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justmeinadaze · 3 months

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My Little Man (Steddie X You) (Part of HFOD and SS Universe)

A/N: I guess you guys would call this season 3? Lol. My angst hella took over as well as some feelings I've been dealing with lately.

Enjoy please <3.

Part of this Universe

Warnings: Demon Steddie & Human Fem Reader, No SMUT in this one, FLUFF, they love each other and their son. Demon Steddie is navigating how to be human while taking care of a pregnant Y/N.

ANGST: More or less the normal level of angst that comes with this series. The theme is grief and PTSD (from a soldiers perspective). Y/N is still struggling with the notion of her parents not being there to see Ellis grow up and the guys (especially Steve) is struggling with being raised how they were and taught to fight. Eddie struggles with feelings of enabling because of everything they went through.

The dreams probably have the most feels. They talk to their loved ones and Ellis says goodbye. Steve has nightmares that involve his dad being a dick (of course) and something that happens within one angers Eddie (blood briefly mentioned).

Word Count: 6398

"Don't you know I love you more than life itself Don't you know that you're my pride And I would not have you walking through this world Without me by your side

Go to sleep my little man Don't you weep my little man"

3 Months Pregnant

Steve sits on the bench outside of the library he had just exited from, sighing heavily as he closed his eyes and threw his head back.

Ever since the three of you got home, he and Eddie had been doing research on which human job they would best be suited for in your realm but were struggling to find much of anything. For him, it was even more difficult since he was raised to be a solider. He genuinely didn’t know how to do anything else and it didn’t help that even though you explained a lot of human behavior, he still felt slightly ignorant with many things.

“May I sit?” The demon jumped at the sound of a gravelly voice beside him. “Oh, shit. Sorry, son. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, it’s alright. Um, please.”, he gestures towards the area beside him causing the man to flash him a thankful grin as he takes a seat.

“How long?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I asked how long. I know the look of a fellow veteran trying to figure out how to adapt to a civilian lifestyle. How long has it been since you saw combat?”

“Oh, uh, it’s…it’s been a few years. But I did it the bulk of my life.”

“I can imagine with you being so young. I bet one of your parents was a solider as well?”

“Wow. Yeah, that’s amazing. How did you…?”

“I told you, son. I know the look.”, the man chuckles as he extends his hand. “Truman Duvall; Ex Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army.”

“Steven Harrington. Um, Sergeant in the US Army. Well, Ex.”, Steve laughs nervously as he hopes his memory of things he’s learned about humans in the past is still up to date.

“Nice to meet you. If I may ask, what were you thinking so hard about specifically?”

“My girlfriend is pregnant and I’m trying to find a job so I can help support my family. I want my son to have a better life then I did but I have no idea where to start.”

“Congratulations on the little bundle! I have four myself, two of them grown and out of the house already. My wife pretends like she’s glad they’re out but she misses them.”, he laughs. “I don’t know if you would be willing but down the street here, we have a recreation center where veterans go to relax and let loose. They’ve been looking for a counselor to lead the group therapy. I think you’d be a good fit.”

“Yeah? Um, I guess I could…”

“Look, you don’t even have to make a decision right now. Why don’t meet me there tonight? We’re having a little party get together thing. Of course, you can bring the girlfriend and you both can meet the person in charge. See if you feel comfortable.”

“O-Ok. I, um…” Steve pauses as he debates on if he should tell the truth about Eddie. That was a fight they had when it came to going home. He had been afraid that they would have to hide their relationship and he never wanted to hide or be hidden when it came to the man he loved. But this is also where he wanted to raise his son and he didn’t want to cause a commotion before you four even had a chance to settle in. What would Eddie do?

“Can I bring my boyfriend as well? He’s a veteran to. We actually met during our tour.”

Truman’s mouth pouted out ever so slightly as his eyebrows lifted in surprise.

“Oh, um, sure! The more the merrier.”

***

“Steven, oh my God, that’s amazing!”, you exclaim as you wrap your arms around his neck. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Hang on, now. I don’t have a job yet but…”

“Don’t sell yourself short, bud.”, Eddie grins from his place on the kitchen counter.

“I hope it’s ok that I kind of…announced…our relationship. We actually didn’t talk about what we wanted to do but I know if we had stayed in our realm I’d want to be honest.”

The long-haired demon opened his arms and Steve promptly placed himself between his legs with his back against his chest while Eddie rested his chin on his shoulder.

“I’m glad you did. I love you and I’m not hiding that.”

“Me either.”, you smiled as they beamed right back.

Suddenly, the happiness drains from your face before you turn and bolt towards the bathroom. You three had been home for a couple of months and within the past week some of the normal symptoms of pregnancy began springing up such as the morning sickness you were currently experiencing.

“It’s alright, baby. Get it all out.”, Eddie tries to sooth as he holds your hair into a makeshift ponytail. As soon as you were finished, you fell back into his arms and thanked Steve when he handed you a bottle of water.

“This is normal, right? Humans get nauseas like this.”, he asked.

“Yeah, honey. It’s normal. I’m alright. I think I’m going to take a nap so I can be 100% for tonight.”

“Y/N, you don’t have to go.”

“No, Steve, I want to go. I want to see where you’ll be and the people you’ll be around.”

################

“Steve! You made it.”, Truman shouts excitedly as he reaches out to shake the boy’s hand. “You must be the girlfriend.”

“Hi. I’m Y/N.”

“Y/N. What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman and this is your…boyfriend? Right, son?”

“Yes, sir. This is Edward.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Steve said you’re a veteran as well. Were you a sergeant like himself?”

“Oh, uh, no. I was more of a private I guess you’d say. But we spent a lot of time together especially on the battlefield.”

“Wow and for you two to still be so close and find a relationship through all that chaos! That’s amazing. I always tell my wife if she met me during my tour she would have hated me. A lot of civilians don’t understand the headspace you have to fall into to do what we have to do.”

Both demon’s nod in understanding and you can’t help but softly smile as you watch them interact with the other people around them. Steve was definitely in his element and you could tell in some way he felt more comfortable in this setting because he was around beings who seemed to understand what they both went through. As his new friend spoke, his eyes remained intense and focused as he absorbed everything he said.

Eddie excused himself to grab some drinks but became distracted talking to another couple and began to laugh at something they were saying. The first time you met him he expressed a particular distain for humans but he seemed to open up more since they were freed, finding something interesting in each person he interacted with.

“Hey, this is my girlfriend Y/N.”, he introduces when you walk over to check on him. “Y/N, this is Lisa and Shawn Bennett. Lisa did a tour in the Air Force flying jets and Shawn was a DJ overseas.”

“Oh wow. For the military or just on your own?”

“For the military. I’m kind of like that Cronauer guy they made the movie about. I read the reports and played music I thought would lift the troops spirits.”, the man explains.

“Kind of like me.”, Eddie whispers in your ear making you smile. “What do you two do now if I may ask? Steve and I have been searching for employment but we have no idea what would fit us.”

“Well, I actually own a store of my own selling books and comics; things like that. I’m a bit of a nerd.”, Lisa laughs.

“And I teach media and music courses at the local community college up here.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun actually. Are they looking for another music teacher because Eddie is an amazing musician.”

“Yeah? Unfortunately, they aren’t but you should consider maybe starting your own business as well. You can teach kids to play guitar or any other instruments you know and you can do it from your house or maybe the music store downtown is hiring.”

“Are you looking for a job to, Y/N? I’m trying to hire someone to help me with my shop.”, Lisa offers with a smile.

“Oh, I’d love that. I’m, uh, I’m actually pregnant though and I wouldn’t want to leave you stranded after you just hired me.”

“That’s fantastic! Don’t even worry about it. You don’t seem very far along yet. I can teach you the ropes before you give birth and that way when you come back, you’ll already know what to do!”

As you glance at Eddie, his eyes widen with encouragement as he nods his head.

“Ok, I’d love to work for you.”

Lisa claps and gives you a big hug as your demon beams behind you.

***

“Hello fellow veterans, spouses, and partners! Glad you could all join us tonight. I hope you are having some much needed fun! I do have just a quick announcement to make. I would like to introduce you to Steven Harrington who is new to Hawkins and after speaking with him I feel like he will be a great addition to our center here as the group counselor.” The man at the podium smiles as he gestures towards the demon and everyone around the room claps. “Steve, why don’t you introduce yourself?”

When he hesitates, you gently push him forward, urging him softly before he relents and nervously climbs up the makeshift stage.

“Um, hi. Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve been seen by so many people.” The people chuckle as you and Eddie grin knowingly. “Like Thomas said, I’m, uh, new to Hawkins but my girlfriend is from here and my partner and I thought it would be better for her to be back home where she felt safe with her family so we can start raising our own. I-I-I…shit I used to better at this.”, he chuckles before glancing your way, your gentle smile comforting him.

“I was raised in a military household. My dad was a solider so that’s what I was expected to be. As soon as I was able, he handed me a weapon and commanded I train to be the best. There was no wiggle room there. It was all or nothing. When I saw war…I shut down and did what I had to. I took no pleasure in killing, contrary to popular belief.”

“The worst part about shutting down that way was how it flowed into my every day. I was as an asshole to everyone including women I dated and people I trained… except for some of the people closest to me…Robin, Chrissy, and Eddie. When Edward and I got out…I felt so out of control…so lost. I lost my identity and everything I knew. If I didn’t have him by my side… Then we met Y/N and without her we literally wouldn’t be here today.”

Steve paused, looking out into the crowd, and realizing he may be talking too much.

“Sorry. I’m sorry. Thank you so much for this opportunity and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

The people in the room clap as he steps off the stage and you immediately wrap your arms around his waist as Eddie lightly caresses his cheek.

***

4 Months Pregnant

You beam at Eddie as he softly strums his instrument. That day after Shawn suggested it, he went down to the music store in town and applied for the job as a guitar instructor. After playing and showing off for them he got the job. He loved hearing the kids try and play reminding him of the children he watched over with Steve during their war.

Today was everyone’s day off so they were being lazy in bed with you in your pajamas and both demons in nothing but their sweats.

“Ok, this thing here says for humans you should be feeling him move around now.”, Steve announced as he gestured towards the book he was reading.

“I haven’t felt him move yet unless the occasional nausea is him saying hello.”, you giggle. Leaning over him, you grab his hand and place it on the middle of your stomach. “Talk to him.”

“Uh, I…hey, Ellis. It’s, um, your daddy. I’m not scaring him with my voice, right?”

“No, baby.”, you grin as you pet his head. “This is how he’ll get used to it though. Hearing and seeing you both in your demon form.”

“Buddy, you have no reason to be afraid of us in any form. I’m sorry your dads aren’t as beautiful as you and your mom but—”

“Hey, speak for yourself.”, Eddie teases making you laugh. “I’m a sexy motherfucker.”

“Oh.”

“What?”, Steve’s eyes shift up excitedly.

“You didn’t feel that?”

When he shakes his head, you place his hand closer to the side you felt movement, gesturing for the other demon to do the same.

“Say something else.”

“Hey Ellis. This is your other daddy and I assure you we are very handsome.”

“Holy shit.”, Steve exhales as he grins up towards his partner. “That’s amazing.”

“I’m glad you agree, kid.”, Eddie smiles.

***

6 Months Pregnant

Eddie growls at the crib he was trying to assemble as his glowing red eyes glare at the instructions again. Over these past couple of months, you three had made your dad’s old room your bedroom and begun shifting the room you used to sleep in into Ellis’s.

Going off his personality from your dreams, you painted the room blue with images of guitars along the base boards and up along the ridges of the ceiling. Near where his crib would be, you put up pictures of everyone in his family that loved him including Robin, Wayne, Dustin, and everyone who had passed that he had been conversing with these past six months.

The boys were able to get everything a baby would need from your realm but also from theirs including those books that Eddie had wrote and some toys demons normally played with at a young age.

“Whoever invented these contraptions should be tortured for eternity.”, Eddie grunted as he tried again putting a few of the pieces together.

“You guys don’t have cribs in your realm?”

“Yeah but they were like boxes essentially. Or at least mine was. I’m sure Steven had gold porcelain or some shit.”

“No.”, Steve chuckled as he took the wrong part from his partner’s hand and handed him the correct one. “I had a regular little wooden thing with soft blankets.”

“I wish I could see what you two were like as kids.”

Since they left Maeve, they weren’t able to snap memories into your head like they were before. It hurt them more than you because you always seemed curious about them and they wished they could show you everything from their point of view, not Henry’s or Mirage’s.

“How much did Mirage show you?”

“She showed me big events more than anything. Steve always looking for his parents especially your mom. She did play sword fight with you once and you looked so happy until your dad yelled at her for ‘ruining your training’.” You rolled your eyes as Steve pet your head and sighed. “Eddie, I did see what your uncle told me about with your mom singing to you.” The demon’s glow receded in his eyes as he glanced your way with a small smile.

“Until my father told her to shut up?”

Tilting forward, you crawled over his work to kiss his lips making his smile widen as he caressed your face.

“What about your parents, honey?”

“Both my parents were amazing. My dad always loved to make us laugh. He liked being a girl dad and my mom exploited that.”, you giggle. “She would make him wear tutus while I would do his makeup and they both would dance.”

A tear left your eyes and both demons promptly gave you their attention.

“I’m sorry you guys don’t have your parents here. You both deserve better.”

“Baby, it’s ok—”

“Eddie it’s not okay.”

“Will you let me finish?”, he jokes. “It’s ok because I had my mom and I had Wayne. Then as I got older I got my other family. Steven, Robin, Chrissy, and even Dustin. Now, sweetheart, I have you two and Ellis. I couldn’t be happier.”

“I agree. I’m thankful for the memories I do have with my mom but the kids I trained and beings I fought with…that was my family. I’m so excited to see what’s in store for us, you know. See what Ellis is going to do with his life.”

You smiled as you kissed their lips before you wince and lean away.

“Ow. Little butthead is kicking my side.”

“Hey, kid.”, Eddie teases as he tilts towards your tummy. “Why don’t you stop hurting your mother and come help me make your torture technic of a crib.”

###############

8 months Pregnant

You, Steve, and Eddie walked into the house you three had been in so many times these last few months except now it was completely empty. All the furniture and everything was completely absent as you entered the living room full of people.

“Ellis?”

Everyone in the room moved out of the way to where Eddie’s mom was hugging her grandson to her chest as he sobbed.

“I don wanna go!”

“You have to, baby. Your mommy and daddies need you now. They’ve been waiting so long to see you.”

“Mom?”, Eddie asked as he stepped towards her. “What’s going on?”

She softly smiled as she handed him to your father who spun him around as he chuckled but your son just buried his face further in his neck.

“Come on, little guy. Your parents have made you an awesome bedroom and knowing my daughter she’s going to show you so many amazing things.”

The little boy shook his head as your dad kissed his temple before handing him to your mom.

“Steven, remember, you once told me that everything would be ok and you were right. I’ve watched you both take care of my baby and I assure you, you both are going to be more than ok. You are going to be amazing parents.”

He beamed at him as he wrapped his arms around the demon and pulled him in for a hug.

Your mother grinned as she reached out to touch your face as you started to cry.

“I’m scared to do this without you.”, you whisper.

Your parent’s smiles widen as she kisses her grandson and places him in your arms.

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re always right here.”, she soothes as she points to Ellis’s forehead. “Right behind that door, honey.”

“I love you.”, you son coos as each grandparent reciprocates his affection.

As both your demons come to your side, you look down to no longer see a toddler but a newborn baby wiggling in your arms. Steve gently pets his head as Eddie reaches for his tiny hand that immediately clings to his finger.

All of your eyes shoot open but yours is followed by a grunt as you place your hands on your stomach.

“Fuck! I think…”

They don’t waste any time as they collect you and your things before rushing towards the hospital.

***

“How long are they going to keep him back there?”, Eddie growled as he held your hand.

“Calm down. Y/N said this was normal. They need to clean him, check his vitals, and all that.”

“Yeah, but Steven, what if something comes up in those vitals that frightens a human.”

The other demon’s eyes flash red in warning in his direction as a low rumble leaves his chest.

“Maybe we should have had him in your realm.”, you respond groggily as your heavy eyes shift their way.

“Baby, don’t let Edward scare you, ok? He’s fine. He’s got more human in him right now than anything. Dustin said he would grow into his demon parts.”

“He also said we’re the first couple ever to do this so…”

“Edward Munson, I swear—“, Steve’s anger was cut short when the door to your hospital room opened and a nurse casually sauntered in.

“Hey Munson-Harrington family.”, she smiles. “We have little Ellis here fast asleep and everything looks good. Mommy, how are you feeling?”

“Like I gave birth.” The nurse laughs at your joke as your demons roll their eyes. “I’m alright. A bit exhausted.”

“Yeah, that’s normal, sweetheart. Good news is your baby is in perfect health. Would you like to meet him?” Your eyes fully open as you sit up, smiling softly when she places him in your arms. “I’ll come check on you three in a bit.”

Tears start to fall as you fully take him in. Right now, he seemed like a completely normal child with soft skin and just a sliver of brown hair poking out of his blue beanie.

“Hey, honey. You’re so handsome. I’m your mommy.”, you coo in a whisper as you kiss his forehead. “Oh my god, he smells so good.”, you laugh as you look their way.

Eddie was the first to step forward, sitting beside you on the bed as he caressed his son’s chubby little cheek with his finger.

“Holy shit. He’s so soft.”, he breathes. “You’re perfect, kid.”

Steve finally takes a seat as well and reaches out to feel his tiny hand.

“He’s warm to. Is that normal?” When you nod, he almost breathes a sigh of relief. “Ellis, we’re your daddies. You ARE perfect, oh my god.”

The baby squirms a bit in your hold giving them pause before pulling away.

“I think that was his way of saying thank you.”, you smile.

###########

3 Weeks Old

“Fascinating.”, Dustin muses as he rocks Ellis in his arms while swaying around the living room. “He really does look just like a little human with the soft skin and everything. Nothing has stood out?”

“Can you stop analyzing our baby and just enjoy him?”, Eddie snaps as he sighs.

“No, nothing.”, you giggle, answering his question. “And so far he seems to eat but not as much as normal babies.”

“How so?”

“Babies are supposed to eat every two hours; we’ve been feeding him every six. I was worried at first but we just took him the doctor and she said he was healthy. When I tried to give him a bottle every two he would cry and push at my hands.”

“Interesting. That has to be hard, Y/N. Him not being able to verbally tell you things like that. I hated when my kids cried in general but you…you still have that whole trial and error thing going.”

Glancing towards your demons, Eddie had fallen asleep with his head nestled in Steve’s lap on the couch who was already napping when Dustin arrived.

“It is. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us though and I know they do to. I’ve been keeping a record like you suggested should this ever happen for anyone else.”

“Good.” When he notices your gaze shift again, he takes a seat on the floor beside you and lays Ellis on the blanket between you both. “Everything ok with you three?”

