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javierpena-inatacvest · 3 months

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Lunch

Summary: Javi's rough start to the work week is turned around when he finds a surprise from his daughters in his lunch

Word Count: 3.1K (oops)

Paring: Dad!Javier Peña x Wife!reader (no use of y/n, reader's nickname is Osita)

Warnings: Literally nothing but sweet, sickening fluff, Javi being so in love with his family, Javi being the ultimate girl dad, a lot of glitter (?)

A/N: Our favorite family is back! I am a firm believer that Girl Dad!Javi keeps every single piece of artwork his daughters give to him and has a wall at his office dedicated to all of their drawings and crafts because he refuses to get rid of any of them 😭 I love them so much, they make me sick, your honor 🫡 unbeata bc that's just who I am, apologies in advance for the mistakes

Series Masterlist. Never Too Late Masterlist

4 hours into Monday and Javier Peña was already counting down the hours until Friday. It seemed like this week was going to have no problem giving Javi a swift kick in the ass back to reality after another blissful weekend with you and the girls, a grumpy frown falling upon his face, wishing he could rewind back just a few hours to when the biggest problems he was trying solved revolved around which book his daughters were picking out for bedtime, rather than strategy meetings on how to solve the better half of the southern drug trade still ranging in Mexico.

Rubbing his hands over his face and pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, Javi let out a sigh, grumbling low in his chest before running his hands through the dark curls of his hair, praying that the closed door of his office was enough to give his co-workers at the Laredo Sheriff's Department enough of a clue to let him at least try to enjoy his lunch in silence.

Shuffling and stacking a few stray papers left out on his desk, Javi cleared a space for the brown paper sack he mindlessly pulled out of his work bag, plopping it in front of him without a second look. He shuffled through the pocket he knew he had an extra fork in somewhere, considering he was at the point of eating his lunch with nothing but his hands before venturing out to the common kitchen where the rest of his co-workers were, ready to disrupt the sacred silence and peace that was his lunch time.

“Of course I forgot a fucking fork…” Javi grumbled to himself, abandoning his search in his bag after a few minutes, letting out another disappointed huff, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the speckled tiles of the ceiling. Javi was just about to get up, bracing himself for the perilous journey for a plastic fork he was about to embark on, when the corner of the lunch bag perched on his desk caught his eye.

Was that… glitter?

As his gaze shifted down the rest of his bag, Javi’s impatient and bothered demeanor had quickly shifted, a soft smile growing between his cheeks, picking up the lunch sack that had very clearly been given a makeover by his daughters before disappearing into his work bag this morning.

What was once a plain brown paper bag had somehow been turned into a hodgepodge of arts and crafts- glitter, pink and purple hearts, several stickers from separate collections of puppies, Star Wars, and unicorns, doodles and drawings from each of the girls, and a stray Batman band-aid that Harper must have added, considering the 17 she had covered herself in last night for fun.

Quietly laughing to himself at his girl’s creation, Javi spent a few moments thoroughly examining all sides of the bag, his heart melting to read “Daddy’s Lunch- From Lucy, Elliot, Harper and Mommy” scribbled across the front.

Carefully, Javi opened the top of the crinkly brown paper, revealing a plethora of surprising goodies inside, the first being a tiny stuffed cow and a fruit-by-the-foot that he obviously had no recollection of packing for himself last night. Setting the things down on his desk, Javi shuffled through the next added layer, this one consisting of another fruit-by-the-foot and a half eaten granola bar, which one of the girls clearly had gotten into before his lunch had departed from home.

The last thing hiding lunch was a piece of paper that had been folded several times to fit inside the bag, Javi gently removing it with the rest of his surprise treasures. As he unfolded the now somewhat crumpled paper, the grin on his face began to grow wider and wider, seeing the colorful crayon creations doodled on the page. Before him, sat a paper with drawings of each of the girls done by themselves, perfectly embodying their tiny personalities. Lucy’s was neatly sketched and colored, and then outlined in a darker color to make the inside colors pop, Elliot’s had crazy scribbled hair and was holding a hockey stick in not one, but both hands, and Harpers was done in every color that the Crayola crayon box had to offer.

As if their adorable self-portraits weren’t enough to have him in a puddle, in the middle of their artwork was a drawing of Javi standing between them with the words “We love you Daddy!” etched in big, pink bubble letters above them.

Javi had been so enamored by the art his daughters had made him, taking in every stroke and scribble on the page, he hadn’t noticed the smaller note that had fallen to his desk, your neat and careful handwriting etched across the paper.

Jav,

3 little munchkins were very insistent on re-making Daddy’s lunch last night, and even more insistent on decorating your very boring brown bag. They told me that they were adding a few surprises to your lunch, so this is me apologizing in advance for any half eaten snacks or stuffed animals that may have ended up in there. I hope you have a great day, we all miss you lots and can’t wait to see you later.

Love you lots,

Osita

Even though it was nothing but a few words scribbled down on a piece of paper and a drawing similar to one he had seen a thousand times before, it never failed to surprise Javi how something so small really did mean everything to him.

Years ago, still working for the DEA, in the midst of chaos and corruption in Colombia, one of his former agents had always insisted on carrying his “lucky” drawing from his son in his back pocket on every mission he was sent on. Back then, the idea of carrying a colored, crumpled piece of paper in his jeans for good luck seemed like a somewhat ridiculous notion, but now, as Javi stared up at the bulletin board next to his desk, overflowing with drawings, paintings, and projects from his 3 daughters, he couldn’t imagine a world where he didn’t hold any gift from his girls so near and dear to his heart that he ever dared to let it go.

Overlapping his newest artwork over the most recent crafts given to him to hang in his office, Javi hung today’s drawing at the front and center of the board, your note nestled next to it, beaming with pride at the love and and joy at how full his heart felt from a few simple pieces of paper.

Admiring just a little longer before reaching over to the phone at the corner of his desk, Javi began to punch the familiar pattern of your home phone number on the receiver, patiently tapping his fingers as the line rang, the other hand grabbing his actual lunch food out of the flamboyantly decorated bag.

“Hello?”

“Hey baby, it’s me.”

“Hi. Is everything okay?” You questioned cautiously, somewhat surprised by his mid-day work call.

“No, everything is-” He paused, smiling back his lunch bag, “everything is great. I just had some time during lunch and wanted to see if the 3 stooges are around so I can say thank you for my lunch.”

“Oh God, I almost forgot that was last night’s surprise project. How bad was it? I was only there to supervise lunch bag decorating because they were adamant they were more than capable than packing extra snacks for you.” You snickered, Javi practically almost able to see the hysterical look plastering your face through the phone, laughing right along with you at the adorable gifts they had left behind for him.

“Well, I got…” Javi stopped, reaching back over in his pile of goodies, “two fruit-by-the-foots, a stuffed purple cow, and a half eaten granola bar that has Elliot written all over it.”

“Is that Daddy? Did he get our lunch?! Did he like it?!” A chorus of little voices squealed in the background.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself.” You snickered, the muffled and muted sounds of the phone being passed off to the girls rustling through the other end of the line as Javi nestled his phone between his ear and shoulder, beginning to open up his food as he waited for a response from his daughters.

“Hi Daddy!” The 3 shouted through the phone in unison.

“Hola, pollitas! (Hi, little chickens) Thank you so much for my lunch today!”

“Did you like the bag, Daddy? It was my idea to make it look pretty because the brown is so boring.” Lucy boasted, in her lovingly know-it-all tone, making sure her dad knew she was without a doubt, the ringleader of the lunchtime antics.

“I added the extra snacks!” Elliot chimed in, making sure her voice was well pronounced through the phone ensuring that Javi could her her contributions.

“I helped-ed too!” Harper interrupted, trying to butt in over her sisters.

“Well, Mommy helped a little bit too, but it was mostly us!”

“Was it a surprise, Daddy?”

“Best surprise I’ve had in a very long time. I already put your drawing up on my board so everyone can see your beautiful artwork. I think everyone at work is gonna start thinking I have professional artists that live in my house.” Javi’s cheeks were already sore from the goofy grin that was only getting wider every second he listened to his daughter’s sweet little voices on the phone, the girls erupting in a fit of giggles at his compliment. “Los amos mucho, morritas (I love you so much, kiddos).”

“Hey Boss, you gotta second, I-” Agent Carter half knocked, opening Javi’s office door, stopping in his tracks as he met Javi’s cheerful grin turned death glare upon his arrival, slowly retracting his steps while Javi let out a scornful sigh, holding his hand out to get Carter to at least let him wrap up before dealing with whatever bullshit was coming his way.

“Hey pollitas? Daddy has to get back to work, but I’ll see you in a little bit when I get home, okay? I love you so much. Can you pass the phone back to Mom?”

“Okay, bye Daddy! Mommy! Mommy, Daddy wants to say goodbye!”

“The gremlins said you wanted to say goodbye?” You laughed over the clatter of the phone being handed haphazardly back to you.

“Yeah baby, I gotta go back to work, but I just wanted to say I love you and thanks for helping them with lunch, it was really fucking cute. I’ll see you later, okay?”

“The cutest 3 stinkers that I’ve ever met. I love you too, Jav. Bye, babe.”

“Love you, bye.”

As the dial tone went silent, Javi hung up the phone, taking in a deep exhale, still holding his hand out at his co-worker to preemptively prevent whatever what stupid remark was about to come out of his mouth.

“I wasn’t gonna say anything!” Carter winced, holding up his hands in defense at Javi’s death glare, trying his best to hide the sly smirk spreading between his lips. “…. I just never really struck you for a rainbow glitter type of guy.”

“Fuck off, Carter. Give me 10 more minutes to try and eat my lunch in fucking peace.” Javi groaned, trying to shoo him back out the door he had barged in from.

“Okay, okay, message received! I will say…I do think the glitter really does capture your bright and sparkly personality though, the unicorn stickers are really a nice-”

“Carter…”

“Sorry, sorry, I’m leaving! “

As the door clicked shut, Javi let his annoyance slip back to content, letting the colorful sparkle of his lunch back serve as his beacon of hope for the rest of the work day, thankful for the extra piece of home he got to keep with him until he got to see his girls again.

“Hey, I’m home!” Javi’s familiar voice rang through the hallway, barely 3 steps through the front door before the girls were rushing through the house, barrelling towards their dad to attack him with the biggest bear hugs their little bodies could muster.

“Daddy!” They screeched, wrapping around every free inch of Javi’s body that they could reach, giggling as he crouched down to greet them, peppering them with ticklish kisses all over their faces.

“Hola, Pollitas! Oh, I missed you guys! Did you guys have a good day today?” Javi grinned, now letting the bags he was holding in his hands drop to the floor, collecting his daughters in his grasp, wrapping them up in the tightest hug he could manage through their excited squirms and wiggles.

“Yeah, we went to the park with Mommy and then we came home and played soccer and then ran through the sprinkler!” Lucy beamed, her sisters nodding in happy agreement, excited to tell their dad about today’s shenanigans while he was at work.

“I scored two goals on Mommy!” Elliot added, her face lighting up with pride at her accomplishment.

“No way! Nice stuff, Ellie Bellie!” Javi grinned, holding his hand out for a ferocious high-five from Elliot, pretending to shake his hand in pain at her strength, making the girls snicker at their dad’s overdramatics. “Hey, can you tell me where Momma is, I gotta go say hi to her too and then you can tell me all about the rest of your day, okay?”

“She’s in the kitchen making dinner!” Lucy replied, giggling as Javi pressed a long kiss into the top of her head, nestled between her messy hair.

“Mommy’s makin’ ‘pisgetti!” Harper cooed, Lucy and Elliot trying their best to keep from laughing at their youngest sister’s inability to pronounce spaghetti.

“Thanks, lindas (cuties). Why don’t you guys go clean up your stuff and then we can help Mom with the rest of dinner?”

“Okay!” The three agreed, dashing back through the house and disappearing down the hallways, Javi laughing to himself as he kicked off his shoes and picked up his bags, heading into the kitchen to find you at the stove, happily humming and swaying your hips to the radio playing in the background as you cooked, so wrapped up in what you were doing that you hadn’t realized your husband’s presence.

Quietly setting down his bags on the counter, Javi rested his hip against the stone ledge, arms crossed over his chest as he watched you work, wondering to himself if he would ever get over how even the simplest things like watching you make dinner made him fall more and more in love with you, the familiar warmth of home and you creeping through his cheeks in a soft smile.

“Hi, Momma.” He smirked, making you squeal in surprise as he snuck behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing a soft kiss into your shoulder, rocking you back and forth in his grasp. “I missed you guys today.”

“Hi, handsome. We missed you, too. The girls haven’t stopped asking when you were going to be home since you called at lunch time. They were so excited you liked your lunch. Sorry if it was a little obnoxious. I tried to tell ‘em to go easy on the glitter, so hopefully none ended up in your food.” You chuckled, shaking your head at the image of the finished lunch bag that had made its way to work with Javi this morning. You turned around to face Javi, his hands still resting on your hips as you draped your arms over his shoulders, pressing up on your tiptoes to let your lips meet his, his mouth lingering just a little longer than usual as you felt his smile growing amidst his kiss. “What was that for?” You blushed, butterflies swirling in your stomach as his lips gently pulled away from yours, his thumbs rubbing soft circles on your skin in the space where your t-shirt and shorts parted.

“I love you so much. You and the girls, I just- I’m just so thankful for all of you.” Javi grinned, the soft brown of his eyes sparkling in the kitchen light, looking you up and down as if in awe of the fact that you were the woman he got to hold in his grasp at the end of each day for the rest of his life.

“I love you too, you goof.”

Before your lips could meet again, the happy giggles of your girls flooded through the kitchen, their little pitters and patters of their feet tumbling the hallway to greet the both of you again. Peeking over Javi’s shoulder, you cocked your head in confusion at the plastic bag your girls were now rummaging through on the counter, wondering what Javi had been shopping for on his way home.

“What’s in the bag, Jav?”

“Well…” He paused, making his way over to the kitchen counter with the girls, picking up the bag and tipping it over, shaking its contents out in front of them, “I figured, since the munchkins did such a good job with today’s lunch bag-”

“STICKERS!”

“GLITTER PENS?!”

“PUFFY PAINT!”

The girls shrieked, picking up the various brightly colored craft items Javi had brought home with him, along with a pack of brown paper bags, making the reason for his pit stop abundantly clear, and making you smile even wider than you already were.

“...I figured, I still have 4 days of lunches left, and you guys did such a good job with my lunch today, that you could decorate the rest of my lunch bags for the week.”

“Really?!” The girls squealed, their faces lighting up in excitement.

“Really, really.” Javi beamed, reaching his arms around the girls to pick them up, the 3 laughing and squirming in pure joy, your heart bursting at the seams watching just how much Javi loved his little girls and the silliest, smallest things he would do just to make them smile.

“Mommy, can we start right now!? Please, please, pleaseeeeee?” Lucy begged, Elliot and Harper joining in with their silent plea of sweet puppy eyes.

“Let’s help Mommy with dinner and then we can-”

“It’s okay, I think spaghetti can wait a little longer.”

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buckrecs · 1 year

Note

Hi! Do you have any single dad Bucky recs?:)

Single Dad!Bucky

masterlist | req masterlist

ONESHOT

show me the places where others gave you scars by @falcqns

Bucky's daughter Willow doesn't like you, and you're determined to change that. then, a late night call changes everything.

Bucky’s Little Artist by @marvelmusing

Single Dad!Boss!Bucky x Fem!Reader

Drabbles by @vanillanaps

Birthday Wishes by @lillywillow

Bucky wants to plan the best party ever for his young daughter.

Mother’s Day Brunch by @nikkixostan

bucky has a daughter, lyla. she doesn't have a mom but she does have an amazing aunt who is ready to step in and fill in for her and her dad.

SERIES

Parent-Teacher Conference by @coffeecatsandcandles

James Barnes, a widowed single dad, had forgotten what love felt like and let it crush him, taking his daughter, Rebecca, with him. He was cold, rude, and arrogant, being one of the few teachers at Westview High School the students seemed to absolutely despise. But when you show up, a hopeful math teacher who’d previously taught Rebecca’s kindergarten class, and are adored by your students and colleagues- James’s attitude starts to change.

Yours, Mine, Ours by @coffeecatsandcandles

Bucky Barnes has been raising his girls, Rebecca and Winnie, for the last two years. He’d lost all hope of falling in love again until he met you, a pediatrician with two children of your own- Elliot and Willow. He falls in love and he falls hard, but the challenges of being single parents still weigh on you both at times. Luckily, you’ll always have each other.

