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#she probably watched her mothers bones all the time
harrowedsoup · 2 months
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Thinking of Nova!Gideon again… Our Gideon training so hard because she knows that it’s her only way out of the Ninth but Nova!Gideon has to be the best necromancer ever because if she isn’t she’d probably be killed. Her skill is the only thing that’s kept her alive and she can see exactly what they’ve done to Harrow, the daughter they killed 200 children for, because of her lack of said skill.
She’s going to be the leader of these people and she’s not one of them. Her eyes are the wrong color, her hair is bright, she probably stands taller and she is more muscular than anyone else. None of the holy relics of the Ninth are connected to her and the only thing on that planet that’s a part of her are her unknown mother’s bones.
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Do Your Worst
Pairing: Azriel x Reader
Summary: Azriel’s lover is having a hard time, but no amount of acting out can push him away
Warnings: mentions of violence (torture)
Notes: Sorry for the silence, I’ve been having terrible writer’s block but I think I did okay with this one!
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Image Credit: Pinterest
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Today was rubbish. Probably one of her worst days yet. 
It had been exactly two months since Hybern captured her from Azriel’s post and took her to their war camp deep in the Spring Court’s woods. Exactly two months since she’d been tortured for information she’d die before giving up. Exactly two months since she’d made peace with her death. Rhys couldn’t track her immediately, Mor and Feyre’s searches came up empty each time, and even Azriel’s shadows couldn’t pick up a clue. Azriel had driven himself mad, downright insane, trying to find her. Each day he spent every waking hour looking for clues, scouring the forests for her scent, and each day he returned to bed with nothing to show for it. It took Amren and Nesta a month to finally locate her. In that month she laid cut and bruised, chained to a wooden post like an animal, struck, cut, and burnt for every question she refused to answer. They left her in the middle of that camp, exposed to the heat of the day, the cold of the night, the rain, the wind, and the thunder. They made her into a spectacle. 
She only thought of her family, her Azriel, the entire time. My Azriel, she’d think each time they brutalized her. My Azriel, my Azriel, my Azriel. Rhys collapsed when she allowed him into her mind after they brought her home. He would never forgive himself for sending her on that mission, nor would he ever show his brother what she’d shown him, for Azriel very well would have sent Prythian to immediate war. 
And while the cuts, bruises, burns, and broken bones would heal completely, the skin of her back would forever be changed, marred with angry, raised scars from a heavy leather whip. She could barely walk. 
The first time Azriel saw the lashes on her back, he was helping her undress the night she returned home. Each movement caused her to cry out in pain. She tried to bite her lip, clench her fist, grip Azriel’s arm, tried anything to keep from crying, but nothing helped– the pain was too much. It would’ve been a mercy from the Mother to fall apart, limb by limb, bone by bone, instead. 
Azriel had seen all the other scars when Madja was working on her; those alone made him sick and wild with a hideous rage, potent enough to crumble the mountains surrounding the city into nothing more than powder on the ground. The lashes on her back– the thought of some wretched male stripping her and lashing a whip over her soft, warm skin in the mud and rocks– filled him with a fury so intense, so horrid, he could’ve wrapped his bare arms around the sun and pulled it down to earth. Set everything on fire. 
That very night, with names in his ear courtesy of the shadows and Cassian and Rhys positioned at her door, Azriel made each of those names pay. He was back by sunrise, tucked into bed beside her, wing draped over her restless body, and she was none the wiser. 
“You’re killing it,” Madja’s appointed physical therapist, Jarrah, encouraged as he watched her do her exercises. He was tall and muscled with glittering, golden-brown skin, looking ever the Summer Court high fae that he was. 
“It’s killing me,” she ground the words out, mincing each syllable as they passed through her teeth. Pain gripped her legs, lower back, and upper arms like a vise as she fought to complete a rep, the movements squeezing every last bit of energy out of her and collecting on the mat below in puddles of sweat. “I can’t do it, Jarrah.” 
“You can and you will,” he squared his shoulders at her, smile fading as he willed her to find her strength again. In recovery, he’d taught her, there were good days and there bad days– healing was not a linear process. 
Some days she did well in physical therapy and pushed herself– the pain only meant she was getting stronger. Azriel would be absolutely beside himself with pride and their friends echoed as much. 
Other days, her body seemed to give out in protest, the pain too unbearable, and she’d wonder if she’d ever be the same again. Azriel would encourage her– she knew it wasn’t pity– but she couldn’t stand it all the same. She’d collapse onto the floor against her will during physical therapy, shoving Jarrah away with shame when he’d tried to help her up each time. Sometimes, she’d wake up in the dead of night, clammy, and nauseous from a nightmare that felt more and more real each time she had one. Azriel held her to his body whenever she’d jostle awake, heaving and shaking, stroking his warm hands up and down her arms. Other nights he held her hair back as she retched her dinner into the toilet, panting and crying silent tears. 
“To expect linearity is to set yourself up for failure,” Jarrah lectured during their very first session when all she wanted to do was get to the hard stuff, to prove that she was alright– that she was still whole. Jarrah did not mind her bad days, but something died within her every time she left training without making any notable progress– every time her body failed her when her mind seemed to be giving its all. 
From the moment they started their session this morning, Jarrah noted her body was fatigued and her mind was somewhere else. Oh dear.
“We can take a break–” 
“No!” She buckled down and held her position, determined to prove to herself that even on her worst days she could succeed. It was the most enthusiastic response Jarrah had gotten all session from her so he allowed it. He watched her body tremble from the strain, the sweat bead at her temples, the fatigue in her eyes as she fought the pain in her spine. 
Her body could not bear it anymore. She felt her traitorous legs give out beneath her and the ground came up faster than she could register, faster than Jarrah could react. A strangled cry crawled from her throat as she collapsed and her body trembled in a pain her mind could barely process. 
“Fuck,” a familiar voice rang out from the gym’s entrance and Azriel ran in. Just great. What was he even doing here? After the first training appointment in which Azriel could barely keep himself from choking out Jarrah and coddling her, he agreed to not interrupt her sessions thereafter. His disregard for their agreement made her feel so small. 
“Fuck,” Jarrah echoed. He was at her side in two steps, arms outstretched to help her up, but she scooted away as fast as her leadened arms would allow, turning her face away in shame. 
“Don’t touch me!” She croaked. 
Jarrah stopped himself by the time Azriel was at her side, crouching beside her and taking up what felt like all of the oxygen in her space. Breathe, she tried to remind herself but with Azriel hovering and Jarrah a foot away, both watching her crumpled pathetically on the mats, she couldn’t. 
“Are you alright?”
“Get her some water!”
“That’s enough for today, let’s get you some food.”
“... My love?”
Azriel’s soft voice pierced through her terrible thoughts. She felt his strong hands reach under her armpits to help her up but she pushed against his biceps, swatting him off in a desperate attempt to move away. But the pain made her so dizzy, it was difficult to create any real distance. 
“Don’t!” she cried out, for it was all she could do, and Azriel dropped his hands immediately. “I can get up on my own.”
Azriel didn’t move. Jarrah placed a comforting hand on Azriel’s shoulder. “We should give her some space.”
Azriel clenched his jaw but it didn’t stop the twitching of his upper lip. He stood abruptly, swiveling on his heels so his face was only mere inches from Jarrah’s, who’d since quickly retracted his hand to himself. To his credit, he kept his shoulders square, but even he wasn’t immune to the pure threat in the Shadowsinger’s glare. 
“My mate is in pain, she can’t even stand up, and you want to leave her like this?” He growled. 
Anger grappled her lungs, stealing whatever air she’d managed to collect. That was the problem. “I can stand up, Azriel. I’m not made of glass.” 
It took her a few minutes, but she did it. She first rotated her hips so she was on her hands and knees. With one foot underneath her, she pushed herself up, trembling, sighing, moaning as her body resisted the upward movement, but she finally stood. 
Azriel clenched his hands at his sides to anchor himself back, to resist from helping her. He knew she was capable of doing anything, that she didn’t really need him. Part of the reason he was so hesitant to pursue her all those years ago was because she was so independent that it intimidated him. Azriel wasn’t sure what he brought to the table, what he could do better that she already did for herself, how he would fit into the life she’d built for herself. 
But that didn’t change the fact that he would still do anything for her. It didn’t take away that primal need to protect her. He tried his best not to suffocate her but sometimes he couldn’t help his instincts when his love for her outweighed everything else.  
She allowed Azriel to link his arm with hers as she waved goodbye to Jarrah, silently apologizing for Azriel’s outburst. 
“Let’s get you something to eat, yeah?” His voice was soft as he led her out of the gym and to the townhouse’s sunlit sitting room. “You did so good today, love.”
“I’m not hungry.” Was all she replied. She couldn’t stomach anything after such a rubbish session. Fear that she would never be the same ever again set in, but nobody would understand. No one could even fathom what it would do to her if she couldn’t keep doing her job, going on these missions, protecting this city. If she was relegated to a desk for the rest of her life, she’d have lost everything she’s ever worked for.
“Sure you are. At least something small to keep the medicine down.” 
Madja had her on a cocktail of herbs and elixirs– something for the pain, something for the scars, probably something for how fucked her mind had become– she couldn’t keep track. Azriel kept track for her. She swallowed the pills and the bitters he gave her and allowed him to rub the salve into her scars before bed. Whatever. This was life now– being shoddily held together by some combination of antibiotics, gauze, and ointments. 
She shook her head in defiance and Azriel sighed, stopping her just before the doorway to the living room where the rest of their friends sat. She was so stubborn– if she didn’t want to do something, no one could get her to do it. It was a quality he admired but also a quality that drove him downright mad at times like this.
“What’s bothering you?” 
“You mean besides healing at a snail’s pace and sitting on my ass all day in this house while everyone else goes to work– fulfills some sort of purpose? I’m doing just great.” The smile did not reach her eyes. 
Azriel tilted his head as if to say No, really. I know there’s something else. He could read her like a damn book– it had always been that way. 
She hesitated for a moment before confessing, “I don’t know if I’ll be the same ever again.”
Azriel’s face softened at the anxiety that weighed on her shoulders so heavily they sagged. 
“Of course you will, love. It’s only a matter of time.”
“It’s been two months and I can’t even climb the stairs without needing a break. My body hurts by the time I go to bed. I can still feel my back– the scars–” the words caught in her throat and she quickly cut herself off before she choked on them, unable to talk too much about it without feeling her body and mind repulse. 
“Come here,” Azriel wrapped his strong arms around her frame and pulled her into his body so close their hearts beat in sync before each other as if in private conversation. “The physical training, the medicines, the therapist, you’ve got it all going on. No one here is working harder than you right now.”
“But what if it isn’t enough,” she mumbled into his chest, a single hot tear catching on the fabric of his sweater. She turned her face into his chest to wipe the tear away completely and Azriel’s heart broke for her. He wished he could reach into her chest and pull out the pain with his bare hands, fly with it to Ramiel and drop it at the peaks where it could never find its way back to her ever again. “You know better than anyone, you could do everything right and it still wouldn’t matter. I just need to get better. Be myself again.”
“I will love you no matter what happens. Even if you are never the same, I will still love you. This changes nothing.”
She pushed him away abruptly, hastily wiping away tears as if Azriel couldn’t see them. He didn’t get it. This wasn’t about him, about him loving her. This was her life. If she couldn’t get back to who she was, fill the roles she’d spent her whole life caring about, where would she stand among her family? Where would she stand in this life? In this world? 
“But it changes everything for me,” her eyebrows furrowed incredulously. “I want my body back, my mind back. Thanks for letting me know you’d still love me if I were to be this fucked up forever, but that’s literally the last thing on my mind right now, Azriel. I don’t want to be fucked up forever, I want to get better, and I need you to want that for me too.”
Azriel tried to find the right words, stuttering in his search to say the right thing. He didn’t mean it like that. He only ever wanted the best for her– would kill for her to have what’s best for her. “I-I didn’t mean–”
“No, I’m sure you didn’t.” She huffed, storming past him into the sitting room. Instant guilt flooded her as soon as she left him. Azriel helped however he could. Perhaps it wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t put himself in her shoes in this very situation, but he’d gone through something traumatic too, and Azriel definitely knew a thing or two about helplessness. Still, she felt so alone. Azriel tried, but he wouldn’t understand what it was like to be a woman tortured in a camp full of males. What that took from her. She wouldn’t explain it. 
Azriel watched her storm off, feeling as if he was failing her all over again. Every night, he watched the dullness in her eyes grow as he handed her the medicines. When she laid down in their bed with practiced monotony so he could rub the salve into the scars stretched across her back, he bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from crying. They were nasty things, raised and swollen with blood and she flinched every time he touched them, as if he were delivering the lashings all over again. She was hurting and he felt so helpless. He vowed to always protect her and take away her pains but he could do neither of those things and the thought of it ate him alive everyday. Only the Mother knew the true lengths he’d go to for her. That man would do anything. 
In the sitting room, Azriel brought her a sandwich that he put together in the kitchen. Nuala and Cerridwen insisted that would make it, but he politely refused. He wanted to be the one to do it. 
“Az, I told you I’m not hungry,” She murmured as he handed her the plate. 
“You need to eat something if you want to keep the medicines down,” He reasoned again. 
“I know what Madja said, I was there,” She snarked, crossing her arms. She was so tired of people telling her what to do. Jarrah telling her what exercises to do, Madja telling her what medicines to take, Rhys telling her that she shouldn’t try to work again so soon, Feyre telling her she should take more walks, Cassian telling her to drink less wine, Azriel forcing her to eat more food. 
“Okay, darling,” He placed the plate on the table when she wouldn’t take it from him. 
“Turkey and swiss, okay!” Cassian peeked at the sandwich, nudging her arm. “And he cut it in half too.”
“Just the way she likes it. In half though, not diagonal– too much crust in one bite if it's cut diagonal,” Azriel smiled from where he sat across the table from them. She could have cried at the sight of him, at the love in his eyes, in his voice. Words were never his strong suit but Azriel more than made up for it in acts of service. This was how he showed his love. This was him reaching his hand out, begging for her to take it, to let him in. To let him help. 
And she didn’t know why she had such a hard time letting him in. She didn’t want to seem incapable of anything, and letting herself fall apart the way Azriel would allow her to terrified her. She’d never fallen apart before. She didn’t know how she could do it without completely tearing herself and every past wound open again. It broke her heart to watch his smile falter when she didn’t reach for the plate. 
“I’m going to bed,” she stood up as quickly as her body would allow and left the room. It was too much. Azriel’s disappointment, everyone’s expectations, watching her, studying her, readying themselves to be there for her if she did explode. She never needed this much attention in the past– to receive so much of it all of a sudden made her feel like she was made of porcelain and everyone was expecting her to shatter at any moment. She could hardly breathe in that room and needed to get out before something within her cracked further. 
The stairs loomed before her, mocking with how many there were. Grabbing the bannister until her knuckles paled, she hoisted herself up one step at a time, maneuvering her body so that her entire weight wouldn’t be on one leg for too long. 
Nesta appeared behind her, climbing the steps she’d taken over the course of minutes in just mere seconds, with a stack of books in one arm and a handful of her gown in the other. Nesta stopped a couple steps ahead, turning around and looking down at her through long eyelashes. 
“Well this is pathetic,” Nesta snorted. 
“Fuck off,” she meant to sneer, but it came out in a breathless huff instead. Pathetic indeed.
 Nesta let her skirts fall from her right arm as she extended it toward her. 
“I don’t need your help.”
“You definitely do.”
“Don’t you have those smutty little novels to get back to?”
“Shut the fuck up and take my arm, or bust your ass on these stairs, I don’t care.” 
Begrudgingly, she took Nesta’s arm. Neither of them spoke, but Nesta patiently guided her up the stairs, supporting her where she needed it. Out of the entire Inner Circle, she got along the most with Nesta. Their conversations usually followed a very similar pattern as this one did, but only because they each saw a little piece of themselves in the other, even if they never mentioned it. 
“Heard you being a bitch downstairs,” Nesta finally spoke when they cleared the last stair and stood at the landing so she could catch her breath. 
She couldn’t find it within herself to take offense. “I love him more than I’ve ever loved anything or anyone. I don’t know why I do this,” she confessed. She didn’t need to explain further. Nesta automatically understood. When they locked eyes, that silent comprehension flowed between them again and for the first time since arriving back home from the war camp, she felt relief. The kind of relief that made your heart beat out of your chest and go a little dizzy. The kind of relief that came from being completely understood without having to spend the energy trying to put the thoughts and feelings into comprehensible words. 
“I know. It’s not your fault.” The words fell softly from Nesta’s lips. It was the last thing she said before she led her to the library. They sat in arm chairs across the fireplace and read for hours in each others’ company. No one came looking for her. No one tried to force a plate of food down her throat. No one wanted her to do those stupid mobility stretches. Nobody was asking her if she was okay. It was everything she needed. So why did she still feel restless, like something was missing?
Azriel.
She left the library after she’d calmed down. In the quiet, amongst the books, when she thought that was all she needed, she felt misery instead. She needed Azriel. She wanted to lay in bed with him forever, feel his skin on hers forever, stay in his warmth forever, feel their heartbeats sing side by side forever. Azriel forever. Nothing else would compare. 
When she reached their room, it was empty. Disappointment flooded her chest, but she knew Azriel was giving her space. As she moved closer to the bed, she found a new plate of food waiting beside a note. A remade sandwich, cut down the middle as always. 
Your favorite. Was all the note said. 
Indeed it was. She polished off the sandwich in a matter of minutes, as ravenous as she was. Actually, she was hungry when Azriel first offered one to her in the sitting room, but she was too stubborn to take it then. 
The bath towel beside the note on the bed was warm to the touch. From the soft sound of trickling water in the bathing room, she knew he’d run her a bath. The air above the tub smelled of sandalwood– his scent. As she stripped off her clothes and lowered herself into the warm water, the scent encompassed her as if he was in the room with her right then, waiting to join her. 
Surely, an hour or two must have passed. Her eyes pried open, the water and soap around her body in the tub still warm and feathery like a winter duvet. She didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep, only that it was the best sleep she’d gotten these past two months. For the first time since coming home, she slept with no nightmares and no nausea to rouse her from rest. She didn’t even dream. She simply passed out.
When she finally left the bathroom, her body wrapped in the towel he’d warmed for her, she found Azriel sitting on the bed with a book nestled in his large hands. As she stepped through the doorway of the bathing room, he looked up, smiling softly. Pure love shone in his eyes like a beacon, flashing and blinking in the darkness that war camp left her in. 
At the sight of his soft smile, the gentleness of his features, the relaxed sag of his shoulders, she felt something break. 
Sensing a shift in her demeanor, he lowered the book, eyebrows knitting together. 
"What's wrong?"
Those two damned words. She bit the inside of her cheek, walking weakly to Azriel's side of the bed. He placed his book on the nightstand and sat up straighter, anticipating her next move. 
She climbed into his lap, straddling his hips, and laid her upper body against his torso, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. Her arms wrapped around his body tightly, breathing him in like he was the oxygen she lived off of. Anything else, anything that was not Azriel, and she could just die right there. 
He brought his arms around her tightly, heart sinking when he felt her hot tears on his neck. She did not shake. She did not sob. He only felt the wetness on his skin and the erratic heaving of her chest against his as she fought to regulate her breathing.
He did not say anything else. He held her, unmoving except to rub her back or run his hand over the back of her head, smoothing her hair. His other hand held the back of one of her thighs to keep her in place as she grew increasingly limp in his arms. 
"I've been such a wretch." Her voice was heavy and filled with sorrow. "I've been such a wretch to you. I'm sorry Az."
"Oh my love," He held her as close as he could, willing her to feel the love he held for her in his chest. His love for her ran everywhere his blood did, from his toes to the top of his head, every day and every second, his astonishment of her coursed his body like an electrical current keeping him alive. Without her,  there was no pulse. 
"How do you put up with me?" He felt her wipe her nose on his shoulder and he couldn't help the smile on his lips.
"Because I love you, and I know your anger has nothing to do with me."
"But you should not have to put up with it."
"I will put up with anything when it comes to you. You don’t ever have to worry about that when it’s you and I,” He pulled her back so he could look into her eyes. “You went through something horrible. You’re going to need time to work through it all, but I will be here for every moment of it. I’m sorry if I’ve been suffocating you, darling. I only do it because I can’t help it. When I see you hurting I wish I could take all of it from you and put it in me.”
“I never want you to hurt,” she told him earnestly. The thought of him going through what she did filled her with rage so sudden and consuming she couldn’t begin to imagine what Azriel felt when they finally found her at the camp. 
“I could never when I have you looking out for me,” He smiled that cheeky, boyish smile that came out so rarely. 
