Black Mary Jane's |P.t2
!EddieMunson x !FemReader
Summary:Eddie unintentionally breaks your heart because of your friends' insistence.Even though he loves you,he will be punished for pretending otherwise.
Warnings:Jealousy,kissing,making out(It's not 1986). I never liked cheerleaders my entire school life and I really can't like Chrissy. I'm sorry, I can't make her a good character in any of my fics.
Part 1 is here!
𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
You hadn't talked to Eddie for days after your last argument. Weeks,and almost 1 month. You were really heartbroken and exhausted,you didn't talk to your friends and immediately went home after classes. What Eddie said was confusing you, no matter how much you loved Eddie you didn't trust him and all this time he just only broked your heart. You desperately wanted to kiss him, but at the same time the possibility that he might cheat on you was too high for you. Eddie was the sweetest boy you've ever met,but you had been friends for years and you had witnessed his relationships with many people. He wasn't loverboy, he wasn't going to be for you from now on either. Isn't it?Loving someone was a big thing for you, you couldn't trust anyone because you learned that from the people around you. Even the best person you knew could turn into a stranger, you didn't have the courage to lean on anyone. You couldn't trust Eddie, maybe you were still fooling yourself. You missed Eddie being a total clown to you,telling jokes and flirting with you sometimes. You missed all of these,but every time you missed him,you remembered how upset Eddie made you. You were in a terrible dilemma. He was in front of you everywhere, in the hallway, in the classroom, in the cafeteria and you made eye contact with him everytime. Whenever you had hope to Eddie,he'd start talking to Chrissy again. Going back to her like he hadn't told you how beautiful you were the night before. You were the girl Eddie always flirted with and gave hope to,but at the same time you were just his "friend" if asked. Another Monday, while you were lingering in front of your school locker,Nancy smiled at you "Hey." you looked at her "Hey" Your voice wasn't even coming out at all. Nancy played with her bracelet "You look beautiful today" you smiled softly "I didn't even do my makeup" she giggled "This is why you look beautiful". She was definitely going to ask something "Are tou coming to the concert this weekend?" You looked at her "What concert?" You definitely knew what concert it was but you didn't say anything. It was the Corroded Coffin concert. Eddie's been waiting for this for a long time. He cared very much about the group and kept saying that one day the whole world would hear about them. But they hadn't even been able to perform in town yet. So it was time,Corroded Coffin on the stage. You knew they were performing at a local bar, but you weren't sure if you wanted to go. If Eddie and you hadnt argument about a shitty thing, you'd definitely be the first person there. But you didn't want to be there. "Do you think I'm needed? I'm sure Chrissy will be there." Nancy rolled her eyes. 'Stop it, are you still on that?' you didn't answer and tried to stay calm. You were sensitive about Eddie and your friends would keep saying that it was unnecessary because you were worrying about it and you would only get angrier. This is why you didn't talk with them like you did to Eddie.