Seven-Thirty by @nacho-bucky

You were planning on a productive — if lonely — weekend, but the little girl across the hall has different ideas about how you and Bucky Barnes should be spending your time

Astrophile by @all1e23

Orion Rebecca Barnes's favorite thing in the whole world (besides her daddy of course) is spending hours after school in the bookstore by her house and the owner GIVES her any book she wants; she’s the coolest girl Orion has ever met. It doesn't take long for Bucky to notice his daughter’s sudden interest in constellations and the large stack of astrology related books piling up in her room. He’s spent her entire life trying to teach her about the stars and where her name came from with little interest from his little comet and all of sudden she’s in love. All thanks to the girl who owns the bookstore?

To Have & To Hold by @slyyywriting

Bucky is trying his best to provide and care for his daughter who just entered first grade. Everything was alright until she asks why everyone else seems to have a mom except for her. You’re just a plain mob boss who wants to turn a new leaf. Challenges arise when the world refuses to let you take a softer, non-violent route. A little girl helps you navigate a compromise.

Teacher’s Favorite by @suitk0via

You are first grade teacher and Bucky is a single dad who wants to be involved with everything his little girl - Elaine - does. He’s the dad all the parent’s and faculty drool over. You quickly become Elaine’s favorite teacher and Bucky’s just gotta meet you.

Love at First Grade by @buckysimp101

When father and first grade teacher Bucky Barnes ends up with Avery L/N in his class, the daughter of the “ruthless” CEO of L/N Enterprises, he’s in for a surprise that’s sure to change his life.

Choosing Us by @itsanerdlife

You were content with your life. The way your life was. Till you take on the Barnes Twins. Kindergarten’s worst nightmares. Epic love wasn’t in your cards. Fate didn’t deal you in, this lifetime. Till James, aka Bucky, Barnes sets his sights on you. It’s not right, you can’t. Right? Love doesn’t have a timeline. There is no set amount of time to tell you what you feel. For the way things progress when you fall in love. Can you get everything you ever wanted with Bucky and his boys, or is it just too fast?

#bucky barnes fic rec #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x f!reader #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes series #winter soldier x reader #single dad!bucky #single dad!bucky x single mom!reader #dad!bucky #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x pregnant reader

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security-chief-odo · 5 months

Text

The Fake Dating Job - Chapter 3

Elliot Spencer x Reader

Chapter 1 & Chapter 2

Note: So sorry for the hiatus. Life got in the way. Thank you for sticking around and being so patient with me 💕

Word Count: ~1.9k

Description: You wake up in a comfortable warmth the morning of the wedding. This leaves Eliot consuming your every thought as you get ready.

• • •

You start to stir as you feel the light of the sun creep through the sheer curtains of the hotel room. You feel a comfortable warmth envelop you and sink further into it, seeking shelter from the harsh chill of the room.

Suddenly you feel the bed shift under you and realize the warmth you’re feeling is Eliot’s chest beneath you. His arms are wrapped around you as he pulls you close in his sleep.

A soft smile graces Eliot’s no longer sleeping face as he feels you cuddle closer to him. He knows he won’t often get the chance to hold you like this so he pretends to not notice the way you breathe hitches with every movement. He may never get to hold you like this again but he will dream happily at night at just the memory of your soft skin against his calloused hands.

You lay there, eyes now open, as still as you can and just soak in this seemingly unconscious act of affection. This isn’t like every other touch of this torturous weekend. This is real, perhaps unintentional, but real nonetheless. This isn’t for an audience, this is just Eliot holding you to him as he rests.

Sadly the moment is ripped from you as you hear your sister knock on the door to your room. Eliot pretends to startle awake and you do the same as you quickly pull away from each other.

“Y/N!” your sister calls out. “We gotta get going. The makeup artist will be at the venue in half an hour.” Eliot lays back down, now that he knows the disturbance had nothing to do with him.

You sigh and roll out of bed. “I’ll meet you in the lobby in ten!”

You wash your face and brush your teeth as you try to calm your racing thoughts.

By the time you leave the bathroom, Eliot has settled back in to sleep, stretching his body across nearly the entire bed. You can’t help the smile that crosses your face at the sight of the nearly always tense hitter at ease for once.

You grab your dress and the small day bag you had for the trip and close the door as quietly as you can.

***

You and the other girls are chatting in the green robes your sister gave you each as gifts. You are in the middle of getting your hair done when a text lights up your phone.

Eliot: Did your sister plan lunch for all of you?

“Ooh, you’re blushing y/n” you hear the voice of your sister’s best friend from across the room, “Texting your new man?”

The other girls chuckle and they continue to talk amongst themselves.

You roll your eyes and pretend to ignore them, but can feel the blush light up your cheeks. You show your sister the text to get her answer.

“Mom talked about running to the store and picking up salads or sandwiches later. I just don’t want anything that will upset my stomach. It’s already in knots with everything else today.” She points down the hall and adds, “There’s a kitchen through there if you want her to pick you something to make instead though.”

“Thanks,” you reply as you type out your response.

Y/n: My mom might be picking something up. There’s a kitchen in the bridal suite so we have options. Why?

Eliot: Tell your mom not to worry about it. If it’s alright with your sister, I’ll take care of lunch for you ladies.

Your sister elbows you lightly as she teases, “Do you smile like that at every text or just when pretty boys with long hair text you?”

“You should see the smile I save for spam texts” you deadpan back at her. “Eliot wants to bring us all lunch if that’s alright with you.”

“He’s handsome, has a southern accent and he cooks? Should I be expecting the save the dates when I get back from my honeymoon?” The shit eating grin on her face widens at your clear embarrassment.

“So is that a yes on lunch?”

“Yeah, and tell him I said thank you.”

The hair stylist interrupts “Alright, you’re good to go and I’m ready for the bride.”

You swap places with your sister and grab your phone.

Y/n: She said she’d appreciate you bringing food.

Eliot: Perfect. I’ll be there in 30 and I’ll make y’all something fresh.

Y/n: Thanks! You’re the best fake boyfriend I’ve ever had.

Your heart sinks in your chest as you read over your own words. It is for the best to stay reminded of the reality of the situation. It would only hurt more if you let yourself get fully lost in it. In just a couple of days everything will return to normal and you’ll still be pining after Eliot and he will remain blissfully unaware.

You try to brush off these thoughts and be present with the others and most importantly, your sister. You put your phone away and rejoin the conversation. “Eliot said he’ll be here in 30 to make us lunch.”

“Damn,” your sister’s maid of honor chimes in, “Where did you find him again and does he have any single friends?”

You and the others laugh at her joke. “I don’t know, with looks like that, I’m more interested to know if he has a brother.” adds in one of the bridesmaids.

Before long the makeup artist is done with the mother of the groom’s makeup and it is your turn in the chair. You settle in and try to distract yourself from Eliot’s imminent arrival by listening to the idle conversation the other women are having.

Part of you is excited that he’s showing up, in small part due to the rumble your stomach lets out, but mostly just because it’s Eliot, and you are a fool who couldn’t help falling head over heels for him. The minutes pass as you try to calm your ever increasing heart rate, but the moment you hear a rapping at the door, your heart begins practically beating out of your chest.

The artist only has your makeup a little over halfway done, so the maid of honor lets him in.He drops off an armful of groceries in the kitchen that the maid of honor leads him to and follows her back to the room you are all in.

He smiles softly at you, which you miss completely as the artist works on your eye makeup. “Hey beautiful,” he says, setting your cheeks ablaze, before turning to the rest of the room,”I should have lunch ready for you ladies in about 20 minutes.” With that he turns on his heel and leaves the room before you have a moment to reply.

The makeup artist makes quick work of the rest of your makeup as the girls chatter around you. Your sister in the chair next to you looks over at you and teases “Damn, y/n. If that’s how he looks at you when you’re not even done being dolled up, I don’t know how he’s gonna tear his eyes away from you long enough to even notice there’s a wedding happening around him in a couple hours.”

In lieu of being able to roll your eyes at your sister, you opt to flip her off.

A bridesmaid chimes in “No, she’s right y/n. That man is absolutely smitten with you.” For a moment, you almost let yourself believe it, but you know he was just playing it up for the girls. After all, that’s what you asked him to do.

Moments later the artist wraps up and finally you are free to go see Eliot in the kitchen. You quietly approach, and of course Eliot hears your steps and knows exactly who it is, but he pretends not to notice you standing in the doorway. He likes when you watch him and maybe he knows if he took the time to look at you right now, he wouldn’t be able to resist holding you in his arms again and you leaving this morning already nearly broke him.

You take in his frame, his arms flexing under his henley as he expertly chops up the last couple of vegetables in front of him, a few strands of his hair falling into his face from his half-ponytail, and those jeans that fit his ass just a little too well for your thoughts to remain pure. Maybe it’s a good thing you’re already in love with him because this almost vulnerable sight would be enough to make anyone fall for him. “Hey beautiful,” you parrot his earlier words back at him.

A goofy, lopsided smile crosses his face, as he puts the knife down and begins assembling sandwiches. He looks into your eyes, not daring to even let his eyes drift as far as your nose. “Hey,” he almost whispers “What can I do for you?”

“You’re already doing more than enough Eliot. I really just came in here to say thank you. Not just for this,” you gesture at the food, “but for this entire weekend. I know it’s a lot to ask of anyone and I really appreciate you doing this for me. I owe you one”

Returning his attention to the food he replies “You don’t owe me a damn thing sweetheart. I’m just happy to help.” He begins cutting the sandwiches into fourths diagonally, of course and you start taking them and placing them on the tray to at least help a little.

Your heart skips a beat when your hands graze against each other as he hands you the pieces that were on the other side of the knife. It is far from the most intimate touch you have had with him, but just like this morning, the private moments, even the unintentional ones, are a lot harder to brush off as part of the performance.

As you finish laying the different kind of sandwiches on the tray, he goes to the fridge and grabs a charcuterie board he had clearly made himself before you entered the kitchen. It was this sight that finally made your stomach let out a rumble. He looked you up and down before asking “Hungry?” with a smile.

“A little.” you joke in return.

He reaches around you to grab the sandwich tray. With both hands full, he leans over and kisses your cheek before replying “Then lead the way princess.”

And with that small act, clearly not an accident nor an act you were left reeling as you rejoin the others. He places the two platters on the table before “I will see you this evening, but I think your sister would be pissed if I show up to the wedding like this.”

Your sister laughs, “Well, he’s not wrong.”

With that, he takes his leave with a quick peck on your lips and a polite wave to the room. Your heart is beating out of your chest and you can only hope nobody can tell.

• • •

Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think

Taglist: @mini-kunoichi @javicstories @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @being-worthy@xkell-bellx @imaginecrushes @sleeplessskeleton @fablesrose

#eliot spencer fanfic #eliot spencer x reader #eliot spencer/reader #leverage fanfic #eliot spencer #reader insert #female reader #leverage fic #the fake dating job #fake dating #wedding #wedding date #there was only one bed #and it’s natural consequences #Eliot Spencer is a big softie #eliot spencer cooking

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gingiesworld · 9 months

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Hello, how are you doing? I was thinking about a fluff one? Like, Lizzie having a child, four or five years old(she can be a single mom), and she met yn, he works as a choreographer and he was hired to teach Lizzie and the others what they have to do in the movie(you decide which one) and they get close and they get together not long after that. So when Lizzie wanted yn to meet her child, she was scared because her child is so shy and doesn't like to meet new people but when they met the two of them felt a connection when they started to talk about some movies. Maybe a time lapse happening and yn being the father that Lizzie always wanted for her child.

Elizabeth Olsen x M! Reader

Warnings: None but fluff. Maybe some suggestive talk

18+ MINORS DNI

Dancing Around

Lizzie was known for her roles in the MCU, her Facebook series and latest was HBO's Love and Death. Now she was starring in a new Romantic movie, escpecially with their being a dance scene.

"Ok, we have brought in a choreographer for the two of you." The director told them both as he entered the studio with a tall man behind him. "I know you have a background in dance Elizabeth, but this is essential for the movie since Y/N here choreographed the sequence." Lizzie just nodded as Y/N smiled at her and her co star. "We also have Janette here to help you Mike." He introduced the woman who was stood beside Y/N. "So please dance. We will be shooting the scene in two weeks."

As he left, Y/N had approached Lizzie with a gentle smile, holding his hand out for her to shake.

"Hi, I'm Y/N Y/L/N." He smiled at her. "I will be your dance partner for two weeks."

"I know." She smirked. "They just introduced you." She spoke referring to the director.

"Well, shall we?" They asked her as she nodded with a shy smile. The two started with the basic steps of the routine. Lizzie couldn't help the smile that etched onto her face as she had his hands on her. The butterflies in her stomach going wild as the two continued before they decided to take a small break.

"So, tell me about yourself?" Lizzie asked him as he smiled.

"Well, I am a choreographer and also I teach dance in a small studio." He told her. "It's just something that I have always loved to do."

"It makes you feel free." Lizzie stated as Y/N nodded in agreement.

"It does. It was my escape, ever since I watched Billy Elliot when I was a kid." He confessed as she smiled at him.

"I used to do ballet when I was younger." Lizzie told him as he smiled at her.

"That explains how you're a natural." He smiled as she blushed. That was how their friendship had started, even when she had to bring her 4 year old son with her to the rehearsals.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." Lizzie rushed out as she held a small boy in her arms. "His father couldn't take him this weekend and I couldn't find a sitter on such short notice."

"That's ok." Y/N smiled at her. "How about we rehearse for an hour and take this one to the arcade? Would you like that?"

"Wess." The boy nodded excitedly. "I'm Logan." He smiled up at Y/N who knelt down to his level.

"Hi Logan, I'm Y/N. Do you mind just sitting over on that chair near the big mirror while your mom and I rehearse?" Y/N asked him softly as Logan nodded and made his way over to where Y/N had directed him.

"You don't have to take him to the arcade." Lizzie spoke quietly as Y/N shook his head.

"I don't mind Lizzie." Y/N smiled as the two got into position. "Besides, it makes him happy and I get to spend more time with you."

"Thank you." Lizzie smiled softly as they moved around the studio.

"You don't need to thank me." Y/N smiled at her. That was just the start of Lizzie falling for the man in front of her. Especially when he didn't object to Logan taking his hand and dragging him to the games he wanted to play. Soon ending up in the car with McDonalds as Y/N drove the two of them home. "I'll pick you up tomorrow so you can get your car from the studio." Y/N told Lizzie who smiled before she noticed the boy in his seat asleep.

"Thank you for today." Lizzie told him. "Logan has really enjoyed it. I haven't seen him smile this much since the divorce."

"I enjoyed myself Lizzie." He told her softly. "Do you want me to help you carry him inside?" Lizzie nodded as the two got out of the car quietly. Lizzie grabbed their bags as Y/N grabbed a sleeping Logan. Following Lizzie to his room and laying him in bed, tucking him in after taking off his shoes. "I'll see you tomorrow." He told Lizzie who just kissed his cheek.

As the months went on and rehearsals had finished, both Lizzie and Y/N remained in touch with each other. Enjoying little dates at the park and the arcade with a very happy Logan.

Lizzie was shocked to see Y/N knock on her door on a night that Logan was at his father's. Even more surprised when Y/N kissed her softly.

"I have wanted to do that for so long." He whispered when he rested his forehead on hers. Without another word, Lizzie grabbed him by the collar and dragged him in side with her lips on his in a needy kiss.

That was the start of their blossoming love. Even whenever Robbie cancelled on Logan, Y/N was always there to make sure he had one hell of a weekend. Taking him to baseball games with Lizzie, the fair, the beach, even spending hours at the arcade with him until he was tired. All of this made Lizzie fall more and more in love with him.

"I love you." Lizzie confessed as Y/N left Logan's room. A wide smile on her face. "Fuck, I love you so much Y/N." She lunged forward and kissed him passionately.

"I love you Elizabeth." He spoke tenderly as he caressed her cheek, gazing into her green eyes. "Being here with you and Logan makes me so fucking happy and I never really want to leave."

"Then don't leave." She whispered as he looked at her with a smile. "Move in with me. With us. It makes perfect sense. Logan loves having you here and so do I. I feel safe with you here."

"Ok." He nodded as he kissed her head. "I'll sort out my lease on monday." He told her softly as the two made their way downstairs.

After months of Y/N living with Lizzie and Logan, the three of them fell into an easy routine. Y/N helped a lot with repairs that needed to be done, he even taught Logan a lot of things over the years. Becoming the father that Robbie ceased to be.

