Old man:that would be 40 bucks

Arlo's eyes want wide

Arlo:4-40 bucks just for this small album

Old man: of course that album is very vintage and old

Arlo:Oh,of course here you go

Arlo holds out the 40 bucks and gives to the old man

As the old man grabs the 40 arlo holds on it tightly

Old man: what are you doing your suppose to let go

Arlo: Right Ha

He let's go and is very sad about his money

He walks out and looks at the album which brings back his smile and proceeds to put it in his bag and starts heading home

Psychiatric Hospital-Panic-Night

Nurse:This is bad, what are we going to do?

Nurse2: I don't how did she even get out of the facility

Doctor: we have to tell the parents

Nurse: Ok I will call them

Doctor: Nurse Shelley

Nurse shelley:Yes

Doctor:... Go check please

Nurse Shelley: Ok

Sniffle sniffle

??:I know it's all my fault…please stop

She wanted her… freedom. Please..It's my fault but she’s happy now

sighs in relief

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sinkingbeneaththewaves · 1 year

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Work in Progress Character - Oriana Álvarez

Name: Oriana María Thais Alejandra Álvarez

Age: 32

Blood status: Halfblood

Occupation: Model and actress

Relationship status: Divorced

About:

Early life:

Oriana was born in Havana, Cuba, on the 27th October to Alejandra Yadira Maite Zaida Álvarez. Oriana never knew who her father was and her mother refused to talk about it. When Oriana was still just a baby, Alejandra travelled to the United States in the hopes of finding a better life for them both.

They eventually settled in Los Angeles, with Alejandra taking on every job that she could including waitressing and cleaning. She would work long days and nights, with Oriana learning to fend for herself at a young age. When she was a little older, she would take on cleaning jobs alongside her mother to help out.

The lack of income meant that Alejandra couldn't afford healthcare, resulting in a short illness that unfortunately killed her. Now on her own, Oriana struggled for a year before a professor from Ilvermorny approached her, telling her about the world of magic and inviting her to school.

School life:

She was sorted into Thunderbird at Ilvermorny, but she was not a particularly skilled witch. She could manage, but the lack of money available to her meant that she did not have the funds to buy her own wand. Instead, a professor gifted her an old wand and she struggled through her education.

Despite the fact that she was on her own, she never stayed at school during the holidays. She was seen as too independent by her peers, struggling to make friends, and preferred to be away from school so that she could take on jobs and save up some money.

The start of her career:

It was during one Christmas holiday when she had turned 17 that she was 'discovered'. A photographer by the name of Césaire Germain Bouchard was dining with his family and saw her. He immediately saw her potential as a model and offered to help her. While it wasn't ideal, it was better than the work or education she was getting, and so Oriana never returned to Ilvermorny.

Her modelling career was extremely slow to start with, but then a chance encounter with a representative from a well-known wizarding fashion brand meant that suddenly she was the centre of attention. Oriana became known in the world of fashion, with many brands wanting to work with her.

The beginning and end of romance:

During a shoot, she met Ben Geißler, a German model. The two formed a strange friendship of few words, but it began to evolve into something more. After a year of dating, they got engaged and were married just six months later in a very splashy event. The wedding was the centre of attention for many within the entertainment and fashion industries.

Before the two had even returned back from their honeymoon, the cracks had begun to show. Ben was far more controlling than Oriana had realised, his seemingly caring nature transforming into something darker. He hired a personal assistant for them both, keeping track of her schedule and questioning her if she was ever late home.

He began to try and dictate the work that she would take on, especially if it involved showing off her body or travelling abroad. Oriana didn't do well with this kind of attention and the two would often argue. The media began to speculate on their relationship, and the attention was getting to be too much to Oriana. She ended up taking a small break in her career in a doomed-to-fail attempt to save her marriage.

It all came to a head one night when Oriana had gone out for a drink on her own just to get out of the house. She returned home to find Ben furious and drunk. The altercation that ensued was violent, leaving Oriana scared for her life. Ben left the next morning for a shoot before their cleaner arrived. The cleaner, Juana Lolita Gonzales, immediately began to pack a bag for Oriana after seeing what had happened.

For two weeks, Oriana stayed with Juana, who pretended to Ben that Oriana had been gone when she'd arrived to clean that morning. She did not leave the house at all during that time, recovering and trying to work out what to do. Oriana's disappearance made the news with Ben beginning to play the sad husband who had suddenly been left. After two weeks away, Oriana filed for divorce and got herself a house as far away from Ben as possible, with Juana coming with her as her new personal assistant.