“Yeah, I’m just a little worried. They were both already so protective over me and now that he’s here… Steve’s been having nightmares. He pretends he doesn’t but I hear him groaning in his sleep and feel him wake up. I asked him the other night if he still has access to my dreams and he said he can’t find the door anymore.”

A tear fell down your check as Dustin reached out to comfort you.

“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Eddie’s attitude has been a lot shorter lately. He’s exhausted and worried about the three of us. He triple checks everything to the point that I find him asleep on the floor by Ellis’s crib because he’s too tired to make it back to our bed and would just rather be closer to his son just in case.”

“What about you? Besides the worry I mean.”

“I know I’m probably being paranoid but sometimes I feel like we’re being watched. It may just be because of our dynamic. I know not everyone is excepting like the new friends we’ve made but no one has said anything… I don’t know. Just…mom brain maybe.”

“Hm, maybe. Keep an eye on that. From what you’ve told me, you’re always pretty intuitive. Wouldn’t want to miss something you know?”

#########

5 Weeks Old

“Oh my god, Y/N, look at him.”, Lisa coos at Ellis as she holds him in her arms.

“Are you alright, Steve? You look like you haven’t slept.”, Shawn chuckles.

“Yeah, I’m doing alright. Just…little guy keeping me up.”, he forces a smile.

Your friends were having a get together for veterans and their families and since Steve worked at the center you suggested you three should go and be seen. Truthfully, you thought it would be good for them both to get out of the house as well as having him specifically spend some time with his new veteran friends to talk about anything that may be weighing on his mind causing his nightmares.

As the night wore on you noticed their soft grins return to their faces as he and Eddie mingled with the people around them. They radiated warmth as they talked about their son and everything he had done with his short little life so far.

“Have you guys started baby proofing yet? I swear when my daughter started crawling it was like she knew which areas were the bad ones!”

“Oh no, not yet. He did smile at Y/N the other day. Ellis has a beautiful little grin.”, Steve boasts.

“At that age usually it’s just reflexive. They see you guys smiling so…”

“Isn’t that all babies though? Like that’s how they learn?”, Eddie genuinely asks as the dads around him laugh.

“Yeah but who knows some babies are different! You may just have an extremely happy baby who couldn’t wait to show you guys how much he loves being here.”

Time passed and a few of the guests left, leaving the main few that you had really gotten to know. You all sat in the living room while Eddie patted his son’s back as Ellis slept soundly. Steve tenderly petted the baby’s head as you beamed at them from your place in the chair across from them.

“So how has everything else been going?”, Thomas asks as he chugs back some of the beer in his bottle.

“Everything has been good, man. Just focusing on them, ya know?”

“Yeah, I understand. When my son was born, that first night I checked on him every hour on the hour. Then for some reason I kept checking on my wife. I knew our son needed us both and I kept thinking ‘What if something happened to either of us?’”

“I can understand that. I, uh, before Y/N and Steve, I lost a lot of people I loved and there was nothing I could do. Now that Ellis is here…it would kill me if anything ever happened to him.”

“Do you have nightmares about it? About losing them?”

“I don’t but Stevie here does.”, Eddie answers causing Steve to toss a glare his way.

“I do but it’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”

“I had them to. Sometimes I would dream they were on the battlefield I fought in. I would run to them but I could never quite reach them.”, Thomas sighs at the memory. “What do you dream about?”

“It’s fine really.”

You’re not sure if anyone else heard but you and Eddie did as the demon’s voice fluctuated to his real one for a split second.

“Steven…”

“It’s ok, Y/N. Like I said, I get it. If you talk about it, it gives it validity right? You’d hate to manifest something like that into existence. Someone killing Y/N and your son.”

Steve’s eyes closed as his head ticked to the side.

“Ok, Tom, I appreciate what you’re trying to do but I’m putting my foot down. You’re going to push him too far and he’s already got enough on his mind.”, Eddie defended rising to his feet and handing you the baby.

“Ah, you’re the enabler I imagine. You allow him to shelter his feelings so he doesn’t have to deal with them.”

“You’re damn right I do. You humans have no idea what we’ve been through!”

“Interesting word choice. Is that how you separate people from your experiences?”

“Come on, guys, let’s head home.” As the long-haired demon grabbed his boyfriend’s arm, he remained frozen in place. Kneeling in front of him, he cupped his face in his hands. “Steven, it’s ok alright. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to. Let’s go home and get some sleep, huh?”

When the demon finally opened his eyes, Eddie’s widen in fear; he knew this look all too well. As subtly as he could, he got to his feet and towards the front door with you trailing after him.

“Steven—”

Once the wind of the outside hit your faces, he expanded his wings, cutting you off as he vanished into the air.

***

“Edward, baby, are you ok?”

Eddie nodded from his place on the floor next Ellis who was sleeping soundly beside him. After laying down as well, he softly smiles your way as he continues caressing the baby’s open hand.

“DO I enable him, Y/N?”

“Eddie…”

“I just…we went through so much… Every day I had to watch the man I love breakdown. Even when we were out, summoners never treated us with any kind of respect. They knew we wouldn’t be there for long. In our realm, he was hero and with one choice, he was banished and imprisoned…because of me.”

“No, Eddie. Everything you two went through was because of Henry. He killed Chrissy and framed you. Jason didn’t give Steve much of a choice. He was going to disobey orders and hurt you.”

“I always tried to make it up to him… I tried not to show my feelings, pretending I didn’t care we were trapped. Pretending I wasn’t scared and just as angry as he was. I’ve done that my whole life, Y/N. When my mom got sick, I did everything I could to make her laugh so she wouldn’t see how devastated I was. Every time my father came home upset, I acted like I was tough but I was fucking terrified, baby. I was so scared.”

A tear fell from his eye and your immediately wiped it away with your thumb.

“When he fled, I was afraid for my uncle. I didn’t even think twice when I signed up but I was positive I wouldn’t last a month out there on the battlefield. Steven and Robin helped me become a better fighter. With Chris I pretended to be more together than I was. She had enough on her plate at the time and I wanted her to feel safe.”

“It seems like that’s why you pretend, Eddie, so the people you love feel safe.”

Sitting up, he started to cry harder and you immediately crawled to him, curling up in his lap as you held him in your arms.

The sound you recognized as a portal opening grabbed both your attention as you called Steve’s name.

“Hey, no, sorry. It’s just me. I have him here though.”, Robin answered as she came around the corner with the demon leaning half-conscious around her shoulders. “My girlfriend sent me a message saying he was there at the bar. He had been babbling about how human drinks aren’t strong enough and something about you two and Ellis.”

After leading her to the bedroom, she gently placed Steve onto the mattress. When Eddie entered the room, she smiled when she saw your son’s wide eyes looking back at her.

“He woke up.”, the demon announced as Ellis yawned to emphasis his point.

“You need to let your parents get some rest, booger.”, Robin coos as she pokes his nose making him smile.

“Some of our friends said for human babies around this time smiles like that are a reflex.”

“Yeah but he’s not entirely human and that beautiful, drool filled grin didn’t seem reflexive.”, she responded. “It seems like he can handle the demon skin since he’s letting us touch him.”

“Yeah, I think that’s the potion.”, you nod as you reach out to tickle the baby’s chin. “Thank you for bringing Steve back, Robin.”

Softly smiling, she leans down to kiss your forehead.

“Seriously, you and Ellis are so soft—”

“Ay yi, ma’am. This human is ours.”, Eddie playfully scolds as he swats his hand in her direction.

***

Loud banging and clinking echoes behind the door you’re looking at as smoke occasionally slips through the seams. Taking a long exhale, you reach for the handle but someone tapping your shoulder startles you as you turn and smack the person’s face.

“Ow! Jesus woman. How many times are you going to pop me?!”, Eddie whines as he rubs his cheek.

“Edward, how did you—”

“I don’t know. I’ve been looking for the door for months. Maybe you finally calmed me down enough to know what I’m looking for.” Nodding, you kiss his lips. “So what’s the plan?”

“I think…this is Steve’s door. I don’t know. I’ve been trying to access his dreams but I haven’t been able to.”

Holding your hand, he carefully turns the knob and you both step through. Glancing down at his attire, Eddie realizes he’s suddenly in his old battle armor and you both are on the battlefield they fought on all those centuries ago.

“Why am I not in armor?”

“I mean, you weren’t there, baby.”

“What the fuck are you two doing here?!”, Steve’s father shrieks above you as he lands on his feet. “Leave. NOW. My son needs to learn his lesson.”

“YOU’VE been giving him his nightmares?”, you growl.

“Not exactly. He started having them on his own but I’ve been fueling them.”

Shifting your gaze behind him, you both watch as Steve slaughters enemy after enemy, panting as he slowly tires himself out.

“Steven! Do better! You think these fuckers are going to show mercy on your son?! You have to do what I taught you to get the truth!”

Eddie gripped Bill’s throat and angrily threw him to the ground.

“You made your hell his hell, you fucking asshole. He told me all about you and everything you did to him. You ruined his life enough! Leave him be.”

“Please. He’s doing this to himself. He’s worried about you two peasants and that thing. I’m making him better. Stronger.”

Grabbing a sword from the ground, you lift the handle and point the other end towards his throat.

“You heard him. Leave Steven alone or else I swear to God, Bill, I will find a way myself to keep you in hell.”

Growling under his breath, he tried to stand but you and Eddie forced him back down with your weapons. Huffing he suddenly disappeared as well as every other solider that had fallen around the other demon.

“Ed-Edward?”, Steve panted heavily when you noticed you both there. “Y/N? What are you…? It doesn’t matter. We need to get to Ellis or else Henry’s going to kill him. We have to—”

“Baby, look at me.”, Eddie tried to soothe as he cupped his cheeks in his hands. “You’re dreaming ok? Henry is gone and Ellis is in his crib fast asleep.”

“N-No. No? I can hear him. I can hear him crying! Can’t you hear that?!”

“Steven—”

“NO!”, the demon growls loudly as he shoves the man he loves hard backwards. “Who are you?! You’re not Edward. Y-You’re…You’re trying to trick me. Are you Mirage? Did Henry and his dad hire you to stop me?!”

“Steven…”, Eddie cried with worry as he threw the sword he was holding to the ground and held up his hands. “Sweetheart, please, it’s me. I promise. I would never hurt you like that. I would never keep you from our son.”

As he tried to step forward, the other demon shoved him to the ground.

“I-I-I need to get to my son.”, Steve sobbed as his voice cracked. “I know you’re not Eddie. Tell me where he is.”

When he didn’t answer, he pulled back and pushed his weapon downward.

The sound of your grunt filled their ears as your eyes met Steve’s wide glassy ones. When you both looked down, blood drenched his sword where it had pushed through your stomach and around your back.

“Baby?”

Looking up at him again, you smiled through the pain as blood dripped from your lips.

“Why…why does it hurt?”

The three of you opened your eyes at the same time as you sat up clutching your stomach. Lifting up your shirt, there was no wound but it felt so real. You could still feel the stinging pain lingering on your skin.

Eddie’s head slowly turned meeting Steve’s still shocked expression as is mouth hung open in shock.

“I—”

The long-haired demon’s growl cut him off as his eyes glowed bright red.

“Take us to another realm that we can fucking damage NOW.” You didn’t say anything as Steve rose to his feet with his head hung preparing a portal for them to go through. “Stay here.”

Coming around the bed, he waited for the other demon to finish as you peeked into the world they’d be going to. It was completely baron with nothing but white as far as the eye can see.

“Fitting.”, Eddie responded in anger as he and the other demon walked inside.

As the portal began to close, you quickly got up and jumped through right as it disappeared.

You knew Eddie may be mad but after what happened this wasn’t something you were going to let them handle alone.

##############

@tlclick73 @tiannamortis @steeldaisies @goodhappyfriday @paleidiot @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes

@strangerthings64 @howlingco @eddiesguitarskills

@prettypeachsworld @nailbatanddungeon @notlempet

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lambertdiary · 8 months

Note

potential(? NSFW

ok so not sure if this needed a warning but what about Y/N casually meeting Dalton's dad (josh) and she thinks he's hot 😭

sorry if this is weird you don't have to write it

This is actually kind of funny 😭 (also for this let’s pretend Chris and Dalton are still roommates and Y/N became friends with them after the whole thing happened)

So maybe Josh was visiting Dalton one day, they hadn’t seen each other as much so he thought it would be a good idea to drive to campus and have a nice father-and-son day in town.

They did a bunch of things and Josh was happy everything went back to normal between them, after the whole incident and not being that close. But things seemed to be working out just fine now.

Later that day Josh dropped him off, and he decided to walk him to his dorm to have a little more time to talk with him, knowing that as soon as he left Dalton would barely phone him or reply to his texts.

“Thanks for coming all the way here” Dalton said as he opened the door.

“Yeah, no problem. We had a fantastic time” Josh entered the dorm following Dalton.

Y/N and Chris immediately looked up. They were both lying on Chris’ bed watching dumb videos online, but as soon as Y/N saw them she sat up and quickly tried to fix her hair.

“Oh, uh- Dad, this is Y/N” Dalton walked towards his desk to put his belongings down “And you already know Chris”

“Hi, nice to meet you” Y/N said right away, offering her hand for a handshake.

“Hi, I’m Josh” He shook her hand and gave her a friendly smile, repeating the gesture once he turned to face Chris “Hi Chris”

“Good to see you again, father of Dalton”

“Please, call me Josh”

Dalton was paying attention to the look on his friends’ face, his eyes widening as soon as he realised “So I guess it’s getting latte” He hoped into the conversation “I wouldn’t want mum to get worried”

“Yeah” Josh replied looking at his watch “I’ll get going” He approached Dalton to give him one last hug, and he immediately hugged him back.

“Call me when you get home, yeah?”

“I will. Bye, see ya next time” Josh waved everyone goodbye and left the dorm. The three friends stared at the door for a moment, until all of the sudden Y/N decided to break the silence.

“Oh wow”

“See? I told you!” Chris exclaimed, a little too excited for Dalton’s liking. “Are you serious?”

“What?” Y/N asked, she definitely didn't think they were being that obvious.

“Guys, I’m right here”

“Don’t worry Dalton, it's not like we'll ever talk to your dad” Chris stood up and rested her hands on his shoulders “Unless, you know…”

“Stop” Dalton said, shaking his head and removing Chris’s hands.

“If anything you should take it as a compliment” Y/N followed Chris and stood next to her “I see where you got your good genetics”

Dalton blushed immediately, but they could never know that, so instead of acting shy he rolled his eyes at Y/N and fell on his bed, dramatically letting out a loud breath as he covered his face with a pillow “Please don’t talk about my dad”

"We don't" Y/N defended themselves.

"I'm pretty sure I heard Chris say 'I told you' or something like that"

"Fine, we'll stop" Y/N took the pillow and raised her pinky in front of him "We promise"

"Whatever" He said, rolling on his bed to face the wall.

Y/N and Chris looked at each other, mouthing ‘He was hot’ at the same time causing them to laugh. Dalton just rolled his eyes again and made a mental note to never bring his dad back to his dorm.

#i loved writing this one #concept friday #dalton lambert concept #dalton lambert #dalton lambert x reader #dalton lambert fic #dalton lambert imagines #dalton lambert x you #dalton lambert imagine #dalton lambert fanfic #insidious the red door #dalton lambert fluff #ty simpkins #insidious 5 #insidious #josh lambert #patrick wilson

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fortheloveofwonderland · 9 months

Text

Midnight | Chapter 10 | S.R

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Summary - Luke becomes suspicious and starts his own investigation in your whereabouts.

A/N - this chapter is entirely about Luke and the BAU. We resume our regularly scheduled programming soon. Also Luke’s birthday isn’t mentioned in canon so I used Adam Rodriguez’s birthday for the sake of this chapter.

Pairing - unsub! Spencer Reid / Fem! Reader

Category - dark angst | smut | very eventual happy ending

Warnings - overprotective Luke, swearing.

WC - 4.4k

Chapter 10 - Why Worry?

Luke Alvez was not a naturally suspicious person. Despite his years in a job in which he was trained to be apprehensive, to keep his guards up and not take things at face value, he was on the whole an exceptionally trusting guy.

It wasn’t like him to jump to conclusions, but the current situation was an exception to his rule. Maybe it was because it pertained to you, one of the few people in this world that Luke would go to the ends of the earth to protect. He had real sister’s he’d never felt he needed to look after the way he did you, possibly because they were older and always made it clear they could handle themselves.

But you could most certainly take care of yourself. You were one of the toughest people Luke had ever met in his life. You were fearless, he’d always admired that about you. But it had also never stopped him from wanting to shield you from harm since the day he met you.

It sometimes felt his job was just as much an FBI agent as it was your very own personal protector. If he allowed himself to dig deeper into that he would probably realise it was because he had feelings for you that went way beyond simple found family. But he would never admit that even to himself.

After receiving the vague phone call from you three days ago, and then the strange text, he’d thought of nothing but while the team had been away on a case. Everything was adding up in his mind, all the odd little details of your leaving the BAU and the new cell phone and he didn’t like the answers he was getting. It was like constantly trying to calculate two plus two but somehow making five. Nothing made sense to him.

He wasn’t proud of his decision to call your father but he needed answers. He’d met your parents several times over the years and he knew your dad was quite fond of him, so he hoped he wasn’t completely overstepping any boundaries.

You dad answered on the third ring as Luke was pacing his apartment a few hours after wrapping up the BAU’s latest case. Roxy watched him from the couch, clearly perturbed by her owner’s inability to stand still. He answered in a chipper voice that Luke had grown used to from your father.

“Oh hey, Mr Y/L/N, it's Luke. Alvez.” Luke scratched the back of his head, feeling a little foolish for this.

“Luke, hi. How are you?” Your father sounded surprised but not disturbed to hear from him.

“Yeah, I’m not too bad, thanks.” Luke continued his pacing. “Say, I was trying to get hold of Y/N but her cell phone keeps going to voicemail. Could I speak to her, please?”

The outcome he desired was that your father would hand the phone over to you and you would rip him a new one for his paranoia. But he was almost positive it was not what would happen.

“Uh,” your dad’s confusion was evident. “Y/N isn’t here, Luke. She hasn’t been home in months.”

And just like that, Luke’s heart fell into the pit that had formed in his stomach. He wasn’t exactly surprised, but it didn’t make the news any easier to swallow.

“What’s going on? Is everything ok, Luke?” Your dad sounded suddenly concerned and Luke scalded himself for worrying the older man like this.

“Yeah, uh…I’m sorry to have bothered you. I must have gotten my wires crossed somewhere.” Luke pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Is my daughter ok?”

“Yes, yes she’s fine. I just…I must have misheard her. I thought she said she was taking a few days off to come out to visit you but now that I think about it I think she was visiting some college friend.” Luke tried desperately to cover his tracks.

“Do you want me to call her for you?” The older man still sounded concerned.

“No, honestly it’s fine. Please don’t worry about it.” What the fuck am I doing?

“You’re sure? Do I need to be concerned, Luke?”

“No! No, of course not. Clearly I’m just a really bad listener.” He forced himself to laugh. “I’ll get hold of her. Please don’t worry about it.”