“I’ve just been having so many bad days. I should be happy that I’m back home, that I’m safe now. I don’t know why I’m feeling like this, and it comes out at the wrong times in the wrong ways. But I don’t know what I’d do without you, Az.” 
“Even on your worst days, you’re the best of us. So do your worst. I can handle it." 
The disbelief in her eyes melted away when he cradled her head, smiling earnestly– and gods, she wished she could commission Feyre to paint him like this– a man smitten. With all the tonics and creams Madja had forced on her, she had a sneaking suspicion that none of them would truly heal her. They helped the symptoms, but never the cause. She’d accepted that it would take a damn miracle to heal the cause. And here Azriel was, pleading and lovely, looking like her damn miracle. 
She let him undo the towel from around her body and lay her into the soft covers, warm from where he sat while she was in the bath. Turning over, Azriel smoothed the salve over her scars as he did every night. But for the first time in months, she finally replied to his attempts at starting conversation as he worked. For the first time in months, she laughed genuine laughs that felt only slightly foreign– much like old friends– in her throat. For the first time in months, as he tenderly slicked Madja’s balm over her scars, praying to the Mother for her health over each one he touched, she did not flinch. 
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talaok · 11 months
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Hello!
I was thinking about this a little too much today. I often read fics / drabbles about Pedro being all sweet and flirty or him being very confident and flirty … I just want to read a fic about him being the worst flirt ever 😅 I know he’s a flirt in his interviews , but what if he’s really bad at it when it’s time to really seduce someone. Like he messes up what he wants to say , he makes stupid jokes that don’t land.
Do you think you could write that?
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summary: Pedro is a bad flirt
A/n: I'm genuinely sorry this took so long, but I had to study like a bastard just for my professor to be an asshole
"please introduce me to her"
"why don't you go there and do it yourself?"
"because I can't"
"why?"
"please"
"fine"
__ __ __
It was a relatively small party, just a few friends and some friend’s friends, nothing huge.
Vanessa, your best friend, had insisted on throwing it, encouraging you to “live a little now that that asshole isn’t in the picture anymore”.
“That asshole”, was indeed your, as of two weeks, ex-boyfriend.
Neither of them had ever been fans of each other, and thinking back at it now, that should have probably been if not red, at least some kind of colored flag.
Anyway, as always, when it was V talking you into something, you had accepted, with a few conditions of course.
Hence, the small party and your playlist playing in the background.
“Y/n, did you know that?”
right, you should have probably been listening to the conversation.
“Uh, no, it’s news to me” you topped with an awkward laugh you hoped would go unnoticed.
“that’s crazy, you learn something new every day” Ryan commented, making you wonder for a sec if perhaps you had actually missed something interesting.
Just as you turned to Claire beside you to investigate, everyone’s attention moved to Vanessa as she strolled toward you.
Not unusual, you thought, she wasn’t a woman that got unnoticed.
What you found when you turned too, however, did pique your interest.
A man walked beside her, Pedro Pascal.
He fell into the friend-of-friends category.
He was one of Vanessa’s oldest friends from back when she studied in New York. She talked about him sometimes, but you had never actually met him, which, thinking about it, why was that?
"hi there, how's it going?" V asked
"very well, Pyke here was telling us that sharks do not have bones"
There it was, mystery solved.
V raised her brows clearly unimpressed "Wow, well that's great" she patted his shoulder, as everyone made space for the pair.
Pedro still hadn't spoken, and a match of awkwardness lighted as you all came to the same realization.
"Alright then, I think I'm gonna get another drink" The shark expert spoke, and all of a sudden Claire and Ryan both got really thirsty too as they followed him to the kitchen.
A strange smile pulled at V's lips 
"Anyway, Y/n, this is Pedro" she gestured "Pedro, this is Y/n"
You felt like one of those women in period dramas when their mothers introduce them to a man they think they should marry.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you" You shook his hand "V has told me about you"
"H-hi" he cleared his throat "it's very nice to meet you too" 
" Pedro's here to film a movie"
"are you?" you asked, interested
"yes, I- Uhm- I am" 
He looked nervous, and you had no idea why.
"Can I know which, or is it like one of those secret Marvel things?" you joked.
"Oh, no, of course" he laughed, "It's Weapons, it's like a horror movie"
"oh" you winced "Well that's lovely, but you'll have to forgive me if I'm not going to watch it. I hate horror movies"
"Oh, why?" he asked looking genuinely perplexed
"I get scared very easily, and... I'll sound like a 5-year-old, but every time I watch one I have troubles sleeping"
"oh that's fine" he laughed " I get it" he nodded "You don't look like a five-year-old at all" he blurted out, his eyes instantly widening as his brain realized what he had just said "Sound! I meant sound like a 5-year-old" he breathed "you look- you look extremely beautiful, not like-" he stopped himself before he could talk again, and just let out a small "oh god"
You shot Vanessa a glance.
"it's fine" you laughed "I got it," you reassured him, placing a hand on his bicep.
"so, since I'm not going to watch it, why don't you tell me what's about?"
His eyes found yours again, something sparking inside of them at the question.
"Oh you know, it's about guns and swords and rifles," he said with a smile.
You couldn't hide your confusion
"I'm sorry?" you asked, half-laughing
"y'know, because it's called weapons" he explained, his voice getting smaller as he realized the joke had bombed.
"Oh" you laughed, actually laughed "Of course! I'm sorry!"
"No, no don't be sorry it was a stupid joke"
"it was funny, I'm just..." You mimicked something with your hands.
"Y/n!" a shout from across the room caught your attention.
Mary was waving desperately at you, which could only mean that she had either broken another piece of furniture or wanted to do shots.
Neither of those options seemed particularly interesting, for some reason you wanted to know more about the man in front of you.
However, you also couldn't ignore one of your best friends.
"I'll be back in a second, I just need to make sure she hasn't broken another vase" you joked with a grin.
"o-ok" he nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed harshly.
"get ready to tell me about all those weapons!" you called out, already walking to the kitchen.
Once you disappeared, Vanessa raised an eyebrow at him, her expression an open book.
"Don't say anything"
"I'm not"
"good"
there was a brief moment of silence before Vanessa couldn't hold it anymore.
She busted out laughing
"Guns and swords!?" she laughed, recalling his joke
"Shut up"
"And the five-year-old thing!?" she kept going "Dude you've been drooling over her for two years and that's what you go for the moment you finally get to talk to her?"
He couldn't do anything but sigh "I need a drink," he said "And I thought it was funny"
"Yeah, you were the only one, my friend"
1K notes · View notes
sapphire-writes · 8 months
Text
Holiday In The Hamptons
Part 3 of The Campaign
pairing: modern!Aemond x Reader
summary: You join the Targaryen-Hightower family in the Hamptons, determined to get back what Aemond took from you.
word count: 7.2k
rating: 18+/explicit (see details below the cut)
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warnings: p in v (explicit sex), oral (fem-recieving), edging, overstimulation, blindfold, restraints, fingering, rough s*x, degradation, begging, kissing, pussy slapping, choking, hand kink, finger sucking, alluding to some Daemon/Rhaenyra targcest, language
note: it's been a while! I have no words-- i was inspired and here is the monster I created, I hope you enjoy!
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You’d secretly hoped Rhaenyra would throw out the idea of a family outing after the debate with Aegon went sideways. She’d been graceful, smooth, and calculated as always. And Aegon?
Well, Aegon was Aegon. 
You suppose Otto Hightower had attempted to prep him. But it didn’t stop him from being a pompous asshole through the entirety of the debate. Interrupting, laughing, and dismissing all of Rhaenyra’s arguments with baseline claims of his own. It was hard to watch. 
And yet the public was eating it up. 
Funny, they called him. An arrogant, egotistical, narcissist. But funny. The media was far more forgiving of Aegon than Rhaenyra. You suppose that’s why Aegon made a better frontman than Aemond. He was awfully charismatic. 
Though you just know it was killing Aemond inside to not be the one behind that podium going head to head with Rhaenyra. A battle of wits is Aemond Targaryen’s idea of a great time. He wouldn’t have needed Aegon’s cheap tricks to win the debate. He probably could have bested her (though that killed you to admit). 
“Shrieks Through the Keep,” she read the headline on her phone as you sat in the back of the limousine on the way to the Hamptons, “Rhaenyra Targaryen snaps at Aegon Targaryen during last night’s debate, her reaction reminiscent of her predecessor Maegor Targaryen. Fucking ridiculous.”
Luke sits beside her, Joffrey beside him lost in his Nintendo Switch, furiously pressing buttons and cursing under his breath. Jace and you sit across from them, knees pressed together. You’ve been stiffer around him lately, ever since----
“You did wonderfully,” Daemon had insisted, squeezing Rhaenyra’s knee, “Bunch of stupid cunts.”
Rhaenyra clicks her phone and the screen dims before leaning her head back and closing her eyes. Luke reaches forward, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. 
“It’s only the first debate,” Daemon insists, “The others will be better.”
Rhaenyra lets out a pitiful laugh dropping her head into her hands, pressing her thumbs right under her brow bones. You’ve seen Aemond do the same thing when he’s stressed. Seven save you, can you stop thinking about that asshole?
“Can we talk about something else?” Rhaenyra asks, “Anything else.”
Joffrey pays no attention, his dark curls falling into his eyes, the faint sounds of his game echoing in the small space. Luke’s leg bounces nervously, his eyes darting to you, begging for some help. 
“What’s your favorite memory of Summerhall House?” you ask her, eager to change the subject to something else as well. 
The side of Rhaenyra’s mouth ticks upwards in a small, sad smile. She straightens up, leaning back against the leather seat. Her eyes look past you, searching for a memory. 
“My father brought me here when I was a child,” she tells you, “Every summer we’d come. Just the three of us.”
Daemon watches Rhaenyra carefully as she speaks; his violet eyes never leave her face. You wonder where Daemon had fit in on their family holidays. 
“My father hated the beach, hated it,” Rhaenyra continues through a chuckle, “But my mother loved the ocean. We’d spend hours at a time going back and forth. Swimming, drying out on the sand, going back to the water. Father would watch from the deck, always holed up with his models.”
Daemon takes her hand. You watch a pink blush begin to form on the apples of her cheeks, but she doesn’t pull her hand away. Your throat tightens. Aegon had his fair share of gossip present in the tabloids, but so did Rhaenyra. 
Not a rumor you hope has truth behind it.
But it’s hard to deny when it's happening right in front of you. Still, you remove your gaze from their intertwined hands and rest your head against Jace’s shoulder. 
“You miss him terribly,” Daemon says, thumb stroking the back of Rhaenyra’s hand, “I do as well. He’d be happy that you’re doing this. He always wanted the family together.”
Rhaenyra nods at his words, violet eyes glancing up at her Uncle’s face. He smiles at her softly before turning his head toward you and Jace. You meet his eyes for a brief moment before averting your gaze, heat rushing to your cheeks. 
When you look up, he’s still watching you. You force a tight smile which Daemon Targaryen does not return. He knows you know, your mind teases as a weight settles in your gut. You close your eyes, pressing your face against Jace’s neck inhaling the scent of his cologne. You feel his arm tighten around you. 
“Not long now,” he murmurs, and you hum in response. 
Though you pretend to be asleep for the remainder of the drive, you can feel the fiery gaze of Daemon Targaryen burning through you. 
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When you arrive at Summerhall House you’re greeted with laminated itineraries and Alicent Hightower-Targaryen waiting at the front door. She holds one out to you, her brown eyes warm and inviting, auburn curls hanging freely down her back, dressed in an emerald green silk dress that falls just below her knee. 
Though it's been half a year since the death of her husband she doesn’t look the part of a grieving widow. In fact, she appears more radiant than ever. The death of Viserys Targaryen suits her. Her eyebrows crease together as Daemon brushes by her, ignoring the handout. Her eyes move behind you, eyes searching for someone else.
“Where’s Baela and Rhanea?” 
Daemon stops at the decorative table, eyeing the bowl of fruit in the center. Ruby red apples lay piled atop a bed of pears, and fresh mandarins. He reaches for an apple, taking off his sunglasses while inspecting the shiny outer flesh.
“Baela is galavanting around Europe. Last I spoke to her she was in Greece,” he says, biting into the apple, “Rhaena is much too busy preparing for her LSAT to be bothered with this farce.”
Alicent prickles at that, her jaw clenching, and her shoulders straightening. 
“I’m tired,” Daemon announces.
“We’re supposed to have dinner,” Alicent calls as he begins his ascent up the staircase. Her words fall on deaf ears as Daemon continues down the hall until he is out of sight. She sighs, trying to hide her frustration as she turns back to you, “Can I get you anything? Something to drink? The espresso martinis are fabulous.”
Rhaenyra smiles politely, reaching out and squeezing Alicent’s forearm.
“None for me, I’m afraid I’m rather tired as well,” she admits, smiling bashfully, “I think I’ll tuck in for the evening.”
“Luke and Joffrey will share the beach room,” Alicent tells her, “Jace and…” she looks at you, as though remembering you’re present, “Y/N….you’re in the room at the farthest end of the second floor.”
You smile tightly.
“Thank you, Alicent,” you tell her, heading upstairs. As much as you want a drink, you’d rather not be stuck with forced polite conversation with Alicent. 
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The following morning is lights, camera, and action. Playing the role of a happy family is non-negotiable today. You meet everyone at breakfast by the pool, under the shade of the veranda. Mimosas, fresh fruit, omelets, and croissants greet you. You sit across from Daemon and Rhaenyra, as Jace pulls your chair out for you, reaching for a chocolate croissant. 
Otto Hightower sits at the head of the table, his gaze icy. You can tell he’s watching Daemon out of the corner of his eye, his tension palpable. 
“Aemond arrived rather late last night,” Daemon says, taking a bite of his omelet, “Though I’ve yet to see Helaena. Where is my niece?” 
You can’t help the rush of stupid warmth that rolls through you. He’s here. Absent at the family breakfast though. Dickhead. 
“Helaena should be joining us this evening,” Alicent says, sipping her mimosa, “I must’ve dozed off, was Floris with Aemond when he arrived?”
Alicent’s eyes are bright, lit up with curiosity. 
You wonder if they get along. It appears Alicent likes her, by the look in her eyes. Through the grapevine, you’d heard that mummy didn’t approve of Aemond’s previous fling. That ended rather quickly. Jealousy creeps through your veins; icy tendrils weaving up your spine. Jace meets your eyes smiling.
“D’you like your croissant?” he asks, his grin lopsided.
“Love it,” you tell him, returning his smile with a much colder one. 
Jacaerys Velaryon is nice. That’s about all there is to him. An easy man to have on your arm. Easily influenced. Easily manipulated. He has potential, for sure. You’d gotten the same look of approval from Rhaenyra that Floris undoubtedly got from Alicent when Jace had brought you home. 
“Believe he said something about her taking the next flight out?” Daemon says, eyebrows cinching together as he tries to remember, “Weather wasn’t cooperating. Something like that. We didn’t engage in further conversation.”
You bite your tongue so you don’t ask where he is. Luke is the one to broach the subject. 
“He coming out today?” he asks, referring to the yacht party planned later that afternoon.
“He’s resting now,” Otto informs Luke, “But everyone is expected to be there. On their best behavior.” He says the words pointedly, through gritted teeth.
You reach for your drink taking a long sip of the tart beverage. Rhaenyra cocks an eyebrow at Otto’s pointed tone, reaching for the water glass beside her plate and taking a sip. 
“Can I have one?” Joffrey asks, eyeing your mimosa.
“In your dreams,” Luke scoffs, causing the younger boy to pout. 
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The majority of the morning is spent lying by the pool. You’d put on your swimsuit as soon as breakfast ended, heading back down to get some sun. No sign of Aemond. He must be holed up in his room doing gods knows what. You can’t help the feeling of anticipation that curls in your belly. 
The yacht party is meant to happen that afternoon, and as time creeps closer you decide to take action. The intimate family gathering is not one you need to participate in any way, not like the upcoming party later in the week. There’s unfortunately no way out of that event. 
“I don’t know,” you tell Jace, “You know I get seasick, baby.” You don’t. 
“I don’t want you to get lonely,” he insists, “I’ll stay behind-”
“You go ahead,” you insist, “I’ll be alright. I have a couple of calls to make anyway and I can lounge by the pool.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive,” you tell him, placing a kiss on his cheek, “Seriously, have fun! Bond with everyone.”
Jace is reluctant but doesn’t argue. You wonder if he cares at all, deep down. 
Helaena greets you when she arrives, clad in dark green slacks and a white tank top, a cigarette hanging from her red mouth. You’d only been introduced once before, though you remember her vaguely, a year ahead of you back in school. She’d changed her hair recently, it was cut in a retro shag style, bangs in front of her eyes.
“Jace brought a friend,” she comments, walking towards you, hands in her pockets. 
You turn your head, still spread out in your chaise lounge one foot propped on the seat, an arm thrown under your head. 
“Surprised I’m still around?” you ask, noting the unashamed way Helaena’s eyes drag across your body.
“Nah,” she says, pulling her cigarette from her lips, “More surprised you’re still putting up with him.”
“Hmm,” you hum in response, “You bring anyone?”
“Why, you interested?” she teases, with a grin, “I’m not getting anyone involved with this shit show. You’ve the right idea, staying behind.”
“I don’t like boats,” you tell her.
Helaena drops her cigarette, stamping it out under her foot.
“Mhmm,” she says, eyes unconvinced, “Enjoy your alone time.”
You don’t answer as she retreats back into the house. You hear the muffled voices as everyone begins to leave for the party. Aemond doesn’t come outside, and doesn’t ask why you’re staying behind. You try not to let that vex you, but can’t help it. Sighing, you close your eyes as the sounds of distant voices fade, along with the car engines in the driveway.
Suddenly, an idea strikes as the sun begins to dip below the horizon no longer offering the heat from earlier in the day. Getting up from your spot, you throw on your cover-up and tread into the house. It’s silent, beside the gentle sound of the central air system. 
You need to find your necklace. The one Jace had given you. The one you’d so carelessly left behind during your last rendezvous with Aemond. Jace hadn’t stopped asking about it, and you just knew it gave Aemond some sick sense of power, holding that over you. 
You hurry up the stairs, padding down the hallway until you reach Aemond’s room. You’d heard Alicent mention last night which room he and Floris would be staying in. Taking a deep breath, you open the door. 
Aemond’s room is neat; just as you’d expected. His two suitcases were closed standing side by side at the foot of his bed. White pillows are fluffed to perfection; you doubt Aemond was the one to tend to it. His bedside table is bare save a lamp and a dog-eared book without a dust cover. The title remains a mystery. There’s a matching table on the opposite side with an empty silver dish and a small lap. 
Moving further into his room you stop in front of a large floor-length mirror, trimmed with gold, and spare a moment to shamelessly admire yourself. The Hamptons look good on you. From the afternoon spent in the warm summer sun, your skin already has a luminescent sun-kissed glow. You tilt your head, parting your lips slightly. 
Should’ve brought your phone with you; a selfie in this mirror would be worth a thousand words. You don’t suppose anyone will be back for hours. You can come back later for a little photo shoot. Your mouth quirks into a small smile at the thought of Aemond scrolling through Instagram and seeing you in his room. 
You know exactly how you’ll do it. On your knees, a hand toying with the strings of your bikini bottoms, plush thighs on full display. Your sheer cover-up dangling off of one of your shoulders revealing a delicious amount of skin your bikini top barely covers. Lips curved into a perfect pout.
You just need to find that necklace. 
That would be the icing on the cake. 
Peering into the attached bathroom you note all his hair and skincare products lined up in a neat row across the marble sink. You raise a brow at his perfectionism. 
Anal prick. 
You rummage through the drawers under the sink, most of them practically empty. A hair straightener, a hairbrush, a thin-toothed comb. 
No necklace. 
You growl in frustration slamming the drawer shut. Sitting back on your haunches you place a hand against your forehead. Maybe he didn’t even bring it, I mean, why would he?
You remember the look on his face, the stolen glances. That stupid fucking smirk. Your cheeks flush, warmth creeping down your neck.
He brought it. It’s here somewhere.
You tap your fingers against your knee, hand bouncing nervously. You need to keep looking. Rising from your spot on the floor you make your way back into the room, glancing around. Flinging open the closet doors you paw through suit jackets and trousers letting your hands dip into the pockets of each one. C’mon, it has to be here somewhere---
“What are you doing?” a cool, calm voice asks, sending a shiver down your spine like you’d been dosed in ice water.
Slowly, you turn, meeting the blue and purple eyes of Aemond Targaryen as he leans casually against the doorframe. 
He’s not supposed to be here. 