Despite everything that had happened between them, Oriana didn't want to tell anyone what had happened. She didn't want to be seen as a victim and so the reason for the divorce was kept quiet. It took a lot of work, but Oriana's lawyers were able to get Ben to agree to a no fault divorce.

The comeback

The break from her career and the world meant that Oriana had to work her way back up again. Her comeback took a while but she made it, becoming a household name again and expanding her work into acting roles. She prefers modelling but acting gives her longer term projects to focus on.

The problem is that she doesn't always feel safe. Some of her fans can be intense and even obsessive at times, plus the fact that Ben continues to try to contact her. The messages are getting more persistent, and so she and Juana are working on hiring security for her place and perhaps even a personal bodyguard.

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ritacrow-blog · 3 years

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-daminette

-introverted mari

-the usual class, adrien, lila, Alya! Salt

-Chloe redemption. She appoloises but leaves for New York a few months later due to bullying from the class.

- To distract herself from all the negatives in her life she immersed herself in work.

-has trust issues with strangers. Supportive Friends (Luka, Chloe and Kagami) and Parents.

-designs and sells her designs under MDC

-Solves cold cases while hunting down hawk-moth as "Nettie". (and because of this, hacking becomes a secret talent of hers) and reports her findings to the chief of police. Sabrina's dad (I forgot his name). Using Ladybug as the messenger. Ladybug explains to the Chief that she found someone to help track down hawk-moth, but doesn't want to be known. And that she is only giving acting as Nettie's messanger for cases that she just so happens to "accidentally" come across while searching for hawk-moth. So he sees Nettie as a "Robin Hood" just without the stealing part.

-She hangs out with Kagami but also learns how to use a Katana from her as an excuse to give to her mother. Like: learning how to teach people and is using Marinette as her Guinea pig student. Which Marinette then starts to enjoy. Especially when she needs to vent and just cut something down. And she eventually gets really good at it.

-the bullying gets worse

-by this time she's already gathering evidence against Gabriel and Natalie. Also finds out that Chat noir is Adrien. (she isn't very surprised). And makes a promise to herself that she will take them down before the school year ends.

-She goes to the Chief as ladybug to report what Nettie found. So they plot.

-stealing the miraculous from Adrien first before finding Kagami to be her Black cat for the final battle. And Luka as Python (different costume for identity reasons). They sneak into the Manor going straight to the lair where she found Adrien's Mom via CCTV. Heals her (let's pretend that LB has healing abilities. Ya?) and explains everything that is going on while Panther and Python search the area for the miraculous just in case. LB talks ladybug into getting Gabriel to surrender and she agrees. But Gabriel and Natalie storm in already transformed to fight. Not noticing Emily at first. When he finally does he stops. While Angry at them she convinces Gabriel and Natalie to stand down and surrender the miraculous to ladybug and face proper judgment.

-Ladybug, Panther and Python escort Gabriel and Natalie to the police waiting outside and Emily to get herself checked by the medics. Adrien is still asleep and unaware in his room. He will definitely be having quite the shock in the morning. His miraculous is gone. His mom is alive. Emily knows about him being Chat noir through LB. Is now under Emily's strict supervision.

-The last few months of school are loud after the news. Court hearing scheduled a week after the last day of school. Gabriel reveals Lila's role. Lila tries to get out of it but is proven guilty with evidence provided by Nettie. Bye-bye Liela~

- the class find out about what lila did and try to find Marinette to apologise.

-Marinette forgives but doesn't accept them as friends anymore.

Alya: "so now that we're friends again. Think you could get me that interview with Ladybug about the Hawk-moth case?"

Mari: "No"

Alya: "Thank you so mu-... What?... Why? We're best friends! True bestfriend help each other out!"

Mari: "exactly. Best friends help each other out. But where were you when I was bullied by lila. Heck the whole class. How about the harassment with Adrien. When I was clearly over him. We're not best friends alya. Not even close to being a friend"

Alya: "when did you get over adrien??? I thaught you were dating Luka to make adrien jealous."

Mari: (-_-) "I'm not. I haven't had a crush in adrien for 3 years now. I got rid of everything related to him. And I set Luka up with Kagami. They've been dating for over a year now"

Alya: "what the hell"

-not wanting to have anything to do with the class anymore. She applies for her last year in Gotham Academy (let's just say that she likes their curriculum: includes fashion design, coding and programming, and a kendo club. Kagami successfully converted her into a katana welding badass)

-Mari gets permission from her parents to move in to her Nona's apartment in Gotham.