It took a few more minutes but he managed to talk your father down from the ledge in which Luke had led him to in the first place. He mentally berated himself once he was off of the phone for bothering your father like that. But it did confirm that you were not in fact in Philly like you’d said.

And before Luke could think much of it, he was leaving his apartment again after giving Roxy a little pat on the head and promising the dog he would be home soon. His investigation wasn’t over yet.

***

After getting off the phone to your dad, Luke tried to contact you on the cell number you’d called him from but found it was switched off. Then he decided to drive over to your apartment.

He let himself in with the spare key you’d given him several years ago. He was tentative as he opened the door, not sure what he expected to find.

It wasn’t entirely surprising that upon first glance, the place looked completely normal. You weren’t the tidiest person in the world so the half empty coffee mug on the kitchen counter, or the jacket over the arm of the chair weren’t out of place. Neither was the pile of washing up in the sink or the towel he found thrown on your unmade bed.

On further inspection he found some empty hangers in the closet and a couple of items of clothing he knew you loved were missing. Your favourite pair of jeans which you always told him made your ass look incredible, something he never admitted he agreed wholeheartedly with, your college hoodie which you almost always wore when you were home and a few t-shirts you wore frequently were gone. Your toothbrush was missing from the bathroom, as well as your hairbrush. A few other items seemed to have been taken too so you’d definitely gone somewhere.

He found your cell phone on the nightstand, its battery flat. He located your charger and plugged the device in, sitting on your bed while he waited for it to charge enough that he could switch it on. A few minutes passed before the little white Apple logo appeared on the screen and then he was being promoted to enter the passcode.

Your passcode had originally been your birth month and day because you were useless at remembering any other dates. He remembered telling you how easy it would be for someone to hack if you lost your phone and you’d rolled your eyes and huffed as you set a new one at his insistence.

You’d changed it to the only other date you could think of at the time: Luke’s birthday. It wasn’t exactly the most secure four numbers, but he’d been mildly flattered that you remember his birthday in the first place and so he didn’t argue it. He quickly tapped in the code, 0402, and the screen sprung to life.

He admittedly didn’t feel good about this but he was desperate. Again he didn’t know what he expected to find but he had to check. He went through your recent text messages and calls and found nothing out of the ordinary, most of which in fact were to and from him. He supposed you could have deleted something if you didn’t want it to be found, but he didn’t think you’d have a need to do that.

Nothing was out of the blue, nothing that would suggest where you might have gone and why you’d gone there in such a hurry.

He unplugged the device and left it where he found it in case you came home, before he was heading out as quickly as he arrived. His last stop before he went home was to check the parking garage around the back of the building because if you’d gone somewhere, wouldn’t you have taken your car?

He didn’t know what to think when he found your vehicle sat in its usual spot in the garage. Of course you could have flown somewhere, but it still felt strange that your car should be here. He didn’t have a good feeling about this.

***

The following morning when he got to Quantico, the first stop he made was in Penelope Garcia’s bat cave. She was sipping from her unicorn mug when he entered and she glanced at him with a roll of her eyes.

“May I help you?” She grumbled like helping him was the last thing in the world she wanted to do.

“If I gave you a phone number,” he spoke quietly, like he was imparting a secret. “A pay phone number to be specific, can you find where it is?”

Garcia pulled a face and set her mug on the desk, shaking her head in frustration at Luke.

“Newbie, when will you learn that I can find just about anything regarding anything. My superpowers are so much more advanced than your macho fugitive hunting brain can handle.” She scoffed, turning to the computer screen and hovering her fingers over the keys. “Give me the number.”

He opened his phone and found the number you’d called him from a few days ago and ignoring Garcia’s slight against him, read it out to her. Her fingers flew across the keyboard and soon enough a map popped up on the screen along with a loading bar which quickly finished its search and zoomed to a point on the map.

“Looks like that particular payphone is located on the corner of Troy Road and Oak Hill Manor in Edwardsville, Illinois.” She looked up at him to see him frowning at the screen. “Why am I looking at this? This isn’t part of any case.”

“One more favour,” he pulled up another number on his phone. “Could you look this up?”

Penelope rolled her eyes again and with a sigh that told Luke she wasn’t happy about this, she tapped the number into the computer.

“It’s unregistered. Probably a burner.” She shrugged. “What’s going on, Alvez?”

“Thanks, Garcia.” He ignored her question and turned on his heels towards the door.

“Newbie, don’t you dare walk away from me!” She called after him.

“Gotta go, thanks, really.” He flung open the door and before Garcia could scald him further he was gone.

***

Luke felt stupid when he’d explained to Emily in great detail about how he’d completely invaded your privacy. Saying it out loud made him feel like a jealous and overprotective boyfriend and punctuated most of his sentences with “I know I shouldn’t have” and “I didn’t mean to”.

By the time he was finished he was slightly out of breath and Emily was staring at him with her mouth slightly ajar in a combination of confusion and mild amusement.

“So yeah,” he exhaled. “She was in this little Podunk town in Illinois and I have no idea why but I just feel like something isn’t right, you know?”

Emily closed her mouth and rolled her lip between her teeth while she mulled over Luke’s words.

“So, what are you asking me here, Alvez?” Her brows furrowed. “Do you want to go out there?”

“Would it be a huge inconvenience if I said yes?”

“It certainly wouldn’t be ideal.” She rubbed one eye. “But I agree this all sounds a little suspicious and I don’t think you’re going to be fully here with the team until you check it out.”

“You mean…” His face started to light up.

“I can give you a day. Twenty four hours. But that’s all I can offer you Luke. I need you back here. And you’ll have to make your own way there, I can’t let you take the jet.” She laid out her orders but Luke was already grinning, bouncing up and down a little on his feet.

“Thank you Emily, thank you so much!”

“I mean it, Alvez. Twenty four hours.” She told him sternly.

“That’s all I need.” He nodded.

“Don’t make me regret this.”

“I promise.” He continued to nod as he backed towards the door, wanting to get out before she changed her mind.

He would book the next available flight down to Illinois and with any luck he would be able to get hold of you and find out what was going on. He needed to see you, until he did he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking the worst.

Little did he know the worst that he could think of didn’t even come close to the reality you’d found yourself in.

***

Luke arrived in Edwardsville, Illinois that afternoon after a 2 hour flight from Washington National Airport to St Louis and then a thirty mile drive back to the small town.

He found the pay phone with relative ease thanks to Garcia’s impeccably detailed directions. It was located almost directly opposite a quaint looking B & B and figured if you were staying here then calling him from that specific pay phone made sense.

He made his way over to the farmhouse style building and followed the hand painted signs to the lobby. A blast of air conditioning hit him in the face as he entered and a shiver ran down his spine thinking it was not quite hot enough to warrant AC. But oh well, it wasn’t his electric bill.

He strolled over to the counter where a plump older woman greeted him with an amiable smile.

“Good afternoon, sir, can I get you a room?” She beamed.

“Uh, no.” He fished in his pocket and pulled out his credentials which he flashed at the woman. “I’m SSA Alvez with the FBI’s Behavioural Analysis Unit. I’m looking for someone.”

“FBI?” She gasped. “Oh wow, we don’t see much of you around these parts. We’re just a quiet, small town.”

“I’m investigating a potential missing person.” He knew Emily would have his head for treating this like a proper investigation but he also knew he was more likely to get answers this way.

“Ok.” The woman toyed with the sleeve of her cardigan.

Luke got out his phone and pulled up a photo of you he’d taken about a year ago but you hadn’t changed much since, and turned the screen to show her.

“Have you seen this woman? We have reason to believe she used the pay phone out front a few days ago.”

The woman scrutinised your picture for a few seconds before shaking her head.

“No, sorry. I don’t recognise her.”

“Do you have security cameras?”

“Sorry, no. Like I said, we're a small town. We don’t get much trouble. No need for cameras.” She shrugged sadly.

“Can I see your guest log?”

She nodded and reached under the desk for a battered old notebook which she handed to Luke. He flicked back to Tuesday, the day you’d called him and saw only a handful names down as checking in on that day. Martin Collins paid cash and stayed one night. Laura and Hugo Perez paid by credit card and stayed for two nights. Andrew and Rose Burnett also paid cash and stayed one night.

He sighed and handed the book back to the woman with a half-smile of thanks.

“Is there anything to do around here? Somewhere someone out of town might hang out?”

“We’ve got a couple of bars around here but if you’re looking at Tuesday night, your best bet is the Corner Tavern, it does two for one shots on a Tuesday. It's about 4 miles north of here. Take Troy Road up about a mile and take a left onto Illini Drive, which will turn into Plum Street which will turn into Main Street. Keep going for about three miles and take a left on Union.” She spoke quite fast and Luke made a mental note of the directions even though his car had GPS.

“Thanks.” He nodded, pulling a business card out of his pocket and sliding it across the desk. “If you happen to see anyone who looks like her, call me, please.”

“I will.” She nodded, taking the card.

Luke trudged back outside to his car, praying to god he would get a better lead at the Corner Tavern and that he hadn’t completely wasted his time coming out here.

***

The Corner Tavern appeared to be closed and if the sign on the saloon door was to be believed, it didn’t open until six pm. Luke was most certainly not waiting that long. He nudged the door with his hip and found it open and saw a light on inside.

He tentatively walked inside, quickly spotting a long haired man behind the bar cleaning glasses. He glanced up when he heard footsteps on the floor and waved a hand at Luke.

“Sorry pal, not open. Read the sign.” He called over flippantly.

“You open for FBI?” Luke retrieved his creds and flashed them at the slightly greasy young man who pulled a face and put the glass down on the counter.

“We ain’t doing nothin’ illegal here. We’re a legit business.” He smiled a crooked smile across the bar top.

“I often find, legit businesses don’t have to proclaim their legitimacy.” Luke glared at him. “What’s your name, kid?”

Kid? Jeez I sound like Rossi. But this kid is at least twenty years younger than me.

“Connor. Connor Danvers.”

“You have any kind of seniority here, Danvers?”

“I’m the duty manager.” He looked pleased with his title. “So what does the FBI want with the legit Corner Tavern?”

Luke pulled out his phone and showed Connor the same photo of you he’d shown the woman at the Heartland but Connor barely glanced at it before shrugging.

“She may have been here Tuesday night.” Luke tried to jog his memory.

“Lotta people come through here. ‘Specially on a Tuesday. It’s our busiest night, what with the two for one shots and all.” He grinned that smarmy smile was rubbing Luke the wrong way.

“Look closer.” Luke spat, moving the phone closer to Danvers face.

“I don’t recognise her man! Sorry.” He pushed the phone away.

Luke clenched his jaw and huffed out a breath. One of many things that hadn’t been sitting right with him was the close proximity in time in which you and Spencer left the BAU. Was there more to it than simple coincidence? On a whim he found a photo of Spencer and turned the screen back to Connor.

“What about him?”

This time, Connor took a closer look, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he scrutinised the photo. After a few long seconds he shrugged.

“He kinda looks familiar.” Connor agreed. “There was a guy in here on Tuesday that looked a little like him. Definitely an out of towner, I’d never seen him before. But that’s not usual on a Tuesday. He was making out with some blonde but then another girl came in, maybe the one you showed me, and they started having it out. Assumed it was his girlfriend or his wife or something. Anyway they started arguing and she stormed out. He followed her and that’s the last time I saw him.”

Luke pocketed his phone and took in the information as he glanced around the bar.

“I suppose it would be stupid of me to ask if this place has security cameras?”

“We do not.” Connor chuckled. “Owner forked out thousands on redoing this place like a year ago but never sprung for cameras. Truth be told, we don't get a lot of trouble. Tourists are usually on their best behaviour and locals know better. Sure we get the occasional scuffle out in the parking lot but once they walk through those doors, ain’t our concern anymore, you know?”

“Of course.” Luke spoke sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. “You’ve been a great help.”

Luke turned on his heels and headed to the door, not feeling much lighter than when he walked in. He got back in the hire car and called Emily. She put him on speaker with Garcia and he filled them both in what he’d found. Or more accurately he supposed, what he hadn’t found.

“You think she’s with boy wonder?” Garcia gasped.

“I mean the timeline fits.” He shrugged. “And they were good friends.”

“I tracked Y/N’s credit card and it hasn’t been used since last Saturday night at McCleary's.” Garcia told him a little sadly.

“Yeah I was with her.” Luke pinched the bridge of his nose. “What about her passport, has it been used lately? Her car was at her apartment, but she must have gotten to Illinois somehow.”

“Checking, checking.” Garcia tapped away on her keyboard for a moment or two. “Nada on her personal or department issued passports.”

“How about Reid’s?”

“On it.” Garcia started typing away rapidly.

“Y/N doesn’t need a credit card. In the FTF agents usually have certain provisions set aside, you know if we need to suddenly disappear. Weapons, money, cell phones. They’re virtually untraceable. She could have gotten her hands on a fake passport pretty easily too, I just don’t know why she’d need to.” He filled Emily in while Garcia continued her research.

“Ok, Spencer has not used his credit card in weeks. His last purchase was for a worrying amount of scotch at a liquor store near his apartment. His cell phone is off, no surprise there it has been for a while, and it last pinged off a cell phone tower near his home. No activity on his passports either.” Garcia sounded downtrodden.

“What about his car? Has anyone seen it at his apartment? I can’t remember if it was there or not when I went.” Emily asked them both.

“I don’t remember.” Garcia agreed. “I think Jayje is going over there this weekend to check on him, I can ask her to look.”

“Thanks Garcia.” Emily spoke and then she sighed and was taking him off speaker and he heard footsteps. She didn’t speak until she was in her office with the door closed.

“Luke, I know you care about her but just take a second here.” She sounded mildly frustrated.

“What do you mean?” Luke frowned at the device in his hand.

“I know in our line of work it's hard not to jump to the worst possible conclusion but did you consider she just wanted to get away? You’re hearing hoofbeats and jumping to zebras.”

“No,” Luke was quick to counter. “She tells me everything. Something is wrong here, Emily. I know her. She wouldn’t do this.”

“The evidence is not pointing to anything suspicious, Alvez.” Emily exhaled loudly.

“Not suspicious?” He scoffed. “She lied about where she was going, she’s using a burner phone. She got down to Illinois without her car or the use of her passport. My gut is telling me something isn’t right, Emily.”

“I’m sorry but I need you home, we’re swamped as it is. I’ve given you leeway on this, but it’s time to come home.”

“Yeah, I know.” He agreed sadly. “I’ll catch a flight later today. I’m gonna keep trying to call her on the off chance I can get hold of her before I leave.”

“Good idea. Stay safe.” Emily agreed.

“Bye.” He disconnected the call, feeling thoroughly downtrodden.

Something really didn’t feel right in his gut. And Luke Alvez always trusted his gut. As the sinking feeling really started to set in, feeling like a gaping hole in the pit of his stomach, he stared at his cell phone and begged it to ring.

Tell me not to worry, Y/N, just call and tell me not to worry.

But of course the phone didn’t magically start ringing. This worry wasn’t helping anyone, it was only causing him to feel sick. But he wouldn’t stop until he’d gotten to the bottom of this.

This sinking feeling sets,

It feels just like a hole inside your chest.

I know you're thinking,

No, no, no, no, it is easier said than done.

But please let me attest,

I know it's hard.

You're feeling like you're trapped,

But that's how you react,

When you cannot see the light.

But try and see the light,

I'm tellin' you,

No, no, no, no.

You're the only one,

Standing in your way.

Just take a breath,

Relax, and tell me,

Why?

Please tell me why do we worry?

Why?

Why do we worry at all?

Why?

Just tell me, why do we worry?

When worry is never helping,

Tell me why, why worry at all?

Why do we insist,

On crossing bridges that do not exist?

Let's take these issues,

Step by step by step, to work it out.

Day by day by day we're falling down,

But life goes on.

I've got some questions,

Are you sick of feelin' sorry? (Uh huh)

And people sayin' not to worry? (Uh huh)

Sick of hearing this hakuna matata motto,

From people who won the lotto,

We're not that lucky.

Have you noticed that you're breathing? (Uh huh)

Look around and count your blessings (Uh huh).

So when you're sick of all this stressin' and guessin' I'm,

Suggestin' you turn this up and let them hear you sing it.

Why?

Please tell me why do we worry?

Why?

Why do we worry at all?

Why?

Just tell me, why do we worry?

When worry is never helping,

Tell me why, why worry at all?

Chin up, quit actin' like you're half dead,

Tears can only half tell how you're feelin',

Don't worry, be happy baby.

Stand up, life is too damn short,

That clock is ticking.

Man up, if ya feel me,

Everybody sing it,

Why?

Please tell me why do we worry?

Why?

Why do we worry at all?

Why?

Just tell me, why do we worry?

When worry is never helping,

Tell me why, why worry at all?

Why?

Please tell me why do we worry?

Why?

Why do we worry at all?

Why?

Just tell me, why do we worry?

When worry is never helping,

I'm not buying what they're selling.

So if worry is never helping,

Tell me why, why worry at all?

@andiebeaword @dreatine @matthew-gray-gubler-lover @people-whatabunchofbastards @justreadingficsdontmindme @spencer-reid-wonderland @thebloomingeagle @bubblebuttwade @jay-2s-world @daddy-dotcom

#spencer reid #unsub! spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid smut #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x fem! reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x y/n #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction

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kierancaz · 7 months

Text

Crowley Having To Be A Dad For Once (Crowley Comforting Yuu)

I don’t know what this is, I was just really bored and it happened so if it sucks I’m sorry. I used they/them and she/her pronouns throughout the whole things, idk neither sounded right if I used just one set of pronouns so I just used both T_T.

Also yah ik Crowley is ooc bc he’s basically a deadbeat uncle but this is MY fic and I’m a SUCKER for parental Crowley and the idea of him not really being good at it at first but as he grows to care about Yuu more he becomes more willing to try and be a good parent for them.

No trigger warnings, ig this is fluff? Uh probably not very good but it’s ok I still hope u like it. Oh and this takes place at the end of Book 6, also reader is referred to as Yuu.

It was finally over. Everything was finally ok. Grim was back with Yuu, all of the people who had been brought to Styx were back in their dorms, a little banged up, but safe. Yuu was finally home with the people they considered their family.

Crewel, Trein, and the others had given them a major scolding when they got back. Being sure to pull Yuu aside into the headmasters office to yell that them specifically, but Yuu couldn’t find it to be mad or even upset with their scolding. Yuu couldn’t be upset when she felt cared for again. The only one missing from that meeting was Crowley, but Trein as assured that he would be back soon. Which brings us to where they are now.

Grim was in Pomfiore sleeping soundly, but Yuu was standing in the wreckage of Ramshackle. Staring the remains of their only home here in the face. She knew it was bad, the remembered it all from the Chirons attack, but somehow seeing everything destroyed after the dust had finally cleared after the whole situation made reality hit that much harder. She took a deep stepping through the door looking around at all the damage.