#lizzie olsen x you #lizzie olsen x reader #lizzie olsen imagine #lizzie olsen #elizabeth olsen x reader #elizabetholsen #elizabeth olsen x you #elizabeth olsen

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apprenticestanheight · 5 months

Note

hey! i forgot to send this in before so if you can’t take it i completely understand!

i was wondering if i could request something fluffy about adam — maybe cuddling with him after a long day with his head on your chest as you play with his hair 😻😻

Comfortable, Easy, Tired Silences - Adam Stanheight x gn! reader

Hi!! I'm so sorry that this took forever--if I'm remembering correctly you sent it like,, a day after my requests closed last month and I've been meaning to do it ever since--but I hope you like it!! I have this weird hybrid-y style of fics that I've done when I read a request and I go "blurb!!" and "set of headcanons!!" at the same time, so that's what this came out as, which I hope is all right!

Fic type- fluff!!

Warnings- none!!

so,, you and Adam both have particularly stressful weeks that culminate in a very long december friday.

For you, work is stressing you out beyond belief, but you're able to have weekends off and thats most of what keeps you going to get to friday afternoon.

For Adam, he's managed to find himself a spot in a gallery near the heart of the city and brainstorming ideas for a collection, only to have it vetoed by execs three times in four days was not the best way for the week to take shape. The other day was spent taking photos in the anticipation of being able to have a break from the stress that weekend despite the urge to make sure the photos turned out perfect with the filter he's testing.

So, you get home first. You shower, pull on one of Adams shirts and a pair of his boxer shorts because his clothes are closer to the door and you kind of just want to get dressed and then plop into bed, and debate grabbing the menu for the Chinese takeaway spot that delivers to your apartment despite the fact that something about the dumplings had tasted off the last time you'd ordered from them.

Adam shows up like, a half an hour after you do?? He grabs a pair of sweatpants and a towel from the dryer before going for a shower himself, and when he comes back into the room you share, you can't help but oogle him just a little.

Adam walks in with his sweatpants somewhat low on his waist, not having bothered with a shirt. His hair is dry because he'd dried it before calling the Chinese place you'd been debating ordering dinner from and you just. you have to grin a little.

"You like what you see?" Adam asks teasingly as he further enters the room. "Ordered us dinner from Elliots--they have weird dumplings but the rest of their menu is pretty damn good. How was work?"

"It was--well, work," you shrug and Adam joins you in bed, pressing a kiss to your shoulder and slipping his hands beneath your shirt to rest on your hips. "Crappy, which is becoming the norm. How was work on your end?"

"Crappy," Adam laughs and one of your hands goes to his hair, idly running through it to calm your racing mind. "It was work, Y/N. Nothing too great, though I finally got a theme for the collection that the gallery likes. Now I just have to worry about the photos."

His head is on your chest, hands on your bare hips, legs entangled with yours, and for the first time in a week, Adam Stanheight is happy.

For the first time in a week, your mind is also at ease. You feel like you can breathe again, almost, for the fact that neither of you are so busy as to not be able to give one another your undivided.

You relish in the first comfortable silence you've had with one another in too long, running a hand through Adams hair while he traces shapes against the skin of your hips and occasionally leans up to press a kiss against your shoulder.

They're the silences that the two of you have grown to love as your relationship has progressed--comfortable, easy, tired silences where neither of you will complain if the other one falls asleep.

Eventually, though, Adam is mumbling that he loves you while he's half asleep and you're responding while in very much the same state, and the two of you fall asleep that way. Your hand in Adams hair, lips near his forehead, Adams head on your chest and his hands resting on your hips.

It's the perfect end to a very long week and a longer day even still.

#adam stanheight #adam stanheight x reader #saw 2004 #saw franchise #leigh whannell

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simp-ly-writes · 5 months

Text

Meet the Doctor pt.8

Pairing: Stardew Valley Harvey x Reader

Summary: The year is going by and what does Harvey think about the reader throughout it all?

Warnings: angst, mentions of drinking, implied personal relations.

A/N: almost there people, almost there I swear.

Masterlist | Taglist | edited.

Meet the Doctor Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) (pt.5) (pt.6) (pt.7) (pt.8) (pt.9) (pt.10) you are here

The smell of coffee excites Harvey more than ever, allowing himself to get up every morning and start his day, it also reminds him of his farmer. He has noticed all your little marks of help throughout the clinic thanks to your green thumb, from your work on the plants both inside and outside of the clinic never had they looked healthier in the medical facility.

Maru had seemed to be showing up less and less during the early mornings to help him prepare for the day since you started to come by, but anytime you had the chance to spend time together, Harvey would never complain about it. Though Maru compensated by sharing the later evenings taking virtual calls from neighbouring communities in order to get more income running through the clinic with the Doctor who was struggling to make ends meet.

Yet as the weeks went by with coffee and muffins, he couldn’t help but feel that he and the farmer were becoming more colleagues than friends or the most valued something more that would never happen. He would never see you in the saloon throughout the weeknights and even barely on the weekend, your evening self seemingly disappearing into the depths of the Valley. This made Harveys imagination kick into hyperdrive as he thought of all the possibilities while twirling the wineglass he held at the bar. Maru by his side chatting to him like usual.

Looking around he noticed that Elliot began to never show up at the Saloon as well, and that is all Harvey needed to think to even know what was going on between the two of you. Taking another sip of his drink, Maru and the Doctor fell into old habits.

Weeks rolled into months; the schedule you and Harvey made never differing, at eight o’clock you would show up to help the clinic and chat to leave back to your farm at noon, if he was lucky he would find you at Pierre’s during the early evenings before rushing back to the farmhouse.

Holidays rolled through the slows in time throughout this schedule and Elliot was always seated beside you at every communal gathering. Harvey saw you in that white flowy shirt paired with a flower crown that bloomed with the colours of your cheeks in the sun during your birthday at the saloon. He felt his heart flutter with the fake butterflies that flew and landed on your crown and painted atop your fingernails as he put that white dress to memory. He later sees Elliot looking at you fondly and seemingly doing the same while taking a quick glance to Mayor Lewis.

The fall scavenger hunt organized by Penny has the kids running and screaming, the noise echoing through Harveys apartment window as he looks down to see everyone setting up for the event. You wear a pair of embroidered overalls and a toque, he watches as Elliot snaps photos of you chasing after the kids, you all falling over into a stack of hay as he picks the pieces out of your hair and watches as your eyes close in the motions. Harvey finds himself ringing his fingers through his own hair and heading downstairs to talk with the community members, doing his best to keep his back toward you.

Next comes the dance of the moonlight jellies, you wear an all too familiar red jacket that night on the pier as Maru huddles closer to him as they sit on the edge of the pier, feet swimming back and forth off the docks ledge. He can feel himself being transported back to the bar all those nights ago, and wonders to himself where all the time has gone, the wind wizzing past his ears; it screams.

Soon the fall fair rolls around and you are walking with a large stuffed bear on your back as Elliot carries a basket of goodies from vendors far and wide, smiling ear to ear at your candy covered lips and sugar-hyped self to only change gears during the spirits eve maze as he hears you and Elliot go off into the distance of the spirits eve maze. And the Doctor vividly remembers your soft smile to Elliots small but expensive gift on last years feast of the winter star, as he looks down at his own for you in his hands.

The smell of coffee breaks Harvey’s heart every morning more than ever, he struggles to get out of bed and ready for the morning, the smells reminds him of you and seeing you in that jacket that smells of the sea and green tea.

As Harvey walks around downtown, underneath all the multi-coloured holiday lights that frame the tops of roofs and wrap themselves around every lamppost on his way to the museum; the holiday season in full once again. He thought that the resolve within himself would be grand enough to withstand this moment, but how wrong would he be…

This novel is dedicated to my love, Y/N and our shared writing nights that have ultimately made this book and me a better man. Elliot read the most personal of thoughts into a sea of people and here Harvey was, drowning.

The door chimes and the cold nips away at Harveys wet cheeks, fresh falling snow crunches underneath his boots as he wraps his green jacket tighter around his frame. Flashes back to that red coat cloud his mind as he makes his way back downtown and into the clinic as he prepares for appointments later that day in the room he met you all those months ago; tears falling and meeting his reflection in the clear tiles.

To be continued.

Meet the Doctor Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) (pt.5) (pt.6) (pt.7) (pt.8) (pt.9) (pt.10) you are here

#stardew valley harvey #sdv harvey #sdv harvey x farmer #sdv harvey x reader #harvey stardew valley #stardew harvey #stardew valley #stardew valley fanfic #harvey x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #simp-ly-writes #simp-ly

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the-and-sign-anon · 2 years

Text

Take A Chance On Me

Pairing: Gareth Emerson x reader

Word count: 11,431

Masterlist

A/N: This really got away from me. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve written so far though. Sorry for the delay, I wrote this between shifts at work and my weekend got a little busy with some major updates I can get into later.

You lived your whole life in Hawkins with your older brother, younger brother, and three younger sisters. Your parents worked hard to provide for you all, but didn’t spend much time with any of you after you reached sixteen. With a driver’s license in one hand and a set of keys to your own car in the other, you practically had free reign of the town. Unlike many other teens in your position might have done, you dedicated your time to your younger siblings and your role as a student body officer, keeping your social circle confined to one person and your acquaintances to the others on the student council.

Elliot Reacher had been a good friend to you since elementary school and took it upon himself to look out for you in school. Whenever you wandered down the halls with your nose in a book, he slung an arm around your shoulders and guided you through the crowds. During lunch each day, he brought an extra sandwich for you and when Eddie Munson used your table for his dramatics, he’d sweep your books into his arms and patiently wait for the repeat senior to move on so you could keep working.

With the way rumors flew in small towns like Hawkins, everyone assumed you and Elliot were an item. He rarely spoke to other girls and no one else even seemed to be on your radar. This was an unfortunate conclusion for Gareth to come to, seeing as he’d been crushing on you since freshman year when you broke up a fight between him and a basketball player. You hadn’t taken the popular kid’s side, but you didn’t cut Gareth any slack either. Getting caught by you actually felt more serious than seeing the principal, which you assured both boys they’d do if you saw them in each other’s space again.

He would swear up and down that it wasn’t in his nature, but Gareth felt jealous of Elliot. He found himself wishing he could be the one to carry your posters and help hang them up, or corral your siblings into a diner on a hot summer afternoon for lemonade and ice cream, or offer you his jacket after getting caught in the rain. He couldn’t help imagining you in one of his flannels or the soft gray jacket he cherished as you sat down to lunch with him and his friends.

For the last year and a half, Gareth had been smitten with you. He watched you bury yourself in work and run through the hallways just after classes ended most Fridays to hang up posters and hand out flyers for school events. After club meetings, he’d let his eyes scan the parking lot for your beat up brown Caprice Wagon as you peeled out, no doubt on your way to get your siblings from friends’ houses.

Despite his desperate pining and hopeless interest in you, he just couldn’t seem to approach you. Gareth sat at his usual table with his usual lunch and a lovestruck look on his face when he saw you and Elliot stroll into the cafeteria. You paid him no mind as you saved a seat for your friend and watched him head for the band kids’ table. Gareth couldn’t help the relief he felt as Elliot wrapped an arm around a girl with barely tamed red hair and a brightly colored sweater, who smiled brightly and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting.

“What are you staring at now, lover boy?”

Gareth shook his head and looked at Eddie.

“Huh?”

“Are you planning on talking to that poor girl, or just keep staring at her and hoping she’ll magically become aware of how hopelessly in love with her you are?”

“I am not-” Gareth took a deep breath and lowered his voice when he realized how loud he was being. “I am not in love with anyone. What’s the harm in… observing our fellow classmates?”

“Is that what you’re doing? Observing?”

Gareth spared Mike an irritated glare.

“Yes. And now I’m eating.”

He pointedly shoved a bite of his burger into his mouth and stared down at the table.

“No need to get fussy, Gareth the Great. You should just talk to her. You’ve spent so much time ‘observing’ her, you must have something you could talk about.”

Gareth wasn’t about to give his friends the satisfaction of knowing, but he had already talked with you before. Not extensively of course, but you had done peer reviews together for English class a few times. He’d asked last week about the upcoming blood drive and, in a brief moment of panic, proudly stated he was planning on giving blood, momentarily forgetting his intense distaste for needles. But something like a date had never entered the equation.

When Eddie looked at him expectantly, Gareth forced himself to swallow, took a swig of his soda, and shoved another bite into his mouth. His friend simply rolled his eyes and not so discreetly looked at Dustin with a conspiratorial look in his eye. Jeff patted his back comfortingly and shook his head at the others.

“Come on, guys. Leave him be. We’ve all had hopeless crushes that never pan out. Just because Gareth is a little more obvious about it, that doesn’t mean he can’t eat his lunch in peace.”

Gareth nodded in agreement before Jeff’s words really sank in, prompting an indignant look.

“I am not obvious! It’s not like I doodle hearts around her name in my notebook like some middle schooler.”

Jeff, Mike, and Eddie all opened their mouths to respond, causing the entire table to devolve into wild laughter and teasing comments. Three tables away, you, Elliot, and Miranda sat together discussing the upcoming blood drive. As much as you cared about the event, you couldn’t help letting your eyes drift over to Gareth, laughing with his friends and throwing balled up napkins at them.

“So you said that at least thirty kids have already signed up and five teachers. That’s not bad, but do you want to make some extra flyers, maybe hand them out at the…” Elliot shared a look with his girlfriend and sighed softly. “Told you this would happen, it was only a matter of time. Y/N!”

He waved a hand in front of your face and you snapped back to attention.

“Huh?”

“The blood drive? Flyers? Were you even listening?”

“Of course I was.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” You tried to casually take a sip of your Dr. Pepper, your favorite soda.

“You weren’t staring at that fluffy haired kid again?”

Miranda stifled a snicker as you choked on your drink and tried to catch your breath without coughing.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Y/N, you’ve gotta talk to him eventually. It’s getting sad.”

“I have talked to him.”

“About something other than English papers and blood drives?”

You hung your head and looked down at the table.

“...no…”

“Exactly. Miranda, tell me I’m not crazy.”

You liked Miranda. She was good for Elliot, and they always treated each other right. Few things made you happier than seeing your best friend so happy, and it didn’t hurt that the clarinetist was sweet to you too. She simply shook her head and tucked a red curl behind her ear.

“I definitely think you should talk to him. I sit two rows behind him in biology and every time we’ve talked he’s seemed sweet. I think you two would make a cute couple.”

“Well thank you both for your votes of confidence, but it’s not happening. I have too much to do and I’m not taking a shot at something that probably wouldn’t work out anyway.”

Your older brother had had his heart broken too many times and you’d watched as he struggled to pull himself together afterward each time, trying to focus on other things while he built walls around himself higher and higher. One night, just before the start of your sophomore year, he rambled to you tiredly about how love wasn’t worth the trouble it brought; that you were better off leading a good example for your younger siblings and focusing on your academic career. So that was exactly what you did.

The lunch bell rang shortly after you finished your food, so you threw your trash away and waved to your best friend before hurrying down the hall to English class. Only two more hours and you’d be free to go driving through the back roads of town, blasting ABBA on your radio and watching the slowly changing leaves flutter to the ground. All you had to do was make it through two more hours.

You made a beeline out of class as soon as the last bell rang. Gareth watched you go, throwing your bag over your shoulder and nearly running right into the doorway in your rush. His eyes drifted back to your desk for a moment and he realized there was a cassette tape sitting just below your chair. He quickly snatched it up and looked closer.

It was a mixtape with a neat, albeit worn label. There were tiny little doodles around the edges, carefully placed around the neatly printed song titles. He didn’t recognize a few songs, but he knew from his little sister that many of the titles belonged to ABBA. One in particular caught his eye. It was underlined and highlighted with orange ink.

“ABBA, huh? I can work with that.”

The room had cleared out by the time Gareth looked back up and he scrambled to follow the dispersing crowd of students. Your car was already gone by the time he reached the parking lot. He hoped you wouldn’t miss the tape too much before he could get it back to you tomorrow. Out of curiosity, Gareth popped the tape into his car radio as he drove home and let his mind drift as the lyrics of all your favorite songs surrounded him.

You were panicked all evening searching for your mixtape. It had taken you hours to put it together and it was one of your most prized possessions. Your sisters tried to help you search the house while your brothers made dinner and put on a movie, insisting that it would turn up eventually and that you’d survive one day without it. You begged to differ, but were persuaded to sit down and brush through your sisters’ hair before bed.

The next day, you dropped your siblings off at school and hurried to your locker early to look for the tape there. Elliot came by ten minutes before classes started, as per usual, and found you piling your books on the floor beside you as you looked through a few spare cassette cases you knew couldn’t be hiding your coveted mixtape.

“What’s going on here?”

“Tape’s missing. Have to find it.”

Elliot tried to help you search, but when time ran short, he shoved all your books and cases back into your locker and marched you to your first period. You had perfect attendance and he wasn’t about to let you ruin it searching for a tape. You were fidgety and nervous all day, desperately trying to think of where it could have ended up.

