#purple rain inspo
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#aesthetic#beautiful#nature#landscape#cottagecore#sky#moodboard#field#meadow#clouds#storm#rain photography#pretty#purple hour#nature photography#dark academia#cloudscape#spring#sunset#art nature#art#scenery#view#inspo#icons#trees#sunrise#photography#meadowcore#places
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Quiet Love
Crosshair x Gender Neutral!Reader One-Shot
Summary: Crosshair pops the question 💍
Warnings: None? Feelings, some angst, sappiness. Softy soft Crosshair. Some kissy. Reader not described. AU Crosshair is on Pabu and wants to marry you. He deserves it. In the context of my fic a cycle = a year. 1200 words
Author’s Note: Idk I just have Crosshair feels. Song inspo when I was writing this: Eric’s Song by Vienna Teng 🫶
Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! Also we need happier Crosshair gifs 😭😂
Strange how I fit into you // There's a distance erased with the greatest of ease // Strange how you fit into me // A gentle warmth filling the deepest of needs
The sun was sinking below the horizon, scattering magnificent hues of purples, pinks, and reds over the ocean. A slight breeze carried the smell of salty air and distant rain. Puffy thunderheads were forming high in the atmosphere, promising tropical showers.
You and Crosshair were sitting quietly, watching the sun disappear as stars blinked into existence above.
You were good at this, embracing stillness, savoring one another’s quiet presence.
After so long being at war, living in a Galaxy that was torn apart and was still being pieced back together, quiet is now calm.
Quiet is peace.
Quiet is love.
Four cycles have passed since you first saw Crosshair on the island.
Four cycles of being drawn to one another by an invisible force, filling the holes in your hearts that you never thought would close. Finding solace in one another’s company, finding forgiveness where you thought there was none.
He was afraid at first, when he realized his feelings for you. Frightened if he let you get close, his darkness and fears would spread like a disease and corrupt you. He was a broken man, his past still weighing heavy on his soul, even after the forgiveness of his family.
Slowly, the gracious and patient light that radiated from you burned through his shadows and he let you in. You both tread carefully at first, but as time went on, and more of his walls came down, the more he let himself fall for you.
Your love was a quiet one, but it was strong. It didn’t need to be loud.
Whether it was his hand on the small of your back when you were in public, or having a cup of caf ready for you in the morning exactly how you liked. How he’d worship your body behind closed doors, confessing his desires and need for you, quiet admissions from his heart, trusting you with his most vulnerable self.
Crosshair felt at his pocket as you sat, you not noticing as you watched the sunset. A ring was hidden in his pocket, something that he’s had for some time.
You held his heart and entire being in your hands. He knew you didn’t need a ring from him to realize his devotion to you. He didn’t either.
But you were willing to accept and help heal the heavy burden that was his heart and his love.
It was all he could do to let you know that you were his forever.
If you said yes.
A dark part of him wondered if this was all a dream, too good to be true. How could someone want to be with him, after all that he’s done? He wasn’t the best with words, but he was trying. He hoped it was enough.
You felt Crosshair’s arm snake around your shoulder, pulling you closer into him. He usually saved acts of affection like this when you were truly alone, but the veranda you had found was tucked away. You wouldn’t be bothered any time soon.
You leaned your head on his shoulder, your shoulders pressed together, the sun slowly fading in the distance. You looked at him, giving him a soft smile.
“It’s beautiful.” You uttered, bringing your hand over his that was draped over your shoulder.
“Hm.” Crosshair grunted in agreement, glancing down at you, the dimming sunlight casting a warm glow over your skin. You brushed your lips against his, content in this moment. Crosshair accepted your kiss, deepening it by leaning more toward you.
His hand that was free secretly slipped down to his side to his pocket. You didn’t notice what he was doing, too lost in his kiss. Crosshair pulled away from you, knowing it was now or never. His arm left your shoulder, leaning away from you slightly. That’s when you noticed he was holding something out to you in his hand.
You stared, taking a moment to realize what he was holding. It was small and shiny. You focused your eyes and realized it was a ring.
You gawked, trying to process what he was offering to you, and why.
The gears turned in your head, your mouth opening and closing, at a loss for words.
Was he…was this?
“C-Crosshair?” You whispered, your voice shaking, looking between him and the ring. “What…what is this?”
He didn’t say anything as you continued to gaze at the ring, not wanting to misinterpret the gesture.
“I’m not getting down on one knee if that’s what you’re expecting.” He grumbled, shifting in his seated position, waiting for your answer.
Tears filled the sides of your eyes, his words solidifying exactly what he was asking you.
And he was doing it in the most Crosshair way possible.
“Crosshair, are you asking me to marry you?” Your voice was hoarse, your heart pounding in your chest.
Crosshair rolled his eyes, yet his expression was soft.
“Yes, why else would I be giving this to you?”
He held the ring out further, gesturing for you to take it.
You gently took the ring from his hands, turning it in your fingers.
Embedded in the band was a jewel in your favorite color, catching the light of the setting sun.
“How long have you…?”
“Are you saying yes or not?”
You looked at him, seeing him intensely waiting, his eyes locked on yours. Was there a hint of nervousness deep in his eyes?
You gripped the ring in your hand, knowing your answer without a second thought. You slung your arms around his neck, pulling him into a flaming kiss.
“Yes! Crosshair, yes!” You gasped against his lips as his moved just as passionately against yours. You could swear you felt a weight lift off his shoulders, his body relaxing.
Tears were streaming down your cheeks as you kissed, his arms wrapping around you. Begrudgingly, you pulled away after what seemed like hours, realizing you were still grasping the ring in your hand.
“I love you.” You whispered as your lips left his. He squeezed you tighter. “I know.” You released him from your embrace, looking at the ring again in your hand, and looking back at him. You couldn’t help the wide smile on your face, though tears were still wetting your cheeks.
“Don’t get sappy on me.” He whispered, bringing a hand to wipe the tears from your face.
You huffed, grinning. “You’re calling me sappy?”
Crosshair chuckled, a rare small smile gracing his face, his sharp features softening momentarily.
“Well, are you going to put it on me properly?” You asked. Crosshair’s smile turned signature sly smirk as he took the ring from you.
With a gentleness only he could show you, Crosshair took your hand, sliding the ring on your finger.
It fit perfectly.
“Does anyone know?” You wondered, admiring how it looked, happiness flooding your entire being.
“Wrecker knows. Which means everyone does since he can’t keep a secret.”
You laughed as you leaned against him, both of you looking back at the sky, the sun now almost completely set. You placed your newly ringed hand on his thigh, his own hand covering yours.
You continued to sit silently, the last rays of light fading beyond the horizon. Nothing more needed to be said.
Quiet is peace.
Quiet is love.
@wanderer-six @pb-jellybeans
#Crosshair#crosshair tbb#crosshair x reader#crosshair tbb x reader#crosshair x you#starrycatwrites#the bad batch#The bad batch x reader#The bad batch fanfiction
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the inspiration behind this idea came from one of my favorite vocaloid songs from back in the day. rediscovering the song gave me some great inspo. the songs is about gukapo, whose likely playing a character for the purpose of this song, the purple haired man in the thumbnail, who sees a girl he’s immediately enamored with after she runs into him at a party. after following her out of the venue, he sees her with another man and kidnapped her. her holds her captive and later kills her lover. at the end of sing, she rejects his advances and it’s implied he hurts or kills her. I love vocaloid :)) at one point in the songs he's like "i'll just cut off your legs so you can't run from me" and that screams barb. dark vocaloid is one of my fav genres
had a tough time picking between belphie or barb, but you guys decided for me!!
quick warning! the beginning of the song is a little loud and scared me the first time I listened. it’s just some rain and glass breaking but just know not to have it too loud if you do listen. also general warnings of yandere themes, kidnapping, bodily harm to both parties involved, and blood.
alright i've rambled enough now! If you couldn't tell i was very excited to write this. please enjoy!
Destiny
"You didn't notice? It has been written in the stars that we were to be together since the beginning of time. It's just a shame we faced so many 'bumps in the road,' on our journey where our paths converged to one, as he always put it."
It wasn’t supposed to be this way, and he knew it.
You’d noticed his gradual changes in behavior. At first, it was nothing to you. Finding excuses to see you throughout the day with small tokens of his affection, and brief moments spend hidden in closest together to avoid being seen by Lucifer or Diavolo that turned into more, despite the fact that he had no need to hide from them. You suspected he treasured these moments, just like you did, so who were you to object? He treated you like the crown jewels, and you weren't even certain he was this close to Diavolo.
His obsession gradually grew slowly, and you were none the wiser, like a frog set in a pot of water that had yet to be turned to boil. "It was just Barbatos being Barbatos" you thought as he began to show up in your room any night you weren't staying at a palace with treats made specially for you. "It's just because he cares" you thought as he started to fend off demons he deemed as untrustworthy in all parts of your life. "He's so sweet" you thought as he began blocking off portions of his day for time with you, and only you. "He must really care! I'm so lucky to have him in my life." These thoughts are exactly what he had intended to plant into your head all along.
Unbeknownst to you, despite his signature air of indifference, Barbatos had been taken with you from the start. He had hoped you'd come to live with him in the palace, but unfortunately, the Young Master has wanted you with the brothers instead. It wasn't a problem, however. He made sure to make an effort to make his way into your life even if it was somewhere he didn't belong. Despites his efforts though, you grew much too close to Solomon for his liking. He often opted to go out of his way to separate the two of you, so he could keep you all for himself.
But what did that damned sorcerer have that he didn't? His humanity. Although it was long gone, he knew what it was like to be human. The thought of this infuriated Barbatos. The fact that something as simple as human mortality was keeping him away from Mc absolutely would not do. Of course, it wasn't something he couldn't fix. His hatred for the
He could just swap to the timeline where he was the apple of their eye, without all the playful dancing around what he so desperately wished for, but where was the fun in that? Good things came to those who waited. He of all demons would know. Besides, it would bring him great joy to make Solomon suffer. He was nothing but trouble and Barbatos would revel in his absence.
The way Solomon swept you off your feet in a way he just couldn't almost made him drop his facade several times. The moments the two of you had shared in the broom closets now became you and Solomon vanishing when he came searching for you. You were at the House of Lamentation less frequently, and were always out with that human. When you two finally made it official, and began dating, he knew Solomon had tried his best to keep the news from reaching his ears. But nothing escaped Barbatos, not when it was about you. He always thought it was ironic his favorite and least favorite human had found their way together, but it was just a road bump, as he heard Solomon refer to his problems. Barbatos always thought it was annoying.
After lots of meticulous planning, he finally decided he was ready to have you all to himself. He was done sharing what was rightfully his with Solomon. He called you, saying it was urgent and that you needed to come over to the palace right away. After saying something about how it concerned your family and that you were to come alone, he set his D.D.D. down and waited. He knew you would have told Solomon, or whoever you happened to be with, which would give them the excuse he needed to get you away from the others.
When you showed up, he invited you into his room with little words. It was strange of him to be so silent. He also had his usual, sweet smile on his face, but it seemed more intense that usual. You just couldn't understand how he looked so calm when he'd had a sense of urgency in his voice not even ten minutes ago when you'd spoken to him on the phone. After you stepped into his room, he closed the door behind you, and shut the lights off. You'd never been more terrified of the demon you'd come to love.
Before you knew it, you were waking up in a human sized cage in the corner of Barbatos' room you hadn't noticed when you'd entered. Besties being locked inside, there was also an ornate choker around your neck you could only describe as a collar. After sitting up, you began to look around for Barbatos. As you searched, he emerged from dark spot in the room, the same intense grin on his face from earlier.
"Barb? What's the matter?" You placed both hands on the bars and squeezed.
"Nothing, my love." He took a seat on his bed, and just started at you, unblinking.
"Can you please let me out then? Don't we have to go see my family? If they need my help, I want to be there for them." You got to your feet, only to hit your head on the ceiling of the cage.
"You're best kept here, where you're safe and away from Solomon." His eye twitched slightly at the name of your lover.
"Open the door. Barbatos, this isn't funny." You tried to shake the bars, trying to find the Barbatos you'd loved. He just stared. It was beginning to get very creepy. "Please. I don't like this. What have I done?"
"Nothing, and that's precisely it, dear. You're too precious for this world, and I've decided it's best you stay here, with me. Where better for you to be?" He finally blinked, and the gentle smile you knew well returned. For a moment, you thought the joke had finally ended, and he was about to open to cage door to let you know it was all for a surprise. But, he didn't. Instead, he got up and walked towards his door. Before he left, he spun back around to speak to you a final time. "I'll be back later with dinner. Sit tight, and I'll answer more of your questions later." He opened the door just enough to leave, and slipped out.
You were alone. You knew better than anyone else that his room was soundproofed, and that screaming was pointless. You tried to escape for what felt like hours and cried for some portion of that too. Nothing you tried worked, even summoning any of the brothers with your pact. Did he always want to just keep you in the corner of his room, like some trinket, from the very beginning? You had millions of questions.
When he returned with a plate of food, like he'd promised, you didn't know how long it had been. Your back was to the door, tears caked on your face. "My darling, I brought dinner, like I promised." You didn't want or feel like moving to face him.
"Why?" Your voice was raw, and you weren't sure if you were more upset about the seeming betrayal, or the treatment you were receiving, as if nothing was wrong.
'Why? I thought I told you this. You know how much I hate redundance." The loving lilt in his voice dropped.
"You lied to me. To think I ever loved you." You whipped your head around to meet his gaze, letting the emotions seep their way into your words. He looked more dull and empty than you'd ever seen him. He didn't respond. He moved towards the cage, causing you to scoot back, suddenly afraid.
"I know you tried to escape. I don't appreciate that, love. That's what the point of your necklace is. I work quite hard on that." He opened the door and yanked you towards him by your ankles, causing you to fall flat on your face. In his other hand, he held a knife you'd never seen before.
"What the hell are you doing? Put that away." You kicked your legs, but he and his gaze remained unwavering. He rested the knife on your knee joint, and slid his gloved hand up your leg so his thumb rested next to the blade. It was a touch that was all too familiar. He seemed to feed of your fear, and a small smile grew on his face.
"If you apologize right now, I'll have no reason to cut your legs off." You could feel the blood draining from your face. He'd never been violent with you before, but you knew he could if he wanted to. "Well? I haven't got all day."
"I- I'm sorry, Barb. Please put the knife away." You're relieved at how his expression softens and how his hands slide back down to your ankles. However, much to your surprise, he slashes the bottoms of your feet with the knife before letting go of your legs suddenly. Your scream was equally one of pain and shock. Blood began to pour out of the cut. You cradled your legs closer to yourself, now facing him as he turned around to get the first aid kit he happened to have on hand.