“Yuu!” The ghost came speeding toward them, they couldn’t hug her so instead the just zipped around her a could times. She laughed, the ghost coming to a stop in front of them, “we’re so happy you’re back! We thought you guys were leaving us for good!”

“Where’s Grim?” One of them asked looking around with concern, the others followed suit like maybe he was just hiding.

“Don’t worry he’s fine, he’s back in Pomfiore sleeping off his big adventure.” Yuu chuckled and the ghost relaxed and smiled, happy to hear their little friend was safe and sound and would be back with them in no time.

Yuu looked around again, at the huge holes in the walls and ceilings. At the stray cauldrons that had broken the floor and the way the stairs that lead to her bedroom were completely destroyed. She pressed her lips into a line, tears starting to well up in she eyes.

“Yuu? What’s wrong?” One of the ghost asked. And that’s what did it, she broke down crying.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out wiping her eyes and trying to breathe even. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry your home is destroyed, I’m sorry I can’t do anything about it—”

“Hey, hey, it’s ok. It’s not you’re fault.” One of the ghost said. Yuu just shook her head, crying to hard to say anything coherently. There wasn’t much the ghost could do besides remind her it wasn’t her fault the house was destroyed and that it’ll be rebuilt and everything will be ok.

“Yuu?” The new voice made her go still and the ghost silent. Turning around Yuu saw none other than Crowley standing in the doorway.

“Oh- Headmage- I, uh,” Yuu struggled to wipe their eyes free of tears and steady her voice. She hiccuped as she tried to breathe but with a deep breathe she was able to sound at least somewhat normal. “Sorry headmage, is there something you need?” She asked, turning to face him fully.

“I- no. I was just making my rounds on campus to see the damage. Trein informed me Ramshackle was badly damaged, I can see he was quite right.” Crowley said as he walked through assessing the damage, stoping when he came to stand beside Yuu.

She chuckled weakly and sniffed, tilting her head down and swiping at her eyes again. “Yeah… yeah, sorry.”

Crowley gave a questioning hum, “what’s there to be sorry for?”

“I- I don’t know… just am,” they said, their voice quiet.

“Yuu,” Crowley said. His voice more gentle than usual, more concerned. “Are you alright?”

There was hardly a second after Crowley asked before Yuu practically launched themselves at him, throwing their arms around him in a tight hug. Crowley stumbled back with surprise, his arms raised awkwardly like he didn’t know what to do with them.

Yuu was crying again. She just felt so powerless against everything. There was nothing she could do to fix her dorm, there was nothing she could do to stop the Chiron’s from taking the house wardens, nothing she could do when they took Grim. All of the feelings she had been pushing down for the sake of staying focused during the whole Styx mess finally boiling over.

“I- I guess I’ll take that as a no…” Crowley said tentatively.

Yuu apologized again, but couldn’t seem to bring herself to let go of him. Why him she had chosen to break down in front of she didn’t know. It’s not like he had ever been a comforting figure in her time here, or even a very useful one. But slowly, unsurely, Crowley hugged her back, patting her head in a soothing manner. It was enough to make her want to cry even harder.

It was silent between them for a while, with only Yuu’s sniffling and hiccups to be heard. After a few moments Crowley seemed to relax, trying to be gentle as he hugged her back and pat her head, telling her that it was ok and Ramshackle would be fixed and her and Grim would be back here in no time at all. He didn’t know how he would do that but he would get in contact with Styx and work something out, after all they made this mess.

After some time Yuu let go, stepping away from him and wiping their tears and taking a deep breath. “Are you… ok? Now?” Crowley asked, Yuu nodded.

“Better… thanks.” The air was slightly awkward. Crowley didn’t exactly know how to recover to his normal ‘aren’t I so gracious’ personality after watching his most situationally unique student have a full break down.

He cleared his throat before walking over to them and placing his hand on their back, guiding them to the door way. “Why don’t you go back to where you’ll be staying and get some rest. You do have a place to say until Ramshackle is fixed, correct?”

Yuu nodded, “yeah I’m staying in Pomfiore…” there was a long silence, like maybe she wanted to say something else. But she didn’t. “Thanks, I’ll, um, see you in class.”

Crowley nodded and watched as they left down the steps before calling out them. He only spoke when they stopped and turned to face him. “Don’t worry about Ramshackle. I’ll handle everything and make sure it gets fixed,” he said spreading his arms, “after all I am very generous!”

Yuu just blinked at him for a moment before breaking out into a laugh. After some time they had grown to find Crowley’s antics annoying, but after the moment that just happened his usual return to form was much welcomed. She waved at him as a final goodnight and started her walk back to the mirror chamber feeling much lighter than she had before.

Crowley was left with his many thoughts standing in Ramshackle, but he didn’t dwell on anything for to long. But he would check on the prefect and Grim officially tomorrow, that he made sure to promise to himself.

Yuu snuck back into Pomfiore, back into the empty room she was staying in. Grim was exactly where they left him curled up on the bed under the fluffy duvet. She smiled as they climbed into the bed, curling around Grim to cuddle him as he snuggled sleepily back into their arms. For once though, they believed Crowley would follow through on his word with Ramshackle, and that everything would be alright.

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marvelobsessed134 · 9 months

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Hi! I'm not sure if you're asks are open or not but I was wondering if you would do the one bed trope with Tommy Thayer 😂

One bed?!

Pairings: Current!Tommy Thayer x Fem!reader

A/n: in this fic you’re a rhythm guitarist for Kiss on tour because your dad is Gene Simmons and he decided to give you the opportunity to be on stage. (It’s ironic cause my dad was also named Gene lol)

Warnings: age gap as usual (I actually don’t know how old Tommy is so if someone could let me know that’d be great but he is his age and reader is 25), little frisky but no smut, making out, Tommy has known reader since she was a kid but isn’t a pedophile obvi, kinda an uncle figure not really tho, and I think that’s it.

Summary: a shortage of available hotel rooms makes you stay with one of your biggest crushes of all time.

“Really?” Your dad asked the front desk lady, a little frustrated, a little mean. “I’m so sorry sir, but there are no more rooms available. You only booked four rooms-“

“I know we only booked four that was before my daughter was touring with us just, see if anyone made any cancellations?” The bassist asked.

The woman typed on the computer for a bit before scrolling with her mouse, eyebrows furrowed as she looked before looking back up at your father. “I’m so sorry Mr. Simmons.” Before your dad could say anything you cut in, “It’s fine I’ll be fine sharing a room with someone else.”

“Ok, share a room with me.” Your dad said.

“Dad, as much as I love you, you snore too loud.” You chuckled.

“What? I do not snore what are you talking about?” He tried ti sound offended but a smile made its way ti his lips.

“Uh, she can room with me.” Tommy spoke up. He didn’t know where he got this sudden courage from, to even think about asking Gene Simmons if he could share a room with his daughter. But they’ve been friends for a long time and he’s practically your uncle except not really. You’re not blood related and the longing glances the two of you share is anything but familial.

Your dad paused for a bit, about to say no but looked over to your and was reminded that you were in fact a 25 year old woman. “Yeah sure if that’s what she wants.” He responded.

Tommy looked to you for permission and you agreed.

Once you all got everything sorted out you and the other guitarist made your way to your guys’ room.

Only to realize,

“One bed?” You asked. It was a calm statement and part of you was feeling giddy about sleeping in the same bed as the older man.

“Aw, man. Hey it’s ok I’ll take the couch.” He said.

“No, it’s fine I mean it’s just sleeping together right?” He immediately caught on to your innuendo and bit his lower lip. Who knew you were so dirty?

Later on you ended up ordering room service and watching random tv shows. The two of you now in your pajamas since today was a rest day before the shows start.

You and Tommy laughed about something on tv when all of a sudden he shifted towards you. You turned your head to see his eyes boring into yours.

“Tommy?” You asked.

“Y/n, I hope this doesn’t make you uncomfortable or anything but, I’m glad we’re sharing a bed.” He said. Holy shit. He just confessed he liked sharing a bed with you?!

“Yeah, me too. I like you.” You replied,

“I like you too princess.” The nickname gives you butterflies.

“No like I like you. I want to kiss you.” You don’t even know where the courage to confess is coming from.

The guitarists hand went to your cheek, “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Will you let me kiss you, princess?”

“Yes please.”

Tommy captured your lips with his, the two of you moving in sync as he rolled on top of you making you lay down on your back. The two of you just making out passionately. And you never wanted it to end.

#kiss band x reader #kiss band #tommy thayer #tommy thayer x reader #kiss x reader #gene simmons #paul stanley #eric singer #end of the road tour

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sequincult · 3 months

Text

Return of the Floyd Part 2

(part 1 can be read here)

It’s midnight in Troll Village, the sky is a deep purple, and every Troll is in a cozy, deep sleep. One such Troll is King Peppy, who’s currently resting in his nice, warm bed. At least, until…

“DAD! DAD! DAD! WAKE UP!!!!” Poppy slams rapidly on the door of her fathers pod with both fists. An increasingly tired Floyd is shaken out of his stupor by her endless energy. “Wait, are you sure this is ok? We can leave it till morning if that’s better.” “No!! Floyd this is urgent!! I mean just look at you! You look terrible!” Floyd frowns at her before peering down at himself, he is pretty looking pretty rough right now. He can’t remember the last time he’d showered. The door swings open and the pair are greeted by a yawning King Peppy, heavy bags under his eyes. “Sorry I took such a while, I forgot where I placed my keys and I… Oh! Poppy! What are you doing here so late? Is everything ok? Are you alright?” “Dad!” Poppy leaps forwards and envelops her dad in a tight hug. “No, don’t worry, I’m fine! But… this here is Branch’s brother, and he really needs some help. He has nowhere to stay and they had a big fight and now he’s…” Poppy grabs Floyd’s hand and shoves it in Peppy’s face. His smile fades. “Oh… I see. Come in you two, I’ll brew us some tea and we can have a talk. I’m sure there’s something we can do.”

The three promptly enter Peppy’s home. After the lights are flicked on Floyd is surprised at how ‘un-regal’ the place is. It’s comfortably furnished, and he feels more at ease with how relaxed the room feels. After the king brews drinks for everyone, they t ake a seat. “Thank you for seeing me this late King Peppy, I hope it’s not too much trouble.” “Oh of course not! It is my duty to serve all trolls and at anytime. Now, tell what can I do to help” “Well, I need somewhere to sleep as I really don’t think Branch is going to want me to stay with him after what happened. A-and my hand… I’d never seen a troll that grey. I could hardly bare to look at him, and after he left I was so overwhelmed I just burst into tears. I couldn’t help but feel like this is all my fault…” King Peppy sips his tea and thinks. “Hmmm. We’ve got several empty pods for visitors, you’re more than welcome to stay in one for a while. As for your hand?” He takes a deep breath. “Branch is one of only two trolls I’ve ever known to turn fully grey. The other was a long, long time ago, and my memory is poor; I simply cannot remember what came of them. I’m afraid Branch is likely the only one who can help you now.”

Floyd starts shifting around in his seat. “But the last thing Branch will want to do is talk to me. I-It’s hopeless.” Poppy’s ears perk up. “Then… I’ll talk to him! I don’t think he likes me all that much but it’s worth a shot right? And if he doesn’t listen, I’ll issue a royal demand and MAKE him talk to you!!” King Peppy does a double take and raises an eyebrow at his daughter. “Poppy… we got rid of the royal demands over one hundred years ago! Don’t you remember your history lesson?” “Ugh, I was hoping that would work…” She rolls her eyes. “But really, I’m serious about talking to Branch. Besides, it’s the least I could do for you Floyd. How about we head out in the morning? His bunker is pretty far and it’s already late.”

Floyd grimaces. Did.. Branch build the bunker? There was no way right? He couldn’t have… “Did you just say bunker?” “Yeah! Branch started building it after his grandma died. Or, I guess your grandma died… It’s kinda strange, it’s such a HUGE place, but he’s building it all for himself. Weird.” Sinking deeper and deeper into his seat, Floyd looks like he just got shot; memories of the art Branch made as a baby coming back all too easily. “Ha ha yeah! That is so strange?? Uhhh anyway… I’m going to uh get some rest, I’ll see you in the morning ok???” Sensing Floyd’s odd behaviour, Poppy shuffles a little closer. “Hey, are… you alright? He stutters. “Y-YES! I mean… Yeah. Just need some sleep that’s all. Today has been a lot.” She tilts her head and smiles gently. “I know this must be so difficult for you. Do…you want a hug?” “That might be nice actually.” Poppy wraps her arms around him and his eyes light up. It’s been so long since he’d had a genuine hug, or any contact at all really. And Poppy was really good at giving hugs. This was just what he needed. After Poppy finally releases him, he gets ready to head out.

“Thank you. You’ve been too kind to me Poppy.” “Not at all Floyd! I just want every troll to be happy!” She glances down at her feet. “A-and I really want Branch to be happy too. I think you can help him, that you can help each other.” “Your optimism knows no bounds.” Floyd laughs. “Goodnight Poppy, oh, and thank your dad for me when he wakes up.” Somehow Poppy had been so deep in conversation that she hadn’t noticed her dad had drifted off. “Oh, yeah haha! I guess he fell asleep while we were talking.’ Floyd smiles as he turns and leaves the pod, eager to get some rest and a little time to himself. He looks down at his hand and sighs, hopeful for tomorrow.

#dreamworks trolls #trolls band together #trolls branch #trolls floyd #trolls poppy #fanfic #trolls au #return of the floyd au

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lottesreads · 9 months

Text

Why Me? - Part 2

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader (Callsign Mantis)

Warnings: Cursing, insecurities, pining, mommy issues

Word Count: 2875

Summary: We learn a little more of your history with your dad and Rooster, all while attempting to get Bob to talk to you more. All for the team. Definitely because you don't have a crush on him.

A/N: Here is part 2!! And I will be posting any new parts on this blog, and not the original one I posted on, sorry 'bout that y'all. Hope you enjoy, reblogs and comments are welcome!!

Part 1

After driving yourself to your dads small home, you thought back to what transpired, or rather what hadn't transpired at the Hard Deck. It was always the same with Bob. He’d hang around the edge of the group, occasionally talking with a couple of them, but never you. You had chalked it up to the fact he was afraid of you and your dad. The first time you tried to start a conversation with him by asking what he was doing over the weekend he looked around to make sure you were talking to him and not someone else. He then managed to choke out the sentence, “I- I’m going to um, to see the new Spider-Man movie with uh- with Fanboy”.

You unknowingly smiled at the memory of his shy hands pushing the wire glasses further up his nose. You just couldn’t help it. You’ve hardly spoken to the guy, but just the thought of him had you all smiley. It felt like you were in high school again. Sneaking glances at your crush that didn’t even know you existed. Except in this instance he most definitely knew you existed, but refused to talk to you because of your scary dad-boss. So not quite the same as high school.

Wait, no. This was nothing like high school because you definitely didn’t have a crush on Bob. This was NOT a crush. If you really think about it, it’s only infuriating because you worked together. Co-workers should be able to have at least small-talk with each other. He could barely look at you. But he smiled at you, and waved. So he wasn’t scared of you completely.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of your dad’s motorcycle making its way up the driveway. Of course. The problem himself. The door closed as he entered and greeted you at the kitchen table, “Hey kiddo.”

“Hey dad.”

“I thought you were gonna be at the Hard Deck tonight?” You sighed.

“Yeah, I wasn’t feeling it so I left early. Where were you at?” He sets his keys down on the counter and joins you at the table.

“Oh, just got some dinner with Bradley. Is everything ok?”. You glance up and squint at him, watching as he studies your face.

“Yeah, everything’s just fine”, you slowly let out. He furrows his brow, eyeing you carefully.

“You sure about that?”

“Yep.” You nod.

“Are you mad at me?” His brows continue to furrow.

“Nope.” You shake your head.

“Ok then”, he nods, hesitant to get up from the table. “Are you planning on staying-”

“I just think it’s kind of rude and stupid how some members of our squadron won’t talk to me because of you”, you huff out pointing at him. “Like they want your respect, but only yours. They don’t want anything to do with me in case I turn around and tell you about it. Which I wouldn’t! Unless they did something really stupid or disrespectful. But even then I would go above you because let’s be honest I don’t think you have as much authority as they think you do.” At some point of your rant your father had sat back down with wide eyes, knowing you were in fact not ok and mad at him.

“Are you done?” You sit there catching your breath and eyeing your father.

“For now.”

“Ok, who exactly are we talking about here?”

“No one in particular, just a couple people in our squad-”

“It’s Bob isn’t it?”, he asks. You stare him square in the eyes, trying hard not to appear as gobsmacked as you feel. The sound of his name coming out of your dad’s mouth has you freezing up. He couldn’t know, could he?

“How did you know?” He quiets a laugh.

“It would be kind of hard not to notice. But to be fair I don’t think he’s doing it to be rude.”

“Well, regardless if he meant it to be rude, that’s how it’s coming off. If someone you worked with avoided you at every opportunity, how would you take it?”, you reason.

“You shouldn’t be asking me that, pretty much everyone in the Navy tries to avoid me.” You throw your hands up, exasperated while he continues to chuckle at his own joke.

“Well, shit dad, is this genetic or something? It’s not like I can force him to talk to me.” He sighs and places both of his hands on the table in front of you.

“I mean as a Captain I still have some authority, contrary to some people’s belief that I don’t.” He says, raising his eyebrow.

“So what, are you going to order him to talk to me? Create mandated conversations?” He shrugs.

“No, I’m just saying I can create more opportunities for you two to talk. Get to know each other. Afterall, this is about working better together as a team.” You stare down at your hands, biting the inside of your lip.

“Yeah. Exactly. For the team.” You weren’t about to tell your dad your innermost thoughts. Especially because it most definitely wasn’t about a crush. Right?

True to his word Monday morning, your father gathered at the front of the classroom and announced who was going to be flying together that day. “Alright, today we’re going to be warming up with some dogfights. First up is Phoenix, Bob, and… Mantis, against me and Rooster.” He paused before your name acting as if he wasn’t planning this whole thing since Friday night. You rolled your eyes at his antics. But of course he would pick Rooster to be on his team.

Ever since the uranium mission he’s been wanting to do everything with Bradley. You get that he wants to make up for lost time, but two months later and he is still choosing him at every opportunity. You didn’t even know they were having dinner Friday night. Maybe if they bothered to invite you to any of their shenanigans you would be as close to Bradley as you were before.

Even though Bradley was six when you were born, the bond between you two was inseparable. He had been the older brother you never had, and in return you had been the annoying little sister he had never asked for. Regardless, he was just as protective and loving as an older brother would be. Carole was everything a mother should be and everything your mother wasn’t. If you were lucky you would spend the whole summer with your dad, away from your mom. Carole and Bradley would always welcome you with open arms. That was until your dad pulled his papers soon after Carole died. You were just as heartbroken and even at 12 years old you tried to comfort Bradley. He had pulled away without an explanation and when you asked your dad why Bradley wasn’t talking to you anymore he would simply say, “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

Eventually you found out and were just as mad at your father. But you were even more upset that no matter how many times you tried to reach out, Bradley never responded. When you were called back for the uranium mission, neither you or Bradley had bothered to clear the air. It wasn’t until your dad and him were on their way back to the carrier after you had presumed them both as dead, that you looked him in the eye for more than a couple seconds. You had hugged Bradley for the first time since you were 12 and thanked him for saving your dad. That was the end of it. You still shared more small-talk than you did with Bob, but that didn’t mean it was any less awkward. He hadn’t apologized for abandoning you, and you weren’t about to apologize for your father’s actions.