Yet, here he is. Dressed in gray slacks, and a black button-down pressed to perfection with not a wrinkle in sight. Green tie around his neck as though he’d just come from a meeting. He’s holding a legal pad in his left hand, a pen pinched between his thumb and forefinger. His silver hair pushed back out of his face, rounded glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. You roll your shoulders back and keep your chin up.
“Where is it?”
“Where’s what?” he asks, entering the room. He tosses the legal pad carelessly on the side table before reaching into his back pocket and removing his phone as well. Your eyes narrow as he rolls his sleeves up.
“You know what,” you tell him, tapping your foot against the floor.
Aemond releases a hum, still not answering. He lifts his glasses off of the bridge of his nose, letting them rest on top of his head. 
“Where is it?” you repeat, becoming more impatient with each passing second. 
Aemond doesn’t meet your gaze, instead, he takes a step forward. The bed is the only thing that separates you. He looks up at you then, violet and blue eyes staring into yours intently. 
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he tells you, nonchalantly, “If you’ve misplaced something how is that my problem?”
“It is your problem,” you say through your teeth. Aemond brings his hands in front of his chest, the veins on the back of them prominent. You watch as he slowly removes a ring on his left hand, taking time to twist the silver band from his middle finger. 
Your mouth goes dry as he repeats the movement, twisting the metal that rests on his ring finger. That ring he wears nearly every day, stamped with the Targaryen family crest. He resumes his movements, focusing on the ring that remains on his right hand. A small silver band around his thumb. When it's free, he holds his hand out across the bed. 
An offering. 
You’re not sure what compels you to reach forward, holding your palm open-faced under his. He uncurls his fingers, rings falling into your awaiting palm. He hasn’t touched you and yet your whole body feels flushed. 
You close your fingers around the cold rings, pulling your hand away. Aemond jerks his chin, motioning toward the nightstand beside you. You turn, placing the rings haphazardly in the small empty silver dish. They clang loudly against it and Aemond stares at you disapprovingly.
“Are you going to give it back, or not?” you ask, crossing your arms over your chest once more. 
“Why are you here?” he asks, ignoring your question and walking to the edge of the bed.
“I get seasick,” you lie to him as you did to Jace.
Aemond merely chuckles, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek. He reaches to the top of his head, removing his glasses, and placing them on his dresser. A lock of silver hair falls in front of his eyes as he turns back to you, mirroring your pose.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Believe what you want,” you snap, “What are you doing here?”
“I had work to finish,” he says with a shrug. Aemond’s hands drop to his belt, and he begins to undo it. “So I decided to stay behind.” 
The hairs on your arms stand up and heat rushes to your face, and the top of your chest. You suddenly become very aware of how trapped you are on this side of the room. You’d have to climb over the bed if you wanted to leave. 
You glance at the door as Aemond pulls his belt free of the loops of his slacks. A sharp whine echoes in the room as the leather rubs against the fabric. 
Your attention turns back on Aemond, you watch as he tosses the belt onto the bed. You swallow the lump beginning to form in your throat. 
Aemond takes a slow step, rounding the corner of the bed. You don’t say anything as he walks closer, nor when he brings a large hand to rest against your outer thigh. He’s barely applying any pressure, you can just feel the heat of his large palm against you. Your lips part slightly at the sensation. 
“What are you doing here?” he asks again, letting his fingers trail up your thigh, “Hmm?” His fingers curl under the strap of your bathing suit bottom, snapping it against your hip. You flinch slightly at the light sting. 
You inhale a deep breath, looking up at the chiseled features of his face. 
“I want my necklace back.”
The perfect pout of his lips curl at the edges, a satisfied smirk appearing. 
“Well then you’re going to have to work for it,” he tells you, his voice rough and commanding. 
To your despair, heat rushes to your core at the authoritative tone of his voice and the feeling of his hand still on your upper thigh. You hate admitting it, but you’d been thinking about that afternoon in the hotel ever since it had happened. Getting off to the memory of it, nearly every night. 
“We’re not doing this again,” you tell him as his opposite hand finds your waist. He swipes his thumbs against your hip bones, squeezing into the soft flesh. He’s so close, your crossed forearms graze against the fabric of his button-down. You shake your head, “I hate you.”
Aemond tilts his head back, not releasing his grip on you. Your arms uncross on their own accord, and you bring your hands to his tie. Your fingers work the knot, loosening it and removing it from his neck. You toss the green fabric onto the bed, moving to the buttons of his shirt. 
“Say it again,” he murmurs, fingers digging into you hard enough to leave bruises. He pulls you closer, his nose bumping against your cheek. 
“I hate you,” you breathe, working through all the buttons. Aemond chuckles darkly as you tear open his shirt, revealing the hard planes of his chest. 
You drag your fingers down between his pectorals, tracing in between the muscles of his abdomen. They flex under your soft touch. Aemond releases your hips to shrug off his shirt, abandoning the material on the floor. 
You watch it pool at his feet, before his hand finds the back of your neck, pulling you flush against him, capturing your lips in a punishing kiss. It’s brutal; all clashing teeth and tongues as he keeps one hand securely on the back of your neck, the other tearing at the thin material of your coverup until it falls to the floor. 
His free hand drags down your side before settling on your ass; it’s so large he encompasses the cheek nearly entirely, squeezing the soft flesh harshly and dragging a gasp from your throat. He backs you up toward the bed, kissing you all the while. You can’t think when he kisses you, all you can focus on is the feeling of him. It’s nothing but hot, burning need pulsating through your veins. 
Aemond pushes you, none too gently, onto the bed before climbing on top of you. His hands roam down your body, your back arching at his touch. 
He leans back on his haunches, reaching for the belt. You can see evidence of his arousal straining against his slacks, his eyes hungrily raking over your scantily clad form as you gaze up at him through your lashes. 
“Wrist up.” 
You breathe heavily, before doing what he asks, placing both your arms above your head. Aemond loops the belt around your wrists, binding them to the metal rod of his headboard. Your heart is beating wildly in your chest, and the ache between your thighs grows. Aemond’s eyes flicker to your face as he tugs the bindings. The smirk that appears on his face says one thing.
You’re not going anywhere.
“You need me to stop,” he says, as he moves away from you, “You need to be untied. You want this to be over; you say keligon.” 
“What’s that mean?” you ask, your voice sounding breathier and more desperate than you’d have liked it to.
“It’s High Valyrian,” he tells you, “You say that, I’ll untie you. I’ll stop.” Aemond returns to you, grasping your chin in his hand, “What do you say if you want me to stop?”
You stare into his eyes, surprised by his seriousness. “Keligon.”
“Good girl,” he says, lightly tapping your cheek with his fingers as he releases his hold. 
Aemond reaches for his discarded necktie. He smoothes the material in his hands before bringing it to your face. Your eyes widen as you realize his intentions, but you make no move to stop him. You allow it. 
You want it. 
The tie sits perfectly against your eyes, blocking any semblance of light. All your other senses feel heightened, your skin feels electric. You can’t see him, can only feel the bed shifting from his weight as he moves above you, making sure it’s tied snuggly around your head. Suddenly, you feel his slender fingers, dragging down the strap of your bikini top, taking his sweet time before he reaches the knot that sits in the valley between your breasts. 
“Cute suit,” he murmurs, fingers fiddling with the knot, “You bring this one just for me?”
You can feel the material give, your breasts releasing back to their natural state as the knot comes completely undone. Aemond drags his fingers over the material lazily exposing your tits to him. He hums appreciatively as the cool air makes your nipples pebble. 
“I have a boyfriend,” you tell him, earning a chuckle. 
“You do?” he murmurs, dragging his fingers down your sternum, over the sensitive skin of your stomach. You take your lower lip between your teeth, skin erupting in goosebumps. You already want to pull against the restraints, wriggle, and thrash away from his teasing hands. 
“My poor nephew,” he muses, tugging at the straps of your bottoms, “He fuck you like I do?”
You haven’t slept with Jace. It’s not really part of your arrangement. Not that Aemond needs to know.
“You fuck Floris like you fuck me?” you challenge. Aemond’s hands pause their movements.
Just like earlier, a wave of jealousy rolls through you. Envy churns in your stomach, and you clench your jaw. 
“Floris and I are colleagues,” Aemond says slowly. He sounds as though he’s choosing his words very carefully. 
“You don’t have to baby me,” you lie, “I’m a big girl, I understand this world.”
Aemond is silent for a moment, and you wonder if he’ll push the subject more. He’s still for so long you nearly tap out, keligon on the tip of your tongue when suddenly he finishes removing your bathing suit bottoms. Completely naked before him, tied up like a summer holiday present, your body trembles with anticipation. 
Stop being jealous, you tell yourself, feeling him move on top of you once more. It’s just sex. Fucking good sex. That’s all it has to be. 
Aemond trails wet, hot kisses down your neck, his greedy hands digging into your thighs keeping you spread open so he can rest between them. He’s still wearing pants, you can feel the fabric against your thighs, and pressing against your bare pussy, the sensation driving you insane. 
His mouth trails lower, settling on your right breast, his tongue circling your pebbled nipple. Your back arches off of the bed, hands pulling against your restraints. The leather tightens against your wrists, digging into them painfully. 
Your lips part and a breathy moan escapes your lips as he sucks on your breast. Your legs wrap around his slender waist, desperately trying to get some friction to relieve the ache between your thighs. Your clit drags against the front of his slacks, grinding against his bulge sending sparks of pleasure dancing through your body. You’re nearly pulsating with need as he releases your tit with a wet pop, humming in satisfaction. 
Aemond drags his lips through the valley of your breasts, before repeating his attentions. He moans-fucking moans---as he bites at your tender nipple, ripping a cry from deep in your chest. 
“Look at you grinding against me,” he comments, as your hips buck upwards attempting to meet him, “That wet little pussy is making such a mess on me right now.” 
Your face burns at his comment, but you can’t see what he means. You can only feel how desperately wet you are, the slickness coating your inner thighs. You thrash against your restraints and hear him click his tongue.
“Poor baby,” he says, with mock sympathy, sucking harshly against the side of your breast. He brings his free hand to play with your unattended nipple, tweaking it harshly. 
You’re not sure if it’s the extra attention he’s giving your tits or the blindfold, but you can feel the tension in your gut growing tighter, heat building in your core. You bite your lip, whining desperately, back arching. Aemond lets out a breathless laugh, never stopping his ministrations with your nipple, capturing the other with his lips once more. 
“Are you gonna cum?” he murmurs against your breast and you curse at the vibration it causes, “You better not….you hear me?” Aemond drags his lips over your breast, trailing them up your neck and just below your ear.
His hand leaves your opposite breast, finding its way under your head and tangling in your hair. He tugs the roots harshly, pinpricks of pain and pleasure trickling down your neck as you whimper. Aemond’s breath is hot against your ear as he speaks. 
“You better not fucking cum, you hear me?” he growls, “Not until I tell you to. You can do that, can’t you?” His hand tightens in your hair.
“Yes,” you gasp, “Yes-fuck!”
“That’s a good girl,” he praises, rewarding you with a kiss, “Fuck, you have no idea how beautiful you look right now.”
Your cheeks flush, heat rushing to your face at his words. You twist against your restraints as he kisses down your torso once more. 
“I should’ve been more specific,” he muses, kissing right below your belly button, “You’re not cumming unless I’m feeling generous enough to let you.” He kisses the top of your hip bone, squeezing the other side. 
“Is that clear?”
Nothing feels clear, your whole body is on fire. The embers of your previous denied orgasm burn brightly in your throbbing center. Aemond moves lower, pressing your thighs back against the bed. You can feel his breath fanning on your soaked center. 
A sharp slap stings against your dripping pussy and you cry out.
“You’re not nonverbal yet, are you?” he asks with mock concern, “I’ve barely scratched the surface.”
“No,” you tell him, “I mean, yes. Yes, I understand.”
“Good,” he says, pressing a kiss on top of your mound before dipping his tongue lower, spreading through your silky, wet folds. 
Aemond moans at the taste, dipping lower and letting his tongue tease at the opening of your clenching pussy. His tongue just breaches the tight muscle of your entrance, nose brushing against your aching clit. 
“Fuck,” you mewl as he presses his tongue further inside of you groaning as you clench around the warm, wet muscle. 
He murmurs something, even though his face is buried in your pussy and you can’t even attempt to understand him. All you can do is tug against the restraints and moan pitifully as he has his way with you. Your legs tremble, thighs aching as he presses them back further into the mattress. He decides to release them, bringing his hands under your ass and lifting you slightly off the bed to press even further against your core. 
Aemond removes his tongue to your displeasure, placing an open-mouthed, wet kiss on your pussy, dragging his lips and tongue to circle your clit with slow, calculated strokes. 
“Seven--fuck!” you cry, legs shaking around him as he gently caresses your sensitive button, another chuckle leaving him at your desperation. 
“Oh baby,” he says softly, pressing two long fingers inside of you, “You look so pathetic when you try not to cum.”
“Fu-uck,” you cry as he curls his fingers, beginning to fuck you with them. The wetness between your thighs, paired with the words he’s speaking to you make you flush with humiliation. 
You’ve never been this wet before, not for anyone. You can hear it, hear him fucking you with his fingers. The gentle squishing sounds of your soaked pussy fill the room. 
“You’re so fucking tight,” he comments, rubbing against your g-spot. Your spine arches, mouth dropping open, a wanton cry leaving your lips. “Oh, that’s such a good girl.” 
“I think you can take one more, what do you think?” he asks, “C’mon, beg me. Use that big brain of yours, find the words.”
“Yes, yes please,” you beg, “Please give me another, I need another--” you’re cut off as Aemond slips a third digit into your pussy, fucking you with his fingers relentlessly.
“Please let me cum,” you beg, feeling him sit up as he continues to finger you. 
“No,” he says sternly, placing a kiss on your stomach. 
“Please, plea-”
“I said no.”
A frustrated, guttural moan leaves you and Aemond keeps going. You’re terrified for a moment, legs shaking uncontrollably, knowing you won’t be able to stop the wave of pleasure cresting inside of you. Luckily, by some saving grace, Aemond slows his movements, before carefully removing his soaked fingers from your fluttering cunt. 
Disappointment courses through you at another ruined orgasm, followed by the relief of not going against Aemond’s wishes. You can feel tears leaking from the corners of your eyes, dampening the fabric of the makeshift blindfold. 
You feel his soaked fingers press at your lips, parting them as they dip inside your hot mouth. You moan at the taste of your arousal, sucking the lengthy digits much like you did that first night inside the coat closet. 
“Gods you’re so perfect like this,” Aemond croons, his opposite hand moving some sweat-coated hair from your damp forehead, “So eager to please.”
Defiance prickles under your skin and you fight the urge to bite down on his fingers; not hard, but enough. You feel Aemond stiffen as though he can read your thoughts, and feel his hand yank the blindfold from your eyes. You blink, adjusting to the light as he pulls his fingers from your mouth. 
He reaches up, fiddling with the belt, releasing your wrists. Arms sore, you bring them to your chest, hugging them against your breasts. You can’t help but pout, and Aemond watches you carefully, eyes narrowing. 
“Tell you what,” he muses, taking your wrists in his hands and massaging them gently, “I’m feeling rather generous today. Even though you broke into my room, and went snooping through my belongings.”
You watch him carefully, chest heaving. Aemond continues to massage your wrists, eyes glued to your breasts, watching them rise and fall with each breath you take. You swallow, eyes dropping to his erection that strains against his slacks. Your cheeks burn as you notice the wet patch on the front, no doubt caused by you grinding against him. 
“I’ll give you the necklace,” he says, letting go of your wrists and curling his hands around the meat of your upper thighs, “Or I’ll let you cum. Your choice.”
You clench at his words, clit throbbing desperately between your legs. You want to cum so badly that it's nearly painful. You whine pitifully as he squeezes your thighs. 
“I’ll let you think about it,” he assures you, that stupid smirk reappearing on his face, “On your hands and knees, get that pretty pussy in the air.”
Aemond releases you sliding off the bed and undoing his trousers. Shaking, you turn over, propping yourself on your hands and knees. You feel Aemond’s hands once more as he maneuvers you on the bed, fisting your hair and yanking your head up. 
Your eyes meet your reflection in the grand mirror, Aemond naked behind you, his well-endowed cock fully hard and weeping. He brings his lips to your ear. 
“I want you to watch,” he whispers, releasing his grip on your hair. 
He moves instead to spread your ass cheek, opening you wide for him. You feel his cock press against you, the fat head sliding through your soaked folds, dragging it teasingly from your center to your clit. 
“Aemond,” you whimper, “Please--”
Slowly he sinks into your wet heat; the girth of him stretching you out deliciously. Your whole body trembles, your head falling forward as he bottoms out; your walls pulsating around him. Aemond runs his hands over the swell of your ass, down your sides before taking both wrists in his large hands and pulling you backward. The force drags your head up, meeting his eyes in the mirror once more.
“I told….you….to….watch,” he says, punctuating each word with a hard slap of his hips against your ass; cock sliding easily in and out of your soaked pussy. 
Small mewls leave your lips as he continues to hold you, never losing the rhythm of the brutal pace he’s set. 
“Why’d you want that horrid thing back anyway?” Aemond asks, sounding displeased, “I gave you a necklace the last time we saw each other.”
Your eyes are wide, tears threatening to spill over from the pleasurable current roaring in your belly. Aemond smirks at your lack of response, releasing your arms. They fall limply to the bed, and you force your shaky forearms to keep yourself propped up. 
“Don’t you remember?” he asks, fingers digging into your thighs, “You ungrateful little slut.” 
You do remember, how could you possibly forget? You’d had to take another shower to remove his warm, sticky spend from your neck and chest. 
“Perhaps you’d like a new one,” Aemond muses, leaning on top of you, and wrapping his hands around your neck.
Not one, but both of them rest comfortably around your throat, flexing along the sides. His cock continues to slide effortlessly in and out of your tight, wet heat; cockhead rubbing incessantly against your sensitive walls and bullying your sweet spot. 
You try to say his name, try to find any words, but they come out a garbled, breathless moan.
“Do you like it?” Aemond asks, flexing his hands against your throat, “Don’t you look so pretty?”
His hands---gods his hands---look fucking perfect around your neck, as tears spill freely down your cheeks. His veins are prominent on the back of his hands, even more so when he flexes them, slightly cutting off your air supply. You’re too light-headed and cock drunk to answer him with anything other than a wanton, breathy moan. 
“Thank me,” he murmurs, rutting against you. The coil in your gut winds tighter and tighter.
“Wha--” you manage, mind clouded by lust.
“Thank me for your gift,” he says, flexing his fingers for emphasis. He tightens his grip momentarily, before releasing some pressure, allowing you the opportunity to answer him. 
Aemond lifts a brow expectantly, slowly rolling his hips against you. 
“Thank you,” you gasp, “Thank you, Aemond.”
Aemond hums appreciatively, fucking you with renewed enthusiasm. You close your eyes, squeezing them shut, trying to stop the roaring of blood rushing in your ears, your orgasm speeding toward you at full force.
“You’re close aren’t you?” he grunts, “What’ll it be, baby?”
“Please, please I wanna cum,” you whine, “Please let me cum, fu-uck!” 
Aemond pulls you up flush against his chest as soon as you say the words, fucking up into you. He keeps one hand on your throat, the other dipping between your legs to rub circles around your clit. 
“That’s it, fucking cum all over my cock,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your cheek, “That’s a good little slut, there you go.”
Your body tense, legs shuddering as you’re thrown into your release, the coil in your gut snapping as you clench around his thick cock. You’re crying from the intensity, a desperate sob escaping you at the prolonged release. As your high subsides, Aemond releases you, turning you on your back.
Your whole body tingles as he climbs on top of you, sliding back into your fluttering pussy in one smooth motion. You gasp as his cock rubs against your g-spot, as he lazily begins thrusting into you once more.
“Aem-mond,” you moan, as he slings one leg over his shoulder, spreading you wider.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he scolds, smirking as he slings your other leg over his shoulder, making himself a necklace of his own, “You wanted to cum so bad, you can do it again, can’t you?”
Your mouth is open in a silent scream, watery eyes looking up at him, drinking in the satisfied smirk he wears. Your whole body tenses, the beginning of another orgasm building in your abdomen. 
“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” he taunts, “C’mon don’t stop now. You’ve been such a good little slut for me, you deserve it.”
“Please, please-”
“Yes you do,” he croons, “There you go. I feel this little pussy tightening around me. Squeezing me so good.”
Your nails dig into his shoulders, a strangled cry leaving your lips as his thumb brushes against your swollen clit, sending you over the edge once more. Aemond doesn’t slow his hips, he keeps fucking you into the mattress as you’re pretzled over him.
“That’s a good girl,” he sing-songs, balls slapping against your ass as he increases the pace of his thrusts, “Don’t stop now, it feels so good doesn’t it?”