"You won't be going anywhere now, will you?" He hummed as he pressed a cloth around your feet to stop the bleeding. You could only stare at him in horror as he tended to the wounds he'd created. "You can sleep with me in my bed tonight. I'm sorry, but it had to be done. I can't have you leaving me." He smiled as he would at the Little D's but you would never see it the same again.
As the days went by, you began to wonder just how much of the outside life you were missing. What where they doing in RAD? How long did they expect you to be gone? Did Solomon miss you? Your only company was the soft pulsing of the portals that were somewhere nearby when Barbatos wasn't in the room. The only way to tell what time of day it was, or how much time had passed was the routine meals he brought to you like clockwork. He would consistently mention, especially nightly when he would drag you out of the cage to bed with him, about how this is how things were meant to be, and that how this was your mutual destiny. He'd never mentioned that before, but now it seemed like it was all he wanted to talk about. It was strange, but if he was happy, you could’ve cared less. Most of the time, you just remained silent, unless he directly inquired you. He was his charming self again, with the empty Barbatos returning rarely. He’d broken your trust, but didn’t seem to care. He treated you just like he had before you got with Solomon, like the days where the two of you acted like children with crushes on each other. He wanted to go back to the days of chaste kisses and long nights together, but you couldn’t get past what he’d done. You never tried to refute his claims, but deep down, it disgusted you.
He didn’t hurt you too badly, or too often, but that didn’t take away from the constantly fear. Seemingly, if he felt like it, he’d get the knife back out and threaten you with it in a very violet way, before only minorly hurting you compared to what he’s just threatened to do. Once, he said he was going to stab both of your eyes out if you didn’t stop crying so much, becuase he hated seeing you upset. Instead, after you promised to stop, he danced his blade on your face and left some minor injuries. The entire time, one of his hands was on your chin and he was looking directly into your eyes. At one point, he even threatened to carve his name into your neck so you’d never forget who he thought you belonged to. Sometimes, you thought he enjoyed seeing you suffering more than just physically, because he'd keep your D.D.D. charged and leave it in your sights while he was gone. You could see all the texts and incoming calls, but powerless to respond, just to let them know you were in their backyard. Solomon called the most, but your group chat with the brothers seemed to continue as normal.
After another afternoon of tears while Barbatos was gone, he returned earlier than expected, leaving you no time to clear up your tears. Without any words, he dropped something next to you. Through tears, you tried to make out what he'd dropped. When you looked up, you saw him expectantly smiling down at you. You looked back down to try and figure out what he'd left. You grabbed it through the bars, studying it.
"He's finally out of the way, dear. You don't need him. That wretched sorcerer only caused us problems. You were happy with me, so you can be happy with me again." With horror, you realized you were holding a fragment of Solomon's wand. The very same wand that been the source of many of your problems, but also love, together. You'd polished it many times. The piece you were holding was part of the tip where the cute star rested.
Barbatos knelt down beside you to open the door, but you didn't move. But you had finally had it with him. You almost didn't want to know what he did to your lover and refused to even think about the possibilities. Gripping the wand piece in one hand, you balled up the other and socked Barbatos as hard as you could in the face. You hit the center of his face, and he stumbled back a little. He touched his nose gently with his hand, and both of you saw the blood trickling down onto his white glove. You made eye contact, and you saw the sweet Barbatos leave you along with any ounce of courage you'd mustered up to do that, for Solomon.
Nobody ever did see you, or Solomon again.
i wrote this all in one sitting!! not in love with it since I don't think I'm great at writing action but i really like the beginning!! hope you liked this bc this was so fun to write
#not proof read lol#obey me#obey me!#obey me x reader#obey me satan#obey me asmo#obey me lucifer#obey me mammon#obey me beel#obey me levi#obey me belphie#obey me barbatos#omswd#obey me shall we date#obey me! shall we date#obey me solomon#SoundCloud
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Feysand drabbles/fics from the angst/fluff prompt list!
72. “You need sleep.” and/or
94. “I won’t lose you too.”
Please and thank you!💕
72. "You need sleep."
thanks for this @asnowfern!! i just hope im doing these babies justice. im hoping i can get around to the second prompt sometime soon if the inspo strikes!!
if anyone wants to send others in, im more than happy to still take requests for it!!
There were always little constants in life that could be relied upon rain, hail or shine. Some a comfort - the way the stars constantly shined with the same fervour above Velaris, the beauty in the changing of seasons, the warmth from those she loved. Then there were the few that were nuisances.
Laundry. Taxes.
Or, in Feyre’s case, the debilitating bout of art block she couldn’t seem to shake.
She dragged her stool back from the canvas, the sound of wood scraping on wood feeling like it was rattling around in the depths of her skull as it echoed through the studio. Classes were on a small break, to give her and Ressina a breather and prepare for a particularly large batch of incoming students. It always warmed her heart with how quickly the people of the Rainbow had embraced their little studio and it brought her such quiet joy.
But right now, Feyre was just about ready to hurl a tube of paint at the canvas in the hopes that it’d shape up a bit better. This wasn’t feeling like the breather she had intended for at all.
She perched herself back onto the stool, arms resting upon her knees as she stared out the window behind her incomplete canvas. No matter how many walks she took or notes of inspiration she stowed away for later, nothing seemed to be sticking. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel like creating - if anything, that was half the problem. All she wanted to do was create but nothing her hands were making was sating the urge she felt in the pit of her stomach, gnawing at the back of her head.
Feyre stared at the canvas with a furrowed brow, deep in contemplation. Originally it had started out as a slightly more abstract portrait of Rhys, but when it wasn’t quite panning out she had started over and tried to angle for something more rooted in realism - a study of the cityscape from the view that the studio afforded her. But she wasn’t quite nailing the details, none of the satisfaction that typically surrounded the process. Back to the drawing board. Now, she didn’t even know what she was looking at. It was definitely abstract. But beyond that, she didn’t know. There was nothing speaking to her, no vision calling to her with even a rough idea of what it could turn out to be.
So she stepped across the room firmly, continuing to play with the colours in her palette and the brushstrokes on the canvas to see if she could salvage anything out of this little experiment.
The determination clouded her other senses, ignoring the waning moonlight and the small prickle on the back of her neck that would have told her that her beloved had quietly slipped into the room. Instead, she let out a small squeak as Rhysand’s arms slid around her waist, gently tugging her closer as he moved to rest his chin on her shoulder.
“Evening, darling.” Rhys quietly purred into her ear, a small smile breaking across Feyre’s face. She turned to press a kiss to his cheek, but he caught her lips with his before she could, gentle and soft.
“Evening to you too. What brings you to my humble little studio?” There was a quiet laugh in her words, her eyes turning back to the canvas even when she could feel his still firmly locked on her.
“Well, I had finally finished up all my dull paperwork for the night only to find our bed empty and my wonderful mate nowhere to be found. Obviously, I’m here to rectify the issue.”
Rhys’ hands moved to Feyre’s hips, his mouth trying to find purchase on her neck when she moved from his grip to put her palette and brush down near the canvas. Maybe if she could work in some of the same shade of purple Feyre could see in his eyes, this piece might start shaping up.
“You’re finished already? I’ve barely even made progress on this... thing. I don’t know what it is yet.” Feyre began to rifle through the paints they had to find the perfect shades to mix as she spoke. Rhysand barked a laugh, that signature smirk spreading across his perfect features. He slipped his hands into his pockets, merely watching his mate for a beat.
“Feyre darling, you’ve been here for quite a few hours now. It’s long past midnight.”
Feyre stopped in her tracks - she knew she had a tendency to get lost in her work, but had she really been stuck on this piece for that long? She immediately stopped what she was doing, hurriedly putting the paints back before crossing the room to the studio window. Leaning out of the window, she could definitely see the moon was past its peak in the sky. Before she could ruminate on it much further, Rhysand turned her around, sitting her on the windowsill before coming to stand between her legs. He rested his brow against hers, eyes boring into her with an intensity that she could never get enough of.
“I’m still stuck though, I need-”
“You need sleep.”
Feyre couldn’t help but huff slightly at him - he was right, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
“Maybe. But I do need to clean up first, at least.”
With a snap of his fingers, the canvas was leaned against the wall in an out of the way corner, stool tucked under a table, paints put away - everything righted without a second thought.
“And I need to have my mate with me in our bed, lest I go insane without her.” Rhys tugged her closer with a chuckle, chest pressed against hers. Any other day, an inexplicable heat that only he could ever elict would have bloomed in her chest and shot straight to her stomach. But tonight, they were simply exhausted and Feyre couldn’t help but melt into his arms, her own moving up to slide around his neck.
“Then take me home, Rhys.”
“Always my pleasure, darling.”
She kissed him again, firm and passionate, as he winnowed them back into the warmth of their home.
The next day, she had finished her piece - a painting of legs and arms tangled amongst each other, holding one another, tangled in inky black sheets.
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fashion inspo for your next lil trip to the forest:
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Get To Know Me Tag Game!
Thanks to @mythical-bookworm and @alex-a-fans for tagging me.
tbh this is just a song rec list LMAO [easier to open in a browser fyi]
1) Spell your name in songs
Y'all get two for the price of one cuz I couldn't decide if I wanted to go with all non-English songs or not.
The non-English songs are labeled with 🧋 in case you wanna avoid 🤪
Warning: Most of the songs in english have swear words so... just in case u got kids or ur strict parents around LMAO.
⚡️ F: Fighter Not a Lover
aro/ace people gonna love that shit ^ + no swear words
alt: fml u fucked me up
⚡️ U: URARA🧋
It translates to 'Oo-la-la', which I now realize is the magazine Biff was carrying around in the second movie... this was unintentional and the meaning of the song is very wholesome, trust me
alt: Upside Down
⚡️ T: this was a demo for this one song...
That one's like 50% f-bombs ^ i love it
alt: Toxic but its NOT Brittany, B*tch 💅
The most aggressive entry on this list
⚡️ U: Up Up and Away
The only f-bomb is in the second verse
alt: Unmei no Roulette Mawashite 🧋
'unmei' means 'destiny' so you know I had to include it
⚡️ R: Raining in Manila (half 🧋)
Couple of dudes just vibin' out in the studio, what's not to love?
alt: RAHHHH
^im convinced this is what suburbanites see in their nightmares
⚡️ E: Electricity (half 🧋)
alt: Extensyon
Both make up the most WHOLESOME entry in this
⚡️ -(hyphen): Hatid Sundo 🧋
Baby. Baby boi. Baby. vibes ^
alt: Hell to Sell
EVIL. vibes ^
🚫🧢 I have a problem with tonal whiplash. Did I cheat and use the hyphen to include the most wholesome and cute song right before pulling out the lowkey most scandalous song in the list? YES.
Just realized it doesn't work as well if you can't understand it, but trust me. I mean just listening to its vibes is enough 😩
⚡️ B: Balik Sa Umpisa 🧋
Any song that samples/remixes 'Stand By Me' is a W in my book.
alt: Bodybag
I'm just self-reporting at this point.
Ok the rest are very wholesome songs I swear
⚡️ O: Oretachi Rookies 🧋
alt: Oh, Imagine That
ok this one's tied for most wholesome in the list
⚡️ I: I/Me/Myself
gnc/nb people gonna love this shit ^
alt: I Really Like You
that was a struggle, R is the top pick to check out imo. E, O and I are the wholesome ones with no swear words if u care.
2) Why did you choose your URL?
Its based. ..off the song in the musical. I got back into the fandom because of the musical so I owe it that much. 'boi' sounds more gender-neutral than 'boy'
3) What is your middle name?
That's a secret!
4) If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?
Shapeshifter.
5) Favorite color?
Purple. Lavender/Periwinkle specifically.
6) Song you love right now?
What? 🧋
The amount of crackhead energy, but genuine emotion... AND AESTHETIC. it was literally made for me LMAO Ken is so aggro but hes singing about not littering. like why is he so intimidating-- but i support the eco-friendly king.
but fr the song is about waving ur flag with pride??? PRIDE???? and they look androgynous asf??? whats not to love
7) Top four fandoms? (Current Fandoms?)
Back to the Future
That's it
jk uhhh, Invincible
Thats it, dont wanna get into past fandoms rn
8) Tag nine people
mf u think i know 9 people??
im playin, lemme tag some cool people... not that u have to do this, i just wanted to bother u 🤪 but feel free to do it, i wanna hear other music 🥺🥺🥺
⚡️ @maxintime LOVE UR ART STYLE. BEEN TOO SHY TO BOTHER U THO 😭
⚡️ @jowritesfanfiction my inspo, my density, ILY. Im never shy bout bothering u in my posts HAVE U GOTTEN THE RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST ME YET 🤪🤪😭😭😭 ive tagged this mf in every other post istg
⚡️ @moth-makay ur great frfr 😭😭 all the hugs. r u gonna post more art??? cuz u shouuuld 🥺
⚡️ @bttf-dork ur name and pfp give comfy vibes??? its very endearing. dunno how to describe it, but i like seeing u in my notifs 🥰 bUT UR ART DOHHH. immaculate. underrated.
⚡️ @pepsifox88 i hope u continue to cook ✨ everyone go and GIVE THEM SUPPORT, I AM NO LONGER ASKING
and to the rest of u, thank u for liking a bunch of my work, whenever i see long lists of likes like that, or if i see ur name often 'nuff, i always notice 😇, i never know how to say thank you!!
@leftoverspagehhti
@karorurodriguez
@epikprinc
@mapleflavedpepperoni
@xmaster3000
@jayisnotdrawing
@jackofthecards
@ectojester
@cat0marble
Didn't include everyone, but just know that i noticed you!!! 💝
watch me get reported for harassment by all these people 😂
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BasilMilo fanfic request at your service
I think i already requested something similar to this to cloudy but I'm about to draw this anyway sooooo
Fantasy purple streak au (magic instead of demons) where it starts raining glowing stars (kinda like warm, glowy hail that melts when it touches the floor) and basil opens a clear umbrella and they walk to the library (?) While watching the stars fall around them
Here's the inspo pic
heheheeh this is so cute omg🥺💕
——————————————————————————
Walking through the stars
——————————————————————————
Basil and Milo are walking to the library. He has his arm wrapped around her waist protectively as they walk.
Glowing stars start falling around them.
Milo’s eyes shone in wonder and Basil looked down at her lovingly.
He pulled out a clear umbrella and opened it above them.
She looked up at him and smiled softly and lovingly, and he returned the smile.
Both of them blush shyly. “Th-the stars really are beautiful aren’t they..?” Milo asked softly and Basil gently rubbed his thumb on her waist.
“Not as beautiful as you..” *He says shyly and presses a soft kiss on her forehead, she blushes and her eyes sparkle even brighter.
She nuzzles into his protective hold on her as they walk.
As the stars hit the ground they melt into small puddles of golden light.