“Alright!”, your dad clapped, “Let’s get goin’”. You broke out of your trance and shook your head. One issue at a time.

You stepped out on the tarmac walking past Bob and Phoenix going through their pre-flight checks. “See you out there Phoenix!” Saluting each other you switched your sight to Bob’s, “Good luck Bob.”

“Yeah, yeah. You too.” He said, attempting to scratch his head, but dropping his hand once he realized he was wearing his helmet.

Once in the air it was all quiet. Phoenix is off to your right, still looking for your dad and Rooster who are nowhere to be found. This is it. Bob has nowhere to escape to, and Phoenix can act as a buffer if he freezes up again.

“So Bob, how was your weekend?” You attempt to ask casually. From your right Phoenix looks over at you, her brow furrowed.

“Oh uh, mine was good. How was yours?”, he asks, a hint of apprehension still present in his voice.

“That’s good. Mine was OK, I saw you at the Hard Deck Friday night, but you slipped out before I could challenge you to a game of pool”, you say, still scanning the air for any sign of your dad or Rooster.

“Yeah, um”, he clears his throat, “I had to get back to my dog.” You glance back to their jet, both of them scanning as well.

“You have a dog?”

“Yeah, she’s a real sweetheart”, he perked up. Jackpot. Ask someone about their dog and they will not hesitate to go on and on. And on the plus side you wouldn’t mind hearing Bob’s deep voice say “sweetheart” again.

“What’s her name?”

Before Bob has the chance to respond Phoenix is cutting in, “Hey guys, I hate to interrupt this riveting conversation but we have company. Rooster straight ahead.” Before you know it, your longest conversation you’ve had with Bob is forgotten as you chase your dad through the skies.

In the end Rooster and Mav get the better of you and you’re out. Phoenix and Bob follow soon after, meeting you on the tarmac for your punishment of 150 pushups. After the uranium mission they had decided to keep the punishment for dogfights but knock off 100. After a failed exercise only a month ago Maverik decided to be nice and only add 50 back.

You let Bob drop down first so you can grab a spot next to him. Phoenix drops down next to you, letting out a huff of air.

“Sorry for leaving you guys hanging out there”, you apologize as Hondo starts counting out your pushups. Down. Up.

“It’s not like you could have helped us from beyond the grave”, down, “but I appreciate the sentiment”, Phoenix responds. Up. You look back over to Bob who is staring straight at the pavement beneath his hands.

“So what’s your dog’s name”, you ask, attempting to continue your conversation with him. Down. He looks over to you. Up.

“Sylvia”, he pants out. Down. Sweat starting to form on his brow, as well as yours. Up. “She’s a border collie, 7 months old.” Down. “Got her from the shelter”. Up.

“That’s sweet.” Down. “I find it funny how”, up, “we’ve only been a permanent”, down, “squadron for two months”, up, “and you’ve already”, down, “found yourself a dog.” Up. He smiles at you, while trying to take deep breaths through his nose.

“They posted her”, down, “on their instagram”, up, “and I just couldn’t resist”, down, “those big brown eyes.” Up. You turn your head to smile at him. Down. He smiles back before you are interrupted by your dad and Rooster walking victoriously past you. Up. Both you and Bob turn away from each other and continue with your punishment. Down. His face forces into a grimace once more. Up. You focus on the soles of both of their boots walking into your field of vision. Down.

“Having fun down there guys?”Rooster asks tauntingly. Up.

“If I weren’t using both my hands-”, you speak, down, “I would be using them to tell you to fuck off.” Up. “But since my mouth works perfectly fine-”, down, “Fuck off”. Up. You hear Phoenix chuckle off to your side, and look over to see Bob trying to stifle his. Rooster huffs. Down.

“You telling your Captain to fuck off?”, he asks, looking over to your dad. Up.

“No.” Down. “That was just for you Brad-Brad”. Up. The sweat is dripping off of your face at this point while you look up at Rooster. Even though it was a joke, he can still feel the animosity coming off of your words. Up.

“Come on Mav”, down, “Let’s go and relax under the AC.” Up. “Enjoy the rest of your pushups, Mantis.” Down.

“God-”, Phoenix says once they’re out of earshot, “I’ve never seen Rooster”, up, “act like such an asshole before.” Down.

“What can I say?”, up, “I just bring it out of him.” Down.

The rest of the pushups are completed in silence as the three of you focus on finishing them as fast as possible. You aren’t even thinking about Bob after your dad and Rooster left. Still not understanding how they can act so buddy-buddy without bringing you into the mix. They didn’t even care. You were just an afterthought. Actually you weren’t even a thought at all. They didn’t think of you when they went to dinner last Friday, and they didn’t think of you as they walked back to the ready-room.

“Alright, 150, you guys are good”, Hondo announces. You fall flat to the ground, still in your flight suit, as Bob rests his elbows on his knees, taking a seat. All three of you are breathing heavily as Phoenix gets up and offers her hand. You wave her off.

“I think I’m just gonna lie here for a second and rethink my life choices.”

“Suit yourself”, Phoenix says, resting both hands on her hips, “I’m going in search of some water. You coming, Bob?”

“I’ll be there in a second.” Phoenix walks off as you look to the side at Bob once again. He’s still sitting there catching his breath, the same as you. This had to have been the longest he’s sat next to you, or talked to you. Breaking two records in one day, who would have thought? You sit up and mirror Bob’s stance. You two sit there catching your breaths, watching as he fiddles with his thumbs. Every once in a while pushing his glasses back up, still slipping due to his sweat. You track a bead of sweat as it falls down the back of his neck and into his flight suit, completely distracted until he stands, offering you his hands. Not just one. Both of them.

You place your smaller ones in his. They’re warm and rough from the tarmac, and you don’t want to let go even as he brings you to full standing. You start to get lost in the ocean-blue of his eyes before you remember where you are. All too soon his hands slip from yours as you softly give him a “thanks”. It’s your turn to play with your hands as you try not to forget what it felt like to hold his for that brief moment. The two of you begin to leisurely walk back to the ready-room. The sound of him clearing his throat brings your gaze back to him.

“So, um, you play pool?” he asks.

“Yeah”, you smile, remembering your brief conversation in the cockpit earlier. “And I recall seeing you play from time to time.”

“I like to practice from time to time. I have no game”, he smiles.

“Well, I’d still like to play you. If you’re up for it?”

“That’d be an easy game for you, but yeah. I’ll play you.”

“Oh come on Bob! The key to winning is confidence. You gotta be confident in yourself”, you say pushing his shoulder. Even through his flight suit, you feel the muscle tense.

“That’s not something that comes easy for me.”

“Well it should”, you blurt out. You both stop before the doors and stare at each other. He gazes at your face and hair. You realize you must look insane from all the pushups. Pieces of hair flying everywhere and the flush of your face matching Bob’s. “Anyway, what are you doing Friday?”.

“Nothing”, he shakes his head.

“Great, 6:00 at the Hard Deck, don’t be late”, you smile. He opens the door for you as you thank him once again. You can’t believe you just did that. Granted, it will be a busy Friday night and the squad will presumably be there, but still. You have plans with Bob.

Bob watches you walk down the hallway to the lady’s locker rooms. Did that really just happen? He was baffled you were engaging in that much conversation with him, and even more surprised at the fact he was reciprocating it. It just felt so easy once he started. It was that damn smile again. He couldn’t help but get lost in yours. Self doubt started to creep back into his mind as he walked further down the hallway. Why were you so interested in talking to him, spending time with him? It had to be some kind of joke. That’s all it ever was.

#bob floyd x reader #bob floyd fic #bob floyd fanfiction #robert bob floyd x female reader #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #mavdad #top gun fandom

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raya-rhaenyra-ahsoka · 2 years

Text

House of the Dragon Ep. 5: We Light the Way, a Summary (Incorrect Quotes Edition)

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Rhea Royce: *goes off hunting in a horse*

Daemon: *appears out of nowhere*

Rhea: Ah, look who it is.

Daemon: *pokerface*

Rhea: So, you here to fuck a sheep?

Daemon: *approaches the horse*

Horse: Aw, hell naw

Rhea: *falls off the horse and breaks her bones*

Daemon: *stares at her* k bye.

Rhea: Craven!

Daemon: *grabs a rock* bitch, wtf did you say?!

. . . . .

Alicent: Daddy, wait. Please don't go.

Otto: the king wants me gone.

Alicent: But dad-

Otto: You've made your choice.

Alicent: Hey, you got yourself fired. All because you want Aegon to be heir.

Otto: Listen, if your hubby dies and your bff sits on the throne, bitches across the 7 kingdoms won't have it. And she'll kill your babies.

Alicent: No, she won't. She's my bff.

Otto: Can't believe you're still in denial.

Alicent: ...

Otto: Look, just prep Aegon to rule and everything will be fine.

Alicent: uh...sure?

Otto: k bye.

. . . . .

Laenor: *spars with his bf*

Viserys: *arrives at Driftmark*

Laenor: oh shit, it's the king. Be cool.

Laenor and Joffrey: *bows*

Lyonel, to Laenor: Where tf is your dad? He should be here.

Laenor: uh...

Laena: Welcome to High Tide!

Lyonel: wtf is this how you greet your king?

Laena: my dad just got back from travelling. He's in the hall waiting for you.

Lyonel: wtf-

Viserys: dude, chill. let's just get on with it.

. . . . .

Larys: A pretty flower shouldn’t be here.

Alicent: What?

Larys: *points to a flower bush* No, I mean this flower shouldn’t be here, but it is. Anyway, so sorry about your dad being fired.

Alicent: Your dad took his place so...

Larys: Yeah, but I heard-

Alicent: Ok, let’s just cut to the chase. Wtf do you want?

Larys: Well, I saw the maester give princess Rhae-Rhae some Plan B tea in her chambers the same day your dad was fired.

Alicent: Plan B tea?

Larys: I do hope she’s ok though *winky face*

Alicent: Of course, she’s ok. She off to Driftmark with her dad.

Larys: Oh, goody! She’s ok. Glad I was wrong.

Alicent: *questions everything she knows*

. . . . .

Laena: *leads the king to the hall of nine*

Laena, pulling Rhaenyra aside: Come on, Couz. Meetings are so boring, Let’s go to the kitchen and eat.

. . . . .

Corlys: S’up, Viserys. Miss me?

Viserys: *coughs*

Corlys: Dude, you ok? Wanna sit down?

Viserys: *literally coughing* I’m fine.

Rhaenys: *storms in* Hi cousin!

Viserys: *looks ready to faint* Hey, princess.

Rhaenys: You look terrible. You ok?

Viserys: Yeah, yeah, I’m good.

Corlys: So, Lyonel, you got promoted? Congrats, bro.

Lyonel: *blushing* Oh, stop it you.

Corlys: Nah, Otto is a cunt. That bitch should’ve seen it coming. Btw, I’m sorry about your sis-in-law.

Viserys: What?

Corlys: Daemon’s wife is dead.

Rhaenys: Hunting accident. What a waste.

Viserys: *thoughts* wtf am I supposed to do with this info?

Viserys: Anyway, that’s not what I’m here for. I think your son should marry by daughter.

Corlys and Rhaenys: ...it’s a deal!

. . . . .

Rhaenyra: We both don’t wanna get married.

Laenor: Couz, you and I are cool. So, it’s ok, I guess.

Rhaenyra: Bitch, please. I know.

Laenor: Know what?

Rhaenyra: That you’re gay.

Laenor: ...

Rhaenyra: Don’t worry about it. I won’t tell anyone.

Laenor: ...

Rhaenyra: Our dads want this to happen, but...

Laenor: What are you saying?

Rhaenyra: I’m saying we produce an heir and then after, we can fuck whomever we want, that alright?

Laenor: omfg, that’s a great idea! It’s a deal.

. . . . .

Corlys: Where’s Laenor?

Rhaenys: He’s hanging out with Rhae-Rhae.

Corlys: Getting to know each other? Nice.

Rhaenys: Babe, they grew up together. They already know each other. But that’s not the main tea.

Corlys: What do you mean?

Rhaenys: You know our son’s gay, right?

Corlys: Babe, it’s just a phase.

. . . . .

Joffrey: So she knows?

Laenor: Yep.

Joffrey: And she’s ok with it?

Laenor: We have no choice.

Joffrey: Huh. Then you’ll need a sworn sword.

Laenor: That’s where you come in, babe.

Joffrey: But who do you think her boy toy is?

Laenor: Idk, honestly.

. . . . .

Criston: Marry me and let’s run away together.

Rhaenyra: What?

Criston: I said, marry-

Rhaenyra: I heard you the first time. Again, what?

Criston: Well, I-

Rhaenyra: I’m the f*cking heir to the iron throne! Why would I wanna do that?

Criston: …

Rhaenyra: But it’s ok. Laenor’s gay so we can still…you know. *Wink-wink*

Criston: So I’m your whore?

Rhaenyra: Well, if you put it that way-

Criston: Wtf *walks out*

Rhaenyra: No, wait-

. . . . .

Alicent: So, Ser Criston, you’re Rhae-Rhae’s sworn sword, right?

Criston: Yes.

Alicent: When her uncle came back, I heard the princess-

Criston: ALRIGHT! I’LL TELL YOU. IT WAS ME. I DID IT. WE DID IT. THERE IT’S OUT! I’M SO SORRY, QUEEN ALI. IF YOU’RE GOING TO PUNISH ME, JUST GIVE ME A MERCIFUL DEATH.

Alicent: Wtf

Alicent: That bitch lied to me.

. . . . .

Jason: So, you have made a great match for princess Rhae-Rhae, I see.

Rhaenyra: Thanks, Ser Jason. And I know, he’s a much better match than you.

Jason: *applies milk of the poppy to burned area*

Viserys and Rhaenyra: *Mental high-fives*

. . . . .

Velaryons: *knows how to make a grand entrance*

Crowd: *applauds*

. . . . .

Criston: *sees the Laenor*

Criston: *thoughts* She’s marrying this gay mofo instead of me? Wtf

. . . . .

Joffrey: *bows to the king and princess*

Rhaenyra, to Laenor: Omfg that’s your bf, right?

. . . . .

Daemon: *arrives uninvited*

Daemon: WHAT’S UP, BITCHES! I’M BAAACK!

Crowd: *gasps*

Rhaenyra: Yay, uncle’s back!

Viserys: WTF

. . . . .

Alicent: *competes with the Velaryons in making a grand entrance*

Larys: Ooh, she wearing green. You know what this means.

Harwin Strong: What?

Larys: Wtf bro? Like the beacon of the hightower.

Harwin: …

Larys: When Oldtown calls its bad bitches to war, you know what color it glows?

Harwin: Green?

Larys: Good, you’re catching on.

. . . . .

Rhaenyra and Laenor: *dances together*

Criston and Joffrey: *being salty af*

. . . . .

Gerold Royce: In the Vale, men are made to answer for their crimes.

Daemon: I’m sorry, who tf are you?

Gerold: I’m your dead wife’s cousin.

Daemon: Oh, right. Such a terrible thing. She’s dead.

Daemon: Sad, I know. Anyway-

Gerold: It ain’t an accident and you know it.

Daemon: Ooh, you confessing to your crimes?

Gerold: No, bitch, I’m accusing you.

Lyonel: *thoughts* Tf did I just hear?

Viserys: *thoughts* Omfg Daemon killed his wife.

Daemon: Really? Anyway, I’m glad you’re here. Maybe we could talk about my inheritance?

Gerold: Inheritance?

Daemon: Dude, we have no kids. That means Runestone is mine because when you’re married, everything is conjugal.

Gerold: Wtf

Daemon: That’s right, I’ll go the eyrie after my niece’s wedding to discuss it. See ya soon.

. . . . .

Joffrey: I have some tea for you.

Laenor: What?

Joffrey: So I figured out who Rhae-Rhae’s boy toy is.

Laenor: Who is it?

Joffrey: it’s Crispy Coleslaw over there. He’s been salty the entire time. Also, she has good taste.

. . . . .

Daemon: *flirts with Laena*

Laena: *flirts back*

Rhaenyra: *get jealous and dances harder*

. . . . .

Joffrey: Hi

Criston: I’m on watch. Wtf do you want?

Joffrey: Let’s get something straight. I know you’re tapping the princess.

Criston: *sweating nervously* Wtf are you talking about?

Joffrey: Look dude, I like Laenor, you like Rhae-Rhae. We should make pinky-swears to protect them and their..secrets. If no one spills the tea, we’ll all be fine.

Criston: *internally screaming*

. . . . .

Laenor: *affectionately hugs Joffrey in public*

Corlys: Tf is this kid doing?

Rhaenys: What did I tell you?

. . . . .

Daemon: *pulls Rhaenyra into the dancing crowd*

Viserys: Wtf daemon! Right in front of my f*cking salad?

Also, Viserys: *continues eating while aggressively staring*

. . . . .

Daemon: So, is this what you want?

Rhaenyra: Tf do you care what I want?

Daemon: Laenor’s ok, I guess. But this isn’t for you, Rhae-Rhae.

Rhaenyra: It’s just like you said, it’s political, nothing more.

Daemon: Btw, my wife’s dead.

Rhaenyra: Really? Why don’t you take me then?

Daemon: What?

Rhaenyra: Is this not what you want? I’m not married yet. You have a chance.

Rhaenyra: Take me to Dragonstone and let’s get married. You game?

Daemon: *grabs Rhae-Rhae’s neck*

Alicent: Wtf am I seeing?

Viserys: *stands in anger* Daemon, you son of a bitch!

Daemon: *kisses Rhaenyra in the middle of the court*

. . . . .

*Fight breaks out in the middle of dancing*

Viserys: Wtf is going on?

Rhaenyra: Laenor, it’s your bf!

Laenor: What?

Laenor: *runs to Joffrey’s aid and attacks Crispy Coleslaw*

Criston: *kicks Laenor aside* Stand back, bitch!

Viserys: Where tf is Rhaenyra?

Lyonel: Harwin, get the princess.

Harwin: Yes, dad. *grabs Rhae-Rhae and carries her like a sack of potatoes*

Criston: *aggressively stabs Joffrey to death in front of everyone*

Joffrey: *Lies dead in the pool of blood*

Laenor: *sees Joffrey’s body and cries like a drama queen*

. . . . .

Laenor and Rhaenyra: *gets married despite the bloody feast*

Laenor: *sad because his bf died*

Viserys: *faints*

. . . . .

Criston: *decides to end his life*

Alicent: Hey, wtf are you doing? Don’t do it!