Gareth noticed you didn’t show up to lunch, but Elliot and Miranda had. It was the first opportunity he’d have to give your tape back, so he excused himself from his table and approached your best friend.

“Hey, Elliot. Where’s Y/N?”

Elliot shared a glance with Miranda and answered.

“I think she went to the parking lot. She’s been nervous all day, I figured she wouldn’t be eating today.”

“Can I ask what she’s nervous about?”

“Lost her mixtape. It’s her favorite and she hasn’t been able to focus on anything else without it.”

Gareth felt the weight of the mixtape in his pocket and nodded slightly.

“Excuse me.”

The Hellfire club watched Gareth bolt out of the lunchroom and run for the parking lot. Your car was in the corner of the lot with the doors thrown open as you dug around in the seats. He could hear your frustrated rambling growing louder as he approached and narrowly dodged the paper bag you threw behind you.

“Uh… Y/N?”

You jolted back and stumbled out onto the pavement. He was tempted to offer you a hand, but you just leaned back and looked up at him from your place on the ground.

“Gareth?”

“Hey. I… uh… you left this in-”

You leapt to your feet and snatched the cassette from his hand.

“You found it! I’ve been looking for this everywhere!” Without sparing the gesture a thought, you threw an arm around him and hugged him tight for just a second. “You’re a lifesaver Gareth! Where’d you find it?”

“Um- I, uh-” His brain was short circuiting as he tried to get past the realization that you’d hugged him. “It was- it was at your desk… in English. I was going to… I wanted to give it back to you yesterday, but you were gone by the time I got out here.”

“Thank you for bringing it back to me, Gareth. I know it’s dumb, but this thing is my life. It’s the best mixtape I’ve made yet and I don’t know what I’d do without it.”

“It’s not dumb at all. I get it.”

You hesitated for just a second, then wrapped him in a hug once more. Gareth was slightly more prepared the second time and gingerly wrapped his arms around you in return.

“Thank you so so much.”

You pulled back again and set the tape on your dashboard before throwing everything back in your car and closing the doors once the tape was securely in your sweatshirt pocket. Gareth noticed how you kept one hand in the pocket, clutching the tape like a lifeline as you both started walking back toward the lunchroom.

------

You were proud of the turnout you had for the blood drive. Miranda was there with Robin, who she’d convinced to help hand out cookies and thank people for coming. The student body president was impressed and joined the nurses you’d organized the event with when they thanked you for all your help. Elliot was checking each attendee, making sure they’d eaten before and warning them about the needles so no one would pass out.

You were a little surprised when you were making the rounds and spotted not only Gareth, but the entire Hellfire club. Dustin, who you’d met briefly through one of your sisters, was looking around like he was searching for someone. Eddie and Mike didn’t look particularly happy to be there, but Lucas, Jeff, and Kevin were psyching themselves up to be stuck with needles. You figured it was only right for the organizer of the event to greet the volunteers giving blood and strolled over to the group with your clipboard in hand.

“Why did we all need to come?”

“Moral support. Gareth isn’t gonna look cool if he sees the needle and passes out in front-”

“Hey Y/N!” Dustin shouted excitedly, covering Kevin’s teasing remark before you could tell what he was saying.

“Hi, Dustin. I didn’t know you were coming, I never saw your name on the signup sheet.”

“Oh, it was a last minute thing. Gareth said he was coming down and we all thought it would be a good idea. He’s really sweet like that.”

You let your eyes flicker over to Gareth for half a second, who was covering his face in embarrassment at the freshman’s attempt to talk him up. You just smiled kindly and nodded in agreement.

“He sure is. He even found my favorite mixtape when I lost it last week.”

“Oh did he?”

Gareth felt his face flush and he scrambled to change the subject.

“So there’s a pretty good turnout, huh?”

He knew his voice was a little louder than necessary, but he couldn’t help it.

“Yeah, I’m pretty impressed actually. I guess word got around more than I expected. I only managed to get posters put up around school and at the community center.”

Eddie gave Gareth a pointed look that he ignored. The dungeon master had seen his friend running around town to a handful of cafes and stores, tacking up extra copies of your flyers on cork boards and running out before an employee could berate him for not asking permission.

You could only spare a few minutes with the boys, but made sure to check in on them again when they reached the front of the line and were led to chairs by the nurses. Most of them were just fine. Kevin was a little nervous until the young woman got him talking, while Eddie cracked jokes and finished quickly. Mike looked like he was about to be sick and Gareth was visibly shaking as he sat down.

“Are you alright? You’ll need to hold still while I get the needle in, okay?”

Gareth nodded with his eyes closed. Why couldn’t he just ask you out? Why did he resort to bleeding into a bag just to chat with you in passing for two minutes?

“I’ll be fine, sorry. Just need a second.”

He was trying to take deep breaths when you came by and stopped right beside him.

“Gareth, are you nervous?”

His eyes shot open and he stared up at you.

“Of course not. Why would I be nervous about being stabbed with a needle?”

You pulled up a chair and sat down with a comforting smile.

“It’s okay to be nervous. I was the same way the first few times I gave blood. But I’ve gotten used to it. It can help to have something else to focus on so you aren’t thinking about the needle.”

You tried to get him talking, but it didn’t seem to help, so you grabbed your walkman and headphones, apologized for any music he didn’t enjoy, and slipped them over his ears. It took a few minutes for him to really focus, but he stopped shaking. When the nurse put the needle in, he flinched and grabbed your hand on instinct. You didn’t want to make a big deal of it and risk embarrassing him, so you just squeezed lightly and felt his hand relax in yours. The process didn’t take long after that and before you knew it, you were helping him to his feet and repeating the information the nurses had briefed you with about being careful.

Elliot handed him a cookie on the way out and you had him sit down in a cushioned chair in the hallway. He slipped your headphones down around his neck and watched you with a soft expression. You stepped over to your bag, where you had a bottle of juice you’d forgotten to drink and offered it to him.

“Make sure you feel okay before you try to stand up again. Even I could feel your knees start to buckle back there. Did you drive over with your friends or on your own?”

“I gave Jeff and Kevin a ride, the freshman rode with Eddie.”

“Do either of them drive?”

He nodded a little and you patted his hand.

“Okay, I’ll go find them. You eat and drink, try to take it easy for the rest of the day. I’d hate to have you pass out.”

Gareth watched you walk away as he took a bite of his cookie. He was so focused on remembering the feeling of your hand that he didn’t notice Elliot approaching him.

“Glad you’re still conscious Gareth, you looked ready to faint back there.”

His eyes flicked up to meet Elliot’s. Your friend wore a serious expression Gareth wasn’t used to seeing.

“Hey man.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“...Eating a cookie?”

“With Y/N. She values her time very highly, so talking to you and sitting with you means something to her. But she doesn’t like wasting her time, so you better do something before she decides to move on.”

Gareth choked as he tried to take a sip of the juice you gave him. He stared up at your best friend with wide eyes.

“Are you saying-?”

“I’m not saying anything. Because even though she’s my best friend, she doesn’t want me getting involved, so I promised I wouldn’t.”

Elliot patted Gareth’s shoulder and went back to the snack table without another word. Gareth’s attention was caught by his friends coming over, Kevin and Jeff each offering him a hand. His knees felt weak, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t from the needle or the loss of blood.

------

“Dude, tell me you don’t own an ABBA tape.”

Gareth, without missing a beat, swiped the tape from Mike’s hand and threw it into the back seat. He’d aimed for the trunk, but it landed right next to Dustin, who inspected it closer.

“Did your sister make you listen to this? It’s a little different from your usual listening.”

“Put it down, Dustin. If any of you say a word about this to Eddie or anyone else, I’m running you over with this car.”

“Why do you have this one circled?”

“I said drop it!”

Lucas looked up from his book and decided to jump on the bandwagon.

“Are you picking out songs for a mixtape or something? Maybe for a certain student body officer you’re always staring at?”

“You don’t even sit with us every week! Dustin, did you tell him about that?”

The two boys burst into laughter and Gareth felt ready to make them walk the rest of the way home.

“No, you’re just that obvious.”

“I can make you walk, you know.”

“Yeah, but you won’t. Because you’re a great guy like that.” Dustin batted his eyes at their older friend and pretended to swoon in the backseat. He was lucky Gareth liked him well enough or he’d have been right out on the pavement.

Gareth was so busy yelling at the freshmen that he almost missed the figure on the side of the road. He slowed to a stop and the boys groaned.

“Come on, Gareth. You’re not actually making us walk home in the rain, right?”

“Shh.” He rolled down his window a few inches and called out to the girl. “Hey, are you okay?”

Though Gareth had only seen your siblings once at a school carnival, he could have recognized this girl anywhere. She looked just like you, down to the same sparkling eyes that now looked dim and sad. Your sister darted across the road and leaned close to the window.

“What are you doing out in this weather?”

“I had a fight.”

“With who?”

“Jenny.”

Gareth looked around the road and unlocked his doors, gesturing for Dustin to move over. The curly haired boy obliged and looked expectantly at Gareth.

“You shouldn’t be outside like this. Do you want a ride home?”

“Theo said not to get in stranger’s cars.”

“Does a friend of your sister's count? Y/N and I go to school together. My name is Gareth.”

Your sister’s expression lit up like a Christmas tree.

“You’re Gareth?”

He nodded and she pulled open the back door.

“You’re Meg, right? She’s mentioned you before.”

“Yep. She’s mentioned you too.”

Meg made an effort not to get the seat or her companions wet. She tucked her soaked jacket close around her and swept back some of her wet hair from her face. Once the door was closed and Gareth remembered to breathe, the drive continued.

“We’re closest to Lucas’s house, so we’ll drop him off first, then you can tell me where you live, Meg. Does that work?”

“Yep.”

Dustin, seeing an opportunity for mischief, tried to get Meg talking.

“You know, I’ve met your sister too.”

“What’s your name?”

“Dustin.”

“Y/N hasn’t really mentioned you. Casey says you’re nice though.”

“But she has talked about Gareth?”

“All the time. She likes his fluffy hair, and she says he’s really nice to her, even though she thinks she looks like an idiot in front of him.”

It took a few seconds for it to sink in, but Meg’s eyes went wide as Gareth stopped the car to let Lucas out. She leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Please don’t tell her I told you. I don’t think she would want me to.”

“Your secret is safe with us, Meg. Don’t worry.”

The ride was fairly uneventful. Each of the boys thanked Gareth for the ride and jogged through the rain to their front doors. Once Meg offered some directions, they headed for her house. Meg picked up the ABBA tape Dustin had left on the seat and studied it closely.

“You circled Y/N’s favorite song on here.”

“Did I? Huh. What a coincidence.”

Meg locked eyes with him in the rearview mirror and gave him a pointed look.

“I’m eleven, not stupid. She talked for three days about how you found her mixtape and got it back to her. You listened to it, didn’t you?”

“Uh… wouldn’t that be, like, an invasion of privacy?”

“I would have listened to my crush’s mixtape if I found it.”

“Who said I have a crush on your sister?”

“Why wouldn’t you? I think crushes are dumb, but anyone would be lucky to be with my sister. She always looks out for people and she plays my favorite songs in the car, even when I don’t ask her to.”

Gareth pulled up to your house and saw your silhouette through the illuminated window. You were pacing with a phone to your ear. Your car was gone from the driveway and the window above you showed three little figures looking out.

“Crap. I never told her I was walking home.”

Gareth whirled around to look at Meg with panic in his eyes.

“What?! Why didn’t you tell anyone you were walking?”

“I was mad at Jenny and just walked out! I didn’t think about it at the time!”

Gareth turned the car off and snagged a spare jacket from the passenger seat. He jumped out, beckoned Meg to follow, and wrapped the jacket around her as they hurried up the lawn to the front door. You turned to pace in the other direction as they came into the light from the porch and you dropped the phone to run toward the door and meet them there.

“Meg, are you insane?! I was worried sick about you! Where have you been?”

“Jenny and I had a fight.”

You dropped to one knee and wrapped her in a crushing hug. Your little brother and other two sisters came to join you, each sparing Gareth a glance before ushering Meg into the house to dry off and warm up. Once she was in and Casey grabbed the phone, you looked at Gareth.

Despite having moved fast, he was half soaked from the rain. Some of his hair was falling in his face, weighed down by the water. He was practically shivering, but tried not to show it.

“You found her?”

“Yeah. I was taking the freshmen home and we saw her on the side of the road. It would have taken her a long time to get home from there, so I figured I’d get her out of the rain.”

“Well, thank you. Really. Elliot took my car, so he and Theo split up and have been looking for her for an hour. My parents even talked about calling the police if we didn’t find her soon. You’re a lifesaver.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Gareth couldn’t help feeling his cheeks flush at your praise. He tried to shrug it off, but shivered instead and tucked his hands in his pockets.

“Do you want to come in for a minute? It’s pretty cold out here.” He hesitated for a moment and you tried to brush it off. “If you don’t have anywhere to be, you know. I don’t know if you need to get home or whatever…”

“I could spare a few minutes…”

You led the way into the house and took the phone back from Casey for a moment. Gareth guessed you were talking to your parents and Casey beckoned him to follow her to the dining room.

Your house was comfortable, but not in the way he expected. Everything had its proper place, like it was staged for a photo intended to look cozy and natural. There were family photos on the cream colored walls and trophies on the fireplace mantle. Meg’s wet shoes were shoved onto a shoe rack by the door and her jacket was hung up on a line of labeled hooks. Meg herself was settled at the dining table with his jacket around her shoulders and a mug of hot chocolate in front of her.

“She invited you in to thank you, right?” Gareth nodded and she smiled. “That means she likes you.”

You joined them a few seconds later and grabbed two mugs from a cabinet. Casey had made a pot of hot chocolate for everyone, so you filled the mugs, dropped a handful of marshmallows in yours, and brought them over. You set the bag of marshmallows next to Gareth, but gave Meg a pointed look. She raised her hands in defense and sipped at her drink.

“So, Meg, what did you and Jenny fight about this time?”

“She said I leveled up my character wrong. But I looked at the rule book for like two hours and I know I did it right. She called me stupid and I called her a-”

“Don’t repeat it if it’s bad.”

“-I called her a mean name and she told me I should leave. I was so mad, I forgot about calling home.”

Gareth furrowed his brow in thought.

“Your character?”

“Lady Everbright. Level nine cleric.”

Meg looked immensely proud of herself. She’d spent hours making the character and months playing her with Jenny and a handful of their other friends.

“Impressive. You made her yourself?”

“Mostly. I had to ask Y/N for some help.”

For what felt like the hundredth time in the last two hours, Gareth’s brain short circuited.

“You play D&D?”

You blushed and looked down at your drink.

“Not extensively. It’s just a hobby. Nothing I can make a lot of time for.”

“She has a whole folder of character ideas and campaign notes in her room.”

“Which I’ve told you not to touch! What if I made a campaign for you and used some of those notes? Then the story would be ruined and you’d have an unfair advantage.”

“I don’t read all of them, just the short ones. And besides, it’s not like you’re close to being ready for a campaign. You’re always busy with school and fawning over-” Meg cut herself off and you stared her down from across the table. “-your poster designs. Yeah. Posters are your one true love, Y/N.”

“Finish your drink and go straight to bed. We’re talking about safety tomorrow.”

Meg groaned, chugged the rest of her drink, and stood up. She moved to slip the jacket off her shoulders, but Gareth waved her off.

“Keep it for now. Maybe it’ll keep you warm under the cold glare Y/N’s giving you.”

You looked down until Meg scurried off. You opened your mouth like you were ready to say something else, but the front door opened and your parents, Theo, and Elliot came crashing into the house. They were all shaking off their coats and slipping off shoes, so you jumped up to fill them in completely while Gareth offered a small wave goodbye and ran back out to his car.

------

You couldn’t remember how your brother managed to convince you to come to The Hideout on a Tuesday night, but there you were. He was two drinks in already while you sipped at your water and tried to sketch out some potential posters that fit the themes the council was voting on for prom. You wanted something unique, but there was something to be said for Enchantment Under The Sea or Dance The Night Away. The only one you refused to budge on was A Night To Remember. Really? That was the best the council could come up with?

You sighed to yourself as the lighting in the dingy bar changed again, which you could not be convinced was intentional. You were just starting to sketch out a whale with a wide ribbon in front of it when the name of the next band was announced.

“Alright, everybody. Next up is Coral Coffin.”

Your head shot up so fast you were sure you’d get whiplash. Theo was far less interested.

“Corroded!” An irate voice called out from backstage.

“Whatever.” The announcer lazily (drunkenly) waved them off and stepped away to make room for the band.