Milo and Basil watch the beautiful sight as the surrounding landscape is bathed in a gentle glow from the sunset and stars gently falling down around them.
Milo gently reached out from under the umbrella to catch one of the stars.
She uses starlight magic so the stars don’t affect her. The star actually glows brighter upon landing in her small hand.
“The gold really brings out your eyes..” Basil says and Milo smiles shyly at him, blush forming on her cheeks once more.
“Yours too..” She smiles, holding the star up a bit so the glow would reflect into his heterochromatic eyes.
He blushes and smiles, continuing to hold her close to him as they continue to walk to the library.
They arrive after a few minutes. “Hm.. It’s still going..” Milo says with a soft smile as the stars paint a soft glow on her and Basil as the sun lowers in the purple sky.
Basil presses a gentle kiss to her temple then he closes the umbrella and opens the door for Milo to go in first.
~the end~
hehehe this was so fun to writeee!!! basilmilo is one of my main comfort shipss🥺💕💕
#ask larz#larz writes#larz does reqs#hehehehe#basilmilo#oc x oc ship#hehehe#meowww#milo suzuki#basil kocho#teehee#fantasy au#magic au#demon slayer
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these are a few of my favorite things (unfortunately not raindrops on roses and brown paper whatevers)
thanks to @thevagabondexpress and @ibrushmyteeth-donttellanyone (if i remember correctly) for the tag!
movie: i don't know. i don't really watch movies much. last one that made me feel something and still inspires what i do today is hacksaw ridge (saw it last 6 years ago and have to admit this may be Romantic Secondhand Appreciation but. i still think of it when i fight climate change. so it stays)
character: no character exists in a vacuum. i'm nominating all four merry thieves
animal: i know too much ecology to nominate a single one. i love all birds and large herbivorous marsupials as well as echidnas. guinea fowls (current pfp) really do reflect my personality a lot though
drink: smoothies. you can make them as delicious or as gross but healthy as you want. preferably both. no two smoothies are ever the same but rarely is a smoothie bad, they eliminate all the inconsistencies of fruit by simply pooling the sample pool together and averaging it out.
song: technically 2 songs but they're one track on the album so: has to go to outer space/carry on by 5 seconds of summer. creates such an atmosphere that goes perfectly with the story it tells, is terribly nostalgic, and ends in such an optimistic and encouraging way. tells of open ocean (did i once help design a space city with this inspo?) and the loneliness that's as if you're in space, longing for rain (i love rain okay you will see me in a raincoat taking photos of everything because it looks cooler when wet) just to feel something. longing for lost love. and the fact that through anything you can go on and life keeps going and you can survive it all but the way the (double) song sets it up you feel like you've gone on an adventure by the time you get there.
season: i love autumn and spring in equal measure for different reasons. i love brisbane winters when i don't have a 9-5 job but i also love sydney summers.
book: once you see it: 7 temptations of the western church by jeff christopherson. answering @tleeaves question from a while back (finally), have you done one of these? fully fangirled hard enough to message the author on facebook, we're somewhat friends now. but it tells the story of a bunch of different people from different backgrounds and uses narrative to drive its points, ending with them making something (i could talk about it for hours) that i long to emulate. while moving through organisations that embody these 7 temptations/mistakes and fail because of it, except they look exactly like the churches we know and yes. this is why they are failing in many ways if we just open our eyes to it we can do much better.
color: purple of some kind. maybe a darker purple?
hobby: all the things i do that connect me with nature and other people. from building recycled things for a purpose to taking care of birds to arranging poppunkrock songs for my viola and whoever else i play with to analysing the way fictional characters interact and applying it with real life people to canyoning (google it, it's incredibly fun) and hiking and rock climbing and of course designing civilisations for humans as well as other species
tagging (only if you want to of course): @completeanduttermess and @failempires and @what-ho-christopher-put-in
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2022 ROUND UP: ERI’S FAVORITES OF THE YEAR
↳ ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ FAVORITE B-SIDES [click for full quality]
i made a super narrowed down title tracks post , but i think nearly all my favorite songs this year were b-sides . here are the ones that really made my year <;3
♡ soloists :: pretty boys - yena / 1000x - kang daniel / bad - kim yohan / midnight - park jihoon
♡ girl groups :: summer rain - purple kiss / done - wjsn / young luv - stayc / good parts - le sserafim / overlap (1/1) - billlie / lovin' me - fifty fifty
♡ boy groups: maybe baby - cravity / u - treasure / without you - cix / stay - ciipher / volkno - treasure rap line / beauty inside - nine.i
♡ runners up :: better and better - woodz / complicated - ab6ix / moment - verivery / don't care about me - got7 / and - monsta x / opening sequence - txt / what are you doing? - mirae / love - stayc / a sign ~ anonymous - billlie / freaky - itzy / hurt - newjeans / good news - lightsum / lemon-aid - yena
inspo and credits: x , x , and flaticon
#erigfx#eri.multi#eseries.2022faves#slowrabbitpd#useroro#uservivii#aleksbestie#marekwan#wabisarah#rosieblr#useryukuz#userfairy#isaishi#higabi#userbbie#tuseral#tuserchrissy#userjuju
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catch
Author’s Note: for the first time in forever, Katsuki gets fluff instead of angst. 🤗😆
catch
Bakugou Katsuki x Reader
Word Count: ~1,200
CW: explicit language, mild sexual content
Song Inspo: Catch by Brett Young
Collab: Meet Me Where the Sky Touches the Sea hosted by @bbiemilk
~faqs~
Bakugou Katsuki doesn’t plan to fall in love, and certainly not on a rainy day. Rain sucks. It’s wet, it squelches, is often accommodated by cold, and no matter how diligently he attempts to waterproof himself, he somehow always ends up with at least one wet toe or heel. Not to mention the: accompanying monotonous grey, or even black, that blankets the city making 2pm feel like 7pm; how thunder triggers the yapping of dogs and other such annoyances; and how utterly stupid and cranky and selfish humans become. He may or may not be a part of that latter point — sans stupidity, of course. As for love?
“What is love good for?” he’d barked when Eijirou’d tried to set him up on a blind date.
“Love?” Eijirou’d quirked an eyebrow, “I was just hoping you’d have a bearable time and not blast a hole through the bathroom to escape, and you’re jumping to love?”
“Whatever.”
Because as much as Bakugou Katsuki doesn’t plan to fall in love, he isn’t entirely nor completely against the thought of it. The ideal of it.
The warmth of lips pressed fleetingly to his cheek, his clavicle, his earlobe in the early stirrings of morning. The weight of someone watching over him—of someone to watch over—as he chops vegetables, as they shower before work, as he kneels to tie their shoelaces before they can. The promise of forever in the brightness of their laughter; the possibility of always assuming he can even make them laugh. Because Bakugou Katuski is a closeted romantic, albeit picky duh. So sue him if a date is boring, dull, torturous enough to wreck a restaurant — he’s a Hero, he can pay for the damages hell he can upgrade the decor (besides, he’s gotten better at simply stalking out the front door, cash thrown on the table as a meager offering to make up for ditching midway). What he can’t afford is wasted time. Time wasted on hollow shells of greedy opportunists, on almost-could’ve-would’ve-should’ve-wasn’t, on breaking his soul when his heart and body are already on the line every damn day.
“No date?” he’d sneered at Eijirou when Friday rolled around.
“For me?”
“No, for me. You’ve been sending me on dates like clockwork. I figured you had my social weekend planned out.”
“Ican’tsetupanymoredatesforyou.”
“Don’t mumble shitty hair.”
“I can’t set up any more dates for you.”
“Why fucking not?”
“I can’t!”
“Can’t, or won’t?”
“Both!”
Silence. Katsuki staring blankly at the wall behind Eijirou. Inhale.
“I’m that terrible.”
Mild hardening activated, sympathy in Eijirou’s gaze.
“... yeah.”
Exhale. Rehearsed smirk plastered across his face.
“Love’s good for nothing.”
“No- That isn’t- You’re great! You’re Dynamight! Which means, you’re just, uh… intimidating?!”
“I’m hard to please.”
“Um…”
“Whatever.”
And then Bakugou Katsuki falls in love, and on a rainy day at that.
He wouldn’t tell you himself that it was love at first sight, but for the prickly, hard headed, soft hearted man, interest at first sight is pretty darn close. Your attire catches him off guard, then your wave, and then your smile. Your umbrella with its red and white hearts and pink background; your knee high purple rainboots; and the tips of your fingers peeking out from under the sleeves of your sweater and curling inward — evidently trying to insulate your hands. A smudge of color amid a nameless day of black umbrellas, black rainboots, grey sky, and colorless rain.
“They make gloves for that,” he grunts as you wave.
“I’d rather numb fingers than wet feet,” you snort.
“Wet feet?”
“You’re standing in a puddle.”
“Shit!”
Shameless peals of laughter fall from your lips as you watch the grumpy man lift his feet in disgust, telltale squish deepening your satisfaction as his arms cross, unamused scowl meeting your smile.
“Your smile…”
“My smile?”
Shit. Bakugou Katsuki never accidentally says aloud what he’d intended to keep to himself.
“Yeah. Your smile. It’s there.”
“It is there!”
“You’re mocking me,” his eyes narrow.
“Mhm.”
“Are you going anywhere?” he mutters.
“Excuse me?”
“The crosswalk. You’ve basically missed the light.”
You basically missed it too. Idiot.
“Maybe I’m happy in the rain,” you twirl once, twice, three times, kicking up tiny droplets as you go.
“On the corner of an intersection,” Katsuki can’t bring himself to step away, hem of his pants dampening.
“Maybe this is my favorite intersection,” you giggle, leaning onto the stoplight pole, “I’m dizzy.”
“So you don’t have anywhere to be.”
“Maybe right here is where I’m needed.”
Is this flirting?
“You’re dumb.”
This sucks.
“And you’re rude,” you huff.
I suck.
“You’ll get sick,” he hisses.
“You’re worried about me?”
“We just met.”
“So let’s meet again.”
Do they really think that cheesy ass shit works?
—
“Are you actually happy in the rain?” he murmurs, turning his head to glance at you, eyelids drooping, comforter halfway down his chest, a leg hanging off the bed.
“Eh,” you shrug, comforter snug beneath your chin.
“Are you cold?” Let me hold you.
“No?” Liar.
“I’m hot.” Idiot.
“Yes, Katsuki, yes you are.” I’ll take it.
“You know what I mean.”
“I want to hear you say it.” Shit.
“I could make you hot too?” I. D. I. O. T.
“Are you offering sex or cuddles?” you grin, eyebrows waggling.
“I’m sacrificing my sublime heat for your abysmal temperature regulation.”
“How do you feel about the rain?”
“I hate it.”
Even as he places a gentle palm on your shoulder, faint frown tugging at his mouth. Oof and Katsuki! filling his bedroom when he unceremoniously crushes you into his side. Even as satisfaction wells in his stomach while you glare up at him, your cool limbs wrapping around his overheated body, colder fingertips and toes digging eagerly into his affection. Even as you flick his forehead, grumbling about You messed up the comforter and I was fine and You’re so sticky — only to bury your nose into his pectoral, small sigh raising goosebumps on his skin as he retucks the comforter in. Even as he resigns himself to his fate of not moving a muscle, waking up in a puddle of sweat, and potentially being ~forced to sleep in because your Not yet, sleep, shh is too adorable and heart aching to reject. Even as he contemplates his answer I hate it, realization thickening the lump in his throat, Unless you’re twirling in it. Even as he swallows that lump, its emotion and rawness coating his soul — protecting his soul.
Even as he touches his thumb to your jaw, “Hey.”
If you’re there.
Even as you blink sleepily, reaching for his thumb, “Hey what?”
Then how could I hate it?
Even as he holds his breath, “I love you.”
Even as you hum quietly, knowing smile releasing his fear, “I love you.”
Bakugou Katsuki doesn’t plan to fall in love, and certainly not on a rainy day — even as he falls into you, puddles and all.
#katsuki bakugou#bakugou katsuki#katsuki x reader#bakugou x reader#one shot#boko no hero academia#my hero academia#collab#meet me where the sky touches the sea
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Prologue
Flora.. Kyiki? Sylvinia, Reya, Sunnie, Nyla, Lynette....
The void swallowed up the universe in seconds. The rain disappeared as Luna saw Kyiki's dead body laying beneath Sylvinia. But the darkness of light wrapped itself in their bodies within seconds.
Luna...
The white void engulfed the essence of her being, the fur on her body turned into the skin of a human.
Her hair, a light lavender-like hue whereas the tip was a neon purple. The pupils of her eyes were just as vibrant as the stripes on the tips her hair. Her irises stayed their deep aquamarine hue.
An excruciating pain as she was swallowed whole by the pureness of the void...
"Why so many lives, yet I can't have what I've yearned for?"
—
Prologue to the story~ the rest can be found on Wattpad
Man idk why people find Wattpad a “cringey”/“bad” place it’s literally really good for finding inspo and publishing books.
So is AO3 but too much work there tbh
#zsakuva#sakuverse#leila lyannah#my ocs#xanthus claiborne#xanthus x leila#xanthus claiborne x leila lyannah#fanfic#fanfiction#bounded#~bounded~
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In His Eyes
Read on AO3!
Song of inspo
A/N: Some hurt/comfort inspired by the song In His Eyes from 'Jekyll & Hyde'. Get your tissues ready, this one almost made me cry.
--
The lightning illuminated the rain pattering against the window, the streams of raindrops mirroring the lines of tears running down Mad’s face. Among the cacophony of storm sounds and his own sobs, Mad swore he could hear the sky give a sigh.
Alone in the house, all Mad could do was watch the rain and reflect on the fight that had sent Mare away, the argument that had ended in tears and purple cracks in the walls.
--
“I’m not a monster!” Mare’s shout was emphasised with a sickening crack as the walls around them began to glow purple. “How can you call me a monster? Me, the person you swore you loved?”
“I love the musician,” Mad retorted, curled on the couch as he avoided Mare’s gaze. “I fell for the music man who showed me the world was a bright and wonderful place. I didn’t fall for this – this thing that can change how my own reality looks!”
“I’ve never altered reality around you!” Mare yelled, ignoring the way the world around them seemed to shatter with his words. “I’ve never changed anything you didn’t want! You wanted to live a normal life, I gave it to you! I’ve never hurt you or your perception of the world, never!”
“You hurt me that time your nightmare made you lose control,” Mad said quietly, staring at a crack in the wall as it grew wider. “I’ve never called you a monster. I just pointed out that you aren’t wholly human.” He jumped when Mare slammed a fist against the table, eyes glowing purple as deep purple tears ran down his cheeks.