- She leaves without telling anyone from the class. Only her family, Kagami, Chloe and Luca know.

-She arrives in Gotham and encounters Scarecrow on her fist day there. Gets caught in the fear gas.

-She sees her old classmates. Hawk-moth. Mayura. Chat Noir and Chat blanc. The Akumas. Purple butterflies.

-fights while under the fear toxin. Attacks every "akuma" (goons) coming her way. Unknowingly fighting the batfam thinking that they're "akumas". Until Nightwing holds her down and Robin injects the antidote.

Mari: *muttering* fuck you hawk-moth and your disgusting purple butterflies. *faints*

Red Robin: What the fuck...

Red Hood: I call dibs on Pixi pop becoming my sister.

Batman:.......

Nightwing: *looks at Robin* please tell me you heard that too...

Robin:.......

-Mari wakes up in the ambulance. Feels fine so she just hops off and goes straight for her bags.

Nightwing: where are you going? You still need to get checked.

Mari: I'm fine. I've dealt with worse. I'm just gonna go and get my bags. I don't trust the security here.

Nightwing: hey! Wait!

Mari keeps walking to her bags. Picks up her katana and straps it to her back and grabs her luggage.

Nightwing: Hey! You still need to get checked anyways... And questioned...

Mari: *stares*..... Fine. But please Hury I want to get to my place before it gets dark.

Batman: how did you fight the fear toxin?

Mari: it's called fear toxin... No wonder I saw what I saw... *looks at batman* I'm used to having to deal with my fears. I've had to fight them head on in Paris constantly.

Red Robin: Isn't Paris a peaceful city?

Mari: *scoff* peaceful my ass. It hasn't been peaceful at all the past 3 years. I've seen enough deaths and magical shit to last me a lifetime.

Batfam:......

Mari: *sigh* sorry for my language. I'm just cranky from not having had any sleep in the past... 1,2,3,4,5... 6...oh shit... Anyways... Look I just landed I haven't had sleep the past few days. Got caught in the attack. Somehow fought them of. Lost consciousness... Not even sure why I even woke up considered my lack of sleep...and now being questioned... And... That pretty much it really.

Batfam:.....

Mari: what still not satisfied?

Robin: you mentioned having encountered enough magic and deaths to last you a lifetime.

Mari:..... I did?

Batfam:......

Red Robin: yes you did

Red Hood: *mutters* why do I suddenly feel like I'm looking at a female replacement....

Mari: Oh... Damn... I'm not even sure if the blackouts been lifted yet.

Batman: blackout?

Mari: the media blackout...it should be lifted soon. Not sure when....

*Phone notification rings*

Mari: speak of the devil... Here.

*she shows batman her phone*

He goes through the news and 2 videos of akuma attacks.

Mari: can I have my phone back and go now? It's getting dark.

Robin: how are you getting there.

Mari: a cab.

Batman gives her phone back

Mari: am I done here?

Batman nods

When mari is leaving...

Batman: Hood, Robin keep an eye on her and makes sure she gets to her destination safe. We're going back to the cave to look more into this.

When mari gets out of the cab. She feels like she's being watched and followed. Discretely looks around trying to spot who's following her. (ladybug sense is tingling~) She shifts her katana to her hip just in case. While going to her apartment. And instantly locks the door and checks the windows. Wonders if they followed her... Then she spots Robin on the neighboring building.

Mari: ah... Its just them... Welp I'm off to bed.

--------------------------

Robin POV

Robin: She knows she's being followed.

Redhood: I'm not blind demon spawn.

They watch her enter her apartment while on guard.

Redhood: one of us should probably pass by her window. Just to let her know we're not goons. Pixi looks wound up...

Robin: ill do it.

He swings by her window. They guessed right. She was keeping watch.

Robin: something isn't right...

Redhood: no shit sherlock.

Robin over the comm: she's in. We're heading back to the cave.

----------------------------------

Batcave

-Siren, Gigantitan, Hero's day, mourning star (saw this in a fanfiction somewhere. Its a sad one)

Redhood: Holy shit...

Batman: How did we miss this?

Red Robin: found a call on the JL emergency call log.

Batman: play it.

Video call from Ryuuko on Hero's day. Showing the chaos, requesting for help, getting controlled, dropping the phone and walking away.

Batman: who answered this call?