. . . . . . . . . . . .

I was bored so I did this. 🤣 I'll probably do this with the other episodes too. So excited for the next episode. Gonna miss Milly Alcock and Emily Carey and kudos to them for playing such amazing and complex characters.

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threadsun · 9 months

Note

Ok, here is the entire intro fic in one piece, enjoy!

You still can’t fucking believe you’re doing this, how did you get here again? Oh, right, the letter. Not a letter in your mailbox, or even under the front door, no, that would make too much sense. This letter was tucked safely under your pillow next to a concerningly sticky spot right next to your head. The letter was about your dad, he had recently passed and he left you his house and his whole ass cult in his will. No, really, in the will it says “and my whole ass cult” Apparently your father had a sense of humor

Your mother warned you not to go, urging you to come with her to flee the country, but something about this was too insane to not delve into. You also felt bad for all those poor people your father must have tricked, people don’t just decide to move to a commune because they’re in a good place in life, maybe you could help them out, change some lives. Or maybe the thought of having a whole town under your control sounded just a little too good to pass up. Either way, you packed everything important in a few bags and suitcases and plugged the address into your GPS

It was a few hours drive, and your car was making some concerning noises an hour or so out, but you pressed on, hoping this little town had a mechanic. You manage to get your car to pull through just long enough to get you into town and into a gas station parking space. You noticed the gas station had clearly seen better days, not because it was dirty at all, but because of how old it looked, the pumps didn’t even have card readers on them

While looking around, wondering just what you should do next, you read the sign of the shop right next door “Jo’s Repair Shop” You guessed it was common sense to have a repair shop right next to a gas station. As you walk over you spot a guy on his smoke break, you’d hate to bother him but you did need your car looked at. Yep, that’s it, that's the only reason, it’s not just your excuse to talk to the handsome stranger, definitely not, that would be silly. Oh wow, he’s built like a brick house, can you even talk to this guy? Oh, fuck he’s looking at you, quick, just don’t be weird

“Howdy” Howdy? Your one job was to be normal and you open with Howdy??? Wait, he laughed, god he sounds nice, at least he thinks you’re funny instead of stupid. You ask that after his break he looks at your car because of the noise it keeps making “Oh, that was your car? I thought someone was killing a dog out here” He chuckles and you can’t help but feel a bit flustered, you can’t tell if the feeling comes from having made that noise on the road for about an hour now, or because of how nice his voice was to listen to

He tells you it’s no trouble and puts out his cig, saying “I really need to quit anyhow” before letting you lead the way to your car. He gives your car a good once over before looking back at you “Well, I’ll be honest with you, it’s a miracle you got this far, doll. Your breaks are shot and your engine almost looks like it’s been cut with something. Sorry to say, but I don’t think I can get her up and running again, at least not cheaper than just buying a new car”

Great, just great, moving into a new town with no car, awesome. You sigh and thank him for the trouble, asking how much he wanted for the once over. He tilts his head “How much? I just looked at it, doll you don’t gotta pay me anything” …Doll? Doll??? Is this man trying to kill you? It didn’t register the first time he said it but it sure is now. You stutter out a thank you and ask how far out the founder’s house is “Oh…uh, from here it’s about a mile, but there’s not much of a reason to go. The founder died about a week ago” His eyes glaze over as he speaks, like he’s not even here. You tell him you know about your father’s recent passing, and apologize for bringing it up, saying he clearly meant more to him than he ever did to you

Joseph takes a moment, you can almost hear him trying to grind the rust off the gears in his head “Wait, father, like…like he’s your dad? Or was, I guess, but you’re-you…you’re the founder’s kid?” You have to stifle a laugh before confirming that yes, your dad was indeed your dad “...Holy shit-uh, sorry, I shouldn’t cuss in front of you, unless you want me to? God, you saw me smoke” He runs his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down “Sorry, let’s start over. I’m Joseph, it’s an honor to meet you, your grace”

You’re a little taken aback by his shift in tone but also a bit flattered. You tell him your name and that it’s nice to meet him as well, not missing the small shudder that runs through him when you say his name. He quietly says your name, testing how it feels on his tongue, the way he looks at you when he says it sends up to your cheeks “Well since you’re moving in you probably have quite a bit in your trunk, so we’ll need someone to move it. I mean, I don’t have a doubt everyone in town would pitch in to help you out but you look a little overwhelmed already”

You nod, you’ve only been here for about fifteen-thirty minutes and you’re already a bit shaken, the long drive here probably wasn’t helping things “Hm, why don’t I take you over to Laurent’s place? The actual restaurant is closed because Jean broke his arm but the bakery and frozen section are still open. We’ll get some food in you and I’ll talk to Berry about bringing his car over to haul your stuff” You agree, thanking him for all the trouble, he just laughs, and you can’t help be notice just how fake his other one’s sounded in comparison “If this is trouble I’d love to see what you think doing someone a favor is. Now come on, let’s get you something to eat” You make sure to lock your car before walking off with your new acquaintance, still nervous but excited to see where today will take you

================================================

The bell above the restaurant’s door rings as Joseph holds it open for you, the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread and something sweet surrounding you as you walk in. It’s a quaint little restaurant, more the size of a cafe than anything. A few booths and tables are scattered about in an area off to the side from the main counter, above which are prices for various frozen treats, and below are display cases for baked goods

Behind the counter is a very… normal-looking man. You don’t mean that as an insult it’s just the best way you can describe him at first glance, besides being ginger “Hey, Berry, someone sick or something? You usually don’t run the counter” The man behind the counter, who you now know as Berry, just shrugs “I thought I’d take Mariah’s shift, something told me today would be rather interesting. Who’s this?” As he looks at you you can feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up, you swear you’ve heard his voice before

“Oh, right, Berry this is the founder’s child” The way his eyes widen almost looks practiced “Really? Well, welcome to Laurent’s Place. Would you like some froyo? I’ve actually been working on a new flavor just for you” You try to decline his offer as politely as you can, saying you’d prefer something warm. Berry pouts at this “Oh, well maybe next time. As for warm foods, I’m afraid Jean’s still in his cast after the scene at the funeral. I’ll talk to Rory about making something, I’m sure he wouldn't mind if it’s for you” You could swear his smile got a bit wider when he talked about whatever incident left one of the chefs in a cast, but you shake it off, there’s no way, right?

Berry exits through a door to what you can only assume would be a kitchen as Joseph walks you to one of the empty tables “...So, I know you haven’t been here long, but do you like what you’ve seen so far? The town, I mean, you know I-I wasn’t talking about me or anything, just, um, yeah” Poor guy, you can tell he’s nervous, his blush starting to spread to his ears at his clunky attempt at small talk

You give him a reassuring smile and say everything you’ve seen so far has been great, the people too. His smile is so wide, it’s like he just can’t contain how happy he is. He looks away bashfully and you notice just how small he looks like this, just how cute he is burying as much of his face as he can in the hand he’s propped up on the table. You didn’t have long to admire his blush, his face paling as he saw Berry bringing you food over

“Here you are! Hope you like them” Berry sets a stack of pancakes on the table, made exactly how you like them. It’s almost scary how perfect they look, and taste you find out as you take an experimental bite. You thank Berry and give your compliments to the chef “Of course, I’ll let him know” Berry turns to leave before Joseph stops him “Actually, I know you’re busy today but their car broke down and I was hoping you’d help haul their stuff to the founder’s house, or, old house, I guess”

Berry’s eyes light up at this “Of course, anything for the child of prophecy. I’ll get on that right now” Joseph stands up a bit too quickly “I’ll come too! I mean, you know, cuz I know where their car is” You only now realize how pale Jo’s face gets while talking to Berry, how tense he seems. You tell the two that you’ll need a minute to finish your food “Oh, don’t worry, we can handle it just fine. You just relax here while we go move your things, we won’t look into anything, promise” The way Berry says it is almost sarcastic, like he’s just waiting for you to call him out on it. You just nod and thank them for the help

Berry sticks his head in the back and yells something before leaving with Joseph to move your things for you…to move your things for you. Wait, why the fuck would you ever agree to that? This is nuts, you don’t fucking know these people why do you just keep saying yes to them??? Because they’re hot. Yeah, ok, what’s a good reason you keep saying yes? … Yeah, that’s what you thought. God damn it, at least the pancakes are good, a bit salty but it’s a welcome addition to be sure

Everything just keeps happening, it’s a little hard to keep up. Most of your day has been on the road in your own little world, only stopping once or twice for gas and bathroom breaks. While this all sounded new and existing on paper it’s a little terrifying in practice, you’re already getting a little homesick, though the pancakes do taste like the ones your mom made for you. Yeah, your mom’s awesome, you wish there was just one familiar face around here. As you’re about halfway done with your stack the front door rings

================================================

You hear the front door ring as another customer walks in and orders their “usual” from who you can only assume to be…oh fuck, what did Berry say their name was? Tori? No, damn, this is a small town you have to get better at names. Before you can ponder what truly is in a name you hear the customer walking towards you. They look familiar, but you can’t quite place why. They seem to be just following their routine as they sit down in the booth across from you, not even looking up to see if it was taken

You just sit there a moment before clearing your throat in an attempt to get their attention “Hm? Oh, oh gosh, I-I’m so sorry! I wasn’t even looking, I just always sit here to wait, I’m so sorry” You tell them it’s fine, asking them if the Monday fog is still hanging around. A nervous laugh escapes them “Y-Yeah, you know how it is, um…oh, shit. I’m so sorry, but I can’t seem to remember your name” You explain how you don’t think you’ve ever met before and tell them your name

Their eyes go wide and they clutch their chest, you think something’s wrong until they start fumbling inside their shirt and pull out a necklace. That necklace, holy shit, the necklace, the red hair, the freckles, that cute little stutter, it’s Ian! Words begin to fly out of your mouth at record pace, asking how he’s been, what he’s been up to, if his mom’s still a bitch, and apologizing for not recognizing him sooner. Ian just sits there, his mouth opening and closing, as if trying to say something but nothing comes out

Then he starts to cry, he tries to keep it in but fails miserably, he never could hold his tears back. You get up and move to his side of the booth, rubbing his back like you always did when he was upset, and just like back then he wraps his arms around you and buries his face into your shoulder. You let him cry it out for a while until he calms down “You…you don’t hate me?” He croaks out. You explain to him that you’ve never hated him, and that it would be a little silly for little you to ask him out if you did. He laughs, sounding relieved “Ye-yeah, I guess so, huh? But…if you didn’t hate me, why did you leave?”

You explain that you’re not really sure why you had to leave, all you remember is your mom putting you into the car when it was dark and driving as fast as she could. Ian’s eyes darken slightly “Oh…so it’s her fault. Huh, well, at least you’re back now. Oh, sorry!” His hands recoil from your waist, almost as if the touch had burned him, and he straightens up “Sor-sorry, I wasn’t, it’s just that, it-it’s been so long, I just-” You cut him off and tell him it’s fine, remembering that he will just keep going until you stop him

“Right, um, well here, let me pay for your food. It’s the least I could do” You go to decline when you hear “Ian, your order’s ready” You stand up to let him out of the booth to grab his box of donuts “Um, hey, are you sticking around for a while? I-I’d love to keep talking but I have to get these back to set, and get my makeup on again, why does Shaun keep making his monsters covered in fur? Uh, do you think we can talk again?” You tell him you’re here to stay and you’d love to catch up sometime “Really? Awesome! Well, I need to go but I’ll see you later, bye!” The poor guy nearly slams into the door from his excitement before turning around and pushing it open with his back

You smile to yourself as you eat, reminiscing on just how much has changed, and just how much really hasn’t. Ian’s still a bit of a mess, and everything still looks pretty old, except this restaurant which looks pretty modern all things considered. You always thought your little kindergarten boyfriend was lost to time, but there he was, a full-grown man now. Wait, was Ian a man? Looking back on things he had some solid egg vibes, oh fuck you didn’t even ask for his pronouns, their pronouns? Oh damn it, have you been assuming people's genders this whole time? When did all your pancakes end up in your stomach? How long have you been looking at this empty plate?!

Ok, ok, fuck, no, you’re ok, everyone’s fine, nobody died. Just take a deep breath in…and out. Ok, you’ll just ask them for their pronouns later, you’re usually good about this, maybe how old everything looks is making you assume shit? Who knows, either way, you need to pay for those delicious pancakes so you get up and head over to the counter. There’s a register so it’s probably safe to assume this is where you pay, and you are a bit curious as to who apparently made your pancakes. After a moment someone in a similar uniform to Berry’s walks out of the door that leads to the kitchen, a basket of fresh rolls in their arms “Sorry for the wait, I couldn’t let these babies burn”

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The chef (baker?) puts the rolls in their spot and straightens back up to look at you “Can I help you?” Now that you can see their face properly you notice they’re wearing face paint of some kind, must be good stuff too, it’s such a bright pink but it doesn’t look cakey at all, ironic for a baker “Are you gonna order something or are you just going to stare at me?” You snap out of your little trance, apologizing for staring and asking how much for the pancakes

they tilt their head in confusion “Uh, unless I made another stack in my sleep Ian just paid for them, you don’t owe me anything” You feel your face get hot, both from how awkward this interaction was getting and the fact that you let them pay for you like that. You ask how much it was so you can pay Ian back later. Rory chuckles at this “Don’t worry, they were about five bucks, nothing to sweat over. Besides, Ian’s loaded nowadays, but if you are gonna have a heart attack over it could you do it outside? I really don’t feel like getting the mop out”

You chuckle, appreciating their attempt to lighten the mood. You tell them you’ll make sure to reschedule your heart attack for a later date and ask for their name “Damn, you really are new, huh? I’m Rory, Rory Rainberry, pleasure to meet you…?” You tell them your name, and then tell them your full name to mimic them “Huh, so it really is you. Everyone was talking about how you were gonna come back after the founder died but I was a bit skeptical. Glad to have you here though, you seem alright, as long as you give all this your best shot I’m sure you’ll do fine”

You can feel a bit of weight come off your shoulders as they speak, the way they talk making it seem like they’re an old friend rather than some stranger. You thank them for the assurance, telling them that today’s already been a bit of a whirlwind and you’ve only just gotten here “Yeah, that’s how folks here can be. A word of advice? Don’t be afraid to say no, you’re the boss now and everyone wants a piece of you, but they would never go against direct orders, especially if you can get Bo back in shape”

You ask who Bo is “The founder’s guard dog, poor thing’s been wasting away ever since he passed. Don’t be fooled when you see him though, at peak strength he can break through bone, just ask Jean'' Your eyes widen, Berry had mentioned someone in a cast but you just assumed they fell or something, a bit of a silly thought looking back on it but being around that guy was making your fight or flight go off a bit more than usual so you think it’s fair that you weren’t really pondering it before. You ask if this Jean is ok “Oh, yeah, he’s still in the cast but he’s back to doing shoots. Won’t be in the kitchen for a while which has its ups and downs''

You ask how so “Well, up side, I don’t have to deal with him telling me what to do. He’s an alright guy but man is he bossy in the kitchen. The downside is now Berry’s coming to me to pick up the slack, but up side to the down side, he does keep giving me free froyo” You ask him what flavor is his favorite “Oh, well you can’t get it. It’s a special flavor he saves for employees, says he puts his “secret sauce” into it, whatever that means'' You get an odd feeling from the phrase “Berry’s secret sauce” but choose to brush it off for now

You’re about to ask them another question when the front door rings, it’s only now that you realize you’ve been keeping Rory from actually doing their job, though something tells you they don’t mind. You turn to see who walked in only to be met with possibly the largest chest you’ve ever seen, you hear a chuckle and look up to see its source. They’re big, like, Joseph big, how many hulks does this town have? You stutter out an apology and step to the side, telling them you weren’t ordering anything

“Oh, you’re fine, I completely understand. It’s hard not to get roped into conversation with Rory” The way they say Rory sends a shiver down your spine, you can only imagine what it does to them. Well, no, you can see the puddle Rory’s melted into clear as day. Where a confident slightly sassy guy once stood is now a blushing mess. Rory takes a strand of hair between their fingers and starts to twirl it “Hi” You don’t think you’ve ever heard a word filled with more puppy love in your life

The large person leans over the counter and gives Rory a quick kiss, melting the last little bit of composure they had “I’m going to go visit Jean, he just got back from getting his cast readjusted and I thought I’d get him some coffee cake. Wanna come? I’m sure he’d be happy to see you” Rory opens their mouth to respond before their face falls. They sigh “No, I’m the only one here right now and if I close early again Berry might actually kill me” The stranger presses on, kissing Rory’s cheek “Come on, you know I’d never let anyone hurt you” Rory giggles, the kiss on their cheek tilting their head towards you

You suddenly realize that you’ve just been staring at this couple for some time now and you can feel your face getting hot again. You internally smack yourself for just gawking at these two but Rory doesn’t look offended, if anything they look pleased with themself, maybe even enjoying your voyeurism. No, that’s stupid, they’re probably just laughing at you in their head. Why is everyone in this town so hot?

“Oh, what if you take them with you? Jean’s been talking about seeing them again since forever” The stranger looks over to you, giving you a once over “...Who is that?” Rory giggles again “That’s the founder’s kid” The stranger’s eyes widen “Oh, golly, forgive me your grace, I’ve never seen a description of what you look like” You tell them it’s fine and that you look pretty different from what you did all those years ago anyhow “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you, I’m Sunny Day Jack, but everyone just calls me Jack” You tell them that it’s nice to meet them and give them your name

Rory reaches down into the display case and puts a few pieces of coffee cake into a bag and hands it to Jack, giving them a kiss on the cheek “As much as I’d love you to stay you shouldn’t keep Jean waiting, you know how fussy he gets. I’ll meet up with you after my shift, ok?” Jack leans down and gives Rory a proper kiss, melting them all over again “Alright, can’t wait sunshine. Your grace, would you like to join me?” You nod, unsure of what else to do with your time, and a bit curious about this Jean guy. You swear you remember that name but you can’t quite put a face to it. Jack holds the door for you and you two start to walk to Jean’s house “So, what’s your favorite color?”

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Favorite color? You can’t help but ask them why that’s the first question they ask you “Someone’s favorite color can say a lot about them, and it’s something most people know off the top of their head. It also probably comes from how many kids I meet” You tell them you were wondering why they were so colorful “Oh, well that’s because I’m literally a clown. Though I guess all my bright colors do make me look like I’m from a cartoon, huh?” You two chuckle and you agree with them, saying that they’d make a great action figure

Jack laughs at this “Aww, you’re too kind, I’ll let you know if our merch team ever makes one. I’d love to see you play with me” A shiver runs up your spine as their voice dips into something lower, seductive even, before snapping back to his original tone “How’d you like Rory? He’s pretty great, right?” The tone shift makes your head spin for a second before responding, agreeing that Rory is nice to talk to “Yeah, he’s really sweet when you get to know him, he’d make a great harem member if I might be so bold” You chuckle and ask if he has a harem “Huh? Oh…you don’t know much about what leading the cult entails do you?”