“So what if I’m not human? That should never affect how you feel about me,” Mare’s voice was dangerously low, struggling to contain his anger. “Your analytic ways of describing things you can’t understand are harsher than calling them what they are: mutants, monsters. I bet you’d call me a creature of the night simply because you don’t understand the meaning of the phrase!”
“I would never… never call you a monster,” Mad sniffled, wiping a tear from his eye and looking up when Mare huffed before turning to leave. “What are you doing?”
“Giving you space,” Mare replied simply, snapping his fingers and disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.
--
Mad sniffed, choking on a sob as he thought about the fight, remembering the things said and the way he was around Mare. He could see Mare’s eyes when he blinked, deep brown with the slightest hint of purple, soft and shining, making his heart flutter.
Wrapping his arms around himself, Mad closed his eyes, calling up the image of Mare’s eyes, feeling the safety that Mare’s gaze brought him, imagining Mare’s arms holding him close to his heart. There was a safety in being with Mare, but Mad couldn’t word it properly.
He was drawn to Mare’s eyes. The depth of their colour, seeming to know everything yet able to hide anything from him. The way the purple tint glowed brighter whenever Mare was consumed by emotion, a sharper shade when he was angry and a paler shade when he was happy.
His heart ached as he thought of the pain and anger in Mare’s eyes during their argument, the hurt competing with the deep-set love Mare felt for Mad despite the things he’d said. Mare’s eyes were like a window into his soul, showing his every emotion clearly, and Mad had grown to know what every look meant, including the look that made Mad fall in love with him.
Mad knew that if Mare was wise, he’d gladly leave him, find someone else that didn’t see him as a new experiment. Clutching his chest, Mad found it hard to talk himself out of the memories of his time with Mare, his most treasured memories of moments only Mare could create.
Climbing out of the sofa, Mad shuffled to the bedroom, climbing into the bed and curling up under the covers, pressing his face into Mare’s pillow. If he apologised to Mare, would he be forgiven? Everything that had worth to Mad was in Mare’s looks, the glances he gave Mad in secret and the pure love in his eyes.
----
Mad woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and blocked nose, feeling like he had a terrible case of the flu. Wiping his puffy eyes, he untangled himself from the blankets and climbed out of bed, pulling one of Mare’s oversized hoodies over his head.
He didn’t see the slightly transparent purple flower set on the pillow as he shuffled out of the room.
“Mare?” Standing in the entry to the kitchen, Mad gaped as he looked at Mare preparing coffee, hair a mess and damp shirt clinging to his body. His hands shook, lump forming in his throat as he made himself step forward before calling Mare’s name again.
“I’m so sorry, Mad,” Mare blurted as he turned around, setting the mugs on the bench and extending his arms. His face was streaked with fading purple tear tracks, nose stuffy as he offered Mad a watery smile. “I overreacted, and I shouldn’t have said the things I did to you. I would never, never call you cruel.”
Mad’s gaze travelled from Mare’s hands to his face, looking into his eyes and seeing the genuine guilt in them, the red rings showing he hadn’t slept all night, and the love still rooted deep in the brown irises. His heart skipped a beat when Mad identified the love, lump in his throat unravelling into fresh tears as he moved forward into Mare’s embrace.
“I’m sorry, Mare,” he cried, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so, so sorry. I love your abilities. I love your skills, your voice, the way you can make an entire room go silent with just a look. I wouldn’t love you less if you were human. I don’t love you less because you aren’t human.”
Mare held Mad close, fingers digging into the fabric on his shoulders as he curled around Mad, crying into Mad’s hair. He shook his head, both of them falling to their knees and crying in each other’s arms.
“There is nothing more important to me than you,” Mare whispered.
“Everything worth living for is right here,” Mad replied, pulling away enough to brush his fingers under Mare’s eyes. “Right here, in your eyes.”
--------------
@iamvegorott @brokentimewatch @dungeon-dragons-dragons
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Think I'll Go Inside
Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Rating: Explicit (E)
Notes: I was really inspired by this post here that I pumped this out in about 40 hours or so. Thanks for the inspo, OP!
Word Count: ~13.8k
Warnings: There’s a tiny bit of smut in here, but it’s me writing, so when is that not the case? Other than that, it’s pretty tame!
Summary:
Steve and Eddie share a night before Eddie leaves Hawkins to chase his rock star dreams with Corroded Coffin. That singular moment in time changes them. Twelve years pass where both Eddie and Steve feel each other's absence as life and careers move on around them. Read to see what happens when Eddie's first solo single brings the two of them back together. Does distance and time truly make the heart grow fonder?
Or - a sorry excuse for a future fic!
Find it on AO3
April 1998
Eddie watched the last of his cigarette burn to the filter, it’s ash hitting the wooden porch. He’d been sitting there for more than an hour, staring at everything other than the open notebook before him. The move to Spokane, into a house with the most perfect screened in porch, it was supposed to give him inspiration – make the ideas flow. Instead, Eddie found himself distracted by the nature around him.
It wasn’t like the words were going to come to him, anyway. Eddie had been stuck behind a block for months now, completely unable to write anything beyond a few basic rhymes and guitar passages. If he were honest with himself, Eddie would have to admit that the rut started long before Corroded Coffin decided to split ways. Gareth had a family and Josiah wanted to start one – Eddie couldn’t begrudge his friends the life he secretly wanted himself.
Their run was good and Eddie’s fanbase was big enough to carry him into a solo career – it should’ve been enough.
Except fresh air and a new home did nothing for the small tear in Eddie’s soul. For the longest time, Eddie used the pricking pain of loving Steve Harrington as fuel for a fire that translated into rocking songs he and his band made famous. The wound was fresh enough to only have to peel back the scab a little. Twelve years of doing that left behind something that was festering and Eddie didn’t understand the feeling. It hurt to draw upon something that, after so much time, Eddie just wanted so desperately to have – it’d been too many years of wishing and hoping for the sake of good music.
As those thoughts washed over him, a loud rumble in the distance had Eddie looking up. From his spot on the porch, he could see the darkened sky filled with dense clouds moving fast. A lightning strike followed the bellow of thunder. It looked like one of those purple bolts long enough for Eddie’s brain to crash back to a time when things were simpler and happiness came from D20 dice and Farrah Fawcett hairspray. Though Eddie didn’t usually allow himself to indulge in such memories, he clung to them then, remembering all the small things he hadn’t truly thought about in more than a decade.
Suddenly, his fingers were itchy, like if he didn’t get a pen in his hand that second, it’d all be over. He gripped the old fountain he still liked to write with for a long second before touching it to paper so blank, Eddie thought it might stay that way forever. As he drew in breaths of air that smelled like rain on the horizon, Eddie turned his thoughts to the one time he’d allowed himself the touch of a love doomed from the start.
August 1986
Eddie stood in panicky sadness outside of Steve’s door. He’d been dreading this very moment since making the decision to head off with Corroded Coffin in hopes of making their rock star dreams come true. There were a lot of reasons why Eddie finally gave into Gareth’s not too gentle prodding. Being a rock star was only one of them. Hawkins never truly forgave him for the crimes he didn’t commit, no matter how many judges ruled him innocent. He promised Wayne he would graduate, so he stuck around long enough to make that come to fruition. Between not dying and learning just how big the world truly was, Eddie knew he wouldn’t be happy sticking around the small town that couldn’t forget.
On his last day in town, Eddie got the easier goodbyes out of the way first. Wayne expected to see him back at least once a year for a visit, so he was easy to clap on the back once like all Munson’s did and make a quiet exit. And while Dustin was dramatic, he understood Eddie’s reasoning better than anyone else. He’d been Eddie’s biggest supporter through the media circus returning from the dead brought about. The tears they shed were of fondness and for the time lost between them. When Eddie left the Henderson place, his heart felt heavy yet full all the same.
Steve and that stupid smile of his had been the one thing keeping Eddie doubting. Their relationship blossomed from shared remarks in a time where a little humor went a long way. It was enough, at least, to form a bond that got deeper and grew into a friendship that Eddie relied on way too much. For whatever reason, Steve got him on a molecular level, making it so damn easy to lean into that connection. It was Eddie’s own fault that he allowed his heart to get involved. That magical Steve Harrington charm was hard to fight.
So, he put off saying goodbye to Steve until the very last minute. When he left the Harrington house, Hawkins wouldn’t be far behind. He figured that’s why he was lingering instead of raising his hand to knock on the door. It shouldn’t be so hard to fold his fingers up and make a fist like he’d done so many times before. Yet, the longer he stayed there unmoving, the longer Eddie could draw his time remaining here out.
He knew it was for the best, leaving everything (and everyone) behind, but his very soul was having second thoughts. If he got Steve’s attention and he opened the door, Eddie would have to come to terms with the fact that goodbye was the only ending.
It ended up not mattering, anyway – Steve took the decision out of his hands. The familiar door opened up to reveal a smiling Steve on the other side. His eyes looked heavy and sad as they took Eddie in, but the smile stayed, pulling up on lips that Eddie wanted so badly to feel against his own. He tried to pay attention as those lips started to form words.
“I wasn’t sure you were ever going to knock.” Steve stepped back as he spoke, opening the door wide enough for Eddie to come in without a verbal invitation. Eddie hesitated for only a second before stepping inside.
Whether it was purposeful or not, Eddie’s shoulder brushed against Steve’s chest as he walked through the door. The skin there felt like it was on fire, so very hot from just that one little touch. Eddie tried not to think about it but the redness on Steve’s cheeks made it so hard not to. He wanted to ask, to finally pipe up about the tangible tension between them. It was too late, though – Eddie always got his shit together when it was too late.
“Want to have one last joint together? For old time’s sake?” Steve asked, yanking Eddie away from distracting thoughts.
“Hell yeah, pretty boy. Let’s get ripped up.” Though Eddie hadn’t planned to stay longer than a few minutes, he couldn’t deny Steve anything. Not when he smiled so wide in obvious hope of keeping Eddie around just a little longer.
They ended up out on Steve’s back deck, leaning against the treated wood there. Eddie took slow pulls, letting the smoke linger in his chest. The longer that cherry burned, the longer he had with Steve by his side.
It was funny, there were so many things to say and admit, to reveal and upend, yet they stayed quiet. There was no sound except for the rumble of thunder followed by a bright clack of lightning. A storm was brewing both on the deck and in the dark sky. Eddie felt it in the air, in the way his skin prickled when they passed the jay, in the linger of touch. Leave it to Eddie and Steve to finally let passion boil over at the worst possible time.
Eddie managed to keep a lid on his wants until the rain started to fall. The small droplets looked like little diamonds on Steve’s skin as he turned into the porch light to stare at Eddie. His hair already looked drenched, though Eddie knew it was the hairspray buckling down under the water’s weight. Not for the first time, Steve looked kissable, entirely too tempting for his own good. Eddie usually ignored the moments where the tension was tangible.
He knew there’d be no stopping himself this time.
Without any warning, Eddie surged forward, kissing Steve hard on the lips. His hands settled on each of Steve’s cheeks, feeling the rain drops on the softest skin. The kiss was hot, like flames licking across each of Eddie’s nerve endings. He knew he needed to pull back but Steve opened his mouth and all hopes of retreat were lost.
It was easy to ignore the rain falling upon them as each of Eddie’s hidden desires started to present themselves. Steve’s lips were warm and active against his own; there was no doubt that Harrington knew exactly what he was doing. There was an equal push and shove of Steve’s bottom lip between Eddie’s teeth and Steve’s tongue deep in Eddie’s mouth. Thunder continued to rumble around them but Eddie didn’t care – Steve’s hands were sure on his neck, seemingly always trying to tug Eddie closer.
With his head spinning, Eddie forced himself to break the kiss. His chest heaved as he drew in breaths that burnt from such a lack of oxygen. Eddie tried to shift back into Steve’s space again, but a wet hand stopped him. Steve’s fingers trailed over the curve of Eddie’s lip, lingering there for a second. Then his wide palm cupped Eddie’s jaw. “I think I’ll go inside.” Steve said, nodding his head towards the door. The unspoken invitation was heard loud and clear.
Despite the thriving want rushing through his veins, Eddie didn’t shove Steve against the door or impatiently push him hotly into the wall as they made their way upstairs. It was enough to have Steve’s hand in his, lingering there with each step towards the bedroom. Eddie was already unsure why something like this all of the sudden felt right, losing control before anything got started would color the already surreal moment.
Eddie was glad for the patience – Steve didn’t hesitate to close the door behind them with one sure push. His bedside lamp was on, casting the room in a soft orange glow. Eddie had seen the space so many times before, though it suddenly looked different somehow. The bed was inviting and the clothes slowly littering the floor meant so much more than clutter and laziness. He belonged in Steve’s room now, even if only for a little while.
Steve dragged Eddie further into the room after getting his wet shirt off. Pulling the thing up had ruffled the back of his hair, making Steve look wild and unkempt. The sight made Eddie’s mouth water. Eddie moved in to start kissing Steve again, but strong hands on the bottom of his own t-shirt halted his progress. Both hands shot up in the air to help Steve tug the wet fabric up and off.
As the brief block in his view was removed, Eddie suddenly realized they were close again. He could see Steve’s long eyelashes caressing his cheek each time the other boy blinked. The moles on his cheeks were more pronounced, drawing Eddie’s attention when he could spare it. In the quiet, Eddie heard so many things from the look in Steve’s eyes as they flitted from one piece of Eddie to another. A part of him hated the fact that they waited until Eddie was packed up and ready to go to get here. A stab of grief crested through his stomach – yet it was quickly replaced with relief, too. Eddie was certain he never would have had the guts to step away if he understood what being with Steve was truly like.
Needing that train of thought to crash to a halt, Eddie tilted his head to slot his lips against Steve’s again. He kissed him hard and long, trying so desperately to give Steve everything and remember each passing second all at once. It was a tall order when so many things were happening that Eddie couldn’t decide where to focus. Steve’s hands weren’t shy as they moved across Eddie’s bare back. Goosebumps travelled in Steve’s wake, making Eddie shiver under his touch.
Between eager kisses and wandering hands, Eddie’s pants and underwear joined Steve’s in the steadily building pile until they were finally naked together. Steve stepped away from Eddie just enough to gently push him towards the bed. Eddie could do nothing but sit down on the edge of it without hesitation. As he moved back to make room, Eddie let his eyes take in the entire picture a nude Steve Harrington made. They had matching scars across their sides and stomachs, though much of Steve’s were covered by thick hair. His legs were long and strong, curving beautifully into an ass that Eddie had spent so much time thinking about.
Steve was grinning at him the next time Eddie decided to tear his eyes away from the distraction before him. There was a sparkle in his expression that would’ve brought Eddie to his knees had he been standing. If he hadn’t been head over heels in love with Steve before, glancing at him now would’ve been a final nail in that coffin. Steve was beautiful and lively in a way that made Eddie’s very soul ache.