Red Robin:.... Green Lantern

Robin: wait... Scroll up... Its the girl from the airport.

They play the mourning star akuma video.

Mourning star: a widow that had a miscarriage. Mourning the death of her husband and unborn child. The akuma kidnapping children and killing them infront of their mothers. So that they know the pain of losing a child. (I know it's depressing... I found this in a fanfiction. Forgot the title. And it was way more depressing than what I just wrote...) (ill skip this bit)

Marinette getting children to safety. Away from the akuma. Calming them down and getting them to hide in an abandoned building. Distracts the akuma by pissing it of and luring her away from the nearby preschool. (she's badass both in and out of the suit) then suddenly transforms into a mouse themed hero while on the run. Divides herself into smaller selves. And splits up each going down different alleyways. (she never becomes multimouse again after this: she got compromised again. Let's just say that she staged this bit to get halkmoth off her trail... In case he suspected her of being LB). Then not long after Chat noir shows up looking for LB. When LB finally shows up... He starts flirting and causing even more trouble. Akuma gets caught. Butterfly gets purified. Magical ladybugs fixing everything and LB punching Chat in the face. The end.

Redhood: he had that coming.

Robin: She was a hero? Are there others?

Redhood: why? Got a crush~?

Robin: *blush* no.

Red Robin: found one. Evillustrator. CCTV footage...

CCTV: Evillustrator breaking into the top floor of a bakery. Then leaving. Chat Noir showing up. Marinette answering the door. Chat Noir flirting. Marinette sarcastic acting. More chat noir flirting. He leaves. Fast forward. She leaves the bakery all dressed up (Robin's thaughts: she looks cute... WHAT THE FUCK BRAIN!!!! NO!) (I changed it a bit hehehe)

They shift to different CCTVs until she gets to her destination. Meeting up with the akuma (Redhood: what the hell... She went on a date with an akuma?) (Red Robin: wait look... Chat Noir) (Robin: *clenching his teeth and fists*) chat noir sneaking on the boat. And laying low. Mari snatching something and throwing it at chat. Chat messed-up. Mari gets trapped with chat in a glass box with the boat sinking. Chat trying to find a way to get out of the box. Mari just standing there until she gets fed up. Grabs the baton and extends it upward while grabbing chat noir's tail/belt and flinging him towards the pier. Gives back his baton. Chat flirts again. Kisses her hand then salutes. Mari turns away of cam. (Nightwing: did that count as a date?) (Redhood: yes) (Red Robin: no) (Robin's thaughts: strong, beautiful, smart, tricky ... Just what else do you have under your belt... Shit I called her beautiful...) (Batman: follow chat noir)

Shifting again to other CCTVs. Stopping on one viewing a hotel. Chat and Ladybug already on the scene. Doesn't take long after that for the battle to end.

Batman: we need to keep looking more into this...but right now. I'm going to the tower. And deal with Green Lantern.

-----------------

-after this Robin makes sure to make Marinette's apartment to be part of his patrol route.

-Mari notices but doesn't try to call him over.

-he observes her and finds more things about her. (a designer, a gamer, a Baker and if her katana and fighting skills is anything to go by... Judo?)

-Mari knows that she's being observed so she makes sure the kwamis are hidden.

One night she decides to embroider on her balcony.

-curious... Robin comes closer to take a peek at what she was making... A dragon embroidery.

Mari: are you going to stay there or are you going to come down here and tell me what you need?

Robin:.... This place is part of my patrol route....

Mari: I noticed but I don't believe that that's all your here for.

Robin:...... you're one of the heroes...

Mari:........ *she looks at him* ex-hero... Retired hero??.... Who cares. I've been compromised.

Robin: I know... But it looked on purpose.

Mari:....... What do you want? Did you need something?

Robin:....... I don't trust you..... Your confusing...

Mari: I'd be worried if you did. Trusting people you just meet... Not a smart move.

Robin:.........

Mari:........ Anything else?

Robin: No. I'll be on my way.

Mari: wait hold on a second... Here (she gives him the extra macaroons she made) I'm a stress Baker. I made too much.

Robin:....... I thaught that we agreed that we didn't trust each other....

Mari: I don't. Not completely. But I also know your not a bad person. Protective sure. But that's to be expected considering your cutrent occupation...... Just take it.... You've been observing me the past few days. You should know by now that I'm not a horrible person...here I'll even take one. (she takes one and pops it in her mouth) see? Safe.