A sharp cry leaves your lips and you force yourself to nod, unable to formulate words in your blissed-out state. Euphoria pulses through your veins and floods your body with warmth. It’s like you’re burning with pleasure, your entire being aflame. 
“I can’t,” you moan, though your body betrays you. You can feel the tightening sensation in your gut, the tingling feeling of another orgasm building. 
“Yes you can,” Aemond insists, “C’mon you wanted it so bad, you greedy little thing. Take it, c’mon fucking take it.”
Your thighs shake around his neck, and Aemond’s jaw slacks as you clench around him. 
“Yes, oh fu-uck, yes!,” you whimper, and Aemond’s cock twitches inside you as you’re thrown over the edge once more making your vision go white. 
Aemond thrusts a few more times before you feel his cock pulsate, and warmth blooms deep in your abdomen. He lets out a grunt as he finishes, followed by an elongated moan that sends a shiver down your spine right down to your core. His head falls against your shoulder, peppering the damp flesh with soft kisses. 
He stays like that for a moment, before moving off of you. 
��Don’t move,” he says, walking toward the bathroom. 
You couldn’t if you wanted to. You hear the water run and watch as Aemond returns with a damp washcloth. His cock sways as he walks toward you, glistening with your release. Gently, he cleans you up, taking care to avoid your abused clit. 
After several moments, you find your bearings. Reality hits you, and you grab your swimsuit, throwing it back on hastily. 
“This can’t happen again,” you insist, though your trembling legs betray you, “Not with everyone here-”
“You’re not really in a position to make demands,” Aemond says, matter-of-factly.
“Excuse me?”
“I like this arrangement,” he tells you, “Both you and I are in relationships that benefit the family. That’s fine, dutiful even.” Aemond brushes a lock of hair from your face, letting his hand rest on your cheek, “That doesn’t mean we need to deny ourselves.”
Your breath catches in your throat. You can barely think with his hands on you. You bring your hand up quickly, slapping him away. Aemond gives nothing away; no flash of hurt or rejection is evident on his chiseled face. 
“I’m not denying anything,” you tell him, the lie bitter-tasting.
Aemond only stares those blue and violet eyes of his boring into yours. His gaze reignites the fire in your belly, the primal want aching deep in your bones. 
Motherfucker. 
You hate him. 
You hate him.
Yet you want him all the same. 
“I don’t believe you,” he says softly.
“Believe what you want,” you tell him, “Jace is good for me. He’s a good person.”
“Ah yes, Jacaerys Velaryon. Your conversations must be thrilling,” he says, stepping closer to you, “I know you. Whether you like it or not, whether you admit it or not. I know what makes your brain tick inside that pretty little head of yours. You may fool the press, hells you may fool the rest of the family; but you can’t fool me.”
You don’t answer him. Ignoring the tight feeling in your chest you simply grab your cover-up and throw it around your shoulders leaving his room.
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note: as always, likes, comments, reblogs are highly appreciated, but never expected! if you'd like to be notified when I post please follow and turn on notifications for @sapphire-writes-updates in lieu of a taglist!
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Text
Eddie and Max get out of the hospital at the same time. Eddie's scars are tender. It hurts to move sometimes. But he's got ointment, and pain pills, he'll be fine.
Max can see, not super well, but it improves a little every week. Her arms are mostly healed, she still has slings for when they ache. Her legs are healed, technically, the bones anyway. But she's got braces and isn't supposed to walk on them yet. She can stand on them for a couple minutes off and on to stretch them. But she goes to physical therapy multiple times a week.
Her mom had been rightly worried and upset and freaked out, because they couldn't afford a van for her wheelchair. And yeah she can get out of her wheelchair if she needs too, but its easier on her body if she can just, roll in and out of a vehicle.
So eddie tells her mom he can drive her around. All they need is a ramp for his van. He already had straps in the back to secure things, they use them on Gareth's drum set. The relief on Max's mothers face and the way she hugs him genlty is... too much. He just smiles and looks away, nodding when she thanks him again.
He drives her to therapy twice and decides that her trailer needs a ramp too. A good one. He can't help lift Max's chair, so he just has to watch Max's mom struggle to get her up the stairs.
So he goes home and starts drawing. He can see it in his head, the way he wants it, bigger than it probably needs to be, but he wants the slope to be low impact, because once her arms get strong enough to move herself, he wants her to able to do that. He just... doesn't know how he's gonna manage to DO all this.
But he goes to the hardware store one day, with Wayne, because Wayne knows things, about everything. And Wayne helps him pick out the wood, they estimate the numbers and then buy a little more, just in case. And they load it up, and drop it by Max's house. And the next day, Wayne goes to work, and so does Eddie.
He ties his hair back, shoves himself into a pair of Wayne's old cover alls, and walks slowly over to Max's, she doesn't have therapy today, or the next two. Eddie doesn't think he can get it done by then, but he's gonna fucking get it started if it kills him. He pops a pain pill into his mouth, takes a swig from the water he'd brought with him, takes a look at the drawing he'd made, and gets to work.
Max rolls onto her small porch steps about an hour into Eddie's work, he's been measuring and cutting and just separating things into piles. She says his name softly and he looks up, squinting, he's covered in sweat. And his body fucking hurts. He wipes at his forehead with his arm and limps over to Max. She's holding out a new glass of water.
"What are you doing?" Her voice is ...tight. Like she knows exactly what he's doing. Eddie chugs the water and hands her back the empty glass.
"What? You don't like suprises?" He huffs, smiles with the tease. She smiles back, her bottom lip trembling slightly. He rests his hand gently on her knee, gives it a squeeze, then heads back to where he was,
"Go inside. I can't keep an eye you when I'm working and if you roll off that teeny tiny porch you're mom'll kill me." She snorts, but does as he says. A few minutes later Eddie hears the door slap shut again, and looks up to see another glass of water sitting on the porch. He shouts a thank you, and keeps working.
It only takes another hour before he almost has a breakdown. His skin hurts, he's hot, his hands are shaking. He's downed three more glasses of water. His last thank you had been so strangled that Max had just looked at him and then disappeared into the house.
He's sitting on the porch steps now, hands shaking in his lap, tears falling down his face. He can't take another pill yet. He's got two hours. He takes a few very deep breathes, about to steel himself and get back to work, his hands are on his knees, about to push himself up, when he hears the car.
He looks up, and Steve's car is parking at his house. His hands fall from his knees. But its not just Steve in the car, Nancy and Robin are there too. All of them in old looking jeans, and ratty looking shirts.
Robin's are covered in paint. Eddie's breathing goes shakey as Steve pats Robin's shoulder and points at Eddie. Robin nods and heads for him, doing a weird little run, Eddie can't help but smile. Steve and Nancy are grabbing things from Steve's trunk, Eddie doesn't see what things, before Robin is filling his vision, dropping to her knees in front of him looking concerned as her hands gently cradle his face.
"Hey you. You okay? Max said you might need some help." Robin breaths it out like a sigh, like she'd been holding in her worry. Eddie bites his lip to stop it from trembling anymore and nods. She nods back with a smile.
"Okay cool. Well, help is here. Help being, Steve and Nancy." She nods to them.
"And I'm gonna sit with you until you're feeling a bit better okay? Then you can jump back in." Steve clears his throat aggressively as he walks past her at that. Robin's face scrunches.
"Maybe." She tells Eddie. Steve was ... was he mad? He wasn't looking at Eddie, just helping Nancy get the tools they'd need out of the box they brought. Eddie had some tools, but just for one person. Robin rubs his knee gently and squishes in next to him on the stairs.
"So you got baby sitting duty?" He asks her, his side pressing into her as almost all the fight to stay upright leaves his body. She's steady beside him, holds him up easily, her hand curling around his bicep for extra support.
"Well, Nancy and Steve thought it was probably best that I don't handle tools. So yeah, but hey, babysitting you's not so bad. I mean you're a GREAT conversationalist." Robin smiles brightly at him, watches him try to smile back and then grimace.
"You okay?" Her voice is concerned now, and that apparently draws Steve's attention. He's at Eddie side in the time it takes for Eddie to nod, his face still scrunched in pain. Steve kneels, looks up at him.
"Where are your pills?" He asks. Eddie shakes his head.
"Hour an a half." Eddie grunts out. Steve's head falls and then it's shaking, he sighs, and fuck, he sounds disappointed. And he's glaring at Eddie when he finally looks back up.
"What the fuck were you thinking? Doing this by yourself, with no one here but Max to help you if you got hurt. Did you think about that?" Steve's voice gets louder as he talks.
"Steve." Robin's voice, a warning.
"No. Robin. This is... you could've gotten hurt Eddie." He huffs it, his voice is full of frustration, and anger. Eddie just stares at the ground, tries to breathe around the lump in his throat.
"I know I fucked up alright? Can we spare the lecture?" He grits, his voice is wobbly. Steve doesn't hear it, just huffs again and stands, Eddie sees his hands hit his hips and braces for whatever he's gonna say next.
"What was Max supposed to do if you got hurt? Huh? She can't help you dude! And Wayne's at work! You're all alone out here, when you shouldn't even be out here in the first place!" Steve is openly yelling now, both Nancy and Robin saying his name as Eddie's shoulders shake. Eddie clears his throat roughly, pushing the tight feeling away so he can speak. He shoves himself to his feet with a wince, pain shooting through his body.
"You think I dont know that? I know how fucking alone I am. Thank you. Steve." His hand clenches at the pain in his side, a whimper rips out of his throat, tears burn his eyes and fall. Steve looks startled, then concerned, reaches out to steady him, Eddie slaps his hand away, hard.
"Don't fuckin touch me." He growls, wipes at his eyes with shakey hands and starts walking to his trailer. His foot hits a dip in the ground and he stumbles, Robin catches him, just enough to keep him on his feet. She lets go immediately as he shrugs her touch off gently, and keeps walking.
"FUCK!" he yells it, to no one really, just built up frustration clawing its way out of him. He stomps, carefully, up his own trailer steps, and lets the door slam shut behind him.
Max's trailer door squeaks open, and the three of them turn to see her looking at Steve.
"That was harsh. I told you to come help him, not fucking yell at him and make it worse." The look in her eyes could cut glass. Steve droops under her scrutiny, his hands moving to cover his face.
"Fuck. I know." He groans. He looks up, and over to Robin.
"What's wrong with me?" He sighs, his head hanging again. Robin gives him a sympathetic smile, walks closer, rubs at his arm.
"You care about him. And you were mad. And when you're upset you get...." she trails off, thinking.
"Bitchy." Nancy supplies, moving to his other side, her hand on his shoulder as he glares at her.
"What? You do. Eddie was trying to do something nice. Something amazing, actually, for Max." Steve glares harder, she holds her finger up, silencening whatever he was about to interupt her with.
"And yes he went about it the wrong way. He obviously should have called for help." Robin chimes in, squeezing his arm.
"But no one said he was a genius. He's just trying to help." Nancy finishes, moving her hand over his shoulder soothingly.
"I know that. But he can't... he can't just help others to point that he hurts himself!" Steve flails a little, both Robin and Nancy leaning away from him, out of his flail range. They share a look though. And Max snorts behind him. He wips around to look at her.
"What? What was that for?" He asks, his tone, to his dismay, bitchy.
"Did you hear what just came out of your mouth? Have you met yourself?" She asks, crossing her arms carefully over her chest. She glares at him until he deflates. He sighs. Squints against the sun as he looks up at the sky.
"I need to go apologize." He says. All three girls nod.
"Yep." Nancy says, pressing her lips together so she doesn't smile.
"Definitely. 100% yeah." Robin squeezes his arm again, gives him an encouraging nod.
"If you don't. I'm throwing myself down these steps and telling my mom you left me unsupervised." Max says, her voice flat. Steve's eyes widen, and then he gives her a look.
"Jesus. Alright. I was already going. No need for threats." He calls the last part over his shoulder as he makes his way to Eddie's trailer. He bounces up the steps gingerly and knocks.
"Come in." Eddie's voice calls. Steve opens the door, the living room is empty. He walks down to Eddie's room and his heart sinks. Eddie has one arm pulled up inside his coveralls, it's bent at an interesting angle, he's sitting in the edge of his bed, his face is wet with tears. He flinches a little when he sees it's Steve standing there and that hurts Steve too. He moves closer, just one step and then Eddie chokes out,
"I'm stuck." And Steve moves fast. He kneels in front of Eddie, trying to look at the situation, his arm is caught in the sleeve, his elbow shoved into it tightly, he moves Eddie's wrist and Eddie flinches again.
"Does it hurt?" He asks, keeping his voice quiet. Eddie nods, bites his lip. The sleeve is pressing hard into Eddie's arm, right where one of his scars is. Steve winces in sympathy.
"How attached are you to these?" He tugs on the front of the coveralls, Eddie looks at him.
"I'm not. They're Wayne's old pair." He says, his voice tight from the pain.
"Okay good." Steve says as he slides his pocket knife out, flicks it open, and cuts the sleeve in one fluid motion. Eddie's arm drops free, another whimper falls out of him at the release.
Steve cradles Eddie's arm, holds it gently as Eddie catches his breath. His fingers squeeze Eddie's wrist and he opens his eyes. Looks at Steve.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you." Steve says, not letting go of Eddie's wrist. Eddie blinks at him. Stares. Then shakes his head.
"Don't be. I fucked up. You were right. I shouldn't have been out there by myself." Eddie frowns, wipes at his wet face. Steve shakes his head then, pushing himself up onto his knees, his back straightening, moving him closer to Eddie's face.
"No. Don't do that. It wasn't your fault. Okay? I shouldn't have yelled. You were trying to help Max. And I just... I didn't wanna find you hurt. Again." Steve looks at Eddie, really looks at him, tries to convey what he means without having to say it. Eddie's eyes are wide, and a little glassy from crying, but Steve sees it, the moment realization hits him.
"Okay. I won't do it again." Eddie nods, moves his wrist in Steve's hand so he can curl his fingers around Steve's wrist.
"Thank you. Just call us. We'll help you. Okay? And Eddie?" Steve swallows, stands and lifts Eddie to his feet, Eddie blinks at him owlishly.
"You're not alone. I'm sorry if we made you feel that way." Steve whispers it, feels his throat burn as Eddie starts crying again. He wipes at his face and shakes his head, looks at Steve with some strange frown smile combo.
"No I know. I just... it's always just been me. And Wayne. Ya know?" He says, holding onto Steve as he sways, dizzy. Steve holds onto him right back.
"Yeah. Well... not anymore." Steve shrugs, smiles, and then tugs Eddie out of his room. They get him another pain pill, Steve rubs some ointment onto the scar on his arm, and then they go back outside.
Nancy is cutting wood while Robin measures and marks. Steve doesn't let go of Eddie's hand until he has him sitting on the porch steps. Max hands him another glass of water.
"You're drinking me out of house and home Munson." She teases, he stares her down as he chugs the water, holds the glass back out to her and wiggles it with a shit eating grin.
"Unbelievable. Sending the girl in the wheelchair to do your errands." She sighs, but smiles when Eddie hops up and gets the door for her, follows her inside to help. He pops back a minute later and hands Steve a peice of paper. It has his plans for the ramp on it.
"This is sort of what I was aiming for." He shrugs, watches Steve look over the paper.
"You did this?" He asks, looking back up at Eddie. Eddie nods, wraps his arms around himself, feeling self-conscious under Steve's gaze.
"What? What's wrong with it?" He asks when Steve says nothing.
"What? Oh no, sorry, nothing's wrong. It's just super detailed." Steve smiles, shakes his head, hands the paper to Robin and Nancy.
"Yeah well, I wanted it done right." Eddie shrugs, Nancy makes a weird moaning sound behind them, both of them look to see her looking down at the paper in her hands, lovingly. She looks back up at Eddie.
"Finally! Someone else detail oriented. I'm making copies of this." She sounds genuine as she waves the paper, smiling at Eddie. He flushes red and moves to sit on the steps again. When his hands stop shaking he helps Robin with the measurements.
She measures, he measures, Nancy and Steve cut.
It takes them two days. But they get it done. The ramp wraps around the side of the trailer, where Max's mom always parks. He bought some plywood as well, to put down on the ground, so Max's wheels wouldn't sink.
The first time she pushes Max down the ramp she nearly cries as she throws herself at Eddie. Hugs him tight and then apologizes when he huffs in pain. Max grabs his hand, looks up at him with her bright blue eyes, and kisses his arm. Just a little peck, smooching the bats on his skin. But he gets it. That's all she needs to do. He knows she's grateful.
Steve shows up at Eddie's trailer the day after they finish the ramp. His eyes are wild and he looks like he's been shoving his hands into his hair for a couple of hours. Eddie gets half way through asking what's wrong and then Steve is kissing him. They almost fall into the trailer with the force of it. Steve catches them, rights them, but doesn't let go of Eddie, just lets out a breathy,
"Sorry sorry." As he keeps them steady. Eddie just smiles dumbly at him. Wayne stands from the couch, clears his throat awkwardly and pats Eddie on the shoulder as he leaves, says,
"Told you them coveralls was lucky boy." He winks as he passes them. Eddie's laughter filling the trailer behind him as Steve's face goes crimson and he drops his head on Eddie's shoulder with a dramatic groan.
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brittle-doughie · 4 months
Note
Taking a break from angst-time for some good Ole fashion family drama!
I'd like to request a scenario where a matriarch relative from Y/N's family roping them into an arranged marriage with an upper-class cookie (whoever it is up to you)
Said relative is introduced coming to the kingdom where they try to take y/n cookie to their would-be-fiance, only to notice a plethora of cookies either following, stalking, or budding in on their "familial reunion."
P.s. Hope your having a safe belated new year, brittle-doughie! Your the best
- 🥀 Anon
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Forced Connections
Much appreciated, my dude. Arranged marriages pretty much spell disaster for the would-be spouse if you run a kingdom!
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Crowned Cupcake Cookie, that was the name of the cookie in the photograph sent to you, the one you were apparently meant to be wedded with for the sake of “keeping the doughline pure”, as Sugar Cane Cookie, your family’s matriarch, would put it.
AN: Many thanks to Runebrave for massively carrying with the design, as you guys may know, I don’t have a single creative bone in my body lol
Your mother, Molasses Cookie, couldn’t be any more embarrassed that her side of the family is meddling with your personal life, wanting you to choose how you want to live it, wanting you to choose who you want to be with…but Sugar Cane Cookie insisted.
She was expected to arrive with Crowned Cupcake Cookie soon, which means having to break the news to your Cookie Kingdom before they did. They deserved to know…
You opened the door to your quarters to see Financier Cookie standing by, she gave a small bow to you.
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“Y/N Cookie, I see that you are alright today. It gives me relief knowing that you haven’t gotten hurt.”
And it helps to know that a cookie like her is always keep watch over you, when she makes it to the schedule at least. Quite a number of cookies are always gunning to make your bodyguard spot such as Caramel Arrow or Raspberry Cookie, had to break up a few scuffles on occasion.
But that’s a topic for another day, you’d rather you give her the news of what’s to come..
You tell Financier Cookie to be ready, for your kingdom will have…important guests arriving soon..
“I’ll be sure to be on my best behavior and that will go for the other cookies. May I ask who these guests are?”
It will be your family matriarch, Sugar Cane Cookie…and your soon-to-be fiancé, Crowned Cupcake Cookie-
You see Financier Cookie stop in her tracks, a thousand yard stare straight ahead, as her grip on her sword shakes.
“….What?”
Now now, you know that sounds like a big shocker already, but it’s being forced upon you and you really can’t-
“A forced marriage…as if the circumstances can’t get any worse…”
You asked for her to please settle down, this was beyond your control once it was made known to be an order in your family!
Financier’s grip on her sword tightens up as she takes deep breathes, indicating the hidden rage that was boiling inside her
“Don’t worry about it, self-discipline is something I need to practice for anyway…just don’t expect me to be cordial with this…fiancé of yours if she steps out of line…”
If Financier could get like this, there’s no telling how the others will be…
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Jealousy is hitting Kouign-Amann Cookie when she learns of the news. What kind of cookies were your family to try and set you up with something arranged?! As opposed to..what your heart wants..
She can proudly boast that her skills as a Paladin exceeds what this visitor can do for you, anything crossing your path can just meet her sword! What can this visitor do? Because they probably won’t be able to do as much compared to Kouign!
Not giving up is also another part of being a Paladin! Nothing this newcomer can say or do will deter her at all, even if it ends up in a fight! Because Kouign is more than willing to put this cookie six feet under if they push their luck…
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Almond Cookie is on the case. Not only was this arranged marriage done without an agreement on your end, but you weren’t even on a first name basis with this other cookie? This has gotten him on high alert that required a whole lot of coffee, he’ll need it if he’s to dedicate his time to this problem.