Things were hard to focus on for a while – Steve finally joined Eddie on the bed and time became bare limbs and hot erections sliding against each other. He wasn’t able to catch his breath until Steve expertly flipped their positions so Eddie was on top of him. Color changing eyes bore into Eddie’s as Steve uttered one lust-filled word – “please”.
Eddie wasn’t all that sure why he immediately understood the request but his entire being moved at once. He didn’t bother asking about supplies or whether Steve was sure – they didn’t need words when gripping hands and eyes that spoke volumes were at play.
He did his best to pay attention to absolutely every second of Steve squirming on his fingers, though the reality of his success was fleeting. Steve was so responsive with every part of his body. His toes curled, his eyes fluttered, his mouth shaped unspoken words of delight. Eddie had no idea that the sweat clinging to Steve’s forehead would be undeniably sexy, yet he’d focused in on a bead of it with every intention to lick it off. One time doing this would never be enough – he needed to come to terms with that before he lost the chance to simply enjoy the moment for what it was.
Tucking his forehead against Steve’s as he teased the head of his cock along Steve’s rim, Eddie closed his eyes. He took in a long, mingled breath before pushing his hips forward. Inch by inch, Eddie sunk in until his hips rested against Steve’s ass. Muscular thighs wrapped around Eddie’s middle, pulling him in even further. There wasn’t a piece of either of them that wasn’t completely covered by sweat and joint want and tangible love that would never truly see the light of day. While Eddie waited for Steve to adjust, he grabbed Steve’s hands, moving them until they were up by the pillows. Their fingers interlocked naturally so that no space at all remained – so that Eddie had no idea where he stopped and Steve began.
Zinging passion and consuming rightness pulsed between them with each forward thrust of Eddie’s hips. They stayed close, completely tangled up, so the roll and push of joint movements was sloppy and intimate. The gathered sweat between warm trunks made the glide of Eddie’s stomach along Steve’s cock almost unbearable – it was difficult to discern what was pre-cum and what was the heady collection of humid buildup between two hot bodies.
Eddie’s hair was stuck to his forehead and neck, his muscles ached, and his cock throbbed but he held off the end for as long as possible. He never wanted to let go when Steve’s fingers were tangled within his, squeezing on and off as Eddie’s cock dragged deliciously against a swollen prostate. It was too good of a thing, being wrapped up so completely in Steve.
No matter how hard he tried to hold on, Eddie couldn’t fight against the tight clench of Steve around him. His hips were shifting and grinding on their own accord, losing that good rhythm in exchange for more friction, more heat, more everything. Steve was right there with him – Eddie didn’t miss the flutter of deep muscles that were barely hanging on. His noises got loud, the running commentary of ‘so good’ and ‘Eddie, fuck’ becoming a slurred mess of moans and panted breath.
When it was all over, Eddie caught Steve’s eye and held it as the best orgasm of his life washed over him. He didn’t even need to slip a hand between them because Steve’s eyes were fluttering at the same time a particular warmth splashed across their bellies. Their mouths found each other’s in a clash of small pecking kisses and desperate attempts to touch down to Earth again.
Aside from the cursory cleanup that followed, Eddie didn’t move from the circle of Steve’s arms for quite some time. He laid with his head on Steve’s shoulder, caught between listening to the heart beating against his ear and the rain hitting the side of the window. The residual noises of a world moving on around them enhanced the quiet of the room, somehow, making it seem so much more profound. At a time when there was nothing left to say or do, simply enjoying the silence meant more than any rushed confession could.
And while Eddie wished he could stay like that with Steve forever, the time to leave had finally come. They shared a few more lingering kisses before Eddie got up and redressed. He was thankful that Steve didn’t follow him out of the bed or down the stairs or to the door. It wouldn’t have been a pretty thing, detaching himself from those selfishly stolen extra moments. What they just shared was beautiful and perfect in a way that one last kiss and a silent look over the shoulder was the only goodbye necessary.
Never mind the tears that rolled unhindered down Eddie’s face or the sinking unanchored feeling that overcame him the moment he stepped foot outside of Steve’s door. He made his decision to go and Steve, the boy he loved so much, respected that. The only way to honor whatever existed between them was to chase his dream – to find a place where the real Eddie Munson could truly flourish.
August 1998
Stepping on the brakes for what felt like the millionth time, Steve exaggeratedly sighed – he had endured more than enough of the terrible traffic his commute to the junior college demanded throughout the summer. Thankfully, he’d just taught his final class there making this his very last trip home in rush hour. Two weeks of freedom were before him (if Steve didn’t die from boredom on the highway).
He tapped his hands on the steering wheel for a second before deciding the radio would be a great distraction. Flipping it on, Steve turned the dial through a couple of stations before a name he hadn’t heard in a while stopped him in his tracks.
Alright folks, here’s the latest single from Eddie Munson. You’ll be surprised by the shift in sound but that bittersweet taste of pining will keep you hooked like so much of his work before. If this is what he sounds like without Corroded Coffin, you fans are in or a treat! Buckle in folks, this one’s called Think I’ll Go Inside.
Steve’s mind was already reeling from the mere mention of Eddie Munson – that song title was just one step too far. He was quickly transported back to that day Eddie said goodbye with his body, leaving Steve behind with the knowledge that no one else would ever do that again – make him feel the way Eddie did. That memory clung to him, following Steve through college and an internship and finally a career at Hawkins High. Eddie was the one that got away – what business did he have using such a poignant time for Steve as musical fodder?
All those hostile thoughts were quickly washed away with each new verse. What Steve thought was going to be something impersonal and catchy was intimate and unique, really driving the tenderness of that evening home. As Steve listened and the lyrics were absorbed, he had the profound thought that maybe Eddie carried that time they came together around with him, too.
Since Corroded Coffin got their start, Steve silently wondered if Eddie’s songs were about him. There was always a hint of familiarity in the words so expertly weaved with loud guitar and banging drums. For the first couple of albums, Steve refused to believe that Eddie Munson found muse in him, yet somehow, it eventually became impossible to deny. He wanted to be upset about it, Steve truly did. The rational part of his brain knew that anger was an appropriate response to having personal moments and deep feelings exploited. The softer part of him, the one that still loved Eddie with every fiber of its being, found flattery in the verses that spoke about perfect love never truly realized. That far outweighed the irritation.
Despite his tentative acceptance, Steve tried hard not to think about Eddie feeling the same as him thousands of miles too far away. As the years past and the songs got more melancholy, Steve avoided the music all together. It was already too much to constantly feel that longing in his own chest – hearing about it from Eddie’s perspective made the ache throb in such a helpless way, Steve couldn’t stand it.
Listening to Eddie’s latest song was the first time Steve felt a real stirring of excitement in his belly – he already wanted to listen forever. Eddie’s memory of that night was still so obviously vivid, like twelve years hadn’t already past them by. He hung on to every word until Eddie’s voice trailed off and the radio host started to babble again. Steve quickly turned off the radio, wanting only the remains of Eddie’s song to linger in the air.
He hummed the chorus throughout the rest of the drive, softly singing under his breath. That continued as he walked into the house he shared with Robin. She looked at him strangely when Steve didn’t stop as the door shut behind him. “What’s got you in such a good mood?” Robin asked, shifting from her spot on the couch to follow Steve down the hallway.
Steve worked on the knot of his tie to undo it before even thinking about giving Robin attention. Despite himself and the shit he knew he was about to get, Steve couldn’t help the grin he threw her way. “Eddie has a new song on the radio.”
Robin immediately stopped in her tracks. “Eddie Munson?” The question came off high pitched, like Steve’s statement was both shocking and slightly terrifying all at once.
“The very same,” Steve said in answer. He continued on down the hall, not waiting for Robin to get over herself and follow along. She’d be hot on his heels in a second, anyway.
True to Steve’s assumption, Robin broke out of her stupor before Steve could get into his room and shut her out. She leaned against his doorway, efficiently blocking any such plan. “Steve, you know what it’s like when you let yourself get your hopes up.”
Looking over his shoulder, Steve shot Robin a heated look. “You didn’t hear the song, Rob – it’s not just in my head.” He wanted to continue on, to tell her about the moving lyrics and the tangibility of the feelings within them, but Steve knew the outcome of that particular dance. They had gotten in enough fights over the years for Steve to usually keep quiet where Eddie was concerned. Robin was a great friend and wanted the best for him – she’d been convinced it wasn’t Eddie since Steve told her about the night they shared. Where Steve saw romance, Robin only gleamed mischief.
Still, Robin’s eyes narrowed at him. “I just don’t want to see you hurt yourself anymore.”
Steve softened at that statement – any hackles that were starting to rise fell back into place. When push came to shove, Robin had been there to see every one of Steve’s implosions. It only made sense that she wanted to protect him. Crossing the room, Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her in close. “I know. And you’re the best for that. I’m okay, Rob – I promise.”
She looked like she didn’t believe him for a second (because they’d been in the exact same place so many times), then her face finally relaxed. A patented Robin Buckley smirk quickly slipped into place. “Should we order in and try to catch it on the radio again?”
Huffing out a laugh, Steve nodded eagerly. There were a plethora of reasons why Steve and Robin stayed friends after so many years but her peculiar ability to both enable and take care of him was Steve’s favorite.
They met back in the living room a little while later, decked out in pajamas and armed with the best Chinese takeout in the greater Hawkins area. Steve spread out all the pillows and blankets he brought from his room on the couch and floor for Robin to construct the most epic of forts. While she worked, Steve got the radio plugged in and tuned to the right station. As music Steve didn’t care for played, he divided up the food and took his place in Robin’s latest blanket masterpiece.
The night went by with lots of red wine and eggrolls while Steve and Robin made fun of music they never listened to and waited impatiently for Munson’s song to play again. They were two bottles in when the radio gods finally answered their prayer. Steve beamed, wrapping his arms around Robin’s shoulders as they huddled together and listened to the deep tones of Eddie’s serenade. Neither spoke until the next song started to play.
Robin turned off the radio before turning to Steve. A pink drunkenness stained her cheeks, though a seriousness remained in her eye. “You should call him!” Robin exclaimed. “In the song, he said if you have room. Steve – we have room. Lots of it. At least enough for someone small like Munson.”
Her drunken rambles made enough sense in that moment that Steve eagerly nodded at the suggestion, as if something crazy like that would ever be a good idea. Steve’s brain was a little slower than usual but he remembered the hastily sprawled out note Dustin gave him the last time Steve broke down enough to ask about Eddie. Out of all the people who knew him in Hawkins, Dustin was the only one kept in the Eddie Munson loop. Steve only allowed himself to be bitter about it when there was wine involved. Though, this time around, he was happy for Dustin’s continual connection.
Steve recognized he was well past too drunk to make any sort of decision, though the thought stuck with him as they rolled to the middle of the fort and whispered like school girls about silly dreams and drunken fantasies. He clung to the idea the next morning when he got up to chug some water and go for a run. By the time he got back, sweaty, and tired again, Steve made the decision to listen to Robin’s drunken suggestion. What did he really have to lose?
He impatiently waited until Robin took off for her daily marching band duties. The world was so small that they ended up teaching together, too. Thankfully, her schedule gave Steve lots of peace and freedom to dial and redial the same number over and over again. He got to the last digit twenty times before finally hitting the 7 and letting it ring.
----
With his guitar strung across his back, Eddie pushed through his front door. It’d been a long few hours in the studio working through some of the newest musical tracks. The absence of Gareth and Josiah was felt, so Eddie decided to keep it simple and stick to the basic shit he knew. While acoustic guitar and piano weren’t common metal instruments, Eddie was certain the music he was making was well worth the slow down his fans needed to take with this upcoming album.
Dumping everything in his practice room, Eddie walked back towards the kitchen, intent on his leftovers from the night before. A red flashing light from the answering machine diverted him along the way. Eddie impatiently tapped the play button, already ready to delete the message when Steve Harrington’s voice filled the foyer of his house. He was so dumbfounded and surprised that the rambling message played all the way through without Eddie hearing a single word.
He forced himself to take a couple of calming breaths before hitting rewind to play it again.
Hey Eddie – it’s Steve, Steve Harrington. I hope you don’t mind that Dustin gave me your number; I’ve had each one and never thought to use any until now. It’s probably weird to hear from me after so long but I wanted to let you know that I listened to your new song. It’s beautiful, Eddie. One of your best. (there’s a pause and some background noise before Steve speaks again) If you were serious, about coming to see me – I think I’d like it if you did. I’m still in Hawkins if you ever find your way back home. I miss you, man. Anyway, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Have a good one, Munson.
The visceral way Eddie’s body reacted to the message made the words and what it all meant hard to process. A sharp blush rushed to his cheeks when Steve mentioned listening to his latest song. The single he put out was the breakthrough he needed to get back in business. It was the most personal song Eddie had ever written. In some ways, he figured Steve wouldn’t ever hear it – it was funny to think that after twelve years, his old friend still listened to his music. Never mind the fact that Steve had taken Eddie’s wishful artistry and made it into something real, tangible, touchable even if Eddie could spare the time.
Hours later, Eddie grimaced at the thought of how many times he played Steve’s message. Eddie had spent years wondering what time did to Steve Harrington, whether it aged him as gracefully as he deserved. The voice on the phone made his stomach clench and loins tingle. He could only imagine the features that changed to go along with that deep timber.
Once Eddie managed to get his head back out of the gutter, he got to thinking about what a trip to Hawkins might look like. He still had a few songs left to write and guitar passages to clear up but the album wasn’t due for at least another half a year. In the weirdest of realities, Eddie could actually manage the trip. In fact, the longer he toiled with the idea, the more pertinent getting back there became. Eddie wanted to make himself believe that a change of scenery would be good for his song writing, or that a little taste of home was exactly what his about-face album needed. Yet, it was difficult to think past the prospect of seeing Steve again. That’s all that really mattered.
While that was a reason that Eddie could gladly stomach, his manager would not be so easily swayed. Eddie came up with an elaborate tale about seeing Wayne and finishing up a song to curb Dale’s anxiety, but they both knew it was only half of the truth. Regardless, Eddie was a grown ass man, so he cleared his calendar for a while and booked plane tickets. With the money spent, no one could argue with him, anyway.
September 1998
He waited to return Steve’s call until all of the plans were in place. It only made sense to be prepared for any of the questions Steve could possibly throw his way. Never mind the fact that Eddie needed the extra time to build up the necessary courage. It’d been a while since he made an important phone call at all, let alone one so personal.
Eddie took the cordless phone from its base and dialed Steve’s number by memory. As it rang, he slowly walked down the hall into his practice room. Being surrounded by guitars and sheet music always calmed him down. He took a seat at the piano right as Steve picked up the phone.
“Harrington-Buckley residence, this is Steve.”