You were still heartbroken about this and it wasn't going to get better unless you talked to Eddie, so you refused to talk about it with your friends.When you entered French class, you sat in your usual seat and Eddie, a few rows in front of you, turned around and looked at you. You looked at him for a few seconds and turned back to your book. Chrissy and her friends were looking at you and laughing among themselves as usual. Ugh, you hated them. You never buy their girls girl lie.Because you knew very well how rude they actually were. Maybe Eddie had an influence on this, no matter what, you didn't like them or the others. When the teacher started the lesson, you opened your notebook and took out your homework. Eddie didn't do his homework as always, he usually always copied your homework.Your French homework was to prepare a topic and make a presentation about it in French. You chose Mötley Crue, one of your favorite bands. In the middle of the presentation, the things Chrissy said to her friends and her annoying giggles were starting to annoy you. You were like a bomb ready to explode for 1 month and you couldn't stand it anymore. "Do you even know a single fucking thing about them?". Everyone, including Chrissy, suddenly fell silent. Since she didn't answer you, you continued, "Then why are you still talking?" teacher looked at you "That's enough,sit back down" You rolled your eyes and walked back to your place without even protesting. Chrissy knew well that Eddie and you weren't talking. Of course she would talk about this as leverage. You were trying hard not to attack her. "You're barking at everyone like a spoiled puppy," Chrissy stopped playing with her ponytail and looked at you "Excuse me?". You looked at her "Like everytime you start talking,I think to myself 'Who the fuck does this girl think she is?'" you laughed "You are so fucking boring". Teacher yelled "Get out of my class!" You were expelled from class too many times in 1 month. You were more angry and aggressive than ever. You stood up without a care and mumbled as you grabbed your bag, "Whatever." You looked at Eddie as walked out of the classroom, seeing Eddie's grin.Dickhead. He must have liked it when two girls were fighting over him. Chrissy's facial expression was enough for you. Only the men who fucked her were telling lies to her, and in this way she was trying to keep her self-confidence high. You destroyed it with a few words. You continued walking down the hall and realized you couldn't handle the next classes so you decided to go home.
The next day,while you were in the cafeteria by yourself. Nancy hurriedly came to you "Did you argued with Nancy?!" You frowned "Calm down,you're acting like I killed her" Robin laughed and took one of the grapes from the plate, "I wish." You looked at Nancy "She was being a complete idiot as always, I couldn't take it anymore". Nancy took a deep breath and said, "It's not about that girl, you're getting too much detention. You can get suspended." You shrugged, “Whatever.” Nancy rolled her eyes. “You keep saying that. Look, I know you don't want to talk about this, but this is Eddie.” she laughed and looked at you “Our Eddie,the town freak. Maybe you're overestimating him.” You looked at Nancy and put down the fork in your hand. "Actually, everyone was underestimating himr,but I don't think highly of her. At least not anymore." Nancy looked at you quickly, "Great, that's what I'm talking about. Don't you think you should get yourself back together bit?" You looked at Nancy and grabbed your tray, "I'll get it together if you guys stop being annoying." You paused and turned your gaze to Robin "Who said I was arguing with Chrissy?". When the answer was 'Eddie' you wanted to ask more about him. What was he talking about you? Did he even care about what happened between of two of you?. You cleared your throat with the things that came to your mind and turned to the girls, "See you on Saturday, maybe." When you walked away Robin and Nancy were looking at each other with a sly smile "Should we tell Eddie?" Robin paused "Should we?"
They didn't tell Eddie. Until Saturday,Nancy and Robin always asked you the same question, you never gave them a definitive answer. Because you were still stuck between going and not going. Would Chrissy be there too? Maybe Eddie wouldn't even care about you. You were thinking about these things even while applying your lipstick in front of the mirror. You continued to think about these things until you got to the concert line. You could come back home at any time. When Nancy saw you she quickly hugged you "You're here!". you smiled and hugged Nancy. Robin looked around and eyed Nancy and herself. "Don't you think we're a little too colorful for here?" You giggled and adjusted the collar of Robin's jacket, "A little bit." Robin looked at you and raised her eyebrows, "You look way too hot." Nancy smiled and looked at Robin "Because there are people she needs to make jealous." You frowned "No!". They both looked at you with the same expression and you cleared your throat "Well,okay maybe but shut up". It was about twenty minutes until the door opened and you were too excited. Even though it wasn't hot, you were sweating in your leather jacket. You were stressed out. It wasn't a very big venue, would he see you from the crowd? Fuck, you were thinking so much. You were engrossed in conversation with your friends and didn't even notice that the line was slowly moving forward. Gareth was tuning his guitar when you walked in. The stage was slightly higher than the ground. They were doing soundcheck. All you can think about was Eddie.Gareth smiled slightly when he saw you and you smiled back. You were so nervous. But why?Soon enough, when Eddie came on stage you quickly turned your gaze towards him, you were standing a little further back in the crowd, you didn't want to