He’ll be right there with you for when your arranged spouse has entered the station. The safety of the Cookie Kingdom’s ruler is of the upmost importance to everyone, including him. Especially him. He felt like being your barrier, the wall of protection that you can count on!
And..just reading on whatever files he can scrape on up on this Crowned Cupcake Cookie…he’ll definitely need to be on guard for whatever she has planned or would be ready to do. He’s more than happy to slap her in cuffs if she so much as LOOKS suspicious..
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Did this mean you won’t be able to come to her picnics anymore? You’ll be giving all your time to Crowned Cupcake Cookie?
It was a pretty unfortunate realization for Cherry Blossom Cookie, she felt like what you and her had was going pretty nicely. It just felt like a pain to her heart to suddenly lose that connection to a cookie she’s never heard about.
She can’t just deny your future spouse a picnic though. In fact…she very much would like to invite her to the best picnic! She promises to make Cupcake’s food R E A L S P E C I A L to commemorate the occasion. She’ll make it so good, it would be to D I E for…
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Your cookies could only internally cringe when Crowned Cupcake arrived on the train and was already hovering around you. She went on a long speech about the fairy tale romance of a princess meeting the one she loves being a reality for her. Financier’s self-discipline was TESTED with how much Crowned was putting her hands on you.
Almost as if she sensed it, Crowned Cupcake started to giggle, her back towards the envious crowd of cookies. She turned back towards them, with wide eyes and creepy smile, her right eye twitching.
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“Oh? Am I sensing objections between me and my dearest being together…? If that’s the case…”
She put away her staff…before slowly pulling out a sword from behind her, with dry strawberry jam staining the blade, her smile growing more deranged.
“I’m more than happy to settle any differences. Dungeon or execution..? Hehe…”
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Text
Hunger
Requests:
I combined this lovely request from @moonstarsandlovely
Hi! I have a Lee (Bones and All) request. We don’t have a confirmed date for Lee’s birthday. So, I think it would be a cute fic idea that surrounds Lee’s birthday and how Reader celebrates it with him.
Happy Holidays 🎁
And this anon one
DO MORE LEE X EATER!READER FICS WITH ANGST AND FLUFF I BEG YOU 🤩
YOUR WRITING IS SO GOOD
Wordcount: 4.3K+
Masterlist
Description: An empty pit consumes Lee when he wakes up without you with him. Memories of the pains assault his mind as he tries to figure out where you've gone and if you'll be back.
A/N: Ending Timmy's bday with a little angsty Lee. That description is dramatic, but it's almost 2 am. I had so much fun writing this. I started it when I first got the request and finished it as I watched Bones and All. It is probably my favorite thing right now. This is the same couple from Puzzle Piece. This takes place about a year or so later.
Warning: Angst to fluff. Lots of flashbacks. Mention of suicide. Murder, cannibalism. Feeling of unworthiness. Lots of tears eaterreader, blackreader
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“Kayla, have you heard from her? She didn’t call you?” Lee asked worriedly down the phone to his sister.
Kayla sighed leaning against the wall. “No Lee. I have not heard from her since the last time you called an hour ago. Are you sure she didn’t say where she was going?”
“No. No. She was just gone when I woke up. I-I don’t understand. Things were going well with us. We got jobs and a cute little place. We were happy. No, we are happy, but I don’t understand why she would. Do... Do you think she found someone else?”
“Lee, she loves you. You two are soulmates.” Kayla assured him. “Maybe she’s busy with work?”
“I called her work,” he said. He could feel tears in his eyes. There was nothing in this world, besides his sister, that meant more to him than you. From the moment you both found each other again, Lee vowed he would never lose you again. That he would make you happy. That you both would have the life you both dreamed of.
“Don’t get yourself all worked up, Lee. She loves you. I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for why she isn’t home or called you.”
Lee wiped his eyes nodding. “Okay. Yeah, I’m sure there is. It’s just why today of all days.”
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“Lee. Lee. Lee,” you whispered excitedly as you saw him walking down the hallway. You were hiding behind some lockers and were waving him over before he went into his classroom.
He grinned all softly and bashfully as he made his way over to you. Lee leaned against the lockers leaning down and kissing you softly. Your eyes fluttered and you kissed him back lovingly.
Lee slowly pulled away and touched the side of your face. “Hi, Honeybee. I missed you in homeroom,” he pouted.
“You saw me last night,” you said with a playful eye roll. “But I missed you too,” you added pressing your lips softly to his for a few moments. “But there is a reason I was not in class. Come with me,” you said grabbing his hand.
“Are we skipping school? What will your mother think?” He teased but held your hand tightly as you both ran towards the front doors.
You rolled your eyes again. You glanced over your shoulder at him, smiling. “Oh, she would have a heart attack. Maybe even try to send me to my Nan in Phoenix, But this is worth it.”
“Worth it?” He asked.
You nodded excitedly. “Now run,” you said taking off running with his hand still firmly in yours. Lee laughed and ran alongside you. You both laughed, skipped, and danced as you made your way towards the lake.
With most people at work or in school, the lake was bare. It would be the perfect place for your surprise with your boyfriend. You paused before you got to your spot. “Okay, close your eyes,” you said.
“Close my eyes? You aren’t going to kill me, are you?” He smirked.
“Never. I love you too much,” you assured him. Lee softened and he kissed you sweetly. He’s hands moved to your waist pulling you close. He melted against you, and you leaned into you more.
Lee and your eyes fluttered close as you got lost in each other. But all too soon, you pulled away. Lee whined trying to press his lips back to yours. You just chuckled and pulled him along to the picnic basket you had by the lake.
“What’s all of this?” Lee asked, his face flushing a deep shade of red.
“What do you think? It’s your birthday, Lee. And we are going to celebrate it, together?” You said pulling him over to the blanket and pulling him down with you. “I made all of your favorites, and I got a cake from that little shop you like on Main Street. And I didn’t have a lot of money to get you a gift, but I made you so-“
Lee's lips crashed down on yours taking you by surprise. He held you tightly in his arms as he kissed you to convey just how much you meant to him. You softened and moved your mouth against his in perfect sync.
Pulling away you smiled warmly at him. “What was that for?” You asked.
“What was that for? Because I love you. Because you. Because you’re my whole world. Every day I get up to go to school for you. Nothing else matters. And you did this for me and. I love it and I love you.” Lee grabbed your face and kissed you tenderly. Your heart fluttered and your stomach tightened into knots at his words.
“I love you, Lee. Always.” You said against his lips.
“Promise me,” he asked softly, looking at you through his lashes.
“Always. I am never going to love anyone like I love you, Lee. You make me incredibly happy. You see me and you love me,” you said, playing with the bottom of his shirt.
“Hey,” he whispered, grabbing your chin and making you make eye contact with him. “It is because I see you that I love you. I see the person you are. My person. And I had no choice but to love you.” He spoke full of emotions.
You peck his lips again. But when you tried to pull away Lee followed you, climbing into your lap and crushing your lips together. Your body hummed and you could hear your blood pumping in your ears.
Lee’s hands traveled to your shirt, slipping under and touching the edge of your bra. You gasped into his mouth and his tongue plunged into your mouth. You tangled your hands into his hair and pulled him closer.
You broke the kiss and turned your head when he tried to kiss you again. “Lee,” you sighed.
He laughed and kissed your jaw. “I’m sorry. I got carried away again.”
“No, It’s okay. It’s just it’s your birthday we should eat and enjoy the lake before school and work is out.”
He nodded but made no move to get out of your lap and you didn’t try to move him. “We are going to be together forever, right?” He asked.
“Of course, Lee. You’re my person too.”
He smiled getting up and offered you, his hand. “Let’s go for a dip.” He pulled you up and you crashed into his chest. You giggled and he smiled at you wider. “Last one in has to go back to school,” he said before taking off running.
“Lee. That’s cheating. “
“All is fair in love and war, Honeybee.”
You ran after him and tackled him to the ground just before he got to the lake. “You’re almost an adult, Lee. Grow up,” you teased.
“Hey, I have two more years until I’m 18,” he chuckled rolling you both until you were in the lake.
You squealed and swam to the surface. Lee popped up next to you, pulling you into his arms. “I don’t even when you are an adult you’ll grow up.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. I like you the way you are, Lee.”
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“Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?” Lee said pacing the bedroom. He glanced at the clock and then the phone and paced again. His hands twitched and the longer you were gone the hunger he got.
“She’s gone. She couldn’t put up with your bull shit so she left. Why wouldn’t she? You’re a mess. Look at your stupid hair and your fucking shirt. She’s probably with someone better.” He ranted to himself. He was crying but he ignored it as he wiped his face.
“Get yourself together. This is the shit that got you abandoned.” He slapped his face a few times. Lee grabbed his house keys and walked out of the apartment.
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“Lee. Lee. Lee,” you whispered shouted as you threw a rock at his window hoping to not wake his parents.  You glanced down the road and anxiousness as you didn’t want to get caught.
Your mother would never let you out of the house if she knew you had snuck out to meet with Lee. She already wanted you to stop seeing him, but you refused. “Lee. Lee,” you said a bit louder throwing another rock.
“Ouch. Honeybee?” He asked from his opened window. You smiled moving closer to him and smiling happily at him.
“Hi, Lee. Happy birthday. Come out. I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise for me?” He asked jumping out of the window and trapping into the brushes. You covered your mouth to hide your laughter, but Lee still heard you and narrowed your eyes. He playfully bared his teeth at you.
You just walked over to him and put your hands under his shirt and pulled him closer. Lee shivered and pressed his body up against yours.  “Hi,” you grinned.
“Hi,” he said back. You sealed your lips in a soft and languid kiss almost forcing him up against the side of his house. He whimpered softly and you groaned biting his lip. Something strid in the pit of your body and you felt a hunger burn your throat. You bit his lip harder until he bled.
You gasped and pulled away. Lee’s eyes had closed during your kiss but when you pulled away. “What’s wrong?” He asked.
You shook your head. Something was wrong with you, but you pushed that aside. You couldn’t deal with that right now. It was Lee’s birthday and you wanted to spend it with him. “Nothing. I just think we should get going.”
“Going?” He asked placing his hand in yours.
“Yeah. To our lake. It is after midnight which means it is your birthday and I got you this amazing gift. You are going to love it,” you gushed as you pulled him along.
“A gift? It isn’t you?” He teased.
“Oh Lee you are adorable, but no. It’s a hat. You are going to look so amazing in it.” You were too excited to keep it a secret. Last year you had little money to get him a cake and a gift, but you had a summer job and worked your butt off to be able to get him something this year.
“And I got cake as well, but I made it this time. I thought it would be more romantic, but if you hate it. I’ll go buy you another as soon as the stores open up.”
“No no. You baked for me?” He asked shyly, running his hands through his curls. “That’s amazing. And is very romantic. If I could, I would love you more, but you already mean everything.”
You smiled and kissed his hand. “How is your lip?” You asked as the lake came into view.
He shrugged. “It’s fine. A little blood doesn’t scare me. I didn’t know you were into biting though.”
You shrugged your shoulders. “I don’t know why I did it. Sorry if  I hurt you.”
“You could never,” he said wrapping his arm around your waist. You nodded happily and moved to the spot you had set up.
“You know there are bears and stuff. You really shouldn’t leave this here. You know I can help you set it up for next year.”
“I like setting it up and surprising you.” You sat him down and opened your basket and pulled out the small chocolate cake you baked that horribly said to Lee with love. “What do you think?”
Lee looked from the cake and then to you. “Are you kidding me? It’s perfect and I love it and I love you,” he leaned forward and kissed you. “I can’t wait to taste it. Let’s cut a piece and share it.”
“Okay, let’s do that,” you said pulling out a knife and cutting a big slice for the both of you. “I forgot forks,” you said sheepishly.
“Well good things we have fingers,” he teased, kissing your nose. He dug into the cake and held it to your mouth. You took his fingers into your mouth and moaned at the taste.
Lee watched you closely. “You like it?”
“Yeah. You should try some.” Lee nodded opening his mouth. You grab some cake and fed it to him. He closed his lips around your fingers and slowly licked the icing off.
You held your breath as you watched him. His eyes slide up your arms, across your chest, and then connected with yours.
“Hmm. My girl is a really good baker,” he said.
You ducked your head and pulled your fingers away. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I told you. I’ll love anything you make,” he knocked his forehead against yours making you chuckle softly, tilting your head until your lips met.
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Lee stood in the shadows as he watched people walk by. He was jittery and willed himself to calm down until he found someone. He knew he would have to be quick and the possibility of being caught was high, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything.
A group of guys stumbled out of a bar. They were shoving each other, drunkenly and he waited for one of them to fuck up. He knew it would happen sooner or later. He was near the University campus and drunk college guys always made a mistake.
It didn’t take long for one woman to cross their path and one of the men started to catcall her and follow her down the street. Lee waited until they were passing him before he lashed out and hit the man.
Drunk as he was, the man didn’t stay down for long. The girl took off running and his friends were still stumbling down the street. “You like playing on defenseless people, well pick on me,” Lee growled as he went at the man again.
The man chuckled and tackled Lee to the ground and started punching him repeatedly. Lee groaned as he felt his nose crunch and blood paint his face. “Is that all you got?” He asked slipping his hand into his pocket and grabbing his knife stabbing the man in the neck.
The man’s eyes widened, and Lee pulled the knife out watching as the blood rained down on them. The man put his hand on his neck to stop the bleeding, but Lee used that as the opportunity to flip him over and start tearing out his skin eating him.
His mind was blank of everything but feeding. He pushes his pain and heartbreak away to focus on the singular feeling of his hunger. You both agreed to try to stop killing so close to home and try to control your hunger more. You were better than him, he had some slip-ups, but none like now.
Lee ate until he felt sick. He stumbled out of the alley disoriented. He looked both ways but there were so many lights and people he didn’t know what to do. He was drenched in blood and still was starving, but he wasn’t sure for what.
Somehow, he made it back to your building without being seen. He assumed he was still in his right frame of mind enough to stick to the shadows as he moved. He stumbled up the stairs running into one of the college students that lived next door.
She screamed and he was quick to jump back. “Don’t scream. Don’t scream.” He was sobbing again and trying to stop her from screaming. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he didn’t want to get caught. She fought against him as he covered her mouth. The noise caused a door nearby to open and Lee cursed only to see you worrying making your way over to them.  
“Lee? What’s going on? Let her go,”  you said tugging on his arms. He had to be dreaming. You were gone. He’s lost his mind. His legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. You were shouting at him. The girl was still screaming.
“I’m bad. I’m bad. I’m bad,” he repeated crying more and more. Your lips were moving but it felt like he was underwater. He couldn’t hear anything but his own words circling around in his head.
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He woke up with a startle, sitting up straight in bed. He glanced around the empty room and patted himself down. He was shirtless but clean of blood. His nose ached and he could still taste the man from the alley.
He hoped it had been a dream. He pulled his knees up to his chest crying into them as he rocked on the bed. He couldn’t remember anything after you arrived. Or he thought you did. Maybe you weren’t there and he just killed that poor girl and then cleaned himself up.
“Oh Lee,” you said rushing into the room and cradling him into your arms. “Hey hey. Calm my love. It’s me. I got you,” you consoled him. Rocking him in your arms. You soothingly ran your fingers through his hair. Lee clung to you, burying his face in your clothes.
“Honeybee. Honeybee, I’m so bad. I hurt that girl. I killed a man and I drove you away. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“No no. Lee, you aren’t bad. You are good. You’re my good boyfriend. My puzzle piece, my other half. You couldn’t drive me away even if you wanted to. You didn’t hurt her. She was just a bit freaked out.”
He sobbed unable to listen to your words, so you just held him tightly and sang softly to him to get him to calm down. You were frightened when you opened the apartment door to see him covered in blood and attacking your neighbor.
When you came home and saw that he wasn’t there you assumed he was going to the store for cigarettes but from his state, it was clear that he had eaten. You weren’t mad at him, just concerned. He was doing so well and when he needed to eat, you both went together. Made sure to drive hours away and then ate together.
When he passed out you knocked out the girl and dragged her into your apartment. You both made a lot of noise, and it seemed like you would have to move so you ate her. Once you were finished you moved Lee to the bedroom and cleaned him up. Then you went out and looked for his victim. You found and buried him and then returned him cleaning all the blood and packing.
You were just putting the last of the bags by the door when you heard him wake up. You patted his hair and smeared kisses along his forehead as he calmed down, hiccupping and sniffling occasionally. “Baby, what happened?”
“You were gone all day. I-I thought you left me. I thought you were sick of me. I called your work, and I called your coworkers, Kayla. No one heard from you. I thought the worst.” The worst being you abandoned him.
 “Never Lee. It’s us together. Always remember? There is no one else I want. No one else that understands me and sees me the way you do. I love you, Lee.”
He sniffed pulling back to stare at you with sad green eyes. “Really? You didn’t leave me.”
You wiped his tears and kissed him under each eye. “The only thing that has ever made sense is the world is you. I’ve spent enough time without you, and I was miserable. I never want to feel that again. I’m not going anywhere.”
Lee just wrapped himself around you once more and pressed his face into your chest. Sobs shook his body. “I’m sorry. I-I shouldn’t have doubted you. But it’s my birthday and I was so used to us together. And I got into my own head.”
You shushed him, pressing your mouth to his in a wet sloppy kiss. “Lee, my baby. I’m sorry I should have left a note. I got a second job and I’ve been working to save up to get us a new car. So we can hit the road and travel more. See the country. I went to get my check and then get our van.”
“A van?” He mumbled into your chest. You giggled and pulled on a red curl.
“Yes. You said you always wanted a van. I got us a used one for a good deal. Not too many mileages. It can take us anywhere.” While you both liked it when you were settled and got to play normal, it was just a game. You both wanted the open road and freedom to be who you were. No dirty looks and whispers, no fear. Just your love to guide you around.
“I fucked up badly, honeybee.”
“It’s okay. I fixed everything. It’s all taken care of. I’m sorry for leaving Lee.”
“No, this is on me,” he said miserably.
“I’m not upset. It’s okay. We were going to leave eventually. We just have to do it tonight.”
Lee pulled away and stood up from the bed. “I’ll pack then,” he said making around the room, but you grabbed his hand.
“I already did. Let’s just go. Yeah. I still have a birthday surprise for you?”
He nodded shoving his empty hand into his pocket. “I’m not sure I deserve anything after today.”
“Don’t be like that. Don’t make things hard. You got overwhelmed by your emotions. You got hungry. I am not blaming you and neither should you. It happens. That is just who we are. Both of us.”
You squeezed his hand and cuffed the side of his face. “Don’t beat yourself up, please,” you mumbled before kissing him. Lee surrendered to the familiarity of your lips and frantically kissed you both. He brought your clasped hands up to his neck and wrapped your arm around his shoulder. His free hand dug into the back of your shorts pulling you close.
“Fuck, I love you,” he mumbled, resting his forehead on yours. “Do you love me? As me?”
“Of course. I see you and that is why I love you.” You kissed him once more before pulling him out of the bedroom. You grabbed the bags as you both walked out of the apartment and down the stairs toward your van. You put Lee in the passenger side. Kissed his cheeks and then his lips and moved to the driver's side.
Lee was relaxed. A slight smile on his face and his eyes half opened. He had worked himself up so much and while he did pass out earlier. He was still exhausted. He grasps your hand in his. “Thank you,” he said.
You glanced over at him smiling. “For what?”
“For being you. For loving me. For this van and just sticking with me.”
“You don’t have to thank me for any of it. I do it all happily for my sweet Lee.”
“I haven’t been sweet in a long time. Maybe not ever.”
You scoffed kissing the back of his hand. “You’ve always been my sweet Lee and you always will be. You have always been my friend, my protector, and the love of my life. I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
“When I killed my dad. All I could think about was what if  I hurt you? I came to you that night. I wanted you to come with me, but I was glad you didn’t. Because I would have killed myself if I hurt you.”
“Do you remember your last birthday? Before we broke up and you left town?”
He nodded. “I bite you then,” you said quietly. “It was the first time I tasted blood and I craved more, and I was afraid. I felt the hunger deep within me. I was able to push it away for a few more months. Ignore it because I had you and I didn’t want to hurt you. But when you were gone, it was hard. So I left. The first time I ate. I cried so hard. I want to kill myself. I had the razer to my wrist, but I heard your voice in my head. It stopped me. You saved me,” you said.
Lee leaned over and kissed your cheek and rested his forehead on your cheek. “You save me every day.”
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Lee fell asleep soon after that and you drove for hours. His head rests on your shoulder. You took your eyes off the road every few minutes and kissed the crown of his curls. Your hunger was awful sometimes. It was uncontrolled, but it did not rival the hunger, the burning desire and love you had for Lee.