“Hey Steve, it’s Eddie,” Eddie said, yanking off the band-aid of surprise right away. It was probably a good thing because he heard a large gasp. Then the phone hit the floor. Unable to stop the chuckle from escaping, Eddie tried to smother his laugh as Steve’s voice sounded down the line again.
“Holy shit, sorry – I was not expecting to hear from you. And I just poured my tea all over myself.” It was just like old times and Eddie couldn’t stand it.
“Some things never change, huh?” Eddie asked, voicing the thought so it’d stop nudging at him. He’d never be able to get through the rest of the conversation without taking that weight off. Steve rolled with it easily because that was his super power and he knew how and when to use it.
“That certainly hasn’t.” There was a pause, then – “ It’s so crazy to hear your voice, Eddie. The radio really doesn’t do it justice.”
Raising his free hand to run through his hair, Eddie grinned at the thought – he’d been thinking that exact same thing, how nice it was to listen to Steve talk to him. “Well, get ready to hear it in person, Harrington. I’ll be in Hawkins late tomorrow night.”
Another loud gasp echoed down the line. This time, Eddie didn’t miss the sound of Robin’s voice there, too. “Is that Buckley?” Eddie questioned to invite their obvious eavesdropper into the conversation.
“Howdy, Munson,” Robin said before there was a muffled sound followed by a broken up demand for her to leave the room.
“Sorry, Eddie. She still has no idea of what privacy is.” Eddie could hear the smile in Steve’s voice and wondered whether he or Robin had brought it about. Steve thankfully pressed on before he could contemplate it any further. “Tell me more about your trip out here, man. Do you need a ride from the airport?”
They spoke for a while after that – Eddie filled Steve in on his flight arrival time and the intention to stay with Dustin while in town. He originally wanted to ask Steve for a space to crash but something stopped him. Eddie wanted the opportunity to get to know Steve again – sharing space so soon was an easy way for things to get physical long before either of them were ready. Not to mention Dustin had called dibs the second Eddie got in touch with him about the trip.
Once the details were filled in, Eddie expected to sign off for the evening, but Steve just kept on talking. He told Eddie about his job at the high school, how he got to work with Dustin, Robin, and Nancy for most of the year. Eddie expected to feel a little jealous of that close knit group but he only felt happiness and genuine excitement to step back into it.
When they did eventually disconnect for the night, Steve left Eddie with a “see you soon” that sounded so promising he struggled to calm down enough to get to sleep.
----
Steve whipped into the airport parking lot with five minutes to spare before Eddie’s plane landed. While he was over the goddamn moon about Eddie’s impromptu visit, Steve was loathe to admit that trying to do anything on a home game Friday was absolute hell. Since Robin was the band director and loved to rope Steve into things, he manned the sidelines during the game – always on babysitting duty. Hawkins still wasn’t all that good at the game but Robin’s band was amazing, stealing the show before and after the game. Breaking away from his students was always difficult, but that night, Steve felt like he’d never escape.
Finally pulling into a spot made him feel a lot better. He hadn’t had a chance to call and check on Eddie’s flight after leaving the house, so Steve got out of the car and made his way inside. After a quick sweep of the arrivals screen, Steve took a seat by the escalator that would bring Eddie down into baggage claim.
Eddie saw him first, that much was obvious by the way his eyes were shining by the time Steve looked up and noticed him. Neither man blinked as the mechanical stairs brought Eddie within a hundred feet of Steve for the first time in a decade. Without really thinking, Steve was out of his seat, striding across the remaining space between them. He didn’t hesitate to pull Eddie into his arms – how could he when he’d thought about this moment since the day Eddie left? The other man didn’t seem to mind, anyway, his arms were tight around Steve’s shoulders, bringing him in close.
“Holy shit, it’s good to see you, Stevie,” Eddie said as he finally pulled away.
Steve smiled wide, taking all of Eddie in. Eddie’s hair was still long and dark, curly, and thrown over his shoulders. There was a bit of facial hair starting to make residence on Eddie’s upper lip and chin, probably from the long day. He still rocked a leather jacket, though it was a much more classy cut. Unsurprisingly, Steve was taken aback by how beautiful Eddie still was, how after more than a decade, he seemed to be the same person who was standing outside Steve’s door all those years ago. It was surreal. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
It was hard to tear himself away, but Steve managed to detach enough to lead Eddie over to the baggage claim and then out to the car where his corny little gift was waiting for Eddie on the passenger seat. He tried not to hold his breath while Eddie processed the eclectic bouquet of flowers in his hands.
Dustin had talked him into it between lunch and last period earlier that day. He talked on and on about flower language and how it spoke volumes without Steve having to say anything at all. Agreeing to it meant getting Dustin to stop talking, though Steve couldn’t deny he appreciated the idea, too. In the hour break he got between his last student appointment and band babysitting duty, Steve learned more about flowers than he ever wanted to know. Though, the look in Eddie’s eyes was absolutely worth it.
“I love zinnias – they mean lasting affection, right?” Eddie asked, bringing the flowers to his nose. While there was a decent selection of flowers in the bouquet, Steve requested several colored zinnias to make up the bulk of it. Dustin was adamant that it was Eddie’s favorite flower.
Blushing, because Steve didn’t know that’s what the damn flower meant, he nodded, anyway. “I’ve learned so much about floral language today, you can’t even imagine.” Turning in his seat a little, Steve easily shifted topics. “We’re gonna stop by Robin and I’s place first – it’s game day tradition. Then Dustin will take you home.”
“Sounds good to me. I can’t wait to see everyone.” Eddie looked genuinely excited as he clipped in his seatbelt and rearranged the flowers on his lap. Steve couldn’t help but notice the gentle way he handled them. Nor did he miss the little smile Eddie had on his face when he glanced down at the ragtag collection of flowers.
Steve turned away so Eddie wasn’t the victim of his beaming smile. He’d need to make Dustin cookies or something for giving such good advice. Rolling his eyes at the thought, Steve got the car turned on and backed out of the parking space before any other rogue ideas could set in. They were on the highway before Eddie spoke again.
“You really are a teacher. You’ve got the Hawkins sweater and a nerdy polo underneath. I never thought I’d see the day, Harrington.” Eddie’s lips were quirked into that sly little smile of his, the laugh he was barely holding back apparent in the lines around his mouth. Steve was almost sorry he was driving.
“I’m a guidance counselor, actually. And one of the coolest adults there.” While Steve wasn’t lying, he did feel a little silly picking Eddie Munson, rock star extraordinaire, up in a Hawkins’ High football sweatshirt. Nonetheless, Eddie didn’t seem to mind what he saw – Steve noticed Eddie didn’t take his eyes off him the entire drive.
Pulling up outside the house, Steve was surprised to get parked before the door sprung open and the crew spilled out. Steve flashed Eddie a happy smile before nodding at Dustin barreling their way – “you better get out before he yanks you from the seat. He’s been antsy and excited all day.”
Eddie was barely fast enough to get unbuckled and out of the car before Dustin engulfed him in a full body hug. He’d grown very tall since his early teens, so he towered over Eddie hilariously. Steve watched the exchange from the front of the car, grinning all the while. Robin came up to him then, settling against his side. “You’ve really got it bad, Stevie.”
Leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead, Steve nodded easily. “You have no idea, Rob.”
It was a whirlwind of everyone vying for Eddie’s attention for a while. Steve backed off a step and let Robin, Nancy, and Dustin tug at Eddie’s arms while he played the good host. They kept frozen pizzas and fries in the freezer for these very occasions, so he went about making something to snack on while they drank beer and passed around a blunt.
When Steve first pulled it from the coffee table drawer, Eddie looked at him with genuine surprise. “Teachers get high?” Eddie asked as he looked them over. Steve and Dustin tried to keep it together but Robin was bursting at the seams in laughter.
“I’m not sure I could get through the school year without being high for at least half of it,” Robin remarked, raising her beer bottle.
Nancy chimed in with a “hear, hear” and clanked her drink against Robin’s.
Steve watched Eddie’s face light up like it’d done so many times when they were younger. He was happy to know that time hadn’t yanked the genuine pieces of Eddie away from him. Being an adult was already hard, Steve couldn’t imagine how any sort of fame increased that difficulty. Steve liked what he saw and couldn’t decide if that was the best thing to happen to him or the very worst.
Shaking his head of the thought, Steve piped into the conversation as Dustin talked about the terrible football game and Robin’s band’s amazing halftime performance. That easily got Eddie and Robin talking about music and composition for so long that Dustin, Nancy, and Steve were idly chatting about other school gossip by the time the other two came up for air. It was so normal that Steve almost forgot Eddie hadn’t always been around them.
As one joint turned to two and the beer flowed freely, parts of the group started to drop off. Robin and Nancy tipsily walked down to Robin’s room. Dustin was passed out on the futon he’d commandeered sometime earlier. It was commonly how these sorts of nights ended, though Steve didn’t usually have a sleepy Eddie Munson leaning against his shoulder. That was the best sort of change.
Steve tucked his head against Eddie’s for the rest of the Happy Days episode they were watching before shifting enough for the other man to sit up, too. “I should probably wake up Dustin before he starts snoring,” Steve said, his voice soft. He’d been on the receiving end of Robin’s complaints one too many Saturday mornings to let Dustin spend the night in their front room again. Eddie’s sleepy smile in response was enough motivation for Steve to reach over and nudge Dustin’s chest until he woke up with a grunt. “Time to get Eddie home, Dusty.”
While Dustin woke himself up, grumbling the entire time, Steve got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen. He flipped on the coffee pot mindlessly, already thinking about to-go cups and cream when arms around his waist stopped him. Their height difference made it so that Eddie’s nose fit perfectly against the edge of Steve’s neck, the other’s breaths there tickly. Steve tried not to lean into the embrace, but it was fruitless – Eddie’s arms around him felt too good.
“It shouldn’t surprise me that you’re still taking care of everybody,” Eddie whispered as his hands moved to grip Steve’s hips. He squeezed there briefly before stepping away. Steve immediately mourned their closeness.
He made up for it by turning around to lean his lower back against the counter. Folding his arms across his chest, Steve nodded lightly. “I’ve always been the mom of the group. I don’t think that will ever change.”
Eddie smiled at that, the look wrinkling his eyes ever so slightly. Steve wanted to run his finger along the lines – they were new and he so badly wanted to learn them.
“I really am so glad to see you, Steve. I – “ Steve was certain Eddie was going to say more before Dustin came clomping into the kitchen, lazily rubbing at his eyes.
“That coffee smells amazing, Steve. Thank you,” Dustin said, leaning against the counter by Steve’s hip. Though he didn’t say anything, Steve didn’t miss the way Dustin’s eyes trailed between himself and Eddie. For a second, Steve figured Dustin walked in when he did just to ruin the moment.
Steve went about putting together Dustin’s coffee the way he liked it, brushing the thought from his mind. They were all happy to see Eddie, being a selfish prick about it wasn’t going to make anything easier where that was concerned. By the time he turned back to the two men watching him, Steve’s smile was in place. “Some cream and a dash of sugar for you, Dusty Buns.” Steve winked as he pushed the handled cup into Dustin’s hands.
Walking them to the front door, Steve stopped Eddie before he could leave. “Can I see you on Sunday? Dustin and I run a club in the afternoon but I’ve got the entire evening free.” Steve hadn’t thought any further than making sure his intentions were known, that when all was said and done, Eddie knew Steve wanted to spend as much time together as the other would allow.
“Yeah, Steve – that sounds perfect.” Eddie looked at him unblinkingly for an extra second before nodding and following Dustin out the door. Steve watched them get into Dustin’s car and didn’t move until he couldn’t see taillights anymore.
----
It was overwhelming, being back home. Eddie figured it would’ve hit him the second he stepped foot in the airport, but his excitement in seeing Steve overshadowed everything else. The whole night was a whirlwind of old friends and stolen stares and moments that actually mattered. Eddie didn’t get rocked by the feeling until he walked into Dustin’s house that hadn’t changed in the twelve years he’d been gone. Though Mrs. Henderson past more than five years ago, Dustin hadn’t done much to the décor. In fact, the whole place looked frozen in time.
Eddie spent most of that first night trying to come to terms with the fact that he was in Hawkins and when that eventually happened, he turned to thinking about Steve and all the things he wanted to say. How, the second he saw the man stand up, all Eddie wanted to do was run and cling and never let go ever again. It was crazy to think that absence made the feeling in his heart grow fonder, Eddie always thought the idea was cliché. The instantaneous nature of his realization that twelve years had done nothing but make him want Steve more, that made a believer out of him.
He tried not to think too much about Steve the next day as he and Dustin caught up. It hadn’t been as many years for the two of them because Dustin frequently demanded concert tickets anytime Eddie was anywhere near the Indiana area. It’d been at least three years since their last catch up but things were always easy with Dustin – they were back to being thick as thieves within a couple of hours. Eddie listened to Dustin talk about the new Hellfire Club and the line of dungeon masters Eddie left in his wake. It was interesting, to see where Eddie carved out places for himself in a town that once hated him.
When Sunday rolled around, Eddie impatiently waited for a glimpse of Steve when he came to pick up Dustin for Academic Bowl practice. They smiled at each other as Dustin rolled his eyes and climbed into Steve’s car. Eddie waved and watched them go before returning to his petulant moping on the front porch. He made it another 90 minutes before the urge to simply be in Steve’s space overruled all rational thought.
The old high school building was easy enough to navigate when he got there. Not much had changed about anything in the town, let alone either of the schools. He strolled down the halls with as much casualty as he could – even after all these years, Eddie still didn’t feel like he belonged. Though, that thought was fleeting when he got to the cafeteria where the Academic Bowl team was gathered. He stood in the back of the room and watched in fascination as Steve and Dustin played off of each other, easily getting the kids to answer questions and eagerly participate. While it didn’t come as a surprise that Steve was still great with kids, Eddie was taken aback to realize that he loved watching Steve in his element.
Now that there weren’t eyes on him, Eddie took a second to truly pull everything about Steve in. He was a little taller than the last time Eddie saw him – he towered over all of the students and stood a little shorter than Dustin. Working in a school hadn’t taken away any of Steve’s fashion sense; his jeans hugged his hips and legs delightfully. The button up shirt he wore was tucked into the waistband of those pants, perfectly accentuating Steve’s thin hips. He was still sex on legs and Eddie was happy to find that charming personality hadn’t gone anywhere, either.
Eddie spent a blissfully peaceful half hour watching Steve and enjoying the fact that the kids around him were just as charmed as Eddie was. It was easy to love such an infectious personality like that.
Steve only noticed him about five minutes before they were supposed to wrap up. His cheeks turned a gorgeous shade of red Eddie suddenly wanted to write thousands of words about. He sent a nod in Eddie’s direction. It looked like Steve tried hard to keep his attention on the end of practice but Eddie saw his eyes wander endlessly. When Dustin eventually called an end to the glorified study group, Eddie felt just as excited as the kids – he even let out a little whoop of joy.