be right in front of the stage. Eddie's excitement was evident in his eyes, or maybe you were the only one who could read it.When the song started, Eddie fixed his guitar strap and glanced around,that was the moment he saw you.You had a stern expression on your face, but deep down the sight of you making eye contact was burning your heart. Eddie smiled slightly and lowered his head. It looked like he wanted to hide his shy smile. They had a forty-minute stage time, during which time you never took your eyes off Eddie. He also looked at you often and continued to sing and play his guitar while looking into your eyes. His bangs sticking to his forehead because he was sweating, his arms veined from playing the guitar, his facial expressions were making your heart beat faster. They were reminding you one by one how much you loved him. You smiled as everyone cheered them on with applause and you did the same with the crowd. You were proud of him,the image in front of him was part of his dreams and it was your greatest duty to support him. Eddie leaned into the microphone and brushed his bangs away from his forehead “Thank you Hawkins,I appreciate it.” "Corroded fuckinf Coffin!" a boy yelled as he can and Eddie laughed,he pointed at him "Hell yeah" Eddie pressed the guitar pedal and held the microphone. "Before we end the night,I one more song for you." He looked at you when he said "You", you couldn't be wrong. Eddie and the other band members whispered among themselves and started playing again. It had a slower guitar riff than other songs. You couldn't stop looking at Eddie as he sang the song. His facial expressions made you fall in love with him again and again. He was puckering his eyebrows and closing his eyes, his forehead was sweating and he was licking his lips. "Soft lips are open,knuckles are pale" he looked at you again "Feels like you're dying,you're dying" You felt like you were out of breath. It felt like the entire crowd had disappeared around you. "You!" he closed his eyes "Your sex is on fire"
When the song ended your legs were shaking, Eddie and the other band members were saying goodbye to the audience. You didn't even hear what they even said. They were going backstage, you tried to find your friends in the crowd. But it definitely felt like your mind wasn't working,you felt drunk but you hadn't had a drop of alcohol. When someone put a hand on your shoulder, you looked back and breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Steve. You took his hand and walked out of the bar and it felt so much better to feel the oxygen more clearly. You looked at Steve "Where are the girls?". Steve shrugged "I don't know, they'll be back soon" Steve looked at you and frowned "Are you okay? Your face is pale". You nodded and fixed your hair "Yes, I'm fine" you exhaled deeply and smiled "It was very hot in there." A few minutes later,Robin and Nancy arrived. While the three of them were talking about something, your gaze was constantly wandering around, your eyes were searching for Eddie. Soon, as like your mind had been read, Eddie came up to you. While the others were showering him with praise, you just stared at Eddie, who occasionally glanced at you as if he was waiting for you to say something. "You guys were blast, it was brutal". Eddie smiled warmly and looked at you "Thank you, by the way uh…" he cleared his throat "I'm glad you came." You smiled and shook your head. Three of them were looking at two of you and there was an awkward silence. Eddie noticed this "I'm going backstage, I need to change. I'm fucking sweating" After Eddie went backstage,you continued chatting in front of the bar. A few minutes later when Gareth, Jeff and Doug came out, you looked around and looked at Nancy. "I'll be right back." You entered the venue again and tried to figure out where the backstage was. Finally figuring out where you were, you looked around and knocked on the door. "Come in" you heard Eddie's voice from inside. When you walked in you noticed that Eddie was missing his shirt. He smiled when he saw you, "Hey." You ran your gaze over Eddie's tattoos and looked back at him, "Hey." Eddie put on his T-shirt and fixed his messy hair. You tucked your hair behind your ear and cleared your throat. You looked like you were about to start a sentence, but you didn't even know what to say. You didn't even know why you were here,you were really good at making decisions without even thinking for a second. You wet your lips and looked at Eddie "I don't know why I came, I just wanted to see you" you smiled nervously. Eddie smiled, "It's good to see you, at least to see you smiling after so long." What Eddie said made you laugh and you put your hands in your leather jackets pockets. After a small laugh, you both fell silent again. Eddie said with a small smile on his face "I really miss you doll..." "Doll" it's been a long time since you heard that,he always called you with pet names "rabbit, baby-doll,princess, little monster" You missed them all so much that you smiled slightly and looked at Eddie "I miss you too Eds". Eddie was looking at you with sad eyes. You exhaled deeply, "Look, I didn't come here to talk about these things and get you down, I just wanted to s-" Eddie shook his head "No, you made this night better. It wouldn't have been a happy enough night if you hadn't come" You paused with what Eddie said and you sat the handrest of the leather couch "Nice to hear that" Eddie approached you and stood in front of you. You lifted your head slightly so you could see his face and looked at Eddie. "I'm sorry" he said. You remained silent for a few seconds, "It's okay." "No it's not". Eddie replied quickly and looked into your eyes "Never was." he swallowed "I never planned that one day I might lose you,and I acted like a kid" You looked at Eddie and spoke in a low voice "You didn't lose me, Eddie."