When you felt empty it was Lee that you needed to refuel. You stopped the van and turned off the car. You turned and ghosted your fingers along his face. His freckles, the slope of his nose, his cupid’s bow. It was all things you had committed to memory and yet still was drawn to every day.
Lee stirred as your fingers traced his lips. His mouth opened and your fingers slipped in. Lee moaned and his eyes opened to clash with yours. You smiled rubbing your nose against his, causing him to laugh. You withdrew your fingers and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“Where are we?” He asked tiredly.
“A lake.” He perked up looking out the window.  You smiled and opened your door. “Well come on. It’s our birthday tradition and we only have a few hours left. I have a chocolate cake in the back, but I want to take a dip with you first.”
Lee quickly climbed out of the car and met you at the front. You held your hand out and he slipped his fingers in between yours.
You both looked down at your hands before looking up at each other. “Last one into the lake has to drive,” you said, shoving his shoulders and taking off run.
“That’s cheating,” he shouted taking off after you.
“All is fair in love and war, Lee.”
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Taglist.
@wandasforyou
@mel-vaz
@gatoenlaciudad
@iloveneilperry
@s-we-e-t-t-ea
@robertpattins0nswh0re
@valencia-rou
233 notes · View notes
aficionadoenthusiast · 6 months
Text
(kind of a continuation of this post but this is the most notes one of my pjo posts has gotten without garnering some kind of discourse and i dont really wanna touch it but i need to say this)
thinking about annabeth, the toddler daughter of a phd student whose dad already barely has time for her to the point that she is pretty much responsible for herself
annabeth, five years old, watching from the sidelines as her dad married someone she sees as a monster, moving onto things bigger and better than her, replacing her with people and kids who get more attention from him individually than she ever got in their five years alone
annabeth, seven, deciding it's time for her to move on because she's not getting any more love out of that relationship than she's already squeezed out
annabeth sometime around here learning that it's not that her mother doesn't care about her, she just has more important things to do
annabeth, barely any older, contending with thalia's death, a girl who was both a friend and a caretaker for a brief but incredibly formative time
annabeth, again, barely older, watching luke get a quest and leave her behind, hoping and praying he makes it back home to her, and then when he does, realizing he didn't come back quite right and that now even he's moving on from her, once again leaving her for bigger and better things that he keeps saying she's too young to undestand
annabeth, ten, learning about the prophecy and being told she's gonna be a part of it and starting to form an idea of how one day she's gonna find her More Important Thing if she just works hard enough, because isn't that what happens to everyone?
annabeth, 12, meeting percy and actually demanding to be a part of his quest because even though he'll probably be dead by 16, she'll be damned if she lets her chance at the More Important Thing slip away and be left behind again, so she fights like hell for her dreams and her place in the world
12, and knowing she wasn't enough to keep luke from leaving
annabeth, 13, and having to rescue grover from his More Important Thing and then watching him continue on his More Important Thing
13 still and being tempted by the hunters because if it hasn't happened, maybe the mortal world won't give her her More Important Thing
(then getting kidnapped and forced to hold the sky, no idea if anyone is coming for her, scared that everyone is too busy with their More Important Things, and finding out percy never once thought of not going after her, and beginning to realize he doesn't have his More Important Thing yet either)
14, still raw from thalia joining the hunters, and watching percy with rachel, seeing him blast himself to ogygia, and being terrified he's going to realize his More Important Thing is another girl or saving the world or something equally as more important than annabeth
15, and still scared, except now his birthday is coming up, and he might just die before she can ever get her feelings out, and then why bother?
16 and watching him reject immortality for her to help the demigods, and knowing deep in her bones that there is no More Important Thing because that's just not who he is
16, and knowing for the first time in her life that she can trust another person with her heart
16, and being somebody else's More Important Thing, and maybe letting percy be hers too
that is all
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w h a t’ s  m i n e  i s  m i n e
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f!reader x ryomen sukuna (jjk)
tw: nsfw + non-con + monsterfucking + double penetration + breeding + dead dove: do not eat 18+ MINORS DNI
word count: 1.9k
a/n: Kinktober story #2 is with the king, Ryomen Sukuna. I can’t believe I haven’t written a Sukuna smut yet! Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this, but this is really dark, so please read at your own risk! 
⋆ Kinktober Masterlist
buy me a ko-fi?
゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。+。゜*゜。゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。+
“What did you say?” your father challenged, his voice low and dangerous.
Behind him, your mother was silently shaking her head, begging you not to speak your mind. You had obeyed all your parents’ wishes since you were young, never questioning or disagreeing because it was ‘best for you’ even though you hated it. This time, however, it was not an option. You knew your worth, despite being a daughter in a lower-class noble family, and you were not going to tolerate being married off to a family full of misogynists. As poor as you were, you would not stoop down to the current head of the family, Zenin Naoya, and beg your to-be husband to save you and your clan. You wanted to be selfish, just this once. Was it so wrong to search for your own happiness?
Mustering your courage, you firmly replied, “I said no, father. I will not marry him tomorrow.”
“How dare you, wretched bitch!”
Before you even realised it, he had slapped you hard across your face, leaving an angry, red imprint on your cheek. You were foolish to think that your mother would step in and help you. Instead, she had done the opposite, reprimanding you for being rude to your father. You couldn’t believe it. The look in their eyes was enough to tell you that they were both cowards, willing to give you up just so they could survive. They had never cared about you, and you only had yourself to blame for not noticing earlier. This life was cruel, and you have had enough. 
So you left and never looked back, grasping at your only chance at freedom. Ignoring the frantic pleas for you to return, you kept running into the deep forest, knowing no one, not even your parents, would dare to set foot in. No one was that suicidal. After all, there were rumours of a cursed demonic beast living in the forest which mercilessly killed humans should they enter its domain. Unfortunately, no one came back alive to confirm it. But you didn’t care. Whatever monster it was out there couldn’t possibly be worse than Zenin Naoya himself.
You didn’t know how long you had been on the run; all the trees looked the same, and it felt like you had been going around in circles. You were starting to get out of breath when it suddenly poured, the rain drenching you in seconds. With no lamp to guide your way, you trudged forward carelessly, hoping to find shelter in the darkness of the night. Thankfully, you quickly came across what looked to be an abandoned temple that seemed safe enough, so you went in without thinking twice. You could barely step forward without tripping over the uneven stone floor. Then, as if sensing your presence, the torches on the walls lit up all at once, startling you. You could finally see a long, winding corridor ahead of you, beckoning you to keep walking. Taking a deep breath, you kept close to the left wall until you reached a room that was completely bare, save for the empty throne in the middle. You could probably rest until the rain stopped, but something felt terribly wrong. You got the notion that someone, or something, had been watching you ever since you entered the forest.
“Well, well… What do we have here? A lost little bunny, seeking refuge from the storm.”
The low voice came from the throne. An attractive man with tattoos all over his body was sitting on it, legs crossed over the other and his chin resting on his right hand. You started to panic when the room began to transform — the walls disappeared altogether, and skulls and bones were scattered all over the stone floor that was now filled with a thick liquid resembling blood. Maybe it really was blood; you didn’t really want to know. However, everywhere you looked, you couldn’t find a way out. You were trapped.
“Who are you?” you questioned, failing to mask your shaking voice.
“Curious one, aren’t you?” he mused. “The name’s Ryomen Sukuna. I used to rule these lands thousands of years ago, and people revered me like a God. I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”
Ryomen Sukuna. His name was all too familiar. He wasn’t just a monster. He was the King of Curses, responsible for millions of deaths in search of power and glory. It seemed like the rumours of him being resurrected were true after all. If you had remembered correctly, he was dangerous, highly intelligent and manipulative. There was no way you could fight, much less exorcise him. You were no sorcerer; you knew nothing of spells and the like. You needed to figure out how to escape his innate domain before he could make his first move. But with his piercing red eyes staring right into your soul, you froze, too scared to think or even breathe.
“N- no, I don’t think I have. Actually, I’m really sorry. I should probably get going now. My husband will get worried if I’m not home soon.”
“You think I’d let you leave here alive after lying to me? Know your place, lowly human,” Sukuna growled, and you knew you had messed up. “Don’t worry, you’ll make a fine meal.”
He rose from his throne, reaching his full height of over three metres tall and revealing his true demonic form. You hurriedly stepped back as he took a step forward, but all you were doing was prolonging your inevitable death. You didn’t want to die, not like this. However, if you hadn’t left home, you would be living and suffering for days on end, and dying by Ryomen Sukuna’s hand sounded like the much better choice. Accepting your fate, you stood still and closed your eyes, waiting for death, but it never came. 
You felt his hot breath on your neck as he spoke, “Hah, to think I would’ve forgotten the sweet smell of a virgin! I guess it’s our lucky day. I’ll have you as my mate instead.”
With brute strength, his four hands grabbed your clothes and ripped them to shreds, leaving you naked in front of him. Your pathetic cries as you tried to cover yourself up had Sukuna laughing. There was no use in yelling for help; no one would hear you, and even if they did, he would never let them get close to you. Sukuna would’ve loved to see you fight back or run away, taking great joy in the thrill of a chase, but he wasn’t complaining about how downright submissive you were. Poor little bunny, he had frightened you to the core. He picked you up with ease, the tongue of the mouth on his stomach eagerly licking your body to taste how delicious you were. It was cute to see you struggling in his hold as if you could get him to stop. You let out a little yelp as he roughly threw you onto the throne, caging you in his arms.
“You should be thanking me. I never let anyone else sit on my throne.”
Sukuna spread your legs wide open, taking in the sight of your pretty cunt, just waiting to be used. As impatient as he was, he couldn’t fuck you straight away without prepping you. He wouldn’t want you to break before he could have his fun. Getting down on his knees, Sukuna devoured your cunt while his hands busied themselves with playing with your breasts and rubbing your clit. You were ashamed at how wet you already were for a demon like him. No, you weren’t enjoying it. You couldn’t possibly be. Yet, your body felt unbearably hot, and you needed more.
“Fuuuck,” you moaned involuntarily, succumbing to his temptations.
“Bet that feels nice, huh, little bunny?” Sukuna chuckled, looking up to see your flushed face growing redder as he inserted three of his thick fingers inside your cunt.
The foreign sensation made your hips buck forward as another strangled moan escaped your lips. You tried to shove Sukuna away, but the increasing pleasure was starting to cloud your mind. Just before you could reach your high, Sukuna slipped his fingers soaked with your juices from you and removed his kimono, revealing his veiny cocks. It wasn’t just one, but two fat cocks of monstrous length with both heads flushed and dripping with precum. He placed them at your entrance, slowly rubbing against your folds.
“No, no, no! Please, don’t!” you pleaded, hastily shaking your head. There was absolutely no way those things could fit.
“Are all humans so dramatic? Relax, you’ll be fine.”
Sukuna flipped you over before you could protest again. There was a tight grip on your hips. Then, he split you open as his cocks thrust deep inside you, your belly bulging and walls stretched impossibly wide. It hurt so badly that you screamed, but Sukuna paid no attention to your pain, too obsessed with how small and tight you were. He couldn’t remember the last time he had thoroughly enjoyed himself. Your cheeks were damp and streaked, and your legs nearly gave out, but Sukuna held you steady as he drove hard and fast. When you thought you could finally accommodate his size, it felt like he was growing thicker. You orgasmed unexpectedly, spurring Sukuna to bury all of himself inside you until his tips hit your cervix. Your head lolled back, and your body trembled, but he wasn’t planning to stop any time soon, his unrestrained pace making you see stars that you thought you were blacking out. Sukuna’s sharp teeth sunk into the skin on your neck, claiming you as his while one of his hands returned to your neglected clit, harshly rubbing it until you squirted everywhere. You thought you had heard him whispering praises in your ear, but your desperate whines were too loud to make out the words.
Waves after waves of pleasure washed away the pain, and it felt like hours until his hips began to stutter. With a final few thrusts and a satisfied grunt, Sukuna pumped his seed into your womb, stuffing you to the brim and not letting a single drop go of it to waste. He finally pulled out of your abused cunt and admired your exhausted body, littered with bite markings and dried blood, now slumped against the throne. Your eyes began to flutter close, and you were about to pass out when you felt Sukuna moving you. Draping his kimono over your body, he pulled you onto his lap as he sat on his throne. You leaned into his broad chest as he gently caressed your dishevelled hair, lulling you to sleep. Sukuna found it amusing that you were so quick to trust him, and all he needed to do was show you a bit of affection.
“When you’ve rested enough, I’ll fuck you again and again until the only thing you can think of is having my cocks in you all the time. But,” Sukuna warned, forcing you to look up at him. “If you're not pregnant in the next few months, I will enjoy torturing you to death for wasting my time. Understand?”
Heart sinking into despair, you were rudely reminded of the role you were made to accept. Perhaps this was your punishment for all your sins, and there was nothing else you could do but nod. Sukuna grinned at your compliance and rewarded you with a tender but possessive kiss.
“Now, sleep tight and sweet dreams, little bunny.”
゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。+。゜*゜。゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。+
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Wonderful child
Platonic!Yandere!Muzan x Child!Fem! Reader
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You were a wonderful child not only in the opinion of your own mother, but also in the opinion of your new father, whom you and your sister unconditionally accepted. But to tell the truth, first time your new father bothered you. He may not have done anything wrong, but you were a child with an incredibly developed sense of empathy and you felt every change in his mood better than your mother and sister.
That's probably why Muzan thought you were a wonderful child. You never bothered him and when it was necessary, you left and even more, you took your younger sister away when he was not in the best mood, which made it easier him to stay here.
That night, you saw how annoyed he was after meeting with a strange boy, so when you and your mom and sister said goodbye to him, he was leaving for some business meeting. You, unlike your sister and mom, didn't hug or kiss him, just wished him to come back soon and waved.
"Y/n, I don't think you get along very well with Muzan."
You looked surprised at your mom, who was talking to you.
"You hardly talk to him, I understand that you miss your real father, but..."
"No, I get along well with Muzan. He doesn't even mind anymore if I'm in the same room with him when he's busy."
"Was he against being in the same room with you? I mean, you're a calm girl and don't bother..."
"He didn't kick me out, it's just that my presence, at first, often annoyed him, and now he doesn't mind."
You smiled at your mom, calming her nerves, and your little sister repeated after you, your mom giggled. You really were a wonderful child.
However, a good streak cannot last forever and one day it really ended. Now you were lying in bed in terrible suffering. Muzan still hasn't returned, but his money was enough to delay the progress of your illness. The problem was that neither you not your mom had the strength. You couldn't fight with illness anymore, and your mom couldn't watching you cry and moan in pain, couldn't watching your medical analysis get worse and worse every day. Your mother couldn't contact her husband, and therefore she had to make this important decision on her own.
Muzan came back at night and he was furious when he heard that he had an hour to say goodbye to you when your heart stopped completely. Not caring about the force, he pushed your mother away.
Why can't this useless woman even take care of her own child?!
When he entered your room, he discovered your unconscious figure. You were lying on the bed and looked very much like a dead, but the demon still heard your weak heart. With his claw, he sharply scratched your cheek, giving a small amount of his blood.
At that moment, your sweet dream ended, you thought that the disease was terribly painful, but it was worse, much worse. Your whole body was bending in the opposite direction, you even heard the crunch of your own bones, but all this faded against the background of your cheek, it burned with hellish pain, and the skin near the wound seemed to melt.
Your little sister ran into your room after hearing the screams. And froze in horror. Muzan sat on your bed and held you in his arms while you squirmed and screamed. The father was calm, while you beat him with your head in agony, while he held your legs and arms. The girl immediately covered her eyes with her hands and wanted to run away, but the demon stopped her.
"Come here. Don't you want to help your sister?"
She wanted to help you, she has to help you, so she listens him and approaches you. You began to shake less, but blood poured out of your mouth.
"Dad, what can I..."
Abruptly Muzan grabs her by the head and begins to squeeze.
"Y/n will be very hungry when she becomes a demon and you will help her with that."
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rogueddie · 7 months
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Soulmates Steddie Recs
Important: READ THE TAGS! Also, leave a comment and kudos! These fics are amazing and I love them and I hope y'all do too 🧵
And Death Stands So Small In The Face Of Love
writersagainstwritersblock
Soulmate AU where soulmarks don't turn until the person actually loves you, rather than upon meeting. Unturned marks are just ink until the person who loves you touches them and turns them into bright, colorful tattoos. Or a character study on Steve, the people he loves, and the people who love him.
Words : 14,514 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences
AO3 : x
Find the words and talk to me
daytimedreamer
In a world where a tattoo-like mark appears on your left wrist when your soulmate is relatively close to you, Eddie Munson doesn't have one.
But he's fine with it. Completely fine. Who needs a soulmate... Right?
He has his whole life figured out already and the lack of a soulmate hasn't affected his plans at all.
That is until a mark does appear and Eddie discovers he can't run from fate.
Words : 72,470 Chapters : 11/11 Rating : Explicit
AO3 : x
color me in danger
SolariaLunar21
The first time Eddie remembers a major change in the color of his meter he’s 11 years old. For most of his life the bar on his wrist has sat firmly in the green sometimes on very rare occasions darkening to a green blue color. That is until that day when he’s 11 and he watches it change to yellow for the first time.
Words : 4,755 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Mature
AO3 : x
Your skin and bones turn into something beautiful (You know I love you so)
ChristinMKay
Steve Harrington is born with a scream on his lips and so much love in his being that his body is covered in it. An abundance of moles, freckles, and birthmarks are speckled across his skin, painting him in constellations and stardust and affection.
The nurses and doctors are congratulating Steve’s parents as they place him in the arms of his mother. They say he is blessed. Lived so many lives filled with people who loved him so much that the press of their lips against his skin had to echo through time and leave a mark.
Words : 4,209 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Mature
AO3 : x
so we must meet apart
leah_btw
He sometimes imagines how it would feel to be in Munson's orbit. Sometimes imagines where his words would be. Hopes they'd curl along Munson's cheek bone where Steve could brush his thumb so easily. Or in the junction between his neck and shoulder, a place where Steve could drop kisses. Or along the curve of his hip, where Steve's palm could settle.
None of it matters because Steve never says anything.
Words : 15,437 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences
AO3 : x
Heart on Your Sleeve
Anonymous
Steve Harrington doesn’t know how to love right. He knows he loves his parents, but their soul marks have turned to scars on his skin. He doesn’t know what he’s doing wrong. With some help, he figures out it's not his fault.
Inspired by a kink meme prompt where your soul mark appears when you realise you love someone.
Words : 22,816 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Explicit
AO3 : x
Error Option Romance
thankyouplease
Eddie imagines that Steve Harrington probably thinks that he is real hot shit. On top of being a rich prom king, he is also an eroptomancer. A love seer. A soulseer, some people call them – someone able to see the weird magic that connects people in a predestined shit storm of a craps game. He probably thinks he’s real goddamn special. One in a million special.
It’s actually closer to one in five million, but who’s counting?
Words : 61,348 Chapters : 6/6 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences
AO3 : x
Platonic with a capital "P"
fucktacles
Robin Buckley was betrayed by the universe twice in her short teenage life. Once when she was born a lesbian in a homophobic little town. Again, when it shoved Steve Harrington into her life. Worst of all, he was starting to grow on her. She might even be, gods forbid, fond of him.
Words : 8,429 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences
AO3 : x
as you bleed your deepest feelings here
hitlikehammers
“My first fucking tattoo, hell,” Eddie sniffles and sneers and neither sentiment really lands, it’s more just…devastating. “Thought about covering it up, soon as anyone would let me into a parlor. Tried to stick-and-poke it, so I couldn’t tell what it was anymore but I couldn’t even get past a single little dot, like a full inch away,” he presses Steve’s hand closer, the skin so smooth and so fucking warm; “made my,” Eddie’s voice cracks then, and sounds almost like it bleeds around the last wet whimpers that fall forth:
“Made my heart hurt.”
Fuck, but it makes Steve’s heart hurt, too.
“But it was a whole new hurt when there was you, you understand?” Steve freezes, scared for half a second until Eddie reaches for his chin and lifts his gaze, stares utter devotion and maybe a little disbelief straight into Steve’s veins just with a look that full, then Eddie licks his lips and there’s a hint of a smile that dares to breach the cloud cover.
“You made my heart kinda,” and oh, yeah, a smile: “sing.”
Words : 3,096 Chapters : 1/1 Rating : Teen And Up Audiences
AO3 : x
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simply-ellas-stuff · 2 years
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Laena is in pain. She’s dying. She knows it. She knows her child isn’t going to survive. She knows she won’t survive.
So she rushes out. She calls to Vhagar and makes the command. She wants to die as Dragonrider would, either on dragonback or by dragonfire. She knows she won’t be able to mount her Vhagar. So she commands again. But then she falls, Vhagar hesitates and... and she listens.