Robin: fine I'll take them to the idiots........thanks.......(then he leaves)

Mari: hmm... Now back to work...

---------------------

Keeps going on like this for the next few months.

Until its time for the new school year to start....

(I'm sleepy right now. I'll continue this tomorrow. I'll edit this same post. I won't be making it separate)

#daminette #Introvert marinette #maribat #mlb x dc

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catreginae · 2 years

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Thou Shalt Not Fall: The Big Sleep

Sometimes, Sky wasn't the last one to wake up.

Sky woke up in the morning and was surprised to find that he wasn't the last one to wake up.

Usually when he woke up, some of the others were usually finishing breakfast or packing up so that they could going as soon as he was ready. Sometimes, he woke up and none of those things happened, but those were the days were somebody was injured and couldn't travel and he usually knew they weren't travelling before he even fell asleep.

However, when he woke that morning, everybody was sitting around, some with breakfast, some without, making Sky frown in confusion. He rubbed the grogginess out of his eyes and blinked, trying to find a hint as to why they were still sitting around. He knew he took a bit of time to get ready but they were usually ready to go already. He couldn't remember any recent injuries, so maybe somebody was sick? Maybe Time was being nice to them that day.

His eyes then landed on Warriors, who was curled in on himself with his back turned to the rest of them. Sky locked eyes with Legend and pointed at him. Was he ill? Could vampires get ill? Was there something that would make him unable to travel? Should he be worried?

Legend shrugged. “You wake him up at your own risk. He only hissed at me and Four before, but who knows if that's all he does.”

Ah, Sky understood. He didn't always enjoy being woken up either, but he accepted his fate since he had difficulties waking up on time on his own. If he was left to his own devices, he woke up closer to lunch than breakfast and when they had to fit in as much travel as they could in a day, they couldn't afford to wait for him. He understood, even if he didn't like it.

Sky wasn't the one who could supposedly tear infected monsters apart with his bare hands though so he could see where even the heroes that embodied courage might be a little hesitant to wake Warriors up. Sky defeated a god and even he had to admit, he wasn't that interested in waking him up either.

“Are we staying?”

“Yup. Time said we could have a rest day too,” Four chimed in. “I wonder what the deal is, though. He's got a lot of energy for somebody who gets what, three hours of sleep on a regular day? Then all of a sudden he just can't wake up.”

Wind, apparently now aware that were was some gossip about, sat with them. “I guess it just sneaks up on him and he just crashes?”

Legend smirked. “Like you and Sky after dinner?”

“Hey! I do not crash!” Wind bawked. Sky merely shrugged because there was no point in denying it. If he wasn't scheduled for a watch, he was usually the first one to fall asleep. Facts were facts.

“Guys, shush,” Four mumbled, putting a finger on his lips and pointing at Warriors. Wind pouted for a second, then retreated to his bedroll and pulled one of his blankets off. He stepped towards Warriors quietly and added his blanket to the thin one Warriors was sleeping with. He shifted slightly in his sleep.

“Say, old man,” Legend started as Wind sat down to join Warriors. “What's the reason behind this?” he asked, gesturing to Warriors.

“Vampires can't be in the sun, so naturally, they sleep during the day. While the sunlight won't kill Warriors, he's still more inclined to sleep during the day just like the other vampires... he's just really stubborn about staying awake despite it. He's a military captain, most of his troops are up during the day. His life takes place during the day, vampire or Hylian.”

Sky frowned. It made him wonder how Warriors can safely pull that off for. It was definitely an unfortunate situation to be in, that if he wanted to keep pretending that he wasn't a vampire, he had to sacrifice his sleep and potential well-being. He was easy to get worried, especially when Time was the only one who knew anything vampires.

“So this will keep happening,” Wind muttered. “Huh, I guess I really never noticed before. Is he going to be okay? ”

“He should be fine when he wakes up again. Just... let him get the sleep he needs. Feel free to rest up too. We could use it.”

Sky looked around the camp one more time, deciding if he really wanted breakfast or not. He hid a yawn behind his hand and all but collapsed back into his bedroll.

“Then don't mind if I do.”

- - - - -

It became a bit of a game to observe Warriors' sleep schedule and guess when the next 'crash' as they call it would be. Of course, not everybody played the game with the same energy. First, Time was not allowed to play because he knew too much. Sky and Twilight, just picked a day from the top of their head, clearly not all that invested but still willing to humour the others. Wind and Four, on the other hand, held intense debates, trying to factor in everything from the last time Warriors glared at the sun to the one day he woke up ten minutes late into their guesses. The prize was never anything more than just the honour of being right, as per Time's rules, but it was fun enough for them anyway.