Eddie looked at you and put his hand on your cheek "This month has been so rough for me,all this time the fear of opening up to you cost me this" he laughed slightly as he was angry at himself "I should've told you what you meant to me,'cause now I pay the price,I broke your heart. This is my biggest regret." Eddie's words brought tears to your eyes. You tilted your head slightly, not wanting him to see you like this again. Eddie put his hand on your chin and made you look at him "I love you." the things Eddie said made you smile even though you had tears in your eyes. You sniffled and placed your hand over Eddie's hand "I love you." Eddie seemed like he's been waiting for you to say that, and as soon as you finished your sentence, he pressed his lips to yours. You quickly placed your hands on Eddie's cheeks and kissed him back. You had been waiting for this moment for so long that you felt such hunger for it. Eddie moved his hands to your waist and held you tightly as he continued to kiss you. After a few seconds, when you broke apart to take a breath,you looked at each other and started kissing again without waiting. Eddie's hands roamed your body,your fingers tangled in his curls. When Eddie's hands went to your skirt,somebody knocked the door "Eddie they're waiting for you" Gareth said from behind the door. "Piss off!" Eddie said angrily because of the moment was interrupted. You giggled and placed a small kiss on Eddie's nose "I'll wait for you outside." Eddie quickly grabbed you from your waist. “No, please.” He looked at you with his puppy eyes and you giggled "We can't stay here forever" you stood up and headed towards the door, Eddie pulled you towards him and pressed you to himself "But we can stay few munites" he started kissing you again. You could feel his hardness. You giggled andgave Eddie a long kiss on the lips, "Calm down, rock star." Eddie laughed at what you said and looked at you with a smile on his face as you walked out of the room. He took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror, unable to stop the grin on his face. He had your lip marks on all over his face, burgundy lipstick gave you both away. Eddie didn't care about that. After you fixed your hair and clothes,you go back to your friends and Nancy immediately bombarded you with questions. You looked at her and frowned, "I was in the bathroom calm down a bit." Nancy frowned at your attitude and finally decided to mind her own business. A few minutes later, Eddie came back to with a grin that never left his face and all four of you were looking at him in surprise. There were still lipstick stains on his face. Nancy slowly turned to you and raised her eyebrows. "You were in the bathroom,weren't you?" you pressed your lips together and exhaled deeply "I'm not going to give you a definitive answer " "She was not" Eddie spoke confidently and you looked at Eddie as Steve laughed "Shut up"
𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐𖤐
People I think will like it, I hope you don't mind!!<3
Tag list: @ali-r3n @marshmallowgem @rcailleachcola @seatnights @melodymunson @rainylana @eddies-puppet @mdurdenpitt @mmunsonsthings @crazyapplesgirl1q @psychotickoda
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MHA Mashiroa Ojiro x Reader - Special
Summary: Ojiro is surprised to know you remembered his birthday.