Vhagar listens. She blinks. She hears the commands and listens past it. It’s been years, she’s heard it before - over the years.
The heartbeat of her rider, and the children that had grown inside her Laena.
Vhagar’s heard Baela’s heartbeat, watched her grow inside her mother, probably even at some point felt the little babe kick.
Vhagar’s heard Rhaena’s heartbeat, watched her grow inside her mother, probably listened to Laena’s birthing wails from outside the walls.
Vhagar heard Baela’s and Rhaena’s heartbeats when they were born, when Laena presented them to Vhagar with proud smiles, when Laena took them out on their first dragon ride as younglings, when Baela decided to curl up between Vhagar and her own dragon to read the history of Targaryen lore to them, when Rhaena felt sad about not having her own mount and curled up under Vhagar’s wing to cry.
But this time, she doesn’t hear anything. She can’t hear the heartbeat she’d heard just hours before when Laena was on her back, putting a show together with Daemon. She can’t sense the wriggling little dragonblood anymore. All she hears is silence and pain.
And she wails.
Vhagar hears Laena’s cried command, sees the pain she’s in, knows the pain she’ll feel, then she watches as Laena straightens up and opens her arms.
Laena closes her eyes and Vhagar listens to the command, and lets fire fly.
Because theres no heartbeat, and Vhagar knows Laena’s will follow into the silence soon. So, Vhagar gives her Laena one last bit of peace, and she does it quick. And she stays by the bones as they cool, because her Laena doesn’t deserve to be alone, even if she’s just bone.
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dreamofbecoming · 9 months
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here we are at last! there have been a bunch of posts lately about how neither eddie nor robin have any gaydar to speak of, but steve canonically does, and also vickie definitely left fast times paused on purpose as a flag, and frankly all of you are just so objectively True and Correct that i had no choice but to write about it. parts 1 and 2 not strictly necessary for context but definitely set in the same universe
part 1 part 2 ao3
platonic stobin, rockie, steddie
rating: t
wc: 8.4k (holy fuck it got away from me)
---
Robbie isn't drunk yet, but she's getting there.
Honestly, Steve should probably slow her down, but what the hell. They're celebrating, after all. He'll cut her off in a bit, but she deserves to have some fun. They all do.
It's been three weeks since Eddie got out of the hospital, one since he was finally let off bedrest. Or, not exactly bedrest, but enough restrictions that he was basically confined to the trailer (brand new, courtesy of Owens and his goons), and from the way he complained the whole time you'd think they had him chained to the bedposts.
Hm. Maybe thinking of Eddie chained to bedposts isn't the best use of Steve's time. Not here, anyway. That's a Later activity.
It's the first house party any of them have been invited to since Spring Break, thrown by one of Robin's band friends. None of them planned on going, except that two days ago a frantic call came over the All Hands channel on the walkie that El had finally broken through, Max was awake, and the doctors thought her arms and legs would eventually, almost, make a full recovery, granted with lots of physical therapy.
Apparently the only useful thing Vecna ever did was break her bones at right angles so they could set them cleanly. Her vision will probably never fully return, but she's alive. She's alive, and she's awake, and she's apparently being a complete menace to the nurses, which is more comforting to Steve than any of the rest of it, so how could they ask for anything else?
Steve still feels like he's taking his first real breath after drowning every time he inhales. He's not sure he'll ever stop feeling this relief. It's so sharp it's almost painful.
So they're at this party, and they're celebrating. There's a real celebration planned, of course, with the whole Party and assorted extras, Murray (ugh) and Jonathan's California friend (who seems nice), Joyce and Hopper (and isn't that a trip) and Eddie and Wayne (Eddie read him in immediately, to no one's surprise) and everyone else. They've got plans to descend on Steve's house as soon as Max is allowed out of the hospital, where they'll presumably trash his mother's nice white carpets and eat through his snacks like locusts and enrage his neighbors with their shrieking in the pool. Hopper and Wayne will fight over who gets to work the grill until Joyce gets fed up and takes over and Eddie will commandeer the sound system and Robin will laugh at Steve for frantically switching between Host Mode and Lifeguard Mode until she finds someone big enough to sit on him and make him eat something. He can't wait.
But for now, they're at this party, and they're celebrating. With someone else's alcohol, which is a nice treat for Steve.
He's leaning against the wall by the kitchen doorway, sipping something Robin made him that tastes like paint thinner and looks like undiluted red food dye. He's surprised it hasn't eaten through the bottom of the cup like that green gunk from the elevator. He doesn't quite feel like joining the crush of people in the living room. He's felt a little off since Spring Break, a little lost inside his head. He knows Robin can tell, but she hasn't pushed him, other than dragging him here tonight. He's so grateful for her he thinks he could cry.
He doesn't, though, he just watches her from the kitchen doorway, squished on a couch between Vickie and who he thinks might be one of Eddie's bandmates. He recognizes him from those nights he would pick the kids up from Hellfire at the school, and also from Eddie's hospital room. He's got fluffy hair and a flannel shirt around his waist. Gary, maybe? Garth? Steve's not sure. He'd introduce himself and find out for sure, but apparently, carrying Eddie's bleeding not-quite-corpse on his back into the hospital and throwing around his father's name until someone agreed to treat him before collapsing in the lobby from his own injuries wasn't quite enough to erase the contempt for King Steve, so Steve's been mostly avoiding those guys. Eddie swears he's working on it. Steve...should maybe care more than it feels like he does. He thinks maybe a lot of things should feel more...more, than they do. But that's a problem for Later Steve. It's fine. He's fine. He's handling it.
He watches Robin, and she's laughing, and she's not quite drunk yet, and he's glad for her. This is what he wanted. This is what he wished for, on that flipped over bucket, in that field. That they'd all get through it. That they'd all get to keep smiling and doing stupid teenager shit. He maybe wishes he felt a little more like someone who wanted to do stupid teenager shit and a little less like someone watching his friends have fun from behind a plate-glass window, but he'll take it. Whatever he can get, he'll take it.
He looks back at Robin, and, huh. She's still laughing, but now she's between Eddie and Maybe-Gary-Maybe-Garth. He follows Robin's less-than-subtle (crimeny, this girl, he's gotta teach her a goddamn poker face) longing gaze and sees a flash of red heading for the back door.
This feels like a chance to do something useful. Robin will be ok, Eddie will keep an eye on her.
He follows Vickie out the back door. He finds her leaned against the back of the house, her eyes closed, her head tilted back. She's smiling. She really is pretty, Steve can see why Robin likes her. God, he hopes he's right about her. Either way, he's determined to find out. It's what Robin deserves.
"Hey, Vickie. Come out for some fresh air?"
Her smile gets bigger when she turns to him. He really hopes he's right about her, she's a fucking sweetheart. He hopes he isn't about to do something hugely stupid. Knowing him, he probably is, but also knowing him, he's gonna do it anyway.
"Hey Steve! Yeah, I was just getting a little warm in there. How about you? Smoke break?"
"Nah, I'm trying to quit. Robin hates them, she keeps stealing them out of my mouth, so it's somehow more expensive and I don't even get to smoke them. Easier to just stop. Which is probably her goal," he laughs.
"You and Robin are pretty close, huh?"
"Oh yeah, platonic soulmates. With a capital P!" He makes an incredibly dorky gesture with his hands, and has to stop himself from facepalming. Great going, dingus.
Still, Vickie's smile gets a little wider, which he thinks is probably a win.
"That's why I came out here, actually. I wanted a chance to talk to you." Her eyebrows go up. Always with the goddamn eyebrows around here. "Not, like, in a creepy way! Or, well, I guess that's what a creep would say, but I swear I'm not! I just meant, because Robin really likes you," shit, too much, "I mean, she likes hanging out with you, and she's my best friend and all, so I wanted to. Um. Get to know you better. You know. For Robin."
"...For Robin."
He groans. "I swear I didn't used to be like this. I used to be able to talk like a normal person. I didn't know that was a skill you could lose! I would have worked harder at it!" She's laughing at him now, but at least she's polite enough to hide her giggles behind her hand. That's something.
He sighs, and throws his head back to take a deep breath and try and come back to his body, like Robin showed him. Having therapist parents sounds like a nightmare to Steve, but it has its uses, he guesses.
He looks back at Vickie, who is watching him with what seems like more amusement than concern, so he's taking that as a win. If she's laughing, she's not running away. He sticks his hand out.
"Hi, I'm Steve. You're really important to the most important person in my life, so I'd really like to be your friend." He tries to give her his most winning smile, but honestly he's a little worried his teeth are still red from that godawful drink.
She grins at him, still definitely laughing at him a little but more genuine than before, and shakes his hand. "I'm Vickie, and you're really important to someone I hope will become really important to me, so I'd love to be your friend."
He doesn't breathe a sigh of relief, but it's a close thing. King Steve decided to stay in tonight, apparently, so he's on his own, and boy oh boy is he worse than he remembered.
"So, new friend, what do you want to get to know about me?"
Thank fuck Vickie's carrying so much of the weight here, honestly.
"We could, uh, talk about movies?" Jesus Christ, where did all the goddamn Harrington Charm go, anyway? Did Vecna eat it?!
There go the eyebrows again. He's cursed, he really is. "Movies?"
"Yeah, you know, I work at a movie store. Or I did, anyway. With Robbie. Pretty sure it went under in the quake though. That or Keith just fired us and didn't bother calling to let us know." He laughs awkwardly. He's doing fucking everything awkwardly, honestly. He hasn't even asked the question yet and he's already sweating bullets. No wonder Bobbie was so scared to confront this head-on. "Anyway, it can tell you a lot about a person, you know. Their favorite movie."
Come on, take the bait. Take it.
She nods seriously at him. "Oh I get that for sure, you can learn a lot about someone by their favorite book. I used to volunteer at the library and there was always gossip about who checked out what romance novel and whether that meant their marriage was on the rocks, you know?" She giggles, hiding behind her hand for a second. "I guess it was kind of mean, but we never said anything to anyone outside the library, and never to their face, you know? It was just something to keep us entertained on slow days."
Fantastic, he can work with this.
"Oh totally, I completely get it. Robs and I did the same thing at Family Video, making up stories about what we imagined people's lives were like that they were renting Casablanca and Gremlins on the same night, you know? Like, what does that evening look like? Which one do they watch first?"
She laughs. Perfect. She took the bait, now he's just gotta reel her in. Or something. He's never been fishing.
"You know, I usually rent my movies from Family Video. Did you guys ever look up my rental history?"
Aaaand, got her!
"You know, I think we did, actually, not that I'm helping the creep allegations," he winks at her. She slaps him on the shoulder. There we go, there's the Harrington Charm. Jesus fuck, where has it been all night? Sleeping?
Moment of truth, here we go.
"Fast Times At Ridgemont High, right?" He keeps his eyes on her face while he says it. He needs to see how she reacts.
She's been watching a raccoon rummaging through the neighbor's trash, but as soon as he mentions the movie, she whips her head around and looks at him sharply.
She studies his face intently in the glow from the floodlights above the garage. Whatever she finds, the fear in her eyes fades just slightly to caution. All good signs.
Fuck, this is harder than he remembers. Talking in code and reading all the subtle little shifts in body language involved in this conversation is stretching muscles in his brain he's forgotten he had. His friends these days all just sort of...say whatever they mean, straight out. He thought it was weird and off-putting at first, but now that he's doing this dance again, he's realizing he hasn't missed it.
The things he does for Robin, honestly.
He can see the moment she decides to trust him, even though she's still tense. She takes a deep breath, like she's gearing up for something. "That's a good one, for sure. You know, I think I maybe forgot to rewind it the last time I returned it? I paused it at my favorite part, but I think I got distracted and never finished it. I hope that doesn't cause too much trouble for you guys at your job. I'd hate to be one of those customers."
Jesus, this chick is brave. She's basically just coming right out and saying it! Holy shit, he's about to get Robbie a girlfriend! Ok, ok be cool. Bring it home, nice and easy.
"Nah, not a problem at all. Besides, I think I remember that tape, and we have the same favorite part, I think. All three of us." Fuck he hopes this isn't a mistake. If he just fucked up and outed Robin for no reason he'll- fuck, he doesn't know what he'll do. Ask El to open the gate back up so he can throw himself into it, probably.
Vickie's eyes go wide. "Robin too?" There's something like hope in her voice. He thinks. He hopes, anyway. Maybe he's just projecting, but he really thinks he's been right on the money from the start. He just needs to prove it to Rob and give them both a push.
"Yeah, Robin too. Now me, I like Fast Times a lot, but I also really like The Outsiders, you know?" A truth for a truth. Nothing is free, he remembers this dance. Trust is always earned.
He didn't realize her eyes could get any bigger, but somehow they do. Slowly, a grin spreads across her face. "Really? Uh, me too! Those are...both...really good movies, you know?"
"Totally!" He's grinning now too, he can't help it. He's so excited for Robbie he might explode. This is the most alive he's felt in weeks!
"Not Rob, though, she loves Fast Times, but not so much The Outsiders. She can be, uh. Pretty nervous, you know? To talk about her taste in movies. I think she might be worried you don't like Fast Times as much as she does, but I know she really wants to, uh, watch it with you. So you might have to be the one to, you know, tell her how much you like it, and maybe ask her to watch it together?"
He's getting lost in the metaphor here. That's clear enough, right? Robbie isn't going to believe him about Vickie liking boobies unless she walks up to her and tells her "I like women, go out with me," in very small words, so he really hopes he got the message across. He needs Vickie to take the wheel on this.
Luckily Vickie is nodding enthusiastically. "For sure! I can do that!" She's halfway back to the house, almost tripping over her feet, before she looks back at him sheepishly.
"Oh no, I'm sorry, that was so rude of me, I just got so excited and I wanted to-"
"Hey, no worries, that was the goal, right? This is what I was hoping for when I came out here to talk to you. She, uh..." He shouldn't. He should stick to the code, just in case, he should be careful, it's Robbie's life on the line here.
But it's also her happiness.
"She didn't believe me. About the Fast Times thing. And then we ran into you at The War Zone, and she was totally convinced I was wrong, but I knew I had to ask. Just in case. I just really want her to be happy, you know?" There. He hasn't actually said the words. If it goes sideways, they still have plausible deniability.
And then, well. There's always Plan B. He doesn't exactly want to burn Vickie's house down, but he will. For Robin, he'll do anything.
Vickie is smiling softly at him. She really is sweet, she and Bobbie are gonna be so cute together. He can't wait to tease them into oblivion.
"I'm glad she has a friend like you, Steve."
He scrubs a hand across the back of his neck, feeling weirdly self-conscious. "Yeah, well, you know. You've got a friend like me, now, too, right?"
There's that bright smile again. "Right!"
"Alright, go on. Go get your girl."
Good lord, redheads sure can blush, huh?
He waits a couple of minutes before heading back in himself, enjoying the night air. It's not quite the height of summer yet, so the evenings aren't as muggy as they'll be in a month or so. For the first time since he crawled out of that gate with Eddie lashed to his back with the remains of the rope ladder he cut to protect Dustin, he's feeling the breeze on his skin without feeling like he's wrapped in plastic, like there's a wall around him, keeping from being part of the world. He wants to savor it, in case it goes away again.
When he does make his way back in, he almost trips over Robin, who's grabbing what should probably be her last drink. At least it's just a beer this time, if it was more of that awful concoction from earlier he'd probably take it away from her, pouting be damned. They could have flambéed Vecna with that shit, nobody should be putting it in their bodies.
Her face lights up when she notices him, and she flings herself into his arms.
"Oof, shit, Buckley, doing ok there? You having fun?"
"Sooooo much fun, Stevie!" She nuzzles her face into the crook of his shoulder. Yeah, if she's this cuddly in public, this should definitely be her last drink, especially if Vickie wants to make any kind of move tonight. She's not usually this touchy outside of the really bad nightmare nights. "Missed you though. Where'd you go? My bubba disappeared."
"Aw, Bobs, I was just outside getting some air, I promise. I didn't go anywhere."
She shakes her head stubbornly, her nose dragging along his collarbone. "Noooo, you left. Not now, before. After. In the hospital. We all came back but you left. You went inside your big stupid fluffy head and you don't come out anymore. I miss you."
It's a good thing Robin's face is still hidden in his shoulder, because he can't quite keep his expression from crumpling. He hasn't meant to hurt her, he hasn't meant to hurt anyone, he swears. He's trying, he wants to come back, wants to be normal again, he just...he feels like part of him is still stuck at the bottom of Lover's Lake, watching everyone above him on the surface moving on and living life, but not able to reach them.
He holds her tighter to his chest, petting her hair. It's a mess, like when she first wakes up in the morning. Maybe she fell off the couch or something while he was outside.
"I'm sorry, Bobbin-bird. I didn't mean to go away. I'm working on it, ok? I promise," he murmurs reassurances into her hair, trying to erase the sadness he can hear in her slurred words. He's shit at talking about feelings, especially his own, but not with Robin. Never with Robin. Saying true things to Robin isn't any harder than thinking them to himself, and honestly that's basically the same thing. They pretty much only have the one brain between them.
She pulls back, studying his face closely with bleary eyes, squeezing his cheeks between her hands. "Promise?"
"I promise, Bobbie." He tries to project as much sincerity as he can muster. She's edging past tipsy, but not actually drunk yet, so she should remember this moment just fine tomorrow, and he won't have to do it again.
Who he is kidding? They're definitely having this conversation again tomorrow. Maybe he can distract her with teasing about Vickie. Where did she go, anyway?
Robin grins, apparently satisfied for now. "Good!" She smacks a kiss to his forehead and finally lets go of his face. Thank god. He loves her, more than anything in the world, but she's a goddamned sweaty drunk.
Before she can say anything else, a redheaded streak comes stumbling into the kitchen.
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Vickie leans on the kitchen counter, trying to catch her breath.
Steve looks to Robin to see how she'll respond, and, oh. Well, shit. Robin is...frozen, apparently. She's very obviously focused on Vickie, which is good, because otherwise Steve would be having trouble with flashing back to Nancy's thousand-yard stare in the Upside Down, or the whites of Max's eyes, but the part of her brain that lets her, you know, say and do things, appears to have shut down.
Looks like it's Steve's turn with the communal brain, lucky him. Time to step in and save this, if he can.
"Vickie! Hi, you know, I was just wondering where you ran off to? I was about to tell Robin to track you down, to talk about that movie we talked about earlier, but it looks like you found us instead!" He jams an elbow into Robin's side as subtly as he can, but she still doesn't move.
Vickie is looking between them, still breathing a little heavy. "Yeah, I went looking for you as soon as I came back in, but Gareth said-" Gareth! That was it! "-you went to the bathroom, and did you know there are six bathrooms in this house? Who needs that many bathrooms? I think Angela only has one sibling, why would anyone need six bathrooms for four people? That's so crazy! Anyway, I'm glad I found you, Robin. I'm, uh, getting a little overwhelmed with all the people out here, so I was hoping you might want to find a room that's maybe a little quieter, so we can talk a bit? Just the two of us?" Damn, this girl's got guts. Steve likes her.
Robin continues to stand in front of the fridge like the world's prettiest scarecrow. Come on, babygirl, you can do this! He elbows her again.
"Vickie! Hi! Steve, Vickie's here! Hi!" Steve and Vickie both startle a little because, wow, ok, volume, Buckley, damn. Still. Progress.
"Sure is, babe. Tell you what, why don't I take this-" he plucks the unopened beer out of her slack hand, "-and you and Vickie can go sit down somewhere quiet and talk about movies, huh?"
Robin blinks at him owlishly. "Movies?"
He's about to make another veiled reference to the boobies conversation when Vickie blows all of her air out of her nose and stomps one foot like that one girl in the Chocolate Factory movie who reminds him of his cousin Shauna.
"I'm sorry, I can't take it! I just spent ten minutes outside talking to Steve in ridiculous codes and another ten minutes running up and down the stairs in this insane house and I'm exhausted. I can't take the metaphors anymore. Sorry, Steve, no offense."
"Hey, none taken. It's pretty exhausting, you're not wrong. I just had to be safe."
She shakes her head. "No, totally, I completely understand. I appreciate it. I'm just secret coded-out tonight, you know? Robin, do you want to go upstairs with me and talk? I have something to ask you and I'd really rather do it in private, I don't really want any of these people listening, you know?" She waves her hand at the open doorway to the living room, which is still packed with people.
Robbie's head has been bouncing back and forth between them like she's watching a tennis match, eyes wide.
"Huh? Me? What?"
Oh geez. She's shorting out.
"Bobbie, look at me." She meets his eye, and he can see the nerves threatening to overwhelm her. "Trust me?"
She nods. "Uh huh. 'Course, bubba."