Eddie led the way, smiling brightly despite the dismal turnout. Jeff and Kevin whispered something to each other while Gareth settled on his stool with his drumsticks in hand. You felt your cheeks flush at the confident look on his face. You hadn’t seen him at a drum set since Corroded Coffin was formed for the middle school talent show. He looked perfectly at ease, like he was born to be there. He’d never looked that way talking to you.

While you wished you could say their music carried you away to a different land and made you forget all about the sticky floors, stench of beer and cigarettes, and the crappy lighting, it didn’t. Gareth did that all on his own. The steady beat he kept thrummed in your ears and blocked out everything else. Your pencil dropped from your hand and rolled a few feet away, but you paid it no mind. Until the last note of their final song faded, you were practically entranced.

When the spell wore off and you glanced down to continue your sketch, you noticed your absent pencil. You gingerly closed and set down your sketchbook, then stood up to find it. Unfortunately for you, a drunken patron was passing by and stumbled, spilling his beer all down your shirt. You yelped in surprise and backed away on instinct.

“Oh… sorry miss.”

You held the front of your shirt away from you a bit to keep from letting the beer soak through to your skin.

“Just keep walking please. Thanks.”

You waved Theo off when he stood and simply asked him to watch your book and maybe grab your pencil. Though you weren’t entirely sure where it was, you went looking for a bathroom. On the way, you saw Eddie leading his group to the bar for a drink as they all tried to catch their breaths. Gareth smiled when he saw you, but his expression dropped immediately as he took in your appearance.

“Hey Y/N, what happened?”

“Drunk idiot. Do you know where the bathroom is?”

Gareth pouted slightly at the sad tone in your voice. Eddie nudged him, gave an encouraging thumbs up, then walked off with Jeff and Kevin. Gareth showed you the way to a bathroom and soaked paper towels in water for you to dab at your shirt.

“This is pointless. I’m never gonna get this stupid beer out.”

“Will your parents believe you weren’t drinking?”

“Yeah, but they wouldn’t care anyway. I’m the one who’s upset, this was one of my favorite shirts and now I’m stuck driving home in a beer soaked t-shirt.”

Gareth thought for a moment and snapped his fingers.

“No you’re not.”

You furrowed your brow at him and he quickly slipped off his flannel. He offered it to you, but you still looked confused.

“You can wear this.”

“But isn’t this your favorite thing? You wear it all the time.”

“I can survive one night without it.”

“Are you sure about this? I’ll give it back tomorrow.”

“No worries. I wouldn’t want to drive home in a beer soaked t-shirt either.”

You gently took the flannel and Gareth waited outside the door while you changed. He hadn’t quite prepared himself for the sight of you when the door opened and you came out in your jeans and his sleeveless red flannel. It had been his favorite for three years, but it was never moving from that position now. You wadded up the ruined shirt and threw it in the trash.

“Thank you, Gareth. I’d love to stick around, but Theo and I need to get home. I’d bet good money that Meg and Evan are up past their bedtime and I need to sleep too; I’ve got a council meeting tomorrow that I know will give me a headache.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. If all else fails, tell Meg I’ll have to take my jacket back if she won’t sleep.”

You snickered at the thought.

“She’ll hate that. She wears that thing almost every day now.”

You waved one last goodbye and went to get Theo. He was tired and tipsy enough to simply carry your sketchbook to the car and quietly sit in the passenger seat while you drove home. He didn’t question where your shirt had gone or where you got the flannel. Meg tried to ask, but you threatened her with the jacket and she ran to turn out the lights and dive under the blankets.

The next morning, you got up bright and early, threw Gareth’s flannel in with the laundry, and brought it along in the top of your bag to school. The meeting dragged on as you expected, your sketches were argued over extensively, and you left for first period with a slowly growing headache. In second period study hall, you nearly fell asleep and Miranda, trying to be a good friend, snatched the flannel from your bag and tucked it under your head. You dozed for half of the hour and when you were forced to stand up, you slipped the flannel on over your black sweater without a second thought.

By the time lunch rolled around, you’d forgotten you had it on at all. The Hellfire Club noticed immediately when you stepped into the lunch room and got in line for the sad excuse for a burger the school was offering.

“So that’s where your flannel went.”

Gareth froze. If seeing you in his clothes in the dingy bar made his heart skip a beat, seeing you now, in the cafeteria where anyone could see you and know you were wearing his flannel had his heart at a standstill. Jeff waved a hand in front of his face, but his eyes were trained on you.

Elliot nudged you in the line and kept you moving, clearly waiting for the chance to tease you. To his credit, he waited until you were both seated at your usual table and he could really get on your nerves.

“Cute shirt, where’d you get it?”

You paused at his tone, looked down, then felt your face start to burn.

“...I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve had this sweater for months; you were even there when I bought it.”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“What did you think of the quiz in chemistry? I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open and-”

“Y/N. Talk to me. What happened?”

You sighed and resigned yourself to his teasing completely.

“Theo talked me into going to The Hideout last night. Some drunk guy spilled his drink all over me and… and Gareth was there to help. I guess his band plays there sometimes.”

“His band? Like the one that performed in the middle school talent show?”

“The very same.”

“Wow. They can’t be very good, right?”

“Honestly, I don’t know how much I even heard. All I really paid attention to was the drums.”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

You rolled your eyes at his smirk and threw a stale tater tot at him.

“Shut up. I’m giving it back today, I brought it in my bag so I wouldn’t forget.”

“Oh yeah? Then how’d you end up wearing it?”

Miranda chose that moment to drop down beside her boyfriend and answer for you.

“She was falling asleep in study hall, so I put it under her head. When the bell rang, she just slipped it on and left.” You could tell she was trying to fight it, but she was grinning at the sight. “It looks good on you, by the way.”

“That’s it.”

You jumped up and pulled off the flannel. Your friends teasingly asked you to come back, but you made a beeline for Gareth, who was frantically trying to shush his own friends. You couldn’t seem to look at him, so you simply thrust the flannel toward him with your eyes on the floor.

“Thank you for letting me borrow this Gareth.”

Before he could say anything in response, you hurried back to your table and dropped your head to the surface, narrowly avoiding hitting your lunch tray as Elliot moved it out of the way. Kevin gave his friend a hard stare as he settled the cutoff over his shoulders.

“You won’t let any of us touch that thing.”

“Shut up, Kevin.”

------

You hated bullies. When you were a kid, you often got in trouble for picking fights with the kids who pulled girls’ pigtails or pushed littler kids off the playground. As you grew up, you sought out other solutions; you joined student government, got on teachers’ good sides to earn their trust, and silenced loudmouthed kids who refused to behave themselves. You hadn’t started a fight in years, but for Gareth’s sake, you were ready to break that streak.

Jason and the basketball kids were giving Gareth a hard time near Lover’s Lake one Fall day. It was hardly an irregular occurrence, but this time they took it a bit too far. One of the things Gareth treasured most were his drumsticks. They had been a gift from his dad before he passed away, with his initials intricately carved into them. He never lost track of them, never risked breaking or damaging them, and they never left his possession.

The boys had taken off after throwing his drumsticks into the lake as far as they could, forcing him to wade out in the freezing cold water to retrieve them. You had been out for a walk to clear your mind when you saw a head bobbing in the water and went to investigate.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

When you recognized Gareth, you hurried to the water’s edge and waved at him.

“Gareth, get out of the water! You’ll freeze!”

“Not yet!”

Gareth pushed a little further and snatched the second stick before turning back and trying to reach the shore. You slipped off your shoes and socks, then waded out a few feet and helped him up when he was close enough. He was shivering and breathing hard, nearly feeling his knees buckle as you got him to dry ground.

“Gareth, what were you thinking? The water is way too cold to swim in at this time of year.”

“I n-needed to get my- my drumsticks.”

He feebly showed you the sticks and you gently took them, wiping off the water on the bottom of your sweater. You kept them in one hand, wrapping your arm around Gareth and ushering him toward your car.

“W-where are we go-ing?”

“I have a blanket in my car. Then I’m driving you home and getting you out of those clothes.”

You helped him out of his stiff, cold jacket and flannel, then had him pull off his shoes and socks once he was sitting in your passenger seat. When he was bundled up to the best of your ability, you jumped in the driver’s seat and took off down the dirt road. You left the volume low, but Gareth could tell you had ABBA playing on the radio, which you let your fingers tap along to on the steering wheel.

No words were exchanged during the drive, but you kept a gentle grip on one of his shaking hands. When you made it home, it was drizzling, so you pulled into the garage and led Gareth inside.

“You can go take a warm shower while I grab you some clothes. You can leave yours by the door and I’ll throw them in the dryer.”

Though the thought of showering at your house made him a little nervous, Gareth was too cold to care much. He followed your directions to the bathroom and quickly undressed while the water warmed up. It felt like only seconds had passed before you knocked softly on the door and, announcing that your eyes were covered, set a fresh stack of clothes on the counter for him.

The dryer was rumbling down the hall when Gareth stepped out in a pair of loose sweatpants, a black t-shirt, and a thick maroon sweatshirt. His damp hair hung around his face and his shaking had stopped, which allowed him to feel more at ease. He found you in the kitchen making hot chocolate and gave himself a moment to take you in.

You wore a cozy sweater with a subtle leaf pattern sewn into it with your favorite jeans, the ones with stars and phases of the moon drawn near the cuffs. Your boots were tucked away by the door and your scarf was thrown over a kitchen chair. You were humming softly along with the radio and glancing up every so often at the rain out the window.

“Thanks for the clothes. Are they your brother’s?”

You turned slowly to face him with two full mugs in your hands.

“Elliot’s, actually. He stays over sometimes when we study too late or he falls asleep during movie marathons. He won’t admit it, but he’s a total lightweight. The sweatshirt’s mine though.”

Three months ago, Gareth would have assumed that meant Elliot slept over with you. He would have thought that you would have a set of clothes at his place for the same reason. That you were a couple who would go the distance and stick together after high school. He knew the gesture now for what it was. A sign of lifelong friendship and endless comfort.

“I hope he doesn’t mind.”

“He wouldn’t. He’s always been nice like that.”

You sat down at the table and Gareth did the same.

“So… where’s your family?”

“Day trip to Indianapolis.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

“I needed a little time alone to clear my head. Prom’s starting to get close and a lot of things need to be finalized. I want it to be as close to perfect as I can get it, so I’m stressing myself out a bit. I figured going for a walk around the lake would relax me, but then I nearly had a heart attack thinking you were drowning or something. What were you doing out there anyway?”

Gareth studied the marshmallows in his mug. He wasn’t proud of what Jason and his goons did, or how often they gave him a hard time. At least they didn’t rough him up this time.

“A… a few guys came by when I was going for a walk and threw my drum sticks into the lake.”

Gareth had never seen you look genuinely angry before. He’d seen you playfully glare at Elliot or Miranda, he saw how you could bicker with your siblings, but you were never really upset. Not like you were then, with your brows furrowing and your gentle expression souring into a scowl.

“Who did that?”

“Jason-”

“Carver?”

“Yeah. And some of his basketball buddies.”

Your grip on your mug tightened and Gareth was almost worried you might break it in your hand.

“I’m gonna have to have a word with them.”

“It’s not a big deal, Y/N. It’s not like I’m a new target for them. It happens.”

“No. It’s not okay, Gareth. They can’t just do stuff like that with no consequences. You could have gotten hypothermia or something.”

In an attempt to calm you down, Gareth reached for one of your hands. You didn’t pull away, instead simply gripping his hand tight and letting him run his thumb over your knuckles.

“I’m fine now. I’ve got my drum sticks, some warm clothes, and you. As far as I’m concerned, it all worked out okay.”

Gareth felt a little part of his soul die when his own words sunk in. He was sure it would make you pull away and tell him to leave, but you just nodded a little and took another sip of your drink. Before either of you could find any other words, the dryer beeped and you slowly got up to grab his clothes. You seemed to linger at the edge of his grasp, as if trying to savor his touch for one more second before you were too far away. When your fingers slipped from his and you disappeared around the corner, Gareth forced himself to take a deep breath and cradled his hand like something precious.

------

“Prom is in three weeks, man! How have you not asked her yet?”

“She wouldn’t go with me, Dustin. And why do you care so much anyway?”

Mike piped up from beside him with an exhausted tone.

“Because if you don’t make a move soon, we’re all just telling her how you feel. We can’t keep sitting through your desperate staring and hearing you moan about not having a date to prom.”

Gareth dropped his head to the table and groaned.

“I can’t ask her. She’s planning the dance, she’s not going to feel like she has time to attend it too.”

Dustin let out a quiet sigh when Eddie gave him a signal, but he stood up anyway and made his way over to your table. You were making plans with Miranda to go dress shopping, promising Elliot you’d help him find a matching tie afterward, when Dustin came to stand next to you.

“Uh… Hey, Dustin. Did you need something?”

“Elliot, do you have a minute? I need to talk to you.”

Elliot furrowed his brow in confusion, but followed him out to the hall.

“You care about Y/N’s happiness, right?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Great. Then you’ll help me help Gareth ask her to the prom, right?”

“Huh?”

Dustin rolled his eyes at the junior’s confusion and explained further.

“Gareth wants to take Y/N to prom, but he doesn’t know how to ask her and he thinks she’ll be so busy planning the dance that she won’t want a date to go with.”

“He’s right. Y/N doesn’t go to dances. And she doesn’t really date either. Take my advice kid, and stay out of it.”

“I can’t do that.” Dustin jumped in front of Elliot as he tried to return to the lunchroom. “I can’t keep listening to him pine. Something needs to happen.”

“Don’t get involved. It’s none of your business or mine.”

Elliot pushed past him and returned to his table. He didn’t want to crush Dustin’s hopes or keep you and Gareth from getting together, but he wasn’t about to explain it all to Dustin.

In eighth grade, you’d asked a boy to a dance and it hadn’t gone well. You didn’t make a big public display, opting instead to go to his doorstep with a handmade poster and a hopeful smile. He responded with an awkward comment that dances weren’t his thing and he wasn’t interested in going. Elliot, being the best friend he was, took you instead, insisting on making sure you had a nice time. It killed him inside to see the light fade from your eyes as the boy who’d rejected you walked in with the most popular girl in your grade.

You swore off dating that night and had kept to it. There had been a handful of boys who tried asking you out or made terrible attempts at flirting, but you had buried yourself in schoolwork and never gave them so much as a sideways glance. Gareth was the first guy you’d paid any real attention to in three years.

Maybe it was worth mentioning the possibility to you.

Two days later, on your way out of school, Elliot broached the subject.

“So, prom’s coming along nicely?”

“You know it is, I spent half of lunch boring you with the details.” You glanced at him for a second as you walked past a set of doors. “Why are you asking now?”

“I wasn’t bored. I love hearing about color schemes and streamer debates.”

You paused just past the doors and leaned against the brick wall to fix him with an inquisitive look.

“What are you really getting at, Reacher?”

He sighed and looked down for a second before meeting your eyes.

“What would you think about going to prom? You know, find a date, join me and Miranda; it could be fun. You remember what fun is, don’t you?”

“Elliot, you know how I feel about that. I’m not taking chances and I’m so swamped with planning anyways…”

“You know you deserve to be happy, right? That there’s someone out there waiting to be there for you when you need them?”

“I thought that’s what I have a best friend for.” You raised your eyebrows at him and tilted your head, which he knew meant you were joking. “I like the idea of prom, you know that. But I really think my only place there is in the background, making sure things run smoothly so our classmates can ‘dance the night away.’” You gave a goofy little twirl with your hands clasped together at your chest, batting your eyes at him like a lovestruck kid.

“I don’t mean to pressure you. I just want you to be sure of what you want. I’d hate to see you miss out on something great because you can’t get out of your own head.”

“I happen to like it in here just fine, thank you.” You tapped your head for emphasis and gave him a soft look. “I get your point. Thank you for looking out for me, Elliot. You’re a really great friend.”

------

“She said she doesn’t want to go, Dustin. Now drop it.”

“But what’s the harm in asking her? Girls lie about what they really want all the time.”

Gareth ran a hand down his face and glared a little at the freshman.

“I heard her myself yesterday. She’s not going to prom whether she has a date or not. I’m not about to embarrass myself trying to ask her out just to get shot down and still see her there.”

“Fine. But it’s so obvious she likes you. If you won’t ask her to prom, you’ve gotta ask her out soon.”

“Stay out of it, Henderson.”

Two and a half weeks later, prom arrived. Juniors and seniors were spread all over town, going bowling or mini golfing or planning movie parties. Most of the student council had dates and large friend groups, all of them having finalized plans the night before. The only person not on a date or getting ready with friends, it seemed, was you. Elliot and Miranda tried one more time to invite you to the movies with them, but you politely declined, insistent on making sure every detail of the gym was perfect before any students arrived.