Getting up, Eddie walked over to Steve and Dustin who were bidding all of their students goodbye. As the last of them trickled out, Eddie dug into his pocket and tossed Dustin his car keys. “Thanks for the wheels, buddy,” Eddie remarked happily. It was nice to still have a bit of freedom in a place that once felt so stifling. He turned to Steve then, a grin on his face. “Where to, pretty boy?”
“My place, actually,” Steve replied easily. “It’s date night for Robin and Nancy, so I thought we could take advantage of an empty kitchen.”
“Oh, that means he’s making his famous pasta. You’re in for a treat, Eddie,” Dustin said from behind them. Eddie could hear the many things Dustin didn’t verbally say in that statement, though he chose to ignore them.
Steve was thankfully ready, so they started to head towards the door when Eddie looked back over his shoulder. “Don’t wait up, Dusty Buns.” Eddie winked at Dustin who was still spluttering as they walked through the door. Once out in the fresh air, Eddie couldn’t hold back his laugh anymore, and neither could Steve.
“He’s actively planning your untimely demise now, I hope you know that,” Steve managed to choke out after their laughter calmed down. There were tears mingling in his eyelashes, making the hazel of his eyes standout in the setting sunlight. Not for the first time since stepping off the plane, Eddie wanted to reach out and touch. He avoided the urge, though just barely.
“I’d love to see what he comes up with. In all the time I’ve known him, Dustin hasn’t once been able to write a quality campaign ending. They’re always a little – lame.” Eddie snorted at the thought – it didn’t take long at all for his nerdy ways to return to him. Brushing it away, Eddie pushed forward. “So, what makes your spaghetti famous?”
That question opened up a can of worms Eddie happily listened to Steve explain away for the entire drive back to the Harrington-Buckley place. Eddie found it hilarious that Steve still couldn’t cook and everyone called the pasta famous because it was the only edible thing that ever came out of his attempts. The story made Eddie want to try it even more.
When they got to Steve’s place, Eddie was not so subtly deposited in the living room while Steve ran around. Eddie tried not to laugh at the wild look in Steve’s eyes, though he unfortunately was not successful. It was funny and heartwarming and too much to see Steve putting in so much effort. By the time Eddie was welcomed into the kitchen, the lights were pitched down low and a ton of candles covered the counters. A single rose sat in the middle of the table where two plates and two wine glasses took up the remaining space.
Steve pushed him into one of the seats before Eddie could compliment the setting or the delicious smell that lingered in the air. He silently watched Steve plate food for them both before joining him at the table. “Do all of your guests get such service?” Eddie asked as Steve poured them each a glass of wine.
The resulting blush that overtook Steve’s cheeks was well worth the corniness of the question. The other man didn’t answer until he’d taken a sip of the rich red wine. “No – in fact, Robin might kill me for stealing all of her candles.”
It was easy to fall into Steve’s company after that. The food ended up being surprisingly good – Eddie didn’t even have to lie when he told Steve exactly that. The wine flowed and the conversation came without either of them having to dig too deep. Eddie found that he couldn’t take his eyes away from Steve, that as the night passed, Eddie dreaded its ending.
So much, in fact, that he blurted out “can I stay with you?” when Steve started to talk about getting Eddie back to Dustin’s. The question halted their conversation bringing about the first silence of the evening.
“Just to sleep,” Eddie added, wanting to clarify that nothing was expected. There was still too much to wade through without the complications of things getting physical. Eddie could feel that Steve understood that, too.
Which was why he wasn’t surprised when Steve eventually nodded eagerly at him. “I don’t see why not – I’ve got a pretty comfy bed.”
It should’ve been awkward, getting undressed alongside a man he hadn’t seen or been with or even spoken to in more than a decade. Yet, it wasn’t, not even a little bit. It felt so natural to stand by Steve’s side in the bathroom as they brushed their teeth. There wasn’t an ounce of weirdness when the covers were pulled back and Steve settled into his preferred side. He even patted his chest to invite Eddie into the safety of his arms.
As Eddie settled, he expected his heart to be thumping hard against his rib cage. He was preparing for adrenaline and a hormonal upsurge. Calmness and the overarching feeling of rightness settled over him, instead. He tucked his face into Steve’s neck and wrapped both arms around him. Their legs easily tangled and Steve returned the embrace, pulling him close. They were silent, those tender moments between realizing home was where Steve was and contently falling asleep to that feeling. Eddie reveled in the way Steve’s fingers brushed against his skin, in the way soft lips kissed his forehead. He fought hard against the strain of fatigue, wanting so much to bring in the daylight just like this. Sleep found him, however, dragging him under into a rest that Eddie had never experienced before.
October 1998
The following few weeks with Eddie back in town were nothing short of magical. Steve had no idea when Eddie planned to leave or what everything happening between them meant, but he gladly enjoyed every second. Like he figured, Eddie fitting back into Steve’s world was easy, seamless, even. They’d gone on double dates with Nancy and Robin, driven into Indianapolis with Dustin, and even done the rounds to see each of the kids that no longer called Hawkins their home. It was picture perfect and beautiful in all the ways that Steve figured it always would be.
Which meant reality and it’s nastiness had to come sweeping back into the picture.
Surprisingly, there hadn’t been all that many instances of people recognizing Eddie. Most of the old-timers that were around when they were dealing with all the shit with the Upside Down were either too old to remember or gone from town. Most of the time when Eddie got stopped, it was by a fan wanting an autograph. Steve knew Eddie was enjoying the fact that no one in Hawkins had called him a freak or tried to pick a fight. Though they never talked about it, Steve knew Eddie’s never-ending torment by the people in town was a main reason why the boy ran so far away so damn fast.
After such an easy few weeks, it was almost shocking to see Jason Carver walk into the diner they were eating at. Steve had been none too shyly trying to play footsie with Eddie under the table when Jason stormed in. Over the years, Jason secured the title of the town drunk one unruly bar fight at a time. He wasn’t trying to change that image, either, as he stumbled through the maze of tables, bumping, and shifting more than a few along his way.
“I almost didn’t believe it,” Jason slurred, stopping right by the edge of their table. Steve watched Eddie’s knuckles whiten as he squeezed his fist. There was an edgy glint in his eyes that Steve hadn’t seen since their final battle with Vecna.
Turning to diffuse the situation, Steve was taken aback when Jason pitched forward and tried to punch Eddie across the cheek. In that moment, Steve’s vision blanked and all he saw was the red of rage he’d never felt before. He climbed to his feet and fisted his left hand into the front of Jason’s shirt. Steve yanked, bringing the drunk man to him. “Don’t start trouble where you can’t finish it, Carver,” Steve growled in Jason’s face.
He shouldn’t have been all that surprised that Jason had no self-restraint, yet as the spit hit his cheek, Steve drew back in shock, all the same. There was but a heartbeat between wiping his face and using that same arm to punch Jason right across the jaw. It was entirely too satisfying to watch him fall to the ground like a ton of bricks.
But then Steve was left in the aftermath where everyone was staring at him. He did a quick sweep around to make sure no one looked angry before turning to Roy who’d come barreling out of the kitchen. “I’m so sorry, Roy.”
The burly cook shook his head to wave Steve off. “No harm, no foul, Harrington. It’s about time someone put him on his ass.” Roy’s lips were quirked in his version of a smile.
Steve sheepishly started to sit back down but Eddie shooting out of his seat stopped him. He stood dumbfounded as Eddie followed Jason’s previous path and walked right out of the door. Panicked and unable to think clearly, Steve threw down a few bills to cover their meal and hurriedly chased after Eddie.
It took two blocks for Steve to catch up to him. “Hey Eddie, are you okay?” Steve asked, panting slightly from his brisk walk. He was confused and getting more so by the minute.
“I should be asking you that,” Eddie rebutted, finally stopping his quick pace to turn around and look at Steve. His eyes were watery and raw, filled to the brim with tears of frustration and an all too familiar unhappiness. Steve ignored Eddie’s jab to step into his space, instead.
“It’s just a couple of bruised knuckles. I’ll be fine.” Steve showed Eddie his hand while he spoke, then wrapped that same hand around Eddie’s shoulders to pull him close. “What’s wrong, Ed? Jason Carver is just a mean old drunk.”
There was silence for a tense moment where Eddie stood completely still in Steve’s embrace. It was hard to just let it slide but Steve held on, waiting for the dam to break. When it did, Eddie slumped into him, his entire body relaxing. “I’ve been waiting for something like that to happen ever since I got here. I guess I just wasn’t ready for it,” Eddie sheepishly admitted. He looked as if he wanted to hide away, but Steve didn’t let him.
“Fuck him, Eddie. He hasn’t let go of something that happened more than a decade ago. If you didn’t notice, he’s the only one. Do you remember the kids’ faces at Hellfire last week? I haven’t seen that sort of idolization since Dustin’s fluttery eyelashes.” Steve gave his shoulder a squeeze, then continued on. “You’re great, Eddie – who cares what Jason thinks?”
----
Eddie toiled over Steve’s words for the rest of the afternoon. After Eddie calmed down some, they walked back to the diner to grab Steve’s car. A small bit of tension followed them back to Steve’s place, but it quickly dissipated when they walked through the door. Despite only being there a handful of times, Eddie already associated the warm foyer and mismatched furniture to the word home. He figured Steve had a lot to do with that, but Eddie didn’t have the brain bytes to think too hard about it.
Kicking off his shoes, Eddie made his way into the kitchen, making quick work of putting water in the kettle and getting it onto the stove. He knew his way around enough to pull down Steve’s favorite mug and the can of tea. Sorting enough leaves for two cups into the infuser, Eddie poured the hot water and left the tea to seep. Never looking up during the process, Eddie had no idea that Steve was sitting at the table, watching his every move.
“Am I allowed to say how much I like seeing you in my kitchen?” Steve asked. His eyes were bright and the look on his face told Eddie that Steve probably would have eventually said those words whether Eddie liked them or not. Too bad he did – he really, really did.
“As long as I’m allowed to tell you that I love being here. In your kitchen. With you.” Eddie spoke as he passed out their cups of tea and took a seat on the chair right next to Steve’s. When he settled, their knees were pressed delightfully against each other.
Steve ignored the steaming mug in favor of grabbing Eddie’s hand. Their fingers tangled together so naturally still. There was silence for a while where Eddie took in the way his hand looked wrapped up with Steve’s. Steve had long fingers and soft hands from doing desk work and nothing more. His palm was always warm against Eddie’s skin that ran the slightest bit cold. Where Eddie differed, Steve filled in those empty spaces. How many more signs did Eddie truly need to see the reality of the situation?
As it turned out, absolutely none. He didn’t wait for Steve to reply or come up with something clever to say; Eddie simply narrowed the space between them and kissed Steve. He kissed him for the first time in twelve years. He kissed him with heart and joy and a want that didn’t seem so big until Eddie was finally back in Steve’s orbit. Eddie kissed and kissed and kissed until Steve finally had to pull away.
“I don’t think I can watch you walk away again, Eddie.” Steve’s eyes were suddenly full of tears, like those words cost him so much just to say. Each one was like a punch to Eddie’s gut, but necessary to hear, too. They hadn’t spoken about that first time together since it happened. It was easier to just live in the moment. As the time passed and Eddie realized that home would never be anything or anyone but Steve, the understanding that Steve might not actually know that settled in, too. Maybe the other man needed to hear Eddie tell him that every day apart was torture, that after twelve years, four world tours, and enough fame to sustain him for the rest of his life, Eddie still wasn’t happy without Steve in his life.
“You won’t have to. When I walk away again, Steve, it’ll be with the intention of seeing you at home hours later.” Eddie hadn’t known that was the decision he was going to make until that very moment. He knew upon arriving in Hawkins that things were going to change. Hell, he came back in hopes of making those changes. Still, watching them happen before his own eyes was exciting and made decision making a hard and distracting process. It was good, then, that Eddie always made his best decisions on the fly.
Like leaning back in to kiss Steve again. That was a great choice that led to forgotten tea and a hasty retreat down the narrow hall and into Steve’s bedroom.
Where their last encounter was about clinging to each other a little while longer, this one felt like coming home. Eddie was meticulous in the way he stripped Steve of his clothes. He didn’t let Steve help him with the process at all, not even to strip Eddie down. Instead, Eddie pushed him on the bed with a choke off “don’t touch” before proceeding to take the man apart.
He started with the tender exploration of every inch of Steve’s skin. Eddie’s fingers trailed over scars and birthmarks and beautiful inconsistencies in an attempt to learn all of Steve. His palms skated across long limbs and a thumping heart to settle on the meat of Steve’s naked thigh. By the time Eddie had gotten them both naked, Steve was red and whimpering beneath him.
And while Eddie enjoyed concentrating his effort on Steve, he couldn’t deny that finally having Steve’s hands on him was even better. It was easy to see that control was no longer something Steve had as he thrust up against Eddie’s stomach and scratched down his naked back. Never mind the fact that Eddie had dragged him close to the edge at least three times without letting him fall. Eddie certainly couldn’t begrudge the man’s desperate need to find some sort of grounding.
The soft, easy swing of their intimacy was quickly obliterated by Steve tugging Eddie close enough to whisper “make love to me” in Eddie’s ear. While love and forever were absolutely on the table, the word somehow made all of those feelings so much more real. And it was, so much more real, because Eddie did love Steve; for the first time in all of his life, Eddie was actually in a position to truly do something about it.
Bound and determined to show Steve what being loved by him looked like, Eddie worked hard to pull Steve apart, stitch by stitch. He switched their positions so that Steve was sitting across his lap. Eddie moved until his back was against the headboard and they were face to face. He pulled Steve to him with a palm on the back of his neck, kissing him soundly.
Clever hands and Steve’s impatient hips worked in tandem to make space for Eddie inside. Scissoring his fingers, thrusting them soundly, Eddie worked open a spot that hopefully would be his for the long and foreseeable future. He took Steve to the brink again before pulling his fingers away and hastily filling that emptiness with his own length.
They made a beautiful music together as Steve opened up around him and Eddie sunk into the hilt. Steve’s breaths were coming out in pants, making his chest heave while Eddie groaned because the tightness and heat and thought of finally coming home were instantly too much. Eddie was quick to move his hands to Steve hips and squeeze them, hopefully halting any further movement until he could get his shit under control.
But, maybe that wasn’t in the cards because Steve ducked his chin to his chest for a moment before resolutely shaking his head. Both of Steve’s hands came up to cup Eddie’s cheeks. There were still tears in Steve’s eyes as he said “I can’t wait, Eddie – please – “
Eddie wasn’t one to ever deny Steve anything, especially a delicious plea like that. He tugged in a deep breath and let go.