Well that warms him right up, but it's not about him right now. "Good. Go with Vickie, babe. It'll be good, I promise." He hopes he can promise that, at least. He's pretty sure he can. And if it goes bad, they always have Plan B.
Vickie holds out a hand, and Robin stares at her like it might bite her, before taking it gingerly. Both girls immediately burst into bright red blushes, and under any other circumstance he would laugh at them, but this is a delicate moment. They need him to be cool. He can be cool. He can be so goddamn cool.
Vickie leads Robin out of the room and towards the stairs, both of them still blushing like crazy and refusing to meet each other's eyes, and Steve can finally let out the breath he's been holding in a whoosh and slump back against the counter. He snags a bottle opener off the fridge- neat, it's got a magnet on it!- and pops the top on the beer he stole off Robbie.
“Well I hate to break this to you, King Steve, but she’s definitely about to steal your girl.”
Steve freezes with the bottle at his lips.
He sets the beer down on the counter and very carefully turns around. Munson is alone, thank fuck. This is fixable. He can deal with a single person. If it had been a crowd, or fuck, god forbid, someone like Gareth, who hates him, and might try and use this? Hurt Robbie to hurt him? Well, he's got his nailbat in the trunk, and he isn't afraid to use it, but he doesn't think Hopper would be thrilled to have to bail him out of jail.
"Whatever you think you heard, Munson, if Robbie gets hurt, it won't matter that you're one of us now. I'll finish what those bats started. I won't be happy about it, because you're a pretty cool dude and I like hanging out with you, but I'll do it for her if you make me." He makes sure his voice is low and even, and he meets Eddie's eyes head on. He wants to be very clear, this is not a joke. He will defend her if he has to.
He doesn't think he'll have to, not from Munson, but he isn't 100% sure, and he's taken enough risks with Robbie's safety tonight. He doesn't trust his luck enough to count on it working out a second time in less than an hour.
Munson's eyes go wide with shock- he clearly wasn't expecting Steve to meet him with quite that much aggression. He puts his hands up in surrender and leans back away from Steve.
Steve fights not to be distracted by the way his torso curves, graceful in a way he has no right to be with his wounds still scabbing over. Not the moment, Steve. Get it together, for fuck's sake.
"Hey, whoa, easy big guy. We're cool, man. Stand down."
There's a tense moment where they just...stand there, sizing each other up, unsure where to go from here.
Eddie tugs a lock of hair in front of his face, nibbling on it nervously. It's cuter than it has any right to be, honestly.
"I didn't- uh. Fuck, man. Please tell me I didn't just tip you off to flirting you didn't notice. It would suck so, so bad if I exposed Birdie without her knowing."
Steve takes a moment to consider this, frankly absurd, situation. He holds up a finger for Eddie to wait a minute, and checks both ways down the hallway outside before closing the kitchen door and leaning back against it to keep it shut. At least now it'll definitely just be the two of them, which is one more than should be having this conversation, but he doesn't see a way out of it, so this will have to do.
When he turns back to Eddie, he looks even more nervous than before.
"I'm perfectly aware of the flirting, considering I'm the one who went out of my way to set them up tonight. You didn't out anyone, and I should have been the one to make sure the door was closed before I got them in a room together, so it's not your fault for finding out. You understand you can't say anything to anyone, ever, though, right?"
Because he's apparently doomed to be accosted with eyebrow raises from everyone around him anytime he says anything at all until he dies, Eddie's are lost somewhere under his bangs. He looks...impressed. Huh, that's kind of nice. Steve resists the urge to preen.
"'Course, man, I'm well-versed in the code of silence." Something in his face softens, and Steve can feel the sincerity in his next words. "Birdie's a friend, and Finnegan seems like a real sweetie, I wouldn't ever want to hurt them like that. Cross my heart." He does, in fact, draw a cross on his chest with one long, ringed finger. What a dork, holy shit. Steve wants to put that finger in his mouth.
"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be so cool with something like that. In general, but also especially since you and Buckley are, y'know." He waves his hand expansively around his head, the kitchen lights glinting off his rings, and Steve has to fight the urge to bat at it like a cat with a laser pointer. Jesus Christ, Harrington, focus. The man just called you a homophobe, get your shit together.
He decides, very magnanimously, he thinks, to ignore the homophobe bit, honing in on the rest. "Me and her are...what, exactly?"
"I mean, aren't you guys like, a thing?" Oh Jesus fuck. Not again.
"Ugh, no, where the hell do people keep getting that? Robin and I are just friends, ok? Platonic soulmates. Capital P!" He throws his hands in the air in frustration.
"-capital P," Eddie choruses with him, "I know, I know, I just, shit, man, I dunno, I figured you were..."
"Were what?"
"...Lying? Shit, that sounds worse out loud, sorry! I just mean, because, you know, Henderson keeps saying-"
"Oh, well if Henderson says it, it must be true," Steve rolls his eyes.
"Well fuck me for trusting the kid who calls you his best friend, I guess!"
They glare at each other across the room for a minute, before the ridiculousness of this moment catches up to Steve and he drops his chin to his chest, huffing a laugh.
Eddie looks confused, and still nervous, and a little incredulous. Also a lot adorable, but that doesn't feel relevant. "Ok, I'm so lost, man. I just came in here for a beer, and this has been an emotional rollercoaster I was unprepared for."
Yeah, that about sums it up.
He hasn't spent much time with Eddie since he woke up, spending those weeks juggling babysitting duties and his own injuries and helping with the relief effort and sitting vigil at Max's side. He popped in on Eddie when he was in the building for Max, but the Munson room always had someone in it- Wayne, or Dustin, or Mike, or one of the Corroded Coffin guys- and Steve always felt a bit like an intruder. So he hasn't had a chance to feel out the suspicions he formed during that surreal week when everything was still in the process of exploding, and honestly he's been feeling a little too distant to work up the energy to bother. Robin's bugged him about it once or twice since March, but he shrugged her off each time and she hasn't brought it up in a while.
Ah, what the hell. It's already been such a weird night, and Steve is honestly feeling better than he has in weeks, and he wants to ride this high wherever it'll take him.
Emotional rollercoaster, huh? Well, Steve can make that worse.
At least Eddie hasn't seemed homophobic, kind of the opposite, actually. That's a good sign if Steve's ever seen one.
He pushes off the door, stalking toward Eddie with intent and digging deep inside himself for whatever remains of the person he used to be, who could drop panties with a single look. Eddie's eyes go very round, and he stumbles back a little into the counter.
"You know, Munson, I've had a question I've been meaning to ask you for a while now. Haven't found a good moment."
"Oh yeah?" Eddie's voice comes out in what can only be called a squeak, and Steve feels powerful. That rush of confidence he hasn't felt since BN (Before Nancy) fills his chest, and he can feel his grin turn sharp. "Ho- uh." Eddie clears his throat. "How long's a while?"
Steve purses his lips, relishing the way Eddie's eyes drop down like he can't help it and his cheeks flush, and pretends to consider the question. "Oh, since Skull Rock, probably."
"O-oh? That's. Um. That is a long time." He's still staring at Steve's lips. Good. "Well, shoot, Stevie-boy. Ask away."
Steve lets his smile spread across his face slowly, keeping Eddie's eyes where he wants them. Yeah, he's still got it. Like riding a bike.
"Do you wear this bandana on purpose, or is it just a fashion statement?"
Eddie's eyes snap up to meet his own, shocked.
"Wh-what? Bandana? I. Um. What?"
"Are you flagging, Eddie?" Steve doesn't back up, toe to toe with Eddie as he reaches out and tugs lightly on the hanky trailing out of his back pocket, as always.
He may not have had the energy to talk to Eddie about it yet, but his curiosity did get the better of him after the "earthquakes," and he did dig out that zine where he originally learned about the code. He knows what a black hanky in the back left pocket means now. It's...a little daunting, but not a turn-off. Not at all. Kind of the other thing.
God he hopes Eddie knows what it means.
Eddie seems floored by this line of questioning. He's bright red and sputtering, his mouth opening and closing without saying anything. Steve lets himself stare. This'll go however it goes, but he's not ashamed. He's no more embarrassed to want Eddie than he would be to want a girl, which is to say, not at all.
"I- you- what? What? You- you know what flagging is?" He hisses the end of the sentence in a harsh whisper, so much like Robin did when he first told her about his crush that he can't stop himself from giggling.
Wrong move, since Eddie clearly takes this personally, and his expression shutters closed. Whoops.
"Hey, hey, no no no, none of that, hey. I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you, I swear."
"Right, sure, I believe that, considering there's nothing goddamn else to laugh at in this kitchen, Harrington." Eddie is glaring at the floor, arms crossed defensively across his chest.
Alright, maybe he gets what Vickie was saying earlier. Fuck the codes, fuck the metaphors. He can take Eddie in a fight if he has to. He's a simple guy, ok? He just wants to use his goddamn words.
Robin would be so proud.
He goes slowly, telegraphing every move so Eddie can stop him if he wants. He reaches for his hands where they're tucked into his elbows, gently easing them out until they're clasped between them.
He takes the opportunity to finally feel those rings he's fantasized about, seeing if they're as cool as they look. They aren't, they're warm from Eddie's skin. He spins one of them around Eddie's finger with his thumb, transfixed.
Eddie still looks tense, but now instead of hurt and distrust on his face, he looks like Steve hit in him in the head with something heavy. His pretty eyes are so big, blown completely black as he stares at their joined hands.
"I'm sorry I laughed. I was remembering the first time I told Robin I had a crush on you," Eddie's head snaps up again, "and she sounded exactly like you did just now, with that angry whisper voice. It made me laugh, that you guys are so alike. It makes sense, I guess. She's my favorite person, so of course I'd like you, when you're like. Not the same, I guess, but kinda a similar flavor of weird. She says I have a thing for nerds, y'know?"
Eddie blinks at him for a minute, apparently speechless. Some nerves start to creep back in, since the brief miscommunication scare burned out most of that white hot King Steve confidence in his chest. They must show on his face, because Eddie visibly shakes himself and finally opens his mouth.
"You have a crush on me?"
"Yeah, man, since the Upside Down, pretty much. The first time."
"Don't call me man when you're telling me you have a crush on me!"
Steve has to laugh at the comically offended look on Eddie's face. "Sorry. Do you prefer Eds? Baby? Big Boy?"
Eddie is so red Steve is surprised his face isn't steaming. He yanks one hand out of Steve's grip to smack him in the chest. Steve laughs and lets him, dropping their still-joined hands down between them and tangling their fingers.
"You're a fucking dick, Stevie. Can't believe I like you."
Steve grins at him, big and hopeful. "Yeah? You like me, Munson?"
Eddie shoves at him with a groan, but doesn't let go of his hand. "Pretty sure everyone in this town likes you, King Steve. It's like a rite of passage, or something."
Steve feels like he could walk on air, he isn't even going to get fussy about the King Steve thing. They can talk about that later. Eddie likes him! Eddie has a crush on him! He could fight a demogorgon with his bare hands right now, that's how powerful he feels.
Eddie gets quiet after a second, tugging a curl in front of his mouth again. Seems like a nervous tick, maybe. Steve notes that for later. He may not be much of a reader, but he's going to learn to read Eddie Munson like a book if it's the last thing he does.
"I thought, um. I kinda...hn. Ugh."
"Gonna need more than that, baby, I'm not fluent in Munson yet." That glow in his chest picks up a little again at the way Eddie flushes so pink and pretty at the petname.
"I thought you were straight." It comes out all in a rush, the words mumbled and slurred together through his hair.
Finally, it's Steve's turn to raise an eyebrow. Take that, universe! "You meet a lot of straight guys who know what the Hanky Code is?"
Eddie shakes his head in wonderment. "Still can't believe The Steve Harrington knows what flagging is."
He's about to reply when the kitchen door flies open with a bang that sends the boys leaping backwards away from each other. Steve finds himself braced between Eddie and the door, brandishing the bottle opener from the fridge in front of him like a knife. He doesn't even remember grabbing it.
Robin is standing in the doorway, eyes wild and hair frizzing out around her head in a way she would despise if she was sober and not obviously preoccupied with something else.
"Jesus, Robs, you about gave me a heart attack, what the hell?"
"Sorry bubba, not important right now!"
He rolls his eyes. Of course not. Just his trauma that could have made him stab her if he hadn't caught himself, nothing major. This girl, he swears.
"Dingus! Focus!"
"Focus on what, Bobs?"
"She wants to kiss me, Steve!"
His eyes go wide. Thank fuck the door bounced off the wall and swung back shut behind her. That's not something to shout to a party full of gossipy strangers.
Still. This is a big moment! "Bobbie! What'd I tell you, huh?" He picks her up around the middle, swinging her around while she cackles wildly and bats at his shoulders.
"Put me down, you lunatic! Steven Elizabeth, you put me down right now, or I swear I'll never speak to you again!" She's laughing too hard for him to take her seriously, though.
He does take pity on her and set her back on her feet, stealing one more tight hug. He's so happy for her he could scream. This night has turned out better than he could have imagined.
"Tell me everything! What happened! What did she say? What did you say? How was the kiss?"
"Well we didn't actually kiss yet, exactly."
"Wait, then how do you know she wants to kiss you?"
"She told me! She said she thinks I'm really pretty and funny and smart and she's like you! She likes both, and she says her and Dan are done, like for real for real all the way done, and she held my hand, Steve! And she wants to go on a date! And she said she wanted to kiss me!"
"That's awesome! I'm so happy for you, Bobs. What did you say when she said she wanted to kiss you?"
"I came down to tell you about it, obviously."
Oh, Bobbie, what the fuck. "Robin James Buckley. Do not tell me that a pretty girl tried to kiss you and you ran away and left her upstairs!"
The situation finally seems to register, and Robbie's hands go flailing around her face the way they do when she's overwhelmed.
"Oh no! Steve! Oh no!"
"Go, you insane person! Go back upstairs right now and kiss her this minute! Go!"
He physically herds her to the door, at which point she finally notices Eddie, who has been standing in the corner where Steve shoved him behind him when the door crashed open, watching them like he's wishing he had popcorn.
Fuck. Steve was so excited for Robbie he totally forgot he was here.
Robin's body goes rigid and all the color drains out of her face all at once.
Steve grabs her by the shoulders. "Hey, Bobbin, eyes on me, ok? Eyes on me." She finally drags her eyes away from where she's been staring at Eddie in horror, and Steve's heart breaks at the fear on her face. "It's ok, Bobbie, I swear to god it's ok. I was right, alright? I was right about him, we were talking before you came in. He's safe, I swear. We're safe, Bobbie, I promise I'll keep you safe."
"I promise I won't say a word, Birdie. Friends of Dorothy gotta stick together, right?" Eddie pipes up from the corner, stepping forward slowly and carefully, hands out front like he's approaching a skittish animal.
"You're- you're like u- me?" Oh, he loves her so much. Still protecting him, just in case.
"It's ok Bobs, I told him about me. I was about to get a kiss of my own before you came in, I think, actually."
Eddie jumps on the opportunity to cut the tension, ever the showman. Steve likes him so goddamn much. He grins impishly at Steve, that wide pretty mouth stretching out until those dimples Steve can't wait to kiss appear on his cheeks.
"Oh, you were, were you? Pretty presumptuous, Stevie-boy. Who says I kiss on the first date? Maybe I'm not that kind of boy."
"Oh, wow, ok, this is gonna be a lot to deal with, huh? Alright, I'm glad I'm not getting hate-crimed, and I'm glad you're finally doing something about your big gay crush, Dingus, but if you'll excuse me, I have a girl to kiss, and also I want to be far away from," she waves a hand between them, "whatever this is. Good luck boys, don't kiss in unlocked rooms! Vickie says she can give me a ride home, so I'll call you in the morning, bubba. Love you bye!"
She's out of the room like a shot, hopefully back up to Vickie, who he hopes is prepared to get used to this kind of thing. There are so many things to love about Robin Buckley, and honestly, this is one of them, but he can see why she might be an acquired taste. He thinks anyone who doesn't acquire that taste is a moron and not worth knowing, but he can see how those people might exist.
"Love you too, Robs!" he calls down the hallway, closing the door behind her and leaning back against it. It's not a lock, but as long as he doesn't move, it'll do. And given that Eddie appears to have found his confidence and is leaning over him, bracing his arms on either side of Steve's head, he doesn't think he'll have to move any time soon.
Unless someone needs the kitchen, but they've been doing just fine so far, so they can burn that bridge when they come to it, or whatever people say.
He reaches down to toy with Eddie's belt loops, tugging him close and grinning up at him through his eyelashes, privately thrilled at the novelty of being shorter than his partner for once. Granted, he's slumped down the door a little, but still. It's nice. He can see why girls like it.
Eddie comes closer easily, resting their foreheads together. He reaches down to fiddle with a lock of Steve's hair and Steve feels like leaning into it like a cat getting its ears rubbed.
Lot of cat feelings tonight. He's not sure what to do with that.
"So.”
“So.”
“Steven Elizabeth, huh?"
Steve can't help but laugh, the tension broken once more. "Yeah, Rob's idea. We switched. Steven Elizabeth and Robin James. So we always have a piece of each other."
"Jesus H Christ, you guys are fucking adorable. This shit is why everyone thinks you're dating, though, you know that, right?"
"Ugh, yeah, I know. I don't actually mind, I mean, I should be so lucky, you know? And she's like. My person. My most important person. And we're probably gonna get married someday just so we can be each other's next of kin, and because it's not like she could marry whoever she ends up with anyway, or me if I end up with a guy, so it's like, why not, you know? I'd be building my life around her anyway, might as well make it legal.
"It's mostly just annoying when our friends don't believe us, because like, we're honest with you guys. Maybe not all of it, like Robbie isn't ready to be out and that's fine and she shouldn't have to be, but it kinda sucks that, like, Dustin thinks I would lie to him, you know? Because I wouldn't. Not about something real. Not when it matters. But he doesn't believe me, and that just. I dunno, man."
"It hurts."
"Yeah."
"I get that. You've been through a lot for these kids, you've put yourself on the line for them, you've given up a lot for them, and when they don't believe you about something like this, it feels like they're saying they don't trust you. Of course that hurts."
Steve swallows down the tears that want to fall. Now isn't the time for vulnerability like that, not in a stranger's crowded house. Still.
"How'd you do that?"
"Do what, sweetheart?" Oh, sweetheart does something to him. If this is how Eddie felt when he called him baby earlier, the blush makes more sense.
"Figure out exactly what I'm trying to say, and make it make sense. Usually only Robbie can do that."
"I dunno, maybe Birdie and me share a brain. Or maybe you and I just make sense to each other."
Steve flattens a palm against Eddie's chest, feeling the soothing thump beneath his hand. He did that. He put his hands on Eddie's chest and his mouth on Eddie's mouth and broke Eddie's ribs and didn't stop until that rhythm started up again. And now Eddie's here, and Eddie's heart is still beating, and Eddie hears him when he talks, and Eddie is looking at his lips again, and Steve suddenly can't go another second without kissing him.
He trails his hand up Eddie's chest, over his neck, savoring the way his breath hitches and the pulse under his palm speeds up. He keeps going, pushing his fingers into that thick riot of curls, already making mental notes of the products he's going to buy for Eddie because Jesus Christ, they're dry.
He tugs, and again, Eddie comes easy. It's not an earth-shattering kiss. There's no tongue, and their noses are a little smushed, and the angle is a little off, and he's kissed enough people that he can tell Eddie probably hasn't, but none of that matters.
He told Robin, back in that field, that he was holding off feelings he knew he would have for Eddie when all was said and done. He knows now he was right, and he's done holding them off. Has been done for a while, maybe.
He doesn't know where this is going, or what Eddie wants, or how they'll manage being two guys in a town like Hawkins, or what their friends will think. If they'll even tell their friends. What he does know is that he wants to find out the answers to all of those, and he wants to find them out with Eddie, and he wants to keep kissing Eddie, and also that he can't keep kissing Eddie here.
He pulls back, pecking that dimple finally, partly to reassure Eddie that he isn't running away and partly because he's wanted to for weeks, and pulls the kitchen door open, checking that the coast is clear before grabbing Eddie's hand and dragging him towards the front door.
"Where we going, Stevie?"
"You drove here, right?"
"Sure did. You want a ride somewhere? I thought you drove Birdie."
"I did, but you've got your van, don't you? Your van with doors that lock and a big open back seat?"
Eddie's eyes go wide, and he flails a little, just like Robin. It makes Steve smile.
"Yep! Yes, yeah, hell yeah, I do have my van, my van with those things, let's go! Chop chop, time's a-wasting! Your chariot awaits!" And he's off, doing that dorky little run for the driveway.
Steve grins, and puts his hands in his pockets, and follows his boy out into the night.
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