Warnings: Fluff, a bit of angst, insecurity, not proof read
He could never figure out why, but you had never left Ojiro alone, even since you met during the entrance exams. You were elated when you found yourself in the same class as him, and even more so when he agreed to be your friend. You refused to leave his side since the very beginning, and he'd never quite knew what to do with you.
You had always clung to him for the entire time you'd known him but the last week you'd been increasingly clingy. He didn't mind in the slightest, but it did unnerve him slightly. Didn't you have anything else you'd rather do with your time than bombard him with questions? What kind of sweets did he like? What are his fondest childhood memories? What kind of gifts did he like? What is his language of affection? Ojiro just couldn't wrap his head around your antics, trying his best to amuse your interrogation.
That was until yesterday. You hardly spoke a word to him all day, even skipping a few classes to avoid him. When he met up with you to walk you to class, you'd sheepishly excuse yourself, scurrying off, giggling. Where you...laughing at him? Had your whole friendship been some kind of prank? A new form of bullying, perhaps? No, you wouldn't do that to him...would you?
-----
You hummed chipperly, packing your things for the day, having permission to leave an hour early. As you began to leave the class with the rest of the students in your class, a strong hand caught your shoulder. Glancing over it, you found your best friend in the whole world, Ojiro. "Mashi, what's up?" you chirped with a smile before turning to him with a cocked brow. His expression looked so conflicted, brows furrowed and nose scrunched. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Are you avoiding me?" he asked bluntly, cutting straight to the point, hand falling to his side.
"What? No! What would make you think that?" you worried, stepping closer to him, hands resting on his cheeks. You always had a habit of being overly touchy with him, something he'd had to learn to get used to, but it still flustered him. "Mashi, you're my best friend, I'd never avoid you."
"You've been flaky the last few days..." He confessed softly. "Whenever I offer to walk with you, you slip away, or when I ask to sit with you after school you say you're too busy. I just don't understand what's changed..."
Your heart swelled at his observation. You hadn't even noticed you'd been flaking on him the last two days, let alone how it was making him feel. "No, it's not like that..." you reassure with a soft smile, pinching his cheek. "I'm just working on something, I promise."
"Let me help you," he offered, inching ever closer and leaning into your touch. "What is it, a project? I can help you finish it so we can hang out."
You giggled at his insistence. "It's not something you can help with, Mashi, but we're almost done."
"We?" he asked, looking at you worried, a bit jealous that someone else was stealing away your time. "Whose we?"
You simply shook your head, taking his hands in yours, swinging them side to side childishly. Don't worry about it, Mashi, you'll see soon enough."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he cocked his head, unnerved by your consistent verbal reassurance coupled with actions that made him feel all the more uneasy.
"You ask too many questions," you giggle up at him, flashing a dazzling smile that made him nervous.
"Me?" he asked, slightly offended. "You're the one whose been interrogating me all week!" You simply rested your head on his chest for a moment, feeling him freeze until you released him.
"Come to the courtyard tonight at six." you said plainly, beginning to part from him.
"Wait, why?" he protested, reluctantly letting you go.
"You'll see!" With that, you were slipping away again and to Ojiro's surprise, and dismay, when you rounded the corner, he could make out unmistakable black feathers peeking out from the other side.
-----
The five o'clock hour had come and nearly went, and Ojiro laid on the bench, mind clouded with emotions he wasn't equipped to handle. His first reaction to any complicated was always to work out his frustrations, but usually, he'd do that with the company of Shoji or Midoryia, even Kirishima sometimes. It didn't strike him as odd that the gym was entirely empty, save for himself. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen anyone in the hallway to his dorm after class, or on his way here. Where was everyone?
Glancing at his phone, his blood ran cold reading the time as '5:53'. "Shit," he cursed, jumping up and racking his weights before booking it to the locker room, not bothering to put away what he'd been using. He couldn't possibly face you without a shower, he decided, smelling himself and cringing, before jumping into the shower.