Apparently, the only time it didn't work was when they had a roof over their heads. Warriors would always sleep in when were safe, even if he crashed just a couple days earlier. If there wasn't a schedule or a pressing issue, he slept.

Hyrule wasn't surprised when he woke up and Warriors was fast asleep. They were at the ranch and most of them slept in at the ranch. The only people who were up early, or rather up at the usual time, were Time, Twilight, and Wild. Farmers and ranchers apparently always start their days early and Wild just liked to have a lot of time to cook. He, Legend, and Four tended to wake up when the smell of breakfast wafted into the room, and Wind and Sky tended to wake up in time to enjoy room temperature breakfast.

Warriors though... well, that was anybody's guess. Sometimes he was awake for breakfast, sometimes he woke up just in time for dinner. Time quickly came up with an excuse for him, that he had some unidentified sleep disorder, so luckily neither Malon or her father questioned it.

He stretched his arms and slowly got up. He supposed the only thing that did actually surprise him was the fact that he slept in so late. The only person who was still asleep was the vampire who was naturally most alert after the sun went down. It must have been well after breakfast by the time he finally woke up. Huh, maybe he overdid it with the magic the day before. Oh well, Wild's food was still amazing even if it was room temperature.

After Hyrule scarfed down whatever the others left for him and helped out with a couple of small chores (he liked brushing down the cows), he decided to go back upstairs to check up on Warriors. It was nearing lunch time, so there weren't any expectations that he would be awake yet, but he just wanted to make sure he was comfortable.

The window was closed, the curtains pulled away from it and letting in plenty of sunlight. Hyrule moved to close them so that Warriors wouldn't be burnt while sleeping, but then his eyes fell onto Warriors, who was resting on his stomach with his face nuzzled into a pillow. He looked pretty comfortable and completely at peace despite all the sunlight in the room but something didn't seem right.

Maybe Hyrule was a bit paranoid. After all, he was in a pretty deep sleep, so it was normal that he wasn't moving a lot.

But it also looked like he wasn't breathing. As far as Hyrule knew, Warriors should be breathing. He could have sworn he saw Warriors breathe before, or laugh until he was a little blue in the face. Yeah, he should be breathing.

Maybe his chest movements were just subtle.

But still, he had to check. Hyrule reached out and touched his shoulder. He shook him gently, hoping to at least rouse him enough to make him move. Nothing. He shook him again, a little harder this time. Still nothing.

It was then that Wild walked into the room, arching an eyebrow at Hyrule.

“What are you doing?”

“A wellfare check.”

“He's probably just in one of his comas. I wouldn't worry about him.”

Hyrule levelled a glare at him. Wild shrugged.

“Okay, I know how to make him wake up,” Wild mumbled, pulling his slate off his hip and tapped it a couple of times, summoning a... clove of garlic. Hyrule raised an eyebrow but Wild looked completely serious, bringing the clove closer to Warriors.

Warriors' face twitched. Wild brought it closer, within an arm's reach.The captain's eyes shot open, revealing yellow eyes instead of blue. He grabbed the garlic clove and twisted his body so he was facing the window, and threw it. Before Hyrule could stop him, the sound of shattering glass and surprised shouts from outside reached his ears. With the garlic out of sight, Warriors located his pillow and resumed his sleeping position almost exactly. Hyrule looked from the garlic-sized hole in the window and the peacefully sleeping Warriors.

In three seconds, Warriors woke up, used his powers to launch a clove of garlic into another timeline, and was back to sleep like nothing happened.

“WHAT WAS THAT?” Time shouted as the door slammed open, making Hyrule and Wild jump out of their skins and stammering for some sort of excuse.

And somehow, Warriors continued to sleep.

- - - - -

Me, projecting my sleep issues onto Warriors and Sky? Noooo, of course not. Why would you think that?

The wellfare check is inspired by all the times my sister and I woke up one our pets and then felt bad because we really couldn't tell.

Finally, since I don't think I will make a chapter dedicated entirely to garlic, you get the explanation here! Warriors is repelled by garlic in that he's really just offended by the smell of it. He can eat it, though he hates the taste too, and be absolutely fine. It won't damage anything but his peace of mind.

#catreginae: thou shalt not fall #linked universe #linkeduniverse #my writing #lu warriors #lu hyrule #lu sky #linked universe fanfic

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