Your face falls, that familiar feeling of anxiety pooling in your stomach. You ask him what he’s talking about “Well, there are a lot of things the leader is expected to do but one thing you’ll have to establish is who gets to be in your harem. People will flock to you once they all know you’re here and all of them want to please you. The harem is a system that makes sure people don’t do something stupid like try to have sex with you in public” You laugh, they don’t

You look at him for a moment before asking if he’s serious “Oh yeah, it was a real problem before the founder established his. If you’re still unsure who you’d like to be in it by week's end just pick someone you’re friends with to hold them off. Though make sure you tell them they’re just there because they're your friend, don’t wanna kill anyone now, do we?” even though you’re both outside in the afternoon sun you feel ice cold, you’d expected weird shit, it is a cult after all, but this is just something else. You can’t even tell if they’re kidding about your rejection killing someone, the way he says it is so flat, like they’re telling you the sky is blue or fire is hot

You tell them you’ll keep it in mind and you start to look around as you try to think of another conversation topic. As you do you notice all the houses look nearly identical, not an uncommon occurrence in neighborhoods to be sure, but it’s more than a little uncanny. Every now and again you see a group of children playing after school, all of them wave at Jack as you pass by. You remember them saying that they talked to a lot of kids and decide to ask them about it

“Oh, I’m the elementary teacher! Though I also do counseling for the older kids. It can be rough going through life alone, I just wanna be there them” It’s only when their voice drops do you realize they’ve been performing this whole time. Their voice has been light, almost bubbly all this time, but in that moment they sound so down to earth, like they really care about these kids. You can’t help but smile

“Oh, here we are!” Their voice regains its bouncy quality as he walks down someone’s driveway “Now, I’ll make sure to tell him who you are but don’t be surprised if he gives you a bit of a death glare when he sees you. Jean’s never been fond of newcomers” You thank them as they knock on Jean’s front door. It takes a minute but eventually the door opens, the man inside looks a bit awkward, having to cross his left arm over to open it. He gives you your warned death glare before it turns to something more confused “Hey Jean, I thought I’d bring you some coffee cake after your readjustment. This is-” Jean’s eyes widen and before they can get it out, Jean says your name

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You finally piece it together, Jean, spoiled bitch Jean. He was always nice to you but it was never really personal, like he didn’t really know what having friends meant. You greet him by name, commenting on how tall he’s gotten. Jean chuckles and welcomes you both in, as you walk inside your mouth starts to water at the smell coming from what you assume to be his kitchen. He holds out his left arm and you go in for a slightly awkward side hug

“It’s so good to finally see you again, how have you been?” You tell him you’ve been good and that it’s nice to see him too. Man, Jean has really changed from when you were kids. Where Ian still has a bit of a baby face Jean looks almost like he was sculpted. Sculpted? Really? One of the first things you point out is how hot your old friend is? Maybe a harem wouldn’t be too bad for you, when was the last time you got laid- “Your grace?” Jack places their hand on your shoulder and you snap out of your little daze

You shake your head slightly and apologize for staring, Jean simply chuckles “Oh, you’re fine. Please, sit” He gestures to his couch, the upholstery having a few claw marks on the armrests but otherwise looking rather new. As you sit down you hear a chirping sound from under the couch. A ball of white fur crawls from underneath the couch before hopping into your lap. Jean opens his mouth but then shuts it, seemingly mulling something over “Uh- Princess, get off there, you’re getting your hair all over them” You laugh and say it’s fine, your hand petting her soft fur

After a second Jean’s eyes widen “Oh, Jack, didn’t you and Shaun have that meeting today?” Jack almost flinches “Oh, shoot, that was today? I better get going then, uh, here’s the coffee cake, goodbye your grace” Jack sets the bag of coffee cake onto Jean’s side table before giving you a small bow. Once Jack leaves Jean closes the door with his back and sits next to you on the couch. You ask for the cat’s name “Huh? Oh, uh, Princess, I said it earlier, remember?” You tell him you remember his folks not letting him have a cat and that once he got one he probably named it out of spite, so, what’s its name? “...I just call her Fucker” You knew it!

Jean laughs “I guess you did, you were always the smart one” He goes to touch your hand but Fucker bats it away before rolling onto her back and purring in your lap. Jean’s face goes from serene to pissed to something bashful all within a few seconds. He sighs “You always did have a way with animals” You thank him, actually, while you’re at it you ask him if he’s still cool with he/him stuff “Yeah, do you go by anything different now?” You tell him your pronouns “Alright, I’ll make sure to pass it on” His tone is full of confidence before seemingly remembering something “I-I mean, if you want me to”

The way he just talked sounded so much like Ian that you could swear he’s making fun of them, but he’s not making any faces or anything so it comes off as oddly genuine. Maybe they hang out now? A lot of time has passed, surely Jean’s bullying has toned down to some extent. You tell Jean there’s actually something you wanted to ask him “Oh? Well, whatever it is I don’t judge. You can tell me anything”

Jean leans forward slightly, looking up at you through batting eyelashes. You tell him that you remember his family being pretty close with your dad and ask if he can tell you anything about what running this place actually means. Jean’s face falls for just a moment before perking up again “Of course I can, I was one of the people closest to the founder before he died, what would you like to know?” You ask about your every day, if there’s a schedule you have to follow

“There’s no strict schedule except for the weekly sermons and any speeches or appearances you have to make” You ask what the sermons are like “A bit bloody if we find a decenter but other than that it’s just us praising your name. Except for the ones at the start of the month, that’s when the founder would make predictions of what would happen during that month” You can feel the blood start to drain from your face. You ask what happens when the predictions are wrong, Jean looks at you like you’ve just admitted to liking pineapple on pizza “They aren’t? They are predictions from our god, they are never wrong. If you’re worried about it, don’t be. You’re our god taken human form, I’m sure your predictions will be the best yet”

You feel like someone just ran up to you and punched you square in the diaphragm, knocking all the wind out of you. Fucker decides you’re not petting her good enough and starts rubbing her face on your shaking hand. You ask what he’s talking about, Jean sighs “That awful woman didn’t tell you anything, did she?” He takes one of your hands in his good one, he starts by saying your name “You are our god incarnate, the one who will raise us from the dark times after our founder fell. You are our future”

It feels like the whole world is slowly spinning around you, your brain desperately trying to make sense of all of this. You can feel your panic start to bubble to the surface, starting in your chest and spreading. You can feel it crawl down your arms and legs and you don’t know where you’re gonna go but you can’t be here-...He’s petting you. The long delicate fingers of Jean’s left hand weave into your hair to scratch your scalp “It’s ok, you’re ok, everything is going to be just fine” He gently places his hand on your left shoulder, moving you to rest your head on his chest

You feel yourself melt slightly, enough of your stiffness leaving you for you to wrap your arms around him “I want you to focus on my voice, ok? It’s just us here, you don’t have to worry about any of that right now. Can you tell me something you can smell” You tell him his cologne, a deep cinnamon mixed with some kind of wood. You can smell the faintest whisper of smoke on him too, it’s nice, complementing his cologne. You also pick back up on the smell from the kitchen, now that you’re focusing on it you can tell it’s some kind of roasted chicken. You breathe out a small laugh as you realize your mouth is watering

“Good, very good. You’re doing such a good job for me” Something about his praise mixed with him petting you like this makes you feel warm. It’s not like the fiery heat of embarrassment you felt earlier in the day, it’s softer, it feels nice, almost too nice. His hand moves down to your back, slowly rubbing up and down, you’re reminded of how you did this for Ian back at the restaurant, did it feel this good for him too? You hardly even know Jean but something about him feels so safe, so familiar in all this chaos. A small chuckle escapes you as Fucker butts her head against your leg, clearly miffed you’re not giving her all your attention

“There you go, just relax into me. You’re so cute like this” His hand slides up a bit higher than before, his thumb brushing the base of your neck. Now that he’s made you focus in on your senses everything just feels so much…bigger than it did a few minutes ago “You know, if you’re this worried about doing a good job, I could help you. Like I said, I was really close with your dad. I could be really close to you too” He leans his head down just a bit, his lips brushing over your ear making you shiver “Or maybe even closer” Jean’s hand moves to your cheek, cupping your face gently. He tilts his head, you can feel his hot breath on your lips and-DING DONG

Both of you damn near jump out of your skin as the doorbell rings. Jean looks to the door, to you, and back to the door. He lets out a groan as he gets up to answer it. He just stands there, knob in hand, for a second to collect himself before opening it “How can I-...oh, it’s you” A deep voice comes from beyond the doorway “It’s meeee!” Jean huffs “What are you doing here? Don’t you have some murder fest to be filming?” The voice chuckles “Well, I did, but then Jack came and told me he was sorry for being late for our meeting that starts a week from now. And after he told me their grace was left here all alone with you? How could not come pay you a visit?”

Jean looks back over to you before trying to close the door, the person from outside easily keeping it open “This is my house, Shaun you can’t just barge in here like this!” Shaun steps inside so you can now properly see how massive they are. They’re not as tall as Jack or Joseph but they seem a bit wider? Not chubby, just wider, maybe it’s bone structure? Maybe it’s Maybelline. Oh shut the fuck up

“Listen, we’re allowed to do whatever is needed if there’s an emergency our leader needs to take care of remember? Or are you going to admit you had no good reason to take the founder away every time I wanted him to review my edits?” Jean stutters on his response “Hey, it’s not my fault the founder was such a good taste tester. What else was I supposed to do? Just feed the public food before it’s perfect? What kind of a man do you think I am Shaun?” Shaun laughs again, they have a good laugh, a deep warm belly laugh, even in this rather tense situation “I’d tell you, but I’d rather not use that kind of language around their grace, speaking of” Shaun turns to you “I wasn’t kidding earlier, there really is something you need to take care of. Mind coming with me your grace?”

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You shake your head, trying to get out of the weird headspace you were just in before agreeing. As you stand from the couch your legs feel like jelly, honestly your whole body feels a bit sluggish after your panic attack. Jean’s eyes fill with fear as you start to walk to Shaun “W-Wait! You can’t go yet, you, um, you haven’t had any tea yet! If you just give me a second I’ll-” You tell Jean you’d love to stay but you can’t if there’s an emergency “Thank you your grace, at least someone here has there head screwed on right”

You’re almost out the door when you turn to say one last goodbye to Jean, he looks dazed, like he’s trying to remember which way is up. You go to ask him if he’s ok but Shaun takes your hand, leading you down the road to wherever this emergency is. You two run down the road for a minute or two before slowing down to a walk. You ask them why you’re slowing down “Well, there is an emergency but you’re gonna need Nick there with you to deal with him. So I figure, why rush? Nick won’t be on set for another fifteen” You ask them why you started running in the first place

“You think I was leaving you in that house? No way in hell. I mean, I’m sure you can handle yourself but new faces are Jean’s specialty. Any longer and I’m sure he’d have convinced you to add him to your harem” Why is everyone talking about your harem? You tell them Jean was just trying to help you after you started panicking “And what made you start panicking?” You were asking Jean questions when he told you were like actually a god and how you were super important and…oh, oh fuck

“Yeah, that’s Jean for ya. Damn snake, he’s got almost the whole town’s pity after his accident too. Don’t worry, anyone that actually knows him knows how fucking awful he is” You ask how many people actually know him, Shaun’s face falls “Not nearly enough” They clear their throat before attempting to lighten the mood “But that’s enough of that, how are you holding up? Today’s probably been a lot huh?” You sigh and agree, you’ve already met so many people, and you’re bound to meet so many more

“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, most people around here are in bed by nine so everyone’s already starting to wind down for the day. People don’t fully know you’re here yet so you have until at least tomorrow before shit gets crazy” You ask him about the emergency “Oh, well, yeah ok things are gonna get a little crazy tonight but Bo is pretty low energy these days so…I mean that’s not a good thing, but he’ll be easier to manage”

You ask how Bo’s doing “Well, he’s still kicking, so there’s that” Is that really the best news about him? Shaun sighs “Yeah, poor guy, hasn’t eaten anything since the funeral” You ask how long ago that was “About a week now, Nick’s been able to get him to drink a bit of water but that’s about it” You ask how he’s still alive “The guy’s strong, even like that he’ll still growl at anyone who tries to enter the founder’s room that isn’t Nick. That’s why I’m not sending you in there without him”

You give Shaun your thanks and you two walk in silence until Shaun takes a turn off of the cobble road. You follow his lead and eventually you get to a small filming set over by the forest. Wait, film set, wasn’t- “Hey, Ian, I’m back!” “Oh thank god, Shaun I love you man but you can’t just leave me in charge like…oh” You greet Ian as he realizes you’re there “Uh, hi, hello, how-uh shit how are you?” You give a shrug and tell him you’re fine “Hey, how come you aren’t in costume yet?” Ian sighs “Sorry Shaun but as soon as you left Daniel damn near set the forest on fire with one of the props” “Again? I swear, that kid has got to get it together”

It’s fascinating to see Ian talk to Shaun like this, he’s so casual about it, so fluent. Who is this man and what has he done with your Ian? Wait, your Ian? Ah, shut up shut up! “Hey, thought I’d swing by early. Hope that’s cool”

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You turn to see, well, an e-boy. You don’t mean it in a rude way, that's just the best way you can describe this guy “Nick! Perfect timing, change of plans. I’ll get your opinion on my latest edit later. Do you think you could take their grace to see Bo?” Nick’s eyes light up when Shaun calls you your grace but they otherwise hold their cool expression “Of course, follow me your grace” Nick gives you a little bow before turning to leave “W-Wait, you’re already leaving?”

You turn back to tell Ian you have to go, but you’d love to hang out later “Yeah, and besides we gotta get you into costume if we wanna stay on schedule” Ian visibly relaxes a bit “Oh, ok, I’ll see you later then” You bid them farewell and head off to go see Bo. You two walk in silence for a while when you hear a clinking sound, it’s not metallic, it kinda sounds like if you knocked two pieces of porcelain together. The sound comes from Nick’s pocket and you ask him if that’s his fidget toy

“Hm? O-Oh, yeah…sorry” You tell them it’s fine, whatever helps you get through the day, huh? “Heh, yeah” …Cool, cool cool cool, this conversation is going great. You decide now’s a good a time as ever to ask their pronouns “He/him, you?” You tell him your pronouns “Cool, cool” Very cool, so cool, you’re so very cool right now and definitely not wondering if he hates you, that would be silly…Yeah, ok, this is a bit silly. You’re sure this guy thinks you’re fine, you’re just panicking again. Just breathe. Geez, how many anxiety attacks can a person have in a day? Why can’t that number be zero?

“Hey, are you alright?” You tell him you’re fine, just stressing out over…everything, you guess "Damn, god's relatable" That manages to get a laugh out of both of you "Sorry, I guess I just wasn't expecting that. It's cool though, nice to know I'm not the only nervous one" Wait, he’s nervous? Nick pauses for a second "...I'm seeing god for the first time since I was seven, yeah, I'm a little nervous" He says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, and you guess it kind of is. These people think you’re a big deal, it would be weirder if they weren't nervous around you

You tell him that there's no reason to be nervous, you don't bite "Aw, I was looking forward to that" Nick slaps his hand over his mouth "I am…so sorry. I can't turn it off" You laugh and tell him you get it, saying you do stuff like that all the time “Right, thank you your grace, you’re too kind” You want to correct him and say that that’s the normal response but you don’t know if that’s safe. It’s gonna be your job to pretend to be god now, fuck, how are you even gonna do that? Ok, you can question that later, right now you need more info

You ask him about Bo "Oh, yeah, he drank some water yesterday. He's not doing great but I'm sure once he meets you he'll be on the mend. He just needs a new purpose, a new master, I'm sure of it" His reasoning is pretty good but he sounds more like he's trying to convince himself than you. You tell him you're sure he'll be fine, and that it sounds like he's been doing a great job taking care of him. Not everyone's strong enough to take care of a dog like that. You watch his face turn from as pale as porcelain to firetruck red "Huh…thank you your grace"

As you continue to walk your eyes are drawn by the giant fucking house in front of you. Holy shit "Yeah, it's pretty big, huh? You like it?" You shake off your surprise and tell him it's massive "Yeah, don't know how the founder lived there personally. All that space would drive me up the wall" …what?

That's your fucking house? Nick chuckles "What you and the house get up to is none of my business but I'd say so" you're pulled from your bewilderment when you feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up "Well hey there, and here I was thinking you'd never show up" You turn to see Berry who is…right next to you? How did he "We managed to get everything inside but we couldn't bring it into your room with Bo in there"

You thank him and take a half step back to try and get him out of your bubble but he steps with you staying uncomfortably close. You try to look for anything that isn't Berry to focus on when you see Joseph leaned up against the house. You wave over to him to catch his attention, he seems to flinch at your acknowledgement and gives you a meek wave in return "Well it's a good thing you showed up when you did, that mutt probably would have keeled over by tomorrow if you didn't show up"

You hear the clinking of Nick's fidget toy getting louder but he doesn't say anything. You tell Berry Bo sounds like a strong dog and probably could have held out a little longer. You're not sure if you believe yourself on that one but Nick seems to relax as you say it "Huh, if you say so your grace" Nick starts walking towards the house and you follow him, thankful for the out "He might growl at you but as long as I'm here with you he won't bite" Nick opens one of the front doors for you, the heavy thunk it makes as it closes making you wonder if the damn thing was made of stone. You two walk up a flight of stairs and down a hallway before he stops in front of a door, your things neatly stacked next to it

"Ready?" As you'll ever be. Nick opens the door and his voice becomes a bit softer "Hey Bo, how are you feeling?" You hear a growl and then a voice? "Why is he here?" Is there someone in Bo's room? "Huh? Oh, Berry and Joseph were just delivering their grace’s things" You look past Nick to see someone lying on the bed, their voice is dull and hoarse "Their grace? They're here?" Nick opens the door fully and you finally see it, their ears and tail, their voice, the way you can see the bones in their face from here, Bo

He perks up as you say his name “Your grace?” You can tell his energy is low and yet he spends whatever he has left into wagging his tail for you. You have to walk to the other side of the bed to get a proper look at him, he looks sick, pale and boney where you’re sure he was once full of life. You greet him, telling him your name before extending your hand to him to sniff, you see his face drop as he does “Why…why do you smell like him?” You ask who “Berry, I mean, not all the time, but sometimes he smells like that in the mornings” You can feel the blood drain from your face, no, no no no, don’t be silly

You tell Bo you probably just use the same soap or something, does he not like it? “Wha? No I…If it’s yours I like it” It’s only once Nick reenters the room do you notice he ever left, man he’s quiet. You see he’s holding a stick of jerky and ask Bo if he could maybe take a few bites, for you? Nick smiles at you and hands you the jerky “Mhm, I-I can do that…I’ll be good” You hold the jerky up to him as he takes a few bites. You can feel Nick’s excitement radiating off of him as you let Bo eat from your hand. He’s slow, chewing each bite thoroughly before taking another, only eating a bit before he stops

“I’m sorry, I feel so full already” You tell him it’s ok, gently patting his head as you tell him he did such a good job for you. You smile as you hear his tail thumping on the bed behind him “Thank you your grace” You see him start to tear up “Please…don’t go” You cup his cheek with your hand and tell him you’re here to stay, which means he needs to get better for you, deal? He giggles “Deal”

I reread the whole thing and it's still so good!!