-----
Your good mood was beginning to waver, obvious to your friends as you stood straight as a stick in the courtyard, waiting for Ojiro. You checked your phone nervously, for the nth time in the last few minutes. '6:15'.
"You did tell him where to go at what time, right?" Tokoyami asked, peering down at you with concern.
"Of course I did," You responded with a fake smile, faltering when you felt a large hand on your shoulder.
"Then he'll be here," Shoji told you through a disembodied pair of lips. Noticing that his words did little to lift your spirits, he sighed. "Tell you what, we'll give it another five minutes and if he doesn't show, we can call him."
"But calling him might ruin the surprise..." you said saddly, wringing your hands. "M-Maybe this was a bad idea..." you began to doubt yourself, kicking a pebble on the ground.
"Don't say that," The crow said, inching closer. "You went to great lengths to do this for him, its always a splendid idea to show those you love that you do." He said, kindly, bumping his head against your shoulder, a sign of reassurance.
"You're right," you relented, smiling half heartedly. "He'll come, I know he will."
-----
Ojiro sped down the stairwell, skipping multiple steps when he could, deeming it a faster way down than the elevator when his phone buzzed. Taking it out, he noticed he had a missed text from Shoji that simply read. 'Courtyard ASAP.' He paled, the thought of him screwing something big up setting in more and more with every flight he went down.
Finally free of the stairwell, he broke through the bottom floor of Heights Alliance, darting for the back door. Dashing into the back courtyard he paused, frozen in place, about fifty feet from you. In front of him was not only you, or his closest friends, but the entire class of 1-A, teacher included. Dotted around the patio were tables holding food and gifts, and a banner hanging from two trees that read, 'Happy Birthday, Ojiro!' in painted handwriting.
Ojiro could feel hot tears well in his eyes as he inched closer, the hoard of friends circling around him. You darted for him, leaping into his arms in a relieved hug, followed by Tokoyami, and Shoji, who lifted the three of you into a large embrace. Many others joined in on the group hug, which was more like a dog pile at this point, such as Midoryia, Ochako, Mina, and Kirishima, just to name a few.
"Happy Birthday, Mashi..." you whispered against his cheek, pressing a ghostly kiss to it as you were set back down on the grass. Ojrio was overwhelmed in the best way as his classmates repeated your well wishes in their own ways.
"I-I don't know what to say..." He confessed, rubbing his eyes with a hiccup.
"Maybe 'thanks'" Bakugo rolled his eyes, leaning against a pole towards the back, promptly elbowed in the ribs by Kirishima.
"T-Thank you, guys..." Ojiro muttered, his heart swelling. "T-Thank you so much, this is..." He couldn't pull the words from his throat, trembling before you all. "I-I never thought I was special enough to have my birthday celebrated." He confessed with a sad smile before inching closer to the crowd.
"You're special to us, Mashi." You smiled, taking a step closer to him, meeting him in the middle. "Special to me..." As you came closer, behind you, Tokoyami and Shoji exchanged looks, deciding they couldn't watch the two of you beat around the bush any longer. Covertly, the crow bumped into your back, pushing you into Ojiro's arms, noses inches apart. With a deep breath, you took the jump, briefly pressing your lips to his before pulling away to a chorus of girlish coos. To your delight, he pecked your lips in return, just as breifly, and then again, and once more.
Giggling, you laid your forehead against his, almost forgetting about the spectating crowd until you heard Mina squeal. "Oh my gosh, his tail is wagging!" Ojiro's face grew red and he curled his tail around his waist, holding it securely as the crowd began to dissipate, pulling him over to the table.
On one was a plethora of picnic foods, courtesy of resident chef Bakugo, and a large cake, made by Sato with your help, which was your reason for skipping classes the previous day. On the other table was a pile of presents packaged in colorful paper, not that he cared. The most precious thing he could receive, he already had. Appreciation from his friends and love from you, which you would continue to display well throughout the party's duration.