It was hard to really grasp what went on between them after that. Steve started to rise and fall to a rhythm that Eddie couldn’t even begin to understand. His body was moving in a way that spoke of pent up want and years of yearning. Eddie merely gripped Steve’s hips and held on for the ride. Sure, he couldn’t hold back the little thrusts or the minute direction his hands tried to give, but Steve wasn’t going to be stopped and no amount of real influence could change that.
So Eddie was surprised when Steve all the sudden sank down on Eddie’s lap and quit moving. He let out a moan that couldn’t be held back before digging for that last little bit of control and giving Steve his attention. “You okay?” Eddie asked, panting out the question.
Steve looked disoriented for a second, like the abrupt halt was a surprise to him, too. Then, his eyes cleared up and he gripped both of Eddie’s shoulders. “I love you. I wanted to tell you that before I lost my mind. Before it became about feeling good and forgetting myself.” Steve leaned forward and kissed Eddie, then whispered it again. “I love you, Eddie.”
Wrapping both of his arms around Steve’s middle, Eddie squeezed the other man to him, sighing happily. Though his orgasm was still sitting at the edge of his peripheral vision, his head cleared up enough to understand Steve’s insistence and feel glad for it. He kissed Steve once, twice – again and again until the words finally bubbled up and out of him. “I love you, too. Fuck – I’ve loved you for so long.”
With a soft nuzzle of their noses together, Steve shifted out of the tight embrace to sit more firmly on Eddie’s lap. It looked like Steve’s earlier determination was granted control again because Steve started riding Eddie hard, almost like he never stopped.
The quick swing was too much for Eddie. His skin prickled as every muscle clenched – Eddie shouted out Steve’s name in delightful surprise. The heat in the pit of his stomach bubbled up and over and spilled out into the condom, into his teeth in Steve’s chest, into an orgasm that yanked Eddie so far over the edge that he almost blacked out.
His eyes were closed when Steve pitched over the cliff with him, yet Eddie got to feel every second of the other’s orgasm as Steve clenched and pulsed around him.
Eddie dropped back into reality a few minutes later with Steve kissing his neck and face. Steve was crying, looking at him so reverently that Eddie had to hide his face in Steve’s sweaty chest. He closed his eyes tight to fight off his own tears, but it was no use. Eddie peeked up to catch Steve’s eye, only to smile and laugh because the one person Eddie craved wanted him back so much that finally having that tangible connection was more than either of them could handle. It was a shared overwhelm that Eddie was grateful for. He never meant for the song he wrote to create this path for him, but now that he was on it, Eddie didn’t want to be anywhere else.
December 1999
Steve looked at The Hideout with a mix of emotions. He remembered days in his youth where he and the party were the only ones sitting behind the sticky booths. It was bonkers to see the place packed when that memory remained so vividly in his brain. Steve wondered if he’d even be able to see Eddie from the stage like he could back then. That clear picture of Eddie behind the microphone was still so special it’d be a shame to ruin it.
Either way, Steve was excited to finally get to see Eddie perform live after so many years. In all the time that his boyfriend toured with Corroded Coffin, Steve never granted himself the permission to buy a ticket – it felt too much like sneaking a peek at something Steve wanted so desperately yet knew he couldn’t have. He turned down Dustin’s attempt enough that his friend stopped asking after a while. It was a pleasure, then, to be the one asking his friends to join him for Eddie’s first solo performance in Hawkins.
He was flanked by Robin and Nancy who were riding the high of teachers finally on a two and a half week break. Dustin and Max took up his other side. Steve had been surprised when Dustin brought Max to their weekly dinners to introduce her as his girlfriend. While Steve had been perplexed, Eddie high fived Dustin like he’d been in on the secret for weeks (he had – for months, actually),
All the people surrounding him were the little family that Steve cultivated in the years of loneliness he tried so hard to fight against. It only seemed appropriate that they were there to usher in the best next step of Steve’s life, too.
While it hadn’t been easy to watch Eddie leave his life again after those precious weeks together, Steve worked through it knowing Eddie was going to come back. He made it two weeks before flying into Spokane to spend the weekend absorbing every last second of Eddie’s presence he could squeeze out of that short time. Eddie was a busy man and the transition from being single to not was still something they were still working out to this day. Steve understood dating a rockstar wasn’t going to be easy but knowing Eddie was there on the other side made it worth it.
After months and months of working hard and trying not to fight on the phone, of hastily thrown together trips and stolen moments, Eddie finally came back to Hawkins for good. His arrival was a great excuse for Robin to finally accept Nancy’s offer of living together, so everyone got a win from it in the end. With Dustin’s help, Steve turned Robin’s old room into a jam space that Eddie could use to practice and record in without having to catch a plane to Spokane every other weekend. They made it through the release of Eddie’s first solo album and the subsequent tour that came with it – surviving life together after that was going to be a breeze.
They’d been cohabitating for a couple of months when Eddie started to write again. Steve hadn’t ever been there for the process before, so he watched it all happen closely. He figured he’d hear snippets and pieces of the song as it progressed but Eddie kept it to himself. That in itself was odd because Eddie never stopped playing for Steve. Even in that song writing time, Eddie sang Steve’s favorites and made up lyrics for him on the spot, but never gave him a taste of his newest song. It was annoying in the worst way, until it suddenly wasn’t.
Steve knew the second Eddie sat him down at the table with a cassette player on the surface why Eddie had been so goddamn secretive about his latest work. Whatever was on that tape was important enough for Eddie to write, play, and record before letting Steve hear it. He wondered for a second if Eddie tried to find a way to put his soul on tape. And when the song played and Steve listened to the lyrics, he figured a tune like that was as close as any person might get to sharing so much of themselves.
Suddenly, Steve was glad he didn’t get little pieces of the masterpiece that Eddie put together. None of them would’ve made sense without the emotional barrage that every part of the song brought. Eddie’s words were beautiful, there was no doubt about that. Yet the guitar and piano that backed him were just as poignant. Steve felt every wave of consonance and dissonance Eddie put into his careful arrangement. Little fragments, those small snippets, they wouldn’t have been enough.
It was hard to part with the song after Eddie played it for him. Steve wanted to listen to it over and over, to absorb the words and live within them the way he found he wanted to do with most of Eddie’s recent work. He didn’t want anyone else to hear such honesty from Eddie – the world didn’t deserve that kind of beauty. Steve eventually got over himself, knowing he couldn’t hold a song so soulful and pretty hostage for his own selfish desires.
I Didn’t Know quickly became a number one hit that brought about the shindig they were heading to at The Hideout. The owner was proud to have known Eddie before he started and wanted to prove that by blowing out the capacity restrictions at his seedy little bar.
Steve was glad for it, though – he held off during Eddie’s last tour to see him live. For some reason, Steve enjoyed the times Eddie played those same songs in the home studio more. As they worked to build their relationship, Steve needed some normalcy to remain and following his rockstar boyfriend on tour wasn’t that. He finished up the school year right around the time Eddie wrapped up his tour, giving them a pretty amazing summer off together.
As they got checked off the list and walked into the bar, Steve’s earlier fears of not being able to see the stage were squashed. Instead of the bar being a mad house like Steve expected, they cleared out the tables and chairs to make room for a bigger crowd. The VIP section towards the stage was nicely roped off making any worries Steve harbored drop away. They were able to get a drink before the room started to feel a bit smaller and the start of the show creeped a little closer.
It was about five minutes before the show was set to start when Steve was tapped on the shoulder. Turning abruptly, Steve glanced at Dale (who he still secretly hated), quirking a brow. “Is everything okay?”
Dale didn’t bother to reply, he simply nodded his head towards backstage and expected Steve to follow him. A lot of his behavior was nods and grunts. Knowing that, Steve gave Robin his drink and took off after him. He stopped abruptly at the door leading to backstage as Dale stood there silently holding it open for him.
Not wasting any time, Steve took the unspoken invitation and walked the barely lit path to the space behind the main stage. Eddie was pacing with his guitar strapped across his chest. He paused when Steve came into view before springing into his arms. “Sorry, I just needed to see you.” Eddie babbled against the side of Steve’s neck.
Gripping Eddie’s shoulders firmly, Steve caught those familiar brown eyes. “You’re going to be great. I can’t wait to see you perform.” And all of the sudden, Eddie’s nerves made a lot of sense. He’d been prickly and on edge the entire week without Steve knowing why. Now, he understood. This was Eddie first time playing for Steve live. Grinning at the sudden realization, Steve moved his hands to cup Eddie’s cheeks. “I love you, Munson. Now play me a song.”
The sight of Eddie’s smile stayed with him as Steve made his way back to Dustin and Robin who were just drunk enough already to be excited to see him despite only being gone a minute or two. Getting sucked back into the crowd, Steve thought maybe following his rockstar boyfriend on tour wouldn’t be the worst thing for him to do.
That thought was further driven home a little while later when Eddie sat behind the piano and played the crowd a song written specifically for Steve. The pride and affection and love and fondness that ran through him while people sang and Robin hugged him tightly was overwhelming and well worth the discomfort of big crowds and loud music.
Steve figured no number of shows would be enough to get used to the way Eddie stared at him from the stage, singing those sweet words only to him.
#steddie#steve harrington x eddie munson#eddie munson x steve harrington#steve x eddie#eddie x steve#steveddie#steve/eddie#steve harrington#eddie munson#bobbie writes#stranger things#steddie fanfic#steddie fics#rock star eddie munson#think i'll go inside
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Have you got any plans for haloween costumes?
I'm going as a burlesque interpretation of Frankenstein so it was nice(?) to see some staple inspo the other day.
I'll just be doing cheesy drawn on stitches though becuase I don't have the skill or patience for real special effects makeup anymore
i ammm actually noodling this now!!!
FOR CONTEXT because i dont think a lot of current followers are familiar with my job pre porn mines, but i did costuming consults for like 6 years (at value village lmao, so both lamer and much much harder than you think). i thusly have a fukken CRATE of costume pieces so i can throw together things willy nilly out of there if i want
however my REAL FORTE (especially given the premise i worked with at that job) is slapping together closet costumes out of my real clothes. everything i wear in my two pumkin head sets are just... normal ass clothes for me (okay the dress under the orange apron was not mine so not "normal" clothes per se but)
n e wai this month, depending on a) if i actually do anything (unlikely) and b) how much stamina i have after surgery AND covid booster, i have a couple of plans for some self shot photos. one is a proof of concept make up wise and the others are just me fucking around like a hoe because i think its funny, but since i ordered some grey paint to tone down my purple for essek ahead of dying gloves and im gonna experiment anyway.....
option one: something something saint imagery with some vibes from pulled from a couple of fanarts i dont have easy links to and Refuse to repost
i have
this halo crown by voodoodolly in black that we tried to mess around with when my cosbuddies were up the other year to take my first round of essek photos but just could not get to stay on my wig; combine it with a lot of like, glitter/pearl/rhinestone tears and sum ANGUISH : fun
pros: avante guard or whatever, makes me wanna get a sword for proper photos
cons: make up will take forever to put on AND take off (hence dry runs), i am not sure anything i'd want to wear for it currently fits??? apart from the corset but i curRENTLY HAVE A BUILT IN BUSK NO THANK YOU
option two: vampire essek lmao, which is realistically what i'd go with if i did end up doing something in a low plague risk environment with like, my sib or something. this might be what i throw on just to vibe check the paint tint adjustments, especially since bottoms would be just leggings (comf. also fuck i desperately need riding boots dont i)
consists of
the beloved blouse by haenuli (in black obviously), likely with my probably edwardian era wool mourning capelet (provided i wanna sew in a dirt/paint catch into the collar). nothing special make up wise beyond fangs, just testing paint colors and eyebrow pomade so i'd do everything else roughly the same as i have before
option three, the hoe option, which i am probably gonna attempt post dying the arm socks to experiment with some OTHER things, is boudoir photos essek. the pearl of rhosohna or something idk all i know is i have a bunch of vintage night gowns and peignoirs and i think it'd be funny. not sure what i would wear specifically i'd have to see what all in my stash fits but would incorporate this necklace (also by haenuli, based off one marie antoinette had)
(i do not own it but my sibling is down to let me borrow theirs. i tentatively want to spoof it to incorporate into an essek mantle anyway so this will be a good opportunity for me to fondle it
wrt stitches!!! you dont have to get extra! they definitely make stitch jewelry that you can buy for a couple of bucks and generally look better than drawn on. the trouble with drawn on stitches, especially around the neck, is they tend to smear (: so ive had a set of jewelry like this for years (mine were also tnbc sally themed, but from hot topic lol)
also obviously i want to go take Ominious Pumpkin Head Photos In The Woods but i need a spotter AND for it to not be raining for like five minutes when i'm not dying :(
#mochi rambles#xoxomiahgraceoxox#mochi asks#mochi cosplay#put it on blorbo#pls do show me a pic of your completed luuk if you are comfy to id love to see!!
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☁☁☁Breath of Cloud ☁☁☁
The Kuroda family’s breathing style explained.
History:
Yoriichi saved a travelling swordsman from a demon after he was banished from the slayer corps. He then taught this swordsman a breathing technique that suited his swordsmanship style, creating the Breath of Cloud. The travelling swordsman was the ancestor of the Kuroda family and he followed Yoriichi for a short while.
Weapon of Choice: Dual wielding katana and wakizashi
Color of Blade: Dark purple blade
Description:
The principle of this style is to have the adaptability and capacity to deliver decisive finishing strikes combined with refined footwork. The mastery of the Breath of Cloud’s footwork makes the user move quietly yet incredibly swift. The user envision thick clouds form as they swing their blades.
• First Form: Pinwheel - A circular slash, can be done in various angles repeatedly.
• Second Form: Autumn Storm - The user does a series of powerful slashes. Commonly utilized to block incoming attacks.
• Third Form: Ripple Step, Heavy Rain - The user moves at blinding speeds where they appear to leave behind ripples in their footsteps.
• Fourth Form: Drifting Clouds - A thrust attack. If performed with a ripple step, the user rushes instantly towards the opponent.
• Fifth Form: Purple Clouds, Raigo - Combination of powerful strikes and swift footwork. The user moves smoothly as if they were floating.
• Sixth Form: Dance of the Falling Sky - Unleashes a combo of slashes that appears random and unpredictable. Combines previous forms constantly.
Additional info:
The Kuroda family teach the Cloud Breathing technique to their children once they reach the age of ten. Training begins from learning proper breathing techniques to building core strength then mastering its forms.
Obanai was once shocked at how he failed to sense Shiori approach due to her surprisingly silent footsteps and wouldn’t have noticed her if not for Kaburamaru telling him.
The Breath of Cloud takes inspo from Fate: Musashi’s fighting style.
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