You allowed your siblings to join you that afternoon, racing each other through the halls and dutifully carrying boxes wherever you needed them. A few tables needed to be moved, which your brothers teamed up to do. Your sisters would scramble to grab the chairs and rearrange them around their proper table and look to you for approval. When you were certain everything was just right, you went home for dinner.

“Did Gareth ask you to prom?”

Casey quickly made a cutting motion across her neck to stop Meg. As the oldest of your little siblings, she knew your aversion to dating and dances.

“Uh… no. He didn’t.”

“Why not? I thought he liked you?”

You felt the tips of your ears burn as you poked at your food with your fork.

“I don’t know if he does, Meg. But I don’t need a date anyway. I’m just going tonight to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Casey and Evan tried to redirect the conversation, though it was clear Meg wanted to say more. Ella helped in her own way by trying to steal a bite of Meg’s food, which immediately devolved into a fight between the sisters that Theo had to break up. When you finished eating, you got ready and drove over to the high school again.

You and the council had done a nice job with the place. Every streamer was in place, the dessert table and punch bowl were well organized, and the mass of teens settling in all looked happy. You kept to the sidelines, watching out for anyone trying to spike the punch or cause a scene. You caught sight of Elliot and Miranda sat close together chatting with a few other kids from band and their dates.

Eventually, your eyes drifted over a group that really caught your attention. Eddie was at the front as always, cleaned up better than usual with an uncharacteristic smile on his face compared to the usual mischievous grin. Kevin and Jeff wore nice suits and looked only mildly uncomfortable with their surroundings. But Gareth was something else.

You’d always been a bit nervous with the drummer. You adored his thick, fluffy hair and the red flannel he always wore. His smile and his laugh were infectious and you could watch him play the drums for hours if he let you. Tonight, he wore a long sleeve, deep red plaid shirt tucked into black slacks. His mother had helped wrestle him into a black tie and tried to tame his hair a bit. He looked, as far as you were concerned, stunning.

When you remembered to take a breath, you slipped back behind a thin curtain of streamers and closed your eyes. How did you let yourself get so lost in him? Hadn’t you spent the last three years dedicated to nothing but schoolwork and helping your siblings through the absent parents you’d resented growing up? And now look at you, practically swooning over a boy you refused to hope felt the same way.

Across the gym, Gareth was sure he was sweating through his shirt. He’d spent nearly two hours debating his clothing and refusing to let his mom help. It took a twenty minute pep talk in the mirror to even get in Eddie’s van, the dungeon master having offered to drive the group together to the dance. Now that he was here, admiring your hard work and planning, he was practically shaking with nerves.

“She’s around here somewhere.”

“There’s a lot of people here, Eddie. Maybe I won’t see her.”

“What do you think will be worse? Seeing her or not seeing her?”

“Both.”

Eddie led the way over to the punch bowl, glancing around for a second before slipping a flash from his suit jacket. Gareth grabbed his wrist before he could open it and gave him a scathing look.

“Don’t even think about it. Y/N would be furious if everyone ended up drunk tonight.”

“Gareth, a lot of people are going to end up drunk by the end of the night. I’m just… hurrying it along.”

“Not on my watch.”

You snatched the flask from his hand and held it close, planning on hiding it from him if necessary.

“Munson, I’ve spent the last four months working on this dance. If you mess it up, I’m setting your van on fire with your guitar inside.”

Eddie stepped back with his hands raised and made a quick escape with Jeff and Kevin. Gareth allowed himself a moment to study you. Theo had helped you style your hair, keeping it back from your face and seeming to make your eyes all the more captivating. You had foregone a dress in favor of black slacks, a pristine white button up, and a tie that matched his shirt perfectly. The same exact pattern, same shade of red, everything.

“Hey, Gareth.”

“Hi- Hey… You, um-” He cleared his throat and tried again. “You look good.”

“Thank you. You look great too.”

Your mind was completely blank. You almost never had trouble holding conversations with classmates, but that’s not all Gareth was now.

“The… the gym looks amazing.”

“Thanks. It took some doing, but I think it turned out pretty much how I imagined it.”

You let your eyes wander over all your hard work again. Then you stepped back from the punch bowl and tucked the flask in a box beneath the table, checking quickly to be sure no one else saw. You were spared from further awkward attempts at chatting with Gareth by the sounds of a fight breaking out between a pair of girls. You offered a quick apology and ran off to break it up.

Teenage girls would baffle you your whole life. The pair you pulled apart were bickering over having worn the same dress in different colors. They were friends apparently, who’d gone shopping together but decided to buy their dresses alone to surprise their group. Both girls had promised not to buy the dress they’d equally fallen in love with, but broke the promise (of course). It took ten minutes in the hallway to talk them down and convince them to be civil for the night, but you finally managed to return to the gym.

Gareth was sitting at a table in the corner watching the couples dancing and smiling across the gym. Unbeknownst to him, you stood near the bleachers doing the same thing, both of you wishing you could join them all. Then, in the middle of a slow song, the music cut out. There was a slight commotion by the stage, then you saw Elliot put a record on and start playing.

“If you change your mind, I’m the first in line.”

You wanted to be upset at the disruption, but your favorite song had you smiling and bouncing slightly without even thinking about it. Gareth stared at Elliot from his seat, who gave him an encouraging motion toward you. His head whipped around to see you bouncing on the balls of your feet, bobbing your head slightly as the sweet sounds of ABBA filled the gym and all the other teens began dancing to the new tune.

With a deep, steadying breath, Gareth made his way through the tables and to your side. The chorus was just beginning as you turned to see his outstretched hand and nervous smile.

“May I have this dance?”

He could see the weight that lifted from your shoulders as you took his hand and joined him near the edge of the dance floor. You melted into the crowd easily, many of them calling out the lyrics in unison as the song progressed. You’d never looked so carefree and Gareth was pretty sure he’d listen to hundreds of hours of ABBA if it meant seeing you like this again.

He decided to take the plunge and started singing along, causing you to whirl around and stare wide eyed for a moment before giving him a smile that shone brighter than the sun as you continued belting out the lyrics with everyone else. Partway through, Gareth gently took your hand and raised his voice over the music just enough for you to hear.

“I don’t know exactly why, but I know you don’t date. Whatever the reason, if you change your mind… I’d like to be the first in line.”

“I could take my time?”

“All the time you need, I’m in no hurry. Whenever you’re ready to take a chance, I’ll do my very best to prove it’s worth it.”

You pulled him into a tight hug as the song neared its end. No one else in the world existed in that moment. It was just you, Gareth, and the slowly fading sounds of ABBA. For a few precious seconds, you weren’t worried about all the reasons you had to not believe in love. You didn’t care that your parents never seemed to be in love, that your brother shared with you plenty of cautionary tales, or that you’d built your life on the idea that you would never date. Your only concern was keeping Gareth close.

When the next song began, you forced yourself to pull away. You reached a hand out and Gareth gladly took it in his. With your fingers intertwined, you made your way over to the stage, where Elliot had just hopped down and was handing some money to the dj. You fixed him with a questioning look and waited for him to come to you.

“Reacher, I didn’t expect my best friend of all people to be the one to disrupt the biggest event I’ve planned yet.”

“I wouldn’t call it a disruption. More of a… pleasant surprise.”

“Go dance with Miranda before I decide to be mad at you, even though you did pick my favorite song.”

Elliot gave a joking salute and disappeared into the crowd to reunite with his girlfriend. You looked around at the gym one more time and let out a breath. Your eyes drifted down to your joined hands, then up to Gareth.

“I could really go for a burger and a drive right now. What do you think?”

“But… this dance is like your baby. You don’t want to see it through all the way?”

“I’ve had my fill of babysitting all these teenagers. I should get to enjoy my night too. So are you coming with me or what?”

No one noticed as you and Gareth slipped through the doors and left the gym. Your car was the only one to leave the lot for two hours, pulling onto the road with your prized mixtape blasting through the speakers. When you dropped Gareth off at home, his mom was the only one still up. She took one look at his loosened tie and lovestruck smile and sent him to bed, knowing she’d hear all the details the next day.

Your sisters, despite Theo’s attempts to put them to bed, snuck out of their rooms and down the hall to yours when you returned home. There was no room for negotiation, so you sat on your bed with the three girls curled up around you listening intently as you told them all about your night. They swooned at your description of the dance and cheered quietly when you told them how you and Gareth drove all through town listening to every track on your tape and talking in between.

You drifted off to sleep in the earliest hours of the morning, dreaming of more nights spent like this one and feeling the ghost of his hand in yours. After all this time, you found someone worth taking a chance on. And you were determined not to let it go to waste.

------

“I knew it would work.”

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t, I just pointed out the flaws.”

“When are people going to start trusting me? I’m always right.”

“Shove it, Henderson.”

Dustin and Elliot watched from the lunch line as you and Gareth sat down, a can of Dr Pepper in front of each of you, his flannel cutoff settled over your shoulders.

“She really never got upset about you hijacking the music? And she didn’t question the tie?”

“Nope. She loved the tie and was just glad she didn’t have to find one herself. She hasn’t told me much, but I didn’t see her the rest of the night.”

“Gross.”

Elliot smacked him upside the head and walked off to join you at your new usual table. Miranda was across from you with Lucas beside her, so Elliot settled on her other side. Jeff took his place on Gareth’s other side and Dustin joined Mike near the end of the table. Lunch was more engaging now, with your boyfriend and his friends always surrounding you. While no situation was perfect, you figured this was pretty close and you were satisfied with that.

#gareth emerson x reader #gareth x reader #reader insert #female reader #stranger things x reader #my writing #haven writes

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geminimoonbeamx · 2 years

Text

Reality Bites: Dazed & Confused(3/6)

A/N: I hope you guys dig this! This was an extra little filler that I thought I’d give Ya’ll, a little peek into Bean, Peach and Steve’s dynamic. @allaboardthereadingrailroad, this might be my fave chapter.

Warnings: Copious amounts of drug use. Pass the dutchie.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Plus Sized Reader

Summary: You invite Steve to come along on a ritual smoke-sesh with Bean. He cannot hang.

Chapter Three: You Spin Me Right Round Baby

You hate Fridays, how could a day that used to mean freedom, that you used to count down the hours to, now be the bane of your existence?

As you watch the line to the register grow and the store become increasingly more crowded its crystal clear.

Everyone and their fucking mother coms to the mall on Friday.

After five, once corporate releases its zombies, they all gather at Star Court.

You avoid the three to close shift like the plague on the weekends.

But well, Jimmy is a basket case and totally has it out for his workers because he’s upset he lives in his mom's basement.

You're forced to deal with another middle-aged woman shoving a cassette in your face and demanding a refund because she couldn't figure out that it had a B-Side,

“Ma’am, I understand your frustration but once it's been taken out of its wrapping, we can't give you a cash refund, it’s Sam’s policy. But we can issue you in-store credit”-

“That's simply unacceptable. I want to speak to a manager. I spend my money here and I expect better customer service than this. I want to speak to Sam, right now”

You want to choke her.

You want to burn down Jimmy’s moms house and the basement that he resides in,

Instead, you take a breath through your nose, and widen your smile “Ma’am, unfortunately there's not a manager in today, but I’m sure me or one of my team members can figure this out for you. As for Sam, that’s not a person- it’s short for Sam Goody”

The store you’re in you dumb bitch.

You add that part mentally.

Her face still screws, and you still take a tongue lashing for another five minutes before she accepts a new Joni Mitchel tape, snatching it out of your hands and storming out of the store.

You lock eyes with Bean, who’s fighting for her life in the Heavy Metal section. A screaming preteen and their parents in front of her-

“Black Sabbath is devil music! I will not hear, not one more bit’a it”

It's been one of those Fridays.

You’re hanging on by a thread, only the promise of your break keeping you sane. A joint and a smoothie from the Julius. You’d rather have a shake but well- you're not even craving one.

That badly.

Not badly enough to face Steve, who's also working until closing down at Scoops.

No, you needed some distance. Some space to breathe.

Lately your life had seemed to be choked full of nothing but him and it made your skin crawl, made sirens go off in your head.

Steve gives good head,

Without you even having to ask.

Why’d he have to make things weird?

We could get dinner at Enzo’s sometime, you're off this weekend right? I know reservations aren't easy to score but my dad actually gave the owner the loan to open so we can go in whenever. If you wanted…do you want?”

That had been two nights ago, the two of you in his bedroom.

Because that's something you do now, spend time in Steve Harrington's bedroom. His parents are like never home, as usual, and it was easier to hook up at his place when Uncle Elliot’s not at work.

All for convenience, really.

He’d just made you touch the moon, and before you could even wallow in post orgasmic haze fully there he was.

Being complicated.

Offering things like Italian by candlelight, and he’d pick you up at eight- if you wanted.

You very much did not want- and had pulled on your clothes with an excuse.

You have to be up early to take Bowie to the vet, no, Uncle Elliot can't do it. Bye, see ya later.

On the drive home, as you weaved in and out of the neighborhoods of Hawkins, you couldn't deny that penne vodka did sound good. Steve would look good in the warm glow of candles-

No.

Oh now.

“Hey miss, can you check me out or not?”

Break could not come soon enough.

“What is wrong with people?” Bean laments as the two of you navigate the parking lot. The crow is so thick out here, it must look like ants from an aerial view. “The world needs a new epidemic. The human race needs to be culled”

You snort and stuff the last couple fries in your mouth “That lady was like ninety years old, she didn't mean to spill your Icee”

“Not just her, I mean like generally”

“Mmkay, sure” You throw an arm around her shoulder “It’s okay, Grumpy Bear, in like ten minutes the rest of the world will barely exist. That shit we got from that scary guy actually turned out to be pretty dank”

“True, very true, it was worth the life risking” Bean agrees, “I mean we could’ve been chopped up into a million little pieces, but I really have never been so high in my life. Shit, you should've seen what happened at dinner the other night. It’s like my mom could smell it on me- and Erica’s such a little asshole, she almost got me caught”

You loved Bean's little sister, you aspired to be Erica Sinclair when you grew up. You tell Bean of that fact often.

“Are you sure she couldn't actually smell it on you?”

“Absolutely the fuck not. I smoked in the woods behind our house, and then showered after, tooth paste and mouth wash. You know I have to be extra careful, my parents would literally kill me if they found out”

“You’re right, it would be the actual end of the world if their Purdue bound, future Scientist got caught smoking a little Ganja. I really could literally see your dad breaking down in to tears”

“No dude, he’d totally cry. Act like I’m snorting hack drugs or something in my spare time”

You can’t help but chuckle at the mental image of Mr. Sinclair weeping over his drug addled daughter.

Beans parents are kind of overbearing, but like, in the normal way. It makes you wonder what having a live mother and real father would be like.

You’d acquired a few too many bad habits for parentals at this point, you think.

The lot is full, there’s people everywhere, and you don’t notice the maroon BMW until you’re already right in front of it. Until the driver's side door slams shut behind the lanky brunette.

What are the odds that you and Steve just happen to have your break at the same time?

“It’s the universe. I don’t know what signs it’s trying to give me, but it keeps aligning at just the wrong point. It’s like I can’t get away from him”

“It may be universe, or you know what else it might be? The fact that we all work at the same place, Peach”

You’d told Bean, told her that you and Steve were stuck in some wacky loophole. If this isn’t proof, then what is?

“Um, Hi Steve” you greet, keeping it cool. Casual. There’s nothing going on, this isn’t weird.

You slip your arm from the perch of Bean's shoulder and stand a little straighter.

“Hey girls” Steve nods at the two of you and the small smile and wave that Bean gives is terribly forced. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing much. Just taking our break- as far away from this hell hole as possible” you crack the joke and for some reason it doesn’t make impact. Steve’s laugh is half-hearted, more of a short grunt then anything.

What the hell? He always laughs at your jokes.

“Same here” he answers instead

“Oh. That’s cool?”

“Yeah, um if you want we could go do something“ he throws out, casts a line.

“Can’t, we already have plans” you reply, softer, and even then, he looks a little bit like a kicked puppy. He masks it with bravado and nods, because of course you do.

That’s why the two of you are together- plans.

Obviously.

“Can we go smoke now? We should hurry, so we have enough time to get back and clock in?” Bean interjects and God you love her and you know she can’t handle tension like this, but right now, you want to wallop her.

Because you know the moment it comes out, what you’ve been forced to do.

“Yeah, let’s go. Steve, do you wanna come with?” It’s polite. It’s the right thing to do, the right thing to ask.