In the end, it finally made sense why you'd taken a liking to him, and why you'd been so inseperable form him for so long. It was because he, just like everyone else here, was very, very special.
Absolutely had to get something out for Oji's birthday,b ut i did write this in an hour in one sitting, so please excuse any errors!
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“Come on.”
“Uh?”
Diane looks up as Naomi stands and holds out her hand as if this isn't a ridiculously careless thing she's asking her to do, as if neither of them has the good sense to mention that neither one of them has any idea what they're getting themselves into. As if neither of them might be walking straight into a trap of their own making, or nothing much will change at all and they'll forget about each other in a month, or a few days. As if it's a risk worth taking to find out which.
As if there's anything else to do today.
“I'm not going to the hospital.”
“I know.” Naomi reaches a little closer. “I have a first aid kit at home.”
Enough to get them through, that's all. Enough for now.
“You know how to wrap it?” Diane asks as she takes Naomi's hand to pull herself up, as though the answer might change her mind somehow. Naomi smiles a little, as though she knows it just as well that it won't.
“Yeah.” She sets Diane's hand down on her shoulder. “It's not far, come on. I'll carry you down the stairs.”
“You'll drop me.”
“I will not.” Naomi urges her forward, along the concrete path out of the park. “I mean I'm just offering, I don't have to.”
It's a nice gesture, though, isn't it? It was a nice thought.
They walk slowly down the street, stepping more or less in sync past the general store with the baking supplies just past the doorway, turning at the corner to walk toward the coin laundry that's open even at three in the morning and also on holidays. A hand-drawn poster in the window of the discount shoe store across the street loudly advertises VACUUMS REFURBISHED while a Times New Roman printout on the telephone cubicle in the middle of the block offers “suitable compensation” in exchange for willing test subjects, No Questions Please; a few steps farther along stands an apartment building that somehow looks like it's missing a couple of stories, and Diane shifts her weight to her good leg as Naomi steps away to fumble with the lock on the front door.
“It's the door on the left,” Naomi says, the door sticking only slightly as she shoves it open. “When you get to the basement.”
She opens the first door on the right, a stairwell that only leads down.
“Upstairs is that door over there, but I don't know any of the neighbors, so. I'm not gonna introduce you to anyone.”
That's fine. Diane doesn't want to know any of them, either.
Naomi walks down the stairs first and doesn't try to carry her.
“Bathroom's at the end of the hall,” she says. “The taps aren't broken, the water's just cold when it's cold outside and warm when it isn't, but if you let it run for a little while, it'll...fix itself. And make sure you don't touch the water heater, it's metal and it gets really hot sometimes.”
Diane clutches the wooden banister nailed to the wall as she limps her way down and wonders how much of all this she's supposed to remember. All of it, probably. It isn't very complicated.
Naomi unlocks the door on the left and holds it open.
“You can sit on the bed.”
It's good of her to offer. It isn't much of a bed, really, more of a mattress pushed into the corner, but that isn't exactly a surprise, and it's good of her to offer all the same.
“Thanks,” Diane says, a little too late to seem quite natural. Naomi hums a disinterested acknowledgment and doesn't seem to mind.
“Take off your shoes.”
Diane promptly unties her sneakers, placing them on the floor beside the bed as Naomi kneels in front of her with a roll of ACE bandage in her hand and her eyes focused on Diane's ankle like she's the only attending physician in the entire complex who doesn't have better things to do with her time than tend to something as trivial as all this. Diane should count herself lucky the timing worked out the way that it did.
Lucky, was it? It's about time.
The single bulb in the overhead light flickers a little as if a public execution has just disrupted the power grid, or someone's turned on too many air conditioners at once and blown a fuse a few floors up.
“Don't worry about it,” Naomi says. Diane doesn't bother to assure her that she wasn't.
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