#panie-wanie-dean-bean #sunshine #cult town au #cult town main story #so many little things I noticed that I didn't notice before #like the engine looking like it was cut 👀#and Jean looking dazed after Shaun walked in!!!#oughhhhhh this au lives rent free in my brain forever #Moon and I keep talking about how our OCs would be if they were in it and it's so fun!!!

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justmeinadaze · 1 year

Text

Saying Sorry Part 2 (Steve X You)

Warning: Angst because I live and breathe it to survive. Smut of course <3 These two still bicker but not as aggressively as the last chapter. There's some deep diving into Steves need to impress his papa so trauma for little Steve. His dad is a dick (of course) and does pop him. Reader steps in. Cameo from Andrew again and Steve throughly beating his ass. Um, the rumors are mentioned again about the reader being a slut (which she isn't). I think that all.

Word Count: 4009

“Oh my god. I’m so excited to see this movie. Aren’t you?!”, Steve glanced at you and noticed your head was hanging. “Y/N? Are you okay? We…we can watch something else if you want.”

“No, no Steve. I want to see it to. I just…” You pouted as you leaned against the wall outside the theater door.

“Hey. You can tell me anything. You know that right?”

Your eyes meet his soft brown ones as you exhale a long sigh. “I feel bad that you had to pay for my ticket.”

“Y/N, honey.” You giggle when he calls you that. He’s never said it before and you can’t help but blush. “I seriously don’t mind. I like hanging out with you and I know things are a little hard for you right now. It’s fine.”

“I don’t want you to think I’m using you or something.”

Steve leans down wrapping his small arms around you. “Even if you were, I wouldn’t care. You’re my best friend. You can use me for anything.” You lightly punch his chest when he coyly wiggles his eyebrows.

################

When you woke up the next morning, Steve was already gone.

Jesus Christ, what the fuck did I do? What if tells people? What if he makes the rumors about me worse? What do I even say to him? DO I say anything? Fuck!

That day you wondered the halls like a ghost, hoping to remain invisible. You were completely lost in your brain trying to figure out what yesterday meant if it meant anything at all. You were still so angry with Steve for everything that had happened in your past but you did miss him. He always seemed to hate you now but he followed you around the party and came over the next day to make sure you ok. Steve fucked you like how you imagined he had with every other girl in Hawkins but when you asked him to stay…he did. No sarcasm, no King Steve bullshit… He encircled you in his arms and held you to him like no one or nothing else in the world mattered.

“Fuck! Shit. I’m sorry!” While dealing with your mental crisis, you had accidently run into someone knocking you back slightly. Your breathing stopped when you realized whose hands were trying to steady you.

“Hey, um, no it’s ok.”, Steve immediately dropped his arms to his sides. “Are, uh, are you—”

“Come on, Harrington! Let’s kick some shirtless ass.” Tommy sauntered to his friend, patting him on the back before realizing you were there. “Hey Y/N! How’s my new best friend doing?” He reached out to grab your chin and you angrily slapped it away.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m alright with not. I heard from Andrew you two did enough touching the other night. That’s why Stevie here had to kick you both out of his party.”

Steve’s head aggressively turned towards his friend. Was that the rumor going around? There were people in the room when he threw the boy off you. How could they twist the truth so much and have people believe it? When he turned back to you, your eyes were full of fire.

You scoff as you push them both out of the way and head into the gym.

“Y/N! Y/N, wait.” You heard him trying to get your attention but chose to ignore him as you climbed the bleachers and took a seat, throwing your bag to the side. “Y/N, I…I seriously had no idea he was saying things like that.”

“Who cares? Definitely not you if you aren’t going to tell douchebags like Tommy the truth. Go ahead, may as well put a spin on your own rumor.”

His eyes narrowed as he glared at you. “I would never do that.”

“Lucky me then, huh? It’s ok for you to encourage them but at least you don’t spread them. No, King Steve is a gentleman.”

“Harrington! Can we get fucking started or not?”, the P.E. teacher shouted across the court. He sighed, angerly twisting away from you and heading for his team.

You tried to focus on your notes for your next class but your eyes kept wondering to the men in front of you. Steve was obviously upset as he played and you couldn’t help but feel slightly concerned for him. You had seen that frustrated look in his demeanor many times in the past. Usually when he felt like things were out of his control.

“Steven! Come down here now!”, his dad roared from downstairs.

Twelve-year-old Steve looked over at you as worry flickered across his face for a moment before he smiled. “I’ll be right back, ok?” You nodded before he slid off his bed and exited his room.

His dad voice practically shook the house as he screamed at his son. Carefully, you opened the door and walked down the hallway, leaning over the banister. The boy hung his head as his father paced back and forth.

“What am I going to do with you?! How am I supposed to trust you now?”

“Dad, I swear I didn’t—”

“Don’t give me that excuse again! Whose beer was it then?! You were the only one here yesterday unless you had that girl with you—”

“But I wasn’t here yesterday either! I was with Y/N and her family—”

His father reached out and smacked Steve across the face. “Stop talking back to me! I am your father and I demand respect!”

You didn’t even think twice about your actions as you flew down the stairs and put yourself between them. “No! Leave him alone! He was with me yesterday.”

The sound of their heavy breathing filled the room before his dad pointed his long index finger past you towards his son. “We’ll talk about this more later.” With that, he turned on his heels and stomped towards his office.

Steve roughly grabbed your wrist and tugged you back upstairs. “I said I’d be right back! Why did you do that?! I can handle him!”

“He hurt you…”

“And I can handle it!” He placed his small hands on his hips as he glared at the floor. Suddenly, he slowly felt your arms wrap around his waist.

You softly smiled in his chest as his body gradually released the tension before hugging you tighter to him.

“Steve! Focus! Come on, man.”, one of his teammates hollered at him.

“Andrew! Switch with Tyson.”, the coach instructed and you immediately sat up straighter. You didn’t even notice Andrew was in the gym. He wickedly smiled at Steve as he took off his shirt and threw it to the side.

Steve bounced the ball in front of him before shoving his shoulder against the man’s chest and running around him to make a basket. One of the other players collected it and tossed the ball to Andrew who mockingly bounced it in front of Steve.

“So, Harrington, have you heard any good rumors lately?” He tried to run around him but Steve slid his arm underneath him and took the ball from his grasp. “All that Mr. Chivalry bullshit just for the outcome to be the same.” He laughed as he tried to block him but Steve swished around him, making another basket.

“There we go, Harrington! Good job!”, the coach clapped as someone passed Andrew the ball again.

The boy’s eyes flicked towards you before glaring at Steve. “Should have just let me fuck her. At least her and I both would have gotten something out of it.”

Steve charged at Andrew’s stomach, tackling the boy to the ground as they began delivering blows.

“Harrington!” Tommy and some of the other kids managed to pull them both apart. “Walk it off, man!”

You found him a couple of minutes later, leaning against the wall outside with his hand pressed against his nose. The sound of your sneakers crunching on the ground caused him to snap his head in your direction.

“What?! You come out here to yell at me about defending you or something?! Jesus fucking Christ!” He stood up and angrily began to stalk past you but before he could you wrapped your arms around his waist, leaning your head on his chest. You felt the tension in his body slowly deflate as his hands reached up to hold you closer to him.

#################

“Ow!”

“Oh, don’t be a baby.”, you roll your eyes as you press the tissue towards his bloody nose. You both were sitting on bench near the gym in the hallway outside of the girl’s locker room. A smile twitches for a moment on his lips as he watches your eyes focus on his face.

“I’m sorry…that I, uh, didn’t correct Tommy. I should have. I will! I promise.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate that.” You tossed the bloody tissue in the trashcan beside you before placing both palms on his cheeks to check his features. “Well, sire, you shouldn’t have any bruising but your face is probably going to be a little sore.”

As you start to drop your hands, he immediately raised his own keeping yours pressed against him. You sighed, reaching your thumb out to caress his bottom lip.

“What about you?”, he asked.

“What ABOUT me?”

“Are you sore?” Steve’s brown eyes fell to your mouth as you smiled, sucking your bottom lip between your teeth. The sight made him chuckle but not in a mocking sort of way. It sounded like the way he used to laugh when you would watch scary movies together and you would shriek before hiding in his side. Or when you would tell him the stupidest joke he had ever heard but you were so ecstatic to tell him that he was more amused by your own reaction than the joke itself.

“Steve—” The sound of the bell cut you off as you dropped your hands from his face, quickly grabbed your bag, and he lost you in a sea of students.

He thought about you for the rest of the day, searching for your face in every classroom he passed. In the hallways, his eyes would swivel towards your locker but you were never there when he was.

“What’s wrong with you, dude?” Tommy threw a balled-up piece of paper in Steve’s direction. “You’re lucky Coach didn’t pull you from the game tonight.”

“Eh, would have been worth it to punch Andrew in the face.”

“Come on, Harrington. Asshole talks trash all the time—”

“I know but this is different.”

“How?”

“Because he didn’t have sex with Y/N. I kicked him out because he was being aggressive with her.”

“Ok, now I’m even more confused. Who cares about some slut and her reputation? Like this will make up for the hundreds of other guys she’s been with.” Steve glared at Tommy as he rose to his feet.

“Because she’s not a slut! God, how did those rumors get fucking started anyway?!” He slams his fist into the lockers behind him as he ran off towards the boy’s locker room. Unbeknown to him, you were leaning against the wall down the adjacent hallway listening to him defend you. It didn’t make up for everything you had been through these past two years but it was definitely a start.

#####################

You snuck in just as the game was about to start, finding a spot in the back corner against the wall. Steve panted from the pregame practice, scanning the crowd till his eyes found yours. He grinned at you and you returned it with a small awkward wave. As he continued to look around, you noticed his smile faulter and followed his gaze to find his parents coming into the gym.

Your heart broke as you watched that termination ignite in his eyes that always came along when he felt the need to impress his dad.

“Steve! You did so good!”, you jumped up and down as you gave him hug, not caring that he had just gotten out of pool.

“I came in third, Y/N.”

“And? That’s amazing. Out ten kids, you placed third. Be proud of yourself.”

He smiles as he playfully pushes your shoulder. “Thanks for comin’, honey.”

You beam up at him but both your happiness’s are short lived when his dad saunters over and ruffles his soggy hair. “Ah! Maybe you’ll do better next time, son.”

Steve struggled through the entire first half of game. The other team kept swiping the ball out of his grasp or whipping around him when he tried to block them. The buzzer rang signaling half time and the cheerleaders swarmed the court to do their routine. You tiptoed down the bleachers and towards the locker rooms where you heard the coach screaming especially at him.

“NOW GET IT TOGETHER, SON! Or I swear to God, I will cut you from this team so fast—”

The door swung open and his sweaty figure came into frame as he locked his fingers over his forehead. Abruptly his foot shot out and kicked the lockers across from him as he let out a grunt of frustration.

“Well, that’s dramatic.” He jumped as he turned to look at you.

“I can’t deal with you right now, okay?!”

“I’m not here to make you feel bad or anything like that, Steve. I just… you’ve always let him get under you skin. You’re better than this. I’ve seen you play.”

“Yeah, and the fuck would you know about it, hm? Your parents don’t give a fuck about your future and what you do with it.”

“Neither do yours! If they did, they would realize how talented you are and actually be there for you instead of running away to whatever bullshit excuse your dad gives you.” As you turn to leave, you pause to face him again. “And my parents do care, not just about me but you to even though you tossed me aside to impress people who are exactly like him.”

His sneakers squeak as he jogs over to you and blocks you from leaving as he leans down to hug you. “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I’m just—”

“I know. Don’t worry about it.” You can’t help but smile when he doesn’t let you go. “Um, Steve? You’re really sweaty.”

“Oh shit! I’m sorry.”

“You got this, ok?”

“Y/N? Um, not that I mind but why are you being so nice to me? After everything I’ve done.”

“Calm down, Harrington.”, you giggle. “I’m not saying I want to go steady or anything.” You shrug as your eyes meet his. “Maybe because I’m finally seeing little glimpses of the boy who used to be my best friend.”

He smiles as he watches you head back towards the gym.

###############

The second half of the game, Steve made up for his missteps helping his team get ahead of the other. Hawkins won with a substantial lead and he was noted as making the most points that night.

You waited for everyone to leave the area lingering behind to allow all the students time to get to their cars and leave. To your dismay, his parents did the same thing.

“Steven! Not your best, I must say.” Steve’s eyes fell as his dad patted him on the back. His mother grinned at him as she brushed a piece of his damp hair away from his face. “This is your junior year, son. You know you have to step it up!”

“I think he did pretty well.” All three Harrington’s turned to look at you as your shoes obnoxiously banged against the wooden bleachers. “Especially during that second half.”

“Excuse me, miss. Thank you for your opinion but this is between me and my son here.”

“Oh, not a problem. I just know if I was his dad and I would be damn proud to have him as my son.” You smile in their direction before heading to your car. Thankfully everyone had left so no one would be there to harass you about what you were even doing there. As you started unlocking your car door, you noticed Steve’s parents walk towards their BMW without him.

You sighed as you watched them drive off before you felt a hand grab your arm and turn you around. Lips meet yours, startling you before you realized you recognized the taste. Steve blindly reached behind you for the door handle and you moved to the side to help as his palm held the small of your back, guiding you into the backseat.

His fingers fumbled with the button on you jeans as he finally undid them and tugged them down your legs. You smiled as you pushed him back with your palm into a sitting position and wrapped your legs around his waist. Steve grinded his hips against your center making you moan as his hand clung to the back of your neck, keeping your lips firmly pressed to his own.

You reached down, pulling lightly at the waistband of his shorts and he grinned into your kisses as he lifted his hips to pull them down, releasing his cock from its confinement. Your lust blown eyes watched as he spit in his hand and stroked it along his cock before reaching between your legs to move your underwear to the side.

Lifting your own hips, you hovered over his tip before gradually allowing him to invade your entrance. You both let out a groan of approval but something in yours caused him to open his eyes and watch your face. Your eyebrows were furrowed together as you rolled your hips, slowly allow your body to take him inch by inch.

The first time he fucked you, he didn’t give you any time to adjust as he took from you what he wanted and you allowed it. A different type of passion was in charge that evening. What was controlling him now wanted you to enjoy him as much as he was enjoying you.

Steve’s palms reached out to cup your cheeks, bringing your forehead to his own.

“Such a good girl, baby. You’re doing so well. There’s no rush, okay? Go as slow as you need to.” You whimpered at his praises, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. As your hips fully connect with his own and he bottomed out inside of you, he growled, running his tongue along the side of your neck.

“You taste so fucking good, honey. Fuck…”

Steve calling you honey triggered something inside of you; memories you tried to keep locked in the back of your mind. Memories of him playfully teasing you as you giggled during sleepovers. You two walking to the diner near your house to share a meal before going to the cinema in town. Him comforting you when the kids he now called friends made fun of you.

He was too lost in you to notice the images that flashed through your eyes. Your head fell into the nook between his shoulder and neck as you grinded and bounced on top of him. His fingers tangled in your hair as he clung to the back of your head, meeting each smack of your hips with a thrust of his own.

Your arms clasped around his neck and he did the same against your back, pressing you tightly to him as he pumped into as hard as he could.

“Cum for me, Y/N. Please, baby. I’ll cum with you.”

Your eyes rolled back as you panted into his skin, nails digging into him as your body trembled and you came. Steve grunted at the feeling as your pussy clung to him before lifting you off his cock, pumping himself rapidly until ropes of his seed hit his thigh.

His head fell back against your seats, closing his eyes as he listened to the sound of you reaching forward into your glovebox to grab a napkin and clean him off. As Steve pulled up his shorts, he heard your breathing get heavier causing his eyes to flutter open and turn towards you.

You had curled your body on the opposite side of the backseat, your eyes glassy with tears you tried to hold back.

“Y/N? Are you ok? I…I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Steve, what are we doing? What is this?”, you gesture between the two of you. “I mean…even when we were friends you were never attracted to me—”

“Who says?”, he interrupted. “Who says I didn’t find you attractive? We were kids so I wouldn’t say ‘attracted’ but I always thought you were beautiful.”

“Oh, ok, Harrington. Let’s play that card. We were kids but we went on double dates together. I watched you make out with a ton of girls and I know Carlie Jameson sucked your dick freshman year. Why did you gravitate towards them instead of making a move towards me?”

“Ok, again, you keep throwing things like that in my face when you did the exact same things! YOU made out and grinded on most of the dates you brought with you even though you claimed to not really be into them. If we’re going by YOUR definition of attraction then in that case you weren’t into me either.”

“What the fuck do you mean by MY definition?”

“You’re implying that sex equals attraction and it doesn’t.”

“Oooo listen to you using big words.” Steve rolls his eyes before turning to glare out the car window. “I…I was attracted to you. You were unbearably kind to everyone but yourself. You were adorably goofy. That summer you taught me to swim, every time you jumped in you would make this silly face or quote a movie.” He smiles at the sound of your giggle. “And I guess you were cute with your stupid fucking hair and beautiful grin.”

“Hey, hey now. That’s below the belt…insulting my hair.”

Steve turns back to face you and you both genuinely laugh for the first time since you two had been close.

“You just always seemed to like the ‘pretty’ girls; long blond hair, big tits, and IQs that max out at room temperature. I just… I didn’t want to lose you by asking if you wanted to try taking our relationship further especially since, to me, there was a high chance of you saying no since I’m not like them.” You sighed as your eyes met his. “I guess it doesn’t matter. It happened anyway… you chose them over me.”

Steve looked away from you in shame. “You’re right. I’m a fucking asshole.

You reach out with your fingers and grip his chin, turning him to face you again. “Steve, what is this. What are we doing here?”, you repeat your earlier questions.

He sees you pleading with your eyes, begging for him to be the guy he used to be. The guy who took you to the movies holding your hand during every scary or action filled scene. The man who sat with you in the library, willingly letting you see how stupid he felt when it came to subjects you seemed to easily understand. The guy who brought you presents during any holiday just to see you smile, whether it was something small like a rose he stole from his house or book he saw you browsing when he went with you into town.

The boy who called you honey and sweetheart while you cried over the phone over something another kid said or to calm your worries when his dad would scream at him and he would run to your house to spend the night. The guy who fell for you the moment he met you.

“I can’t… I can’t be what you need me to be, Y/N.”

You nod your head in understanding as you release him from your grasp. “I understand.” Your eyes fell to the floor, unable to watch him as he exited your car and headed for his own.

#steve harrington #steve stranger things #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington smut #steve x y/n #joe keery #joe keery smut #joe keery fluff #joe keery fanfiction #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things #fan fiction #friends to lovers

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