“What?” The inquiry comes at you from both ways, feminine and masculine voices converging as to sets of dark eyes zero in on you. Bean looks shocked. Steve hesitant.

“Come smoke with us? Fridays are literal dumpster fire and I think we could all use the relief. But if you don’t want to that’s okay” Please say you don’t want to.

“No, I’ll come. Where do you guys usually go because I could drive. We could take my car?” Steve offers and you can feel Bean still staring at you like you’d grown a second head.

“We don’t need to drive, just follow us, okay? Oh and bring that cologne you keep on the dash, you might need it” you warn him, because the weed in your bookbag is anything but mild.

When he bends back into his car Bean pinches your arm

What the fuck.

She doesn’t have to scream it, doesn’t even have to open her mouth to say it. It’s written all over her face.

You know I couldn’t just leave him here. It’s not my fault!

Women have this gift, the gift of telepathic gab.

The two of you have an entire conversation, silently, before Steve rejoins you and you’re off.

You suck ass.

At least that’s what you think Beans last little glare would be translated to.

You take Steve to your secret spot. Which is not as much secret as it is unknown. A little corner off the east loading bay, gated off.

What most people don’t know? The gates never locked.

You had discovered it early into your Star Court career, perpetually lost you’d somehow ended up here. No one ever uses the space and it’s hidden away from view.

The perfect place to spark up.

It’s kind of a walk, but there’s a little bench and to this day you and Bean hadn’t had any run-ins with security.

You inform Steve of this as you’re sat on the green metal, pulling the tin from your bag.

“You smoke at work? Like all the time” he clarifies, looking doubtful. He turns the look to Bean who shrugs and nods.

“All the time, it’s really no biggie” You explain, pulling out the joint that bean had pre-rolled in your car on the way to work. It’s a beauty, but then again they always are. She’s an artist.

“Do you want greens?” You offer and when he looks hesitant you sign “look I’m not into that peer pressure shit. You don’t have to smoke if you don’t want to”

You spark the joint, running your purple lighter along the twisted edge and until it’s cherried and then taking a long drag. The smoke and burn familiar.

You hand it off to Bean who hits it long and smooth.

“We never get caught, if that’s any consolation” she tells him, exhaling a large flume of smoke before holding it up, a small non-forceful offer.

Steve takes one more moment, and then gives the universal sign of fuck it. Shoulders shrugged, taking the spliff.

He hits it way too hard, and ends up hacking. You both wince because ouch.

“Jeeze Steve, come on. I know you don’t have baby lungs. You got me high for my first time at the twins’ party back in eighth grade” you tease him, taking the joint from him and trying not to laugh as he composes himself.

“I don’t that’s just harsh” his pretty face is flushed, but he’s catching his breath. Kind of.

You scoot on the bench, closer to Bean, giving him room to sit. It’s always a perfect fit for the two of you but with Steve it’s tight, you’re sandwiched in the middle, and that’s not so bad, is it?

That might just be the weed taking. Strongest shit ever.

The three of you bleed away the minutes, puff-puff passing. Chatting about nothing.

Well you and Steve chat, mostly Steve who you now know gets extremely talkative when he’s got THC in his system.

Beans quieter but that’s to be expected, she doesn’t know Steve. And what she does know of him, she’s not sure she likes.

“It’s been real life hell. This woman threw a Mannilow record at our coworker, shit was nuts. Right, Bean”

“Bean? Is that your actual name?” Steve wonders, sitting up to look past you and at your friend.

You wonder if she knows how cool she looks, hair tied up, sunglasses resting on her nose. Even if you told her she wouldn’t believe you.

“Um, no?” She answers, giving him a look over her dark glasses that has you bursting into laughter, you cover your mouth with your hand in an attempt to smother it.

“I didn’t think so. You're Lucas' sister, right?” Steve goes on, extroverted as ever. He could talk to anyone, it had always been his trade.

Beans a tough egg to crack though.

You’d learnt that. Last year when you were partnered with her, back in school. It had taken a minute for your friendship to bloom.

“Yeah, Lucas is my little brother” Bean replies easily, taking her turn “My name’s B/R/N”

“Oh yeah! We had that Geometry class together, right?” Steve insists, excited, like he’d solved an equation.

“No” Bean counters. Not rude, maybe a little aloof but mostly just high.

Steve face falls a bit, lips pursed “You sure, I could’ve sworn?-“

“I was in honors math all throughout High School- so when you were taking Geometry, I was taking Trig” she explains, the fucking brainiac. “Must’ve been someone else”

“Ugh” you gag “even hearing math terms makes me want to slit my wrists”

“Shit, honors all throughout school? You must be going off somewhere big in the fall” Steve guesses, correctly unbeknownst to him.

“Purdue”

He whistles and even though talking about the impending doom that is Autumn, you can’t help but grin.

You’re happy for her, even if you’re sad for yourself.

“Our little scientist. She’s going to win a Nobel Prize one day” you gush like a proud mom. I mean, Beans mom is already proud, but she can have two of them.

“I’m aiming more for a Fields Medal” She corrects you and you blow a very mature raspberry at her

“Okay smart ass, maybe aim for not killing one of our customers tonight”

“Peach, did you or did you not just say that you wanted to burn our bosses house to the ground, with him and his family trapped inside?” She reminds you, dead serious, of the threats you’d made against Jimmy’s life.

“I did, yes” it only takes you locking gazes with your friend for a moment before you’re both chuckling.

This weed is good as hell.

Giggle weed, you’d named it.

It made you feel cloud-like and light. Everything was funnier on this high, the world and all of its issues less rigid.

“Peach? Is that a nickname for you, Y/N?” Steve is just full of questions, he looks you up and down with a smile “When did you guys get so close? I don’t remember you ever hanging out in school”

“When did you become friends with a bunch of thirteen year olds, including my brother?” Bean shoots back fast and you think that Steve will have to get the hang of her eventually.

Figure out that she’s all wit and no bite.

I mean, if he wanted to be…friends with you at all, that would be a necessity.

The sky is blue, and yeah it’s hot as balls, even in the evening- but you’re sitting between two of your favorite people.

Or maybe just your favorite person and Steve, you hadn’t decided yet.

But the with every puff you think that yeah. It might not be so bad- Steve might not be so bad.

“You’re the worst”

You accuse Steve in a whisper as the three of you walk through the sliding doors of the mall “pull it the fuck together, I swear, I’m never smoking with you again”

Steve’s first talkative when he’s high. And then giggily, which might just have been the strain. But now he’s paranoid.

Super paranoid.

“I smell like weed, you smell like weed. There’s no way Robins not going to be able to smell me” he insists, like he has been for the last ten minutes.

Even though he’s drowned himself in so much cologne that all you could smell within a mile radius of him was Dior.

“It’s fine. Robin isn’t going to know if you just chill out” you whisper at him, allowing the grip he has on your hand to tighten because he’s freaking out for no reason and you feel just a tad bit responsible.

You should’ve known he couldn’t keep up with you and Bean.

Steve’s “I smoke at parties” tolerance was far from you and Bean's “I smoke the moment I wake up” tolerance.

It had only been one joint, but for him it was way too much.

“It’s all in your head, on the outside you look fine. I mean you’re in a sailor costume, but you look fine” Beans reassures in a way only she could. “And plus, who cares about Robin?”

“Exactly, who cares about Robin? She’s not your boss. She can’t fire you. Fuck her. Just go in and be chill. Hah, get it. Chill. Because you work at an ice cream place-“

At least someone gets your joke, the peal of laughter Bean lets out makes you snigger along.

“It’s not funny and it’s not fuck Robin, we’re friends. Kind of“

“Oh?” You observe,

“No, not like that. Not like we’re friends. She just likes to bust my balls-“

“I bet” you nod, and you probably shouldn’t be putting him through the usual wringer, not while he’s this stoned but you just can’t help yourself.

“Stop it, I know what you’re doing and I’m already tripping out. I can’t handle any freaky foreplay head games right now” Steve’s serious and grasping your hand tighter, his palm sweaty as your fingers interlock.

And if you have to take the rest of the day off to take this idiot home and take care of him you’re going to be so annoyed.

“Hey Steve,” Bean calls, giving him just a moment before taking a piece of ice from her water cup she’d scored at the food court and placing it in his empty hand “There, sudden exposure to cold is known to bring down a high. And you work in an Ice Cream parlor. It’s fine. Stop tripping out, you’re harshing my mellow”

He looks shocked for a second, before fisting the ice “Yeah, you’re right, that does feel better”

She shrugs and turns her back, her jet-black bun bobbing.

“You’re going to be okay, dude. If anything, just clock out early. I’ll come check on you, if I get the time” you instruct him as you and Bean drop him off in the doorway of Scoops.

Like he’s your kindergartener.

He nods, and goes forward into the abyss. The rainbow colored, multi flavored abyss.

“Oh my god I’m never smoking with you and your boyfriend again” Bean hisses, once he’s out of earshot and you glare at her and bump her arm with yours as you redirect.

“He's not my boyfriend. Not even close. He’s barely even my friend, he’s just a friend with benefits. Benefits, mostly” you correct her, because she’s got it all wrong.

“Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself. Because Honestly, you’re doing a poor job of both” Bean is cutting.

You’d learned that a long time ago. She’s direct and blunt and sometimes? She has too good of an aim.

“Fuck you, Yoda. I hate that you get all philosophical when you’re stoned, you’re the worst” you accuse her, glaring at the side of her head as you make your way back to work.

“Right back at ya”

And the two of you clock back into hell.

Were halfway done. How did that happen? I hope you guys are enjoying the adventures of Peach and Bean as much as we enjoyed writing them. Please, continue to leave feedback. It means more then you know.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x plus sized reader #steve harrington smut #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fluff

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persephonesbody · 4 months

Text

the weekend: part ii, elliot x reader

୨୧ the weekend masterlist synopsis: in which he's in a relationship but still has you wrapped around his finger... but only on the weekend warning(s): infidelity/cheating, angst, arguing, lying, nate jacobs, manipulation, gaslighting, public humiliation, rough handling, bitchy!reader (?), canon relationship, probs more but i can't think of them rn author's note: will be writing a third part to this because i finally have an idea of where i want to take the plot. unedited. happy new year! enjoy :)) wc: 1.1k

“Elliot, stop. I’m not joking.”

He caressed the dip in your back softly and ran down the sides of your body, trailing down to your thighs. Your breath hitched and your fingers quickly clawed at his hands and your eyes struggled to convey how serious you were.

“Lighten up, babydoll,” his smooth voice laced your eardrums. You tried your hardest to fight temptation once again and failed miserably.

His fingers were now pulling on the material of your underwear. He continued to tease and tug until you firmly grabbed her hand and yanked it from your lower half, “I’m not having sex with you. Not here. Not tonight. Not ever.”

Your tone caught his attention. He gently removed his hand from your grip and cupped your face. And with a grin on his face, he said, “Stop lying to yourself.”

“I’m not lying. I’m done with you. For good,” you strongly declared.

A faint chuckle left his lips and he shook his head. You thanked God that the music was blaring as loud as it was because if not, you would’ve been able to hear a pin drop. The atmosphere in the bathroom was still. You both sat on opposite sides, against the sink and him near the shower.

It was like that for about two minutes before he breezed past you and left you in the bathroom. Alone with your dress riding up your thigh, the lip gloss on your lips completely smudged off.

It was taking everything in you not to choke up and bawl right here, right now. In one of the many bathrooms in this huge mansion. At someone's party who you didn't even know.

After pulling yourself together and finishing what was left in your red cup, you braced yourself and left the bathroom. You pushed your way through the crowd and into the kitchen to make yourself another drink.

Spotting a half-full glass of tequila, you grabbed it and poured its contents into your cup. Before you could chug it, you were stopped by the sound of a man’s voice.

“You’re gonna down all that with no chaser?”

You furrowed your eyebrows and directed your eyes to whoever the voice belonged to. As soon as you met his eyes, yours rolled so hard with annoyance and fixed on walking away, “I don’t have the energy for this,” you cursed under your breath

“Oh come on, Y/N. Did you join the Nate Jacobs Hate Club too?” He playfully questioned with a faux pout on his face, “Let me make you a drink.”

He’s drunk. As fuck.

“No thank you.” You respond swiftly with a tight-lipped smile.

“Oh, come on, Y/N, lighten up.”

It was as if you’d heard the last two words that Nate spoke in an echo. Your mind taking you back to just a few moments ago in that bathroom.

“I’ve had my fair share of asshole interaction for the night, so I’ll repeat once again: No thank you.” You thought that that would be the end of this confrontation when you turned around, but you felt his hand grip the top of your arm, a little too roughly causing you to wince loudly.

You looked at him as if he had five heads and tried yanking your arm out of his hand, “Are you fucking crazy?” you harshly spat.

It seemed as if no one around you wanted to help or even cared about what was happening. Everyone continued their social activities over the loud music while the skin underneath Nate’s fingertips squeezed under tense pressure.

“I wasn’t asking,” He uttered through his gritted teeth. He yanked your arm and dragged you along out of the kitchen and outside, “Come on outside, I have a real treat for you.”

You begin to scream at him, ordering him to release you and let you go. Nate didn’t answer, just led you outside and shoved you toward the lawn. You stumbled, catching your balance and fully ready to take off on him, and just when you were about to punch him square in the nose, your eyes caught his.

Elliot stood there right next to her, who stood next to Maddy, Kat, Cassie, and Rue. They all stared at you in complete disgust.

“Is it true, Y/N?” Jules asked softly, “Did you try to hit on Elliot?” her eyes teary and burning into yours awaiting an honest answer.

Your heart sank and confusion plagued your demeanor, “W-wha–”

“He told us everything,” Rue stepped forward.

“I don’t know what you’re talking abou–”

“You tried to fuck him. Just now, in the bathroom.” Maddy blurted out, “Did you think she wouldn’t find out?” She gestured at Jules,

You could not believe what you were hearing right now.

You glanced at Maddy, then Cassie, Rue… Jules… and lastly Elliot. The smirk on his face was indescribable, almost like he was taunting you for finally deciding to end things. That's why he was so silent. That why he had that stupid fucking grin plastered on his face.

He took the one thing that you didn’t want to happen and used it against you. And now your secret was out, and Elliot was the puppet master. But you weren’t going to let him win. You weren’t backing down without a fight.

“First off, I didn’t try to do anything. I did. Multiple times. And, by the way, Elliot came onto me. Not the other way around.” you clarified, looking specifically at Jules, “I’m also sure that after this party he’ll try to call and plead his case after attempting to throw me under the bus over a ‘relationship’ that he initiated.”

“You’re disgusting.” Kat blurted out.

All eyes outside were now on you and the dramatic scene taking place at the moment.

You cut your eyes at Elliot and his were already on you. Staring into your soul with that stupid grin. It was at this moment you realized that nothing that you were saying was making the situation better. Because no matter how you looked at it, you and Elliot were always in the wrong.

You and Elliot, yet here you were. Taking the fall for it all because he was bitter about you trying to break it off.

This is so fucked.

“Fuck all of you.” You choked out, your throat burning from the sobs you were holding back. Tears brimmed at the tips of your eyelids and you knew that it was time to leave to save yourself from more dramatics.

With that, you trudged off the lawn, leaving all of them with your words and nothing else.

#elliot x reader #elliot x y/n #elliot x you #euphoria imagines #dominic fike #elliot euphoria #black reader #elliot x black reader #euphoria #dominic fike smut #the weekend | elliot x reader

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cryptonite-exe · 1 year

Note

Can I please get some headcanons of mirage with a more alternative reader? like someone who dresses with a lot of chokers wears a lot of black and listens to lots of nu metal

no rushes though! love your writing <3

a new, real love | mirage headcanons

𓆩♡𓆪 pairing ; mirage x gn!reader

𓆩♡𓆪 a/n ; this feels like a self insert FJDFBHDS still thank you for requesting!

elliot could only describe you as "someone different from the others he's dated" and to him that was no understatement

he's had his fair share of women, men, and in between that the planets had to offer and he could say confidently that you caught his eye and peaked his curiosity the most

the announcement of your soon participation in the games had everyone curious in fact, but when elliot saw your banner something in his gut told him to go for it

and he made it a rule to never go out with colleagues

elliot with his very quick to crumble confidence made it his mission to whoo you over

and a mission success it was. you were charmed by the idiot that's now your boyfriend

at first, he was under the impression that you'd bite his head off if he ever breathed in your direction

but to his surprise, you shared a pleasant first conversation with him

elliot thought nothing negative of your aesthetic at all- rather, he found himself growing fond of it the more he saw you

he totally tried wearing your fishnets and the various accessories you had at your shared apartment only for you to catch him red handed

like a dear caught in headlights, he quicky became a stuttering mess trying to defend himself

"how cute" you'd say, kissing him on the temple before properly getting him the right clothes

for hours you both experimented on different outfits, some he liked and some he couldn't look himself in the mirror without the feeling of embarrassment

you discover that elliot is quite fond of fish nets both on you and now on himself

(quite explains the sudden clinginess when he sees you wearing it)

your music taste is definitely something he had to get around on

the usual music playing at his bar was either some stupid sexy song, justin bieber, or the weekend- clearly reflective of his character

so before you started dating, there was a time when you lent him one of your earphones

and the moment you hit play, elliot jumped from surprised, and so did his soul

yes it took him some time to get used to it but now he even got a playlist with songs you've recommended

the only downside now is his willingness to argue with you on which song to play

"hey no not this one, 'a match into water' is better" he says, skipping various songs from your playlist until it played

the more time you spend with him, the more you got to see how black elements started sneaking it's way into his usual pop of color clothes

some being from your own closet but oh well he loves it so much.

his lifestyle definitely changed, but who said it was bad? you filled something in his heart he didn't know he needed

one of his favorite activities now is jamming out with you at the early hours of day

who cares about the neighbor's complaints when he's too busy looking at you

#cryptonite-exe #apex legends #mirage #elliot witt #mirage apex legends #apex legends mirage #apex legends x reader #apex x reader #mirage x reader #elliot witt x reader #apex legends fanfic #mirage headcanons #apex legends headcanons #apex legends fic

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hoosurdaddy · 2 years

Text

Hallucinogens.

Dark!Rue Bennett x reader.

(TW: HEAVY DRUG USE MENTIONED, rue being a horrible girlfriend, manipulative behaviour, isolation, alcohol, rue ruining the readers life).

Rue knew you had dreams. About leaving this shit town and going to college. She was so excited and giddy for you. She loved hearing you talk and gleefully exclaim about the exciting life you wanted to live.. Rue had promised you she was going to be there every step of the way..

But a part of Rue knew she would be stuck here, with the same people, in the same town and living in her moms home, probably doing nothing. Rue never wanted to admit she was envious of you and your dreams, she didn’t want you to go. To go be better than her with your amazing degree, travelling and experiencing the world, meeting people, opportunities.. no.

And what better way to stop you? feeding you drugs and alcohol?

It started small. Rue robbing some of Elliot’s whiskey. It was fun, the hangovers were killers. Then eventually, when Rue claimed she no longer wanted to be hungover, she suggested weed. You were hesitant at first, but Rue was so convincing. “Just try it. You might like it.” And you loved it.

Then the weed moved onto harder drugs. Opioids, injecting morphine into eachother just for “fun”, even popping a few pills here and there. In both your opinions, it was a way to kill the weekend and breaks. But turned into a weekday and weekend habit.

You and Rue graduated (barely). You both decided it would be a good option to move into a small hut with cheap rent, wanting to “take your relationship to the next level” . You both got part time jobs to fund your habit after Rue “convinced” you to a year out, you agreed despite holding your dream so close to your chest. Rue knew your family and friends hated her. She ruined you, and your future.

“But baby, we don’t need them right?” Rue exclaimed as she wiped your tears after another horrible fight with your parents over Rue. “We only need eachother. No one understands us or our love.. they want to take you from me.. But baby, I’m all you need.”

Rue knew somewhere deep, deep down under all the drugs in your system; you hated her too. Rightfully so. Everytime you got a little too confident, she would knock you down a peg or two, just to keep you down.

As you brushed your hair in the mirror. “I think I might take a little break from the drugs and alcohol..” you announced suddenly. Rue was sitting on the couch with a joint in hand and a glass of vodka in the other. “I might.. I don’t know.. Go take a few classes at the community college down the road.”

“Aren’t they like expensive.. or some shit?” Rue muttered as she took a sip of the vodka, ignoring the burning sensation in her throat.

You looked so happy, looking at her. Oh wait.. you were serious. Rue knew you wanted get better and that annoyed her. Rue didn’t want you leaving. Who did you think you were? Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you were fucking better than her.

You shrugged. “I mean.. I guess.”

The happiness drained from your face when Rue stood up abruptly, joint laying between her fingers. “You think you’re better than me is it? You wanna go out and try become some Elle Woods or some shit?”

“Rue…”

“I’m fucking serious, Y/N.” Rue yelled, moving up so close she was near your face. “I would rather you fuck Nate Jacobs, than go anywhere near that stupid fucking commu-“

You rolled your eyes. “That’s not what I’m talking about Rue.”

Rue threw her hands up in the air, letting the glass smash in the process. “Than what! Do we not have a good life together?” She groaned, gripping onto the top of her hair as she felt herself wanting to scream at you for being so careless with your thinking but decided to keep her voice low, wanting to anger you to the point of you looking crazy. “Do you realise they’ll fill your head with some stupid stuff.. Like.. Like.. Government weird type of stuff.”

“Stuff about the government?” You laughed. “Oh fuck off Rue.”

Rue stared at you. “Fuck off?”

You instantly regretted telling your girlfriend to fuck off. By the look in her eyes, you knew you had upset her. She was only trying to help you. “Rue, I am so sorry.”

“Do you want me to fuck off? Cause I can leave… I’ll leave right now and you will never see me again.”

You quickly stood up, rushing over to Rue who was heading to leave through the front door. You hugged her tightly. “Please don’t leave me.” You sobbed, shaking. Rue wasn’t sure if it was withdrawals or the fight, one way to find out.

Rue hugged back before pulling away. “It’s okay baby. You weren’t thinking right.” She smirked. “Lets go get high.”

#rue bennett #euphoria #rue bennett x reader #euphoria imagine #dark!euphoria imagine #dark!rue bennett x reader

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angeleyesmalek · 5 years

Text

Late Night Blackout

Pairing: Elliot Alderson x Reader

Summary: When the lights go out, you don’t want to be home alone in a bad neighborhood.

Warnings: So. Many. Run. On. Sentences. Also, just really bad syntax & diction. This is just a hot mess. Probably cursing too. Please forgive me for this atrocity.

Word Count: 2,235

One nineteen in the morning was quiet, well, as quiet as it got in New York City. You were alone in your apartment, the only sound throughout the tiny space was the slicing of your fan through the humid air and the loud buzzing and grumbling of the shitty air conditioning unit in your home. It must’ve been a hundred degrees outside, and it was at least eighty in your tiny little shoebox.

Kicking off your covers didn’t help much, so you laid in bed. The ceiling wasn’t interesting, but you found yourself staring at the off-white wall, zoning out and projecting the movie in your mind on the blank space. You made up stories in your head, imagining what life would be like if all your dreams came true, playing out conversations that would never happen.

A sudden jerk of silence yanked you from your meditation. You shot up in bed, noticing that your surroundings were so dark you couldn’t see much. Usually, the city lights would illuminate the space enough to outline everything, but this was darker than that. Plus, all the lights in your apartment were out. The clock on the stove, your computer’s lights, the night light in the bathroom that helped you when you got up in the night. They were all off. It was a blackout.

You flopped back onto your mattress with a huff, dreading the heat that would undoubtedly begin creeping into your home. It took a few hours for the temperature to rise to unbearable heights. You felt the beads of sweat dripping down your body everywhere. You couldn’t take it anymore.

After lugging your body up, you clambered over to your window, ripping your curtains apart to open it. The slight breeze, although stale from blowing through the city, was at least slightly cooling. A sigh escaped your nose before you retreated to your bed.

This was as good as it was going to get, and you knew it.

Living in a bad neighborhood put you on edge. Living alone in a bad neighborhood, well, looking over your shoulder was second nature by now. That’s why you didn’t close your eyes at first. Your window lead to the fire escape, so if someone wanted to, they could technically climb in. You’d taken all the appropriate precautions against it, but you rarely opened your window when the power was on. Now, the power was off.

Blackouts were a free for all for robberies, burglaries, and breaking and enterings. You’d seen the aftermath many times, and you’d heard so many stories. You didn’t want to be one of those stories. So, you kept an eye on your window and your ears peeled.

At two fifty-six, you wished you hadn’t opened your window. A loud crash echoed through the streets, and your blood ran cold. When you sprung out of bed to lock your window, you caught a glimpse of a gang of robbers entering the bodega across the street while you drew your curtains. Chances are, the grate wouldn’t lock without electricity, so the robbers had probably picked manual the lock easily.

Four masked figures got to work. The one who broke the glass on the door opened the door and entered the store followed by another. Two stayed outside. One held a baseball bat and continued working on the windows. The other stood watch.

You watched the scene from between your curtains for less than ten seconds before you retreated from the window, grabbing your phone to text the only other person who might be awake this late. You hoped he hadn’t fallen asleep already. When you found Elliot in your messages, you began to type, “Hey. Can I come down & stay the night? I know it’s late, but I don’t really want to be alone in this blackout.”

You stared at the message for a minute before you returned to your home screen and locked your phone. Just when you let it fall to your side, the device vibrated.

Elliot’s name lit up the screen with his response. “Sure.”

A little bit of fear evaporated from inside you. You mentally thanked the kind man who you lived above while you grabbed a blanket. Before you headed out, you also grabbed a cd sitting on your desk. It was by an artist he’d mentioned the last time you talked. When you saw it at the store, you bought it without thinking. Only after did you regret it. You wondered if he already had the album, or if it was an album he didn’t like. You almost returned it, but you never got the opportunity. Now, you were going to see him, so you figured you’d at least offer it to him.

Then, you approached your door, checking if the coast was clear through your peephole. You didn’t expect to see a candlelit Elliot approaching your door. After you quickly unlocked the deadbolt, you slid the door open just as he was lifting his fist to knock.

Elliot looked warm in the orangey candlelight. He looked like he came out of a dream, his eyes sparkling more than usual with the reflection of the flickering flame.

“I was just about to head down,” you mumbled.

“Wanted to come get you,” Elliot explained, “Figured you were kind of…” His words trailed off. He knew you were scared, but he also knew you were reluctant to admit it. Elliot didn’t know why you were ashamed, but he didn’t want to push it. The last thing he wanted was to make you uncomfortable. You were already frightened, and he knew you’d get defensive if he said anything that would make you run off.

Your gaze fixed on the floor. You were well aware that he knew. However, in a monotonous tone, you muttered, “Thanks.”

“We can stay here if you want,” Elliot offered. He thought it might make you feel better if you were in your own safe space, as opposed to his.

“Nah,” you disagreed, “I don’t want to drag you out of your place just because I want company.” In reality, you knew being in your place would set you on edge. At Elliot’s, you’d feel completely surrounded by him, protected in a bubble of Elliot. You wanted to feel protected, even if you didn’t want to admit it.

Elliot didn’t press you further. Instead, he nodded at you. You locked your door and began the stroll down the stairs. He was wearing his usual black hoodie and a pair of black sweat pants. It made you wonder if he was burning up with the heat. After all, you were in shorts and a baggy top, and you were still sweating.

The thought was quickly forgotten when you both approached Elliot’s door. When he pushed it open, you snuck inside behind him only to notice Flipper slowly dragging her tired little body over to you so she could sniff you and give you a few sleepy licks. You scratched her ear before you encouraged her to go back to sleep. Elliot’s voice caught your attention.

“Why do you have a blanket?”

He noticed the fabric tucked under your arm while you had been stroking Flipper. You explained, “Wasn’t sure if you’d want me to sleep on the floor, so I came prepared.”

Something flashed in his eyes, hurt perhaps. Elliot’s expression was almost guilty. “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.”

The only light inside radiated from the candle Elliot held in his hand and his laptop screen that was resting on his bed. Even his computer setup was dark. You’d never seen it like that.

“Do you have any more candles,” you inquired, “It’s kind of hard to see.”

Elliot nodded in understanding before he pointed to a cupboard under his kitchen’s counter. “Yeah. I didn’t light them because it was so hot. They’re in the far cabinet.”

You quietly padded over to the counter where you set your blanket and cd before kneeling and grabbing a candle and a lighter. Once it was lit, you rose back to your feet before speaking again, “Thanks again… I wasn’t sure if you’d be awake. I thought you might just go to sleep early if you couldn’t work on your desktop.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Elliot revealed to you.

You confessed, “Me either.”

Your breath caught in your throat when you turned to face him again. He was shrugging off his hoodie, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath. You’d never admit you had a thing for him, but it was hard to deny it at the moment. All you wanted to do was stare at him and drink in every inch of exposed skin. However, you turned your focus to the candle in your hand. The flame flickered, but you brain was replaying the image of Elliot in your head.

In your peripheral vision, you noticed him shuffle back over to his mattress. Elliot made himself comfortable after lying down, and he grabbed his laptop to continue typing at the keyboard.

A moment past where you stood awkwardly in your place, but you got ahold of yourself and strolled beside Elliot’s bed. You sat down on the floor with your legs crossed like you were in kindergarten. It only took a few seconds for Flipper to stand from her spot and lazily drape herself in your lap. She quickly returned to her slumber, and you took comfort in her steady breathing while you soothingly stroked her little head.

You didn’t notice Elliot stealing glances at you in the soft candlelight. However, he couldn’t help himself. He was grateful you’d texted him. He liked spending time with you. You didn’t force him to talk in times like these. You didn’t mind the silence. He liked that.

Your leg began to fall asleep about fifteen minutes later, so you scooped up Flipper as gently as you could before you stood. “Where should I set up shop,” you asked Elliot.

“Doesn’t matter,” he shrugged, “The couch is brutal, though.”

“Well, it’s probably better than the floor, and I don’t want to intrude by staying in your bed.”

“I don’t mind.” Elliot’s voice was soft, but you met his eyes to see that he was serious.

Still, you asked, “You don’t?”

Elliot shook his head, but you still weren’t convinced.

“Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want you to feel like you have to. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable or overstep any boundaries.”

“You’re not,” he assured you, “I promise… I don’t mind.”

Your voice was timid when you repliedd, gazing at the floor with a nod, “Okay. Thank you.”

It was quiet for a second before Elliot resumed his typing on his laptop. Taking that as a sign to continue preparing for bed, you placed Flipper on the empty side of Elliot’s bed as gently as your body would allow. She didn’t appear to be bothered, so you shuffled back over to retrieve your blanket. You also picked up the CD before you stalked over to the mattress and blew out the candles. Once it was dark again, you set your blanket down and held the CD out towards Elliot.

“By the way, I got this for you.” you announced, “I don’t know if you already have it, but I know you mentioned the album last time we talked. I can always take it back if you don’t want it, though. I don’t mind.”

Elliot stared at the plastic case, but after a moment, he accepted it and looked it over.

“I don’t have this one,” he mumbled, flipping it to the back, “Thank you.”

You only replied with a quiet, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Elliot echoed.

Then, you climbed into bed, trying your best to shift your weight in ways that wouldn’t disturb Elliot and Flipper. Once you were comfortable, and as close to the edge as physically possible, you felt your body beginning to drift off.

Just before you embraced sleep, you slurred, “Elliot?”

He hummed to indicate that you had his attention.

“You won’t let anything happen tonight, right?”

“Promise.”

“Thank you. Goodnight.”

You were surprised when he tells you, “Sweet dreams.”

It made you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but not in a bad way like the heat. It prompted you to advise him, “Get some rest soon, okay?”

“I will.”

You knew Elliot was lying, but you couldn’t resist suggesting it. You cared about him, and you wanted to do whatever you could to help him. To your surprise, you felt a dip in the mattress from Elliot’s side after he powered down his laptop.

Barely cracking your eyes open, you glanced over your shoulder to find him lying on his back in the dark. Your eyes fell closed again and you returned to your previous position. It took you even more off guard when Elliot wrapped his arm around you, gently pulling your form away from the edge before his touch retreated.

“You looked like you were gonna roll onto the floor,” he explained, “Goodnight.” He punctuated his statement with a tender kiss to your cheek. It probably would have been longer than a peck if it wasn’t so hot, but you weren’t complaining.

“Goodnight” you beamed back at him in the dark. You would be giddy if you weren’t so exhausted, and gradually, sleep embraced the both of you.

Tagging: ask to be tagged here

#cherry fails at writing #elliot alderson x reader #elliot alderson imagine #mr. robot imagine #yes i know i haven't been posting much lately but life has been crazy since i got sick & i'll be traveling again this weekend #i hope i get a chance to write and to post. so far i just have like 12 stories i'm only like halfway through but i keep alternating #between all of them so it's not like i'm gonna post something i don't finish because it's not fair to you guys.#this was just so forced & so many jumbled words that hardly make sense. i'm really sorry. i'm kind of ashamed.#there's probably some mixing tenses & sentences that make you go 'wtf' so i'm really sorry.#words? i'm sorry. i don't know them.

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